United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Commission Économique des Nations Unies pour l’Afrique
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
Remarks by
Abdoulie Janneh
UN Under Secretary-General/Executive Secretary of the Economic
Commission for Africa
Launch of the MDG 2011 Report
African Union Office
New York
th
6 October 2011
Let me, from the onset, thank the Chairman of the African Group, my brother,
Ambassador Macharia Kamau for agreeing to moderate this launch. I also want to thank
our partners – the African Union, African Development Bank and UNDP, for collaborating
on this important project.
The MDG 2011 report provides a rigorous assessment of progress in Africa toward the
achievement of the MDGs. It serves as a basis for policy discussion, peer learning, and
advocacy. It also provides the impetus for policy decisions and actions by Africa’s highest
political organs and for new strategies by member States.
Excellencies
Africa made some remarkable achievements on some targets of the MDGs such as:
attaining gender parity, and even in some cases, exceeding enrollment targets in primary
schools, enhancing women’s empowerment and their representation in national
parliaments, as well as progress in the response against HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis.
But the strong economic growth recorded before the global financial and debt crises have
not resulted in commensurate poverty reduction on the continent. Maternal mortality
continues to take a heavy toll on African women of childbearing age while African
children and infants still have abnormally high mortality rates.
It is clear, therefore, that despite the progress Africa has made, many critical challenges
remain. This is why this report is important.
It not only provides a uniquely African perspective on the region’s performance on the
MDGs, but also serves as a policy document for promoting strong and coordinated action
toward achieving the rest of the MDGs by 2015.
But we must be forward-looking.
We must begin the process of building consensus around the post-2015 development
agenda, drawing on the views of a broad range of stakeholders.
This is why ECA has been actively assessing Africa’s views on what should constitute
the post-2015 development agenda. We are looking to member States to provide
guidance on their development needs and priorities in order to formulate a unified African
perspective on the post-2015 agenda.
A large part of this will be ECA’s input to the upcoming UN report entitled “Beyond 2015:
A Future UN Development Agenda” which is expected to provide the main elements for
a global post-2015 development agenda from a regional perspective. In addition, in
collaboration with the AU, we will host a regional workshop in November to articulate
Africa’s position on the post-2015 MDG Agenda.
Excellencies, as we review Africa’s progress over the past year toward the MDGs, let us
not only focus on our modest successes and the daunting challenges we face in the
future.
Instead, let us begin to look beyond 2015 and draw lessons that can inform and affect
the new development agenda- whatever it consists of.
I thank you, Excellencies, for listening.