The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) concluded its third-quarter Accountability and Programme Performance Review Meeting (APPRM) of the year, Monday, with strong calls to accelerate programmatic results.
Leading the review, ECA Executive Secretary Mr Claver Gatete called on staff to concentrate resources and ongoing efforts in countries of focus towards "strengthening implementation and impact in the final quarter of 2026.”
The Review Meeting reported results spanning economic governance, regional integration, climate action, technology and social development.
“The commitments we made in January must show results. We must concentrate our resources and support to Member States by turning engagement into sustained implementation,” said Executive Secretary Claver Gatete.
Despite delivery challenges, the Executive Secretary stressed the need to prioritize high-impact work, consolidate delivery approaches and convert the Commission’s continental reach into impactful results through full implementation.
Programme highlights
Deputy Executive Secretary for Programmes, Ms. Hanan Morsy reported that in Uganda, ECA policy advice and a feasibility study supported the enactment of the Mortgage Refinance Institutions Act 2026, with work ongoing to establish a national mortgage refinance corporation. Programme highlights also included the launch of the African Credit Rating Agency, intended to provide independent and transparent sovereign ratings.
She also noted that ten pilot countries have endorsed a Centralized Pooled Procurement Mechanism, now transitioning into the Africa Pooled Procurement Mechanism, with adoption by 20 Member States underway.
Moreover, ECA technical support has helped Chad develop a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, while a Common African Position on AI Governance, reflected in the Addis Ababa Declaration, advances a coordinated continental approach. A Google-supported e-learning programme is building the capacity of government officials, and a new Intelligent Data Harvester is automating official statistics.
The 7th African Climate Talks and the 14th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA14) helped shape the continent’s negotiating priorities for COP31 and the roadmap towards an African COP32. While a new EV Impact Calculator and an African Union-adopted strategic framework for electric vehicles are advancing the energy transition.
Among other efforts, the Commission is supporting women’s and youth financial inclusion in Sierra Leone and The Gambia, and employment policy development in Djibouti.
Deputy Executive Secretary Mama Keita also highlighted ECA’s logistical and technical support to major convenings at the UN Conference Centre and Africa Hall, citing CCDA14 and the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO$, among others.
Delivering in the final quarter
“Q3 has taught us where to push harder,” said Ms. Keita, pointing to the need to accelerate year-end delivery, sharpen programme monitoring and reporting of work plans and delivery, and sustain close interdivisional collaboration for the best results.
The review also called for evidence-backed reporting, closer leadership oversight and closer alignment of resource use with programme performance. ECA has held numerous support consultations to help teams advance delivery, with further targeted assistance planned.
“Accelerating delivery means keeping results for Africa at the centre. ECA’s year-end priority is focusing on agreed commitments, and strengthening coordination so programmes deliver more effectively,” said Said Adejumobi, Director of ECA’s Strategic Planning, Oversight and Results Division.
Mr. Adejumobi also emphasized realistic plans aligned with available resources, close progress tracking and evidence-based decisions as central to the Commission’s push for results.
The road ahead
The review called for urgent preparation of 2027 annual business plans to guide the Commission’s work in the coming year, as ECA heads into COP31, negotiations on a United Nations Tax Convention and the G20 Summit - pushing to turn continental engagement into sustained results for its member states.
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