Closing Remarks by Mr. Claver Gatete at the 56th session of the Economic Commission for Africa and Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development

Fifty-sixth session of the Economic Commission for Africa and Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development

Closing Remarks By

Claver Gatete

UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

Victoria Falls

4 March 2023

Your Excellency, Professor Mthuli Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion and Chair of the Bureau,

Honorable ministers, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen

As we close this Fifty-sixth Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, it is with a great deal of pride that I express my profound gratitude for your invaluable contributions to the deliberations over the past few days.

Your active participation and your request to us to do more demonstrate that the journey towards building inclusive green economies is not merely an anecdote but a pressing imperative that demands our concerted action.

The insights shared, the innovative solutions proposed, and the partnerships forged underscore our resolve to advance economic prosperity for all Africans.

Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

I am aware that you have listened to many speeches and presentations over the past few days, so I will be brief!

I have three points to make.

First, we should celebrate our achievements.

We built consensus on the following:

• The   key   areas   for   the   reform of the global financial architecture to be fit for purpose;

• The instruments and institutions that we need to bridge the technology gap; and

• The innovative financing mechanisms that can work for us with the right governance frameworks.

It is precisely because of these imperatives that the Economic Commission for Africa is reorienting its work, with particular focus on deepening our intellectual leadership on technology, infrastructure and climate.

This will enable us to better support countries to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the SDGs.

The resolution we adopted on tax cooperation is important in helping countries strengthen domestic resource mobilization as we prepare for the Financing for Development Conference that will take place in 2025.

This, indeed, marks a pivotal step towards fostering a fair and equitable global economic system.

Second, we must all make a commitment to the work that lies ahead of us.

We must not think of the reports and resolutions as the ultimate outcome of our work.

The Fifty-sixth session of the conference of ministers may be ending, but our work is far from over.

On the contrary, we have heard you loud and clear.

You have asked us for more concreteness on scalable and replicable solutions that work.

In my various discussions with you also, I have taken note of the need to strengthen peer learning platforms.

We have also been requested to translate these deliberations into tangible actions that yield outcomes.

Finally, you continue to remind us that the policy context matters, and due attention must be given to this.

For instance, while some countries are in severe economic crisis, others are still suffering from years of conflict.

Yet, all of them face the same disproportionate burden of the impact of climate change.

Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

We will undoubtedly face many challenges in implementing our commitments.

But this must not distract us from staying focused on the goals.

We have an exciting road ahead.

I look forward to seeing you again next year to share with you the work we have done to help you close the widening climate and development financing gap.

But before that, however, I look forward to our interactions at the forthcoming Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, where we will shape Africa’s inputs to the Summit of Future.

Let us remember that the ‘Pact for the Future’ can only be successful if Africa is at the centre of these discussions.

In closing, I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the President, the entire government and to the people of Zimbabwe for their warm hospitality.

It truly has been an amazing conference with full support of the government of Zimbabwe.

We thank you, Honorable Minister Ncube and your team!

I am grateful to all the speakers and experts who helped us shape the narrative for this event.

I am also particularly grateful to the leadership of the African Union Commission for standing with us through this journey.

Finally, I want to commend all the staff who have shown great commitment to ensure we get the right results.

As we depart, let us carry forward the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and the determination that has permeated our discussions.