Brazzaville, 03 March 2021 (ECA) - “SDG12 is the most cross-cutting goal of the SDGs”, said the Director of Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Division of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Jean-Paul Adam.
He spoke on Wednesday, March 3, during a side meeting on the sub-theme: "Sustainable consumption and production", (with reference to Objective 12 of the Sustainable development goals), organized within the framework of the seventh session of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development ARFSD).
The theme of the 7th ARFSD is “Building forward better: towards a resilient and green Africa to achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”
Jean-Paul Adam made a plea for a significant financial investment in research in Africa, modernization of technological tools, a correlation between unsustainable production and consumption and a better protection of the oceans.
“It is necessary to translate the wishes expressed in the SDG12 into concrete actions”, pleaded the Director of the Division of Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management at ECA.
For her part, the Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for Africa, Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo, invited the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to take the lead by initiating a dialogue with the African Union Commission (AUC), on key issues related to the concrete implementation of decisions and resolutions at the continental level and which still remain unanswered.
“Most recommendations formulated by the highest continental authorities do not always seem to be oriented towards concrete actions. Very often we point out what needs to be done, but where we fail is when we have to say who should do it and when it should be done,” said Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo.
She illustrated her statement with the failure to implement the AU resolution calling on member states to spend at least 15% of their Gross domestic product (GDP) on health by 2020.
“The Covid-19 has shown the limits of the fragility of African states in this area. Sustainable development in Africa has been severely hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic,” noted the UNEP Regional Director.
Ms. Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo acknowledged that significant progress has been made in the implementation of SDG12, but that progress remains to be made, especially in regards to women and smallholders access to land.
The event notably featured the interventions of the Representative of Morocco, Mr. Ben Yahia who made a presentation on the implementation of SDG12 in his country.
The Sub-Regional Coordinator for East Africa and Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to the AUC and ECA, Mr. Chimimba David Phiri has, for his part, indicated that the continent can achieve “better performance” in the implementation of SDG12.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org