Khartoum, 13 October 2022 (ECA) - A delegation from the Office for North Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa concluded today at five-day visit to Khartoum. The delegation met with senior Sudanese policymakers to discuss the office’s technical support to Sudan’s current economic and social priorities as the country is simultaneously facing the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the Ukraine-Russia crises.
The office Director, Ms Zuzana Brixiova Schwidrowski and her team met with Suad Eltayeb Hassan, Minister of Labour and Administrative Reform, Ahlam Madani Mahadi, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation, Wisal Hussein Abdalla, Secretary General of the National Population Council of Sudan and Ali Mohamed Abbas Ahmed, Director General of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
Ms. Schwidrowski stressed the importance of the upcoming joint, Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts of the ECA Offices for North and West Africa and Expert Group Meeting, scheduled to take place under the themes “Food and energy security in North and West Africa amid multiple crises” and “Crisis Resilience and Development Sustainability in North and West Africa” on 1-3 November 2022 in Marrakech (Morocco).
Future cooperation between the ECA Office for North Africa and the Sudanese authorities will build on ongoing work on employment, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and encompass policy-oriented research on the demographic dividend, the impact of COVID-19 and food security.
Other key areas of cooperation will include sharing experiences of other North African countries, such as Morocco, support to SMEs, entrepreneurship, vocational training and the mapping of investments in Sudan.
The team concluded on Thursday 13 October in Khartoum a national capacity development workshop and a high-level policy dialogue on employment and job creation.
Note to editors
ECA is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its Office for North Africa aims to support the sustainable development of seven countries across the sub region (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Sudan) by helping them formulate and implement policies and programs that support their economic and social transformation.
Over the last few years, the ECA office for North Africa has supported Sudan in several areas including capacity building in the areas of employment creation, government finance, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Issued by:
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Economic Commission for Africa
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Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org