ADDIS ABABA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Vera Songwe on Friday urged concerted efforts among UN agencies in supporting Africa's endeavors towards stability and development.
The ECA chief made the urgent call during her recent meeting with heads of key United Nations agencies at the ECA headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa to discuss how the UN platform can coordinate better and deliver as one to Africa's needs, the ECA said in a statement on Friday.
Songwe and other UN chiefs, among other things, discussed "how they can work better together in light of ongoing UN reforms as they seek to fully support the African Union's quest for peace and sustainable development on the continent," an ECA statement read.
"We need to do our best in supporting the African Union, especially as we implement the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the AU's Agenda 2063," the statement quoted Songwe as saying.
The ECA Executive Secretary also emphasized the importance of coordination and cooperation in issues connected to climate change, women empowerment, education, agriculture, technology, capacity development, the peace-security-development nexus, energy, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), among others.
Heads of various UN agencies also during the meeting underscored the importance of better coordination and collaboration, with particular emphasis given to supporting the AU Commission in its critical areas of engagement.
Among the UN agencies represented include the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s Liaison Office to the AU, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as well as UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, it was noted.
The meeting came weeks after the third AU-UN annual conference convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat earlier this month at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
According to the ECA, the UN Secretary-General and the AU Commission Chairperson had reiterated the need for strong cooperation and collaboration between the two organizations
They also expressed their commitment to continue to deepen the strategic partnership between the AU and the UN in addressing peace and security issues and achieving sustainable development issues in Africa through a more integrated approach.
