UN deputy chief calls for change of mindsets to realize Africa's development vision

UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Africa's bold development vision is still within reach, and its realization needs the change of mindsets as well as turning crisis into opportunity, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said on Wednesday.

The United Nations shares the vision of the "Africa We Want" as outlined in the African Union's Agenda 2063 and its realization through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, she told a General Assembly special high-level dialogue on sustainable development of Africa, with the theme "The Africa We Want: Reconfirming the Development of Africa as a Priority of the United Nations System."

Speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mohammed said the dialogue provides a global platform for African member states and the United Nations and partners to share progress and reaffirm that "giving light to this vision remains our shared priority."

She pointed out that Africa's development gains are at risk, as a consequence of the current three ongoing crises -- the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the war in Ukraine.

But, "the Africa we want is still within reach," she said. "To get there, we need to change our mindsets and turn the triple crisis into an opportunity."

To do so, Mohammed stressed focusing on five key issues: building effective and reliable policy frameworks and institutions; future-proof Africa's infrastructure by investing in connectivity and digital technologies; education and skills-development as enablers of Africa's industrialization; achieving sustainable energy for all across the continent; an overall approach to financing.

The "Africa We Want" is not only good for the continent, it is good for the world. Now is the time to urgently rescue the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in Africa and lay the foundation for the ambition of the 2063 Agenda, and in the world at large, said Mohammed.

"Today, let us recommit to our ambitious vision and to continue to work alongside African countries to realize a greener, more sustainable, and more inclusive future for all," she said.