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Farirai Machivenyika and Leonard Ncube

AFRICA has made progress in its quest to attain peace and security as well as implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), United Nations deputy secretary-general Ms Amina Mohamed has said.

Speaking during the official opening of the 6th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) here yesterday, Ms Mohamed commended African governments for their energy and determination towards implementation of SDGs.

She said more needs to be done if the continent is to meet its target for Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063.

Ms Mohamed said the United Nations was committed to helping the continent realise its vision.

“Over the course of 2019 major scientific and analytical reviews made clear that the world is not on track to achieve the sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The African Union first report on the implementation of Agenda 2063 demonstrated that despite early progress there is need for urgent action.

“Now, 2020 is an opportunity for all of us to chart a different course and to kick-start a Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs. Region by region, we will build momentum starting by Africa today and I am convinced that with leadership by African governments and strong support from their partners and young people, the Decade of Action can deliver major improvements in peace and prosperity across the continent,” she said.

Ms Mohamed said while the UN High Level political forum will continue to provide the main platform for global engagement and sharing experiences on the SDGs, the decade (2020-2030) will also allow for annual stock taking on the collective journey towards 2030.

“Africa continues to have some of the fastest growing economies and growth is projected to remain stable in 2020. The proportion of people living in poverty is declining from 34,5 percent in 2015 to 32,5 percent in 2019. In 10 countries poverty rates are below 10 percent,” said Ms Mohamed.