2024 SDGs Action Summit calls for renewed commitment in Africa

With barely six years remaining to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 2024 SDGs report warns that current progress falls far short of what is required to meet the targets outlined in the 2030 Agenda.

In Africa, although development policy and management over the past decade have been greatly influenced by the SDGs and Agenda 2063 with significant strides to embed them within national policy frameworks while re-organizing institutional structures to deliver on both Agendas. Africa still lags in achieving the SDGs with the current Africa Sustainable Development Report revealing that Africa is unlikely to achieve the SDGs and Agenda 2063 without scaled-up concessional development, climate financing and transformative domestic reforms.  It is critical now more than ever to accelerate action to achieve the SDGs.

In this regard, the SDGs advisory unit at the Office of the President, in partnership with the UN in Ghana and other partners, convened stakeholders in Accra, Ghana for the SDGs Action Summit 2024. The summit's overarching objective sought to ignite renewed commitment to the SDGs on the continent and catalyze bold and collective actions for Africa’s socio-economic transformation.

The Special Advisor to the President on the SDGs, Dr. Eugene Owusu highlighted the challenges facing Africa in achieving the SDGs which include finances, misgovernance, and poor decision making among others. “Let's renew our commitment to the implementation of the SDGs… see this summit as a catalyst for action, a catalyst for smart actions, a catalyst for innovative actions, and a catalyst for quick wins that will put the SDGs on track”.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, and co-chair of the UN Secretary-General Emeritus Group of SDGs Advocate, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo urged for a paradigm shift in the global financial architecture for Africa to achieve the SDGs. “We must encourage innovation and self-reliance through entrepreneurship. Africa's youth are incredibly innovative and entrepreneurial. By developing cultural entrepreneurship, we can harness this potential to create jobs that are not just for the job market, but also for the people, the SDGs represent our shared vision for transforming today towards safeguarding the future with renewed vigor and a greater sense of purpose and confidence through our collective efforts that will ensure of a sustainable and inclusive Africa” he stated.

“As we enter into the latter half of the 2030 agenda, we must commit and accelerate action to achieve the SDGs at the country level, this requires implementing effective strategies, mobilizing finance, and fostering strong partnerships to make tangible progress” emphasized the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations & Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Group, Ms. Amina Mohammed through a virtual message. Ms Mohammed reiterated that the SDGs must translate into concrete actions that will improve the lives of everyone. 

The Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, asserted SDGs Summit 2024, ahead of the UN Summit of the Future, provides a unique opportunity to take stock and also commit to scaling up actions while leaving  no one behind. “To our private sector members and our young people in the room. your voices are critical to shaping the future, to shape not just the investments that are required, but also the decisions. that continue to be made to deliver development results, let us continue the effort of integrating the continent and finding ways to finance innovation and industrialization”.

 The summit had various highly engaging and interactive discussions.  Speaking on the topic focused on scaling up actions through policy, governance, and institutional reforms, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Mr. Charles Abani acknowledged Africa’s youthful populations as an advantage to achieve the SDGs. “This continent cannot achieve its objectives unless it has affordable, clean, green energy… review policy and invest in priority areas identified from SDG progress reviews like jobs, education, energy, and climate change”.

The 2-day Summit interactive event, comprising a mix of high-level will serve as a platform for a unified African voice and reiterate a joint commitment to expediting progress on SDGs implementation, ahead of the Summit of the Future.