Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), will on Monday and Tuesday host a Continental Workshop to support national capacities of AU member States in preparations for the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).
The workshop is organised by the African Union – African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), with support from other organisations.
The Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) are to be presented at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July 2022.
It also offers a regional platform for peer-learning on best practices of the integration and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063, domestication challenges at national and local levels alongside forging monitoring and evaluation tools to report on both agendas in tandem. In attendance will be representatives from 22 African countries.
Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya (Dr). Zainab S. Ahmed, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, H.E. Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire are some of the dignitaries expected at the event.
Other dignitaries expected are CEO, APRM-NEPAD office, Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale and Ministers from 22 African countries.
In 2022, 46 countries will be presenting VNRs, with 22 African countries expected to present VNRs, including 7 countries expressing their wish to present their VNRs for the first time at the HLPF.
In addition to this significant global event, the AU second continental report of Agenda 2063 is being launched during the AU Heads of States Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February 2022.
The workshop will contribute to raising awareness on progress, gaps and challenges towards an integrated and coherent approach to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals and discuss these issues with national focal points.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by world leaders in September 2015, during the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). It envisions a present and a future that is economically sustainable, socially inclusive and environmentally resilient.
This vision is expressed through the framing of the 17 SDGs, 169 targets and 230 key performance indicators. Taken together, the SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, safeguard the planet and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity by the year 2030.
The mandate of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) includes Strategic Direction, Planning and Coordination; Representation, Advocacy and Partnership Development; Resource Mobilization and Management; and Monitoring, Evaluation, Documentation of Reporting.
