Addis Ababa, 23 October 2025 (ECA) : Africa’s Development Agenda took centre stage during the ECA Policy and Programme Dialogue series, with a focus on financing, climate action, and social development, emphasising a strong commitment to innovative solutions to shape the continent’s future.
The Policy and Programme Dialogue is held monthly, aiming to promote discussion among ECA staff, emphasising the importance of sharing research and fostering policy debates centred on regional and global development challenges. The September session was held on the 22nd in a hybrid format. The Dialogue is coordinated by the Strategic Planning, Oversight, and Results Division (SPORD).
Leading the discussion on the topic "The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (30 June 2025): Outcomes and relevance of ECA’s work,” Allan Mukungu from the Macroeconomics, Finance, and Governance Division highlighted that the conference's key outcome, the Seville Commitment, emphasises the importance of mobilisation of domestic resources, access to international finance, and focus on climate finance and green budgeting for sustainable development, which can be achieved by improving taxation, youth inclusion, and debt management to support Africa's development goals.
On her part, Zuzana Schwidrowska, Director of the Gender, Poverty, and Social Policy Division, presenting “World Social Summit (Nov 4-6, 2025) and Its Strategic Implications for Africa”, described the summit as an opportunity for Africa to influence the global social agenda, as up to 85% of worldwide workforce growth by 2050 could come from Africa, presenting risks and opportunities. Schwidrowska stated the focus will be on funding development and digital inclusion because Africa faces a $1 trillion annual funding gap, underscoring the need for innovative solutions to address this shortfall.
Cosmas Milton Obote Ochieng, Director of the Climate Change, Food Security, and Natural Resource Management Division, provided reflections on the 2nd Africa Climate Summit and preparations for the 2025 UN Climate Conference (COP 30). He stressed Africa's critical role in climate action and the necessity of strong leadership in addressing the climate crisis."As African leaders reposition the continent as a key player in climate discussions, a unified position in negotiations is essential to represent our diverse interests," Ochieng noted.
In conclusion, the dialogue underscored Africa's development by emphasising the need for more domestic resources, climate finance, and green budgeting. It also advocated for human development and inclusion to support Africa's goals. Stephen Karingi, Director of MFGD, chair of the occasion, described the discussions as "rich and informative".
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org