At the opening of the Eleventh Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Kampala, United Nations Under-Secretary-General Claver Gatete called on African leaders to embrace bold, inclusive, and science-driven solutions to accelerate job creation and economic growth.
He warned that structural vulnerabilities, slow economic growth, and rising debt burdens are undermining progress toward both the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, stressing that decisive action is required if the continent is to overcome these challenges.
Gatete noted that out of 144 measurable Sustainable Development Goal targets, only 10 are on track while 28 are regressing, a pace that suggests even well-defined goals such as gender equality could take decades to achieve at the current rate. He highlighted five critical goals—good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, life below water, and partnerships for the goals—as essential areas for focused development. Among the challenges he cited were underfunded health systems, with many African countries spending far below the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum, entrenched gender disparities in leadership and financial inclusion, and a high prevalence of informal employment that leaves millions either unemployed or underemployed.
In his address, Gatete outlined four strategic pillars intended to mobilize resources and drive development forward. These include scaling up domestic resource mobilization, developing capital markets to attract private investment, expanding affordable finance with a particular emphasis on women and youth, and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area to spur industrialization and job creation. He also emphasized the urgent need to curb illicit financial flows that are estimated to cost Africa approximately $89 billion annually, while advocating for innovative financial instruments such as sovereign wealth funds, remittance-backed bonds, and blended finance to boost investment in vital sectors like agriculture and renewable energy.
Acknowledging the potential of the digital economy, Gatete called for increased investments in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology, and suggested the establishment of an African Union protocol on digital trade to expand e-commerce and create new employment opportunities. His remarks were underlined by praise for Uganda and its President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who have both demonstrated strong support for Africa’s development agenda by hosting the forum and contributing to the discussions.
The speech reflects a growing recognition among policymakers that achieving sustainable development requires more than diagnosing existing challenges—it demands a proactive and evidence-based approach. While the initiatives and strategic pillars proposed by Gatete are ambitious, they echo broader calls for transformative leadership that not only confronts the deep-rooted issues hindering progress but also harnesses emerging opportunities in technology and finance.
The integrated perspective offered by the UN official serves both as a diagnostic of the current development impasse and as a strategic roadmap, highlighting the urgency for Africa to realign its priorities to secure a future of sustainable prosperity.
