High-level Ethiopian delegation partaking ARFSD11 in Kampala

Addis Ababa, April 9, 2025 (FMC) – An Ethiopian delegation led by Youth and Sports Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister, Kejela Merdassa is taking part in the Eleventh Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD11).

The forum brought together several African leaders, including former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and heads of various international development organizations.

ARFSD11 is being held in Kampala, Uganda, on 9-11 April 2025 under the theme: “Driving job creation and Economic growth through sustainable inclusive science and evidence- based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063”.

This multi-stakeholder forum is jointly organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Government of Uganda, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, and various United Nations agencies.

The forum aims to address the pressing need for concerted action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. With only five years left to meet these ambitious targets, the Forum represents a crucial opportunity to catalyze real change on the Continent, according to a statement issued by ECA.

While some progress has been registered on the SDGs as reported in voluntary reviews, the organizing experts worry that Africa, like many parts of the world, is currently off track with most SDG targets and has even seen regression in certain areas.

The Forum is being held at a critical time when commitments to enhance the pace of implementation across the continent need to be revitalized. African States need to take bold, ambitious and accelerated transformative measures to improve development outcomes.

As part of the ARFSD, countries are participating in a regional preparatory workshop for African voluntary national reviews and voluntary local reviews, with the aim of strengthening peer-to-peer learning and sharing best practices and success stories in addressing common challenges that are specific to Africa.

Furthermore, there is the urgency to implement the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, as it directly aligns with the overarching goals of the 2030 Agenda, with ambitions known as “moonshots” which include the attainment of at least middle-income status and the amicable resolution of conflicts in Africa by 2044.

The annual Forum also comes against the outcomes of the 2024 Summit of the Future and the need to push concrete actions for the implementation of the Summit’s outcomes.

Additionally, the Forum is anticipated to serve as a preparatory meeting for the Second World Summit for Social Development, set to be held in Qatar in November 2025. This alignment emphasizes the importance of Africa’s collective voice on global platforms.