SDG Center for Africa

SDGCA formalizes relations with Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

April 2021

SDGCA and APRM signed a Collaborative Memorandum of Understanding at the Margins of the APRM capacity-building workshop on Africa's Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) for the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2021 and Agenda 2063 Reporting Framework in Djibouti on 21st - 23rd February 2021.

The main objective of this framework of cooperation is to strengthen collaboration in order to accelerate the achievement of African Agenda 2063 and the Global SDGs Agenda 2030, capitalizing on each party’s comparative advantage. Specifically, the planned activities include organization of annual VNRs continental workshop as a follow up to the HLPF and United Nations General Assembly resolutions to strengthen the African Union’s role in the regional coordination among African countries and promote VNR peer-learning and best practices between African Union member states.

In line with this collaboration, SDGCA reviewed and authored chapter two of the APRM baseline report on the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) principles.

SDGCA’s role in APRM capacity-building workshop on Africa's VNR for the HLPF 2021 and Agenda 2063 Reporting Framework

SDGCA participated and made presentations in the APRM capacity-building workshop on Africa's VNRs for the HLPF 2021 and Agenda 2063 Reporting Framework in Djibouti on 21-23rd February 2021. Dr. Enock Nyorekwa Twinoburyo, the SDGCA senior economist discussed the financing upheaval for SDGs and AU 2063 in the wake of unprecedented COVID-19, while Ms. Olive Dushime, the SDGCA Monitoring & Reporting specialist made a presentation on data monitoring and reporting for SDGs.

This year’s conference discussed lessons learned from HLPF 2020 and countries' experiences, governance enablers for building resilient societies in the pandemic time alongside innovative tools to report on SDGs and Agenda 2063. The widely engaging event, brought valuable lessons but key emerging takeaways from country experience lessons were the need to address SDGs at all levels, including the localization of structures beyond the high level thematic SDGs groups and noted that the involvement of Parliamentary committees into SDGs remains imperative.

There is notable and commendable progress on mainstreaming and alignment of both SDGs and AU 2063 agendas, however, critical challenges in anchoring the agendas into implementation frameworks continue to predominate. In particular, also related to the two presentations made by the SDGCA, financing for SDGs remains large, data gaps too are large and partnership, inclusive institutions and governance remain critical for realization of funds for sustainable development.