NEPAD Agency CEO Dr Ibrahim Mayaki yesterday met with Dr Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) ahead of the 8th AU ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Conference will start this morning to tackle the theme “Implementing Agenda 2063 - Planning, Mobilizing and Financing for Development” in a ministerial segment.

In preparation for the CEO’s high-level panel discussion today, Dr Mayaki briefed ECA’s Executive Secretary that the Agency has started aligning its programmes to Agenda 2063. Dr Mayaki referred to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and its implementation strategy and roadmap from 2015 to 2025, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Priority Action Plan 2012 – 2020, the Science and Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA) 2014 – 2024 and the Environment Action Plan.

Dr Lopes welcomed the NEPAD Agency’s efforts to fast-track the implementation of Agenda 2063 and pledged ECA’s continued support for the harmonisation of existing AU frameworks and programmes in the roll-out of Africa’s new structural transformation agenda.

Dr Mayaki also highlighted the joint engagement between the NEPAD Agency, ECA, Linklaters LLP, and the APRM to assist African Union Member States to develop governance frameworks that would facilitate the implementation of and monitoring progress with the recommendations contained in the High-Level Report on Combatting Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) (“Mbeki Report”).  The Report estimates that IFF from Africa are depriving the continent of almost US$50 billion annually of which 60 per cent are accounted to commercial transactions by multinational corporations. Criminal activities such as trade in drugs, weapons and people amount to 35 per cent with bribery and embezzlement making up only 5 per cent.

The Conference was preceded by the 15th Regional Coordination Mechanism for Africa (RCM-Africa) organised by UN agencies and organisations working in Africa in support of the AU and NEPAD Agency. Delegates concluded during the two-day deliberations from March 28 to 29 on finding the best approaches to coordinating their efforts towards the AU’s Year of Women’s Empowerment and Agenda 2063.  Sessions also included plenary meetings on women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, financing for women’s development and strengthening the RCM-Africa for better coherence and delivery.

The ministerial conference today will focus on financing strategies for Agenda 2063 and effective partnerships and compacts.