Building Back Better: Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Citizens Participation in the Implementation of SDGs and Agenda 2063

To register for this event: Click here (https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gGcRupEIRNWRQqrdPfKdVg)

More than any time in recent history, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the challenges associated with the lack of inclusive growth and development globally. In many African countries, the pandemic has resulted in widening economic and social inequalities threatening the attainment of the goals of Agenda 2063 and the SDGs. This situation calls for a new paradigm and reconfiguration in development planning and implementation, leveraging technology for inclusive and meaningful citizen engagement in development processes particularly as countries try to build back better. It is against this background and within the framework of the 2021 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), that the AUDA-NEPAD GiZ are organizing a side event on “Building Back Better: Leveraging technology for enhanced citizen participation in the implementation of Agenda 2063 and SDGs”. The virtual event is scheduled for July 9, 2021, from 13:00 to 14:30 CET.

The side event will assess the opportunities for leveraging technology for improved citizen engagement in development planning which prioritizes the insights, perspectives and input of citizens in the planning and implementation of national, regional and global development agendas. The event will bring together perspectives of actors in the public, private and civic sectors, looking at emerging trends, challenges and prospects for a technology driven, inclusive participation approaches. More specifically, the event will provide an opportunity to share the concept for the AU Citizens Engagement Platform (CEP), envisioned as a digital space with requisite digital technologies and tools for the provision of a comprehensive interactive information platform for citizens and citizens groups (private sector, civil societies, government entities, academia, media etc.) to access information, interact and meaningfully engage governance and socio-economic policymaking processes of the AU. The AU CEP will be leveraged for the participation of citizens in the development of the 2nd Ten-Year-Plan of the implementation of the Agenda 2063 (and the SDGs).

Objectives
The virtual session aims to:
• Discuss current and emerging opportunities for leveraging technology in development planning and implementation in Africa Union and Africa in general
• Demonstrate the value of multi-stakeholder/policy-innovation ecosystem partnerships in developing digital tools for citizen engagement and collaboration;
• Explore the added value of digital tools for greater reach and meaningful citizen participation; and,
• Identify challenges impacting on the success of technology-driven approaches and proffering policy and practice solutions.

Expected Outcomes
The following are the expected outcomes of the event:
• Enhanced appreciation of the value of digital approaches to citizens participation;
• Improved understanding of the potential benefits of collaboration between policymakers and innovation actors in Africa; and,
• Renewed commitment to the adoption of technology-driven approaches for development planning and implementation.