UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Africa came under the spotlight at a special high-level dialogue held Wednesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, which was aimed at mobilizing greater support for advancing the continent's sustainable development.
The one-day event was jointly convened by the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), with the theme "The Africa We Want: Reconfirming the Development of Africa as a Priority of the United Nations System."
"Today, we are putting the spotlight on Africa, a continent that is rich with human and natural resources and enormous untapped economic and social potential, yet still faces challenges in the realization of development goals," said Abdulla Shahid, president of the General Assembly.
Describing Africa's sustainable development as a "priority" for the UN and international community, he stressed that collective action has often fallen short on delivery.
The General Assembly chief urged the international community to recommit to sustainable development in Africa, assess where action is lacking, take concrete steps to foster progress, and fulfil existing commitments while generating new ones "that reflect our ever-changing world."
In his remarks, ECOSOC President Collen Vixen Kelapile said the high-level dialogue is "both timely and relevant", noting it was convened to place the sustainable development of Africa at the heart of the work of the United Nations.
He pointed out that there is an unprecedented opportunity for Africa to step up to multiple challenges, speed up its industrialization and economic diversification, and integrate itself further upstream in global supply chains through increased value addition at source.
Addressing the event, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the high-level dialogue provides a global platform for African member states and the United Nations and partners to share progress and reaffirm that giving light to Africa's development vision "remains our shared priority."
Mohammed, speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, pointed out that Africa's development gains are at risk, as a consequence of the current three ongoing crises -- the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, "the Africa we want is still within reach," she said. "To get there, we need to change our mindsets and turn the triple crisis into an opportunity."
To this end, Mohammed stressed five key issues, including building effective and reliable policy frameworks and institutions, investing in connectivity and digital technologies, improving education and skills-development, achieving sustainable energy for all across the continent, as well as an overall approach to financing.
"Today, let us recommit to our ambitious vision and to continue to work alongside African countries to realize a greener, more sustainable, and more inclusive future for all," she said.
