With the deadline to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaching, different levels of implementations as well as emerging development challenges have made it imperative to draw up a successor framework building on the success, lessons and shortcomings of the MDGs. One of the major gaps that trailed the MDGs was the obvious lack of participation by critical stakeholders in its development.
Learning from the MDGs, the process to develop a successor framework has so far been participatory and made open to the views of different stakeholders. It is on the heels of these global and regional processes that African faith leaders under the auspices of the African Interfaith Initiative on Post-2015 Development Agenda, a coalition of faith communities and their leaders across Africa with technical support from the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC) is convening an African Faith Leaders’ Summit on Sustainable Development and the Post 2015 Development Agenda.
The Summit which takes place on the 1st and 2nd of July 2014 in Kampala, Uganda seeks to provide a common platform for faith communities in Africa to fashion strategies to engage the post 2015 process and to ensure that their experiences, needs and aspirations are reflected in the new framework. According to the Regional Director, Africa of UNMC, Charles Abugre, “it has become very necessary that in order to produce a set of development goals that reflect current realities, the voices of the people should not only be heard but their needs accorded utmost priority.”
Speaking further, he noted that “the post 2015 process presents a unique opportunity for Africans to debate about structural transformation of the continent and to unite to tackle the unfinished business of the MDGs” as well as “addressing emerging development challenges such as poverty, inequalities, accountable governance, resource mobilization and development finances.”
On the focus on faith leaders, Mr. Abugre explained that “more than any set of leaders, faith leaders are closest to the people; they understand their needs, aspirations and can influence, mobilse and aggregate opinions. Faith leaders, more than political leaders have convening powers and can mobilise citizens to participate in social, political and economic processes.
The summit will be addressed by high-level government and political leaders from Africa including the Presidents of Uganda, Liberia and Kenya as well as the incoming President of the UN General Assembly. Others billed to address the august gathering include top UN personnel and African religious leaders from different faiths. An outcome document – the Africa Faith Leaders’ Position on Post 2015 Agenda will be produced from the summit. This will contain perspectives from the summit on the priorities for the post 2015 agenda, mobilization and engagement strategies for faith communities across Africa for the post 2015 process.
For more information, please contact UNMC Africa at:
African Regional Office, Nairobi: Nardos Hagos, nardos.hagos@undp.org
Addis Ababa, Atieno Ndomo, atieno.ndomo@undp.org
Abuja – Hilary Ogbonna, hilary.ogbonna@one.un.org
New York, Sering Falu Njie, sering.njie@undp.org
