African policymakers have recommended strategic policy mandates for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to support member States in tackling poverty and vulnerability for the COVID-19 recovery and delivering a resilient future for all.
In the face of interlocking global crises, they issued their recommendations on 18 November after the fourth session of the Committee on Social Policy, Poverty and Gender – hosted by ECA on the theme ‘building forward better towards an inclusive and resilient future in the context of COVID-19’.
The mandates will allow ECA to transform into a more fit-for-purpose partner in meeting the needs of member States on tackling poverty and inequality, while addressing gender inequality and unsustainable urbanization over the next two years – ultimately delivering concrete improvements to standards of living for Africans.
With 431 million Africans still living in poverty, policymakers called on ECA to scale up efforts in supporting member countries to address vulnerabilities associated with poverty, while pushing for greater recognition of unpaid work, time poverty and decent youth employment.