STATEMENT BY AFRICAN GROUP CHAIR H. E. Osama Abdel Khalek
PERMENANT REPRESENTATIVE OF EGYPT TO THE UN
NEW YORK, 5TH FEBRUARY 2025
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African Group.
2. Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting to discuss the crucial role of partnerships in reinforcing our collective efforts towards achieving the sustainable development goals.
3. The degree, diversity and number of today’s global challenges are enormous and thus no single government or institution can address them alone. The full implementation of the SDGs provides a framework for addressing the world's most pressing challenges, including poverty, inequality, and climate change. Achieving the SDGs requires a global partnership that is forged on the basis of cooperation and solidarity.
4. The African continent is rich in human and natural resources yet faces persistent challenges that require global solidarity and collaboration. Our priority areas reflect the urgent need for stronger partnerships to tackle key development challenges and opportunities, including:
· First, Africa has made remarkable strides in healthcare, but significant challenges remain, such as limited access to medical services, the spread of endemic diseases, and insufficient infrastructure. Strategic partnerships are crucial to strengthening health systems, ensuring that every African has access to quality care, vaccines, and essential medicines. Collaboration between governments, private sector and development partners is critical to scaling up primary healthcare delivery.
· Second, empowering women is important for economic and social progress, and to achieve this, partnerships must be leveraged to provide them with equal capabilities through education and capacity building, in addition to equal access to resources and opportunities.
· Third, Africa’s youth is its greatest asset. With millions of young people entering the workforce each year, the challenge is not only to create jobs but to ensure these jobs are decent, sustainable, and aligned with today’s digital transformation. Collaboration between governments, the private sector, and international institutions can transform Africa’s youth potential into a driver of innovation and inclusive economic growth.
· Fourth, the African Continental Free Trade Area presents a transformative opportunity to foster industrialization, intra-African trade, and sustainable economic growth. We call on global partners to invest in infrastructure, technology transfer, and digitalization to unlock the full potential of Africa’s markets.
5. None of these goals will be achieved without a renewed commitment to global cooperation and resource mobilization. We must strengthen financial, technological, and institutional partnerships, ensuring that Africa has access to investment, technology transfer, and technical support to meet its development goals.
6. In conclusion, the Group reiterates its commitment to promoting effective partnerships to enhance the synergy of our joint efforts for the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
I thank you.
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