Africa-Press – Angola. The UN Secretary General’s special advisor for African issues, Cristina Duarte, highlighted this Saturday Angola’s alignment with the agenda of the United Nations and its members on the objectives of sustainable development.
The UN diplomat stressed that Angola is one of the countries in Africa that has been working and investing so that the aforementioned agenda becomes a reality.
Cristina Duarte was speaking to the press in Doha, capital of Qatar, after being received, in audience, by the Vice-President of the Republic of Angola, Esperança da Costa, on the eve of the fifth Conference of United Nations on Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
At the audience, according to the UN diplomat, Esperança da Costa highlighted Angola’s work for the protection of its green areas, the environment, as well as Angolan public policies in terms of climate adaptation in the south of the country.
According to the diplomat, this is an example of Angola’s efforts, namely in the energy field, so that the challenge in this sector is duly resolved.
For Cristina Duarte, it is necessary for African countries to assume the energy sector as a driver and from the point of view of national budgets it is increasingly important.
As for the expectation surrounding the LDC meeting, he considered that the Doha Action Plan is pragmatic, strategic and focused, adding that it is necessary, from an African, national and governance point of view, for the continent to increase the capacity to implement public policies .
“We must understand that regional integration is not an option, it is imperative. We have to, regionally, unblock the value chains to have a market, make industrialization processes viable, take advantage of the growth of the African middle class”, he declared.
Cristina Duarte recognized all the support that the African continent has received, but thinks that the time has also come to start recognizing that more than 90 percent of the solutions to problems are in Africa.
“For example, in financing for development, at the moment Africa already finances its development. That’s 800 billion in domestic revenue plus private savings, against 55 billion in public development aid,” he said.
Angola-Unesco Relations
The State of cooperation between the Republic of Angola and Unesco dominated another hearing, granted, also in the Qatari capital, by Vice-President Esperança da Costa, to the Deputy Director-General of that United Nations body, Xin-Qu.
Speaking to the press at the end of the meeting, the United Nations diplomat stressed that Unesco enjoys excellent cooperation with Angola and that it will remain committed and engaged in this same cooperation.
He stressed that UNESCO has Africa as a priority continent, guaranteeing that Angola will continue to work with this UN agency “within this excellent relationship”.
Sunday schedule
One day before the official opening of the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), as part of the parallel events, the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, participated in a session of the Parliamentary Forum, at the Convention Center from Qatar.
This Saturday was also marked by the holding of a Summit of delegates from the PMD group, and by the opening of the Civil Society Forum.
On Sunday, the highlight is the inauguration ceremony of the Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, under the motto “From Potential to Prosperity”, followed by general debates.
Papers include the themes “50 years of LDCs: building a new generation of partnerships for progress, “Decent jobs for youth forcibly displaced by LDCs”, “Putting youth at the forefront: paving the way for an enabling environment for youth thrive”.
There will also be a high-level thematic round table: Investing in people in the LDCs to leave no one behind”, “Private sector forum”, “Innovative youth-focused finance – investing sustainably in future generations”.
Vice President Esperança da Costa participates in the event on behalf of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, at the head of a delegation that includes the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mário Caetano João, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Domingos Vieira Lopes , as well as the Ambassador to Qatar, António Ramos da Cruz.
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