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Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]

Zimbabwe will take advantage of the prestigious fifty-sixth session of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Conference of Africa Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development set for Victoria Falls in late February to further promote the engagement and re-engagement drive.

The conference is scheduled to run from 28 February to 5 March.

It will be held under the theme: “Financing the Transition to Inclusive Green Economies in Africa: Imperatives, Opportunities and Policy Options.”

As part of broader preparatory work, the Government has set up inter-ministerial sub-committees.

The committees are drawn from Government ministries, departments, and agencies working closely with the UNECA Secretariat to lead the coordination of the various aspects of the conference.

Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube said apart from the conference going beyond the statutory matters of ECA, it’s an opportunity for the country to promote itself globally.

The coming into power of the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa’s administration in November 2017, has seen the country embarking on an international engagement and re-engagement drive to improve its relations with the global village.

President Mnangagwa

 Added to that, the engagement and re-engagement drive, underpinned by the sustained implementation of National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), has vast potential to unlock massive economic returns for the country, including fresh funding from international financiers.

“The event is part of the government’s contribution as a member of the United Nations family and also presents an opportunity to promote the country globally as we pursue our Engagement and Re-engagement drive with the international community,” Prof Ncube.

Established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1968 as one of the UN’s five regional commissions, ECA’s mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its members States, foster intra-regional integration and promote international co-operation for Africa’s Development.

Made up of 54 member states and playing a dual role as a regional arm of the UN and as a key component of the African institutional landscape, ECA is well positioned to make unique contributions to addressing the continent’s development landscape.

The contribution by ECA to the task of carrying forward the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 is centred on the Commission’s three core functions, its convening function, its function as a think tank, and its operational function.

Prof Ncube added that the theme aptly captures the challenges facing the continent in terms of accessing adequate and timely resources to finance the transition towards green economies and the negative impacts on economies arising from climate change, pandemics, growing debt levels, and conflicts among others.

During the conference, a high-profile thought leader is expected to present on the topic of “Artificial Intelligence and Economic Development in Africa.”

The gathering will consist of technical deliberations by a Committee of experts on the theme and statutory issues during the first three days followed by the conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in the last two days.

As part of preparations, the Ministry of Finance is seeking an internationally acclaimed event manager to assist in co-ordinating the preparation process.