Intra-Regional Relations Key to Sustainable Development in the Horn of Africa – Global Issues

• by Naureen Hossain (United nations)
• Friday, December 13, 2024
• Inter Press Service

On 12 December, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched the first ever Human Development Report for the sub-Horn of Africa, which includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

The Horn of Africa Human Development Report 2024: Enhancing Human Development Prospects through Regional Integrationexamines the key challenges facing eight countries and the region

In the Arab region and in the African region, low economic productivity will only continue in a “vicious cycle,” exacerbating poverty among people. Abdallah Al Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Arab countries, noted that countries under the region have been taking what he describes as a “secret approach” to the affairs of the state, as its neighbors are facing similar problems in the food sector.

The report calls for recognizing and establishing linkages between the water, energy and food sectors. More than 50 percent of people across Africa face moderate to severe food insecurity and only 56 percent have access to electricity. Less than 56 percent have access to clean drinking water, yet the report shows that this is not the norm in countries, given their locations.

Conflicts and disasters have been constant factors with limited development in the Horn of Africa, as more than 23.4 million people have been displaced by major conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and internal conflicts such as Ethiopia.

The report presents three priorities that will help accelerate human development and build resilience: build on expanding intra-regional trade, improve cooperation in the water, energy and food sectors, and promote governance and peace.

The region could see a GDP increase of 3.9 percent by 2030 by liberalizing trade and reducing tariffs. The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (ACFTA) will also improve trade if fully implemented; ACFTA countries need to ratify the agreement in order to benefit. Regional integration in resource management can help promote sustainable growth and climate resilience, as the report suggests. This can be seen in improved access to electricity and shared food value systems. This can be useful in a region that has a high share of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and water but still faces a large energy gap.

“What we tried to do with this report is to see if we can start to see a change in the narrative in this region,” said Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary General of the UN and Director of the UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa. integration in economic and political relations, he said, relations must be established within the region built on finding commonalities and common goals Changing the narrative is the key to achieving sustainable development.

When the report was presented, Eziakonwa noted that certain information about people needs to be brought into the fold when discussing development, which requires a re-examination of the stories related to it. Young people make up a large part of the population across the region, yet they have been seen as a problem rather than a solution. Engaging young people and recognizing the skills and ideas they can bring to the table is important, which will include increasing socio-economic opportunities for young people who are not employed or in education. Investing in women’s participation in the development sector is also necessary, because they are largely left out of decision-making and policy discussions.

Through this report, UNDP calls on governments and development partners to invest in infrastructure and policy frameworks that build human development and sustainability in the Horn of Africa.

IPS UN Bureau Report

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