Summary
Toward Innovation and Renewal on the Road to 2020
The online consultation served as a platform to open the conversation around key issues and questions about today’s global institutions (including the United Nations, World Bank, and World Trade Organization) and African regional institutions (including the African Union, ECOWAS, and other sub-regional organizations) for peace and security, sustainable development, and safeguarding human rights.
Objectives
Participants were encouraged to contribute to all three segments of the discussion. Inputs were synthesized – on a not-for-attribution-basis – and consolidated in a background brief for the dialogue. The online consultation aimed to:
- Assess the role of the UN in Africa and its interaction with the African Union, as well as offer policy recommendations to the UN, African Union and other actors within or engaging with the UN system. The timing is designed to feed ideas into the final months of preparations for the UN 75 Leaders’ Summit and to bring multi-stakeholder, regional perspectives to the high-level gathering’s associated political declaration (to be finalized by June 2020).
- Contribute to the convening of a proposed UN Permanent Representatives Luncheon, in early May 2020 at UNHQ, which could offer diverse ideas and informed views from this online UN75 Africa Dialogue prior to release of the “zero draft” – and with under two months to go before the expected finalization – of the draft UN75 Declaration.
- Inform the in-person discussions of the UN 75 Regional Dialogue for Africa: Toward Innovation and Renewal on the Road to 2020in Abuja Nigeria, once the date is finalized.
How to Participate?
We accepted requests for participation from individuals who live or have expertise on one of the two regions. Approved requests received an invitation from the organizers to join the Google group for the online discussion.
Format & Sessions
The online dialogue will take place during the period 30 March – 10 May 2020 and will be structured in three two-week intervals as follows:
30 March – 12 April: Enhancing Security and Peacebuilding
13 – 26 April: Global and Regional Sustainable Development and Climate Governance
27 April – 10 May: Promoting Human Rights, Justice, and Humanitarian Action Globally and Regionally
