FIFTH SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL POLICY, POVERTY AND GENDER

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA (ECA)

 

The Committee on Social Policy, Poverty and Gender of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held its fifth session in Addis Ababa on 2nd and 3rd November 2023 under the theme “Building new social contracts: choices to fulfil development aspirations”.

The Committee meets biennially at the ECA’s headquarters and is led by the Bureau that is elected for the duration of two years until the next meeting.

During that meeting, the Committee considered reports on projects under three sub-programmes that have been undertaken in various member states during the year 2022-2023 with the support of the Gender, Poverty and social Policy Division of the Economic Commission for Africa and to elect the new bureau for the next two-year tenure.

The sub-programmes are:

  1. Poverty, inequality and social policy
  2. Gender equality and women’s empowerment
  3. Digital technical and vocational education and training: enhancing the skills of women and girls across Africa

Participating member states from the five regions; northern, eastern, western, central and southern Africa are invited to nominate a member state from each region to participate in the election process.

Ghana was elected as Chair of the Bureau.  Djibouti and Cameroon were elected first and second vice-chair respectively, whilst South Africa and Tunisia were elected as first and second rapporteur.

The general discussion of the fifth session was to ensure that all African countries are moving together to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2033 and the goals of Agenda 2063 with the support of the Economic Commission for Africa and other multilateral partners to assist countries requesting for assistance with specific programmes.

After the two-day meeting, member states approved the resolution and recommendations of the Fifth Session of the Committee on Social Policy, Poverty and Gender.

Principal Secretary Linda William-Melanie represented the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Family at the meeting.

 

Note: Seychelles benefitted from a training sponsored by ECA for women entrepreneur in digital technology from 12th – 15th September 2023 under sub-programme No.3, Digital technical and vocational education and training: enhancing the skills of women and girls across Africa