Charting a new and sustainable economic model is at the top of discussions as the first African Regional Roundtable on Climate Initiatives kicked off in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tuesday.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Vera Songwe, along with African ministers of finance and trade, are among the stakeholders participating in the forum.
Ministers discussed the African Trade Exchange Platform, highlighting the need for fertiliser across Africa, especially as the continent has been heavily affected by Covid-19, the conflict in Ukraine and rising food prices.
There have been talks to ensure that Egypt creates about 6 million jobs by buying wheat from southern Africa, rather than bringing it in from outside the continent. “We can also export, of course, but there is a conversation about AfCFTA starting to happen as we look at that,” Vera Songwe said.
The organisers of the three-day forum said it aims to catalyse climate finance and investment flows to build climate resilience in Africa.
08/03/2022
