African leaders opened the Twelfth Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-12) in Addis Ababa with a strong call for urgent, coordinated and transformative action to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063.
The Forum, convened under the theme “Turning the Tide: Transformative and Coordinated Actions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063,” brings together ministers, senior government officials, regional institutions, United Nations entities, civil society, the private sector and development partners to review Africa’s progress and shape the continent’s common position ahead of global sustainable development processes, including the High-Level Political Forum.
Officially opening the Forum, the Prime Minister of Uganda, Robinah Nabbanja, who also chaired the Bureau of the Eleventh Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, said Africa must move with greater urgency from commitments to concrete, measurable results.
“With only four years remaining to 2030, we must move with urgency – from commitments to concrete, measurable results,” Prime Minister Nabbanja said. “We must leverage science, technology and innovation, regional integration, innovative financing and strong partnerships.”
She expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Ethiopia for hosting the Forum in Addis Ababa, and commended the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa for its continued leadership in advancing the continent’s sustainable development agenda.
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Reflecting on Uganda’s tenure as Chair of the ARFSD-11 Bureau, Prime Minister Nabbanja recalled the adoption of the Kampala Declaration and the Key Messages to the High-Level Political Forum in 2025. She noted that the Bureau had remained actively engaged over the past year, convening four meetings to provide strategic direction, sustain momentum and strengthen follow-up on implementation.
She highlighted progress in aligning national development plans with the Sustainable Development Goals, expanding data systems for evidence-based planning, enhancing coordination mechanisms and shifting focus towards accelerated implementation. However, she warned that financing gaps, climate vulnerability and the need to scale up innovation and partnerships remain major challenges.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of peace and security, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the critical enablers of development, including transport and logistics infrastructure, reliable and affordable energy, and reducing the cost of doing business.
“These enablers are not optional,” she said. “They are fundamental to the full realization of the African Continental Free Trade Area and to positioning Africa as a competitive and integrated economic bloc.”
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission Selma Malika Haddadi commended Uganda for its leadership of the outgoing Bureau and for championing the outcomes of the Kampala Forum at global platforms, including the High-Level Political Forum, the World Summit for Social Development and the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
She underscored that ARFSD-12 comes at a decisive moment, as progress across many African countries is not advancing at the pace or scale required to meet the SDGs by 2030.
“This Forum represents not just a platform for reflection, but a decisive moment for collective action,”she said.
Madam Haddadi noted that this year’s focus on five Sustainable Development Goals – clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; industry, innovation and infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities; and partnerships for the goals – is strategic and timely, as these areas are foundational enablers of sustainable development and closely aligned with the aspirations of Agenda 2063.
She further reported progress in domesticating the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063 across Member States, with countries increasingly aligning national development plans, policies and budgets with continental priorities. Preliminary findings from the forthcoming biennial report on implementation of the plan point to advances in infrastructure development, regional integration and digital transformation, including through flagship initiatives such as the AfCFTA.
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At the same time, she warned that major challenges persist, particularly in sustainable development financing, job creation for Africa’s growing youth population, climate resilience and inequality within and between countries.
Partnership was identified as central to Africa’s success. She highlighted the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the African Union and the United Nations as a strong framework for joint implementation of development programmes across the continent, noting that it has helped strengthen alignment, reduce fragmentation and improve support to Member States.
As deliberations continue, participants are expected to develop concrete and actionable recommendations to strengthen Africa’s unified voice in global sustainable development processes and accelerate implementation at national, regional and continental levels.
The African Union Commission reaffirmed its commitment to working with all partners to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda.
“Together, we can indeed turn the tide and build a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable Africa,” she said.
