Doha – The UN Secretary General's special advisor for African issues, Cristina Duarte, highlighted this Saturday Angola's alignment with the agenda of the United Nations and its members on the sustainable development target.
The UN diplomat stressed that Angola is one of the countries in Africa that has been working and investing so that the aforementioned agenda become a reality.
Cristina Duarte was speaking to the press in Doha, capital of Qatar, after being received, in an audience, by the Vice-President of the Republic of Angola, Esperança da Costa, on the eve of the 5th Conference of United Nations on Least Developed Countries (LDC5).
At the audience, according to the UN diplomat, Esperança da Costa highlighted Angola's work for the protection of its green areas, the environment, as well as Angolan public policies in terms of climate adaptation in the south of the country.
According to the diplomat, this is an example of Angola's efforts, namely in the energy field, so that the challenge in this sector is duly resolved.
To Cristina Duarte, it is necessary for African countries to look at the energy sector as a propeller and from the point of view of national budgets it is increasingly important.
As for the expectation surrounding the LDCs meeting, she considered that the Doha Action Plan is pragmatic, strategic and focused, adding that it is necessary, from an African, national and governance points of view, for the continent to increase the capacity to implement public policies.
“We must understand that regional integration is not an option, it is imperative. We have to, regionally, unlock the value chains to have a market, make industrialization processes viable, take advantage of the growth of the African middle class”, she declared.
Cristina Duarte recognized all the support that the African continent has received, but thinks that the time has also come to start recognizing that more than 90% of the solutions to problems are in Africa.
“For example, in financing for development, at the moment Africa already finances its development. There are US$800 billion in domestic revenue plus private savings, against US$55 billion in public development aid”, she said.
Angola-Unesco Ties
The state of cooperation between the Republic of Angola and Unesco dominated another audience granted also in Qatar's capital by the Vice-President, Esperança da Costa, to the Deputy Director-General of that United Nations body, Xin-Qu.
Speaking to the press at the end of the meeting, the United Nations diplomat stressed that Unesco enjoys excellent cooperation with Angola and that it will remain committed and engaged on it.
He stressed that UNESCO has Africa as a priority continent, guaranteeing that Angola will keep working with this UN agency "within this excellent relationship".
Sunday schedule
One day before the official opening of the United Nations LDC5 Conference, as part of the parallel events, the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, participated in a session of the Parliamentary Forum, at the Convention Center from Qatar.
This Saturday was also marked by the holding of a Summit of delegates from the LDC group, and by the opening of the Civil Society Forum.
On Sunday, the highlight is the opening ceremony of the Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, under the motto “From Potential to Prosperity”, followed by general debates.
The work includes the themes “50 years of LDCs: building a new generation of partnerships for progress, “Decent jobs for youth forcibly displaced by LDCs”, “Putting youth at the forefront: paving the way for an enabling environment for youth thrive”.
There will also be a high-level thematic round table: Investing in people in the LDCs to leave no one behind”, “Private sector forum”, “Innovative youth-focused finance – investing sustainably in future generations”.
Vice-President Esperança da Costa participates in the event on behalf of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, at the head of a delegation that includes the minister of Economy and Planning, Mário Caetano João, the secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Domingos Vieira Lopes, as well as the country’s ambassador to Qatar, António Ramos da Cruz.
