Kuala Malaysia 10 February 2018: Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union (AU) delivered a key note address and was a member of the at High-Level Roundtable on Urbanisation and ‘’Development: Investing in The Transformative Forces of Cities’.

The objectives of the Roundtable are: (a) to consider how the contribution of cities to national development could be maximized, focusing on the factors determining the economic performance and competitiveness of cities and national city systems; (b) to identify and discuss examples of policies that have succeeded in stimulating the contribution of cities to national development; (c) to identify and learn from examples of cities and city-regions that have succeeded in contributing significantly to sustainable national development and prosperity, including through industrialization and creation of decent jobs; (d) identify and discuss examples of partnerships among the public, private and civil society sectors that have enhanced the contribution of cities to national development; and (e) to propose recommendations that could be implemented at both the national and local levels.

The High-level roundtable brought together eminent panelist from UN-HABITAT, World Bank, AUC, EU, China, Dominican Republic, and Republic of Ghana. He then remained optimistic that the AU proposed framework will provide guidance for Africa-Union Member states in the implementation and reporting on the New Urban Agenda in Africa.

In her welcome remarks Commissioner Samate Cessouma, has underlined the great importance the topic as according to her, the Agenda 2063 emphasises the transformation of African economies through industrialization in cities.

She recognized that the key characteristic of urbanization in most African cities is the informal sector which is one of the single largest component of our urban economies.

To overcome these challenges that presents competitions for space between the formal and informal traders, she proposed countries to make the following key investments:

- Balance management of trading spaces while promoting inclusivity by giving chance to newcomers and protecting established formal businesses; and

- Building capacities and supporting micro finance

She then highlights that further, other investments in cities and towns may enable them to contribute fully to sustainable development including:

- Employment creation,

- Skills development,

In her conclusion, the African Union Commission for Political Affairs, stated that to facilitate effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Africa, AUC, ECA and UN-HABITAT have initiated a process of developing a harmonized regional monitoring and reporting framework for Africa.

For further inquiry, please contact:

Mr. Issaka Garba Abdou | Head of the STC8 Secretariat | Department of Political Affairs | African Union Commission| Tel: +251115182611|E-mail:garbaabdoui@africa-union.org;

Media contact:

Esther Azaa Tankou | Head of Information Division | Tel: (251) 911361185 | E-mail:yamboue@africa-union.org

For further information:

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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