The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has called for action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa, highlighting the continued relevance of SDGs to the continent.

UN spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said at a news conference on Monday in New York that Ms Mohammed made the call at a meeting with the President of Tunisia, Kais Saied, held on Sunday.

The 17 goals aim to bring about a more just and equitable world by ending extreme poverty, achieving gender equality, and spurring economic growth while tackling climate change and preserving the natural environment.

They were adopted by world leaders in 2015 and have a deadline of 2030.

The UN deputy chief said in many places, governments had not yet succeeded in delivering better public services, particularly for women and girls.

Ms Mohammed was in the country to attend the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) on behalf of the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

The conference has been organised by Japan since 1993, under the philosophy of ‘African Development for African people’. It is co-hosted by the UN, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the African Union Commission.

Mr Dujarric said speaking at the conference’s opening ceremony in Tunis on Saturday, Ms Mohammed stressed the urgent need to show concrete commitments to help Africa achieve the 2030 Agenda.

“She also urged all stakeholders to collectively accelerate action to achieve transitions on the continent by including universal access to energy, food and nutrition security and mobilising investments to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals,’’ he said.

The deputy secretary-general also delivered remarks at the TICAD8 special session on ‘Society: Realising a Sustainable and Resilient Society based on Human Security’.

She highlighted that in the context of little or no social protection floors and tight fiscal spaces, people worldwide, especially young people, were under immense stress, disillusioned and fearing for their future.

On the margins of the conference, she had bilateral meetings with several visiting heads of state and governments. 

(NAN)