Addis Ababa – The 2021 edition of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development called Tuesday on the member countries of the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to promote green industrialization and diversification to ensure resilience in facing future shocks.

In the final ministerial statement, presented by the Representative of the Kingdom to the African Union and the UNECA, Ambassador Mohamed Arrouchi, in his capacity as rapporteur of the new Bureau of the Conference, the African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development recommend the formulation of integrated strategies and plans for green and resilient growth to face climate change.

In addition to current efforts to contain and fight the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Africa must take effective measures to increase value added and create decent jobs for the 170 million young Africans who are expected to enter the labor market between 2019 and 2030, they pointed out.

The African Finance Ministers called on Member States to establish better foundations for the digital economy and the new climate economy, in all sectors in order to improve productivity by appropriately strengthening research-development capacities, by integrating science, technology and innovation into development policies, and by investing in digital parks and the development of digital skills, including basic computing, computer programming and coding, communication, management, analytical and critical thinking and creativity.