Call for proposals for side events

Background

The Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development is an intergovernmental forum convened annually by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and entities of the United Nations system to review progress, share experiences and lessons learned and build consensus on policy options and actions to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063: the Africa We Want, of the African Union. Accordingly, the Forum promotes the integrated monitoring and evaluation of the implementation and impact of the two agendas and supports efforts by countries to address bottlenecks impeding progress in that regard, with a view to accelerating the achievement of the objectives set out in the African Union-United Nations Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda.

The Forum adopts as its outcome key messages that serve as the collective input of Africa to the annual meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development. The outcomes of previous sessions of the Forum will, moreover, serve as input to the World Sustainable Development Summit 2025, to be held in New Delhi from 5 to 7 March 2025. The Forum is therefore an important mechanism, not only for tracking progress in implementation at the regional level but also for mobilizing all stakeholders and garnering international support for concerted action to translate the Sustainable Development Goals into measurable and shared prosperity that benefits both the planet and its people.

The eleventh session of the Forum will be held in Kampala from 9 to 11 April 2025 on the theme “Driving job creation and economic growth through sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063”.

That theme is aligned with that of the high-level political forum on sustainable development for 2025, namely “Advancing sustainable, inclusive science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind”.

The specific objectives of the eleventh session are as follows:

  1. To review progress, challenges, and opportunities in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. In line with the focus of the 2025 high-level political forum on sustainable development, participants at the eleventh session will conduct an in-depth review of implementation in Africa of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages); Goal 5 (achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls); Goal 8 (promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all); Goal 14 (conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development); and Goal 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development), and the corresponding goals of Agenda 2063, with particular focus on the second 10-year plan for the implementation of the latter;
  2. To strengthen learning and advocate effective policy measures and actions, including sustainable, inclusive, and science- and evidence-based solutions, in order to scale up financing for, and advance implementation of, the Sustainable Development Goals and the goals of Agenda 2063 at national, regional and global levels;
  3. To take forward and build on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future;
  4. To serve as the African regional preparatory meeting for the upcoming meeting of the high-level political forum, to be held in New York in July 2025, and the Second World Summit for Social Development, to be held in Qatar from 4 to 6 November 2025;
  5. Reach consensus on and adopt the outcome documents of the Forum, which will include:
  • A summary of the proceedings of the Forum that will also set out key policy options and recommendations for action at the subnational, national, regional and global levels to dramatically increase economic growth, the pace of job creation and the pace and scale of actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the related goals of Agenda 2063;
  • The Kampala declaration on sustainable, inclusive, science-and evidence-based solutions that can boost economic growth and job creation while advancing efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the related goals of Agenda 2063.

The eleventh session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development will bring together ministers and other high-level policymakers and experts from Governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, civil society organizations, major groups and other stakeholders, and international development partners.

The eleventh session will be held in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and online participation. The details for both options will be made available as soon as they are finalized. Further information on the Forum, including technical reports and electronic resources, will be posted on the main website of the Forum (https://www.uneca.org/eca-events/arfsd2025) and on the webpage of the Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda that is dedicated to the session (https://sdgs.opm.go.ug/arfsd-11/).

Call for the Proposals 

As an open space for the exchange of cutting-edge ideas, experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063, the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development is a unique opportunity for various stakeholders to organize side-events that have a clear focus on the themes and subthemes of the Forum and that will feed into its deliberations.

Members of ECA, United Nations organizations and major groups and stakeholders are invited to submit their proposals for side events using the online request form, available at https://www.uneca.org/content/side-events by 21 February 2025.

Please note that, in accordance with the structure planned for the eleventh session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, side events will be organized from 7 to 11 April 2025 in a hybrid format with limited in-person participation. Also note that these events should be organized with the objective of sharing experiences, best practices and innovative perspectives on the theme and subthemes of the Forum and should strengthen partnerships and the means of goal implementation.

Each side event should focus on two or more of the subthemes of the Forum and take into account integrated approaches in the transition to sustainable and resilient societies.

Selection Criteria:

Any entity interested in organizing a side event during the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development can submit a proposal. Owing to space and other considerations, however, each organizer cannot be involved in more than one side event. Please use the online form to submit a proposal, attaching a one-page description of the side event and its objectives, the organizers, partners, panellists and speakers, and detailing how the event would contribute to discussions on the main theme or one or more of the subthemes of the Forum.

The basic criteria for selection include the following:

  1. Given the inclusive nature of the Sustainable Development Goals in general and of Goal 17 in particular, priority will be given to side events organized by groups of three or more partners, sponsors or participants, or any combination thereof;
  2. The theme of the side event should relate to at least one of the Sustainable Development Goals highlighted above or be cross-cutting in nature;
  3. Consideration should be given to geographic and gender balance in the choice of speakers and panellists;
  4. The format of the side event should ensure broad stakeholder participation, including that of the private sector and major groups, and actively involve the audience;
  5. The side event should inform the overall outcome of the eleventh session of the Forum by providing relevant input for parallel discussions;
  6. The side event should last no longer than 1 and 1/2 hours and should not overlap with the main sessions of the Forum.

Event organizers will be informed of the results of the selection process and a list of all registered side events will be published after the approval and selection process has been completed.

Responsibility of the organizers

The logistics of the side events, such as room and virtual platform allocation and the setting up of audiovisual equipment, need to be arranged in collaboration with the side events coordinator. The organizers of the side events will be responsible for the following:

  1. Inviting speakers and panellists and handling their visa and travel arrangements (if applicable);
  2. Inviting participants representing members of ECA, major groups and other stakeholders;
  3. Preparing a summary report on the event and sharing it with the secretariat of the Forum;
  4. Publicity, reproduction of materials and media coverage;
  5. Any costs related to the venue, equipment and services;
  6. Any costs related to the venue, equipment, meals and services, as detailed in the side event price sheet drawn up by the organizers of the Forum;
  7. Ensuring that the side event is conducted in English or French. Arrangements for simultaneous interpretation will be the responsibility of the organizers.

Communication:

All queries relating to side events should be addressed to the following:

The side event organization committee

Email: eca-arfsd-sideevents@un.org and sdg.ug-secretariat@opm.go.ug

and copy to the following:

Mamusa Siyunyi

Email: siyunyi@un.org

Tsion Dereje

Email: tsion.habtemariam@un.org

Pascal Byarugaba

Email: pascal.byarugaba@opm.go.ug

 

Please ensure that the completed application form, including the detailed proposal, is received no later than 21 February 2025 and using the online platform at: https://www.uneca.org/content/pre-events

 

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