Preparatory and capacity-development workshop for major groups and other stakeholders in the Africa region

Call for Participation
Preparatory and capacity-development workshop for major
groups and other stakeholders in the Africa region

Background/Short Description of the Event
Major groups have a crucial role in promoting sustainable development. It is well known, for
instance, that they play a vital role in enhancing inclusion by representing the voiceless,
marginalized and vulnerable populations; engaging in capacity building activities; and
strengthening participation in and ownership of development processes by diverse
communities particularly at the national, subnational and local levels. Major groups bring to
bear key aspects essential to enhancing the reach, effectiveness and durability of development
initiatives and outcomes.
The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development thus recognizes the imperative of major groups
and other stakeholders’ involvement in the implementation, follow-up and review of the
sustainable development goals (SDGs). In this regard the agenda, among others, calls for major
groups to be brought together with governments, the private sector, and the United Nations
system in the context of a revitalized global partnership to deliver on the ambitious sustainable
development goals and targets that are at the core of the Agenda. Moreover, the Agenda
stipulates that the high-level political forum will support the participation of major groups and
other stakeholders in the follow-up and review and enjoin them to report on their contribution
to the implementation of the Agenda. Agenda 2063 which is being implemented concurrently
with the 2030 Agenda requires that African citizenry, civil society organizations and all other
identifiable groups be engaged with respect to the design, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of this African Agenda.
Against this backdrop, UNECA in collaboration with UNDESA is organizing a preparatory
and capacity development workshop for major groups and other stakeholders (MGoS) in the
Africa region in the context of the 2019 ARFSD on the 16 April 2019. The Regional Forum
will be held from 16 to 18 April 2019 on the theme “Empowering people and ensuring
inclusiveness and equality” to prepare African countries for the 2019 HLPF.

Objectives
o Brief MGoS on the follow-up and review process of the SDGs;
o Promote mutual learning through exchange of experiences, lessons learned and
promising approaches and practices in the implementation and tracking of the SDGs and
Agenda 2063 goals, with a special emphasis on the selected SDGs for the 2019 HLPF;
o Promote dialogue and consensus among the MGoS on their perspectives to advance the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.

Expected Outcomes
o Increased understanding and capacity of major groups and other stakeholders to design
and implement approaches and practices to advance implementation, follow-up and
review of the SDGs and Agenda 2063 goals;
o Articulation of and consensus on perspectives of major groups and other stakeholders to
enhance implementation, follow-up and review of the SDGs and Agenda 2063 goals;
o Strengthened capacity of the MGoS to actively and effectively engage in the SDGs and
Agenda 2063 follow-up and review processes;
o Enhanced cooperation among MGoS and as well as between them and other stakeholders
including national, sub-regional and regional policymakers, practitioners and experts,
and United Nations entities.
Target audience: The workshop is open to and will be attended by representatives of the
nine categories of MGoS.
Date, Venue and Time: 16 April 2019; Palmeraie Conference Center (TBC), Marrakech,
Morocco; 08:30-18:00hrs.
For further information, please contact:
Edo Mahendra
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
mahendra@un.org
How to Register as Self-Sponsored Participant
1. Go to ARFSD 2019 website (https://www.uneca.org/arfsd2019).
2. Click on the menu item “Self-sponsored registration”
(https://www.uneca.org/arfsd2019/register-ns).
3. Fill in the registration details. Select “Major Groups and Parliamentarians” under
“Category of Participants”.
4. Following the Secretariat’s approval, you will be sent an invitation letter that you can use
to facilitate your travel arrangement to attend the Forum.
Call for exhibitions
The call for exhibitions that align with the 5th ARFSD theme and focal SDGs is open on the
event website until the 15th March 2019. Use this URL to submit a request:
https://www.uneca.org/arfsd2019/pages/criteria-and-guidelines-exhibitions

For further information on exhibitions, please contact:
Charles Muraya
African Climate Policy Center
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
murayac@un.org