Regional report harnessing the demographic dividend: the future we want for Africa

Abstract

This regional report provides scientific analyses and authoritative account of the state of population and development in Africa, taking into consideration the need for a systematic and comprehensive approach for integrating population and demographic dynamics in the development agenda in the countries and the continent. The analyses are based on primary data collected through a global survey administered by ECA to all member States, country reports that were optionally prepared by governments in consultation with Civil Society Organizations and development partners, and data compiled from international statistical databases covering all countries. The regional report will inform the meeting of the Commission on Population and Development in 2014, and the report of the UN Secretary General to the General Assembly on the ICPD-PoA in 2014. The regional report highlights the theme: Harnessing the Demographic Dividend: The Future We Want for Africa, and emphasizes the need for state and non-state actors to recommit themselves at the highest level to fully implement the PoA at the national and regional levels. The outcomes of the report will serve as a major reference for population and development policies and programs beyond 2014, and to inform the development agenda post 2015 in Africa.