Report of the twentieth meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts for West Africa

Abstract

The twentieth meeting of the intergovernmental committee of experts for West Africa of the economic commission for Africa (ECA) was held in Ouagadougou. The theme of the meeting was “Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 in West Africa: the role of development planning”. The theme is particularly relevant to the current context, marked by the implementation or the formulation of long-term development policies and plans by most African countries, in particular those of West Africa. Another rationale for the theme is the need to structure those plans and visions in accordance with the international commitments to which the countries of the sub region have subscribed within the framework of the sustainable development goals and agenda 2063 of the African Union. The meeting was an opportunity to review four statutory reports of ECA, on the activities of the sub regional office, the economic situation in West Africa in 2016 and prospects for 2017, the implementation of regional and international programs in West Africa, and sub regional initiatives in West Africa, respectively. Finally, the meeting served as a framework for formulating pertinent recommendations, aimed at consolidating the efforts of countries in development planning and in the implementation of the sustainable development goals.