Date, venue and theme of the fifty-fifth session of the Commission: note by the secretariat

Abstract

The present document sets forth suggestions by the secretariat for the consideration of the Committee of Experts. The Committee may wish to consider the dates and a theme for the fifty-fifth session of the Commission, to be held in 2023, and to provide the secretariat with guidance in that regard. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed and deepened pre-existing inequality and brought many aspects of the continent’s vulnerability to the forefront. Stressed or compromised supply chains, shortages of goods and weakened infrastructure all laid bare the extent to which Africa remains beholden to external forces. The double shocks of a still unfolding COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis are exacerbating inequality and vulnerability in Africa through additional pressure on global supply chains.