The Forum
Prospects of sustainable development in Africa
On the third day of the World Youth Forum, a session was held in the Main Hall to discuss the discuss the prospects of sustainable development in Africa. The session discussed opportunities to achieve sustainable development in Africa through implementation of integrated projects in the continent, discussion of challenges facing the development in Africa, in addition to review the role of African youth and ways to empower them to achieve sustainable development in the continent. Dr. Hala Al-Saeed, the Egyptian Minister of Planning, said that conflicts in Africa greatly affected development on the continent. She added that for the continent to achieve the goals of sustainable development, it must first assess the opportunities as well as the challenges that exist. She described Africa as the land of opportunities as it is rich in vast resources that are underexploited.
While Dr. Kipyego Cheluget, Assistant Secretary-General of COMESA, announced that Cairo will host COMESA Summit next year and Egypt will be the driving force for African cooperation and establishing network across Lake Victoria and the Mediterranean to link Africa continent. Also, Ms. Luisa Karst, Associate Sustainable Development Officer at UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, called for participation of Egyptian WYF in the UN World Youth Forum next April, encouraging young people to engage with the government to implement sustainable development goals.