The robust growth that many African countries experienced before COVID-19 was lost to the pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday, highlighting the need to scale up efforts towards a single trade market on the continent.
Mr. Guterres was speaking on the final day of the annual Africa Dialogue Series in New York, where the focus this year was on accelerating implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) ;set to be the largest in the world.
Harness the potential
He said the pandemic brought high food and energy prices, made worse by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, exacerbating poverty, inequalities, and food insecurity.
Governments have also faced rising interest rates, increasing the potential for debt, while climate change has created deadly floods and drought, contributing to the risk of hunger.
“Guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, we must ramp up our efforts and harness the full potential of trade and industrialization to advance sustainable, inclusive growth,” the UN chief told participants.
