Welcome remarks by the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Seraphine Wakana, CCA 2020
Common Country Analysis Validation Workshop, 2020
- Honourable Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service
- Government officials here present
- UN Colleagues
- The media
- Distinguished ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of the UN system in The Gambia I am very pleased to welcome everyone to this very important workshop to validate the draft Common Country Analysis (CCA).
The CCA is a critical component of the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) preparation, occurring at the very first stages of the process. It informs and underpins the Cooperation Framework with the Government of The Gambia.
I am encouraged to see all of you here: experts from the government, the national statistical office, social partners, academia and other partners who feel it is valuable work to discuss national development challenges and common approaches before the development of the UNSDF.
I would like to thank you all for participating in the consultations that led in developing this CCA and for your presence in today’s national workshop to validate the draft report.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
The CCA report provides an overview of the country context, especially as it relates to the current state of progress of the implementation of the 17 SDGs along the 5Ps, focusing on vulnerable populations, particularly those at risk of being left behind. In addition, the report presents a multi-dimensional risk analysis, a root-cause analysis as well as cross-border and regional dynamics. It concludes with an overview of the SDG financing landscape and discussions on the gaps and challenges impeding the attainment of the 2030 agenda.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
The 2030 Development Agenda comes with 232 unique indicators (244 for all targets). This puts considerable pressure on the monitoring system of any country in terms of data collection, management and coordination.
The CCA process aligned to the 2030 Agenda resolutely intends to leave no one behind. In this regard, the report internalized the SDGs in its own Sustainable Development Vision 2030, charting the development path of the next Cooperation Framework for the ensuing 5 years in line with 2030 Agenda.
The vision for The Gambia is pursue actions to eradicate poverty in all its forms through higher levels of decent employment, preserved ecological balance and supported strong and stable governance systems. This is encapsulated The Gambia’s National Vision for Sustainable Development; I quote:
‘A country that upholds the highest standard of governance, accountability and transparency; where social cohesion and harmony prevails among communities; citizens enjoy a standard of living and access to basic services to enable them lead decent and dignified lives; youth, women, children realize their full potentials, and a nurturing and caring environment exist for the vulnerable; there is an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive; and the country’s natural heritage is nurtured and preserved for future generations.’
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
The Gambia has the marks for progress comparable with other countries in the subregion for its strong foundation of peace. To harness this advantage, the CCA report dovetails cross-sectoral, integrated responses that support greater coherence by the UN system and partners on the ground to promote more impactful and sustainable outcomes for people. We the UN seek to deliver concrete and tangible improvements in The Gambian people’s daily lives with your support.
I look forward to your active and productive discussions today. Thank all of you for contributing to this work.
Thank you
Goals we are supporting through this initiative
