Gender and Youth Affairs prioritized during deliberations at TICAD VI

The Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) ended on a high note after African, Japanese and other leaders agreed on Sunday to carry out more international actions to empower youth and women to achieve a demographic dividend and transform Africa. 

The leaders emphasized that youth empowerment was vital way of improving human capital and also bring about peace building by preventing radicalization.

“1 in every 3 persons in Africa is aged 10-24 years, chances are that this trend will continue until at least 2060. Their health and productivity will make or break demographic dividend for Africa,” Dr. Natalia Kanem, Deputy Executive Director (Programme) of, the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA said.

“It is vital and urgent to invest in Africa’s human capital, especially its women and young people, to change Africa’s economic and development pictures quicker,” she remarked.

Speaking at a TICAD related event Dr. Kanem continued, “It is estimated that girls completing secondary school in Kenya would add about $27 billion to the economy over their lifetimes. And if sub-Saharan Africa repeated the experience of some East Asian nations by making the right investments in young people, it could realize a demographic dividend of about $500 billion a year, for 30 years.” 

The National Council for Population and Development NCPD on the same note has called for an all-inclusive approach in order to achieve social equality.

 “By harnessing the demographic dividend, more savings and investments and ultimately economic development would be achieved,” said the Director General NCPD Josephine Kibaru-Mbae.

The Nairobi Declaration signed during the TICAD VI emphasized on the need for efforts to increase global funding to strengthen country and community led health systems to ensure services to all individuals throughout their lives. 

Heads of State, governments and delegations from 54 African countries, Japan, 74 international organizations and 52 other partners attended the conference.

UN in Kenya top job position filled

Siddharth Chatterjee has been appointed the United Nations UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya where he will provide leadership to 25 UN agencies in the country.

Chatterjee will also serve as the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Chatterjee who is an Indian national was the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Kenya before he was chosen as the Resident Co-ordinator.

He has a wealth of experience as he joined the UN in Bosnia in 1997 and over for 20 years he served in Iraq, South Sudan, Indonesia, Darfur region of Sudan, Somalia, Denmark, and Kenya.

Welcoming the appointment, Ms Ruth Kagia, Senior Advisor, International Relations and Social Sectors in the Office of the President of Kenya said, “Sid’s hard work and resourcefulness has translated to tangible gains. Improvements have been seen in maternal, child and adolescent health.”

 
According to a statement sent to news rooms, Chatterjee is expected to continue his advocacy for women’s empowerment in Kenya where he has led notable initiatives to advance reproductive, maternal, neo-natal, child and adolescent health.

Japan shows support for Africa to join UN Security Council

The government of Japan has announced that it will support Africa in lobbying for a seat at the United Nations UN Security Council by 2023.

Speaking during the launch of Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) Summit on Saturday Japan Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe said ‘The enormous continent of Africa has given no permanent member to the United Nations Security Council. Africa, please accept my complete support on this point.’

 He added that Africa had the right to demand that the international community better reflect views of this continent.

‘Africa should send a permanent member to the UN Security Council by 2023 at the very latest,’ the Japanese Prime Minister insisted.

He said that reform of the UN Security Council is truly a goal that Japan and Africa mutually shared.

Meanwhile during the launch of TICAD at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre KICC Abe acknowledged that Africa was making enormous leaps in development.

‘Africa is now off and running, aiming at long-range goals, aspiring to be fully  industrialized by 2063.Agenda 2063,in my opinion, is a grand concept and is simply unparalleled,’ he said.

‘Japan will set aside approximately 10 billion US dollars to Africa over the next 3 years for building infrastructure. A portion of this will be executed through cooperation with the African Development Bank,’ he continued.

Further President Uhuru Kenyatta noted that the gathering of 34 African Heads of State and Government in Nairobi for the summit was a sign that the ‘Africa Rising’ phenomenon was taking place.

‘Japan’s narrative of attaining the fastest economic growth in human history even after being hard hit by conflict encourages Africans to work harder to achieve prosperity,’ he concluded.