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At the opening of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), called for urgent action to bridge global financing gaps and support innovation systems that work for all.
“Digital tools and mission-driven science can accelerate SDGs delivery, but only if systems are inclusive and backed by real financing at scale,” he said, moderating a high-level Townhall session on SDGs implementation as part of ECA’s coordinating role among the UN Regional Commissions.
The session, titled Unlocking the Means of Implementation: Finance, Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs, focused on how to move from global commitments to tangible solutions. It brought together leaders from public and private sectors to examine how capital flows, technology, and policy can better support sustainable development.
With participation from Sanda Ojiambo, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact; Robbert Dijkgraaf, President-Elect of the International Science Council; and Robert Kirkpatrick, Chairman of the Board of the United Cities Foundation, the conversation highlighted the urgency of scaling investment, adopting alternative financing models, and building inclusive systems.
Together, the panel stressed the importance of translating innovation into real-world results, especially across Africa and other regions facing deep development disparities.
Speaking at another session on poverty eradication, Mr Gatete highlighted the need to ground policy and investment in sharper, more integrated data systems.
“We can’t end poverty if we can’t measure it accurately,” he said at the event hosted by the Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the UN, UNDP, the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN), and other partners. “It’s time to shift from measuring what’s convenient to measuring what matters.”
Mr Gatete pointed to ECA’s development of a prototype Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) dashboard for African countries. The platform links spatial poverty data with climate vulnerability, migration flows, peace and security trends, and subnational budget execution, providing governments with a more complete picture of where to direct resources and improve social protection.
As the forum continues, Mr Gatete and ECA are keeping Africa’s priorities on the table, advocating for fairer finance, smarter tools, and a more inclusive path to 2030.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).