Growingpublicdebtburden,shrinkingfiscalspaceleaveAfricaatcrossroads:UNECA_GuangmingOnlinePeopleattendthe10thAfricaRegionalForumonSustainableDevelopmentinAddisAbaba,Ethiopia,onApril23,2024.Thegrowingburdenofpublicdebtduetoclimate-relateddisastersandtheshrinkingfiscalspacebecauseofincreasingfinancingneedshaveputAfricaatacrossroads,ClaverGatete,executivesecretaryoftheUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforAfrica(UNECA),hassaid.(Xinhua/MichaelTewelde)ADDISABABA,April23(Xinhua)--Thegrowingburdenofpublicdebtduetoclimate-relateddisastersandtheshrinkingfiscalspacebecauseofincreasingfinancingneedshaveputAfricaatacrossroads,ClaverGatete,executivesecretaryoftheUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforAfrica(UNECA),hassaid.TheexecutivesecretarymadetheremarksonTuesdayattheopeningofthe10thAfricaRegionalForumonSustainableDevelopmentinAddisAbaba,thecapitalofEthiopia.Theforum'sthemeis"Reinforcingthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopmentandAgenda2063anderadicatingpovertyintimesofmultiplecrises:theeffectivedeliveryofsustainable,resilientandinnovativesolutions."Underscoringtheurgencyofaddressingcriticalchallengesrelatedtoclimatechangeandfinancialchallengesacrossthecontinent,GatetesaidAfrica'sinfrastructureandclimatechangeneedsareestimatedtocostbetween68billionand108billionU.S.dollarsannually."DespiteAfrica'sremarkableresilience,evidencedbyitsstatusasthesecond-fastestgrowingregionglobally,wecannotoverlookthestarkrealitiesofpoverty,hungerandinequalitiesinAfrica,"theexecutivesecretarysaid.RecallingthatAfricanleadershaverecentlyexpressedconcernsabouttheinadequacyoftheglobalfinancialarchitecturetomeetthecontinent'sevolvingneeds,hecalledforaredesignoftheglobalfinancialsystemtoleavenoonebehind.HesaidtheUnitedNationshasidentifiedsixtransitionsaskeyinvestmentpathwaysforimplementingtheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs),includingimprovingfoodsystems,energyaccessandaffordability,digitalconnectivity,education,andsocialprotection."Wecannotdobusinessasusual.MindfuloftheinterconnectednessoftheSDGs,weneedtobeselectiveandfocusonareasthatwilltriggeracascadingdominoeffectanddelivermaximumimpactontheground,"Gateteadded.Peopleattendthe10thAfricaRegionalForumonSustainableDevelopmentinAddisAbaba,Ethiopia,onApril23,2024.Thegrowingburdenofpublicdebtduetoclimate-relateddisastersandtheshrinkingfiscalspacebecauseofincreasingfinancingneedshaveputAfricaatacrossroads,ClaverGatete,executivesecretaryoftheUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforAfrica(UNECA),hassaid.(Xinhua/MichaelTewelde)ClaverGatete,executivesecretaryoftheUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforAfrica(UNECA),speaksattheopeningofthe10thAfricaRegionalForumonSustainableDevelopmentinAddisAbaba,Ethiopia,onApril23,2024.Thegrowingburdenofpublicdebtduetoclimate-relateddisastersandtheshrinkingfiscalspacebecauseofincreasingfinancingneedshaveputAfricaatacrossroads,ClaverGatete,executivesecretaryoftheUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforAfrica(UNECA),hassaid.(Xinhua/MichaelTewelde)UgandanPrimeMinisterRobinahNabbanjaspeaksatthe10thAfricaRegionalForumonSustainableDevelopmentinAddisAbaba,Ethiopia,onApril23,2024.Thegrowingburdenofpublicdebtduetoclimate-relateddisastersandtheshrinkingfiscalspacebecauseofincreasingfinancingneedshaveputAfricaatacrossroads,ClaverGatete,executivesecretaryoftheUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforAfrica(UNECA),hassaid.(Xinhua/MichaelTewelde)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.