The quest for realizing Africa’s promise

Africa’s development trajectory remains uncertain. The continent has witnessed remarkable progress in economic growth and human development. However, the inequality gap remains troubling, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reversed many gains. With the prevailing nature of vaccine inequality, more African countries will experience difficulties in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

As a strategic instrument of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA), the Regional Programme facilitates the attainment of a more resilient and prosperous Africa, one empowered to reach its full potential.

Endorsed by UNDP’s Executive Board in February 2022, the new Regional Programme Document for 2022-2025 operates as an integrated continental mechanism that coordinates regional, sub-regional and country development planning for greater effectiveness and results.

Four key priorities underpin the new Regional Programme.

It is anchored in the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025, and the Regional Bureau for Africa’s Strategic Offer. It coalesces UNDP’s regional interventions under four critical priorities articulated to resonate with the 2030 Agenda in this Decade of Action: people, prosperity, planet and peace.

• Priority 1 – People. In a context of reinvigorated social contracts, African citizens have a stronger voice and influence in African Union, regional economic communities, and regional mechanisms policymaking and implementation processes. Read The People Edition newsletter.
• Priority 2 – Prosperity. African citizens benefit from a regionally integrated, structurally transformed, and inclusive economy.
• Priority 3 – Planet. African citizens, supported by the African Union and Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, build a resilient Africa.
• Priority 4 – Peace. African citizens, especially women and youth, supported by the African Union and regional economic communities and regional mechanisms, achieve measurable progress towards sustainable peace.

Reimagining the future of development in Africa

The preceding Regional Programme for 2018-2021 recorded some notable results across its 31 projects and initiatives: it achieved 100% core delivery; supported 20,000 small and medium enterprises during COVID-19; assisted 30,000 households in the Lake Chad Basin to receive access to healthcare, education and judicial services; and benefited 57.8 million people across the continent with climate adaptation initiatives. 

Informed by the needs of regional actors and adapted to contextual realities, and with a focus on Africa’s dominant demography – young people – the new Regional Programme will embrace a people-centred approach through investing in new flagship initiatives, such as: Support to Inclusive Transitions in Africa, connecting youth to employment opportunities through a new Regional Youth Portfolio for Africa, and empowering the lives of marginalized communities through the Africa Borderlands Centre.

Structure

Based at the Regional Service Centre for Africa (RSCA) in Addis Ababa, we collaborate and coordinate with UNDP sub-regional hubs operating out of Dakar, Nairobi and Pretoria and work closely with the AU, Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and other regional actors across the continent. 

Our 200 partners, from the African Union Commission, borderland communities, to civil society organizations operating at the local level, are the foundation of our work, making it possible to deliver in even the toughest of contexts. The new Regional Programme Document 2022-25 was produced with assistance from internal consultations and more than 20 stakeholder consultations with the AU, RECs, civil society (including borderland communities), academia, the private sector and other development partners.

Our work contributes to development by addressing the continent's challenges and amplifying opportunities related to the priorities and aspirations defined by the African Union and other regional entities.

For more information:

• Highlights video from the previous Regional Programme
• Regional Programme Annual Report 2020
• Regional Programme newsletter
• Webpage