Stakeholders organise capacity development workshop in Khartoum
October 15, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – A two-day national capacity development workshop concluded in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum with emphasis on employment and job creation.
The workshop was organised by the Office for North Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the National Population Council of Sudan.
It was attended by policy makers and senior officials from the Sudanese ministries of Labour and Administrative Reform, Education, Higher Education, Industry and Trade, Finance and Economic Planning, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Social Development, Youth and Sports, representatives of the private sector and civil society.
During the workshop, the Director of ECA’s Office for North Africa, Zuzana Brixiova Schwidrowski stressed the importance of the upcoming joint, intergovernmental committee of senior officials and experts of the ECA Offices for North and West Africa and Expert Group Meeting, scheduled to take place under the themes “Food and energy security in North and West Africa amid multiple crises” and “Crisis Resilience and Development Sustainability in North and West Africa” from November 1-3 in Marrakech, Morocco.
She said that future cooperation between the ECA Office for North Africa and Sudanese authorities will build on ongoing work on employment, small and medium sized enterprises and encompass policy-oriented research on the demographic dividend, the impact of COVID-19 and food security.
Currently, Sudan’s working age population is estimated at 26 million and is projected to reach 33 million by 2030 and 66 million by 2063. The country is currently facing multiple challenges including a high inflation rate, food shortages, rising food and energy prices, low health and education levels, rapid urbanization, the influx of refugees, among others.
“This situation means that youth unemployment will remain and can increasingly become a national concern if no direct policies and actions are taken to reduce the growing imbalance between the rapidly growing workforce and slowly growing employment and job opportunities,” warned Amal Elbeshbishi, an economist at the ECA.
To face this challenge, key actions would thus include aligning public sector employment objectives and private sector business objectives and leveraging private sector resources by providing training incentives or by collaborating in public-private partnerships.
ECA is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its Office for North Africa aims to support the sustainable development of seven countries across the sub region (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Sudan) by helping them formulate and implement policies and programs that support their economic and social transformation.
Over the last few years, however, the ECA office for North Africa has supported Sudan in several areas, including capacity building in the areas of employment creation, government finance, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
(ST)