African Political Parties Urged to Work Together for Economic Change

The African political parties conference has called on parties to strengthen their role in national policy-making, institution-building, and development performance. The conference, which was held in Addis Ababa for three days, concluded with the adoption of the Addis Ababa agreement, comprising 22 points. The agreement emphasizes that Africa's economic transformation relies on decisive actions from political leaders, effective public institutions, productive investment, and technological advancements.

The agreement encourages ruling and opposition parties to collaborate on long-term national development agendas, ensure accountability in implementation, and resolve political differences peacefully. This, it says, will enable them to contribute to the continent's growth. The agreement identifies key development priorities, including industrialization, agricultural processing, digital economy, technological capacity, and productive job opportunities.

The conference also emphasized the need for increased participation of Africa's youth and women in political leadership, decision-making, education, technical training, and job creation. The agreement urges African countries to utilize their natural resources based on their development needs, promote continental trade, and strengthen cooperation under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.

Furthermore, the conference agreed to develop the African Party Platform Initiative agenda 2040, which will serve as a shared vision for political and development cooperation until 2040. This agenda aligns with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and aims to drive the continent's political, economic, and institutional transformation.

The Addis Ababa agreement reaffirms the shared responsibility of African political parties in constitutional governance, institution-building, and continental cooperation. The parties have committed to monitoring the implementation of the conference's decisions, with the African Party Platform Initiative leadership providing regular reports on progress.

According to the source, the conference was attended by various political parties from across Africa. The parties discussed ways to accelerate economic change and improve the lives of African citizens. The agreement is expected to guide the continent's development trajectory in the coming years.

The African political parties conference has concluded, but its impact will be felt in the years to come. The parties have a critical role to play in driving Africa's economic transformation and improving the lives of its citizens. By working together, they can help create a brighter future for the continent.

Key points

• African political parties must work together to accelerate economic change.