Seoul, Korea, December 5, 2023— In a compelling address at the 2023 Busan Global Partnership Forum, themed: ‘Delivering Better Together for Sustainable Development Leveraging Effective Development Cooperation ‘ HE Reverend Dr. Jonathan Titus Williams, Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development in Sierra Leone, called for heightened global solidarity to address pressing challenges faced by African nations, particularly those affected by conflict and fragility.
Taking the stage at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on December 5th, Dr. Williams, who also serves as the Co-Chair of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and State building (IDPS), brought warm greetings from the Government and people of Sierra Leone. He shed light on the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic shocks, and emerging crises that have disproportionately affected African countries, emphasizing the urgent need for effective development cooperation.
Addressing the recent failed coup in Sierra Leone on November 26, 2023, Dr. Williams highlighted the grim realities faced by African nations, including increased radicalization, violent extremism, terrorism, online hate speech, and political instability. He stressed the challenges in pursuing national development and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), revealing that only 12% of SDGs are on track, with none of the targets for SDG 16 – Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies, close to achievement in conflict-affected and fragile countries.
As Co-Chair of the IDPS and Chair of the g7+ countries in Africa, Dr. Williams outlined four key areas to accelerate progress on SDG 16 and the broader 2030 Agenda. These areas include inclusive and people-centered approaches grounded in human security, joint multilateral action, reversing trends of deficient aid to conflict-affected countries, and increased investment in peacebuilding and prevention.
Acknowledging the multitude of challenges faced by Africa, Dr. Williams emphasized the need for strong focus and partnerships in areas such as human capital development, enablers of development, economic diversification, strong governance, innovation, technology, and infrastructure development.
In his parting remarks, Dr. Williams urged international partners and development actors to advocate for debt cancellation, curb illicit financial flows, provide aid assistance for private investment, and address rising inflation globally. He concluded by urging development actors to support Africa in building more equitable and inclusive societies, ultimately overcoming poverty, deprivation, and fragility to deliver on the UN SDGs by 2030.
Dr. Jonathan Titus Williams’ address at the 2023 Busan Global Partnership Forum stands as a powerful call to action, emphasizing the importance of global solidarity and collaborative efforts to drive positive change at the country level and achieve sustainable development goals in the face of complex challenges.
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