The 14th session of the Regional Coordination Mechanism for Africa (RCM-Africa) kicked off on Thursday at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Under the theme, "UN Support to the AU Agenda 2063," the two- day meeting has attracted officials from the AU and also from UN agencies and organizations among others to enable the UN family to provide coordinated support to African development agenda with focus on Africa's priorities.

CRM annual session promotes synergy and coordination among the UN agencies and organizations, so as to improve the collective UN response to addressing priority needs in the region.

The mechanism aims to ensure coordination and coherence in the delivery of support by UN organizations to AU organizations to enhance its effectiveness and impact.

"Agenda 2063 " is a fifty-year forward looking framework that seeks to provide a concrete and viable guide to all stakeholders on how to achieve the AU vision of "an integrated, people-centred and prosperous Africa at peace with itself."

Speaking at the opening of the session, Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), noted that the CRM is important to forge greater coherence in supporting regional and sub-regional programs and projects.

This year's theme reflects the same spirit in sense that it underscores the important role that the RCM has to play in responding to emerging priorities in the continent, said Lopes.

It moreover shows that ownership resides in the continent and the UN can only support and not drive the process, he added.

"Today's program will accordingly allow engagement on Agenda 2063 across the economic, social, governance and peace and security dimensions in which RCM members have considerable expertise," noted Lopes.

Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of AU Commission, said the meeting is a platform to enable the UN to contribute to the African development agenda in a coordinated manner.

The Deputy Chairperson said addressing issues related to peace and security, human resource development, and infrastructure development are among the key areas the AU is focusing on with the UN.

"The reason for coming together is to enable the entire UN to contribute to the African development agenda in a coordinated manner; to ensure that they don't come individually do their own things but that they work together in harmony focusing on the priorities as set out by the AU," said Mwencha.

Consultations on "Agenda 2063" have been put in place, involving member states, the Regional Economic Communities and other continental stakeholders.

The outcome of the consultations will be considered at the January 2014 AU Summit, before a planned endorsement at the summit in May 2014.

The RCM meeting is expected to lead to outcome on better understanding of the on-going consultations on "Agenda 2063" and consensus on the Agenda.

Consensuses on a Regional Development Assistance Framework, including resources mobilization for its implementation and on the operationalization of MDG Africa Working Group and RCM-Africa with a view to building synergies and integrating the work of both structures related to MDGs are among the expected outcomes of the meeting. Endi

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