Addis Ababa, Nov 29 (IANS): The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate cooperation and collaboration.

The MoU was signed by UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete and AUDA-NEPAD Chief Executive Officer Nardos Bekele-Thomas in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, according to a statement issued by the UNECA.

The cooperation agreement outlines a collaborative work programme spanning from 2024 to 2028, with a focus on enhanced resilience for sustainable development in Africa, in alignment with the AU's 50-year continental development blueprint Agenda 2063 and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The two institutions agreed to follow the "two agendas, one framework" approach in various key areas, including improving national statistics, data, and systems to help implement the AU's continental development aspirations.

The MoU also underscored support to African nations, regional economic groups, and the AU in integrating the second 10-year implementation plan of Agenda 2063 into their national, regional, and continental development strategic plans, Xinhua news agency reported.

The heads of the two organisations stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders in the continent's development.

They agreed that the continent's challenges are surmountable, calling for political commitment and action to address these challenges through the effective implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.

They also highlighted the importance of improved capacity in the management of data and statistics on the continent, which are fundamental to policy decisions and serve as a guide for formulating development efforts for the continent.