Lagos – The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said that trade and investments can be the drivers of inclusive development in Africa.
An UNCTAD statement obtained in Lagos on Tuesday said that more integrated policies were needed by African governments to realise the potential for growth in the continent.
According to the statement, the growing population of Africa needs decent work for survival.
The statement quoted the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as saying at the ongoing UNCTAD conference in Nairobi, Kenya, that Africans need decent jobs.
“That is why all member states explicitly make inclusive growth and decent work for all, one of the 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The 2030 Agenda is an integrated approach to development where economic growth, environmental protection and social justice shall go hand in hand.
“Full employment and decent work for all is placed together with inclusive economic growth as the eight SDG at the very heart of the 2030 Agenda,’’ the statement said.
The statement added that Lack of employment and decent work for young people is the continent´s most pressing challenge.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the UNCTAD conference which started on July 17 will close on July 22 in Nairobi. (NAN)