Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights association is participating in the 12th session of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27–30 April 2026.
During the preparatory capacity-building workshop for Major Groups and other stakeholders in Africa, Abdelrahman Basha, Executive Director of Maat, stressed that Africa remains off track to achieve SDGs and its 17 goals. Only 10 out of 144 targets are expected to be achieved by 2030—equivalent to just 7%—which signals further deterioration, particularly in economic and social rights.
Basha presented a set of recommendations regarding the SDGs under review for 2026. Starting with SDG 6 on water and sanitation, he called for expanding the mandate of the African Union’s Council of Water Ministers to safeguard people’s right to transboundary water based on principles of justice and equity.
Regarding SDG 7 on energy, Basha emphasized the importance of attracting private sector investments in energy while ensuring regulatory frameworks that prevent exclusion based on economic or geographic status. He also encouraged the African Union to activate the “African Energy Efficiency Alliance” to ensure countries’ rights to access knowledge and technology transfer in a way that serves human rights, not just international financiers’ interests.
On SDG 9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure, Basha highlighted the need for the swift implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) as a tool for achieving economic justice, alongside reforming industrial policies to guarantee workers’ rights to decent work and fair wages.
He further stressed that achieving SDG 11 on sustainable cities requires supporting governments in developing urban expansion plans that include explicit mechanisms to protect the rights of those most vulnerable to forced evictions and marginalization. He also called for launching slum rehabilitation programs while rejecting forced displacement and ensuring meaningful community participation in both design and implementation.
Concluding with SDG 17 on partnerships, Basha urged reconsideration of a binding international agreement recognizing that external debt should not constrain states’ ability to fulfill their human rights obligations, and prioritizing human rights over creditors’ demands. He also called on creditors to implement an immediate suspension of debt servicing for countries facing humanitarian or climate emergencies.
It is worth noting that the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development serves as a continental mechanism that forwards Africa’s recommendations to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, which is responsible for shaping global sustainable development policies.
shortlink: https://safearabregion.org/en/?p=46069
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