The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) are seeking stronger collaboration to improve media coverage of Africa’s development priorities and promote informed public debate. The push emerged during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, between UNECA Executive Secretary and United Nations Under-Secretary-General Claver Gatete and an FAJ delegation led by its President, Omar Faruk Osman. Discussions focused on strengthening journalists’ capacity to report on economic and social development issues, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The two institutions underscored the importance of ensuring African journalists have access to reliable data, research and technical expertise to improve reporting on the continent’s development agenda. Gatete reaffirmed UNECA’s commitment to facilitating media access to credible information and evidence, noting that journalists play an important role in shaping Africa’s development narrative. He emphasised the need for reporting that reflects African perspectives and priorities while communicating development challenges in ways that promote people-centred solutions. The discussions also highlighted the importance of information integrity and access to credible information in supporting inclusive and sustainable development. Osman said independent journalism was essential in helping citizens understand government policies and decisions affecting their lives. "Independent journalism plays...

Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships 2027: 12 months at the AfDB, UNECA or ITC for African professionals under 40 with a Master's. Apply by 20 November 2026.

GENEVA, Oct 8– The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be holding its Sixty-Fifth Plenary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 12 to 16 October 2026. The 65th Session of the IPCC is hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Opening session The opening session of the meeting will take place on Monday, 12 October 2026, at 16.00 Addis Ababa time (UTC+3) at the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI) in Addis Ababa. During the opening ceremony, delegates will be addressed by IPCC Chair Sir Jim Skea, and Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy Dr. Eng. Habtamu Itefa. The ceremony will also include video messages from the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Prof. Celeste Saulo, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Environment Programme Ms. Inger Andersen, and the Executive Director of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Mr. Simon Stiell. Venue: Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, Bole Sub City, Woreda 02, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Media assets, including text and video of the speeches, visuals and B-roll from the opening session will be posted here. Except for the opening session, the IPCC Plenary meetings are closed to the media. Journalists...

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Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships 2027: 12 months at the AfDB, UNECA or ITC for African professionals under 40 with a Master's. Apply by 20 November 2026.

Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships 2027: 12 months at the AfDB, UNECA or ITC for African professionals under 40 with a Master's. Apply by 20 November 2026.

BULAWAYO, October 16 (IPS) - An Ebola death last week in Kenya is highlighting the urgency of Africa’s public health emergency preparedness and how the continent’s governments are committing their national budgets to the health sector.

(Posted 11th October 2026)     This 12-month opportunity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, offers a $100,000 stipend and experience contributing to Africa’s development policies. Host: United Nations Economic...

Staff Writer  Namibia has been included in a five-year United Nations programme aimed at strengthening environmentally and socially responsible critical mineral value chains in Southern Africa, as international efforts increase to help African countries retain more value from their mineral resources. The programme, launched in June 2026 by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), covers Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It focuses on increasing local value retention and supporting industrialisation and responsible mineral development across the region. The initiative is being led by UNECA through the African Minerals Development Centre and is supported by Germany’s International Climate Initiative. It brings together technical and development partners to address constraints including limited beneficiation capacity, environmental, social and governance compliance, and weak regional value-chain integration. The programme forms part of broader UN initiatives aimed at helping African mineral-producing countries develop domestic processing and capture greater economic value from critical minerals. In September 2026, five other African mineral producers – Guinea, Madagascar, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe, were selected to participate in the UN Country Support Mechanism on Critical Energy Transition Minerals programme. The mechanism will provide tailored support in areas including policy advice, legal and regulatory expertise, environmental and social safeguards, and coordination across domestic mineral value chains. The initiative comes ahead of African Mining Week 2026, which will take place in Cape Town from October 14 to 16 under the theme “Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value”. The event is expected to bring together African governments, project developers, investors and technical partners to discuss mineral production, processing and supporting infrastructure. Participating countries are increasingly pursuing domestic processing and industrialisation strategies. Zambia is seeking to increase value addition in its copper industry, while Zimbabwe is expanding lithium processing. Madagascar is pursuing greater value addition around rare earths and graphite, while Guinea and Nigeria are seeking to develop broader mineral value chains. The UN Development Programme is also developing a continental critical minerals initiative under its 2026-2029 Regional Programme for Africa. The initiative focuses on how mineral-producing countries can use their resource base to support economic transformation while aligning investment and value-addition strategies with their infrastructure, financing and industrial capabilities. The UNDP is also supporting technology-led mining development through its MineTech Accelerator. Five African mining innovators – Anchor Machines in Uganda, ZanfiEnterprise in Zambia, Milsat Technologies in Nigeria, Tukutechin Tanzania and SYNCHROS in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are receiving seed funding to accelerate technology-driven mining solutions. The UN initiatives form part of wider efforts to strengthen domestic mineral value chains in Africa and increase local participation in the processing and development of critical minerals.

GENEVA, Oct 8– The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be holding its Sixty-Fifth Plenary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 12 to 16 October 2026. The 65th Session of the IPCC is hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Opening session The opening session of the meeting will take place on Monday, 12 October 2026, at 16.00 Addis Ababa time (UTC+3) at the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI) in Addis Ababa. During the opening ceremony, delegates will be addressed by IPCC Chair Sir Jim Skea, and Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy Dr. Eng. Habtamu Itefa. The ceremony will also include video messages from the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Prof. Celeste Saulo, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Environment Programme Ms. Inger Andersen, and the Executive Director of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Mr. Simon Stiell. Venue: Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, Bole Sub City, Woreda 02, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Media assets, including text and video of the speeches, visuals and B-roll from the opening session will be posted here. Except for the opening session, the IPCC Plenary meetings are closed to the media. Journalists...

Discover how geospatial modelling, AI and innovative census tools are helping African countries prepare for the 2030 census. Read the recap and watch the webinar.

KIGALI, Rwanda — President Paul Kagame held talks with Ambassador Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), at Urugwiro Village in Kigali on August 28, 2026, with discussions focusing on Rwanda’s economic development and long-term national priorities. According to the Office of the President, the meeting examined Rwanda’s economic growth trajectory and how it aligns with the country’s longer-term development objectives.

La coopération sino-africaine dans le domaine de l'économie numérique prend de l'ampleur grâce à diverses initiatives, a déclaré Stephen Karingi, directeur de la division Microéconomie, finances et gouvernance de la CEA.

Sous l'impulsion de l'AfCFTA, un puissant outil d'inclusion et d'intégration économique, le commerce intra-africain devrait augmenter de 45 % d'ici 2045, a déclaré le secrétaire général adjoint des Nations unies et secrétaire exécutif de la CEA.