UNCTAD, in collaboration with Direction générale de la Planification et des Politiques Économiques of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, in its capacity as the chair of the National Technical Committee on LDC issues, will host a two-day technical workshop. The workshop will take place in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and with the support of the United Nations Regional Coordinator’s Office in Senegal.
Senegal was designated pre-eligible for graduation by the Committee for Development Policy at its 2021 Triennial Review of the LDC Category. In line with the mandate conferred by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 59/209 of 20 December 2004, UNCTAD thereafter launched the preparatory process of Senegal’s Vulnerability Profile (VP).
UNCTAD undertook an inception mission to Senegal from 29 August to 3 September 2022, after which it started drafting the Vulnerability Profile of Senegal. On 14-15 December 2022 a second field mission to Dakar was undertaken, with the aim of discussing emerging findings with national stakeholders and engage in additional bilateral meetings on the outcome of the 27th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference and its impacts for Senegal,
The Vulnerability Profile encompasses a focus on the country’s vulnerabilities across the three sustainable development goals’ dimensions of economy, social development, and the environment. It examines the economy’s degree of exposure to exogenous shocks, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the development trajectory achieved by the country so far. On this basis, it assesses the prospects for maintaining development progress towards graduation and beyond. Given the importance of adequately preparing for graduation, the document identifies key areas that will require special attention, and opportunities that could be rapidly capitalized to assure developmental momentum.
To complement the VP, UNCTAD has partnered with UNECA which undertook a specific analysis on the impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area on Senegal’s prospects for structural transformation. The emerging findings of the study will also be discussed at the Workshop.
The objective of the Workshop is to validate the VP and thereby identify key elements towards a national roadmap for graduation with momentum centered on addressing and mitigating key identified vulnerabilities. There is growing understanding and consensus on the need to build and strengthen the economic resilience of national economies and to further structural transformation as the basis for sustainable and impactful development progress. With the view to facilitate the informed identification of feasible policies to build strategic resilience against internal and external vulnerabilities, the Workshop will provide a deeper understanding of the key areas of vulnerability and attendant consequences identified in the VP.
