UNCRD's Contribution to TICAD9 (20-22 August 2025, Yokohama, Japan)

• Contribution to the 4th African Clean Cities Platform (ACCP) (20-21 August 2025, Yokohama)

As a side event of TICAD9, the 4th African Clean Cities Platform (ACCP) was co-organized by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), City of Yokohama, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) on 20-21 August 2025 in Yokohama, Japan, under a theme of Accelerating Institutional Commitment and Sustainable Financing for Better Municipal Solid Waste Management in Africa. In the interest of African countries, Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty, Environment Programme Coordinator, UNCRD/DSDG-UN DESA delivered a presentation entitled "Jaipur Declaration on 3R and Circular Economy (2025-2035) in Asia and the Pacific and Potential in African Context". UNCRD addressed the importance of 3R and Circular Economy as a natural fit not only for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework, but also to African Union’s Agenda 2063, in particular the Goal 6 (Blue / Ocean Economy for Accelerated Economic Growth) and Goal 7 ( Environmentally Sustainable Climate Resilient Economics and Communities). In fact both Goal 6 and 7 of Agenda 2063 combinedly call for sustainable waste and resource management; designing out waste/pollution, phasing out open dumping/burning, building local value chains and cutting import dependence on virgin raw materials with an objective to achieving prosperity and green industrialization (which is Aspiration 1 of AU's Agenda 2063: A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development). If realized, a similar Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Africa would unify fragmented efforts, accelerate policy harmonization, unlock finance, and amplify Africa’s voice in the global circular economy movement. The specialty of the Jaipur Declaration is that it provides a decade-long, globally aligned, and action-oriented framework that connects 3R principles, circular economy, SDGs, and climate action into one consolidated roadmap — helping countries transition towards resilient, resource-efficient, and zero-waste societies.

While Africa’s fast-growing population and urbanization create huge demand for raw materials, water, and energy, sustainable resource management is crucial for securing finite natural resources and improve resource efficiency - which are central of the circular economy and the SDGs. As Africa faces biodiversity loss, water scarcity, pollution, and over-extraction of natural resources, policymakers need to enhance resource efficiency by implementing appropriate policies and regulations grounded in circular economy principles.

The Jaipur Declaration (2025-2035) commits Asia-Pacific to a resource-efficient, low-carbon, sound material-cycle society, fully aligned with SDGs/Paris/Kunming-Montreal -- outcomes that mirror African Union’s Agenda 2063’s Aspirations on prosperity, environment, and resilience. African policymakers can adapt the aipur’s recommendations into African Union’s priorities in the context that the AU’s new Continental Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), 2024-2034 provides the African vehicle, and Jaipur Declaration offers detailed sector roadmaps/3R measures that could plug straight into CEAP programs and actions towards achieving the SDGs.

• TICAD9 Thematic Event “Climate and Water-related Resilience in Africa, how water-related risks can be reduced” (21 August 2025)

On 21 August, as part of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), UNCRD/DSDG co-organized a thematic event titled; “Climate and Water-related Resilience in Africa: How Water-related Disaster Risks Can Be Reduced” with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and other partners. TICAD9, organized by the Government of Japan in cooperation with the United Nations and other partners, took place from 20 to 22 August in Yokohama, Japan. The UN Secretary-General attended the opening session of TICAD9 on 20 August 2025 and delivered remarks.

The objective of the thematic session was to explore gaps and opportunities in Africa’s water-related disaster risk management, with a particular focus on early warning systems, preparedness, and integrated climate-resilient WASH systems, as well as to share good practices and technologies relevant to addressing these challenges. The opening remarks were delivered by the Vice Minister of MLIT, followed by speeches and presentations by ministers from African countries and senior leaders from international organizations, including the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the President of JAXA.