Italian PM inaugurates Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development

The Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development was inaugurated by the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Rome.

• The centre has been opened by the Italian Government in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Details about the Centre:

• The centre's origin can be traced to a declaration endorsed by the G7 meeting of the Environment Ministers in 2017.
• The centre would facilitate coordination among the G7 and African countries on common initiatives in Africa to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. 
• The Centre would contribute towards addressing the needs of Africa by providing a platform for G7 countries to steer their cooperation to contrast environmental degradation and promote sustainable economic growth in the region.
• The centre will provide a fast-track, demand-driven mechanism for African countries to access grant resources that support policies, initiatives, and best practices on climate change, food security, access to water, clean energy, and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.
• The centre would be hosted by UNDP which would utilise its extensive country office network and programmatic hubs, and global expertise and knowledge, to enable the African countries to access the resources available through it.

One must know:

• Africa referred to as Dark Continent still has up to 330 million of its population living in poverty and up to 60% of unemployed Africans are young people.
• The centre will help to speed up progress and quickly resource national development priorities in the African countries to address these challenges and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Question:

Q. Who inaugurated the Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development?
a. UN Secretary General
b. South African Prime Minister
c. Italian Prime Minister
d. None of the above