The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGC/A) have signed a cooperation deal.

The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) was signed on Monday by Shinichi Kitaoka, president of JICA, and Belay Begashaw, director general of the SDGC/A, at the JICA headquarters in Tokyo.

The deal is a framework for cooperation, expected to facilitate collaboration between JICA and the SDGC/A to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in Africa through the promotion of innovation and knowledge co-creation partnering with private companies, academia and civil society, according to a statement.

The SDGs were adopted by the United Nations in September 2015.

The SDGC/A is an autonomous non-profit international organisation established in September 2015 in Kigali, Rwanda, by resolution of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), which was commissioned under the auspices of Ban Ki-moon, then secretary-general of the United Nations.

The SDGC/A is meant to promote practical solutions for preparing and implementing SDG-related projects, and mobilise global scientific and technological expertise to work on such efforts.

Monday’s inked deal will facilitate cooperation in achieving, in particular, SDG Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and Goal 4 (Quality Education for All).

Through the MoC, JICA will also cooperate in gathering and analysing indices to monitor and evaluate progress toward SDGs achievement in Africa.