More than any time in recent history, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the challenges associated with the lack of inclusive growth and development globally. In many African countries, the pandemic has resulted in widening economic and social inequalities threatening the attainment of the goals of Agenda 2063 and the SDGs. This situation calls for a new paradigm and reconfiguration in development planning and implementation, leveraging technology for inclusive and meaningful citizen engagement in development processes particularly as countries try to build back better. It is against this background and within the framework of the 2021 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), that the AUDA-NEPAD GiZ are organizing a side event on “Building Back Better: Leveraging technology for enhanced citizen participation in the implementation of Agenda 2063 and SDGs”. The virtual event is scheduled for July 9, 2021, from 13:00 to 14:30 CET.