PSC/PR/BR.2(CDLXXVI) Page 2 ensure Africa’s prosperity in peace and stability, as well as achieve the continental transformative Agenda 2063 during the next decade. Council and Participants emphasized the need for African countries to continuously diversify into higher value-added sectors in agriculture, industry and services in order to spread the benefits of growth by insuring equal opportunities for all the segments of the population mainly for women and youth. Unlocking the continent’s great potential— and increasing its chances of reaping a demographic dividend—inclusive growth will bring peace and prosperity by expanding the economic base across the barriers of age, gender and geography. Council noted with serious concern the issue of women and youth unemployment and urged AU Member States and other stakeholders to take appropriate measures to address this problem as part of conflict prevention efforts, including through the provision of support for women and youth entrepreneurship. Council and Participants stressed the importance for Africa to become a more integrated continent where goods, services and people move across countries and regions— creating larger markets, increasing companies’ competitiveness and expanding intra-African trade opportunities. In this regard, Council and Participants recognized the need to foster cooperation within trans-boundary basins which makes resource utilisation more efficient and support growth, peace and stability. Council called and encouraged AU Member State, who have not done so, to sign, ratify and implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) to ensure effective legal frameworks for asset recovery at national, regional and continental level.