Nourrir l'Afrique par les nouvelles technologies: agissons maintenant!
Chers lecteurs,
J'ai le plaisir de poster le discours du Président du Malawi lors de son intronisation à la tête de l'Union Africaine. Prenez 5 minutes et lisez-le. Cela en vaut vraiment la peine. C'est très clair, et très bien structuré. Bonne lecture!
FEEDING AFRICA THROUGH NEW TECHNOLOGIES:
LET US ACT NOW.
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY
HIS EXCELLENCY DR. BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, PRESIDENT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI
ON HIS ELECTION AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
ASSEMBLY OF THE AFRICAN UNION
ADDIS ABABA
ETHIOPIA
31st JANUARY, 2010
• YOUR EXCELLENCY COLONEL MUAMMAR EL GHADDAFI,
LEADER OF THE LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA AND OUTGOING
CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION;
• YOUR EXCELLENCY, ATO MELES ZENAWI, PRIME MINISTER OF
THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA;
• YOUR EXCELLENCIES, HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT;
• YOUR EXCELLENCIES THE FIRST LADIES OF AFRICA;
• YOUR EXCELLENCY MR BAN KI-MOON, SECRETARY GENERAL
OF THE UNITED NATIONS;
• YOUR EXCELLENCY DR. JEAN PING, CHAIRPERSON OF THE
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION;
• YOUR EXCELLENCY MR. ABDOULIE JANNEH EXECUTIVE
SECRETARY AND UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA;
• DISTINGUISHED FOREIGN MINISTERS AND HEADS OF
DELEGATIONS;
• AMBASSADORS AND PERMANENMT REPRESENTATIVES;
• DISTINGUISHED INVITED GUESTS;
• LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
Allow me first of all on behalf of the Government and people of the
Republic of Malawi, and on my own behalf to express our deep
condolences to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the Government and
people of Ethiopia for the tragic air accident that happened recently
resulting in the loss of many lives.
Our sympathies also go to the Government and people of Haiti for the
loss of many lives and property due to the earthquakes that devastated
that country two weeks ago.
I express my deep gratitude for the confidence and trust you have
placed in me and my country to chair our continental organization, the
African Union, for this year 2010.
I also thank my colleagues the Heads of State and Government of the
Southern African Development Community (SADC), for unanimously
endorsing my candidature and for supporting me all the way.
I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of
responsibility, and I promise to discharge the functions of the office with
diligence and dedication.
With your support, I will strive to strengthen the foundations for socioeconomic
growth for all our countries to become competitive in the
global industrial development, trade and economic development of our
continent.
I will count on the valuable support of all member states of the African
Union in our collective effort to attain our continental aspirations.
I warmly welcome His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the
United Nations, who is an ardent supporter of the African Union. The
African Union will seek new and innovative ways to increase
collaboration with the United Nations and its specialized agencies.
I extend my appreciation to the outgoing Chairperson of the Assembly,
His Excellency Colonel Muammar EI Ghaddafi, the Government and the
people of the Great Socialist Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, for chairing the
African Union during the last year.
I have no doubt that he will continue to offer his support and experience
to the AU in the coming years.
I also sincerely thank His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, our
host, the Government and the people of Ethiopia, for the traditional
warm Ethiopian hospitality that we all have grown accustomed to. We do
not take this hospitality for granted.
Finally, I commend the Chairperson of the Commission, Mr. Jean Ping,
and his Commission for the commendable work they continue to do, to
enable that Africa realize its aspirations.
I look forward to a good working relationship with the Commission over
the next twelve months.
I am pleased that the theme of this Summit, "Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) in Africa: Challenges and Prospects
for Development" gives us the opportunity to agree on what we can do to
position our continent competitively on the world stage.
This also offers new opportunities for sharing information and technoloqy
developed in Africa by Africans, to attain the objectives of the UN
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD).
Excellencies, As we all know, Africa is facing enormous challenges;
including endemic poverty, food shortages and famine, wars and
conflicts, disease, climate change, gender imbalance and capacity
constraints.
These challenges slow down our efforts to improve the quality of life of
our people through rapid transformation of our economies. They also
impede our efforts to attain greater participation of Africa in global affairs.
But Africa cannot and must not live in the past. Africa must look to the
future. The way forward is for the AU Assembly to recognize that: "Africa
is not a poor continent; but the people of Africa are poor". This is a very
important paradigm in determining the future of Africa.
Let us remind ourselves that Africa has huge mineral and natural
resources, fisheries and forest that are now exploited by the North.
However, in Africa we have many scientists, technocrats, doctors,
engineers, artists and sports champions are now in Europe and other G8
countries and are contributing to the success and prosperity of those
nations.
Let us reflect that Europe and much of the western world developed
using minerals, timber, wood, meat and fish from Africa.
But Europe and the Western world did not develop through resolutions
and declarations; they took action, concrete action.
I will, therefore, appeal to you all for action, action and more action.
Althoug h Africa faces enormous challenges, I believe that if we tackle
them collectively, rather than individually, we can overcome them.
We need to go beyond decisions, resolutions and declarations. We must
begin to act and implement our decisions.
I believe time has come for Africans to develop Africa. I believe 2010 is
the year for Africa. I believe there is no other time in Africa's history
when there was better recognition that Africa should be the growth point
for global development.
Let us seize this moment to rise and take our rightful place. Let us act
now.
Excellencies, One challenge we all face is poverty, hunger and
malnutrition of large populations. Therefore achieving food security at
the African level should be able to address these problems.
I would therefore request the AU Assembly to share the dream that five
years from now no child in Africa should die of hunger and malnutrition.
No child should go to bed hungry.
I realize that this is an ambitious dream but one that can be realized.
We all know that Africa is endowed with vast fertile soils, favourable
climates, vast water basins and perennial rivers that could be utilized for
irrigation farming and lead to the Green Revolution, and mitigate the
adverse effects of climate change.
We can therefore grow enough food to feed everyone in Africa.
I am, therefore, proposing that our agenda for Africa should focus on
Agriculture and food security. I propose that our slogan should be
"FEEDING AFRICA THROUGH NEW TECHNOLOGIES: LET US ACT
NOW".
Excellencies, If we share this dream then I propose for your
consideration that we embark on extensive regional food security
programmes.
This should include extensive irrigation that would ensure that each of
our eight regional economic communities produce enough food for all at
affordable prices especially for the rural poor.
It would be useful if our agriculture and food production could be
transformed by injecting adequate amounts of financial resources in
science and technology, human capacity and on essential inputs such
as fertilizers, improved seeds, herbicides and pesticides. We have done
it in Malawi.
However, we have a situation where we produce and export food to the
rest of the world while Africa is starving.
We need to encourage Africans to invest in food production in other
African countries as a way of ensuring food security at the regional and
continental levels. Africa must feed Africa.
Excellencies, I firmly believe that if we could agree that food security at
the Africa level is a priority, then other priorities such as climate change,
ICT, transport and infrastructure development would also become a
necessity to enhance flow of information, movement of people, goods
and services including the production and supply of agricultural inputs
within and among nations, regions and the continent at large.
I therefore propose that we consider investing in the construction of
infrastructure to support food security.
We need to build food storage facilities, new roads, railways, airlines,
shipping industries as well as develop inter-state networks to ensure that
we can move food surplus to deficit areas more efficiently and more
cheaply.
Excellencies, I believe we could create a comprehensive data base on
what the major staple foods of the African people are such as teff,
maize, rice, millet, wheat, cassava and yams; and which countries grow
such food crops.
We could encourage countries that do not eat these staple food crops to
export to those countries that consume them. This information will
enable us to move food to deficit areas from surplus areas.
I am convinced that information and communication technology can play
a major role in the development of agriculture and food security on our
continent.
This would enable our farmers to access important information on
agricultural products, advanced technologies, research findings, as well
as markets.
Excellencies, Turning to the situation of peace and security on the
continent, I am saddened that armed conflicts remain one of the biggest
obstacles towards achieving economic prosperity and development.
Further, the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of Governments in
some countries is a serious concern.
I pledge to continue to encourage the African Union to remain committed
to the promotion of peace and security, democracy and good
governance.
The African Union will redouble efforts to eliminate the current conflicts,
prevent the occurrence of new ones; and continue to condemn, frustrate
and isolate those who seek to rise to power through unconstitutional
means.
I am mindful of the important role that women play in the socio-economic
development of our continent. To that end, I will encourage member
states to ratify the AU Protocol on Rights of Women and to ensure its
implementation.
I will, during my tenure of office, also continue to fight against the
marginalization of Africa by, among other things, ensuring that our
collective voice is respected during the Doha Round of Talks, the
Economic Partnership Agreements negotiations, climate change
commitments, and debt relief initiatives.
I shall ensure that Africa maintains a collective position and speaks with
one voice at international level, including the G8 and G20.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to conclude my
acceptance statement by expressing, once again, my profound gratitude
to Your Excellencies for the trust and confidence you have placed in me.
I know I can count on Your Excellencies' support so that we can
collectively claim ownership of our development agenda and forge
ahead in shaping the future of our continent.
God Bless the African Union
God Bless Mother Africa.
I thank you.
