• Says Continent Needs Inspiring Leadership
The Director, Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division, United Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Sweta Saxena, has said that African Continent has all the ingredients required to be successful.
Speaking at the Third Conference on Dialogue Between Chinese and African Civilisations holding in Beijing, Saxena added that all the continent required to be great were inspiring leadership, inclusive institutions and economic and social policies that ensure upward social mobility for current and future generations.
In her keynote address entitled, ‘Navigating the Path to Prosperity: Addressing the Challenges of Poverty Reduction in Africa’, she identified poverty as one of the biggest hurdles in attaining sustainable development, stressing that poverty was deep in the continent.
“With 65 per cent of the world’s arable land, 40 per cent of world’s solar irradiation potential, 30 per cent of world’s mineral reserves, 71 per cent of global cobalt production and 77 per cent of global platinum residing in Africa, it has all the ingredients for success.
“A continent so rich cannot afford anyone to be poor. What it needs is inspiring leadership, inclusive institutions and economic and social policies that ensure upward social mobility for current and future generations”, she stated.
To achieve inclusive growth and eliminate poverty, Saxena urged African leaders to uphold their values, stating that the power of cultures and civilisations should not be underestimated.
“China tailored Western policies to its own culture and values, calling it socialism with Chinese character. I see India doing the same – after 60 years of following colonized policies, she has started to invoke her own civilisational and cultural values and looked inwards to home-grown solutions. In the same vein, Africa needs to decolonize its mindset and revive its own civilisational and cultural values and chart its own path to prosperity.”
“Second, know your leaders. The importance of good institutions for development has been overemphasised in the literature. But often, we ignore the importance of visionary leadership. That is the missing link. Good institutions with good leadership can do wonders.
“Last but not the least, know your worth. Economists always talk of comparative advantage. Yes, we need to know what we are good at. China advanced with its abundant labour and produced everything that was “Made in China”. As it rose up the value chain, it is now competing with the first world in domains such as technology. India has also discovered its own strengths and is progressing on the “Make in India” vision producing everything from a pin to fighter planes while landing on the dark side of the moon.
“Africa needs to realise its own potential now with 1.3 billion people, especially the global youth, abundant green minerals and natural resources to solve the global climate problem, and with a seat at the G20, it needs to raise its collective voice in important global discussions on geopolitics, financial architecture, climate change, peace, and security, and tell the world how Africa can solve global problems, even those that were not created by Africans.”
The theme of this year’s forum was “Inheritance, Sharing, Development: Towards a High-level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.” It also coincided with the fifth anniversary of the establishment of China-Africa Institute, which participants admitted has made significant contributions to promoting cooperation between Africa and China.
Also speaking, the Permanent Representative of the African Union to China, Rahamtalla M. Osman, said that the theme not only reflected the common aspirations of China and Africa but also set the direction for their future cooperation, adding that dialogue among different civilizations remained crucial in effective understanding, mutual respect and cooperation among different cultures and societies.
In the relationship between Africa and China, the speaker emphasized the need to focus on “sharing”, noting that based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit, both Africa and China must work together to share the opportunities and achievements of development. “The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative have provided us with effective platforms for cooperation”, she said.
“Furthermore, we need to pay attention to the well-being of the people, ensuring that the results of cooperation between Africa and China benefit the vast population and achieve common development and prosperity.
“Finally, let us turn our attention to the key issue of development. Development as a common goal and pursuit for both parties has always been central to our cooperation. We should stick to a people-centered, innovation-driven approach to development, aiming to take African-Chinese collaboration to greater heights.
