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Date: 31/01/2010
Source: The African Union
Title: MW: Wa Mutharika: Acceptance speech by the President of Malawi, on his election as the chairperson of the Assembly of the African Union, Addis Ababa

FEEDING AFRICA THROUGH NEW TECHNOLOGIES: LET US ACT NOW.

• 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 socio-economic 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 El 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 technology 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. Although 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.

 

 

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