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AU
business summit:
Statement
by Mr Amara Essy, Secretary-General of the OAU,
Durban, 3 July 2002
Ladies and Gentlemen,
May I first express my immense satisfaction at
being in your midst this day. As Entrepreneurs and
businessmen and women, you are one of the key players
of the African Union whose foundation stone will be
laid here in Durban, on 9 July by the Heads of State
and Government of 53 African States.
The priority objective of our future "common
edifice" must be to fulfill the profound
aspirations of the entire peoples of this Continent.
These aspirations have been manifested in various ways
- politically, culturally, socially and economically.
In a nutshell, the economic sector of which you are
the lead stakeholders will constitute a vital
springboard for implementing the overall project of
the African Union.
You may recall that one of the crucial resolutions
adopted by the Heads of State at their 37th Summit
in Lusaka, Zambia, in 2001, was in connection with the
New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
The launch of this Programme which will place
Africa in fine with the new exigencies of the global
economy, is proof that our leaders recognize the
catalytic role of this Programme in, addressing
economic stakes and challenges.
The Group of Heads of State who designed the NEPAD
initiative have, in drawing up their plan, been
undoubtedly inspired mostly by the present day
business culture.
As a matter of fact, NEPAD embodies the concepts of
investment, human resources, competitivity, market
conquest, growth, profit and, above all, the concept
of access to the new technological tools for exchanges
and production. Taking this factor on board will be a
sine-qua-non if Africa is to be in step with the
progress of the entire world.
Nature has endowed Africa with rich potentials
which we must harness, transform and perpetuate. And
yet, to cite but one example, Africa's share of
manufactured goods export to the global market is
below 20%. This situation has nothing to do with our
destiny.
We have to rally around to reverse the trend. We
should similarly reject the idea according to which
our Continent has been condemned to eternal dependence
on the rest of the world. We must, at all costs,
demonstrate that prosperity is not an impossible goal
for Africa.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you.
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