Excellencies,
⦁ It is a great honour for me to be here with you.
⦁ As former Federal German Minister in the Government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, cooperation with Africa was my main priority.
⦁ Of 54 African countries, I visited 45 of them in my eight years to get to know them there, on the ground.
⦁ I will continue this commitment as the new Director General of UNIDO.
⦁ Please let me take this opportunity to express my thanks for your great support for my election.
⦁ To me, this means a commitment for and to the future.
⦁ Understanding Africa means understanding its diversity, its differences and its sheer size.
⦁ The continent is 100 times bigger than my home country of Germany.
⦁ Africa is the growth continent of the 21st century.
⦁ You have a young population, which will double by 2050
⦁ This offers many opportunities.
⦁ However, currently the many dramatic crises are hitting Africa particularly hard:
⦁ The COVID pandemic, with the ongoing severe economic consequences.
⦁ Exploding costs for energy and grain especially because of the war in Ukraine.
⦁ And climate change with drought, floods and related disasters in many countries.
⦁ Africa is not responsible for any of these crises.
⦁ The rich industrialized countries must take on responsibility, for the economic and financial impacts.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
⦁ You do not need others telling you what to do.
⦁ What is needed is simple: justice, fair markets, fair trade, and access to finance on fair conditions.
⦁ To put it concretely, this is what is necessary:
⦁ First, debt relief for the LDC countries. Industrialized countries – the USA, European and others support their economies not with billions but with trillions.
⦁ Second, African countries and LDCs in the world need effective support from the IMF and the World Bank.
⦁ Third, climate protection: I just came back from COP27. Compensation for the extensive losses and damages in Africa and worldwide is necessary. By those historically more accountable. The current agreement is not sufficient.
⦁ The G20 countries are responsible for 80% of emissions. Africa for 3%.
⦁ It is time that African States, via the African UNION, become a member of the G20 group of states and sit at the decision-maker’s table!
⦁ I once again call for a Marshall Plan with Africa.
⦁ Africa needs investments in energy, infrastructure, digitalization – in sustainable industrialization.
⦁ With the Agenda 2063, the AU has defined its own path.
⦁ With the African Continental Free Trade Area, you have undertaken a huge and promising project.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
⦁ UNIDO is a proud partner for you.
⦁ 53 African countries are our members.
⦁ More than 50% of our projects are in Africa.
⦁ I will make sure this cooperation grows even stronger.
⦁ We have many milestone initiatives in Africa.
⦁ 9 of our 12 ‘Programmes for Country Partnership’ – PCPs – are with African states.
⦁ We invest in agro- and industrial parks, in renewable energy projects, in the development of green hydrogen projects.
⦁ UNIDO is your partner for sustainable industrialization. Our common goals are:
⦁ to grow domestic value creation in commodities like coffee, cocoa, cotton and by building up the agro-processing and food industry.
⦁ the processing of raw materials into high-value products, for example copper, bauxite, cobalt.
⦁ Rwanda and Ghana are already successful in setting up their own car production.
⦁ By 2050, Africa will need 500 million automobiles. The goal is your own auto production industry: cars ‘Made in Africa’.
⦁ Senegal, Ghana, South Africa and others are successfully building up a pharmaceutical industry and medicine production.
⦁ Africa needs its own vaccine production capacity.
Excellencies,
⦁ In conclusion: Sustainable industrialization needs sustainable energy supplies, and the huge investments required for this.
⦁ Africa has the potential to become the green continent of renewable energies and green hydrogen.
⦁ With investments in agriculture, it is possible to become self-sufficient – to end hunger!
⦁ The manufacturing sector can and must double.
⦁ The goal is to process raw materials, to add value locally and to achieve a fair price through value chains.
⦁ And to create decent jobs through industrialization.
⦁ Again, UNIDO is your partner. I believe in the future of Africa.
Thank you so much.
