Guest Remarks by His Excellency Moses Vilakati,

Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment

JICA TICAD 9 Thematic Event

“Cooperation with Africa from Different Continents”

at 9am on Friday, August 22

Venue: InterContinental Hotel

Ms. Miyazaki, JICA Executive Senior Vice President of JICA

Her Excellency, Madam Bekele Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD,

Honorable Ministers and Heads of Delegations

Delegates

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great honor to be invited to deliver remarks at such an important event.

The African economy continues to grow, and we expect this growth to continue, driven especially by our young, talented population and abundant natural resources. However, there is a reality that we still face many challenges, such as poverty and conflict. Our infrastructure is also insufficient. Therefore, finance and technology from outside of Africa are essential, and this event is truly significant in that regard.

This event also holds another important meaning. At the opening ceremony of TICAD9, the day before yesterday, the Chairperson of the African Union mentioned that there is no alternative to multilateralism for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063. In a world where protectionism and strategic tensions are on the rise, an event like this, where representatives from so many countries gather to discuss African development and international cooperation, is a symbol of multilateralism and is crucial for achieving the SDGs and Agenda 2063.

I understand that today's panelists will share how their own countries' experiences as developing nations have informed their cooperation with Africa. On behalf of African countries, I can say that we are eager to learn from these experiences: from how you leveraged the support of other countries to achieve growth and overcome challenges. While Africa certainly has its own lessons to share, we also have much to learn. This kind of mutual learning is incredibly valuable.

As an African Union Commissioner, I would like to offer one piece of advice: Please utilize Agenda 2063. I believe that if many countries cooperate with Africa in a disorganized or fragmented way, their efforts will be less effective. While each African country has its own development documents, Africa as a continent has Agenda 2063, and I urge you to use it as a common reference point.

Finally, it is a great pleasure to meet so many countries and organizations at this TICAD held in Japan. As a co-organizer of TICAD, I hope that not only Japan and Africa but also many other countries participate and contribute to the discussions. I sincerely hope that this discussion will continue in the future.

Thank you.