YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESSES,
CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION - NKOSAZANA DLAMINI ZUMA,
COUNCILLORS,
CHIEFS,
CHIEF JUSTICE,
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,
CABINET MINISTERS,
EXCELLENCIES, MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS,
COMMISSIONERS OF BOTH AU AND ECA PRESENT,
HEADS OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES,
EXCELLENCIES MEMBERS OF THE PRC,
PRESIDING OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT,
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE HHOHHO REGION,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
SIYANIVUSELA NONKHE BEKUNENE LAPHA E-ZULWINI – E-CONVENTION CENTRE.
INTRODUCTION
THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI IS PLEASED TO HOST THE SEVENTH CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF INTEGRATION. A WARM WELCOME GOES TO ALL OUR VISITORS TO THE KINGDOM, PARTICULARLY TO THIS PLACE CALLED EZULWINI VALLEY.
EZULWINI MEANS HEAVEN AND THIS IS THE SAME AREA WHERE AFRICAN MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MET TO DISCUSS THE MODALITIES OF THE REFORM OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL.
THIS WAS TO ENSURE FULL REPRESENTATION OF AFRICA IN THE FRAMEWORK ON AN ENLARGED COUNCIL, HENCE THE EZULWINI CONSENSUS WHICH WAS CONSOLIDATED AT ROYAL VILLAS NOT FAR FROM THIS HOTEL.
WE WISH TO THANK THE AFRICAN UNION FOR HAVING TRUST IN THE KINGDOM OF E-SWATINI TO HOST A MEETING OF SUCH MAGNITUDE. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING BECAUSE ITS OUTCOME SHOULD FORM THE BASIS FOR OUR INTEGRATION. AFRICAN ECONOMIES NEED TO BE INTEGRATED IN ORDER TO REALIZE MEANINGFUL DEVELOPMENT.
SIGNIFICANCE OF INTEGRATION
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE KINGDOM OF E-SWATINI IS COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT AFRICA IS PUTTING UP STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA A LIVING STANDARD BEFITTING THAT OF 1ST WORLD STATUS.
LOOKING BACK ON SOME TANGIBLE PROGRESS MADE BY AFRICAN COUNTRIES TOWARDS INTEGRATION, WE NOTE WITH APPRECIATION THE PROMOTION OF TRADE RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS INCLUDES CUSTOMS SINGLE WINDOWS AND THE UTILIZATION OF COMPUTERIZED CUSTOMS NETWORKS ACROSS MEMBER STATES, AS MEANS OF INTEGRATING, DIGITIZING AND ACCELERATING CUSTOMS CLEARANCE PROCEDURES.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE GIANT STEPS AFRICA IS TAKING, ALL AIMED AT BROAD BASED DEVELOPMENT, SHARING OF OPPORTUNITIES, MANAGING RISK, REDUCING POVERTY, AS WELL AS PRODUCTION AND WEALTH CREATION. THIS REQUIRES YOUR MORE DECISIVE ACTION TO ENSURE THAT AFRICAN CITIZENS GAIN FROM THESE PROGRAMMES.
THEME OF THE MEETING
THE THEME IDENTIFIED AS “INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INTEGRATION OF AFRICA” IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE TO EFFECTIVELY ACCELERATE AND REALIZE AFRICA’S ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AGENDA THROUGH THIS VERY SAME FORUM.
THE ADOPTION OF THE PROGRAMME FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA WILL ACCELERATE GROWTH AND INCREASE EFFICIENCY, FACILITATE INTEGRATION IN THE WORLD ECONOMY AND IMPROVE THE CONTINENT’S LIVING STANDARDS.
ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE MEETING
WE WISH TO ENCOURAGE ALL DELEGATES TO ENGAGE THEMSELVES WITH ALL THE ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED DURING THE TWO DAY MEETING BECAUSE WE ARE CRAFTING THE FUTURE OF OUR CONTINENT AS A COLLECTIVE.
THE ISSUE OF THE COMMON AFRICAN POSITION AND THE AFRICA AGENDA 2063 ARE CRITICAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CONTINENT. THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGS) HAVE BEEN PRAISED FOR THEIR ABILITY TO FOCUS EFFORT AND ATTENTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON KEY ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD POPULATION.
THEIR SUCCESS HAS BEEN PERCEIVED TO BE DONOR ORIENTED AND THE LACK OF VOICE AND OWNERSHIP OF BENEFICIARIES HAS BEEN CITED AS THEIR WEAKNESS.
ON THE OTHER HAND THE COMMON AFRICAN POSITION ON THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA WILL GIVE AFRICA AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE, THUS STRENGTHENING AFRICA’S BARGAINING POWER AND INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A FULL INTEGRATION OF THE AFRICAN POSITION ON THE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA.
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE KINGDOM OF E-SWATINI SUPPORTS AGENDA 2063 BECAUSE IT CALLS FOR ACTION AND A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND ROADMAP TO ACHIEVE CONTINENTAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS. IT REPRESENTS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AFRICA TO REGAIN ITS POWER TO DETERMINE ITS OWN DESTINY.
THE VOICE OF AFRICANS AND OWNERSHIP IS THEREFORE CERTAIN, AS WE DRIVE TO THE “AFRICA WE WANT”.
BOOSTING INTRA-AFRICAN TRADE AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA
AFRICAN ECONOMIES HAVE REALIZED POSITIVE GROWTH OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. IN ORDER FOR OUR CONTINENT TO ATTAIN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, INTRA-AFRICAN TRADE NEEDS TO BE ENHANCED SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE POSITIVE SPIN-OFFS OF OUR COMMON MARKETS AND ALSO REMOVE ALL THE IMPEDIMENTS THAT DISCOURAGE AFRICA TO TRADE AMONG HERSELF.
SINCE INFRASTRUCTURE REMAINS A KEY COMPONENT FOR IMPROVING TRADE IN AFRICA, WE NEED TO INVEST IN TRADE-RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT SUCH AS IN; TRANSPORT, COMMUNICATION AND ENERGY SECTORS AT COUNTRY, REGIONAL AND CONTINENTAL LEVELS, TO MENTION BUT A FEW.
THERE IS A GREAT NEED TO ENSURE THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR AT ALL LEVELS IN THE DECISION-MAKING ON POLICY MATTERS RELATING TO TRADE, AS THIS WILL HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT ON BOOSTING INTRA-AFRICAN TRADE.
THE LIBERALIZATION OF TRAVEL AND VISA REQUIREMENTS, PARTICULARLY TO ENHANCE THE MOVEMENT OF BUSINESS PERSONS IN OUR CONTINENT, SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED TO ENCOURAGE CONTACT AND TRADE AMONG OUR BUSINESS PERSONS.
CONCLUSION
AS I CONCLUDE, I WISH TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF INTRODUCING ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOLS, AS THIS WILL INCULCATE A CULTURE IN OUR YOUTH ON THE CONTINENT TO VENTURE INTO BUSINESS AND THEREBY SEE A POTENTIAL IN THEMSELVES TO BE EMPLOYERS AS OPPOSED TO BEING EMPLOYEES.
SUPPORTING OUR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES, WHICH ARE A BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMIES IN TERMS OF ENHANCING DOMESTIC INVESTMENT AND EMPLOYMENT CREATION, SHOULD ALSO BE PRIORITIZED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA.
AND FOR AFRICA TO REALIZE HER FULL POTENTIAL IN TRADE, THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR PEACE AND STABILITY TO PREVAIL ON OUR CONTINENT, OTHERWISE OUR WISH FOR INTEGRATION WILL REMAIN ELUSIVE.
DECLARATION
IT IS NOW MY HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO DECLARE THE SEVENTH CONFERENCE OF AFRICAN MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF INTEGRATION, OFFICIALLY OPENED. I WISH YOU SUCCESSFUL DELIBERATIONS.
I THANK YOU, MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS US ALL.