ADF’s host government urges a new development approach for a new, emerging Africa
Marrakesh, 13 October 2014 (ECA) - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s ninth Africa Development Forum was opened yesterday with a call for solidarity and self-determination from the host country, Morocco.
King Mohamed VI of Morocco’s welcome message, delivered by the prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane, said that greater cooperation between African nations has laid the groundwork for the continent to determine its own development models and priorities.
“Our continent is determined to adopt a proactive approach and set in motion a dynamic process for the emergence of a new Africa—an Africa which is proud of its identity; a modern Africa which has washed its hands of ideologies and archaic notions; a hold, enterprising Africa,” Benkirane told the conference. This ‘new Africa’ should demand a new approach from the international community, he said.
“The issue of development in Africa is not related to the nature of the soil or of the climate, but rather to deep-rooted economic dependence, weak support, inadequate sources of financing and the lack of a sustainable development model.”
Africa’s status as an emerging pole of global growth offers huge opportunities for development, Benkirane said, but the continent’s regional groups need to become more coherent and present themselves as unified, viable and competitive entities.
International financial institutions should acknowledge the continent’s changing role in the world economy and evolve the instruments that they deploy to promote development, he added.
“Given this great potential and all these assets, it is more relevant than ever to recognise that today Africa needs win-win partnerships rather than conditional support— partnerships that act as a catalyst for mobilising financial resources, foster regional economic integration and improve Africa’s position in the international value creation chain,” Benkirane said.
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