African countries are commemorating African Industrialization Week (AIW) since 16 to 20 November under the theme: “Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation in THE AFCFTA era”, and in this framework, Hon. Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry in African Union delivered a message. Read his Statement below:
I welcome each and every one of you to the 2020 edition of Africa Industrialization Week.
The start of Africa Industrialization today will lead us to the commemoration of Africa Industrialization Day on 20th November, 2020 when we shall have a High Level Session and our Guest of Honour will be His Excellency Mr. Mahamadou Issoufou, President of the Republic of Niger and Leader and Champion of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Africa Industrialization Day was chosen our leaders and the United Nations in 1989 in recognition of the need for the continent to undertake annual stock-taking of where we are on the journey of industrialization.
It was also proclaimed to enhance public awareness of the importance of industrialization in the structural transformation of the African economies.
Since 2018, we have been having week long activities of dialogue, networking and exhibitions.
The 2019 edition included the Africa-Korea Business Forum and Exhibition as well as a high level session, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre which focused on the mainstreaming of women in the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The 2020 edition was planned to lead to the African Union Summit on Industrialization and Economic Diversification with physical participation by delegates in Niamey, Niger.
Following advice from the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention that we should not proceed with in-person interactions in order to avoid community spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Summit has been postponed to 2021.
It is for the same reason that the 13th and 14th Extraordinary Sessions of the Assembly of African Union Heads of State on the African Continental Free Trade Area and Silencing the Guns respectively scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa have also been transformed into virtual Summits.
It is also for the same reason that this year’s commemoration of Africa Industrialization Week are virtual meetings. In future, we shall also have virtual exhibitions.
With emerging developments on vaccines for fighting the COVID-19 infections as well as development of apps for safe travel, I am confident that we shall be able to have physical meetings during the 2021 edition of Africa Industrialization Week.
As we commemorate Africa Industrialization Week, we should also remember that at the level of the United Nations, we have since, 2016 embarked on implementation of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa which will run from that year up to 2025 to complement the implementation of the Action Plan on Accelerated Industrial Development in Africa. In addition, the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are aligned by a common reporting template.
Partnerships are key to leveraging synergies. In this year’s edition of Africa Industrialization Week, there will be participants drawn from: the United Nations headquarters to be represented by the Deputy Secretary General in the High Level Session; the European Commission; the International Trade Centre; Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area; United Nations Industrial Development Organization; United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, AUDA-NEPAD; Afro-Champions Initiative; Coalition for Dialogue on Africa; bilateral partners like the Republic of Korea with whom we held the Africa-Korea Business Forum yesterday as part of the commemoration of the Africa Industrialization Week.
We also have the Regional Economic Communities, industry players from both within and outside Africa, academics, civil society representatives, women and the youth.
I would also like to emphasize the importance of involving Member States in the commemoration of Africa Industrialization Week. If technological capabilities for industrialization in Africa have to take root, we have to fully involve. It is Member States who will domesticate the action plan on Accelerated Development in Africa as well as the Third United Nations Industrial Development Decade for Africa. In this respect, we will fully mobilize Member States to fully take part in future editions of Africa Industrialization Week.
I would like to conclude by stating we recognize the importance of trade liberalization and economic integration in facilitating industrialization by capturing it in this year’s theme of Africa Industrialization Week. We are not the only ones. Yesterday, the ASEAN Member States, together with Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea signed the agreement establishing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The membership accounts for a third of the global population and gross domestic product, making it the world’s biggest trading bloc since the establishment of the World Trade Organization.
The task for us then is to make the African Continental Free Trade Area work. The starting point is for all 55 African Union Member States to sign and ratify the AfCFTA Agreement by 5th December, 2020. This should be followed by completion of all outstanding work for the start of trading under the AfCFTA on 1st January, 2021.
I end here and thank you for your kind attention. (End)