Despite the difficulties ahead for peace and development in the African continent, African countries will uphold peace and development as firm goals, read the powerful message from the 11th African Union Summit held recently in Egypt.
The Summit's theme is "Achieving Millennium Development Goals in Africa." According to the United Nations Water and Sanitation Millennium Development Goals, by 2015, the population of Africans with no access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is to reduce by half. In effect, water and sanitation is an important long-term issue for African countries. In recent years, in order to achieve their Millennium Development Goals, African countries have been increasing investment into and strengthened the development and rational utilization of water resources. In April 2007, the United Nations issued a report showing that a number of countries in sub-Saharan African use 5% of their GDP every year to improve the water and sanitation system.
Their efforts have paid off. From 1990 to 2006, the number of people with access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation has increased significantly. However, rapid annual population growth greatly exceeds the number of people with access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Therefore, the Summit discussed methods to achieve Millennium Development Goals as well as problems that lie ahead, which undoubtedly accelerates achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The issue of food security triggered by the global food prices hike was also an important topic during the Summit. For a long time, the grain issue has been plaguing many African countries. Among the 37 countries most seriously affected by the global grain prices hike, 21 are in Africa. In many African countries, agricultural growth has failed to keep up with the growth in population each year; and prompted large quantities of food imports. The recent soar in international grain prices has intensified the food crisis in these African countries. Facing a serious food security situation, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi called on African countries to accelerate the implementation of the "Comprehensive plan for agricultural development in Africa" on June 29. He called on the cooperative partners of African countries not only to provide emergency food aid to African countries; but also to cope with the food crisis through sustainable economic development. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak onthe same day said that African countries are expected to enhance food production by expanding the acreage of farmland and adopting advanced irrigation technology. The African Development Bank is planning to invest $4.8 billion to support African agriculture between 2008 and 2010, striving to change to the status quo in some African countries which are heavily dependent on food imports; and eventually to help the region become self-sufficient in agriculture. At this summit, leaders from African countries also proposed specific initiatives to solve the food crisis.
Peace and security is also an important topic. In recent months, Zimbabwe's presidential election triggered internal conflict. The AU summit gave much attention to the situation in Zimbabwe. To the AU, any damage to peace and security is likely to negatively impact the overall development of the African continent. AU Commission President Jean Ping declared at the opening ceremony that African countries must assume their responsibilities and help the different political parties in Zimbabwe cooperate, so as to resolve the current conflict. It can be said that maintaining peace and stability in Zimbabwe has become the consensus of the Summit.
Water, sanitation and food supply are issues related to development. Issues in Zimbabwe are related to peace and security. Therefore, the Summit's theme suits Africa's current international environment and has been adapted to the needs of Africa's future development. This also indicates that African leaders are well aware that only through peaceful means peace can the African continent achieve development; and only development can ensure peace.
By People's Daily Online and the author is director of the Center for African Studies at Shanghai Normal University
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article