G-8 Summit's commitment to Africa could mark turning point for continent, Annan says
The Group of Eight (G-8) Summit, which included the participation of several leaders from Africa, could mark a pivotal juncture for the continent, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today in Kananaskis, Canada, where he is attending the high-level gathering.
"If Africans really stick to the commitments they have made in NEPAD [the New Partnership for Africa's Development] to themselves, and to each other, and if the G-8 really carry out the action plan they are announcing today, this Summit might come to be seen as a turning point in the history of Africa, and indeed of the world," Mr. Annan told reporters at a press conference following the meeting between the Group and the African leaders. "That is a challenge for all of us to live up to."
Mr. Annan described NEPAD as “a compact between African leaders and their peoples” which was underpinned by a code of good governance. As such, he said it constituted a platform for an African compact with the international community.
"NEPAD provides a framework for ending conflicts, for stemming the flow of refugees and internally displaced persons, and for improving the investment climate, a prerequisite for sustainable development on the continent," said the Secretary-General, who has long emphasized the importance of addressing these key concerns.
The Secretary-General said the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which will open in the South African city of Johannesburg in August, would serve as an indicator of global commitment to change. With Africa currently afflicted by a "terrible" drought, which posed a serious threat of famine in several countries, Mr. Annan said that this scenario "gives us an ugly picture of the fate that lies in store for us, and for our children, if we do not find models of development that are genuinely sustainable - economically, and socially as well as ecologically."
Those issues, he pointed out, "are of extreme importance, not only to Africa but to the whole world." Stressing that the world must be quick to act, he voiced hope that "all the leaders who are here today, and those of many other countries, will come together again in two months' time to take concrete decisions about the future of our planet and its people."
Mr. Annan arrived in Calgary, Canada, on Wednesday, where he told reporters he was extremely happy that African leaders had been invited to discuss with the G-8 leaders how they might work together to improve the economic situation on the continent. "Once you create that enabling environment for investment to come in and open up trade, these governments will be able to trade and work themselves out of poverty rather than live on handouts," he said. "And that's what they would want."
to Annan's remarks 