Burdened by Food Insecurity, Poverty, Violence, Africa Requires Debt Alleviation, Developmental Approach to Conflict Prevention, Speakers Tell General Assembly
Delegates pointed to the link between poverty and conflict and stressed the importance of finding a path to peace through sustainable development at a moment when Africa is plagued by food insecurity and violence, as the General Assembly today debated the causes of conflict on the world’s second-largest continent.
More than a dozen delegates spoke of the importance of helping African countries realize the Sustainable Development Goals while combatting violence and lawlessness, with several speakers expressing a need for reform of the international financial system to alleviate Africa’s crushing debt burden.
Africa holds great promise for peace and prosperity, said General Assembly President Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago), as he opened the meeting. “If given the opportunity and with support from the international community, the continent would be indeed unstoppable.” However, holding it back are cascading and overlapping challenges, he said. The severe debt crisis translates into the loss of $500 to $600 billion annually, more than the gross domestic product (GDP) of 35 African countries combined, he noted.
The representative of Tunisia, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said the prevalence of the informal sector, weak tax administration systems and illicit financial flows cost Africa an estimated $89 billion annually in lost revenue. “It is crucial to tackle the structural and institutional challenges that constrain African countries from maximizing the use of their resources,” he said.
Moreover, the soaring cost of borrowing and debt distress have strained public finance with severe consequences on social spending, he said, adding that the “decent work deficit” in Africa is closely linked to the prevalence of the informal sector, which employs about 84 per cent of workers, rising to 95 per cent in the case of youth employment.
The South African delegate highlighted the need to reverse the scourge of illicit financial flows out of the continent which has robbed Africa’s people of much-needed resources. A lack of decent work opportunities as a driver of conflict is a nexus that has not received enough attention, she said, adding that poverty has fuelled grievances and social tensions with the worst effects being felt by women and the most vulnerable. What is needed is a developmental approach to conflict prevention rather than simply security approaches, she said.
The delegate of Thailand said one important driver of sustainable development and growth is the African Continental Free Trade Area, connecting 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP valued at $3.4 trillion. There needs to be greater allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) for developing countries to help generate a more effective global safety net. For its, part, Thailand has launched development and training scholarship programmes in 33 African countries, encompassing areas such as food security, climate change and energy efficiency.
The delegate of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, said the bloc is Africa’s biggest trade, investment and development partner and supports the continent in its ambitions to become a key global player. “Europe and Africa need each other to build a solid and lasting response to global common challenges, including climate change, energy and food security, peace and security,” she said.
The delegate of Poland pointed out that after a period of relative stability, the 2020s is proving to be a decade of a record-high number of military coups in Africa. He also warned against losing sight of contemporary forms of neo-colonialism. “We can observe manifestations of neo-colonialism in the activities of the Russian Federation,” he said. Additionally, because of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, global food insecurity has worsened, bringing widespread hunger. There can be no sustainable development in Africa without ensuring food security there, he warned.
The representative of the Russian Federation said statements referencing the conflict in Ukraine as a source of global economic instability are “not based on facts”. He noted increasing political dialogue, trade and economic ties, and said that the Russian Federation is also relieving Africa’s debt, writing off and forgiving billions of dollars. The Russian Federation will continue making a “real contribution” to resolving current crises and to preventing the emergence of new conflicts, he said.
Joint Debate: New Partnership for Africa’s Development/Causes of Conflict and Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa
DENNIS FRANCIS (Trinidad and Tobago), President of the General Assembly, opened the meeting by saying that Africa is a continent of great promise for peace, human rights, prosperity and development. “If given the opportunity and with support from the international community, the continent would be indeed unstoppable,” he said. He said the continent is facing cascading and overlapping challenges, pointing to the emphasis placed on development financing, energy and food security in the Secretary-General’s report “Solving the paradoxes of development in Africa: financing, energy and food systems” (document A/78/309). It is facing a severe debt crisis, losing $500 to $600 billion annually, more than the gross domestic product (GDP) of 35 African countries combined. Debt sustainability and reform of the international financial architecture should be a top priority, he said, adding that half the African population struggles to access energy, particularly electricity. It is important to intensify efforts to ensure affordable, clean and sustainable energy across the continent, he said, adding that almost 58 per cent of its population suffers from moderate or severe food insecurity, almost double the world average, and that to achieve full sustainable development, it is vital to end hunger and achieve food security.
He pointed out that Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, with 60 per cent under the age of 25 and he applauded the African leaders and the African Union for its meaningful investment in youth initiatives. He also stressed the importance of an international financial system that addresses historical injustices and promotes a fair global economy that better represents African voices. Poverty and economic inequalities are a trigger of conflict, he said, and called on Member States to forge strong international partnerships to address common challenges in Africa. He called on development partners, stakeholders and the private sector to scale up sustainable investment in Africa’s development. “We owe it to the continent to continue to ensure that the special needs of Africa and its development remain at the centre of our strategic frameworks throughout the United Nations system organizations,” he said.
HEDDA SAMSON, representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, took note of the Secretary-General’s reports “Promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa” (document A/78/234) and “Solving the paradoxes of development in Africa: financing, energy and food systems” and said the close, solution-oriented and forward-looking partnership between the African Union and the European Union is rooted in dialogue and multilateralism. “Europe and Africa need each other to build a solid and lasting response to global common challenges, including climate change, energy and food security, peace and security,” she said, adding that the European Union and its member States were among the first to express full support for the integration of the African Union within the Group of 20 (G20) and that the European Union supports Africa in its ambitions to become a key global player. The bloc is Africa’s biggest trade, investment and development partner, and peace and security issues remain at the core of the European Union-African Union partnership, including through the “Silencing the Guns” roadmap.
She said that Europe and Africa are at the forefront of the global effort to eliminate poverty and hunger but that food insecurity remains an existential threat. One factor worsening food insecurity in Africa is a heavy reliance on food imports, a situation of vulnerability exacerbated by the disruptions of global supply chains following the Russian aggression against Ukraine. She recognized the European Union’s responsibility in addressing climate change and welcomed the African leadership on this issue. The bloc’s trade with Africa totalled 268 billion euros in 2021 and 90 per cent of African exports to the European Union enter duty-free. It is by investing in socioeconomic development that the main causes of conflicts in Africa is best addressed. She concluded by reiterating that cooperation between Africa and Europe is a relationship based on principles such as national ownership, transparency, inclusiveness and respect for human rights and that in an era characterized by growing divisions, the partnership between the two blocs stands as a strong example of successful multilateral engagement.
TAREK LADEB (Tunisia), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said that the ramifications of the current cascading crises have disrupted energy and food markets, compounded existing challenges and laid bare the vulnerabilities of African economies to external shocks. These shocks, along with the effects of climate change, have collectively narrowed policy and fiscal space, reduced revenue generation capacity, heightened inflationary pressures and exacerbated the debt burden and the SDGs financing gap. “It is crucial to tackle the structural and institutional challenges that constrain African countries from maximizing the use of their resources,” he stressed. The prevalence of the informal sector, weak tax administration systems and illicit financial flows are estimated to cost Africa $89 billion annually in lost revenue. Moreover, the soaring cost of borrowing and debt distress have placed additional pressures on budgets and strained public finance, with severe consequences on social spending.
“Tackling the energy paradox is indispensable for securing affordable and clean energy access for all and for economic diversification and structural transformation,” he went on to say. Prioritizing job creation is key to boosting household income, tackling poverty, reducing inequality, enhancing African societies' resilience and accelerating progress across sustainable development's economic, social and environmental pillars. Promoting economic diversification and reducing the heavy reliance on the commodity sector and extractive industries and investment in human capital development, including health, education, skills development, innovation and entrepreneurship, is crucial for accelerated job creation and tackling the decent work deficit. The “decent work deficit” in Africa is closely linked to the prevalence of the informal sector, which employs about 84 per cent of workers, rising to 95 per cent in the case of youth employment, he added.
FRANCISCO JOSE DA CRUZ (Angola), associating himself with the African Group, said that the changing nature of conflicts and crises calls for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to responding to humanitarian crises, violation of human rights and, therefore, to identifying lasting political solutions. Trust and unity of the peoples of Africa are the way forward to achieve peace and reconciliation. The achievement of peace in Africa is indeed a shared responsibility that requires all African citizens — young and old, men and women — to contribute to the maintenance of social cohesion and unity and to appreciate, value and encourage peace in their individual and collective capacities and environments. For its part, Angola is a “peacemaking, peacebuilding, and peace-loving” country, having the “principles of peaceful settlement of disputes and the promotion of international peace and security at the core of its foreign affairs policy”, he added.
MATHU JOYINI (South Africa) aligned herself with the African Group and thanked the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report. There is a need for an enhanced and coordinated effort to tackle the enormous challenges facing the continent, and the report correctly highlights the need for reform of an unfair international system. She also highlighted the need to reverse the scourge of illicit financial flows out of the continent which has robbed Africa’s people of much-needed resources. A lack of decent work opportunities as a driver of conflict is a nexus that has not received enough attention, she said, adding that poverty has fuelled grievances and social tensions with the worst effects being felt by women and the most vulnerable. What is needed is a developmental approach to conflict prevention rather than simply security approaches, she said and concluded by saying that it is key to massively scale up support for economic transformation of the continent and to urgently reform global institutions to create an enabling international order conducive to development.
SURIYA CHINDAWONGSE (Thailand) said that Africa presents immense opportunities for sustained growth and sustainable development. One important driver of such growth is the African Continental Free Trade Area, connecting 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP valued at 3.4 trillion dollars. Greater reform of the global architecture and system that supports greater sustainable development, trade and connectivity must be pursued, he added. There needs to be greater allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) for developing countries to help generate a more effective global safety net. The multilateral trading system should be geared towards securing more access to global markets for developing countries, and greater facilitation of trade in food and agricultural products to help food insecurity. Through South-South cooperation, Thailand has launched development and training scholarship programmes in 33 African countries, encompassing areas such as food security, climate change and energy efficiency, he noted.
OLEGS ILGIS (Latvia) aligned himself with the European Union and pointed out the offer of technology and support for women’s empowerment-related projects, developed with the view of attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He recognized the importance of capacity-building, including sound public financial management. The path to meeting the SDGs is fraught with challenges and reform of the international financial architecture is needed, he said, adding that global efforts to reduce illicit flows must be strengthened. Promotion of good governance and anti-corruption measures are key in this regard, he added. He recognized the link between peace and development. “Sustainable development is not possible under conditions of conflict and chaos,” he said, and called on further efforts to seek coherence in the peacebuilding among the United Nations and the African Union and other relevant partners, including civil society representatives. He concluded by expressing his support for sustainable funding for the Peacebuilding Fund.
JOAQUÍN ALBERTO PÉREZ AYESTARÁN (Venezuela) said that for centuries Mother Africa has faced many painful challenges, including the pillaging of natural resources by multinational corporations. He underscored the role of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is aligned with Agenda 2063 of the African Union and provides an agreed-upon roadmap for more fair, inclusive and equitable development. He expressed his support for the African Union and efforts that call for African solutions to African problems, guided by solidarity, cooperation, sovereignty and national ownership. He expressed solidarity with those who fight for their right to decide freely and in sovereignty their path to development, free from intervention. He said former colonial powers continue to insist on dominating and influencing the region and called on them to end their supremacist mentality, particularly the sacking of natural resources and the criminal imposition of unilateral coercive measures which cause many of the challenges faced by African nations today.
MATEUSZ SAKOWICZ (Poland), associating himself with the statement delivered by the European Union delegation, said that after a period of relative stability, the 2020s is proving to be a decade of a record-high number of military coups in Africa. “This is a startling reminder that we urgently need a meaningful global debate on ways to strengthen existing partnerships and initiatives as well as forge new ones to achieve the noble goal of bringing various African conflicts to an end,” he added. In recent years, the negative aspects of centuries-long colonialism have become more and more visible for the international society. But many tend to lose sight of contemporary forms of neo-colonialism. “We can observe manifestations of neo-colonialism in the activities of the Russian Federation,” he said. As a result of the Russian Federation’s invasion in Ukraine, global food insecurity has worsened, bringing back the very real threat of widespread hunger. There can be no sustainable development in Africa without ensuring food security there, he warned.
BORIS A. MESCHCHANOV (Russian Federation) said that statements in the Secretary-General’s reports referencing the conflict in Ukraine as a source of global economic instability are “not based on facts”. The Russian Federation has always given priority to cooperation with Africa. “Russian-African ties are on an upswing,” he added, noting various enhancements in political dialogue, inter-parliamentary relations and trade and economic ties. The Russian Federation is also relieving Africa’s debt, writing off and forgiving billions of dollars. The Russian Federation will continue making a “real contribution” to resolving current crises and to preventing the emergence of new hotbeds of tension. The Russian Federation will also stand by Africa in the fight against terrorism and extremism. “We will continue extending assistance to African countries not only with food, but with promoting the development of energy, both hydrocarbon and renewable, and in agriculture, to meet the growing needs of their economies,” he said.
GABRIELA-CORNELIA HOROSANU (Romania), associating herself with the statement delivered by the European Union delegation, said that Romania has “not turned a blind eye to our African friends”. Romania has provided concrete support to African countries by facilitating food supply and encouraging African Governments to boost ownership of agricultural modernization. On countering climate change, Romania stands ready to offer the continent disaster relief support, she said. It is also working with African partners to share good practices and put in place early warning systems. Romania will continue to stand ready and offer its assistance in any way it can, she said. Further, she noted her Government’s work in an array of various projects including combating disinformation and providing technical training for those wishing to gain knowledge on green technologies.
DAI BING (China) said that Africa is becoming an important pillar with global influence but still faces challenges, including violence, energy shortages, poverty, financing gaps and climate change, making the implementation of the 2030 Agenda an uphill battle. He said it was important to support Africa’s efforts to combat violence and terrorism. Peace and stability in Africa should be front and centre for development efforts, he said, adding that political solutions, especially African solutions, are key. Development financing is important and is key to speeding up reforms of the international financial system, given current exorbitant borrowing costs and negative spillover effects. Developed countries should also honour their official development assistance (ODA) commitments and make up for their historic debt, he said, adding that fostering a just and reasonable international order is vital to address and oppose the legacy of colonialism and the illegal imposition of unilateral sanctions.
Mr. SUWEED (Libya) aligned himself with the African Group and said that despite all the efforts on the continent, and some progress, Africa continues to confront many challenges to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including poverty, violence, climate change, immigration and the consequences of the COVID‑19 pandemic. To confront such challenges, he said, the developed countries must come through on their commitments to Africa and help with capacity-building investment rather than bleed the continent of natural resources. Technology must be transferred, he said, especially in food security. As for peace and security, many African States have suffered a deterioration of their security with negative consequences for development, he said, stressing the importance of leaving conflict behind. There will be no development without security and no security without development, he said, adding that respect of the rule of law is key.
RAJESH PARIHAR (India) said that the calls for Africa’s domestic resource mobilization appear to be “too simplistic” to address the continent’s complex financing, energy and food systems paradoxes. Africa’s growth can be facilitated by partnerships that genuinely address its economic sustainability, without conditionalities and in line with African expectations. Such international partnerships are important to secure concessional financing for development and ensure debt sustainability. India is Africa's fourth-largest trading partner and its fifth-largest investor. In that framework, India has completed 197 projects — 65 more are currently under execution and 81 are at the pre-execution stage. To bridge the digital divide, India has further provided over 15,000 scholarships for Africans in tele-education and telemedicine. Also in the health sector, India is working with African partners to produce a COVID‑19 vaccine.
MICHAEL IMRAN KANU (Sierra Leone), associating himself with the African Group, said that servicing Africa’s sovereign debt has become increasingly unsustainable, and it is continuing to “asphyxiate” genuine development initiatives. Hence, the use of complementary financing through public-private partnerships would be extremely essential in the continent’s development path. There is need for robust action. He warned against double standards at the international level in order to curtail illicit financial flows. It is also important to spotlight the centrality of enhancing domestic resource mobilization as the most sustainable solution to address access to energy and to ensure food security for Africa, he went on to say. The promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa requires the political will to overcome the problem of governance failures, he added. These include challenges in providing basic services and infrastructure in sectors like education, health care, water supply, sanitation, energy, transport and trade. The promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa also requires a more collaborative partnership between the United Nations and the African Union Commission to ensure adequate, predictable and flexible financing.
MICHEL TOMMO MONTHE (Cameroon) aligned himself with the African Group and highlighted the importance of having development of Africa on the agenda at this moment. The Assembly has debated the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the causes of conflict in Africa for years and the situation is, Africa is very sick, he said. Considering the 2030 Agenda, African countries are lagging the most, he said, adding that Africa has not slept — it has risen. He pointed to the development of an important document for the Member States to rally around, Agenda 2063 which defined the vision that, by year 2063, Africa must be an important, major player in international cooperation, peaceful and united. In terms of international cooperation, everything must be focused on an African vision, he said, adding that it was important to pursue concrete measures to solve the challenges facing the continent.
NEVILLE MELVIN GERTZE (Namibia) aligned with the African Group and expressed concern over the number of raging conflicts around the world and the marked rise of unconstitutional changes on the continent. Speaking to the report on the causes of conflict, he said that addressing the drivers of instability is key to expedite development and foster socially inclusive economic growth. With respect to the NEPAD report, he said that the interconnected challenges of finance, energy and food security demand urgent attention. Development gains made over the past decades, especially in poverty reduction, have been significantly reduced by recent crises, he said, adding that those crises further deepen inequalities and drive millions into extreme poverty. Tackling the structural and institutional obstacles that hinder African countries from optimizing their resources is vital, he said, and stressed the need for debt sustainability measures.