Today we focus on what is hindering Africa from becoming the world’s economic powerhouse and the impact upon joining G20 nations. The guest is financial expert Canadian Moroccan Mariama Zhouri.
Tag: G20
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Kenya welcomes African Union’s entry into G20
Kenya has welcomed the addition of the African Union to the G20.
President William Ruto Saturday hailed the move saying it will increase the voice of Africa, visibility, and influence on the global stage and provide a platform to advance the common interest of our people.
“This fits perfectly with the resolutions of the just-concluded Africa Climate Summit, including the reform of international financial institutions and multilateral development banks,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kenya welcomes the addition of the African Union — the fastest growing continent in the world — to the G20. This will increase the voice of Africa, visibility, and influence on the global stage and provide a platform to advance the common interest of our people.
This fits… pic.twitter.com/LKspEIAU9v
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 9, 2023
The African Union, a continental body of 55 member states, now has the same status as the European Union – the only regional bloc with a full membership. Its previous designation was “invited international organisation”.
The widely-anticipated move underscores India’s wide-ranging agenda to elevate the global multilateral forum’s focus on the Global South in its presidency of the G20 this year.
The 55-member bloc of African nations joins the European Union as only the second regional organization to become a permanent member of the G20. Its previous designation was “invited international organisation”.
“India’s G-20 presidency has become a symbol of inclusion, both within the country and beyond, representing the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath’,” Modi said in his opening remarks, according to an official translation provided by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, referring to a “spirit of togetherness.”
“It was in the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath’ that India proposed permanent membership for the African Union in the G-20,” he added.
With an embrace after the announcement, Modi welcomed AU Chairperson Azali Assoumani and offered him a place at the conference table for permanent members of the G20.
The AU chair is rotated annually among the continent’s five regions. Assoumani is the president of the Comoros, an archipelago off the east coast of Africa.
“Delighted the African Union was granted full membership in the G20,” Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“EU has been a steadfast supporter of this initiative and I am pleased to have championed it from the very beginning with Macky Sall,” he added.
Sall is Senegal’s president and was the 2022 chair of the African Union.
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Africa calls for Russia-Ukraine ceasefire as curtains fall on key summit
Leaders from the African continent led by the African Union Chairperson are calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine to lower the cost of living.
The end of the Second Russia Africa Summit saw the union call upon the Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in talks with his Ukrainian counterpart in order to find a lasting solution.
Earlier, Putin had offered free grain to some parts of the continent in order to plug the deficit caused by the collapse of the grain deal.
Speaking during the closing of the second Russia-Africa Summit Friday evening at St Petersburg, President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros who is the AU chairman said Africa hopes the crisis would be resolved soon.
“I am confident that all my colleagues present here appreciate this cooperation with Russia and are willing to enhance it in the hope that our relations, which have been hindered by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, will resume after its resolution” said the AU chair.
On his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the concerns even as he hailed the initiative by several African countries to resolve the Ukraine crisis.
“This is an urgent issue and we have never sought to avoid discussing it. The very existence of this initiative is quite telling since the so-called developed democracies used to hold a monopoly when it came to undertaking mediation missions of any kind. But this is no longer the case, and now Africa is ready to help bring about solutions to problems which may seem to lie outside of its immediate sphere of interests” he told the visiting heads of states.
Putin further said he supports the African Union’s accession to international organizations and expects the Union to become a full member of the G20 as early as this September,
“Russia proactively supported the initiative to grant the African Union membership in the Group of 20. This would be the right decision reflecting the reality and the balance of power in today’s world”, he said.
He termed the two day forum a success, promising to double trade with Africa.
Vladimir Putin and Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Union of the Comoros Azali Assoumani The forum saw the leaders engage in Plenary sessions, numerous bilateral meetings, thematic roundtable discussions and panel sessions on issues of world economics and politics, food and energy security, stable and sustainable development and cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
“We had a meaningful and interested exchange of views on the entire range of strategic cooperation between Russia and African nations” the host said in his concluding remarks.
“In general, we highly value the results of our joint work at the summit. I am sure the achieved results are creating a good foundation for further deepening the Russia-Africa partnership in the interests of our nations’ prosperity and wellbeing”, Putin added.
The leaders drafted and approved the main declaration of the second Russia-Africa Summit and a number of thematic declarations – on preventing an arms race in space, cooperation in international information security, and enhancing cooperation in countering terrorism.
In addition, the plan of action of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum for 2023–2026 is ready for adoption.
The Russia-Africa summits will hence forth be held every three three years. The first was hosted in 2019.
Documents adopted and signed following the second Russia-Africa Summit.
Reporting by Margaret Kalekye
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G20 holds crucial Civil Society meeting in Nairobi
Civil societies from different parts of the world met in Nairobi on Thursday to share urgent thematic areas on gender equality during a meeting convened by the G20 under the C20 Gender Equality Working Group.
Spouse of the Deputy President Pastor Dorcas Rigathi was among the invited guests that included the Indian High Commissioner Namgya Khampa, European Union Ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger and C20 International Coordinator Swami Shubamritananda Purdi.
Pastor Dorcas spoke on the need to leave no one behind, necessitating the need to carry everyone along and leave no gender behind.
“You cannot empower one gender, and have a balanced society; we must carry everyone along.
“We appreciate that engaging men and boys has been considered vital for achieving gender equality by the C20 Working Group. In Kenya, increased cases of drug and substance abuse, depression, suicide, and other mental health issues contribute to insecurity and negative economic outcomes with a heavy bias towards men and boys. In addition, we have observed that due to lack of positive engagement, boys are at a higher risk of being recruited into extremist groups and gangs,” she said.
Pastor Dorcas is a champion of the boy child and also seeks the empowerment of widows.
She said, “Widows do not have to be beggars, they can engage in different forms of agribusiness, entrepreneurship and income-generating activities to enhance their socio-economic status and improve their livelihoods”.
The civil societies shared thematic areas that would be presented during the next G20 meeting. The Chair of the C20 is from India, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi and was represented in the meeting by the C20 International Coordinator, Swami Shubamritananda Purdi.
The meeting included a panel discussion that was led by media personality, Jeff Koinange.
Indian High Commissioner Hon. Namgya Khampa said, “Our discussions will make a contribution to the G20 on the empowerment of women, and contribute to the richness of the discourse and push forward the agenda of women empowerment. The principal of gender equality and empowerment of women is enshrined in the constitution of India.”
EU Ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger said, “It is crucial that civil society is working with G20 to bring the voices of all. The EU we are still struggling, and there is a huge pay gap between men and women. Voting rights could not be taken for granted a few decades ago. Overall, the EU is taking strong actions to ensure gender equality in its member states.”
She added that the European Union would support the inclusion of the African Union in the G20.
The same support has been voiced by US President Joe Biden, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi among other leaders.