By Eulalia AMABO
Attended by several personnalities, the conference that opened yesterday, August, 28, 2019, is aimed at making meaningful contributions to the advancement of the African continent.
African leaders, representatives of international organizations and development partners at the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) are currently discussing measures on enhancing Africa’s growth through diversified cooperation ties between Japan and Africa.
The opening ceremony of the three-day was presided by the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe under the theme “Advancing Africa’s development through people, technology and innovation.” The Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella is head of the Cameroonian delegation to the TICAD 7 holding at Pacifo Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan.
In his keynote address at the opening session on August 28, 2019, Prime Minister Abe said the TICAD initiative values human security and seeks diversified partnerships with Africa for better prosperity. He noted as a testimony of promoting Africa’s growth the ‘ABE Intiative 3.0’ has in the domain of education trained over 2,000 young Africans in the past 5 years and intends to train 3,000 more within the next 6 years. “Over 358 Japanese companies are taking them as interns,” he stated.
Within the framework of fostering security in Africa, Shinzo Abe disclosed Japan’s New Approach for Peace and Stability in Africa, abbreviated as NAPSA has been created. The concept, he stated intends to make more secured judicial and legislative systems in Africa, support conflict prevention and facilitate mediation or reconciliation efforts. Other sectors which the Japanese Prime Minister said need broad-based attention is health care, infrastructure, waste management and the fight against climate change. On his part, the Chairman of the African Union, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who is equally the President of Egypt, said the conference provides an opportunity that paves the way for development, strengthen human resources and should help achieve Agenda 2030 and 2063 of the African Union.
“Our markets are open and the investment conditions are encouraging, «he stated. Reiterating the need to support the AU framework, Abdel Fattah urged companies to invest in Africa and equally acknowledged the fact that every continent has its characteristics as well as any country.
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, noted he sees Africa as a continent of hope where the winds of development are currently blowing. To him, the theme of the conference is timely because technology and innovation are essential in development and leave no one behind while improving competitiveness. Taking the floor after the opening session, Minister Mbella Mbella said the economic background of Africa is promising with enormous resources for growth.
With regards to Cameroon, he stated, the President of the Republic has since 2010 committed efforts towards emergence despite several challenges. Minister Mbella Mbella said the future of Cameroon is bright though the country still faces some external and internal difficulties. Bilateral meetings and side events are organized at the conference centre, all within the context of enhancing partnerships that foster growth. TICAD 7 is co-organized by the government of Japan, UN, World Bank, UNDP and the African Union Committee
Read the original article on Cameroon Tribune.
