“Our Africa, Our Future.”
By Roy Lie Atjam
Africa Day 2023 came and went. H.E. Mr. Momar Gueye, Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal and Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in the Netherlands, and his colleagues and Ambassadors welcomed the guests in style. A total of well over 250 persons attended the function. The date was 23 June 2023.
The commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the OAU-AU is a milestone that vividly portrays the continent’s commitment to solidarity, peace, security, and economic integration.
Africa Day is annually celebrated to commemorate the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963. This day is extraordinary and significant in many aspects, as it marks the solidarity, unity in diversity, and a common strategy for developing the African continent and the prosperity of its people. This year’s celebration theme is “Our Africa, Our Future.” Africa’s future.
AGENDA 2063 – Africa’s Aspirations for the Future
AGENDA 2063: The Africa we want, is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. It is the continent’s strategic framework that aims to deliver on its goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of the Pan-African drive for unity, self-determination,
Agenda 2063 encapsulates Africa’s Aspirations for the Future and identifies key Flagship Programmes which can boost Africa’s economic growth and development and lead to the rapid transformation of the continent.
The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, underlined that the continent, with its 55 African Union members, is very strong and is fast becoming a critical voice in the global arena, “we have come a long way in promoting and defending an African common position on issues of interest to our continent and our people, yet much remains to be done, in realizing the aspirations of our forefathers as stipulated in the founding charter and that of our Agenda 2063” he added.
Guests turned out in their numbers to celebrate this momentous occasion. Ambassadors, Diplomats, African businesspeople included, and guests from other continents were on hand to enjoy the festivities. Of course, the diaspora showed up in all its colours and resplendent beauty.
The Deputy Dean of the Africa Diplomatic Corps in the Netherlands, H.E. Ms. Maria Isabel Gomes de Resende Encoge, Ambassador of Angola, delivered the welcome remarks. She mentioned, among other points: the commitment of Africa to promote unity, cooperation, peace, and stability amid uncertainties at the international level. Climate change is not to be forgotten.
As H.E. President William Ruto of Kenya recently stated in his interview with Diplomat Magazine, “The conversation in September 2023 (Africa Climate Action Summit, prelude to COP 28) will have depth and detail. We want to bring an African perspective to climate action, put our ideas on the table, and formulate innovative solutions that will help tackle this monster that is threatening humanity”.
President Ruto further declared, “the current architecture of the African Union is not effective. We, African Leaders, are having a very frank, intense, and honest conversation about what we need to do differently because we certainly must change. We need to give the AU the power and resources to engage with the European Union, America, China, and all of our other partners so that we can be able to get what we need to transform our countries. Look at what the Asian countries are doing (ASEAN).”
Ambassador H.E. Mr. Maria Isabel Gomes de Resende Encoge was adamant in her statement, Africa has to move forward!
Mr. Paul Huijts, the Permanent Secretary of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered a keynote speech at the Africa Day event. He shared the government’s renewed approach towards Africa and touched upon the official visits to the continent.
Showcasing Africa’s progress
An upcoming event showcasing Africa’s progress is OPCW CHEMEX Africa 2023 Capacity Building through the South-South Cooperation, which will be held in Algeria. The Algiers event is scheduled from September 23 to October 04, 2023. This landmark event is a Pan-African multi-component emergency response exercise and demonstration. It aims to develop counter-chemical capability in Africa to mitigate, investigate, respond, and recover from chemical incidents or attacks involving chemical weapons and toxic industrial chemicals. It also intends to foster ‘South-South’ cooperation by encouraging broad participation of African instructors and to check and improve the preparedness of African countries to respond to chemical-related incidents.
Acceleration of AfCFTA implementation
The AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) is an ambitious trade pact to create a single market for goods and services for almost 1.3 bn people across Africa and deepen the continent’s economic integration.
The League of African Ambassadors will be coordinating African-centric positions and activities.
The Africa Day program further offered cultural performances by drummers and dancers from Angola, Morocco, and Rwanda, contributing to the celebrative ambiance of the momentous Africa Day event. The food outlet provided a selection of savoury dishes and drinks from different African nations.
The success of the 2023 Africa Day celebrations left all the participants enthusiastic and anticipating the next edition scheduled for 2024.
