Rawlings opens African - African American Summit

Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May '99

President Jerry John Rawlings said on Wednesday that Africa must aim at sustainable economic growth as she enters the new millennium.

"Now, as we approach a new millennium, the emphasis has changed. Many, if not all of our political goals, have been achieved and it is the economic battlefield which now engages our attention."

President Rawlings was launching the Fifth African-African American Summit at the Accra International Conference Centre that has brought together 12 Heads of State, a Monarch, some Prime Ministers and Vice-Presidents.

He said there are still unacceptable levels of poverty, ignorance and disease in Africa despite its resources.

"Much of the huge potential of Africa is still locked up through lack of capital and business expertise.

"That is why the focus of this Summit is on trade and investment, which we recognise now as the needed fuel to spark the engine of development.

"The African Renaissance, which is our vision for the 21st century, depends on sustainable economic growth."

President Rawlings said "whilst we deem it unfair that the image of Africa the international media portrays relates more to conflict and disaster, we have to admit the grain of truth in the picture".

"It is the responsibility of all Africans to work for peace and unity on our continent. We can do this through the inter-state institutions we have established and through the promotion and maintenance of democratic political relations that are responsive to the concerns of our people."

The President said a disturbing aspect of the democratisation process in Africa is the liberalisation of their economies.

"There are structural aspects of the world economy that hinder further growth. The growing external debt burden as well as the disadvantageous terms of trade are some of the most serious of the structural constraints."

Therefore, he called for urgent action by the international community for debt relief and development assistance, which, combined with trade and investment, would improve the economic circumstances of African countries.

President Rawlings said Africa need to do more to win the confidence of the outside world for them to see "our economies as safe havens for investment and trade".

"We must also work out an efficient way to reduce the cost of transacting business in Africa as a means of stimulating investment".

President Rawlings said in the post-Cold War era, industrialised Europe provides generous assistance for Eastern Europe while Africa is relatively marginalised.

"Today, we see the urgency with which the developed world has gone to the aid of the hundreds of thousands of unfortunate refugees forced to flee their homes in Kosovo. We hear talk of a new Marshall Plan to help the Balkans recover from the devastation of the war."

Meanwhile, he said, Africa is home to 4 million refugees and at least 10 million internally displaced people.

"I hasten to repeat that some developed countries cannot be absolved of responsibility for some of the bitter conflicts that continue to worsen the refugee crisis on the continent."

President Rawlings added: "our meeting should serve to strengthen our kinship in a way that will help Africa overcome the problem of poverty and thereby remove a major cause of conflict on the continent".

He thanked African Americans for helping to promote the "visibility which Africa is enjoying in American business circles as en emerging market".

President Rawlings said Africa has had its fair share of well-intentioned declarations and initiatives, but after more than 40 years of independence, the continent is still struggling to achieve a basic level of development for its people.

"What it means is that words are not enough. We need action. On our part as leaders, we must face our responsibilities for putting an end to the relentless cycle of conflict and allow democratic governance and the sustainable development of our countries to take root."

He said the cause of Africa would not be served if leaders continued to take decisions that only perpetuate the artificial division of countries created by colonialism.

President Rawlings said Ghana would make its modest contributions towards the realisation of the objectives, which the Summit would seek to achieve.

"We have turned a nation which was on the brink of economic disaster to a country of orderly development, democratic participation and proud confidence," he said.

GRi./