President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca was one of the keynote speakers at a high-level meeting on enhancing global partnerships for the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (2016-2025). This event was organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
The President started by thanking UNIDO and its Director General Li Yong for “creating this space, to continue to deliberate this vision, of an African continent with a huge potential and so enriched by its human capital and diverse resources”.
President Coleiro Preca stated her belief that such a vision for African countries can be effectively implemented through a proper business environment, good governance, the necessary legislative framework and regulation, to provide businesses with legal certainty and proper consumer protection, further adding that she is “convinced that all this would change the wrong perception of some countries who up until now have only perceived Africa from a migration perspective, and not as a continent of opportunities”.
The President said that another fundamental requirement for successful socio-economic growth in Africa, is the need for universal and free access to a sustainable education system, with vocational training as an intrinsic way of life for all youths in Africa. This will then provide a much-needed flexible and qualified African workforce.
“I am convinced that these fundamental requirements, and a successfully-implemented African Continental Free Trade Area as part of the third industrial development decade for Africa, will ensure inclusive prosperity and holistic wellbeing for all African peoples”, stated President Coleiro Preca.
Drawing from personal experience, which includes visits to African countries where she led business delegations and during which she could see the willingness of African authorities and the business sector for genuine collaborations and strategic partnerships, the President expressed her conviction that Africa stands waiting for genuine and sustainable investment, in order to maximise the growth potential of its countries and the human potential of its people.
President Coleiro Preca further stated that women’s participation should be given adequate importance in the context of the growing potential of the African continent, adding that nowhere in the world can sustainable prosperity be achieved without gender equality, and that strengthening women’s participation is essential for the socio-economic prosperity of Africa.
The President also called upon the private and public sectors of the Euro-Mediterranean region to explore all possibilities with their African counterparts, to realise all the potential that Africa holds for their businesses and for the African people.
“I am convinced that Africa has the potential to give the necessary quality of life to its peoples, especially to its youth. Ensuring that the Third Industrial Development Decade is a success for Africa is also a crucial component in the effective implementation of Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This positive impact will not only be enjoyed by African countries, but will also impact all of humanity”, said President Coleiro Preca.