Excellencies,

⦁ It is a great honour for me to be here with you.

⦁ As former Federal German Minister in the Government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, cooperation with Africa was my main priority.

⦁ Of 54 African countries, I visited 45 of them in my eight years to get to know them there, on the ground.

⦁ I will continue this commitment as the new Director General of UNIDO.

⦁ Please let me take this opportunity to express my thanks for your great support for my election.

⦁ To me, this means a commitment for and to the future.

⦁ Understanding Africa means understanding its diversity, its differences and its sheer size.

⦁ The continent is 100 times bigger than my home country of Germany.

⦁ Africa is the growth continent of the 21st century.

⦁ You have a young population, which will double by 2050

⦁ This offers many opportunities.

⦁ However, currently the many dramatic crises are hitting Africa particularly hard:

⦁ The COVID pandemic, with the ongoing severe economic consequences.

⦁ Exploding costs for energy and grain especially because of the war in Ukraine.

⦁ And climate change with drought, floods and related disasters in many countries.

⦁ Africa is not responsible for any of these crises.

⦁ The rich industrialized countries must take on responsibility, for the economic and financial impacts.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

⦁ You do not need others telling you what to do.

⦁ What is needed is simple: justice, fair markets, fair trade, and access to finance on fair conditions.

⦁ To put it concretely, this is what is necessary:

⦁ First, debt relief for the LDC countries. Industrialized countries – the USA, European and others support their economies not with billions but with trillions.

⦁ Second, African countries and LDCs in the world need effective support from the IMF and the World Bank.

⦁ Third, climate protection: I just came back from COP27. Compensation for the extensive losses and damages in Africa and worldwide is necessary. By those historically more accountable. The current agreement is not sufficient.

⦁ The G20 countries are responsible for 80% of emissions. Africa for 3%.

⦁ It is time that African States, via the African UNION, become a member of the G20 group of states and sit at the decision-maker’s table!

⦁ I once again call for a Marshall Plan with Africa.

⦁ Africa needs investments in energy, infrastructure, digitalization – in sustainable industrialization.

⦁ With the Agenda 2063, the AU has defined its own path.

⦁ With the African Continental Free Trade Area, you have undertaken a huge and promising project.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

⦁ UNIDO is a proud partner for you.

⦁ 53 African countries are our members.

⦁ More than 50% of our projects are in Africa.

⦁ I will make sure this cooperation grows even stronger.

⦁ We have many milestone initiatives in Africa.

⦁ 9 of our 12 ‘Programmes for Country Partnership’ – PCPs – are with African states.

⦁ We invest in agro- and industrial parks, in renewable energy projects, in the development of green hydrogen projects.

⦁ UNIDO is your partner for sustainable industrialization. Our common goals are:

⦁ to grow domestic value creation in commodities like coffee, cocoa, cotton and by building up the agro-processing and food industry.

⦁ the processing of raw materials into high-value products, for example copper, bauxite, cobalt.

⦁ Rwanda and Ghana are already successful in setting up their own car production.

⦁ By 2050, Africa will need 500 million automobiles. The goal is your own auto production industry: cars ‘Made in Africa’.

⦁ Senegal, Ghana, South Africa and others are successfully building up a pharmaceutical industry and medicine production.

⦁ Africa needs its own vaccine production capacity.

Excellencies,

⦁ In conclusion: Sustainable industrialization needs sustainable energy supplies, and the huge investments required for this.

⦁ Africa has the potential to become the green continent of renewable energies and green hydrogen.

⦁ With investments in agriculture, it is possible to become self-sufficient – to end hunger!

⦁ The manufacturing sector can and must double.

⦁ The goal is to process raw materials, to add value locally and to achieve a fair price through value chains.

⦁ And to create decent jobs through industrialization.

⦁ Again, UNIDO is your partner. I believe in the future of Africa.

Thank you so much.