By Eritrea Mission to the AU,
THE new Horn of Africa Initiative led by the World Bank was launched on 27 October 2014 at the Headquarters of the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa.
The initiative aims to address some of the key drivers of instability in the Horn of Africa (HoA) and promote development in the area.
The launching ceremony was attended by the Foreign Ministers and representatives of the countries of the Horn, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the President of the World Bank Group, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNECA, and the Executive Secretary of IGAD.
The representatives of the African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the European Union were also in attendance. H.E. Ambassador Araya Desta, Permanent Representative of Eritrea to AU and UNECA, participated in the event representing H.E. Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Eritrea.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Araya expressed Eritrea’s appreciation for the timely initiative. He indicated that utilizing the region’s potential is predicated on bolstering and reinvigorating paradigms of collective well-being and well-fare that transcend traditional, zero-sum, power politics at the inter-State level; supplemented by a more congenial domestic or intra-State environment of good governance rooted on the twin pillars of social harmony and inclusiveness.
In regard to Eritrea’s views on and inputs to the areas prioritized by the initiative, Ambassador Araya highlighted:
• On vulnerability and resilience – the need for a two-track or parallel approach that is aimed at addressing the underlying causes while pursuing temporary measures to mitigate the emergency situations in the short-term,
• On conflict prevention and resolution – the need for critical assessment of the prevailing security architectures to address intrinsic flaws and operational modalities,
• On communications – the importance of enhancing fibre-optic based, broadband, Internet connectivity in the region; particularly in the countries where this is lacking,
• In the extractive industry – emulation of best practices; joint development of models for investment terms and instruments; maximisation of local share through effective involvement in the value chains; and, increasing local capabilities and competencies,
• On public private partnership arrangements – the necessity of developing creative schemes that facilitate access to foreign currency and favourable credit terms both for capex and working capital.
The full text of the statement is available HERE
@WorldBank Pres Kim & #UNSG at press briefing in #Ethiopia on new Horn of #Africa initiative for peace & development pic.twitter.com/pMOkyJRKks
— World Bank (@WorldBank) October 27, 2014
