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 the size of 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 itself not responsible for any of these crises. The rich industrialized countries must take on responsibility, for the economic and financial impacts. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

You do not need a European 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. 

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. And 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.