With the end of 23 Africa 63 between 10 ago and 40 next

Ending 23 Africa 63 between 10 ago and 40 next

There is no doubt that the world has its natural borders, which guarantee its multiple options economically, politically and socially. Africa was not far from those options and aspirations, but between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the African continent was shackled by the shackles of occupation. Which had a severe effect in weakening all her powers.

Hence, African unity was a goal for the continent to confront the effects of the rift in which it remained for decades and decades. Therefore, the year 2013 was filled with a sincere desire for a bright tomorrow, as Africa - its peoples and governments - celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity, and there the continent’s leaders and leaders launched the “Africa Agenda 2063”.

And now, with the end of the year 2023 - after ten years - the hearts of the continent’s faithful and the hearts of its righteous people look forward to the future of this agenda, and these hearts sincerely look to what has been achieved from it, not only to correct the course, but to re-evaluate the situation of the continent in light of a changing global order. Between these past ten and the next forty, Africa will continue to strive with dedication towards building a strong continent with influence in global affairs.

Africa 2063AAmbitions and goals

Africa Agenda 2063 is an ambitious vision and a plan to make the African continent part of the world built on the pillars of sustainable development, and based on mobilizing all human skills in innovation and urbanization. As we shed light on this promising African ambition, this is because of its comprehensiveness and its ability to benefit from the capabilities of the people of the African continent in various sectors and in all fields. It is an agenda that has seven axes, each ax of which has development goals related to the future lives of all African citizens.

The year 2013 - as we mentioned previously - was a turning point in the fate of the continent, as its people prepared to implement their development plan in the first decade of the “Africa Agenda 2063”, where the call was explicit for the comprehensiveness of development goals, which must be achieved on the ground.

While eliminating poverty was a primary ambition, improving the quality of life and well-being of Africans is a top priority, provided that this is done in the context of justice that works to make the people of the African continent equal in rights and duties without any religious bias, sectarian affiliation, or ethnic aspiration. This could only be based on a long view of Africa’s industrial future, and its aspiration to green its future, not only with sustainable agriculture, but also with a comprehensive green economy in all fields, while preserving the diversity of Africa’s rich nature.

The other six axes were not far from this comprehensiveness, as those axes came with the goals of political unification and the goals of economic unification, through good governance, facilitating Africa’s green transition in the areas of manufacturing and production, with the help of an interconnected and strong infrastructure.

If Africa’s Agenda 2063 is a plan to correct its economic path, and an attempt to resettle the expertise of its people in vital sectors - then this was not far from enriching the minds that build and implement these ambitions; Therefore, the African heritage had its place among these axes and those goals, and the identity of Africa and its geographical depth could not be established except through the insight of the peoples of the continent into their ancient common history.

All of this would not have succeeded and continued without women and their status, which was strengthened and crystallized by the Africa Agenda 2063; African women are the foundation and most important focus of this plan.

In its first decade - and it will continue to seek in the coming days - this agenda sought to fuse ambitions with each other and unify efforts based on Africa’s position among the continents of the world, as it is a source of goodness and the mouth of the river of giving to the whole world. This is confirmed by the seventh axis of the Africa Agenda 2063, which views Africa as a strong global partner and influential in global affairs.

EgyptLeader

We must realize that the continent’s working mechanisms in the field of development and economics and strengthening its role in the global market require leadership that has the historical victory in removing all traces of the occupier from the souls of its people. Therefore, Egypt is the most qualified to lead the development process in Africa, and indeed it is the most capable of implementing it.

With Egypt’s regional and international experiences, it is possible to implement present programs and future aspirations. It is these experiences that earned Egypt the presidency of the African Union between the years 2019-2020, and then its presidency of the development agency - NEPAD - which will continue until the year 2025.

This, through its current presidency of the UNDP, Egypt faces many regional challenges, but it contributes - strongly - to strengthening the development role assigned to it. The agency represents the hand of the African Union in the field of developing the continent and enhancing its investment climate. Therefore, the Egyptian efforts were fruitful and effective, as Egypt - with its political leadership - led the African development process towards achieving the goals of Agenda 2063.

Evaluating the past to adjust the course of the present towards the Africa of the future

All the faithful of the African continent must pause to evaluate what has been achieved in the past ten years, with complete impartiality, honesty and transparency. In search of the most important strengths to strengthen, and the most dangerous weaknesses to correct, while giving real weight to the global developments that occurred during this period, without exaggeration or negligence.

No rational person can deny the profound impact that the Corona virus crisis and the Russian-Ukrainian war have had on all global plans and strategies! However, the goal of failure is to pin the non-completion of some agenda files on such force majeure. Reading the past scene gives us the key to success in determining the path to the future, as it is a promising opportunity to adjust the path towards Africa 2063 after approximately one-fifth of the period has passed.

In order for the evaluation to be objective, we must differentiate between what has been achieved in terms of provision of financing means and what has been accomplished in terms of achieving strategic goals, so we find ourselves faced with varying results. After the first ten years have passed, we see a discrepancy between the goals that Africa achieved on the ground and the goals that were planned to be implemented by 2023!

A closer look at the percentage of what was implemented on the ground reveals the fragility of some aspects of the agenda regarding the first phase, as the percentage of achieving the goals of the seven axes did not exceed 50%; Therefore, we need to carry out monitoring and evaluation processes with keen eyesight and sound mind.

Despite this relative deficiency or partial weakness, we hope that the future challenges facing the African continent will impose more innovative solutions towards a comprehensive African renaissance. This African renaissance must take into account the financing crisis. Because there is no right balance between foreign funding and national interest!

Let Africa’s ambitions remain loaded with goals and desires about which reality cannot remain silent. Whatever progress the agenda has achieved in the first decade, the promises of the future remain soaring between the land of obstacles and the sky of ambitions, between Africa of the past and Africa 2063.