Boakai Urges Africa First Summit Delegates In South Korea -To Foster Better Future For Citizens By: Julius Konton

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has rallied African leaders to work through concerted effort in order to achieve deliberate actions for the people. President Boakai speaking at the summit reminded the delegates that the future is not guaranteed; “we must determine it by deliberately taking actions that will leverage our potential to achieve common goals and foster a better future for our people, a transformed, equitable and sustainable future”, he reemphasized. According to him, such can be achieved in firm partnership with the proud people of Korea who have taught them the importance of human capital,  their greatest resource  in transforming the future of their respective nations. He wants the summit to further foster South­South cooperation to address mutual developmental issues in the global south adding that no nation can address the myriad of complex global challenges alone. According to the Liberian leader , it is by standing together in solidarity that they  can  bring their  collective efforts to bear tackling climate change, disease, hunger, poverty, and the many problems that plague them collectively. Speaking at the first Korea, Africa Summit on the theme, The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity” he  stated that the twin processes of globalization and technological advancement have spurred growth and economic development globally.  He indicated further that while they both have ushered the twenty-first century with remarkable feats of human development, such impact on the world populations, especially in Africa, has been unequal.  This is why “shared growth” as part of the theme of this summit should express our collective desire that growth must come with development, prosperity must be inclusive to benefit all people, and that dividends of development should not be the exclusive preserve for a privileged few”, he added. The Liberian leader emphasized that shared growth and a shared future must also be pursued in tandem with Agenda 2063, the pan-African effort to promote collective prosperity, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the World Sustainable Development Goals. President Boakai told his colleagues that they  seek an outcome from the summit that allows the application of what they have collectively been endowed with to increase prosperity and improve the livelihoods of their people.

However, he urged delegates at the summit to equally recognize that sustainability should undergird the drive for development.  Resources, he pointed out are not infinite; as such, the judicious use or exploitation of the collective natural wealth must always be considered in maintaining a sustainable earth for future generations. “This means achieving a sustainable future by accepting options or alternatives that do not leave the earth depleted but also safeguard the environment”, he noted. President Boakai stressed that as one of the custodians of the equatorial rainforest, Liberia intends to promote a sustainable future by leveraging such natural asset to contribute to the fight against climate change. Delegates at the summit, he said  represent about a fifth of the world’s population, and as a community, they have a critical mass in solidarity that should enable them to confront and address the challenges facing the global village. Speaking further he stated that in the context of South-south cooperation, nations gathered at the summit have in many respects shared experiences and a common objective to improve the social and economic conditions of their populations.  He acknowledge that the Republic of Korea has been a true friend and partner to Liberia, a Nation anyone can learn from, and has so much to offer Africa in the continent’s quest for a transformative future. Meanwhile, the historic summit first of its kind is expected to  potentially impact about 20% of the world’s population.