“United, we stand a chance to drive green growth for Africa and the world”. This was the message by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who set the stage at the Africa Climate Summit, sparking a meaningful dialogue around the potential of an Africa and Middle East collaborative initiative.
He says if realized, the initiative referred to as the “Africa and Middle East SAFE Initiative” will focus on Scaling up climate-resilient Agriculture and Food systems transformation for Economic development in the two regions.
Emphasizing its collaborative nature, Ki-moon said: “The Africa and Middle East SAFE Initiative can potentially mobilize at least USD10 billion of needed investment through public-private partnerships benefiting millions of people.”
This collaborative approach aligns notably with global aspirations, specifically the priorities of SDG2 – Zero Hunger, and the COP28 Presidency. Ki-moon called everyone to action saying, “To ensure that words and ideas lead to action and real tangible change, we need everyone, each and every one of us.”
The Africa and Middle East SAFE Initiative aims to invest in the future of these regions by unlocking green investments, promoting climate-smart agriculture for rural farmers, and creating green jobs. It consists of two key frameworks, the Technical Assistance Fund (TAF) and Investment Platform (IP), which will help build climate-resilient economies.
This multi-faceted initiative plans to irrigate 2 million hectares of African farmland, enhance the climate resilience of 10 million smallholder farmers (especially women and young people), and address food security in both Africa and the Middle East.
Additionally, it is expected to generate 2 million green jobs, improve livelihoods, and export 2 million metric tons of food crops to the Middle East, valued at around USD 2 billion.
The President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto, noted that meaningful change needs to happen through dialogues and the discovery of opportunities.
“An opportunity-oriented focus on climate action is the engine for propelling Africa into a real of stability and prosperity… We must see in green growth not just a climate imperative, but also a fountain of multi-billion-dollar economic opportunities that Africa and the World are primed to capitalize on,” President Ruto said at the officialopening ceremony of the Africa Climate Summit.
The Africa and Middle East Safe Initiative propels the spirit of harnessing opportunities.
GGGI is committed to helping facilitate dialogues and shaping the initiative from the idea to realization. It will coordinate and support ongoing dialogues among diverse stakeholders to progress toward a foreseeable next step.