Mozambique-IMF “Africa Rising” conference in Maputo
Xinhua
MAPUTO- The “Africa Rising” conference, co- hosted by the Mozambican government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), opened on Thursday in the country’s capital city Maputo to discuss the challenges facing the sub-Saharan Africa as it builds upon the strong economic gains made since the 2008 global economic crisis.
The Chair of the Africa Progress Panel, former UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan, said in a video remarks that the gathering is important, “because Africa rising is a reality.”
He praised Africa’s gains in recently years as “impressive, and make us proud,” and called on the countries in the region to work on to create more job opportunities, reduce imparity and poverty.
“We should also not forget, for some countries in Africa, the main challenge, is to overcome fragility, and develop economic and social policies that will strengthen their institutions, to foster growth, and poverty reduction,” Annan said.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said in his video remarks that the Africa economic development in recent years is “remarkable”, and called on “more should be done to ensure that the prosperity is broadly shared.”
Christine Lagarde, the IMF managing director, said in her opening speech that her institution has always been side-by-side with Mozambique in its development process and so it will continue in the coming years.
“Over 2/3 of the countries from the sub-Saharan region benefited from a constant economic growth, there was progress in education sector, reduction of child mortality though in low scale but worth to be mentioned,” said Lagarde.
The head of IMF said that her institution has been supporting African countries in the economic progress even during the crisis.
“This year there was a record in direct foreign investments in Africa and it’s no surprise. This is the good side but unfortunately poverty levels are still very high, the percentage continues high,” added Lagarde.
According to Lagarde, general economic growth in Africa this year is expected at more than 5 percent but there are risks the countries must be ready to assume in order to bring them down when they emerge.
In a long term period for instance, Africa should have 1 billion active people, more than China and India, and to take advantage of that it will need a strong education. That is where the technology comes in, and that must be included in the agenda of African countries, said the IMF chief.
The other challenge was in the environment, infrastructure, energy and fundamentals sectors so that economic growth can be sustainable for jobs creation and to help supporting regional integration.
More than 300 people attended the opening ceremony, including policymakers from Africa and beyond, the private sector, civil society, academics, and private foundations.
The event is intended to follow up on the 2009 Tanzania Conference, which helped galvanize international support for Africa after the 2008 financial crisis.
_______
Video: Africa Rising: Road to Mozambique
_______
Video: International Monetary Fund “Africa Rising”- Christine Lagarde visits Maputo Port
On May 28, Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director visits Maputo Port as part of her visit to Mozambique to participate in the 2-day high level conference Africa Rising.
_______
Video: Bill Clinton -Keynote speech – Africa Rising Conference
_______
Video: Kofi Annan -Keynote speech – Africa Rising Conference
_______
The Government of Mozambique and the IMF will convene a high-level conference in 2014 to take stock of Africa’s strong economic performance, its increased resilience to shocks, and the key, ongoing economic policy challenges. The Africa Rising conference will be held May 29-30, 2014, in Maputo. The event is intended to follow up on the 2009 Tanzania Conference, which helped galvanize international support for Africa after the 2008 financial crisis. The conference will bring together policymakers from Africa and beyond, the private sector, civil society, academics, and private foundations with the goal of sustaining the current growth and sharing its benefits among African populations.
The 2009 Tanzania Conference was held against the backdrop of global financial and economic crisis. Five years later, much of Sub-Saharan Africa has demonstrated remarkable resilience thanks to progress on economic reforms over the previous decade. The region quickly bounced back from the global slowdown, and several countries have grown rapidly, including Mozambique. Their key challenge now is to maintain high growth, while boosting job creation and accelerating structural transformation. But for others, notably the fragile states, the first priority remains to establish sufficient political and economic stability to join the ranks of the “African Lions.”
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde (R) delivers the opening speech at the Africa Rising Conference as Mozambique’s President Armando Guebuza (L) listens May 29, 2014 at the Chiasson Conference Center in Maputo, Mozambique. Lagarde is in Mozambique to attend the Africa Rising Conference. IMF Photograph/Stephen Jaffe
__________
Mozambique
Ethnic groups: African 99.66% (largest African ethnic groups: Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%
Population: 24,692,144 (July 2014 est.)
Maputo
______________
Known Natural Resources of African Nations
Africa is the center of focus by the world’s military powers due to individual security issues of non-African countries. Africa’s natural resource have long been used to advance and support the economies of non-African nations, specifically European nations and China.
The only natural resources in United Kingdom are: coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
The only natural resources in France are: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, fish
The only natural resources in Germany are: coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
The only natural resources in Spain are: coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
The only natural resources in Portugal are: fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower
The only natural resources in Italy are: coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
The only natural resources in China are: coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world’s largest)
Japan has negligible mineral resources and fish. With virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world’s largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil.
__________________
In Africa most of the: oil, petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, gold, platinum, copper and uranium leave the continent to support the economies of non-African nations. While Africans, in Africa, tend not to gain the economic advantages from living in these mineral rich nations.
Algeria
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Angola
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
Benin
offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Botswana
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver
Burkina Faso
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt
Burundi
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone
Cameroon
petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Cabo Verde
lacking natural resources and fresh water, Cabo Verde has become a global leader in solar and wind energy and has sought expanded ties with American companies to develop these renewable resources
Central African Republic
diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
Chad
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
Comoros
few natural resources
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber
Congo, Republic of the
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower
Djibouti
potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Egypt
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc
Equatorial Guinea
petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay
Eritrea
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
Ethiopia
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
Gabon
petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Ghana
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Guinea
bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt
Guinea-Bissau
fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower
Kenya
limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower
Lesotho
water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Liberia
iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Libya
petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Madagascar
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Malawi
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Mauritania
iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
Mauritius
arable land, fish
Monaco
none
Mozambique
coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite
Namibia
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish.. suspected to have deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
Niger
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum
Nigeria
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Rwanda
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land
Sao Tome and Principe
fish, hydropower
Senegal
fish, phosphates, iron ore
Seychelles
fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Sierra Leone
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Somalia
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
South Africa
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
South Sudan
hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver
Sudan
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower
Swaziland
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Tanzania
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Togo
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
Tunisia
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Uganda
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold
Zambia
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower
Zimbabwe
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Natural Resources Source: CIA The World Factbook
