We are passing through a stage in history that will be remembered as among the most challenging humanity has endured. Covid-19 has globalised the oldest and most significant threat to human existence.
The threat has been so severe that we have taken to committing ourselves to isolation. Living without social contact goes against the grain of the basic human need for social interaction and human contact.
While painful short-term scenarios will be marked by illness and loss of life, along with these age-old enemies to humankind we are seeing a renewed upsurge in our dearest friend, human solidarity.
World economies have been decimated, security threats in vulnerable regions remain present and continue to creep while public health systems worldwide are facing incredible strains, with many on the verge of collapse.
Despite these realities, our leaders chose to ensure that the health, wellbeing and survival of their populations are prioritised. These are humane decisions that come at a huge cost, and we have accepted them.
In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted the Chair of the African Union. In his opening statement he drew on the collective strength of Africa’s leadership when he stated: “Our collective work to ensure political and economic unity, good governance and peace should be strengthened by supporting integration, industrialisation, economic development, trade and investment.”
South Africa, as Chair of the AU, has prioritised the strengthening of intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area, which will unleash a market of almost $3trillion (R53 trillion).
The AU has re-prioritised the Silencing of the Guns. One of the main obstructions to economic development and intra-regional trade is the absence of a peaceful, secure and stable environment. Investment in infrastructure is critical, but if the conflict persists, investments will yield little or no results.
Apart from our regular public health issues, the Covid-19 pandemic presents the worst-case scenarios on the impact of climate change in Africa’s development. Africa only contributes 2-3% of the world’s carbon emissions, yet the continent will in all likelihood bear the brunt of climate change trends on agriculture, water, agrarian development, food insecurity, peace and security and social stability.
However, Africa has the largest percentage of the world’s arable land and burgeoning natural resources that some have described as being both a “blessing and a curse”.
A further advantage of both Africa and Asia is the demographic of the globe’s most youthful populations; this most important asset must be maximised for the benefit and development of Africa and Asia.
Our significant on-going achievements are conceptualised through our multi-lateralism and our collective commitment to formations such as the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), G77 plus China, the India-Brazil-SA group, the BASIC climate change coalition consisting of Brazil, South Africa, India and China, and the G20 group.
Our ocean space binds us as humanity. South Africa has been working assiduously to build the apex Indian Ocean grouping, namely the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which links Africa, Asia and Oceania.
IORA, through its membership, is actively seeking to create links through the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic oceans in forging the concept of “one ocean” for the benefit of all humanity.
According to the UN Development Programme, the current models of South-South co-operation offer a multitude of benefits when we consider the advantages accrued from national and regional science, technology and innovation plans; economic and social planning; linkage of research and development with economic growth; modern management and administration; technical, scientific and administrative human resources; and accelerated professional training at different levels.
The global landscape and our vision of socio-economic co-operation and inclusive development must be realised without compromise in the post-Covid-19 era. Among the most significant outcomes of this shift in the balance of global economic power has been the formation of Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China and South Africa).
The New Development Bank and the Africa Regional Centre have already had a positive impact on the global financial architecture.
We believe when history is written it will describe this moment as one that contributed significantly to the reform and creation of an inclusive global financial architecture working in the interest of all the world’s people.
Covid-19 has provided us with an opportunity to bring to the fore co-operation in the global health sector to create a global health architecture that leaves no one behind.
As the president of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said at the virtual Summit of the NAM held recently: “We must organise another chain, the chain of solidarity, to help with equipment and pharmaceutical products (for) the poorest.”