KEYNOTE STATEMENT BY H.E PAUL KAGAME PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA
ON THE OCCASION OF THE 12th BOARD OF GOVERNORS
MEETING OF THE AFRICAN CAPACITY BUILDING FOUNDATION (ACBF)
Hotel des Mille Collines, Kigali 26th
June 2003
Your Excellencies,
Speaker of Parliament;
Prime
Minister;
Chief Justice;
Ministers, Members of Parliament;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
and UN Agencies;
Distinguished ACBF Governors;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
1. On behalf of the Government, the People of Rwanda and on my own behalf, I wish to warmly welcome each and everyone of you to Rwanda, especially those of you who are visiting us for the first time.
2. Some of you know us through the various support schemes you have elaborated in favour of Rwanda, and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the significant contribution, the ACBF is making in the area of capacity building in our country and on our continent.
As Africa's premier institution mandated by our Governments and
Development Partners to help build and retain capacity in our countries, you have a
critical task to accomplish.
3. Here in Rwanda, I am pleased to note that the ACBF is supporting our institutions in the area of economic policy formulation and implementation, both within the Government and academic institutions.
The ACBF is also working with us to develop an independent economic policy think tank, and together with like-minded partners
to develop a Multi-sector Capacity Building Programme for our country.
4. My Government is giving full support to the activities of the Foundation and is honoured to have been elected to the Board of Governors.
5. Your Excellencies,
This occasion gives me an opportunity to reflect with you on three issues, which appear to me to be primordial in your deliberations;
Firstly, the role of a "capable" state in delivering Africa's economic
and social agenda
Secondly, the inextricable link between capacity and ownership; and
Finally, the specific challenges of capacity building in post- conflict countries.
6. In Lusaka, in July 2001, African Heads of State adopted the New African Initiative subsequently renamed the New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD).
It represents a pledge by us African leaders, based on a common vision, that we can eradicate poverty, promote broad-based economic growth, capable of delivering our continent from the malaise of underdevelopment through full participation in world trade and Investment, rather than rely on Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).
We agreed that to achieve our objectives, there were preconditions,
including: peace and good governance, reducing risks and costs of doing business, and expanding our markets through effective regional integration and the creation of regional poles of growth.
7. It is manifestly evident that this vision can only be attained if we have the instrument, the "vehicle" to deliver on the various programmes
of that vision.
This in turn requires a capable state, working in tandem with the private sector, and where necessary, promoting and developing the private sector.
A capable state providing security and stability for all, creating conditions for local and foreign investment, and ensuring a level playing field for everyone.
Your Excellencies,
A capable state is a state that makes development central to its agenda, actively working hand in hand with all its citizens to promote economic and social progress.
It is, however, one thing for the State to assume this role and it is quite another thing to have the necessary capacity to do so effectively.
Here in Rwanda, after a painstaking evaluation of our history, our potential, our constraints and where we want to be as a nation we have articulated a plan we call Vision 2020.
It is a plan, which in essence, seeks to turn Rwanda into a reasonably prosperous, emergent economy by the year 2020, and, hopefully, earlier than that.
We are convinced that it can be done, but we have realized that we have to build the capacity to deliver on the various components of this vast programme: Capacity in the public sector, the private sector and civil society.
The choice is not between enhancing this or that sector; but rather, building capacity and partnership for all. It is only under these conditions that our country, and, indeed, our continent can deliver the 7% GDP growth we need each year to attain the NEPAD goals as well as the aims of the Millennium Development targets.
8. This brings me to my second point: the inextricable link between
ownership and capacity.
The underlying principle of NEPAD and our Vision 2020 is ownership and partnership.
Development can only be endogenous; it cannot be imposed even by well wishers. This is why conditionalities have failed, and where apparently successful, the success has often been temporary and illusory.
Real development can only come about if the entire process of identification of problems, articulation of strategies and solutions emanates from, and is owned by the country and the population it serves.
And it is now clear that ownership without capacity is always a recipe for unrealisable dreams; frustrations, and, eventually, usurpation of control of our destiny by those with capacity, but not necessarily our interests at heart.
Equally, capacity without knowing what you want to do as a nation, without ownership of the solutions, can only be a wasted opportunity
and an open door for other people's agenda. It will not be an exaggeration to say that one reason for Africa's "lost decades" was our countries' lack of ownership and capacity.
The void created by lack of ownership was filled by conditionalities
from abroad.
Similarly, attempts to fill the gap created by lack of capacity in the form of what is now known as "technical assistance" may have helped to resolve some problems for a short time, but it has invariably created many more, in particular, lack of sustainability, high direct costs, and, above all, the emasculation of even the limited capacities that exist in our countries.
I am sure the examples abound all over Africa, and you will no doubt be very familiar with them.
9. Finally, Your Excellencies,
Let me briefly refer you to the challenges of capacity building in post-conflict countries.
This is not the occasion for me to dwell on the causes or consequences of conflicts, which have broken out at different times and/or still rage on our Continent.
You are aware that each conflict has its root causes, and its dynamics, which in turn shape the emerging character of the post conflict state, its reconstruction and peace building.
In extreme cases conflicts have led to the degeneration, or even to a situation of so-called "failed states".
When a conflict recedes, not only is the social and economic infrastructure damaged, and human lives lost, but even the intangibles" like administrative capacity for basic policy making and implementation are dented.
The horrific events, which our country, Rwanda, went through in 1994,
and no doubt familiar to this august audience, will remain the darkest period of modern African history.
A million innocent people perished in three months, including those with the skills that this country so badly needed.
We still live with the trauma of that sad chapter of our history.
One of the consequences of those events is that, in 1994 Rwanda started almost from scratch, in terms of basic administrative capacity needed to run a state, capacity to deliver the minimum services to a traumatized population, and capacity in the policy making apparatus which needed to lay a basis of national reconstruction.
Yet Rwanda refused to become a "failed state". Steadily, we embarked
on a long process of national recovery, with limited human and financial capacities at our disposal, and with the support of like-minded partners in the International Community.
We were, and are still, faced with an overloaded and often frontloaded agenda in the field of the economy, social political evolution, national reconciliation and so on and so forth…all of which we try to address in the context of limited capacity.
10. The road ahead of us remains long; the process of national recovery and reconciliation is proceeding well.
Today our economy is growing at above 7%, real per capita incomes are slowly increasing and social indicators are continuing to improve.
We have just democratically adopted a new Constitution and we are now about to embark on the General Elections.
It has been a necessary, but capacity straining process.
I am sure our officials will be happy to share with you some of our modest experience which other post-conflict countries may find relevant.
I would, therefore, as I come to the end of my remarks, like to make an appeal to the ACBF and its partners to give special attention to articulating and elaborating specific imaginative programmes, and to providing adequate resources which could support post-conflict countries in their reconstruction.
11. Your Excellencies,
The bold vision encapsulated in NEPAD holds a unique promise for Africa.
It has justifiably excited our imaginations and raised expectations of our people.
It is imperative that we deliver that Vision.
But it will require a combination of all of our efforts, Africa's own resources, those of its partners, and an Africa hospitable to investment by its own people and by foreigners.
We can only deliver if, among other things, capacity is created all round to marshal all our other efforts.
I know that the ACBF and its partners will play their part.
As for us, I would like to assure you of Rwanda's continued commitment to playing its role alongside each one of you.
I would like to end by wishing you successful deliberations, and I now have the honour to declare the 12th ACBF Governors Conference open.
And I thank you for your kind
attention.
