President Boakai has hailed the Republic of Korea for being a true friend and partner with so much to offer Africa in the continent's quest for a transformative future.
President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has urged world leaders to join efforts to fight poverty and climate change worldwide.
President Boakai made the call at the opening of the 2024 Korea--Africa Summit, which was held in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, 4 June 2024.
A dispatch from Seoul said in his opening remark at the conference that President Boakai recommended that as they look forward to the deliberations of this first and historic Korea - Africa Summit, leaders must remember that the future is not guaranteed.
According to him, they must determine it by deliberately taking actions that will leverage their potential to achieve common goals and foster a better future for the people, a transformed, equitable, and sustainable future.
"It is by standing together in solidarity that we can bring our collective efforts to bear tackling climate change, disease, hunger, poverty, and the many problems that plague us collectively," he said.
"It is an honor to join my colleagues in thanking the government and people of the Republic of Korea for hosting this summit and for extending to us the wonderful hospitality the Korean people are known for," President Boakai noted.
He added that The Republic of Korea has been a true friend and partner, one they can learn from, and has so much to offer Africa in the continent's quest for a transformative future.
World leaders gathered on Tuesday, 4 June 2024, at the official opening of the 2024 Korea--Africa Summit in Seoul, South Korea, under the theme "The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity."
Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Korean Republic, hosted other esteemed fellow Heads of State and Representatives of Government, Business Leaders, and Civil Society Organizations, including leaders of the African continent and their South Korean counterparts, in a historic summit that is expected to potentially impact about 20% of the world's population.
President Boakai believes they can achieve this in a firm partnership with the proud people of Korea, who have taught them the importance of human capital, which is their greatest resource in transforming the future of any nation.
"As we wait with bated breath about the outcome of the 2024 Korea - Africa Summit, the first of its kind, the theme of this gathering - "The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity" - must remind us that the future we want for our people and the world cannot just be hoped for or dreamed of or even guaranteed," said President Boakai.
He continued that it is only achieved through concerted and deliberate actions.
President Boakai pointed out that globalization and technological advancement have spurred growth and economic development globally.
However, he indicated that while they both have ushered in the twenty-first century with remarkable feats of human development, their impact on the world's populations, especially in Africa, has been unequal.
President Boakai disclosed that shared growth and a shared future must also be pursued with Agenda 2063, the pan-African effort to promote collective prosperity, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the World Sustainable Development Goals.
"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 exclusively preserved for a privileged few," he noted.
President Boakai cautioned that they must equally recognize that sustainability should undergird the drive for development.
"Resources are not infinite; therefore, the judicious use or exploitation of our collective natural wealth must always be considered in maintaining a sustainable earth for future generations."
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"This means achieving a sustainable future by accepting options or alternatives that do not leave the earth depleted but also safeguard the environment," he stated.
President Boakai explained that one of the custodians of the equatorial rainforest, Liberia, intends to promote a sustainable future by leveraging this natural asset to contribute to the fight against climate change.
He further indicated that those attending the summit 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 common world.
"In the context of South-south cooperation, the nations gathered here have shared experiences and a common objective to improve their populations' social and economic conditions."
"This summit should further foster South-South cooperation to address mutual developmental issues in the global south. No nation can address the myriad of complex global challenges alone," he noted.
