Editor
England (Brussels Morning) As the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, concludes her historic go to to Pakistan, we’re reminded of the profound challenges and alternatives that face our international group.
Her go to, marked by solidarity with Pakistan on the second anniversary of the devastating 2022 floods that killed 1,700 and submerged one-third of the nation, underscores the vital problems with local weather change and resilience, which disproportionately affect international locations many Global South nations inside the Commonwealth.
According to the International Rescue Committee and the World Resources Institute, seven of the ten most climate-vulnerable nations are Muslim-majority international locations, together with the Commonwealth member Nigeria. Additionally, the Global Climate Risk Index for 2021 highlighted Pakistan and Bangladesh among the many ten most affected international locations.
These statistics usually are not remoted; they replicate a broader sample of local weather vulnerability that disproportionately impacts the poorest and most weak populations.
The intersection of local weather change and socio-economic disparities underscores deep-seated inequalities, revealing how local weather vulnerability is exacerbated by systemic racial and social discrimination.
This convergence of environmental and social challenges additionally displays a troubling development: Muslims worldwide, particularly these in non-Muslim international locations, are confronting an unprecedented surge in Islamophobia.
The just lately concluded fifteenth Islamic Summit Conference in my house nation, The Gambia, illuminated the urgent points dealing with the Muslim world. Chaired by our Foreign Minister, Mamadou Tangara, the Summit emphasised recognition of the vital significance of the rise in racism and Islamophobia because the battle in Gaza rages on.
The Commonwealth’s Muslims discover themselves at a juncture at the moment the place vulnerability and challenges should be met with homegrown management and centering their voices in international discourse.
In this context, we’re invited to think about the management of the Commonwealth. As an affiliation of 56 international locations, it has undergone a profound transformation from its origins as a remnant of the British Empire.
The preliminary focus was on sustaining diplomatic and cultural connections amongst member states with historic ties to Britain. Over time, the group has advanced to emphasise equality and mutual respect, embracing a extra inclusive and consultant function on the worldwide stage.
It now operates as a platform for collaborative efforts on points comparable to local weather change, sustainable growth, and social justice. The Commonwealth engages in diplomatic initiatives, gives help for financial growth, and promotes human rights throughout its member states. Therefore, it’s crucial that it embodies the ideas of range and inclusion it espouses.
This means turning its consideration to its over 400 million Muslims, who characterize a 3rd of the world’s Muslim inhabitants. Despite their substantial presence and contributions, they haven’t but been represented within the Commonwealth’s highest workplace.
It is time for this to vary.
The subsequent Secretary-General of the Commonwealth needs to be a Muslim, reflecting the range of our nations, as we navigate unprecedented international challenges. This alternative is not only symbolic however a strategic necessity in at the moment’s advanced world.
In latest years, the function of the Commonwealth Secretary-General has been examined, because it now navigates a panorama dominated by multifaceted international challenges comparable to local weather change, pandemics, and geopolitical tensions. The Secretary-General should handle these points with a nuanced understanding that’s usually formed by cultural and regional views.
The Banjul Declaration on the OIC Summit is not only grounded in Islamic values; they’re common ideas that align with the Commonwealth’s mission. A Muslim Secretary-General could be uniquely positioned to bridge gaps, foster understanding, and advocate for insurance policies that defend weak populations.
Indeed, the Commonwealth’s historical past tells us how numerous management can result in significant change. The appointment of the primary African Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, in 1990, marked a big step in direction of larger inclusivity.
In his time as Secretary-General, Chief Emeka navigated by means of comparable challenges. His management was instrumental in advocating for the top of apartheid in South Africa, mobilizing worldwide help and leveraging the Commonwealth’s affect to use stress on the South African regime.
Anyaoku’s efforts culminated in South Africa’s transition to a democratic authorities and its re-entry into the Commonwealth in 1994. Exemplifying the significance and efficacy of getting a frontrunner who understands and represents the pursuits of a various membership.
Centering these we serve is essential for efficient and equitable management. By prioritizing these most affected—notably marginalized and weak communities—we be sure that insurance policies and actions are conscious of real-world challenges. This strategy fosters larger belief and cooperation, enhances the relevance of initiatives, and finally drives extra significant outcomes.
As we face international challenges comparable to local weather change, battle, and discrimination, the management of a Muslim Secretary-General wouldn’t solely replicate the demographic realities of our member nations but in addition sign a dedication to inclusivity and justice. It affirms that the Commonwealth stands with all its members, particularly those that are most weak and underrepresented.
Africa is blessed with monumental pure capital. The continent holds 8% and 12% of the world’s pure fuel and oil in addition to 40% of the world’s gold; it’s estimated to have 30% of the world’s vital minerals and has potential to provide inexperienced hydrogen with 60% of the world’s finest photo voltaic assets.
Still, the continent is the world’s most impoverished area and poor headcount continues to rise. In 2014, simply 14% of the world’s poor lived in Africa; in 2019, the quantity rose to 57% in 2019. Population progress, wars and conflicts, local weather change, illnesses, insufficient agriculture infrastructure and unjust commerce construction with America and Europe closely subsidizing their agriculture sectors have brought on poverty crises throughout the continent to irritate.
Other components comparable to gold smuggling value $30 billion yearly, international financial situations, geopolitical rivalries and debt service funds have contributed to poverty too, leaving African governments with restricted monetary assets to channel funds to combat poverty and local weather change.
Slower financial progress, after it averaged 5% between 1999 and 2014 and introduced poverty down from 57% to 38%, can also be a significant motive behind rising poverty. According to Africa’s Pulse most up-to-date report, financial progress within the area is more likely to bounce again and attain 3.4% in 2024 and three.6% in 2025; this enlargement it warns might be “inadequate to have a big impact on poverty discount.”
With $6.5 trillion of pure assets and 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, resource-rich international locations haven’t any excuse to stay poor, mentioned African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina final yr, noting the Bank and its companions had supplied $4.6 billion to develop dozens of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in 26 international locations.
As demand for a few of key substances comparable to lithium, between 2017 and 2022 tripled whereas that of cobalt and nickel jumped 70% and 40%, vital uncooked supplies comparable to cobalt, copper, magnesium and lithium – vital to international power transition and are present in abundance within the continent – urges regional international locations develop a joint plan to capitalize on the chance to advertise inexperienced industrialization in Africa.
“Imagine the potential if African minerals are processed into African batteries, put in into African automobiles which are pushed throughout the continent and the world,”
mentioned UN Economic Commission for Africa’s deputy govt secretary, Antonio Pedro at a latest occasion in Addis Ababa, stressing this could speed up the deployment of renewable power and electrification of transport techniques, generate jobs and remodel Africa right into a aggressive hub for inexperienced industrialization.
The European Union (EU) lacks most of those assets and wishes them to maintain their robust industrial base. Critical uncooked supplies certainly have been additionally certainly one of six themes of the EU Global Gateway Forum 2023 for his or her essential function in reaching the Union’s local weather ambitions. Given the bloc has monetary power and technical experience in growing key industries, it could possibly be a invaluable African companion for the continental industrialization.
In the G-20 Compact with Africa convention in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz introduced to speculate €4 billion in Africa’s inexperienced power by means of 2030 on high of the EU €3.4 billion. But the bundle omitted industrialization, an space the place the continent’s pursuits actually lie over its potential to create jobs and speed up inclusive and sustained progress, diversify the financial system and cut back poverty.
Africa additionally seeks to leverage inexperienced hydrogen for its industrialization and decarbonization. It is ideally positioned to provide three-fifths of the world’s inexperienced hydrogen however accounts for simply 1% of the worldwide photo voltaic era capability. Africa’s geographic proximity to Europe and distinctive place to flip the script on fossil gasoline may pave the best way for a strong Africa-EU partnership.
Since continent has a possible to provide $1.06 trillion of inexperienced hydrogen but wants huge upfront investments, the EU investments may help foster inexperienced industrialization in Africa the place international direct funding (FDI), after practically halving in 2022 towards a file $80 billion in 2021, was virtually flat at $48 billion in 2023.
Under the Global Gateway, Brussels has introduced a €150 billion of funding bundle for Africa together with scaling up African hydrogen manufacturing and exporting it to Europe. The initiative goals to speed up Africa’s inexperienced and digital transition, sustainable progress together with regional financial integration and industrialization and respectable job creation; extra focus needs to be given to industrialization for it can enhance productiveness, increase dwelling requirements and raise individuals out of poverty in Africa.
Africa is slated to play a pivotal function within the achievement of the EU aim of turning into climate-neutral by 2050. While Brussels ought to handle Africa’s issues comparable to its “protectionist” carbon border tax on items comparable to metal and cement – which may hamper the continental GDP, growing international locations’ exports to Europe and efforts to lift investments – the bloc should actively help Africa’s industrialization to make this partnership a win-win cooperation.
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