Ambassadors of the Member States of the Southern African Development Community,

Excellencies, Honoured Guests, Colleagues and Friends

I was indeed most pleased to learn that my visit to Belgium coincided with the annual SADC celebration in Brussels. Regional cooperation, partnership and integration within Southern Africa have always been close to my heart. I therefore greatly appreciate the privilege you have afforded me to address you tonight. It is my intention to share with you some thoughts on the important role played by science and technology in the development of our region, and indeed the continent.

Let me also say that tonight’s celebration could not have come at a more appropriate moment. These are most exciting times for our region. Like me, you have undoubtedly also been heartened by the news that emanated from the Extraordinary SADC Summit, which was held in Johannesburg earlier this week. With our Heads of State and Governments committing to the fast-tracking of especially economic integration, including the launching of the free trade area and preparations for the customs union, the prospects for closer regional partnership are better than ever. The evident close cooperation between the various SADC missions here in Brussels is indeed tangible evidence of what can be achieved.

I am convinced that we can only meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, including globalisation and poverty alleviation, if we enhance our regional partnership, based on the principles of equity, balanced development and mutual benefit. In this regard, the announced strengthening of the SADC Secretariat, and the commitment by member states to avail greater resources to SADC programmes, certainly bode well for the strengthening of cooperation.

I am pleased to inform you that science and technology is playing a critical part in moving the SADC agenda forward. We have a vibrant and active SADC Science and Technology Ministerial Forum, which regularly meets to consider and launch joint initiatives. These include an intensive policy dialogue, the promotion of public understanding and awareness of science and technology, as well as joint research and development projects in strategic domains, such as biotechnology, information and communication technology and indigenous knowledge systems.

The SADC science and technology activities also constitute one of the implementation instruments for Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action. This Plan, adopted in 2003 by the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST), under the auspices of the African Union and NEPAD, is a powerful platform for developing policies and setting priorities for science, technology and innovation for Africa’s development. With the full and high-level commitment of all our Governments, the Consolidated Plan represents an important watershed in the prioritisation of science and technology as an instrument for African development.

Important strides forward have been registered over the past three years with regard to the implementation of the Consolidated Plan. As you may know, this will culminate with the African Union Summit of January 2007, which will be dedicated to the theme of scientific research, technology and innovation for Africa’s socio-economic development. An extraordinary meeting of AMCOST, which will be held in Egypt, will prepare for this session. This is certainly not a process limited to governments. For example, the organisation of a Congress of African Scientists and Policymakers, taking place over the coming days in Alexandria, will formulate specific recommendations to the Summit.

Science and technology is therefore undoubtedly and unequivocally an African and indeed SADC priority. As Ambassadors, diplomats, representatives and friends of our region in the influential capital of Europe, you all have a special role to play in support of the efforts to strengthen SADC’s science and technology capacities. I would like to conclude my short address this evening, with some suggestions regarding science and technology actions that the SADC community in Brussels could undertake.

The first and perhaps most obvious is to strengthen our bilateral scientific cooperation with Belgium at both the federal and regional level. Belgium has an important array of research and technology organisations with relevant expertise to Africa, especially in areas such as agriculture research or the biomedical sciences. Our very venue for tonight, the Central Africa Museum is a rich depository of scientific knowledge related to our continent, especially in biodiversity and the geological sciences. There is tremendous goodwill and interest towards cooperation with Africa among the Belgian research community, which I can only urge you to exploit.

With regard to the European Union, the so-called Framework Programmes, the Seventh of which is about to be launched, are invaluable mechanisms to connect and integrate our researchers with European networks of excellence. The experience gained and capacities built through Framework Programme participation are critical for the growth of the African knowledge economy. These instruments are, however, not easy to engage with and much work must be done to convince European researchers to partner with African counterparts.

The SADC Embassies in Brussels are ideally placed to play an important role in support of our region’s Framework Programme participation. Apart from marketing SADC as a partner of choice; they should also engage constructively and concertedly with the European Commission and the EU Member States to include in the programme, instruments and opportunities conducive to greater African participation. In this way, you will render our region a great service with engagements in this regard.

The last area of intervention I would like to highlight is that of development cooperation. It is long overdue that science and technology should assume its rightful place as a priority focus area for the European Development Fund, both within the prioritisation of our own National Indicative Programmes within the Regional Indicative Programmes such as the one for SADC, and also within the programmes of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States. We will not achieve sustainable development and growth and convincingly defeat poverty if we and our development partners, do not jointly invest in and develop our knowledge generation and innovation capacities.

Whether it is in the fighting of diseases, the enabling of more efficient service provision to the rural poor, supporting small and medium enterprises or small-scale farmers, or in providing better communication infrastructure, science and technology has become the lifeblood of the well-being of our region.

But perhaps more importantly, we should never lose sight of the reality that new knowledge is created by people, technology is transferred by people, and joint projects are undertaken by people. Science and technology therefore bring people together within our region and between the regions of the world. As a vehicle for the advancement of the spirit of Ubuntu, the power of knowledge and innovation is often underestimated. Let us therefore harness science and technology for the good of region, and for a stronger, more united SADC.

I am truly proud to be among you tonight. Despite the many challenges we have to address, I have no doubt that our region can advance to the future with confidence if our march is bolstered by the power of science and technology.

In wishing you well in the very important tasks you are entrusted with here in Brussels, I wish to take this opportunity to convey my gratitude for your efforts, and look forward to further cooperation.

I thank you for your time.