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The longevity and
continuing influence of the African Union are achievements that resonate
strongly with the Smart Partnership Movement, which has always strived to
support the Union, and Africa as a whole, in its aims. Since the “Smart
Partnership for the Generation of Wealth in
Southern Africa” Dialogue in Kasane, Botswana in 1997, African
nations have played increasingly prominent roles in this truly progressive
movement. Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Uganda, Swaziland, Lesotho and Zambia
have all hosted Dialogues in the intervening years.
These Dialogues are
unique opportunities for Smart Partners to share the benefits of their knowledge,
experience and skills while leaving behind the constituencies and commitments
which can stand in the way of uncluttered, impartial and imaginative thinking.
His Excellency Dr Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda
and current Chair of the Smart Partnership Movement, believes Smart Partnership
is the only place he knows where people can think and talk independently.
The problem is we are
always rushing all the time… CPTM is a caucus for informal think-tanking for
new ideas.”
One such new idea is
the African Peace Hub, developed at the Global Dialogue in Munyonyo, Uganda in
2009. The African Peace Hub is designed to be the fulcrum of a virtuous wheel
of peaceful and sustainable development across the continent, supported by the
body of experience developed and held within the centre. The African Peace Hub
was officially inaugurated at the opening of the African Union Summit in
Munyonyo in 2010.
In 2013, the “Year of
Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance”, we are delighted that Tanzania will
join the list of Smart Partnership Dialogue host nations. In selecting the
theme for the Dialogue, “Leveraging Technology for African Socio-Economic
Transformation”, His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United
Republic of Tanzania and CPTM Fellow, has chosen a topic at the very heart of
the Smart Partnership Movement. Smart Partnership is about creating limitless
opportunities and wealth that is shared, sustainable and resilient and that
allows the participants to function in the global economy. Its successful
functioning depends on a mutually beneficial and ‘prosper thy neighbour’
relationship among ‘Partners’, who believe that the application of technology
can support sustainable development and greatly improve socio-economic conditions
across the world.
As well as being the
collection of devices, components and engineering practices in a given context,
technology is also a means to fulfill a human purpose. Technology Inclusiveness
refers to policy frameworks and approaches for using Innovation to foster
‘inclusive growth’, not only strong growth, but ‘resilient and smart growth’.
This approach requires synchronisation, joined up thinking and action with
measures to support new entrants with riskier projects in advanced materials,
nanotechnology, information and communication technologies, super computers,
biotechnology and advanced manufacturing. Tapping into the vast array of
technologies now available enables countries to develop new activities or
modernize existing ones, and to increase the competitiveness of agriculture,
industry and services. Education and communication are vital if these new
elements are to be accepted and practiced by citizens, leading to positive
economic and societal developments. Technology also facilitates the production
and deployment of renewable energies and “green” technologies, supporting
energy and water efficiency or enabling more efficient health services.
The Smart Partnership
Movement prides itself on facilitating the exchange of experience, benchmarking
and dialogue, which is particularly relevant to the theme of its Global 2013
Dialogue. The engagement and interactions between members of the public,
private and civil spheres within the Movement over the past three years have
produced three specific inclusion initiatives that contribute to
socio-economic transformation and will be key features of the Dialogue in June.
Innovation is not only about the transfer and deployment of new technologies.
Technology management should be integrated into the National Vision and
objectives of the people it is designed to serve and a mixture of traditional
and modern means is often the most fitting way of turning these visions
into reality. Such innovation plays a key role in Smart
Partnership’s continuing support of National Visions in Botswana, Cameroon,
Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland and Uganda,
among others. These innovative solutions must also abide by international
standards, with customer care and awareness as well as quality management
integral to sustained success. Adherence to such standards also enables a
greater market access and consequently contributes to economic development.
Financial inclusion is also vital, covering both the financing of SMEs and
encouraging entrepreneurship as well as the optimal use of growing financial resources
derived from natural resources and raw materials to develop infrastructure,
support education, improve social welfare and invest in local projects.
The Smart Partnership
Movement looks forward to supporting the African Union’s valuable work
achieving its vision of a prosperous Africa over the next fifty years and
beyond.
May 2013
CPTM Smart Partners’ Hub, London
SMART PARTNERSHIP MOVEMENT
Council of Patrons & Advisers
Chair of the Smart Partnership Movement and Host Patron
& Adviser of Uganda (Global ‘09) together with Heads of State/Government
from Malaysia, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, as well as Ghana & Barbados
HOST PATRON & ADVISER
GLOBAL 2013
H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
President of United Republic of Tanzania; CPTM Fellow
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