Your Excellency President Mohamed Ould, outgoing Chairperson of the African Union; Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government; Your Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat, outgoing Chairperson of the African Union Commission; Your Excellency António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations; distinguished ministers, ambassadors, diplomats, ladies and gentlemen: welcome to Ethiopia, the cradle of pan-Africanism and a proud champion of African unity and freedom. It is an honor to stand before you today as we reflect on the immense potential we hold, not just as individual nations but as a united and dynamic continent. In a world marked by rapid change and multiple challenges, we find ourselves at the crossroads of uncertainty and opportunity. This moment calls upon us to strengthen our collective resolve, embrace resilience, and foster unity across Africa.
The theme for this year's assembly calls on us to heal the scars of historical injustice and overcome lingering trauma that has long hindered our progress. The demand for reparations is not about charity or financial aid; it is a call for justice. It seeks to restore the dignity of millions and heal the deepest causes of poverty, inequality, and discrimination. It demands an end to the systematic exploitation of our wealth, resources, and opportunities. It also calls for a transformative process that acknowledges past harms and takes bold steps to right the wrongs caused upon us, upon societies across the continent. Thank you. Most importantly, the call for reparations requires not just words but concrete actions to affirm the equal worth of every human being.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, to achieve lasting peace, justice, and prosperity, we must rise above the geopolitical tensions and the historical divisions imposed upon us by colonial borders. By fostering solidarity among all of our nations and embracing a shared destiny, we can pool our resources and talents to unlock our continent's full potential. Africa's cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity is a source of pride and strength upon which we must build inclusive governance and equitable development. Conflict resolution, diplomacy, and peacebuilding must remain at the heart of our efforts. By championing African solutions to African challenges, we can secure lasting peace and stability. Let us celebrate our achievements in politics, science, economics, and the arts. Strategic initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area give us the tools to boost intra-Africa trade, reduce external dependency, and achieve self-reliance. With Africa's large and dynamic youth, abundant natural resources, and growing technological innovations, we have all the means to ensure sustainable growth.
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, offers unprecedented opportunities to transform our economies and societies. By collaborating in AI, fintech, renewable energy, and mobile technology, we can address shared challenges such as climate change, infrastructure gaps, and public health crises. Africa's rich and diverse data sets are essential for training robust and inclusive AI models. This highlights the importance of African representation in shaping future technologies. However, as we embrace these advancements, it is essential to protect our data sovereignty, prevent digital exploitation, and develop homegrown AI solutions that reflect African values and contexts. As our data sets grow, so must our capacity to harness them for local and global good. When used responsibly, AI can be a powerful tool in conflict prevention, transparent governance, and inclusive development. Africa must actively participate in the global technology race to ensure we are competitive players in the evolving digital landscape, while also ensuring we benefit equitably from this technological revolution.
Furthermore, Africa's voice on global issues must grow stronger, ensuring that we have a say in shaping governance frameworks and other much-needed reforms in the global order. By empowering grassroots movements, youth networks, and educational programs focused on digital literacy and technological innovation, we can inspire the next generation. This will ensure Africa stands not just as a beneficiary of global advancement but as a key contributor in shaping the future of humanity.
Excellencies, the opportunities before us are immense. Ethiopia is determined to prosper, guided by a vision of vibrant democracy, sustainable economic growth, rich cultural heritage, social progress, and a deep commitment to environmental regeneration. To realize this goal, we have laid out a pragmatic roadmap rooted in the transformative principles of 'Mermer.' Mermer, an Amharic term loosely translated as synergy, is our guiding philosophy. It is a homegrown ideology that promotes prosperity, unity, sovereignty, security, and national dignity. At its core, Mermer encourages social and economic advancement, celebrates diversity, and nurtures a spirit of community grounded in Ethiopia's rich culture, spirituality, and values. Reflecting on the progress of the past five years and building on the vision of Mermer, Ethiopia has made remarkable strides. Despite inheriting a nation deeply divided along ethnic lines, burdened by substantial debt, and facing numerous internal challenges, we have moved forward with determination. At the same time, we navigated a complex and ever-changing regional and international landscape. Yet through resilience and cooperation, we continue to move closer to the realization of our shared vision of prosperity.
Our achievements speak for themselves. Allow me to share a few highlights. We have reformed our political system, transforming it into an inclusive multiparty framework that reflects the diversity of our nation. To deepen these reforms and foster cohesion, reconciliation, and peace, we are undertaking a national dialogue. On the economic front, we have built a resilient and diverse economy. Over the past five years, we have doubled our cultivated land, increasing crop production to nearly 700 million quintals, with wheat accounting for 40% of this total. These efforts have strengthened food security and driven rural development. Today, Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in Africa. Thank you. Through collective efforts, we have reduced external debt by over 50%, doubled both GDP and GDP per capita, and tripled government revenue in five years, with an 88.1% growth reported in the most recent fiscal year. Across the country, our major cities are evolving into dynamic, culturally rich, and sustainable hubs. In education, we have established 40,000 kindergartens and primary schools to boost early childhood education. Additionally, we have launched a program to train 5 million coders to strengthen our digital economy. Furthermore, we strive to honor our heritage by restoring national sites, developing tourist destinations, and reclaiming cultural artifacts, fulfilling our duty as the guardians of our nation's treasures. These accomplishments reflect the unwavering spirit and resilience of the Ethiopian people and underscore our firm commitment to advancing Ethiopia's future. With its focus on unity, cooperation, innovation, and shared progress, Mermer can serve as a guiding framework for our pan-African agenda. By embracing its principles, we can forge a path toward a more just, equitable, and prosperous future for all Africans.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, let us march forward with determination, harnessing the limitless potential of our continent and its people. The time is now to claim our future, build a legacy of equality and prosperity, and secure dignity for all. Let us be the generation that unites the continent and our diaspora in a shared vision of justice, prosperity, and peace. To conclude, I thank our outgoing Chairperson, President Mohamed Ould, for his leadership and for representing our organization on the global stage. Allow me to also warmly congratulate our newly elected Chairperson, President Joao Lourenco, and wish him success during his tenure. I would also like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat for his exemplary leadership as Chairperson of the African Union Commission over the past eight years. Throughout his tenure, His Excellency Moussa Faki has shown unwavering commitment to Africa's development, peace, and integration, significantly strengthening the African Union's role in addressing the continent's challenges. I also extend my sincere thanks to him for being a steadfast friend of Ethiopia, supporting us not only during our times of success but also in our moments of difficulty. Thank you, my brother. As we bid farewell to His Excellency Moussa Faki, it is with great pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to our incoming Chairperson of the African Union Commission here in Ethiopia. I am confident that under his leadership, we will continue to make great strides toward achieving our collective goals. I wish him every success during his mandate. Thank you for your attention, and I wish us all a fruitful summit. God bless Ethiopia. God bless Africa. I thank you.
