regularly go without electricity. if we can help you power africa, that will empower the people of africa to grow their economies. that's why under president obama's leadership as he will discuss later today, the united states is helping to mobilize private investment and offer financing to help americans provide for -- excuse me, to help africa provide for yourselves, clean, affordable and abundant electricity, which is badly needed. today, the united states will sign a $500 million millennium challenge corporation contract with ghana to strengthen its energy sector. let me give you an example of u.s. efforts to help power africa look like in practice. last week the u.s. export/import bank authorized a loan guarantee to support long-term financing

at azedu, the power plant on the ivory coast. the country is just emerging from a civil war. the commercial banks weren't ready to offer long-term financing, but america stepped up to fill the gap by guaranteeing a loan for the west african development bank. and in so doing, we are helping azodo upgrade that facility to increase its output by nearly 50%. american jobs manufacturing steam turbines for export are from ska neck tany new york and maine. this is one project expected to increase the overall supply of electricity in the ivory coast by as much as 15%. and create one of the most efficient power plants in west africa. as much as we hope to accomplish in partnership with you, we also know that nothing would be more

consequential to african future than the steps nations take to em pow your people to make the most of their talents. of course, to state the obvious, no two countries in africa or anywhere else are the same. no two countries will do it the same way. but there are certain common ingredients to success in the 21st century that have become self evident. the need for greater economic integration. a court system that adjudicates disputes fairly. a commitment to invest in all of a society's people and respect their rights. because countries that respect citizen's equal rights no matter who they love, their religion, tend to be the most attractive to attracting international talent and international investment. it's good business. it's just simply good business. rules that level the playing

field for private companies, it's good business. regulations that make it easier to start businesses. today, there is genuine success, a number of stories that can be pointed to. business startups costs in africa have fallen nearly 70%. startup costs for businesses have fallen nearly 70% just since 2007. the time to start new business has been cut in half. it's no surprise then that 400,000 new companies worldwide have registered last year to do business in africa. that's a big deal. [ applause ]. when the world bank ranked the 50 most improved countries with respect to efficient business regulations, 20 of them, 20 of the 50 were in africa, including the most improved environment in

the world, rwanda. we all know there's a great deal more work to do, but we all know the way to get it done. it's hard but we know the path. we know that in the unforgiving daylight of the global economy, investments can and will go elsewhere when it sees excessive regulation, a broken judiciary or wide-spread corruption. there's a reason why, mr. mayor and madame secretary, after years the united states of america is once again the destination of all the major companies in the world considered the best environment in the world to invest because we have a court system that's real. it works. corruption is de minimis, energy costs, et cetera. i think what we underestimate the most and i think the leaders all here know it, is corruption

is a cancer. it's not just ethically wrong, it's economically crippling. by some measures, elicit financial flows out of africa in recent decades, including corruption, measure in the hundreds of billions of dollars. some studies have estimated over a trillion dollars. corruption is a global problem, it's not an african problem. it's present everywhere from the ukraine to east asia to even here in the united states. and we have to take it on together. that's why president obama helped launch the open government partnership where eight african nations, the united states and 55 other nations act together on a common commitment to a more open transparent and accountable institutions. and that's why america is doing its part to ensure our legal and financial systems cannot be exploited to launder the

proceeds of corruption and theft from africa. this includes new proposals from president obama to prevent the use of unanimous u.s. registered shell companies. that's why we've joined 23 african countries in the extractive industries transparency initiative. that's a mouthful, but there's a lot there. because africa's natural wealth should not be stolen and repetriuated under the cover of darkness. it should enrich africa's people under the rule of law. i'm known as the mayor will tell you in the white house as the white house optimist. i feel very good about that because when they say that it implies i'm the new guy that i haven't been around a long while. i've been there longer than all of them, but i'm more optimistic today than i have when i got elected as a 29-year-old kid as

a united states senator, because the promise and potential around the world, particularly in africa, is immense. it is immense. and africa's economic future is profound. i'm optimistic about my own country. you know, i have traveled about a million miles just since being vice president. and i don't think there's a major leader in the world i haven't met over the last 30 years, just because of my job, not my consequence. and i'm reminded by some world leaders what i have told them in the past and i say it again, it's never, never ever been a good bit to bet against america. it is never, ever been a good bet to bet against america. and america is betting on africa. the idea, the idea and the

reality are just immense, possibilities are immense. we're betting on each other. africa on america, america on africa. and what we can accomplish together for the enormous benefit of our people. i will end, if you'll forgive me, by quoting one of my favorite poets. john kerry who you'll hear from next, tell me my colleagues always kidded me because i'm always quoting irish poets. they think i quote irish poets because i'm irish. that's not the reason. i quote them because they're the best poets in the world. that's why i quote them. one of my favorite contemporary poets who just passed away once wrote in a poem called "the cure of troy." he said, history says don't hope

on this side of the grave. but then, once-in-a-lifetime that tidal wave of justice rises up and hope and history rhyme. we have a chance. you have a chance. you have a chance in africa to make hope and history rhyme in a way that has never occurred before. we want to be your partners. we want to compete for your business. we want to compete for your hearts and your interest. and we want to see you succeed because when you succeed, the entire world succeeds. thank you for giving me the time. i look forward to meeting you all tomorrow. thank you. [ applause ].

ladies and gentlemen, please welcome secretary of state of the united states, the honorable john f. kerry. ♪ >> good afternoon, everybody. i've had a chance to be able to say a few words to a number of you at a few different events in the course of yesterday and even today, but i appreciate this chance to be part of the business forrum. i want to thank first of all the vice president, who has been a friend of mine for 35 or 40 years now, 29 of them in the senate. and i thank him for his contribution of conscious and of commitment to africa that he has made for as long as he has been in public life. in the senate, we worked hand in hand on darfur, south sudan.

as the vice president said, he has traveled far and wide but especially as vice president to ghana, kenya, south africa, to help build transparent and accountable institutions and to help lift millions of people out of poverty. i also want to especially thank michael bloomberg for everybody -- and everybody has, it's appropriate, the bloomberg philanthropies for sponsoring this event. michael's contribution to africa comes not just in the form of this summit, but through his latest commitment of $10 million that he made just this february to african countries to build media capacity with a business focus and to promote reliability in reporting, educational opportunities and the transparencies that the vice president just talked about that markets needs in order to give capital confidence and in order to grow. and finally, i also want to thank penny pritzker.

fellow member of the president's cabinet, but a terrific partner in our endeavors to make certain that people understand that in this globalized world, in the transformative societies we're living in today, that economics -- excuse me -- is not divorced from foreign policy. it is foreign policy. and foreign policy is economic policy. they absolutely go hand in hand and we are working very, very closely to marry the efforts of the commerce department and the state department in order to assist companies and to work for american business but also to work for the countries that we represent in terms of their interests and their vision and their aspirations. penny, as you all know, spent 30 years building a business empire, literally. she understands that the investments in africa are a two-way street. and when we help nations stand on their own two feet, we create

opportunity elsewhere in the world and that everybody benefits as a result of that. now, my singular responsibility and privilege is to represent the united states of america in our diplomacy. i get to wear the hat of the top diplomat of the state department and it's a privilege. but i want to say something to you today that is not just from the business perspective, but comes from the wearing of that hat, which is a reflection of the people i see and the countries i visit, the leaders i meet and talk with, the aspirations that i hear, all of them express, and the firsthand opportunity i get to sink my teeth into other people's culture, other people's history and see the world as they see it and see even america as they see

it. everyone here understands that we are living in a very different world from two years ago, from five years ago, ten years ago and certainly from the world that emerged with the fall of berlin wall and the end of the cold war. forces had been released everywhere that have changed everything because of their own ideology in many cases or in some cases just outlook on the world. but also because other things have changed. a world -- i sat with a number of young diplomats in the state department not so long ago and one of them recently minted from college in the foreign service school and this new world of technology made a very profound observation to me, which has had an impact on my thinking about power and how it works. he said that a world where power

used to be defined exclusively in hierarchies, is now a world where power is defined in networks. and in much of africa and across the networked world, it is evident -- we heard the statistics earlier of the number of people who have cell phones in africa today -- everybody shares everything with everybody all the time. and the fact is that that changes politics. it changes the cross currents of decision making. it changes how political leaders can or can't build consensus in order to try to make decisions and bring their people along with them as they make those decisions. it also obviously profoundly changes business, something that bloomberg has understood way ahead of the curve, which is why they've been so successful.

it changes hopes and dreams and aspirations. and every political leader and every business needs to be tuned into that reality no matter how hard some powerful leader of a country might desire, no one can put this jeannie back in the bottle and change what is happening. so, because of that, we face a very common challenge, all of us together. in africa, there are some $700 million people under the age of 30. a staggering youth bulge, unknown at any time on the face of this planet. and the fact is that all of them -- or most of them -- not all of them, but most of them with their increasing awareness of this world we live in are desperate for opportunity, yes, but also for dignity and for

respect. on the other side, we all know too well there are extremists, too many radical religious extremists, who distort theology, religion, and even ideology. and they are prepared to seduce these young people in a very calculated and disciplined way to lure them into what is nothing less than a dead end. and we've seen the instability that this creates, all of us. and what's important is that none of them, none of those extremists, they don't offer an education that helps a young person gain a skill. they don't help anybody to be able to compete. they don't have one idea about a health system. they don't build infrastructure. they don't tell you how to build a nation. and they don't talk about how

they would provide jobs or offer a vision for the future. they are stuck in the past. they're challenges ma dernty and because of it it's our challenge, too. so, there's something else about those extremists and it reflects a little bit on what the vice president just said to you. it's not just the lack of jobs and opportunity that give them their opening and their recruitment tools. they're just as content to see corruption and aloe garky and resource exploitation fill a vacuum because it may look like economic growth on paper, but that's another way that they can seize on the frustration and exploit the sense of lack of opportunity and violation that is the anger of so many people to whit, a young fruit vendor.

there's another target that they can turn to. they are the swing voters in a sense in the struggle against extremism. so, my friends, that is our challenge. it's not just to come here and do business. that's important, obviously. it is the key, the economic key to the future. and we have to do business to grow the jobs pror s provide th skills, provide the tax base to be able to do the things we want to do, but we have to come together, all of us with a unified vision and a purpose so that we can present this growing number of young people in africa and across the world with a viable alternative, quality education. with skills for the modern world. and with jobs that allow them to build a life and have a family and have confidence in their countries. all of us together have the greatest stability of any people on the planet to be able to

provide this opportunity. and it's not just economics that creates the sustainable growth in shared prosperity. it's also this larger vision of what life is about and why there is a greater purpose than just living to work. you have to work to live and there has to be a living there that's worth it. so we know beyond any doubt that the places -- and this is polite summary of an experience here in america where we do not profess to have all the answers nor would we suggest to you that ours is the only track, but one thing that we have learned is that in the places where people are free not just to develop an idea but to debate different ideas. to have not just a job but the promise of innovation, entrepreneurship, to transform

the best ideas into reality and into a business and into a future, those are the societies that absolutely are the most successful and the most stable on our planet. and this success is not a mystery. it's not something that's hard to achieve if you make the right choices. it's possible for all of africa. and that is how one can choose to have an africa that's is not defined any longer, as it has not been for these last 10 and 15 years as it goes through this transformation defined by conflict less and less, but it becomes an africa that is defined by rights and by capacity, by dignity, respect and opportunity. and opportunity is something that bow koe ha ram and many other groups will never ever provide. so when the united states is home to some of the most innovative and well known and respected companies in the world and when africa is already home to some of the fastest-growing

economies in the world and new leadership that is anxious to grab the future, we have to do more together. we have to partner, which is the theme of this conference, to invest in the next generation. to create good jobs for young africans. to provide families with clean power and clean water. to build societies where an open exchange of ideas and information are the defining hallmark. businesses is not just the sake of business, all of you know that, at least not for most of the thoughtful business people here and in our country. it is for providing the foundation for people to be able to live their lives with that opportunity, dignity and respect. i don't have to remind anybody here that nelson mandela, one of the greatest leaders the world has ever seen in all time did

not spend 27 years in jail so that he could get out and run a business with no disrespect to anybody here. he did it so that people of his country would have an opportunity to live up to an ideal. he did it for rights. human rights, that are the foundation of any civilized society. and those rights across the continent are best lived out, best given meaning in strong countries with strong economies where prosperity is shared by a strong middle class. so i close by just saying there is absolutely no question in my mind from the excitement that we felt yesterday at the first meeting to the energy that we felt in all of your presence here and in the meetings and discussions thus far, all of this is not just possible, it is the future. but we have to make the right choices about skills and education and opportunities. and that will define the

u.s./africa partnership. and if we work together, if everybody gets this right, this, this meeting at this moment and the days ahead of us can literally become a pivotal, defining moment for our future history and for the world. thank you all very, very much. [ applause ]. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, the president of the republic of rwanda. [ applause ]. >> the president of the republic of sene gal. the president of the republic of south africa. the president of the republic of tunisia. the president of the united republic of tanzania. and our moderator, co-anchor,

cbs this morning an core and executive editor, mr. charlie rose. >> thank you. thank you. [ applause ]. >> thank you very much. you have heard in the days of this summit that it is historic. you just heard the vice president and the secretary of state talk about its significance that it is change things, that it is a summit that is historic. you have also heard that this is africa's moment. that this 21st century is africa's century. you know that a lot of people, not just in the united states, are paying attention. but african leaders are here. and as we hear from people in the west who want to talk about africa's moment and africa's potential and africa as a partner, what we hope to hear here this afternoon is from africans who lead their

countries in difficult times, talk about the economy, talk about security, talk about education, talk about infrastructure, talk about governance, but also talk about their own vision as how they see africa. and i want to start with the question this afternoon as how they see where africa is, what they expect, what they need, and what they would like to see done. so i will begin and we'll go down the row because they don't speak with the same voice, obviously. they have different issues and different problems, but we're talking about a continent. and i want to hear from them in terms of the significance of this conference and what you expect and what you need and how you see what you've been hearing here. would you reflect on that for me? >> i start it?

>> yeah. >> okay. well r well, this conference is significant in the sense that, one, it's the first of its kind, the first ever. we have the u.s./africa summit bring all african leaders together, meeting africa and the u.s. leadership. of course, the u.s. has relations with all the countries gathered here, political, diplomatic, we receive assistance from them. but a meeting that brings together the u.s. government and the u.s. private sector, this is something unique. and we have a lot of expectations because we want to move not only from our relationship to not only be relations between a donor and a

recipient, but we want to move to the level -- the next level now of investments and trade. and my colleagues can compliment. many of us have been visiting the united states, doing road shows in many towns, investment forrums, talk to u.s. businessmen and we have not been as successful. i think this time the president of the united states, the vice president, secretary of state, secretary of commerce telling the -- encouraging the u.s. business community to take africa seriously, i think this time we'll make it. [ applause ]. >> good. >> of course, i think that our

states -- africa states are extremely interested in promoting relationship with the united states with the american business community, of course. because if we want to solve some of our social and economic problem, we badly need the support of the united states and the american business community. but i must say also that we have to learn from history. let me think -- let me try to imagine the problem from the prospective of african woman, african young, african citizens. for them, of course, it's very important that, you know the figures are better, that there is an improvement between the united states and africa and so forth. but i think what is most important for those citizens is to improve the quality of the life. so get better services, health,

education, and so forth. and sometimes, you know, having an important business community doesn't mean automatically that the life would improve. for instance, we can see in africa what we're seeing in many other countries, widening the gap between rich and poor. more and more pollution and so forth. so we have to have -- to keep this in mind and to be sure that improving business climate, improving the economic figures and so forth, that's not enough for the african citizens. we have to link -- and this is the main lesson that we have to learn from history and from the experience of other countries, we have to link social development, political development and economic development, otherwise we are going to make these same errors

that have been made elsewhere. and then i wouldn't say it would be nothing because of course if we do improve the faith of 100 million people, it's important. like what's happened in china, for instance. >> right. >> but that's the lesson that we have to grow from what happened elsewhere is that really we have to link social economic -- that means social justice, political development, that means democracy and human rights and fighting against corruption and then the economic development. if we don't link those three factors, what we are going to have is -- well, another situation leading to another crisis, leading to another crisis and it will never end with it. [ applause ]. >> thank you very much for the opportunity. well, firstly we believe that

this come together is going to help enhance the relations between the united states and africa. it will certainly consolidate what is there as the relations. i think that this is an opportunity for us as the african leaders to interact firstly with the government and secondly with the business community in the united states. that is very important. i also think it came at the right time when africa is, in fact, organizing itself better than before in terms of how

economically it is looking at itself. how it is developing necessary things like the infrastructure. how it is looking at itself the intertrade within africa which puts it in kind of a better position. but also it came at an opportune moment, when as you know, agoa, which has been the kind of very clear instrument for our relationship is left with one year to elapse. and we are saying we have an opportunity to deal with those issues, to put our views to the united states that would want the extension of agoa, so that we could have a better kind of relationship between us. we now have an experience that we can discuss better as to what

is it that we need to do to better consolidate and enhance our relations as the two. so, it is, i think, an opportunity that came at an opportune time. and i'm sure, we will -- when we end this interaction, we'll be better placed to deal with our relations. [ applause ]. >> thank you very much. i will speak in french. i'm sorry. maybe you will need to tell your cast. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> translator: i would like very seriously to tell you how much i appreciate the initiative of president obama to call for this meeting between africa and

united states. it's a historical opportunity which allows us to confirm the change of perspective towards a vision of africa, africa which used to need aid. i'm going to give you an example. the magazine "the economist" in may 2000, its headline was, with a picture, of course, you had a young guy and it said africa at war and it said the hopeless continent. ten years later, the same magazine "the economist" had a title about growth in africa and it said, "a lion in a cage" and the title was -- "uncaging the lion." so this image, within ten years,

shows you how africa has changed. together, we must modify this perception here. the business community in the united states would feel more at ease, more confident in order to work with the african private sector. first of all, in africa. africa is a huge continent. there is room for everybody. americans, europeans, chinese, you name it, everybody has its place in africa. it is an africa of over -- continent over 30 million square kilometers. everything has to be made. roads, rail ways. there is opportunity for both africans and the rest of the world. africa must no longer be seen as a land of human tear emergency or diseases, for instance. even if right now we are facing

a terrible epidemic, ebola, but these things will need to be treated. the world must be optimistic towards africa. africa is a land of opportunity. this is the perception that we wanted to share with you. a land of opportunity where growth can be shared and earlier on i was following the speech made by vice president biden. he said that the american investment on the continent creates employment in the u.s. it [ applause ] >> i want to thank president obama and the united states for providing the opportunity for this summit. the united states and africa forging the kind of partnership that is very substantial and crucial to development,

>> i want to thank president obama and the united states for providing the opportunity for this summit. the united states and africa forging the kind of partnership that is very substantial and crucial to development,

especially now. the points made by some people. people are talking about partnering globally and locally. global and local together as the best way of creating a partnership, and i want to add that people are also talking about the growth that has been realized by the continent of africa. even when there are known problems that are talked about, for example, lack of electricity, lack of power, and some people are saying imagine what happens in terms of these growth rates across africa if

there was no shortage of power. you could talk about many other things. so for this partnership i think many things that exist in africa whether it's technology, business, trade investments, the benefits that come with that and these gaps being filled, just imagine what is going to be unleashed in terms of growth as well as development. but, of course, these come -- you have to -- you have to be grounds on which growth can translate into development. so, each of the members in the

partnership have responsibilities and roles to play. on our side we can do more of providing for business, years of doing the business. we have to continue investing in creating rule of law. we have to continue providing education to our people and the skills. many things including health, operations. we need to have a board of

health. in addition to education, the skills, this growth will continue for many years ahead. so for me the importance of this summit is very well captured in what we can do together, in the possibilities that can be provided by the united states of america whether it is technology, finance, it's different opportunities that would be availed in this partnership to africa for the continued growth and development of our people as well as the good returns and satisfaction of our american partners in terms of companies as well as the political establishment that is also behind the creation of this partnership.

so this is where we're stuck. >> we want to talk about -- [ applause ] -- a story that was referenced and is on the front pages of newspapers around the world is the ebola crisis. there is some concern that is being expressed loudly of a tipping point. tell me what your fears are about the ebola virus. obviously two heads of state are not here from sierra leone and liberia because they are, you know, on the front lines and trying to deal with that. what are your fears? what can be done? what kind of cooperation is taking place, both within africa and with other nations around the world? >> of course, the epidemic is in west africa. we are not in west africa. >> but planes go --

>> i'm not talking about that. but there was an ebola outbreak in the congo which borders that. there was an outbreak last year in uganda, which borders tanzania, so we are also concerned and we have more importantly mechanisms of possible response. that's where it stands. i think we have established that so that just in case there is a report of a possible ebola -- ebola outbreak or ebola infected person, we do this evaluation and analysis and then confirm if it is there. so i think we are more taking the precaution, the precautions just in case.

with a picture of course. you had a young guy with a kalashnikov. he said, africa at war. he said, the hopeless continent. ten years later, the same magazine. the economist had the title about growth in africa. it said a lion in a cage. and the title was uncaging the lion. so this image within ten years shows you how africa as changed. together we must modify this perception here. the business community of the united states would feel more at ease, more confident in order to work with the african private sector. first of all in africa, africa is a huge continent. there is room for everybody.

americans, europeans, chinese, you name it. everybody has its place in africa. it's a africa, over 30 million square kilometers. everybody has to be made. roads, railways. there's opportunity for both, for africans and the rest of the world. africa must no longer be seen as a land of humanitarian emergency or diseases for instance. even if right now we are facing a terrible epidemic, ebola. but these things must be treated. africa is a land of opportunity. this is the perception that we wanted to share with you. a land of opportunity where growth can be shared and earlier on, i was following the speech made by vice president biden. he said that the american investment on the continent creates employment in the u.s.

it benefits american growth. that's what he said. is it within this win-win partnership that we came to meet our american brothers from which -- from whom we were separated so long. but we'll talk about that later. the separation concept. the continents, i mean. we are very happy to be here in order to engage especially with the american private sector and talk about the perspectives of africa today. thank you. >> -- my colleagues here on the panel, thank you. thank you to president obama and

the administration of the united states for providing the opportunity for us to bring this together in the united states and africa, to forge the kind of partnership that is very essential and crucial to the world events, especially now. and that to me -- refers to the earlier points made by some people on your panels. people are talking about partnering globally and locally. global and local together. as the best way of creating a partnership. and i want to add that people also are talking about the growth, the rates that have been realized by your continent of africa. even when there are known problems that you also talked about, for example, lack of electricity, lack of power. and some are saying imagine what

wufb -- would have been in terms of these growth rates across africa if there was no shortage of power. you could talk about many other things. so through this partnership, i think many gulfs that exist in africa today, whether it's business. trade investment. the benefits that come with this and these gaps being filled just imagine what is going to be unleashed in terms of growth as . . so each of the members in the partnership have responsibilities and roles to play. from outside we still have to do more of providing for business. ease of doing business. we have to continue investing in creating rule of law.

we have to continue providing education to our people and the skills. many things including health, operations. need to have good health. you know, in addition to education, to skills, this growth will continue for many as it has. so for me, the importance of this summit is very well captured in what we can do together in the possibilities that can be provided by the

united states of america whether it's finance, it's different opportunities that would be availed in this partnership to africa for the continued growth and development of our people as well as the good returns and satisfaction of our american partners, in terms of companies as well as the establishment which is also behind the creation of this partnership. so this is where we stand. >> we want to talk -- a story that was referenced is

on the front pages of newspapers around the world is the ebola crisis. government agencies, ministers, public officers, anybody who has to deal with a budget now must make a statement of his own wealth. we have a national office of fight against corruption. we are trying to put in place instruments that can follow the evolution of economic growth in our country. so you have to be optimistic on africa. you have to start the fight for the development and i call upon

american businessmen to come to africa. there's no more -- no risk in africa. no more than other continents and you are -- your investment is much higher. the ebola virus, let me say how big is my solidarity towards the victims. i'm a neighbor of guinea. i'm almost a neighbor of sierra leone. we are in the crucible, in the eye of the cyclone. but i will tell the international community that ebola is a devastating virus. it is not an african disease. you have to see this virus as a threat against humanity. it is a threat against humanity because with intercontinental flights, all you need is a flight to the u.s. and to europe so that you have a world crisis, a total crisis. so we have to mobilize the entire community, all the scientists in the world. all the researchers have to work

on that in order to win. just like we did it for the plague, t.b., like aids is being vanquished. so it is this solidarity of the international community that we are requesting. to support the victims. >> go here first. go ahead. either way. you decide. >> thank you. thank you. let me compliment what my brother just said, but in a different way. i think even threw the partnership like this one, provided by the opportunity of this summit africa needs -- we need to continue building our capacities and strengthening our institutions, to enable us to avoid over dependency that has been there for too long. but we avoided that by building capacities and cooperation and

integration. people working together. so that we are able to own up to our mistakes, to our weaknesses. and own up to our solutions and contributing to our solutions. so that we can even tell our story. you find we even depend on others to tell our story. so that's how destruction has come about. so i really think there's not much time to waste as time goes with africa, in terms of building this consensus, this working together, this owning up so that we cooperate and partner with others rather than being too dependent on them. so this is an opportunity we have to leverage this

partnership and to address that particular problem. >> thank you very much indeed. firstly, i would like to agree with my brothers that let's take ebola as a disease that is affecting humanity. rather than just to look at it as an african problem. fortunately, i said earlier africa is organizing itself. even the health organization's continentally are working together. that's why we're confident that this time around, we are working

together to address this problem of ebola. but i must also say that it's an unfortunate thing that africa is imported in an important way. at times out of perceptions. even countries that are fighting corruption, the very fact that they're fighting corruption is a story that there's more corruptions in those countries. that's a problem you have. africa is organized better. we discussed many of these issues together in the a.u., in the manner that is far better than 20 years ago. we share everything together. we take common resolutions where we say let us deal with this challenge that faces us today. earlier i mentioned for an example the infrastructure that we together agree there's no debate about it. it's a question of dealing with

it. and then showing that africa operates better. there are things that are not important about the continent. there is an instrument for an example that we have. peer review mechanisms. nobody is talking about this globally. it's a unique instrument where countries in the continent subject themselves to their

peers to review them, look at them. they first submit reports and it is discussed in the a.u. forums, to criticize if there are things to criticize in the manner in which countries have been run. and there isn't such an instrument, it's only found in africa. should that be the problem of the continent? i think it is important for people to look at africa and see that africa is changing. there's a good story that's coming out of the continent in terms of working together. in terms of understanding our problems. instead of in the point of owning up to what in the past could have been mistakes. today, i think we stand a better chance as the countries in the continent to better ourselves. we appreciate this opportunity because we are then in the position to tell our own story rather than people telling the story on us. >> exactly. yeah.

>> today i spoke i think at the african economies are performing better today. 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies are in africa. the period between 2011 and 2015, it is projected that 7 out of the 10 fastest growing economies will be in africa. but why are we there. because of strong -- pursuit of sound economic policies. also, the pursuit of sound political policies. there is -- democracy has taken roots. governance is