Speech

Statement to the COMESA Council of Ministers

Dr. Andrew Sisson USAID Regional Director, REDSO/ESA

 | Monday, May 30, 2005

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you Mr. Chairman for inviting USAID to participate, once again, in the COMESA Council of Ministers’ meeting. This is the second COMESA meeting I have had the pleasure to address here in Rwanda in as many years. As some of you may know, Rwanda has great significance for me, as it was here, more than 20 years ago, that I began my career in the Foreign Service. Rwanda has a special place in my heart, not just because of how far it has traveled in the last decade. But because Rwanda is a truly beautiful country, with great potential. And it is a country that is developing its economic base with a regional vision.

USAID’s relationship with COMESA is now seven years old. Over the years, the Regional Economic Development Services Office of USAID has collaborated with COMESA to help build business partnerships, develop trade, strengthen institutions, improve program management and achieve regional harmonization in the telecommunications sector.  More recently, we extended this partnership so that we could continue to enhance trade opportunities, not just between my country and COMESA – but among COMESA member states as well.

In seven years, more than 50 development projects have been funded through USAID/REDSO’s partnership with COMESA. I’d say that’s a fairly prolific relationship. And one of which I personally am very proud. COMESA has made some great strides.

For instance: substantial improvements to the Secretariat’s financial, personnel and procurement systems have resulted in an unprecedented level of donor confidence. Such confidence will undoubtedly result in smoother project implementation and needless to say, more projects. I congratulate the COMESA member states for nurturing a wonderful organization that is delivering development to the region.

There has been some excellent cooperation between COMESA and USAID/REDSO- funded activities such as the Regional Agriculture Trade Expansion Support program and the East and Central Africa Global Competitiveness Hub. Staff members from both these regional trade projects are working within the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka to ensure effective partnership and implementation. This has resulted in some fantastic success stories for the region and for Rwanda in particular. 

Regionally, the ECA Hub organized three trade missions to the United States last year for textiles and apparel, and for handicrafts and gifts. Collectively, 23 companies from the ECA region participated in these shows and completed deals worth more than $3.5 million dollars. Each dollar that the ECA Hub spent to organize these trade missions resulted in $30 of exports to the U.S. under AGOA. And of course, nothing makes me happier than to tell you that two-thirds of those 23 companies were owned and operated by women.

Earlier this month at a trade show in New York, a Rwandan handicrafts company – owned and operated by women, struck a deal with the American high-end fashion chain Macy’s, which will carry the company’s “Peace Baskets.” This same company also has some business deals percolating with TJ Maxx and The Hunger Site. So we’re doing pretty well on the COMESA/US trade front just here in Rwanda.

I was very excited to hear that the COMESA Secretariat has been assigned the lead role in coordinating the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Programme under NEPAD for the East and Central Africa region. This Policy has been endorsed by African Heads of State and Governments as a framework for the restoration of agricultural growth, food security and rural development in Africa. I cannot stress more strongly how important it is for agricultural policy in Africa to be advanced by African organizations. This is everything you have been working for over the past decade and I’m personally very proud that ASARECA and RATES were able to provide you with the support to make this happen.

Progress moves forward on the One-Stop-Border Posts project that COMESA is undertaking with the Northern Corridor Transit Transport Co-ordination Authority. Malaba has been chosen as the pilot site, funding is available to rehabilitate the railway quarters to facilitate quick train clearance across the border. A business plan has been developed and work is on-going to support the Revenue Authorities as they develop an integrated cross border information technology system to clear goods more quickly at the borders. The continued support of policy-makers for a clear legal framework for this project is crucial to its success. This is a project that could radically change the commercial capacity of this continent, and this is the region that can make it happen – it’s in your hands.

Last year, in this building, at the First COMESA Minister’s of Gender meeting, I spoke about the difference between adoption and implementation. And as I total up all the successes this year, I have to say that I think you heard me.

But it’s incumbent upon me to reiterate that message and add that when I encouraged you to move forward, I did not mean one step forward and one step back. You don’t have time for backsliding when you’ve got so many great projects at such critical junctures. If you endorse something, move forward with it. If you agree to a project like “Maize without Borders” don’t follow it up with an export ban on maize.

It’s not enough to endorse. It’s not enough to adopt. I’ll say it again: Make implementation your goal. Back up the talk by doing the walk. Keep that as your goal, appreciating that the future of this region is in your hands.

Congratulations on a stellar year. This Council of Ministers meeting along with the COMESA Business Summit enables us to share practical trade experiences during our interactions here in Kigali.  Let me assure you of continued USAID support to trade promotion in the region.  I look forward to welcoming all the AGOA-eligible COMESA member states to the upcoming AGOA Forum in July in Dakar.

Once again, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts with you.