WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.350 --> 00:00:10.950 Look, I firmly believe, coming from the Global South, 2 00:00:10.950 --> 00:00:14.730 and from a country that does not have huge resources 3 00:00:14.730 --> 00:00:17.280 and political influence or power 4 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:20.700 over, perhaps, compared to other bigger countries, 5 00:00:20.700 --> 00:00:24.090 that we do have an important role to play, 6 00:00:24.090 --> 00:00:28.110 not just as contributors to the global discourse 7 00:00:28.110 --> 00:00:31.620 on how the world can become a better place, 8 00:00:31.620 --> 00:00:36.210 but also by ensuring that we can mediate 9 00:00:36.210 --> 00:00:40.170 during discussions on peace and security, 10 00:00:40.170 --> 00:00:41.910 precisely because 11 00:00:41.910 --> 00:00:45.570 we do not have this strong power and influence. 12 00:00:45.570 --> 00:00:48.900 So I believe that multilateralism really 13 00:00:48.900 --> 00:00:53.250 has a lot of room and a lot of potential 14 00:00:53.250 --> 00:00:56.130 for the so-called smaller countries 15 00:00:56.130 --> 00:00:57.480 to make their contribution, 16 00:00:57.480 --> 00:00:58.950 but also to benefit. 17 00:00:58.950 --> 00:01:01.320 Because after all, it's an interdependent world, 18 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:05.340 and there's a way in which COVID-19 showed us, 19 00:01:05.340 --> 00:01:10.340 that, big or small, powerful or powerless, rich or poor, 20 00:01:11.010 --> 00:01:14.610 there are certain developments, which are negative, 21 00:01:14.610 --> 00:01:18.600 like disease, like climate change, and disasters 22 00:01:18.600 --> 00:01:20.550 that are going to affect us all equally. 23 00:01:20.550 --> 00:01:23.130 So we all have a role to make sure 24 00:01:23.130 --> 00:01:27.240 that things move in the correct direction for humanity. 25 00:01:27.240 --> 00:01:30.330 I spoke about what we can contribute, 26 00:01:30.330 --> 00:01:31.860 what leverage we have, 27 00:01:31.860 --> 00:01:35.520 some of the, perhaps, the experiences 28 00:01:35.520 --> 00:01:37.500 that we can share with the world, 29 00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:40.260 but let's not forget the challenges 30 00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:44.940 that, of course, confront or are presented 31 00:01:44.940 --> 00:01:47.730 to developing countries like Botswana and others 32 00:01:47.730 --> 00:01:50.490 on the African continent, in the Global South. 33 00:01:50.490 --> 00:01:52.710 The challenges of development, we are not there yet. 34 00:01:52.710 --> 00:01:55.890 As I said, we graduated from being an LDC, 35 00:01:55.890 --> 00:01:57.480 a least developed country, 36 00:01:57.480 --> 00:01:59.880 to being an upper-middle income country, 37 00:01:59.880 --> 00:02:02.470 but that doesn't mean that we are a rich country. 38 00:02:02.470 --> 00:02:06.270 On the contrary, we do have needs as a country. 39 00:02:06.270 --> 00:02:11.267 We have a very high percentage of young people, 40 00:02:11.267 --> 00:02:16.267 well-educated, but our economy does not produce enough jobs 41 00:02:16.272 --> 00:02:20.845 to absorb these young people into productive employment. 42 00:02:20.845 --> 00:02:25.845 These are huge challenges, and that is where, I believe, 43 00:02:26.305 --> 00:02:31.297 we can deal with these challenges by working with others. 44 00:02:32.760 --> 00:02:35.130 Within Africa, as I said, we are members 45 00:02:35.130 --> 00:02:37.080 of the Southern African Development Community, 46 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:40.410 where we try to deepen integration 47 00:02:40.410 --> 00:02:41.880 between the economies of the region. 48 00:02:41.880 --> 00:02:44.591 We are, of course, in the African Union, 49 00:02:44.591 --> 00:02:46.080 and therefore a member and a signator 50 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:48.300 to the African Continental Free Trade Area. 51 00:02:48.300 --> 00:02:51.030 We need to increase trade within Africa. 52 00:02:51.030 --> 00:02:53.340 I mean, we spoke earlier about 53 00:02:53.340 --> 00:02:55.980 how trade flows and money needs 54 00:02:55.980 --> 00:02:58.320 to get into the African continent, 55 00:02:58.320 --> 00:02:59.670 but within Africa, 56 00:02:59.670 --> 00:03:02.640 the rate of intra-African trade is very low. 57 00:03:02.640 --> 00:03:05.070 It's less than 15%. 58 00:03:05.070 --> 00:03:10.070 So this is why the African Intercontinental Free Trade Area 59 00:03:10.230 --> 00:03:15.150 is so important to generate the jobs, 60 00:03:15.150 --> 00:03:17.520 using technologies that, again, 61 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:19.835 we can partner with countries outside Africa, 62 00:03:19.835 --> 00:03:21.750 in the Global North, 63 00:03:21.750 --> 00:03:26.340 from a position of not only dependence and receiving aid, 64 00:03:26.340 --> 00:03:31.140 but also from a position of technology transfer 65 00:03:31.140 --> 00:03:36.125 through capacity building with countries from outside Africa 66 00:03:36.125 --> 00:03:38.403 and outside the Global South. 67 00:03:38.403 --> 00:03:40.170 I believe that, through these institutions, 68 00:03:40.170 --> 00:03:43.050 including many of the institutions in multilateral, Geneva, 69 00:03:43.050 --> 00:03:44.580 this is already happening, 70 00:03:44.580 --> 00:03:48.852 but it can move at a quicker pace, 71 00:03:48.852 --> 00:03:53.835 and in a way that really empowers young people 72 00:03:53.835 --> 00:03:57.902 in the Global South to benefit 73 00:03:57.902 --> 00:03:59.700 from the fruits of the resources 74 00:03:59.700 --> 00:04:02.550 that are exploited in their countries 75 00:04:02.550 --> 00:04:04.260 for the benefit of other continents, 76 00:04:04.260 --> 00:04:09.260 but also to benefit the young people in these countries 77 00:04:09.510 --> 00:04:11.133 where the resources come from.