It is a singular honour that Egypt hosts the 11th African Union summit. It once again stresses the importance that Egypt attaches to Africa. President Hosni Mubarak made that abundantly clear in his keynote address. Egypt, he emphasised, wants to spearhead African development working hand-in-hand with her sister African states. Unfortunately, not all the continent's problems were raised at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit. There was not enough time to focus on the economic and social challenges that the continent is grappling with. The food crisis is the major concern for the continent's people. Africa is faced with grave development and security challenges, not least of which is food security. In fact hunger and environmental degradation are the most pressing problems and the reason behind the eruption of wars and conflicts. Governments are wrestling with serious social and health issues such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is directly related to abject poverty and wars. The food crisis has hit the poorest and most vulnerable members of society the hardest. Access to safe potable water, appropriate sanitation and hygiene is prerequisite for the well- being and health of the poor. Africa's advancement necessitates drastic measures. Environmental sustainability has never been more vital for the continent's development and progress. At this rate, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) would not be met in Africa. An estimated 60 per cent of the continent's population lacks proper sanitation, and unsafe water-related diseases kill millions of Africans every year. African countries are lagging behind other continents in all the social and development indicators. African leaders gathered in Sharm El-Sheikh must not just pledge to improve the situation, they must have the political will to actually do something about it. They must implement with immediate effect the environmental conservation programmes that eradicate contamination by agricultural and industrial production waste. Donor nations, too, are expected to help with expertise and funding. Africa's development is not only going to be of benefit to the continent, but to the entire world. Asian countries are recognising this fact. Indeed, African development has become the focus of countries like China, India and Japan. Africa is not just seen as a source of raw materials, but as a market for their products. North Africa, too, must strengthen ties with Africa south of the Sahara. The five member states of the African Union that are on track to meet the MDGs sanitation target are all North African countries. The situation south of the Sahara is untenable. Hundreds of thousands of Africans are dying from drinking contaminated water. North African countries can support African countries south of the Sahara in more creative ways that would benefit everyone and every country north and south of the Sahara. Countries like Sudan with vast agricultural development could emerge as the breadbasket of the entire Arab world. However, the development of the agricultural sector in Africa needs funding. In order for Africa to feed the Middle East, the Middle East must finance development projects. This is why the leaders gathered in Sharm El-Sheikh this week stressed Arab-African cooperation. The secretary-general of the Arab League called for the convening of a joint meeting of the African Union and the League of Arab States. This is a timely reminder of the vital importance of such a meeting.
