COMMUNICATION OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EMMANUEL SINZOHAGERA, SPEAKER OF THE SENATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI AT THE 10TH CONCERTATION MEETING OF ASSECAA

                                               ESWATINI KONGDOM

                                   ROYAL SWAZI CENTRE EZULWINI

                                               May 12, 2023

Theme: “The importance of the green economy to support development in Africa and the Arab world”

Honourable Enaam Mayara, Speaker of ASSECAA and current Speaker of the House of Councilors of the Kingdom of Morocco;

Honourable  Lindiwe Dlamini, Speaker of the Senate of the Kingdom of Eswatini;

Honourable Colleagues, Speakers  of Chambers;

Honourable Secretary General of ASSECAA;

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. I am pleased to express my sincere thanks and great appreciation to the Government, Senate and People of the Kingdom of Eswatini for the generosity, hospitality and warm welcome we have received since our arrival.

• It is also an honour for me to express my joy at this meeting organized to discuss “the importance of the green economy in achieving sustainable development in Africa and the Arab world “.

• Every year, the world loses a lot of forest trees. Much of this deforestation occurs on land in Africa and the Arab world and often without prior informed consent.

• Everyone knows that forests are the most valuable resources for people and the planet. Forests are home to many terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects around the world. Forests recycle water; maintain constant and healthy humidity and rainfall.

• Nevertheless, many hectares of forest are destroyed each year, mainly as a result of the search for agricultural products.

• In recent decades, in the absence of appropriate adaptive capacities, the environment has not been taken into account in the dynamics of economic expansion in the context of both exogenous and endogenous factors, constituting barriers to sustainable development.

• According to the Country Analysis Study (2019), it was found that in Burundi, national planning had not taken into account the protection of the environment, and therefore, the repair of the infrastructure of the socio-economic life due to the effects of environmental degradation has been enormously costly.

• It is therefore imperative to consider a new development paradigm which takes into account the sustainable use of resources for the well-being of the population.

• The green economy therefore stands out as a pillar for sustainable development in the dynamism of a complex world, a world in perpetual change;

1. As Antonio Guteres, Secretary-General of the United Nations so aptly pointed out, “the green economy is the future. It promotes prosperity, creates decent jobs, addresses the root causes of conflict and contributes to the full enjoyment of all human rights, not only civil and political ones, but also economic, social and cultural ones”.

1. Burundi is aware that economic growth is closely linked to the protection of the environment and the creation of sufficient jobs. The environment has no borders; its protection requires the combined efforts of everyone.

1. Like other countries, Burundi is committed to making the green economy an important tool, at the service of sustainable development, able to stimulate shared economic growth, job creation and the elimination of poverty, while preserving the proper functioning of ecosystems.

1. In order to participate in these joint efforts, the country has initiated a national greenhouse gas mitigation programme by initiating a reforestation programme called “EWE BURUNDI URAMBAYE”, meaning: OOH BURUNDI, YOU ARE FULLY COVERED– which started in 2016 and which has recorded encouraging results.

1. I would not end my speech without informing you that Burundi is one of the few countries in the world which do not benefit from waterways from outside our country.

1. On the other hand, many countries, starting with neighbouring ones, benefit from a lot of water from Burundi.

1. To those who perhaps did not know it, let me inform you that the southernmost source of the Nile River, very useful for certain countries in Africa and the Arab world, is in Burundi.

1. I therefore take this opportunity to invite the member countries of ASSECAA to come and invest in the field of the environment in Burundi in order to contribute to the promotion of the green economy in our country and consequently in all the countries benefiting from waters of our two river basins, the Nile River Basin and the Congo Basin. Because, the disruption of water sources in Burundi would have enormous consequences in many countries in Africa and the Arab world.

1. You will thus have contributed to the sustainable development of our country, of a large number of countries of Africa and the Arab world.

Thank You for Your Kind Listening!