The 58th Annual Meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the 49th Annual Meeting of the African Development Fund (ADF) were held at Sharm El Sheikh International Congress Center (SSHCC) in Egypt, between 22 and 26 May 2023 The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Judith Suminwa, led the Congolese delegation to this important meeting.
In her speech at the meeting of members of the Board of Governors of the AfDB as Governor, Ms. Judith Suminwa congratulated the AfDB for the success of these meetings and expressed her gratitude to the Egyptian government for its hospitality. She also recalled the contribution of the DRC to the fight against climate change, stressing that the country has more than 150 million hectares of tropical forests, or 61% of the forests of the Congo Basin, and represents the second largest rainforest that absorbs CO2 and regulates the global climate.
Furthermore, Ms. Suminwa highlighted the importance of the peatlands of the DRC, which constitute a natural store of more than 40 giga tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to more than two years of carbon emissions globally. of greenhouse gases. She also underlined the enormous potential of the INGA dam, which would allow the country to become a major player in the production of renewable energy.
Finally, Ms. Suminwa pleaded for greater mobilization of funding and for increased investment in renewable energies through integrative projects, as well as for local processing of minerals strategic to the energy transition. She also called for improved governance of forests and minerals for exploitation in accordance with the principle of sustainable development and in a way that promotes peace.
The DRC is fully committed to the exploitation of its natural resources, and its government seeks to avoid carbon emissions while preserving biodiversity. The country’s initiatives aim to strengthen its role in the fight against climate change, while promoting sustainable economic development. With such a strategic vision, Congo seems to be on the right track to continue to play a key role in the development of Africa.