BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
Revolution of the earth might not always bring about seasonal differences of summer and winter autumn and spring. Thus, the cloud led economy and agrarians relied on the primary economic activity are always at risk unless statesmen devise problem solving policy and strategy on the utilization of natural resources.
If African leaders cannot respond quickly and proportionally to situations, plot and conspiracies by other groups that want the continent to crawl under poverty, denying the right over natural resource, our destination might end up being undesirable. So be on the alert, otherwise, the continent will serve the lords of poverty being milked while its calf is starved. Putting in place regional integration and say no to nose poking stance of spoilers must be a priority to Africans.
Scientists put forward that Climate change” and “global warming” are often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings. Similarly, the terms “weather” and “climate” are sometimes confused, though they refer to events with broadly different spatial- and timescales. According to UN News, Climate change is having a growing impact on the African continent, hitting the most vulnerable hardest, and contributing to food insecurity, population displacement and stress on water resources.
In recent years and months, it has been seen devastating floods, an invasion of desert locusts and now faces the looming specter of drought in Ethiopia and other African countries with much possibility of contagious hazards. Among the strategic component to integrate Africans is to use natural resources based on the principle of shared benefit and mutualism. The aquatic wealth of Africa alone is of great significance to up line the continent among others.
Presently lots are victim of natural disasters due to international conventions only to serve little. For instance, some are allowed to construct unilateral projects over Transborder River while others are denied sovereign right over natural resources while they are the source. Colonial and postcolonial protocols are still serving the western to exploit Africa and sustain unilateral interest of neocolonialism. Beyond country’s territory was being demarcated based on colonial treaties, Africa is not allowed to utilize its natural resources. Such and such factors are producing such and such results like disasters due to the clorofloro carbon emitted by the western and reluctant to compensate for the damage .
Besides, the western continue their stubborn stance and undermine the aspiration of Africa and always yearn to engulf new thoughts, paint caricature of leaders to undermine better serving African men and women. Though it is controversial to accept the protocol of Berlin conference – a gear shifter moment to scramble Africa which put forward claiming water as exclusive property was condemned in that very time, Africans are denied of utilizing their natural resource and building unilateral projects on their sole natural resources. Africa is struck by natural disasters due to the western nation rapacious plan which move with no or little environment stewardship. Consequently, the lung of the planet is ushering natural catastrophes like drought. For one’s surprise the continent is unable to take advantage of its affluent resources to get rid of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency.
It is obvious that Ethiopia has traveled distant in the history of state formation and appeared to be one of the glorious countries that inscribe glittering successes being remained independent against all odds. Adherence to the principles of nonintervention on internal affairs is the cardinal principles of the United Nations in determining sovereignty of states. Ethiopia, being the signal for the rest of the continent brothers is still on driving signal and considered as always on the fore front for Africans political and economic independence with getting into numerous ventures.
The aspiration to take advantage of sovereign right over natural resource and construction of unilateral projects and initiative for environment stewardship, being the holder of the steer in the green legacy should be reinforced and awarded by the international community. Existentialism is a whole inclusive philosophy to consider everything as a part; as one failed to do so the infected part is likely to be expanded and grow to be a cancer and cease the entire. As Ethiopia is committed to abide to international principles of nonintervention on internal affairs of countries, the world also has to give due respect for Ethiopia and Africa to handle matters at home based on universal norms, laws, and conventions.
As to the statement of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia is a country with long and proud history being one of the early members of League of Nations and a founding member of the United Nation (UN). It is also one of the architects of the Organization of African Unity. Abiy conveyed his message across the international community to remember Ethiopia’s commitment to multilateral cooperation and a world order based on the principle of norms of international law is firm, long standing and unwavering. Ethiopia has always been on the vanguard of a rules-based international system as demonstrated by, for example, its position as major contributor of troops for various UN and AU peace keeping mission in various parts of the world.
As it is clearly stipulated in Article 2(7) of the Charter of the United Nations, and embedded in the legal and normative order of the African Union, the fundamental element of the international legal order is the principle of nonintervention in the internal affairs of sovereign states. Thus, the international community needs to understand the interest of Ethiopia and Africa as a sovereign state to handle internal affairs by own capacity as long as the country adheres to the aforementioned governing principles, norms and protocols. To this end, countries of Africa need to evaluate their relation and adopt sound policies in selecting strategic partners and form robust bonds based on the principle of mutual benefit.
Here it would be of great importance to understand strategic partnership in the international sphere of diplomacy for dignifying and signifying the interest of a given country. From a diplomatic point of view, a strategic partnership entails an exceptionally close relationship between countries or other entities that are vital to promoting each other’s strategic interests. Strategic partnerships are mostly created with highly valued partners, which are carefully selected based on a realistic assessment of the significance of the partnership to the long-term interests of the nation concerned.
However, this does not necessarily mean that both countries should recognize each other as strategic partners. Country X may identify country Y as a strategic partner, while the latter may not identify the former as its strategic partner depending on the countries’ interests. Customarily strategic partnership is reflected through regular engagements, joint ministerial commissions, and other joint institutional mechanisms. Mostly states institutionalize strategic partnerships. Yet, there are no universally agreed or specific criteria to identify strategic partners. Even a country may not follow a uniform standard to identify and categorize its partners as strategic and non-strategic.
An ordinary partnership is a relationship created as part of the standard diplomatic practice based on the idea that international relation is progressive. Partners are important countries, organizations, or other entities but not valued as important as the strategic partners. This kind of partnership may not require institutionalized engagement. Having in mind the above definition of strategic partnership Africans should emancipate mental slavery and neo-colonialism with regional integration envisaging the utilization of the blue economy based on the principle of shared benefit and no hegemony.
Besides they are urged to continue their solidarity in averting ill policies posed by the western and keep going saving the planet taking the initiative of the green legacy that Ethiopia is on the lead. The initiative is one of the interventions to avert threats of climate change. Besides, it is part of utilization of natural resource and the humanity has to scale up with no prohibition of rule and the beginning of wisdom in utilizing the gift of nature.
So what is the green legacy’s impact? According to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, the Green Legacy Initiative has multiple targets as it naturally touches on various targets of the 2030 Agenda. Contribution to food security is one of the objectives of the Initiative. The initiative directly feeds into the current drive of becoming food self-sufficient by promoting sustainable agriculture as envisaged in Sustainable Development Goal 2. The Initiative is a major flagship project that will help attain its adaptation goals as set in the National Adaptation Plan. Ethiopia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Frequent droughts, floods and locust infestations are some of the manifestations of the extreme of climate events. Over the past four decades, the average annual temperate in Ethiopia is estimated to have risen by 0.37 degrees Celsius each decade.
Being directly linked to Goal 13 of the SDGs, the Initiative complements Ethiopia’s efforts to reduce its vulnerability. Moreover, forest conservation, reforestation, restoration of degraded land and soil as well as the promotion of sustainable management of forests. Ethiopia’s forest coverage has been declining for decades at an alarming rate. Between 2000 and 2013, the net loss of forest cover was 72,000 hectares a year which is equivalent to 100,840 football fields. The Initiative intends to reverse this as this is unsustainable in a country where 85 per cent of the population depends on rain fed agriculture.
Overall, the innovative aspect of the Initiative lies in its potential to address multiple objectives. This entails enormous benefits in environmental protection, restoration of overexploited and degraded natural resources such as surface soil and water, halting desertification and many other interrelated objectives. The enormity of the interlink will significantly contribute to Ethiopia’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian
THE ETHIOPIAN WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2023
