ITREALMS:
The African Union
Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, H.E Professor Sarah
Anyang Agbor has said the first Global
Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa (GMES and Africa) forum
is evocation of the aspirations envisioned by the people of Africa in Agenda 2063,
reports ITREALMS.
The GMES and Africa, ITREALMS recalled kicked off in the
Gabonese capital, Libreville, was jointly organised by the African Union
Commission and the government of Gabon.
The forum, which is the first gathering of all stakeholders
involved in the GMES and Africa programme Prof. Agbor said will awaken the
means to harness its resources to drive its own development on a sustainable
basis.
She pointed out that
the pressing imperative for Africa to invest in technological innovation and
harness its existing human capital for better health, education and
infrastructure systems, cannot be over-emphasised.
The Head of the European Union delegation to Gabon,
Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tomé-et-Principe and CEEAC, H.E. Ambassador Helmut
Rudolf KULITZ, stated that "GMES and Africa and its predecessor programmes
represent more than 15 years of fruitful cooperation with Africa on Earth
Observation and a European contribution of more than €100 million.
The 1st GMES and Africa Forum is centred on the theme
“Unlocking the Potential of Earth Observation as a Key Driver of Africa’s
Sustainable Development”, a reference to the existing imbalance between the
continent’s potential and the actual benefits it derives from Earth Observation
dividend. The theme addresses the means of harnessing opportunities offered by
Earth Observation to leverage Africa’s socio-economic development.
‘By putting end users at the heart of product and service
development, GMES and Africa has become a vision for the sustainable and
efficient management of natural resources and security in Africa’, remarked Guy
Bertrand Mapangou, Gabon’s Minister of Digital Economy, Communication and Post
Office, who is also the government spokesperson.
Pix: Professor Sarah Anyang Agbor
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