Karl Nehammer, the Federal Chancellor of Austria, has urged African nations to embrace digital innovation in order to help them overcome issues related to food insecurity.
While not all current problems could be resolved solely at the government level, he claimed, digitally innovative ideas would be urgently required to come up with solutions that would promote growth and guarantee the sustainability of the food supply.
During a visit to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra on Wednesday, Mr. Nehammer announced the second iteration of the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa and stressed the importance of food security for societal resilience.
"Unfortunately, despite efforts at all levels to reduce hunger, the number of people who are hungry, malnourished, or undernourished has been on the rise for some years now," the Chancellor emphasized.
The Chancellor also reaffirmed Austria's willingness to extend its five-year collaboration agreement with the KAIPTC, which now expires in December 2023.
The Kofi Annan Awards for Innovation 2024 will support promising African social entrepreneurs who have a sustainable business model in developing digital solutions to honor Kofi Annan's legacy and dedication to a more fair, just, and equitable world. The awards are intended to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on good health and wellbeing.
It is sponsored by the Kofi Annan Foundation, the Austrian Development Agency, the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, and the Federal Chancery of Austria.
Ukraine invasion
According to Mr. Nehammer, the attack by Russia on Ukraine severely disrupted food security, putting 140 million Africans in danger of going hungry.
Therefore, he emphasized, "it is essential to support entrepreneurial innovators whose ideas may be able to mitigate the adverse effects of the Russian attacks on food security."
In addition, he said, "I would like to encourage young entrepreneurs with digital solutions that will aid in addressing food insecurity while raising awareness of entrepreneurial opportunities for young people." Austria, he added, would support any effort by Ghana and its partners to improve food sustainability.
KAIPTC
Major General Richard Addo Gyane, the KAIPTC's commandant, provided the Chancellor with a summary of the center's operations and revealed that the KAIPTC has, over the years of training, equipped military, police, and civilian personnel for multifaceted peacekeeping and peace support operations with the necessary skills and competences to address complex challenges to peace and security in West Africa and throughout the African continent.
Without the assistance of our devoted development partners, Major General Gyane stated, "the work we do in strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture and other regional structures and mechanisms of the AU in peace and security could not have been possible."
A new strategic phase for the center coincided with the announcement by the Chancellor that the Memorandum of Understanding would be extended, which he thought was necessary.
The introduction of the Humanitarian Assistance in West Africa (HAWA) Core Course and the Political Advisors Course, thanks to the support from the Austrian government within the framework of our current strategy, has allowed the KAIPTC to strengthen the capacities of ECOWAS and the African Union, according to General Gyane.
He also emphasized that the center wanted to improve the Women Peace and Security Institute's activities by turning it into a department and adding a crucial new agenda by concentrating on youth.
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