The world would be a better place, Mister Speaker, if there were greater understanding of the power of cooperative action. We welcome the constructive tone emerging from the G20 meeting last weekend. We welcome the commitment to increase global output by $2 trillion and to increase jobs.

Nonetheless, we remain concerned about the self-justifying narrative from certain quarters in the developed world – the idea that emerging markets are the “problem”, that they must “get their houses in order” and that global cooperation for a more humane and sustainable future is a project for another day.

These are voices from precisely those places where huge regulatory failures led to the financial earthquake we have experienced. Geo-political gamesmanship is the order of the day, collaboration in addressing global challenges is deferred and global statesmanship is in retreat.

As Africa rises, building democratic institutions, expanding infrastructure and growing trade and employment, the central priority will remain overcoming poverty and inequality through initiatives that shape our own growth path, and partnerships that create our own destiny.