One of the things that became clear, and which was actually rather disturbing, was the fact that there was a view which was being expressed by people whose scientific credentials you can't question.

I think that probably the most important thing about our education was that it taught us to question even those things we thought we knew. To say you've got to inquire, you've got to be testing your knowledge all the time in order to be more effective in what you're doing.

The matter rests with all of us gathered here,

The (energy) sector that you represent is central to global economic and social development and, therefore, has enormous possibilities to contribute to an atmosphere of optimism affecting all countries, especially the developing countries,

Gloom and despondency have never defeated adversity. Trying times need courage and resilience. Our strength as a people is not tested during the best of times,

I am an African. I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land.

Our experience over the last 20 years has shown that indeed people must themselves become their own liberators. You cannot wait for somebody else to come and rescue you.

As Africans, we need to share common recognition that all of us stand to lose if we fail to transform our continent.

We should never become despondent because the weather is bad, nor should we turn triumphalist because the sun shines.

A global human society, characterised by islands of wealth, surrounded by a sea of poverty, is unsustainable