UPDATE: Here’s video of Clinton’s speech via the State Department

Here’s a post from ONE’s Nora Coghlan, who is on the ground at the AGOA Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.

The AGOA Forum officially began this morning in Nairobi, with welcoming remarks from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.

Taking the podium first, Clinton pointed to the U.S. government’s strong attendance at the forum (the Secretary is joined in Nairobi by Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and Rep. Nita Lowey, Rep. Donald Payne and Rep. Jim McDermott) as evidence of the importance that she and President Obama place on trade and commerce, both between the U.S. and Africa and among African countries. Clinton said that her trip would build on the President’s message during his recent visit to Ghana that progress in Africa requires not only partnerships based on shared responsibilities, but also shared opportunities. Clinton applauded the African-driven progress on the continent in recent years, citing Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery, Sudanese entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim’s efforts to measure and reward accountable governance, and most recently, the new underwater cable that was installed off the coast East Africa, bringing high speed internet to millions of Africans.

Sec. Clinton then listed out areas that demand greater attention moving forward: trade, development, governance and women. On trade, the Secretary said that the U.S. wants to be Africa’s partner, not its patron. She pointed out that if Africa (which currently accounts for 2% of global trade) could increase its trade share by just 1%, global trade would bring in more earnings than development assistance.

Clinton acknowledged that while market access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was necessary, it isn’t doing enough to transform African economies. She said the U.S. is ready to roll up its sleeves to lower remaining trade barriers and will work with African businesses and governments to build capacity and diversify product eligibility. She also encouraged African countries to open up trade with each other (African nations trade the least with each other when compared to any other region in the world), noting that there are 700 million consumers in Africa and only 300 million in the U.S.

On development, Clinton said that the administration is committed to ensuring that trade and development policies work together and that the U.S. would look to enhance efforts to provide trade capacity. She also reiterated President Obama’s intent to double foreign assistance by 2014. This money, she said, would be spent differently than in the past, with a strong focus on results and country-driven solutions. There would also be greater coordination within the U.S. government and among donors about development policy. Clinton also announced that she had been asked by President Obama to convene a food security meeting and she would lead on the new agricultural initiative recently announced at the L’Aquila Summit in Italy ($20 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years).

Sec. Clinton then echoed much of President Obama’s speech in Accra, noting that while democracy is important for strong development, democracy is about more than just the ballot box. It is about strong institutions, an independent judiciary, free press, and a vibrant civil society.

Turning to the future of Africa’s women, Clinton noted that despite the efforts of prominent African female leaders (Kenya’s Wangari Mathai and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf), the social, economic and political marginalization of Africa’s women continues to undermine progress and prosperity on the continent. Women, Clinton said, are doing the work of an entire continent: collecting water and firewood, harvesting farms and raising the next generation of leaders. With the right tools and opportunities, women will transform their communities—and the entire continent.

Clinton ended by saying that Africa has all the right ingredients for an extraordinary explosion of growth, prosperity and progress. There is no reason to wait.

Clinton’s remarks were then followed by a video address from President Obama. The President echoed much of what he said in Ghana, noting that in an increasingly interconnected era, the economic fortunes of the U.S. and Africa are intertwined and the seeds of the global economic recovery will need to be planted everywhere. He also said that trade between the U.S. and Africa has not reached its full potential. Open markets are a first step, but they have to be accompanied by enhanced trade capacity and a commitment by African governments to respect the rule of law, promote accountability and transparency, and improve investment climates.

More on Kibaki and Odinga’s remarks to follow.

-Nora Coghlan