A CALL FOR ACTION AS POVERTY STALKS AFRICA

The Human Development Report for this year was launched in Ethiopia with a call for Africans and the international community to apply "joint" efforts in the fight against poverty and in dealing with many other development challenges facing Africa.

Decrying the litany of broken promises in the past - on the part of the world’s rich nations and African leaders - Dr. Patrick Asea, Chief Economist at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said that a different approach was becoming increasingly vital if meaningful development is to be achieved in Africa.

He added: "What is needed is a new framework to be agreed both by us Africans as well by our development partners to make sure that any new commitments to Africa will be honoured, " he said, adding: "the important thing is that promises are accompanied with a process to back them up."

Speaking on 21 July during the launch of the Human Development Report at the conference centre of the ECA in Addis Ababa, Dr. Asea cited key commitments in Africa like those on trade and aid and debt relief to finance poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, as well as conflict that had not been honoured by the wealthiest countries of the world. However, he noted African leaders have also made many promises to spur regional integration, cease conflicts and civil strife, open up the democratic space and fight corruption. Sadly, many of these pledges have been broken, said the economist.

The theme of this year’s report, "Millennium Development Goals: Compact among nations to end human poverty" drew attention to the eight goals that emanated from the Millennium Declaration - a solidarity compact between world leaders made at the historic Millennium Summit to end poverty in the 21st century. Among others, the goals include, halving poverty and hunger, achieving universal Primary education,, reducing child mortality by 2/3 and ensuring environmental sustainability, ad by the year 2015.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who gave a keynote address on the "Practical Challenges to Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa" termed poverty reduction as central to achieving the MDGs. "If there is anything that encapsulates all the various Millennium Development Goals, it is the fight against poverty," observed the Prime Minister. Citing the example of Ethiopia, Mr. Meles said that poverty eradication in the country is largely about rural agricultural development. "This is so not only because 85 % of our population and an even larger percentage of the poor live in rural areas but also because rapid rural and agricultural development is the quickest and most reliable means of reducing urban poverty."

According to the 2003 Human Development Report, Ethiopia ranks 169th out of 175 countries with a Human Development Index of 0.322. Available data shows steady progress in human development in Ethiopia over the years. "However, as one of the priority countries, much progress needs to be done," stated Samuel Nyambi, the UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is among 59 countries where, unless urgent action is taken, the Millennium Development Goals will not be met. In the words of Professor Jeffrey Sachs, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on MDGs: "Ethiopia needs a lot more help from the international community to achieve these goals." Prof. Sachs was one of the special guests who attended the launch. Also present were religious leaders, senior Government officials, representatives of UN bodies and the diplomatic community. UNMEE was represented by the DSRSG-Addis Ababa, Cheikh Tidiane-Gaye.

Prime Minister Meles (centre) with other guests at the launch

BANGLADESHIS BUILD BETTER BARENTU SCHOOL

UNMEE’s Sector West Administrative Officer Imad Azmi has launched a Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) education project for Aciti Elementary School in Barentu. It involves three major engineering tasks - refilling the school’s eroded schoolyard with soil and sand, digging a 15-metre draining trench to divert water from a hillside to a river close to the school and refilling deep holes in the backyard of the School. The work will be carried out by the Bangladeshi Engineering Company, in partnership with the Gash Barka Administration of the Ministry of Education.

CIMIC Officer Sergeant Mohammed Oblie said that the project followed successful complition of engineering projects at Al-Wahda and Selam Elementary Schools which are also in Barentu. As part of their ongoing work, Sgt Oblie said that the CIMIC office in Sector West had also submitted Quick Impact Project (QIPS) proposal for the construction of classrooms and the provision of electricity for the school as well.

Major Madani Senghore, a newly arrived Gambian CIMIC Officer, said that he was pleased that one of his first assignments was to coordinate the efforts with the Bangladeshi Engineering Company and the local administration in order to provide the students of the Aciti Elementary School with a much safer and more pleasant environment. The Bangladeshi Engineering Company also welcomed the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of school children in Gash Barka.

SAO Imad Azmi inaugurates UNMEE Education Project in Barentu