16 March 2004

Benin President to participate in the ECOSOC High-Level Segment on the LDCs

Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing Countries made an official visit to Benin on 8 and 9 March 2004 to extend an invitation to President Mathieu Kerekou to participate in the forthcoming High-Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council. Mr. Chowdhury carried an official letter of invitation from Mr. Kofi Annan and ECOSOC President Ambassador Marjatta Rasi of Finland to President Kerekou. Benin is the current Global Chair of the Bureau of the Least Developed Countries.

Mr. Chowdhury briefed the President on the High-Level Segment of the ECOSOC to take place in New York from 28-30 June 2004 at the United Nations on the theme "Resources mobilization and enabling environment for poverty eradication in the context of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010". The President's participation and keynote presentation will bring new life to the commitments made in the Brussels Programme and will also strengthen dialogue among Governments, International Organizations and Civil Society.

President Kerekou appreciated the High Representative's visit to his country. He also expressed appreciation to OHRLLS for creating international awareness on the issues of the least developed countries. The President also expressed interest in his participation in the ECOSOC High-Level Segment.

The High Representative also held discussions with Mr. Rogatien Biaou, Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration, Dorothé Sossa, Minister of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights, who was also Interim Minister of Planning, and with the Development Partners in Benin.