ECA Press Release 08/2006, 11 May 2006
Ouagadougou, 11 May 2006 - Africa must urgently implement comprehensive national, regional and continental strategies to tackle the challenges of poverty eradication and job creation, Burkina Faso's Minister of Economy and Development Seydou Bouda said on Wednesday.
He was addressing African policy makers at the opening session of a three-day technical preparatory meeting of the Committee of Experts, ahead of the 2006 Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Burkina Faso. The conference, organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) under the theme `Meeting the challenge of employment in Africa', runs from 14 -15 May.
In his welcome address, Bouda stressed that recent improvements in economic growth rates on the continent had insignificant impact on poverty, partly because most people had no secure employment or source of income. He also said he regretted the fact that little progress had been made in implementing the "Ouagadougou Declaration", a plan of action on employment and poverty reduction adopted in September 2004 at the Extraordinary Summit of African leaders in the Burkinabe capital. Minister Bouda therefore urged the Committee of Experts to propose appropriate strategies for effectively implementing this declaration.
Abdoulie Janneh - in his first address to the Committee of Experts since assuming the post of UN Under Secretary General and ECA Executive Secretary in 2005 - noted the importance of implementing strategies for productive and decent livelihoods for African people in line with the Ouagadougou Declaration and within the context of national poverty reduction strategies. Furthermore, Janneh underscored the importance of strengthening institutional capacity and fostering "sound and lasting partnerships" in order to ensure effective implementation in this area.
He urged the meeting to consider ways of establishing a "regional employment forum" of technical experts and policy facilitators, drawn from the African Union (AU), African Development Bank (ADB), International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and ECA. This forum would aim to "assist member states to develop capacity and to facilitate learning and sharing of country-specific experiences".
The recommendations of the Committee of Experts will be presented in a report to African ministers of finance, planning and economic development at the start of the ministerial conference on Sunday 14 May.
The ECA conference is being held back-to-back with the 41st annual meeting of the African Development Bank Board of Governors and the 32nd annual meeting of the African Development Fund Board of Governors. The two meetings will be bridged this year by a joint ADB/ECA high-level seminar on the theme `Infrastructure Development and Regional Integration: Issues, Opportunities and Challenges" to take place on 16 May.
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here for more information on the conference: http://www.uneca.org/cfm/2006/
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Max Jarrett on ++ 226 70368706
Essodeina Petchezi on ++ 226 70368707
