ECA Executive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh briefs the media on the upcoming Conference of Ministers 2008.

Addis Ababa, 25 March 2008 (ECA) - Growth with equity has always been central to the ECA mission over the last fifty years, and it will be an important issue of discussion during the forthcoming Conference of Ministers of finance, planning and economic development, United Nations Under Secretary General and Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh revealed Tuesday.

In a wide ranging address and questions and answer session with the national and foreign press corps based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Janneh said the theme of the conference was “Addressing Africa's Emerging Challenges”, in order for the continent to stand a good chance of claiming the 21 st century and accelerating its development.

Referring to ECA's golden jubilee, which falls this year, Mr. Janneh said: “Fifty years is an important milestone and indeed a cause for celebration,” but then went on to reflect deeply on the many challenges still facing the Commission and the continent, including rising food and commodity prices, securing financing for development, building the capable state and empowering the poor to enable them to improve their livelihoods.

The Executive Secretary identified climate change as one of the critical emerging challenges facing the continent. Describing it as “an emerging tsunami,” he said even though the continent only produces a small proportion of global green house gases it will suffer from the catastrophic effects of climate change, particularly the continent's poor. He went on to reveal that several eminent personalities have also been invited to the conference to reflect on these emerging challenges.

With economic growth averaging a robust 5.8% last year and governance steadily improving across the continent, Janneh noted that this growth has not resulted in job creation for most Africans. “These are just figures to the man on the streets,” he said and ministers will have to grapple with methodologies for turning this growth into poverty reduction.

Janneh added that this conference of ministers has an added importance because it was the first time that it is being organized jointly by the ECA and African Union. This will serve to strengthen the collaboration between the two institutions and economize on the busy schedule of the ministers.

For more information on the conference, please log onto: www.uneca.org/cfm/2008.