ECA Press Release 12/2005

AFRICAN MINISTERS HEAR CALLS FOR FASTER PROGRESS TOWARDS MDGs


Abuja, 14 May 2005 (ECA) - ECA's Conference of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministers kicked off Saturday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, with calls for renewed African commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and reducing African poverty.

In his welcoming address, ECA Executive Secretary K.Y. Amoako hailed the impact of the ministers' past meetings and said their views on how to make better progress towards the MDGs were urgently needed ahead of September's Millennium Summit in New York

He asked ministers to "put all the pieces together" and agree on the urgent actions needed to erode poverty on the continent.

"This meeting can make a crucial contribution to the formulation of a consensus on what Africa needs to do to achieve the MDGs and also highlight the ways in which the international community can assist us," he said.

Twenty ministers and five central bank governors attended the opening session, and more are expected to arrive in the course of the two-day meeting.

Africa is lagging far behind in global efforts to meet the MDGs by 2015. Although most of the world's regions have made at least some progress towards meeting some or all of the goals, sub-Saharan Africa has seen poverty rise and life expectancy decline in the five years since the Goals were declared in 2000.

Commissioner for Economic Affairs at the African Union Maxwell Mkwezalamba told the assembled ministers that this conference was an opportunity for them to contribute to a common African position on achieving the MDGs.

In his opening remarks, Nigeria's Senate President Ken Nnamani said the need for the MDGs was "a sad reminder of the disastrous consequences of the economic development programs of the past."

"The challenge for this eminent gathering of top level economic policymakers is to review our strategies of development and see if they (can) deliver the goods," he said.

The meeting follows three days of preparatory talks by experts who formulated a report for the ministers' deliberations.

For more information, please contact:
Corinne Archer or Sophia Denekew in Abuja
Tel + 0803 695 0231 or + 0803 970 9085

Details of the Conference of Ministers can be found at http://www.uneca.org/conferenceofministers/2005/

Issued by the ECA Communication Team
P.O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Tel: +251-1-44-58-26
Fax: +251-1-51-03-65
Email: ecainfo@uneca.org
Web: www.uneca.org