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UN assembly chief urges for continued commitment to Africa's development

afrol News, 15 October - UN's General Assembly president Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, has today urged rich countries must not forget their commitments to help meet Africa’s development needs, even as they try to grapple with current economic slowdown.

"As the global financial crisis deepens, so does my concern that our commitments may be undone. This would be an unforgivable reversal and bring shame on all of us," Mr Miguel D’Escoto told 192-member body as it began its discussion of international support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

Adopted by African leaders in 2001, NEPAD lays out an agreed vision of social and economic development on the continent.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his most recent report on NEPAD, stated that, within context of global economic slowdown, and high food and oil prices, concerted leadership and efforts by both African countries and international development partners is required to turn that vision of achieving poverty reduction, into concrete results.

According to report from UN today, Mr D’Escoto has expressed similar sentiments, cautioning against "any retreat by the international community" in its support for Africa’s development in the midst of the current financial crunch which might cause donors to cut back on some aid pledges.

"While it is understandable that political concerns and financial constraints at home might make us waver, we must keep in mind that this planet is our home and that Africans are our brothers and sisters. We cannot, as so often in the past, look away," he said.

He also encouraged member states to use today’s debate as an opportunity to not only review progress made so far, but also to reiterate their solidarity and determination to "weather this storm together."

World leaders, meeting in New York last month, underscored urgency of finding solutions to major challenges facing Africa, and recommitted themselves to a global partnership to help the continent achieve MDGs.

Report further pointed out that, leaders also committed to strengthening their support for NEPAD, and to "reinvigorate and strengthen a global partnership of equals… with the explicit objective of turning existing commitments into concrete actions."

By staff writer

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