Ghanaian NGO to host 2nd African Local Summit on MDGs in USA
A summit to take a look at the Africa’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2015 is to take place in Texas in the United States of America in August this year.
Dubbed: “2nd African Local Summit 2013” being organized by a Ghanaian based Non Governmental Organisation (NGOs), Elizka Relief Foundation, is on the theme: “Sustainable Development Goals and Africa beyond 2015: The Role of African Diaspora”.
The summit aims to develop policies and programmes necessary for understanding the complexities and practical implications of the Africa Diaspora in socio-economic development and to foster appropriate relations between international development actors.
Players from business and entrepreneurial sector, community based organisations, NGOs in Africa, as well as local and international journalists are expected to attend the summit, which also seeks to advocate, promote and strengthen the role of Africans in Diaspora in development by creating a perfect window of opportunity for engagement.
Even though substantial progress has been made globally in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals, many countries remain off track to meeting some of the targets by the 2015 deadline.
Whilst China has made remarkable progress by reducing extreme poverty to 13 per cent in 2008, the poverty rate in Sub-Sahara Africa remained widespread.
The poverty rate in Sub-Sahara Africa fell only by almost five per cent to 48 per cent from 2005 to 2008, which also happens to be the largest drop in the region since the beginning of estimating international poverty rates.
Moreover, the number of people living in extreme poverty fell in the region from 395 million to 386 million within the same period showing a reverse in the long-term increase since 1981.
Briefing newsmen on the significance of the Summit in Sunyani, Mr Kofi Kankam Chief Executive Officer of Elizka Relief Foundation, said Africa was lagging behind in achieving the MDGs despite recent rise in the rate of economic growth, improvement in environmental policy, and strong macroeconomic fundamentals.
He said the grave long-term risk that climate change posed, hindered the continent’s effort in achieving the MDGs.
Mr. Kankam explained that even though Africans in the Diaspora had major roles to play in the attainment of the MDGs, the relationship between them and the MDGs had not been widely explored.
He observed that Africans in the Diaspora served as potent force for the development of their countries of origin, through remittances most importantly through promotion of trade, investments, research, innovation, knowledge and technology transfers.
The Chief Executive Officer said the summit would also provide a platform for Africans in the Diaspora to design appropriate policy instruments to accelerate the attainment of the MDGs.
Again, he said, it would provide opportunities for the NGOs, Community Based Organisations and business enterprises to establish international partnership for rapid economic growth, Mr Kamkam added.
Source: GNA