POVERTY ELIMINATION WILL CREATE A JUST WORLD

Mr Isaac Osei, Ghana?s High Commissioner in the UK has said in London that the elimination of poverty is a panacea to the creation of a just world which will ensure global stability.

He said it was therefore imperative that every conceivable effort should be made to build a world in which mass poverty would exist only as a reminder of the harm it inflicted on humanity and society at large, emphasising that this should not be done through business as usual or on a green agenda that is hostile to development.

To achieve this, he said that there was the need to lock the world into a commitment of systematic poverty reduction, meeting the millennium development goals and changing business practices throughout the world to ensure that development is sustainable.

Mr Osei who made these observations at the Regional meeting of the United Nations Association in London, hosted by the Ghana High Commission said tackling poverty was a global imperative - a moral and economic necessity. He added that if the current living standards in the poorest states continue to rise at the current snail pace it would take 130 years to rid the world of hunger, quoting UN estimates.

Among dignitaries present at the function included Mr Kwabena Baah-Duodu ? Deputy High Commissioner to the UK; Mr Alan Weal ? Chairman of the UNA, London; Mr Tumain Magila ? representative of UNA Tanzania, Mr Hossam Kassem ? Counsellor for African desk, Egyptian Embassy in the UK, Mr Kebbie Conte of the World Federation Centre based in London and Dr Gill Mackillingin, a board member of UNA.

On the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), he called for support from donors, international financial institutions, the business community and civil society to make the commitment made in furtherance of NEPAD a reality.

In his contribution, Mr Hassan said the African continent is portrayed in a negative light because journalists lack a clear understanding of the peculiar socio-economic situation of the continent. He described the NEPAD concept as an indication of the commitment of African leaders to take the responsibility for their countries? development into their own hands and called for increased market access as well as requisite technological support from the West in realisation of the objectives of the initiative.

Rev. Conte called on UNA organisations in the Western world to support the programmes of their counterparts in Africa to enable them implement programmes to improve the quality of lives of their peoples.

In a solidarity message to the meeting, Mr Mike Awua-Asamoah, Deputy Secretary-General of World Federation UNA and Regional Director for Africa said the sudden emergence of Africa Renaissance concept, coupled with the overriding desire and urgency for integration of the continent culminating in the formation of African Union as well as the birth of NEPAD were good songs of peace and for the future.

He said the intensification of co-operation among member associations within the context of a global federation of UN association remained an unimpeachable way forward in achieving the aims of the UNAs in Africa.

In the ensuing discussions on world issues, particularly, the possible USA strike on Iraq, the meeting called on the UN to explore a peaceful resolution on the issue of weapons inspection since war in the area would further aggravate the volatile situation in the Middle East.

Other issues discussed at the meeting touched on the role of regional economic blocks in the economic development of the continent, the fight to eradicate corruption and the prospects of the newly formed African Union in forging a sustained and accelerated development in the continent.