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Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms Asha-Rose Migiro
Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh
Deputy Secretary-General Opens the 12th Session of the Regional Coordination Mechanism
ECA Press Release No. 139/2011
Addis Ababa, 21 November 2011 (ECA) - The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms Asha-Rose Migiro, today opened the twelfth session of the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM), with a strong message of support for Africa and its people from United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon.
Ms Migiro said the meeting comes at a time of great challenges and opportunities for Africa. She noted that GDP in Africa as a whole has been growing at a rate exceeding 5 percent per year and that six out of ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa.
“But we know that Africa, as a whole, is still faced with daunting yet not unsurpassable challenges. From water and sanitation, child and maternal health to job creation; and from the food crisis and famine - as currently seen in the Horn of Africa - to stemming armed conflicts where they persist,” she said.
The deputy secretary-general called on the meeting to advance the UN-AU Ten Year Capacity Building Programme with concrete programmes that are aligned to the priorities of the African Union Commission.
She further called on participants to actively engage in preparations for the Rio + 20 conference on sustainable development, which is a crucial issue for Africa. “The Conference is a major opportunity to produce plans for greater economic dynamism, social protection, and the creation of jobs, especially for youth – all while protecting our natural resources,” she said.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, said the AU attaches great importance to the RCM and will compile an annual report of its activities to be delivered to their Executive Council.
He noted that many UN agencies spend as much as two- thirds of their global resources on their operations in Africa.
“The United Nations has a better reach and has more resources to support Africa in its quest for peace and security, democracy and development,” he said.
He commended the Economic Commission for Africa, for providing resources for hosting the RCM Secretariat and convening discussions that led to a common understanding of the meaning of capacity building and the development of work programmes in support of the Ten year Capacity Building Programme.
He further called on the RCM to reflect on ways of accelerating progress towards attaining the MDGs in Africa as many countries are off-track to meeting the targets by 2015.
Also speaking at the opening session, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, called on the entire UN System
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