Minister of State Liz O'Donnell calls for sustained commitment to Africa at the UN Security Council

Liz O'Donnell, T.D. Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs attended a meeting of the UN Security Council today (Tuesday) to discuss the political situation in Africa. Mr Amara Essy, Secretary General of the Organisation of African Unity also attended.

Speaking at the Security Council, Minister O'Donnell, stated that the best way forward for Africa is to promote “democracy, good governance, sound macroeconomic policies, transparent legal and regulatory frameworks and advance the role of women.”

The Minister suggested two paths to advance the situation in Africa. Firstly, she pointed to the need for “conflict resolution and the prevention of new conflicts.” Secondly, she saw a need for “advancing economic and social development and achieving greater integration by Africa into the world economy.”

She welcomed, in particular, the “honesty and clarity of vision of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).”

In welcoming the fact that Africans themselves have taken ownership of this New Partnership, she said “African leaders themselves have indicated the way forward in NAPAD, a vision of development that is wise, generous and right. This vision requires, essentially, African-owned and African-led development programmes.”

Also recognising the obligation on developed countries to assist African development, the Minister called on the international community to “fulfil its commitments to support capacity building in Africa agreed at the WTO meeting in Doha.”

In particular, the Minister called for “sustained investment in education; in the building of social capital, as one of the keys to unlock the human potential of Africans in all their diversity.”

She emphasised that full international support for Africa means that we must help “to turn back the scourge of Aids.”

She called on the international community to press ahead with their commitment to reach the 2015 international development goals. In this regard, she recalled the sizeable increase in Ireland Aid's development budget which will reach 0.45% of GNP by the end of this year. She again re-iterated our commitment to reach the UN target of 0.7% of GNP by 2007.Top