Developed countries have increased their aid to Africas agricultural sector, but they are taking the money back in the form of debt and other repayments while subsidizing their own agricultural exports to the detriment of the continents farmers, the UN Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Africa said Monday.
Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari said in New York that in the cotton trade alone, three countries – Burkina Faso, Benin and Mali – were losing some 11 billion US dollar (66 mia. DKR) because of European and North American subsidies for their own agricultural exports.
He called for greater policy coherence among Africas development partners, as well as better alignment of the UNs work with the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD).
Later this week, in the margins of the General Assembly, Mr. Annans high-level advisory panel on support for NEPAD would meet, Mr. Gambari said.
He pointed out that reports on the tragic events in Sudan, Liberia and Cote dIvoire (Elfenbenskysten) have not allowed space for positive coverage of the continent, including the efforts of the countries themselves to move forward.
Offering context, he said that while 11 countries had been embroiled in civil conflict in 1998, when the UNs first report on the matter had come out, by now “only a few states were involved in armed conflict” – Cote dIvoire, DR Congo, Sudan, Liberia and perhaps Burundi.
The peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone was being drawn down in recognition that developments in that West African country were going fairly well, Mr. Gambari said.
Kilde: FNs nyhedstjeneste
