Africa has the right to expect fairness in the globalization of the world economy and international support for home-grown initiatives in fighting child labour, HIV/AIDS, gender equality and other social problems, the head of the United Nations labour agency has told a summit of the continents leaders.
– Africa needs a listening service – partners who truly respect national ownership of development policy, International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Juan Somavia told the African Unions Extraordinary Summit on Employment and Poverty Alleviation that opened Wednesday in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso.
Good national governance affirms “Africas right to expect global fairness” and “good national governance will not succeed unless we have good global governance,” he said.
Mr. Somavia also called for greater policy coherence on growth, investment and employment creation from the international community in efforts to fight poverty and unemployment in Africa.
– Africa has a right to expect support for home-grown initiatives: preventing child abour; fighting HIV/AIDS…focusing on young people, the future of Africa, he said, adding that “we must ensure gender equality – because when you empower women you empower Africa.”
Declaring that the decisions being made in Ouagadougou illuminated a “simple truth: Africa is working,” Mr. Somavia added: – The women, men and youth and, unfortunately, even children of this continent are working hard every day. There is no poverty of effort in Africa. There is poverty of opportunity.
Stressing the need for a global approach, he said: – No institution has all the answers, but we all have the mandates that oblige us to find solutions. By joining forces, we can forge a better path to a fair globalization.
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