African priority on UN funds, projects: official

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

A majority of United Nations agencies, funds and programs have Africa as their priority as the continent grapples with many socio-economic problems, a senior UN official has said.

UN Development Program Administrator Achim Steiner made the remark on Monday during of the 60th anniversary of Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

“The continent still has up to 330 million of its population living in poverty,” he said.

“Up to 60 percent of its young people are without jobs,” he added.

“Our success as the UN Development System and collaborators,” he said, “will be measured against progress on this continent.”

The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established ECA in 1958, which was inaugurated at its headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa by then-Emperor Haileselassie I and ECA's first Executive Secretary Mekki Abbas.

Incumbent ECA Executive Secretary Vera Songwe said on the occasion that ECA has been the largest think-tank organization in the continent.

However, she indicated the need to change gear.

“We must move from just thinking to action,” she said.

She said: “A prosperous Africa is within reach within our lifetime,” indicating the need for African people to strive for the continent’s economic independence, which according to her was yet to be achieved.

Africa achieved political independence from the yoke of colonialism largely in the 1960s.

According to Songwe, Africa has 70 percent of the world’s poor.