Durban, June 12: Unicef has urged African leaders to utilise their limited resources on investments in education and health sectors while providing equal rights and protection to children in their countries.
"We all agree that in order to sustain human progress, a
government must invest in its children", Unicef executive
director, Carol Bellamy said yesterday at the 14th Africa
economic summit of the World Economic Forum here.
"Doing so is both a moral and an economic imperative.
Thus the well-being of your children should become the most
important standard for measuring your individual achievement
as leaders," she added.
More than 700 delegates, including some African
presidents, Business and International Development Agency
leaders, have come here to attend the three-day summit.
Her call is contained in a 50-page white paper entitled,
"The young face of Nepad", a reference to the new partnership
for African development, a movement founded last year by
African leaders seeking to assert local accountability for the
continent's destiny.
The summit will this year attempt to map out definite
delivery plans for the economic regeneration of the continent
through Nepad.
The summit spokesperson, Mark Adams, said in an interview
that the three-day conference was structured in such a way
that "clear and realistic time frames for roll-out, action and
review" would emerge at the end.
The summit would strengthen the role of the African and
international private sectors as key partners in achieving the
goals, he said.
Bureau Report
