26 March 2008
Maputo — The director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, Gilbert Houngbo, on Wednesday reaffirmed the United Nations' willingness to support development programmes in Mozambique
Houngbo is in Maputo for a regional meeting of UNDP resident representatives, held to reflect on the priorities of Africa n the global agenda.
He declared that the transformations Mozambique has gone through since the end of the war of destabilisation are visible, and the country is today stable and peaceful. "The challenges that remain, particularly at economic and social level, are so clear that the country knows where it wants to go, and the United Nations is at the forefront to support the government of Mozambique", he said.
Looking at Africa as a whole, Houngbo said the continent still faces great social and political challenges, expressed by low levels of investment in health and education, and poor citizen participation in politics.
Such defects, he warned, create space for discontent, social exclusion and political instability, even in countries where there is no armed conflict.
Houngbo called for the modernization of agricultural production, the revitalization of industry, and investment in new technologies so as to lay the basis for increased exports and greater participation by Africa in international trade.
He stressed that a country that can export more than just primary products will be in a batter position to meet the needs of its citizens for food, jobs and social services.
Sam/pf (251)
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
