Biruk Girma
13 July 2008
Addis Abeba — It is high time that non petroleum producing countries created their own organization and an oil fund with the objective countering effects of soaring oil prices on their development endeavors, ambassador of Mauritius to Ethiopia proposed on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference here in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Premduth Doongoor said the idea of creating the two most indispensable institutions to be named the Organization of Non-Oil Producing Countries (ONOPC) and the International Oil Fund for Africa, including Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was real and achievable.
He told reporters he has already embarked on a mission to make that a reality and that he was doing all in his capacity to that end.
The ambassador said he had already prepared a draft document for the establishment of the ONOPC and held discussions with representatives of various countries.
The ambassador said he is to hold discussions with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to convince the premier agree on the headquarters of ONOPC.
He said he has brought the subject of the noble cause to the attention of the African Union, the United Nations and other regional and international organizations believed to be influential in helping him achieve his ambitions.
What's more, the ambassador is determined to make Addis Ababa the seat of ONOPC and hopes will prove detrimental in defusing the threat that comes for not being an oil producing countries.
The diplomat said that the recent surge in oil prices has had disastrous consequences for the economies of small developing countries that do not produce oil themselves.
According to the ambassador, the soaring oil price world wide is the 'sole responsible' for non achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015.
"It will be a dream. We will not be able to meet it" he said, referring to the UN-set MDGs.
The only solution, he said, was the creation of an organization of ONOPC as a protective tool for "bargaining power which is overdue" and the creation of international petrol fund.
The diplomat who also holds responsibility as an ambassador to the African Union Commission, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa here in Addis Ababa and is high Commissioner to Uganda and Kenya urged the African Union, the European Union, the G8 countries, including OPEC to support the idea during the next United Nations general assembly to be held in New York in September.
He said he was going to appeal to the UN to study the solution and come up with a resolution in the next meeting.
'Vibrant appeal' to the EU to support the same and to add in the aid for trade the creation of international petrol fund for Africa and the LDCs, African Union, ACP and all international organizations to be committed were planed by the initiator to be made.
Moreover, even appeal to OPEC to contribute as a donor in this fund towards human development economic development and growth eradication of poverty in Africa and other LDCs is intended.
The soaring oil price, which is expected to reach 200 US dollars a barrel in the near future, is threatening the human resource development, successive economic growth, the step up inflation among non-oil producing countries, he said.
The ambassador said, the price hike has been contributing negatively towards infrastructure development, poverty reduction, and flow of foreign direct investment.
He said the production of bio-fuel as a result of oil price hike is aggravating shortage of food grain worldwide, especially in African countries.
Oil prices last week peaked at 145 dollars a barrel, twice their level in July 2007.
On Thursday, OPEC's secretary general remained silent in the face of growing calls, including from the world's poorer countries, to hike output in order to curb the rise in prices.
Facing the skyrocketing prices, different people gave different reasons.
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