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UN seeks
debts relief through poverty
eradication
By Onyekachi
Eze
Senior
Reporter,
Abuja
The United Nations
Organisation (UNO) has advocated the channelling of the debts owed by
developing countries towards poverty eradication so as to enable them
realise the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in
2015.
U.N.�s Resident Coordinator in
Nigeria, Dr. Tegegnework Gettu, said at a media interaction as part of the
activities marking the International Day for Eradication of Poverty that
MDG should be made to boost country�s national needs.
The UN Secretary-General, Mr.
Kofi Annan, noted in a message to mark the day that countries in
sub-Saharan Africa and least developed countries in other regions were
still far from making adequate progress on most of the objectives of
MDG.
�Intent as we are on drawing
up a solid statistical picture of our gains and shortfalls, let us also
remember that our concern is not numbers but individuals: young people at
work and out of school, children orphaned by AIDS and other preventable
diseases, mothers who die in childbirth, communities affected by
environmental degradation. It is well within our power to overcome these
and other terrible manifestations of poverty and underdevelopment�, Annan
said.
He said world leaders would meet in September
next year to review the progress made so far in implementing the
declaration made in 2000, stating that a major breakthrough would be
needed if the eight MDG would be met by the target year 2015.
Annan said there have been
some notable advances and cause for hope, adding that the goals have
transformed the practice of development cooperation.
�The broad consensus around a
set of clear, measurable and time-bound goals has generated unprecedented,
coordinated actions, not only within the United Nations system, including
the Bretton Woods institutions, but also within the wider donor community
and, most importantly, within developing countries themselves�, the
secretary-general added.
Canvassing the case for debt
servicing through poverty eradication, Gettu said the more than N100
million so far paid by Nigeria to service her internal and external debts,
which stood at about N8.8 billion and 9.86 billion respectively and 27 per
cent set apart in next year�s budget proposal for debt servicing were
enough to reduce poverty in the country if creditor nations could heed the
suggestion of the world body.
�Data from the recently
released National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) show deteriorating
social indicators for Nigeria in all the thematic areas targeted for
intervention by the millennium development agenda such as reduction in
infant and maternal mortality, increased primary school enrolment and
mitigating the impact of HIV and AIDS�, he added.
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