 A HELPING HAND - U.N. |
Ethiopia, for its new development efforts, needs the helping hands of international donors. Some international organizations are providing the necessary financial resources to turn into reality the development efforts of the country.
Among them, UNDP is the major multilateral organization which undertakes many social and economic development programs in Ethiopia.
UNDP mainly assists Ethiopia's efforts to reduce poverty and promote a sustainable as well as equitable development set in its development strategy through the implementation of sector investment programs.
Mr. Samuel Nyambi, United Nations Resident Co-ordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, says, "The UNDP program has undergone a lot of changes, and improvement. The current UNDP program is helping Ethiopia in six key sectors. These sectors roughly cover all of the regions. Priority is given to the less developed regions, that have been called the emerging regions. Eighty percent of UNDP total resources go to the regions, and only 20 percent is used at the central level in terms of the work being done by different government departments."
The economic policy of the Ethiopian government emphasized the need to revitalize the economy and create an enabling environment for development through the limitation of the role of the state to selected economic activities. The policy also promotes significantly greater participation of the private sector, and the pursuit of appropriate macroeconomic and sectoral policies.
Mr. Samuel Nyambi says, "I have discovered that Ethiopia is one of the countries that represents the emerging hopes for Africa. There is a lot of promises, as well as current demonstration of commitment to development, and living ahead in happiness, that is a good example for many African countries. The second thing that comes to mind is that Ethiopia is one of the countries that have chosen the self directed mode of development."
| UNDP is a co-organizer of second Tokyo International Conference on African development (TICAD II) together with the Government of Japan, the United Nations Office of the Special Co-ordinator for Africa Least Developed countries (UNOSCAL) and Global Coalition for Africa (GCA). The aim of the conference is to serve African countries and become their development partners towards achieving the goal of poverty reduction and enhancing the integration of African economies into the global economies.
 Becoming the pivot of Africa |
Currently, Ethiopia is having more international hotels and international meeting centers including The United Nations Conference Center.
Found in the center of Addis Ababa in the vicinity of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Offices, The United Nations Conference Center serves for range of social, business and professional gatherings. It is elegantly erected and it is well furnished with latest technology of communications.
Mrs. Jill Flemming, Chief of the United Nations Conference Center, correlates the opening of the conference facility with the development of Ethiopian tourism industry. She says " I do believe that the opening of the tourism sector goes hand in hand with the opening of conference facility we can not market one without the other, as they are so interrelated."
She is also optimistic about the future prospect of Ethiopian tourism industry. " Ethiopia is an interesting emerging destination, with much to offer, the tourists and conferences go alike, and it is increasingly opening up to international tourism. The United Nations Conference Center is the loving stage of various facilities, comparing it with the best not only in Africa, do elsewhere, and I do not see any reason, it should not become the conference type of Africa. |
