Source: http://www.ngonewsafrica.org/?p=9573
China in recent times has been actively taking interest in development activities in Africa and it has entered into an agreement with 200 delegates of Non Governmental Organizations from 19 African countries to work together to accelerate development in their countries.
During a two-day meeting entitled ‘China-Africa People’s Forum’ in Nairobi, Kenya the participants concluded that they would team up to address the common challenges facing both Africa and China in pursuit of millennium development goal of global partnership for development.
During the forum under the theme ‘Enhance partnership and promote friendship between China and Africa’, various aspects of people’s dialogue and cooperation were discussed including climate change and food security, credibility and transparency of NGOs, NGOs relations with the government, corporate and community, preserving cultural tradition and facilitating education development, the role of women and youth in development and fighting HIV/AIDS.
“Recognizing that China is the largest developing country in the world and Africa has the largest number of developing countries, and that the two have common mission for development and pursuit of interests, we resolve to stand shoulder by shoulder to face challenges en route to development,” said the a declaration arrived at the forum in part.
The participants were of the view that NGOs as an indispensable force in the current world have joined the government in providing public services, community development and harmonizing social relations through volunteer jobs and stressed the need for the organizations to ensure meaningful relationship with their respective governments in order to realize development.
There were calls for the governments of China and African countries to support interactions of their people in order to facilitate sharing of skills and experiences and ensure development.
It called on the international community to encourage and support the African countries in seeking peace and development and urged the relevant international organizations to offer more resources and technological support so that the African people are better placed to tackle poverty and be able to achieve the millennium development goals.
There were also calls for NGOs to strengthen cooperation at the international arena in order to protect common interests in various issues like agriculture, health, environment, education, culture, entrepreneurship and women and youth empowerment in order to realize social and economic growth.
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon whose speech was read by the Director General United Nations office at Nairobi Sahle-Work Zewde said China and Africa face similar challenges like extreme poverty, hunger, gender inequality, HIV/AIDS, human rights violations, climate change and energy insecurity and called on NGOs to work with the UN and other partners in order to revert the trends.
“Your work from advocacy to hands-on efforts to improve the lives of the poor and vulnerable is essential and the international community relies on your energy and commitment as a catalyst for positive and sustainable change,” Moon said.
The UN secretary general said the contribution of the NGOs is especially important now with only four years remaining to 2015 when the millennium development goals are supposed to have been achieved.
