African ownership of development projects key to their success, ECOSOC told

As the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC moved into its third day of high-level debate on African economic advancement and poverty eradication, government officials Wednesday emphasized that African "ownership" of development programs was vital to the lasting success of these activities.

Several speakers noted that it was timely that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) last week in Lusaka adopted a New African Initiative, which underscored the need for development projects to be conceived and run by Africans.

The Initiative also called for increased financial support by the international community for these efforts as well as the elimination of trade barriers and reduction of the foreign debt of Africa's least-developed nations.

Many government representatives at the forum also underscored the urgency of addressing such problems as the HIV/AIDS epidemic and external debt.

These concerns were echoed by officials from UN agencies. N. Tijani-Serpos, Assistant Director-General for the Africa Department of the UNESCO, said the proliferation of uncoordinated programs and action plans developed by the international community had largely remained ineffective and unfulfilled.

The New African Initiative just adopted by the OAU Summit showed that the leadership and vision for sustainable development existed through following the "African way."