[Pol.ethiopia] News Items

[Political Ethiopia]

July 15, 2004

ECA launches first comprehensive report on regional
efforts

ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Economic Commission for Africa
(ECA) launched the first comprehensive report on
regional integration efforts in Africa here yesterday
at the UN Conference Centre.

The report called "Assessing Regional Integration in
Africa (ARIA)", analyzes efforts made by African
countries to integrate their economies from the early
years, particularly from the time on the Abuja Treaty
establishing African Economic Community came into
force in 1994, up to the creations of the African
Union in 2000.

According to a press statement issued by ECA, the
report examines the wide array of institutions and
protocols that have been established and/or signed by
African countries to foster regional integration.

Some of the key institutions include fourteen regional
economic communities (RECs) and associated entities
such as the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) and
the numerous protocols have been signed covering areas
such as linking transport and telecommunications
infrastructure, the free mobility of labour and
capital between countries and mechanisms for monetary
convergence, the report said.

However, results so far have not been commensurate
with the efforts deployed, it said, adding that
Intra-African trade remains very low and
undiversified, hobbled by numerous supply-side
bottlenecks.

One key observation is that the amount of resources,
both human and financial, applied to the integration
efforts has been insufficient to match the ambitions
outlines by African political leaders.

ARIA finds that a substantial resource gap exists
between the mandate of the RECs and their capacity to
deliver, based on resources and staffing.

Furthermore, the fourteen RECs spread limited
resources too thinly, with a number of RECs pursuing
similar mandates, and many countries belonging to more
than one REC.

There is, therefore, an urgent need to strengthen the
capacity of RECs and harmonize their programme
delivery mechanisms, according to the report.

The report makes several recommendations in
accelerating the pace of integration, covering several
dimensions, including ratifying protocols, alternative
financing mechanisms, establishing sound monetary and
financial frameworks and institutions, engaging the
private sector and addressing issues of regional
public goods.

ARIA is the first in a series of reports on regional
integration in Africa.

Gambella State
Conference calls for bringing criminals before court
of justice

GAMBELLA (ENA) - Participants of the ongoing
conference in Gambella town have requested that former
officials of the Gambella State Administration who
were involved in instigating the Gambella violence and
corruption should be brought before the court of
justice.

The conference organize for educational professionals,
students and parents has demanded that those members
of the administration who were involved in power abuse
and who are living now in and out of the country
should be brought to trial.

They said of the former members of the state
administration who were removed from their posts after
being accused of corruption have been assigned in
other higher positions, which they said, discourages
the efforts underway to ensure the supremacy of law
and good governance in the state.

Those participants who are presiding over the
conference said on their part the state government is
doing its level best to bring those involved in the
stated crime before the court of justice.

 Ministry says committed to support states in VISION
2020 implementation

ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Ministry of Health says it
would continue providing technical and material
support to all states to help them implement the
global initiative called VISION 2020 which was
launched by WHO to eliminate eye diseases in the
coming 15 years.

Disease Prevention and Control Department Head with
the Ministry, Dr. Alemayehu Seifu made the pledge at
three-day workshop organized under a title "National
and State five-year Strategic VISION 2020 Planning
Review and Update" that opened here yesterday.

Dr. Alemayehu said 80-90 per cent of all blindness in
Ethiopia could be avoided by improving the personal
and environmental hygiene of the community and
treating the already affected individuals.

He said preparation and dissemination of health
education messages on eye care should also be taken as
a very important component in the implementation of
global elimination of avoidable blindness by the year
2020 G.C.

Dr. Alemayehu said the support of International Agency
for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is crucial to
successfully implement VISION 2020 in Ethiopia.

WHO Resident Representative Dr. Babaniyi said on his
part that blindness is one of the major health
problems in the world.

He said WHO estimates that there are about 50 million
blind and another 150 million people with low vision
presently in the world.

The representative said about 80 per cent of blindness
in developing countries such as Ethiopia is avoidable.

Head of Other Diseases Prevention and Control Team Dr.
Zegeye Haile said over 25,000 cataract patients had
undergone eye operation through the efforts launched
to prevent blindness in the country in 2003.

The workshop, which is organized by the Ministry of
Health in collaboration with the IAPB, is expected to
identify major challenges and gaps and look for
possible solutions to achieve the Ultimate
Intervention Goal (UIGs) suggested by WHO.

Ethiopia, China stress parliamentary ties
MPS conclude Saudi visit

ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The House of Peoples'
Representatives and the National People's Congress
(NPC), China's top legislative body vowed to promote
parliamentary relations in Beijing yesterday, the
People's Daily said.

House Speaker Dawit Yohannes and Chairman of the NPC
Standing Committee, Wu Bangguo expressed the hope to
strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two
legislative bodies.

Wu said Ethiopia and China have always supported each
other, shared common views on many major international
and regional issues, and maintained sound
consultations and cooperation in international
affairs.

Wu made the remark while meeting with the visiting
Ethiopian delegation headed by Dawit Yohannes.

He said the development of friendship and cooperation
between China and African countries including Ethiopia
has always been an important part of China's
independent foreign policy of peace.

"The Chinese side will work with African countries to
build a new Sino-African lasting and steady
partnership of overall cooperation on an equal and
reciprocal footing," Wu said.

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian delegation led by Deputy
Speaker of the House of Peoples' Representative Dr.
Petros Olango returned home after paying a five day
official visit to Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said.

According to a press release the ministry sent to ENA
yesterday, the visit of the deputies was instrumental
in strengthening the cooperation of the two countries.

The Ethiopian delegation visited Saudi Arabia at the
invitation of the country's parliament; the release
quoted the Ethiopian Embassy in Riyadh as saying.

During its stay there, the Ethiopian delegation met
and held discussions with president and vice-president
of the Saudi Parliament as well as members of the
Ethio-Saudi Friendship Committee.

The Ethiopian members of parliament also exchanged
views with General Manager of the Saudi Development
Fund, Vice-President of the country's Chamber of
Commerce and Vice-Minister of Health on ways to
further consolidating the cooperation of the two
countries.

The Saudi officials told the Ethiopian delegation that
their country attaches importance to its relations
with Ethiopia and supports the ongoing development
endeavours in the country, according to the release.



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Pol.ethiopia
July 15,2004
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