EALA Speaker Urges Parliamentarians to Close Glaring Gap between Commitment and Delivery

The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Hon. Abdirahin Abdi has urged Parliamentarians to use their mandate to close the glaring gap between commitment and delivery in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Hon. Abdirahin Abdi, who was presenting a paper titled Attainment of the Millenium Development Goals – Cooperation between European Parliamentarians and Regional Parliamentary bodies at the just concluded African Development Cooperation Strategy Towards the Millennium Development Goals Seminar held in Warsaw, Poland, noted that MDGs were still achievable “if we break with business as usual and dramatically accelerate and scale up action”.

The Speaker reiterated that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) committed rich and poor countries to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, eliminate gender inequality and environmental degradation, and ensure access to education, health care and clean water, all by 2015. He said the Goals explicitly recognize that eradicating poverty can be obtained only through the global partnership for development.
 
Hon. Abdi declared that “with still less than five years to go it is late, but not too late. We are the first generation that can put an end to poverty and should simply refuse to lose this opportunity”. Adding that “we are all linked by trade, finance, migration, disease and financial crises which do not recognize national boundaries. Neither does terrorism”.
 
In regard to the role of Parliamentarians in developing countries in the attainment of the MDGs, the EALA Speaker noted that the Millennium Goals will not be achieved unless concerted action was taken by developing countries themselves. He said even the poorest country can perform better and there was no excuse for lack of action to make policies and public expenditure management more pro-poor, transparent and participatory.
 
He said the Millennium Goals provide Parliaments with a perfectly tailored internationally agreed framework to hold their governments to account for these efforts. “The Goals sum up the aspirations of their electorate in dealing with concrete measurable “pocketbook” issues which everybody can relate to: to have a school nearby with a teacher who turns up to teach, books and pencils for students to use, to have at least a clean water well that provides safe water which women and children can walk to easily, and a health centre with drugs and a clinical officer”
 
The Speaker called for legislation that was relevant and effective in reducing poverty and meeting the MDGs, noting that in many countries, inheritance, property and tax laws urgently need to be reviewed to ensure women can fully participate and contribute to development. Also in order for poor people to lift themselves out of poverty by unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit, legal reform was needed to improve the business climate particularly for domestic investors.
 
Hon. Abdi reiterated that in many developing countries, the volume of capital flight was actually larger than that of aid received. “Legislation is not necessarily the panacea in tackling the problem of poverty, but can be a strong base for, and a compliment to the social mobilization required to achieve the MDGs”, affirmed the Speaker.
 
At the seminar, Mr.Krzyszt of Stanowski, Poland’s Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed his countries commitment to strengthening development policies and strategies for Africa. He disclosed that Poland had drafted a law on development cooperation with the belief that it would enhance the country’s involvement in European Development aid and allow it (Poland) to adopt globally recognized standards, bringing it closer to the level of the old EU Member States.”

Delegates at the Seminar concurred that North-South Dialogue was imperative for strengthening development policies and strategies and recommended that nationally owned development strategies should be supported through strengthened parliamentary oversight and scrutiny of government policy and legislation in the attainment of the MDGs.
 
The Seminar was organized by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU in partnership with the Polish Sejm (lower house of the Polish Parliament), Senate, and the Association of European parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA).

 Form more information on the Seminar visit:  Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU Seminar, 26 July 2011, Warsaw.