The Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Mohammed Gharib Bilal has this afternoon opened the tow-day EALA Conference on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In his remarks, the Vice President underscored the need for the constant monitoring of the goal towards ensuring ‘shelter for all’ as an important agenda in socio-economic development.
The Vice President said that the United Republic of Tanzania had taken measures aimed at addressing the challenges of unplanned settlements and slums in the urban population and was undertaking a study with the assistance of the UN-HABITAT. The Study, Dr. Bilal added, is currently been mapped out in Bagamoyo, Dar es Salaam and Morogoro under the four themes of governance, slums, gender, HIV/AIDS and environment.
He noted that the government would in the financial year 2013/14 implement the Big Results Now (BRN) initiative which supplements the MDGs with a view to fast tracking poverty alleviation in Tanzania and accelerating socio-economic development.
The Vice President urged the EAC Partner States to consistently pursue the development agenda with more vigour and focus than ever before.
‘On various occasions, the EAC Summit of Heads of State has directed the Council and the Secretariat to invest more of their energies in agricultural development and food security; infrastructure (both social and economic) industrial development and private sector promotion. This is key’, he added.
The Vice President urged legislators to re-focus their oversight activities in the development agenda. Legislators should not only be critical to their governments but they must assess what has been achieved, where the failures are and the reasons whether they resulted from inadequate resources, misplaced priorities or they simply point to governance, and recommend issues, he remarked.
Present were EALA Members, legislators from South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Burundi. The Conference also marks the silver jubilee of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat (GPH).
In her remarks, the EALA Speaker, Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa urged the region to expend more resources in ensuring the HABITAT agenda was realized. She remarked that all stakeholders had an important role to play in ensuring the region realizes its full potential in the MDGs.
Some of the challenges could very well have been addressed or drastic steps taken to improve the situation.
‘The status of our cities, have become very unmanageable, congestion, pollution, garbage and dust. But who is responsible? Are city authorities adequate and sufficient to deal with this mess? The Speaker remarked.
The Speaker urged Parliamentarians to rise to the occasion and address issues that face the people.
‘As Parliamentarians, we must raise to the moment and follow up on these critical issues through enacting laws, or holding accountable on policies regarding descent and affordable housing, sustainable cities, and also equitable share of resources in terms of sectors, like health (MDGs 2, 4 and 5) education (4 and 6), water (7) food production, fuel and energy provisions, housing, among others which mainly affect the most vulnerable sections of our society’ the Speaker noted.
Dr Zziwa termed unemployment and under-employment as two devastating challenges afflicting youth and constraining their very survival in the EAC region.
Statistics reveal that only 11% of school graduates can acquire jobs in the public sector. In the Republic of Kenya, 72% of the unemployed population is below 30 years of age. Unemployment means the region may not be able to comfortably realize MDG No: 1.
The two day conference features presentations on a wide spectrum of issues on MDGs with each region expected to share their experiences in the subject matter. Presentations from Civil Society Organisations on Global Habitat issues including urban planning and settlement and challenges the continent is facing are Africa is facing are also on the card.
Under the GPH umbrella, Parliamentarians have set themselves the goal of ensuring that their respective Governments increasingly address issues in the attainment of the Habitat Agenda by mainly focusing on areas of housing, sustainable urban and city development, human settlement, water and sanitation. Efforts to support MDG goals are actively encouraged. The UN launched a process of assessing the performance of Member States in attaining these goals and for respective stakeholders to make input in the post 2015 MDG agenda. EALA wishes to use this conference to propose recommendations to UN on the post 2015 MDG (MDG + 2015) agenda.
For more information, contact
Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer
East African Legislative Assembly, Tel: +255-27-2508240
Fax: +255-27-2503103; Cell: +255-787-870945, +254-733-718036
Email: BOdiko@eachq.org Web: https://www.eala.org
