Combined, they've got more letters than the alphabet soup, whether it's the UNDP, PAHO, UNFPA, or UNICEF and today they met with the man carrying only two letters: the PM, backed up by his M.E.D., Mark Espat. Espat and Musa formally signed unto the United Nations Development Framework, which is basically the business plan of the UN in Belize. It will guide the work of these organizations in poverty alleviation, HIV and Aids and sustainable development practices from 2007 to 2011. The Prime Minister spoke about the significance of the signing.
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"Three problematic areas of the UNCA document, poverty alleviation by investing in people, reversing the spread of HIV and Aids, improving sustainable development practices are consistent with our national priorities and the Millennium Development Goals. The key challenge now will be to design effective interventions that will contribute to the achievement of these stated goals. We endorse the process used to develop the UNCA as we feel it was a participatory and successful approach incorporating the will of the Belizean people and local organizations that play key roles in our development efforts. At a time when resources are scarce to most countries, including middle income countries such as Belize, efforts to rationalize their use, help to maximize the impact they have in the development of the country."
Hon. Mark Espat, Minister of National Development
"Today we met to endorse a five year plan from 2007 to 2011 in three principle areas; sustainable development practices, the fight against HIV/Aids and of course the number one priority which is poverty reduction, poverty elimination. It is a very specific document with targets. We are looking at an investment over the next five years between 207 and 2011 of approximately BZ$22 million which in these times of difficulty, in getting development aid is a fairly handsome amount. But not just is the money welcome, the approach of being interactive, of consulting, this has been a very dynamic approach to putting this document together."
UN organizations signing the development assistance framework are the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Program, the Pan American Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
