Deputy Secretary-General to address African development meetings in Ethiopia

Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro leaves for Ethiopia today to attend the second meeting of the Africa Commission, focussing on the creation of jobs to further economic growth in Africa.

The international commission will hold a two-day meeting in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, starting on 20 November to examine education, youth, women and climate change in relation to employment and implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the internationally agreed targets for eradicating poverty and other social ills by 2015.

Convened by Denmark and consisting of a number of prominent politicians, business leaders and experts, the Commission is charged with presenting innovative strategies to improve international development cooperation with Africa, focussing on young people and employment.

While in Addis Ababa, the Deputy Secretary-General will also address the Sixth African Development Forum, with remarks centred on gender equality and the elimination of violence against women.

The 19 to 21 November conference, jointly organized by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union (AU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), aims to identify practical and concrete action for members to take on gender equality, women’s empowerment and ending violence against women.