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U.N. Secretary-General Stresses Importance of Science, Technology in Efforts to Alleviate Africa's Poverty


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November 20, 2007 By

Rwandan refugee camp in east Zaire. 

The following is U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message for Africa Industrialization Day, observed 20 November:

"The theme of this year's observance of Africa Industrialization Day is "Technology and Innovation for Industry -- Investing in People Is Investing in the Future." It underscores the importance of science, technology and human resources in supporting Africa's efforts to alleviate poverty and achieve sustainable industrial development.

"Africa is endowed with abundant natural resources and, in recent years, many African countries have experienced sustained economic growth. Yet the continent is still lagging behind other regions in our global endeavor to reach the Millennium Development Goals -- our common vision for creating a better world for all in the twenty-first century.

"At the midpoint in the race to achieve the Goals by 2015, many African countries are not on track to halve extreme poverty, reduce maternal mortality, reverse the spread of AIDS and reach the other development targets. And due to lack of capacity to transform much of its raw materials into finished products, Africa continues to export its resources with little or no value added, leading to loss of job opportunities. Where value is added, these African products are subject to many tariff and non-tariff barriers in the major Western markets.


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