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Wen urges increased int'l efforts to support Africa

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-08 19:23

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday called on the international community to take more concrete steps to support Africa's development.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) here, the Chinese premier said Africa's task of meeting the Millennium Development Goals has been made more difficult by the financial market volatility, the sharp economic slowdown, a drastic decline in foreign capital and the turmoil in some countries and regions in Africa.

Africa's efforts to achieve sustainable development has been seriously threatened by frequent floods and droughts, the spread of desertification, the extinction of some species, the drop in food production and environmental degradation caused by climate change, Wen added.

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"We call upon the international community to have a greater sense of urgency and take more concrete steps to support Africa's development," Wen said.

The international community should take credible steps to honor its commitment of assistance to Africa and actively foster a favorable environment of international economy, trade and finance, he said.

It also needs to help African nations better meet the climate challenge in the larger context of enhancing Africa's ability for achieving sustainable development, Wen said.

Furthermore, the Chinese premier said, the international community should show more understanding of Africa's special difficulties in addressing such global issues as food and energy security and epidemic diseases, and render Africa greater support and assistance.

The FOCAC, established in 2000, is a collective consultation and dialogue mechanism between China and African countries. The main agenda of the Sharm el-Sheikh conference is to review the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Program for China-Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development, adopted during the first ministerial meeting of the forum in Beijing.