Malaria on Kikwete agenda at Addis meet

THE Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) started in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Monday, with delegates focusing on a range of options to finance the new global sustainable agenda.

The resolutions of the conference, which President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to address, will be adopted by all UN members and serve as the foundation to finance the ambitious sustainable development agenda built on 17 new universal sustainable development goals.

Addressing reporters in Dar es Salaam, UN Information Officer Stella Vuzo said President Kikwete is scheduled to attend the conference and address its Malaria segment.

She said the conference will be held at the highest possible political level, including Heads of State or Government, relevant ministers – for finance, foreign affairs and development cooperation and other special representatives.

The Malaria segment will discuss the new World Health Assembly endorsed ‘Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030’ and the ‘roll back malaria partnership's Action and Investment to defeat Malaria 2016-2030.’

According to Ms Vuzo, the documents provide technical guidance and a framework for action and investment to achieve the ambitious malaria elimination targets outlines in the forthcoming UN sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A new comprehensive vision will be launched during a special malaria financing event to be convened by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn.

Progress in the fight against malaria since 2000 has resulted in a 58 per cent reduction in malaria mortality with more than 6.2 million malaria deaths averted between 2001 and 2015.

The international conference on FfD held in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2002 signalled a turning point in the approach to development cooperation by the international community.

It was the first UN-sponsored summit-level meeting to address key financial and related issues pertaining to global development.

With more than 50 Heads of State and Government and over 200 ministers of foreign affairs, trade, development and finance, the largest ever participation of finance officials at a United Nations-sponsored event, the Conference succeeded in placing financing for development firmly on the global agenda.

The Monterrey Consensus reflects a landmark global agreement between developed and developing countries, in which both recognised their responsibilities in key areas such as trade, aid, debt relief and institution building.

The second FfD conference was held in Doha, Qatar, in 2008, to review implementation of the Monterrey agenda and adopted the Doha Declaration, which recognised that mobilising financial resources for development and the effective use of all those resources were central to the global partnership for sustainable development.