Nairobi hosts forum on growth

Common development challenges affecting developing countries under the United Nations will be the focus of a three-day meeting beginning this morning in Nairobi.

Under the South-South co-operation, the forum will seek to come up with an inclusive partnership to tackle the challenges of third world nations.

According to Mr Yiping Zuou, director, special unit for the co-operation under the United Nations, the meeting will be looking for a commitment to share experience and expertise on growth issues.

Self-reliance

“The challenges of these nations are in a development agenda that requires enlightened thinking and practical solutions. We are looking for a commitment for an inclusive partnership for development,” said Mr Zuou at a briefing on Monday.

The co-operation was born out of a meeting in Argentina in 1978 to tackle technical challenges facing developing nations.

This was through promoting self-reliance within the nations as opposed to seeking support from the first world.

Broad agenda

The Nairobi meeting is expected to deliberate on a broad agenda of issues affecting these nations.

The talks will also highlight growing political and economic ties within the developing countries as they assume leading roles in global issues.

“The role of developing countries in the global arena is increasingly becoming important and there is an agreement that they face common challenges that need to be addressed conclusively,” said Planning PS Edward Sambili.