African Union demands role in world financial reform
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
STRASBOURG, France, Nov 17 (AFP): Africa must be consulted over any reform of the world's financial architecture, said the African Union yesterday, the after major economic powers ended their summit in Washington.
"There is one problem for us, and that is that people tend to take decisions for us, without listening to us, and then impose them on us," Jean Ping, chairman of the AU commission, said in Strasbourg, northern France.
"Africa demands to be heard," he said. "We want to be listened to and we wish to take part in the decisions involving our future destiny," he added.
In the past, he added, "they imposed a model on us that we accepted, but which Asia rejected. The results are plain for all to see: development in Asia thrived, but collapsed in Africa."
Ping was speaking at one of the European Development Days events, a European Commission-organised event uniting players in the development community.
"There is one problem for us, and that is that people tend to take decisions for us, without listening to us, and then impose them on us," Jean Ping, chairman of the AU commission, said in Strasbourg, northern France.
"Africa demands to be heard," he said. "We want to be listened to and we wish to take part in the decisions involving our future destiny," he added.
In the past, he added, "they imposed a model on us that we accepted, but which Asia rejected. The results are plain for all to see: development in Asia thrived, but collapsed in Africa."
Ping was speaking at one of the European Development Days events, a European Commission-organised event uniting players in the development community.