Eritrea

The 2007-2008 Human Development Report Launched in Eritrea.

December 6, 2007

Following the global launch of HD 2007/2008 reports, UNDP Eritrea Country Office launches the report on December 6, 2007 at the Hotel Intercontinental Asmara. Discussants from Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Ministry of Land, Water and Environment and UNDP too presented short briefings on the efforts Eritrea is carrying out to adapt climate changes.

After welcoming the participants of the event, the facilitator of the launching event, Senior Deputy Resident Representative, Mr. Bartholomew Nyarko-Mensah said that the annual Human Development Repots commissioned by UNDP focuses the global issues on key development issues, providing new measurement tools, innovative analysis and often controversial policy proposals. He further stated that development is enlarged by people’s choices not just raising national income and thus human development index measure those achievements in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment and adjusted real income.

In the opening remarks, the UN resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Macleod Nyirongo said that as we launch this report here in Eritrea, the Bali Conference on Climate Change is taking place since 3 December. The Bali conference must be serious. This report tells us that Climate Change could put brakes and reverse progress so far made for about 2.6 billion people who live on $2 per day, almost all in developing countries, particularly in Africa - not because they are not trying but they are locked up in disasters, floods, droughts and increased incidence of malaria and other diseases, as a result of increased warming.

He further elaborated that Climate Change has become a political issue in the West: it was an election issue in Australia – the new Labour Party Prime Minister promised to ratify the Kyoto Convention immediately after election and he has done so at Bali and it is becoming also an issue in the USA primaries. The RC urged nations to ratify the Kyoto convention.

The keynote speaker of this year’s HDR launch event was the Minister of National Development H.E. Dr. Woldai Futur. In his briefing, he said that UNDP’s Human Development Reports have thrown much light on weighty issues such as water, energy and HIV/AIDS and consistent with its tradition, this year’s report is no different and provides the readers or users with the scientific, social and international cooperation toolkit for resolving issues in an area with which the international community and every country must come to terms to avoid catastrophe. H.E. further said that “I would like to congratulate UNDP and extend my admiration for the comprehensive and analytical HDR for a subject of great importance and urgent international action.

With regard to Eritrea’s primary environmental concern, the Minister related the issue with land and water degradations emanating from deforestation and resultant soil erosion. According to the Minister, Eritrea is acutely aware that it may already have been suffering from the effects of global worming expressed in repeated and protracted droughts and wild rainfall swings that the country is experiencing since decades.

The Minister’s speech focused on four areas: the state of science in climate change; the urgency of the issue; the sufferers of climate change and the way forward. He concluded that if climate change is to be tackled the principle of market approach “the polluter pays” and mitigation approaches should be supported by adaptability and international cooperation.

The HDR 2007/2008 report was presented by Professor Techeste Ahderom, Senior Technical Advisor on Recovery. In his presentations he elaborated that this year’s HDR is focusing on topical issues, “Climate change” which timely as over 190 countries have started to discuss the issue in Bali, Indonesia, to address many of issues raised in the report

According to the presenter, in terms of the analysis, the new data presented and many of the alternative proposals and scenarios that have been suggested in the HDR 2007 can be a good tool for the climate change negotiators.

Ministeries, civil soceity organizations, diplomatic corps, UN heads of agencies, International and national NGO representatives and acadimicians were among the participants of the launching event.