Source: NZweek
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 27 — African countries should make more efforts to empower youth and women and give them responsibilities of driving economic growth and peace, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said here on Sunday.

He said Africa has the highest percentage of the youth population compared to other continents and this calls for policies that will help them create wealth to avoid situation where wealth is concentrated in the hands of few people.

“Creating economic equity is important for Africa to maintain peace and prosperity,” said Ban while addressing the opening session of the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday.

He said he had recently appointed a Special Envoy for the Youth in efforts to help African countries empower the critical segment of the population.

“There are visible and tangible gains that are evident as a result of Africa’s development growth now taking place. More girls are going to school, there are less HIV/AIDS deaths and less mortality at birth,’ he said.

“But there is still concern about the high number of people living in poverty. We must accelerate our efforts of achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” he said.

According to him, the United Nations will host a Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in September that will accelerate actions aimed at halving poverty in the Third World Countries by the MDGs deadline of 2015.

He called on African men to denounce violence against women and for government to enact policies that end female genital mutilation. The UN is working hard to help Africa eliminate HIV infections for the new born, said the UN chief.