Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen,

Allow me to begin by saying what a pleasure and a privilege it is to say a few words at this important event. An event that brings together distinguished leaders and practitioners from across Sub-Saharan Africa and Turkey. I have recently assumed my position as United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Turkey. Prior to my current assignment, I was the World Bank’s Director of Strategy and Operations for Africa. As such the Congress draws me to familiar and cherished areas, and it means much to me personally to be able to contribute to the deepening of relations between Africa and Turkey.

Allow me also to thank TASAM for a formidable effort in organizing this Second International Turkish-African Congress. This congress is recognition that in today’s era of globalization, international cooperation is the key to development.

It is in this spirit of international cooperation that the United Nations Development Programme in Turkey is pleased to be supporting this important international meeting, thanks to the Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) Fund. The UNDP administers this Fund in partnership with Turkey’s State Planning Organization.

Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) – increasingly known as South-South Cooperation -- is a process whereby two or more developing countries pursue their collective development through cooperative exchanges of knowledge, skills, resources and technical know-how. Such exchanges can   be in areas of economy and trade, education, health, agriculture, or tourism.  The Agenda of the Congress over the next two days reflects well this multi-dimensional aspect of the cooperation.

Distinguished Guests,

In 2001, the UN General Assembly institutionalised the process of South-South Cooperation with the establishment of the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation under the coordination of the United Nations Development Programme.

The focus of current activities, as promoted by the Special Unit, is on regional and international initiatives aimed at engaging a large number of countries to work together to formulate policies, share information, agree on priorities and translate ideas into programmes.

The strategic aim is to make developing countries, regardless of  their level of economic and social development, effective partners with all other actors in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and targets set by the G-77 Havana Programme of Action, such as cutting by half the incidence of extreme poverty by 2015.

In this light, the United Nations Development Programme in Turkey, together with its distinguished Government partners, Private Sector partners, Academic and Civil Society partners, strongly encourages this week’s Congress, to come up with concrete projects between Turkey and Sub-Saharan Africa: projects, may I underline, that put sustainable human development at the heart of the venture -- no matter the joint activity.

In this spirit, the United Nations Development Programme offers itself as a willing partner to mainstream sustainable human development and the Millennium Development Goals in Turkey-Africa relations.

It is my strong and sincere belief that incorporating a wider range of substantive areas and cooperation and the building of effective international systems and participatory mechanisms are the solutions to reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Let me conclude by wishing you all a successful Congress.

Thank you.