Angola

Forum on poverty recommends planning methods

Luanda, 21 January 2011 - The National Forum on Implementation of the Integrated Municipal Programme of Rural Development and Fight Against Poverty, which opened on Tuesday, ended on Thursday with the approval of a final communiqué and conclusions.

The three-day meeting debated matters such as Integrated Municipal Programmes of Rural Development and Fight Against Poverty and the Expansion of the Health Services and its Impact on the Improvement of Quality of Populations Living Standards in the ambit of the Municipal Integrated Programmes.

Other themes were the Problem of Local Production of Foodstuff, the National Strategy of Food and Nutritional Security and its Articulation with the Municipal Integrated Programmes, as well as the Instruments of Monitoring and Assessment of Programmes and Projects - Analysis of Indicators.

The participants in the forum on fight against poverty recommended the adoption of integrated methods of planning based in the principles of decentralization and that favour the participation of all interested parties in the development process, mainly in municipalities.

They also recommended the creation of conditions that promote the access to a dignifying house and the development and re-classification of villages in rural areas, taking into account the cultural specificities.

The 400 delegates also voiced on the need to facilitate the access to the development of technology and diversification of production, as well as improve the mechanism of transport and commercial exchange, in order to strengthen the rural commerce, as means of reducing poverty rates.

The need for the holding meetings between the government officials, in a periodical way, to debate matters of political, social and economic interest, that aim at the development of municipalities, as well as the strengthening of capacities and competences were also put forward.

Promoted by the Civil Office of the Presidency of the Republic, the gathering had the participation of government officials, MPs, provincial governors, municipal and commune administrators, representatives of the civil society, among other individuals.