OPENING STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

TO AFRICAN FORUM FOR INVESTMENT PROMOTION

GENEVA, 17 July (UN Information Service) -- Following is the opening statement by the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Martin Belinga-Eboutou (Cameroon), at the plenary meeting of the African Forum for Investment Promotion on 16 July 2001 at the Palais des Nations:

ECOSOC CONCLUDES HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Adopts Ministerial Declaration Expressing Concern about Health Crisis

Affecting Africa, Urging UN to Help African Countries Manage External Debt

(Reissued as received.)

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL HEARS FURTHER DEBATE

ON SUPPORTING AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

(Reissued as received.)

ECOSOC CONTINUES TO HEAR STATEMENTS BY SENIOR OFFICIALS

ON AIDING AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

GENEVA, 17 July (UN Information Service) -- High-level government representatives expressed their support this afternoon for African efforts to spur lasting economic development, as the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) continued its high-level segment debate on ensuring sustainable development for African countries.

NELSON MANDELA, SADAKO OGATA AMONG CONTRIBUTORS TO ECOSOC PANEL

ON PEACE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL HOLDS ROUND TABLE

ON INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES

GENEVA, 16 July (UN Information Service) -- The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this afternoon continued its high-level segment on the role of the United Nations system in supporting the efforts of African countries to achieve sustainable development and held a round table on infrastructure needs in African countries.

ECOSOC ROUND TABLE FOCUSES ON FINANCING OF INVESTMENT IN AFRICA

GENEVA, 16 July (UN Information Service) -- An Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) round-table discussion on the financing of investment in Africa this afternoon featured leading ministers, economists, international civil servants, business people and industry heads who talked about the best way to spur foreign investment, and what workers in Africa could do with the money.

ECOSOC HOSTS AFRICAN FORUM FOR INVESTMENT PROMOTION

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 16 July (UN Information Service) -- The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this afternoon continued with its high-level segment on efforts to achieve sustainable development in Africa by holding a forum on investment promotion in the continent, featuring several high-ranking politicians and development chiefs.

INVESTMENT CLIMATE IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES IS REVIEWED

AT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ROUND TABLE

SECRETARY-GENERAL, ADDRESSING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL URGES

INCREASED GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR AFRICAN INITIATIVES

GENEVA, 16 July (UN Information Service) -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Economic and Social Council this morning that there should be an expanded international commitment to African development based on support for local African programmes for economic advancement.