Poverty problems 'solvable'

2007-10-13 20:39

Johannesburg - Challenges facing poor countries can be solved, Social Development deputy minister Dr Jean Swanson-Jacobs said on Friday.

" With national commitment and international support, we can realise more equitable economic growth and achieve the human development goals," said Swanson-Jacobs.

She was addressing the India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA) Social Issues Working Group meeting in Johannesburg.

She said human development was about people being at the centre of development, adding: "It is about people realising their potential, increasing choice and enjoying the freedom to lead the lives they value."

According to Swanson-Jacobs the three-day meeting would end with the signing of a memorandum to be drafted by her department.

Facing many challenges

Issues adopted as priorities for the memorandum include poverty eradication, social security, institutional capacity building and micro-finance in the three countries.

" As IBSA countries we still face many challenges associated with poverty and underdevelopment".

She said the three countries' poverty challenges arose from "income, asset and capability poverty as well as related problems such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancies and youth high school drop out rates".

"These are challenges we face together and which we need to overcome together," she said.

According to Swanson-Jacobs, the group was established to facilitate sharing of knowledge, lessons and best practices to address the social development in the three countries.

She said the second meeting of the group in 2006, following the inaugural IBSA Summit in Brazil, had identified poverty alleviation, micro-finance and application of indigenous knowledge systems for social development.

- SAPA