ETHIOPIA: Bishop of Meki urges African leaders to increase transparency and accountability in Public Institutions

The African governments have been urged to put in place concrete
measures to increase transparency and accountability in public institutions. 

 

Making a presentation at the Side-Event of the African Faith Leaders
Initiative during the Third International Conference on Financing for
Development  held in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia 13-16 July 2015; on behalf of the Most Rev. Gabriel ANOKYE, Archbishop
of Kumasi and 2nd Vice President of the Symposium of Episcopal
Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the Apostolic Vicar of Meki; Rt. Rev.
Abraham Desta said, “Promotion of the common good and especially towards the lifting of poor
communities from abject poverty requires bold measures and positions from
respective governments guided by the values and principles of respect for human
dignity, transparency, mutual accountability, integrity of the creation,
partnership and mutual consultation as well as policy coherence, democratic
participation and subsidiarity which are enshrined in the Catholic Social
Teachings.” 

 

According to Bishop Desta, development means more than material
wellbeing as it involved the entire human person with respect for the spiritual
and cultural values of people. 

 

Mr Antony Mbandi with some of the participants to the Conference

SECAM is calling for International cooperation that is holistic; people
centered and built on international solidarity rather than a mere charity in
this world of indifferences. This appeal to some significant changes in current
policy on financing and investment patterns, as well as means of implementation
which include financial resources, technological development and a clear reforms
of the taxation system at global and national levels. 

 

SECAM has made a number of recommendations including setting up of a
clear follow-up process in which all the key stakeholders in development agenda
must have the opportunity to be actively engage and played specific roles in
ensuring a proper and effective implementation of the proposed new development
goals to be adopted in September 2015 during the next UN General Assembly in
New York. 

 

Also SECAM recommended and supported the proposal to have an
independent body within the High Level Panel Forum on Sustainable Development
(HLPF) so that it remains only one process which will avoid a separate process
for the FFD and in the longer term will can contribute in strengthening the
Policy Coherence and the Partnership for Development which is expected.

 

On Financing for Development and International Taxation, SECAM
recommended the adoption of International legal framework as well as national
ones to address the issues of tax evasion and avoidance which may need a
setting up of International body at the UN level with a clear mandate to deal
with global taxation issues. 

 

The conference was attended by high-level political representatives,
including Heads of State and Government, and Ministers of Finance, Foreign
Affairs and Development Cooperation, as well as all relevant institutional
stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and business sector entities. AMECEA
was represented by Mr Antony Mbandi, Justice and Peace and Caritas Coordinator.