Kagame arrives in Korea for aid forum

President Paul Kagame, Tuesday, arrived in Busan, South Korea and is today scheduled to address the fourth High Level Forum (HLF-4), on aid effectiveness. The three-day forum kicked off yesterday and it is expected to provide a new vision and strategy for international development cooperation. Other prominent world leaders taking part include the President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-bak, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and the Queen Rania of Jordan, among others. The forum brings together leaders from developing and donor countries, representatives of civil society organisations and private sector. Approximately 2,000 delegates taking part at the forum will review global progress in improving the impact and value for money of development aid and make new commitments to further ensure that aid helps reduce poverty and supports progress in meeting the MDGs. Since early 2000, Rwanda has taken a strong lead in promoting effective use of aid along the lines of the broad parameters enshrined in international agreements including the Rome and Paris Declarations and the Accra Agenda for Action. The outcomes of the Busan Forum are expected to contribute to an integral part of a new and inclusive agenda for effective cooperation founded on common goals, shared principles and differentiated actions. During his stay, President Kagame is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with his Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak. He will also meet with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon as well as pay visits to several Korean Industries and IT institutions in Seoul. During the Korean Forum, delegates are also expected to discuss international principles and rules to eradicate poverty and realise development. The meeting is the most prestigious and largest forum in the area of international development cooperation. It follows previous forums held in Rome, Italy in 2003, Paris, France in 2005 and Accra, Ghana in 2008. The Korea meeting also aims at assessing progress made in improving the handling of aid. At the Paris meeting, donor and recipient countries agreed on a number of principles to improve aid quality, amid growing concerns that development assistance was being fragmented and aid delivery was often hampered by bureaucracy. Donor and recipient nations implemented a number of measures as a way of reducing costly fragmentation of aid and improve the effectiveness of aid, including the coordination of technical cooperation and freeing of aid from bureaucratic stumbling blocks. Rwanda has been widely recognised for its effective use of aid. Ends

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Kagame arrives in Korea for aid forum