AMMAN (JT) -- Experts in the field of development expect the " Middle East / Africa Micro Credit Summit Conference for 2004," which will be held here nex week, to be a significant addition to the local and international efforts exerted to reduce poverty and meet the requirements of the poorest segments through securing funds to enable them to start their income-generating projects.
Conference organisers concur that the topics addressed in the conference and the papers presented in the concurrent public sessions, workshops and training courses, reflect the depth of the discussions aimed at activating micro- credit, specially with regard to making its mechanism available to the poorest segments of society.
Among the topics expected to attract extensive participation is the commitment of governments towards the micro-credit and the role of parliamentarians, leaders of society and civil society organisations.
The meeting of councils on the fourth day of the conference, is expected to produce practical programmes for fighting poverty, through activating micro-credit.
The concerned bodies pin great hopes on such a session, as it will bring together all the developmental spectra, strategy to planning, politicians and decision makers.
A session will be devoted to those who work in the field of borrowing and non-governmental organisations, and another session will be allocated for donors, UN organisations, international financial institutions and local government bodies.
The third session comprises micro-credit advocates, parliamentarians, educational institutions, service clubs and religious institutions while the fourth will be devoted to companies, banks, finance institutions, trading establishments, welfare organisations and benefactors
The "Middle East / Africa Micro Credit Summit Conference for 2004" will be attended by participants from more than fifty countries from the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Australia and the United States in addition to a great number of developmental partners.
It is expected the results of the conference will highly contribute to the annual international programmes of the United Nations for micro-credit in 2005. It is also of particular importance in enhancing the developmental goals for the third millennium, especially with regard to decreasing the poverty rate to half by 2015.
© Jordan Times 2004
