| |
Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - The signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding involving the Government of Saint Lucia, the United Nations
Development Programme and the Poverty Reduction Fund has been viewed as further
commitment on the part of Government, to work in tandem with the UN’s Millennium
Project to combat global poverty.
Speaking at Tuesday’s (January 18th) signing ceremony, UNDP Representative
Rebecca Arias said the United Nations was confident that the Government would
play its role in promoting social values to help reduce poverty at the community
level.
“We look forward to working with all partners in the implementation of this
initiative and in making this project the key initiative, around which we can
promote social development, poverty reduction, and the achievement of the
Millennium Development goals. And I am sure that with the commitment of the
government of Saint Lucia and in particular, the commitment of the Ministry of
Social Transformation and its dynamic Minister, I am sure that we will achieve
this goal,” the UNDP Representative said.
Four communities have been identified to benefit from the institutional and
capacity building project for poverty reduction in Saint Lucia. They are now
being assessed prior to the implementation of a series of literacy and
information technology and Communication workshops.
Minister for Social Transformation, Honourable Menissa Rambally said her
Ministry was cognizant that research and continuous assessment must characterize
these projects: “Today we are getting the assistance of the UNDP to be able to
target specifically, these vulnerable groups that we have discovered within our
communities, to allow us to further reduce that percentage of our population
that live below a certain line that we want to call an acceptable way of
living,”
|
