Support Somaliland Has Been Invited To ‎Chancellor Gordon Brown’s Speech About ‎The Millennium Development Goals

Press Release

Swansea, Southern Wales, March 24, 2006 – On Thursday 23rd March Chancellor Gordon Brown MP spoke at an event in this year's Welsh Labor Conference in Swansea. Mr. Brown spoke at length about G8 agenda issues and mainly the Millennium Development Goals.

Support Somaliland has being invited to the speech of the Chancellor and therefore had the opportunity to listen to what the Chancellor said about the British government’s commitment to the MDG. A two member delegation Abdiqadir Adan-Dheere (Treasurer, Support Somaliland) and Said Abdi (Board member, Support Somaliland) have attended the event.

Gordon Brown said he did not want to break promises on world poverty.

Gordon Brown has been asserting his government’s commitment to the millennium development goals by saying: "We cannot allow these goals to be relegated from pledges to possibilities and then to words."

Mr. Brown talked about empowering the developing countries and said poor countries must be 'empowered' in trade, education and health care.

He emphasized the need to wipe out debts of the developing countries and said debt relief was necessary to lifting countries out of poverty.

He pointed out Britain’s commitment to debt relief and said 'we will ask other countries to follow and we will continue the campaign until we succeed so that there is debt relief for all the poor countries of the world.'

The Chancellor ended saying the slogan let us make poverty history.

In September 2000, the Millennium Declaration was ratified by 189 heads of state at the United Nations Millennium Summit.

The 8 Millennium Development Goals are:

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Since the start of this year (2006) Support Somaliland has being active in the Make Poverty History campaign. On January 19th 2006 Support Somaliland participated in the Torfaen Summit 1, which was about to raise awareness of the MDG in Wales. Following the Torfaen Summit, on 20th February 2006, SS took part in a consultation meeting organized by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) on the Welsh International Sustainable Development Framework. SS is also represented in the in the MDG-Group (Advisory group to WAG on MDG) through Somaliland Societies in Europe which is a full member of the advisory group.

Support Somaliland is a non-profit organization set up to help and take part in the socio-economic development of Somaliland. The organization also aims the advancement and welfare of the Somaliland Diaspora in the UK.

If you would like to know more about Support Somaliland please visit our website:
http://www.supportsomaliland.org
If you want to join us and become a member of Support Somaliland, please contact us at:

Support Somaliland

C/o Butetown History & Arts Centre,

5 Dock Chambers,

Bute Street, Butetown,

Cardiff CF10 5AG

info@supportsomaliland.org
Abdirahman Adan (Qootaali)

General Secretary of Support Somaliland