CHOGM 2007
per annum. However, the base from only get US$ 9
which we started was very small. billion!! While it is up
to the victims of this
3. The third bottleneck to transformation haemorrhage to resist it
in some of the Commonwealth and reverse it, it would
countries, has been the mistake of be more decent if a body
exporting raw-materials, instead, of like the Commonwealth
adding value and exporting fi nished worked together through
products. A country like Uganda has, the Business Forum, the
for instance, exported coffee for a long CPTM, ODA and the
time. The present price of bean coffee multilateral fi nancial
is US$ 1 per kilogram. When Nestle institutions to turn
buys this raw-material and roasts and this problem into an
grinds it abroad, it earns US$ 20 per asset of co-operation.
kilogram for the same coffee that
Uganda sold at US$ 1. This means that 4. The other factor that
in every kilogram of coffee Uganda stimulates growth
is ‘donating’ US$ 19 to the outside and transformation is
world. We do not only ‘donate’ money, the Human Resource
but we also ‘donate’ jobs. Take the Development through Education for
example of cotton. If a Third World All and improved health through
country exports semi-processed lint immunization, hygiene, nutrition
cotton, it, in effect, exports several accessible to all and behaviour change Kamlesh Sharma
levels of jobs: the spinning jobs, the in relation to AIDS prevention.
weaving jobs, the printing jobs and A healthy, educated, skilled and
appointed Commonwealth
the tailoring jobs (making garments). intellectualized population is the
This has been a great haemorrhage greatest resource a country can possess.
Secretary General
to the Third World economies. In the case of Uganda, after we
had stabilized the economy, we
In Uganda, we have solved some started Universal Primary Education
of this haemorrhage and even the (UPE) in 1997 and, recently, we
India’s career diplomat Kamlesh Sharma is the new
rest will be solved. It is, however, a have launched Universal Secondary
Commonwealth Secretary General.
point that needs attention because Education (USE). We shall also
it is a distortion that some vested widen the network of Technical
66-year-old retired IFS offi cer Sharma, currently High
interests want to perpetuate, the Colleges to impart skills. We
Commissioner in the UK, will hold the prestigious post for
multinational fi nancial institutions already have about two dozens of
two years beginning March next year when the incumbent
Don Mckinnon’s two-time term ends.
are, amazingly, indifferent to it and Universities. Universal immunization
some of the internal groups are either has lowered the infant mortality rate
Sharma was elected to the post at the Commonwealth Heads
oblivious to it or are linked with the from 122/1000 (in 1986) to 67/1000. of Government Meeting in Kampala end of November.
haemorrhage to the detriment of However, Education for All and
the wider society. It is amazing that skills’ development will not be
Having immense experience in dealing with global issues,
some of the groups that speak so enough unless jobs (employment) are
Sharma has served with distinction at various key positions
including as India’s Permanent Representative to the UN and
loudly about “good governance” do created for the youth who are trained.
spokesperson for developing countries in the UNCTAD during
not speak about this haemorrhage
the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations.
that is a form of modern slavery. The Once these strategic factors are dealt
total coffee business in the world, to with, then, there are other tactical and Sharma has also played a key role in both South-South and
give one example, is US$ 99 billion. operational stimuli that will further help.
North-South relations.
These are actions like Tax holidays for
Sharma is currently a member of the Board of Governors
Of this the coffee growing countries businesses, low Corporation Tax, speed
of Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth
up the process of granting
Foundation where he has taken keen interest in the activities
licenses to businesses,
and guided India’s close engagement with the Commonwealth
etc. The CHOGM and the since 2004.
Concept paper delve into
these matters in detail.
He has served as India’s Permanent Representative in New
York during which he chaired the Working Group on Financing
for Development and the successful consensus building that
I salute all of you
he has achieved led to the conference yielding the ‘Monterrey
Consensus’ in the conference in Mexico.
and I welcome
you to Uganda.
He was closely engaged in the process which led to the
formulation and adoption of the Millennium Development
Goals.
(this is an edited version
- full version can be Sharma also had the distinction of being the fi rst Special
read on http://www.
Representative of UN Secretary General to independent East
thecommonwealth.org
Timor where he was directly engaged in all aspects of nation
P
building and safeguarding its security.
P
www.thepromota.co.uk THEPROMOTA | 11
ppromotamagazine_issue12.indd isabelle corrected.indd 11romotamagazine_issue12.indd isabelle corrected.indd 11 330/11/2007 21:45:170/11/2007 21:45:17
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60