The Chairman of the National Assembly of Mauritius, Honourable PREMNAH RAMNAH;
The Ministers;
The Assistant Director General of UNESCO for Education;
The Director of BREDA;
Your Excellencies, the Ambassadors;
Honourable Colleagues, the Parliamentarians;
The partners;
Experts;
Distinguished guests,
The Press.

You can easily imagine how happy I feel to deliver this speech at the opening of the first meeting of the Contact Group of the African Forum of Parliamentarians for Education (FAPED).

But first I would like to welcome in the Senegalese soil as well as in this sanctuary of the parliamentarian history of our country, the Honourable PREMNAH RAMNAH, Chairman of the National Assembly of Mauritius and all our Parliamentarians colleagues who have honoured us by responding to our invitation.

Dear Colleague the Chairman,
The Ministers,
Honourable Parliamentarians ,
Distinguished Guests,

Please allow me to thank very sincerely, Mr. PARSURAMEN, Director of the BREDA-UNESCO who has spared no effort to make this meeting take place.
On behalf of my colleague of Mauritius and on behalf of all the African Parliamentarians, I thank him from the bottom of my heart.

For the National Assembly of Senegal that I have the honour to chair, it is certainly the continuation of an action that has already been initiated since April 2000 with the session of World Forum for Education for All which took place in our capital.

You will agree with me that Africa, at the dawn of this new millennium, gives the impression to regain control of its destiny.

The main witnesses are the creation of the African Union and above all the New Partnership for African Development, (N.E.P.A.D), which shows its strong will to look for ways and means to ensure the economic and social development.

The convening of the meeting of the Forum Contact Group lies within the circle of influence. Therefore we are looking forward to bring the specific contribution of the Parliamentarians, to build an Africa which needs to overcome the obstacles which stand on its way, in order to commit itself in a sustainable, fair and balanced development.

Education, considered as a fundamental and inalienable human right in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, is a condition to all development.

The question I ask you and that we also ask ourselves is why having waited too long, to commit ourselves as Parliamentarians, in this new form which consist on creating, within us, spaces where dialogue and consultation with the governments and the partners in education will enable, certainly, to go ahead significantly.

The specialists have proven that education is the corner stone for development, the foundation on which are built economic competitiveness and social progress. Studies have showed a positive impact of education, particularly primary education, on economic growth rates, incomes and productivity.

It is true that education free people from poverty, increase the intellectual adaptability of manpower and prepare the countries for a better competitiveness on the world market, by the emergence of new technologies and production methods.

Education imposes the behaviours, improves health and social cohesiveness.

Here are, Ladies and Gentlemen, enough reasons for us to work together in order to find new solutions to the education crisis which afflicts Africa.

Moreover, there is no choice but to accept that if Africa is still lagging behind is it essentially due to the financial difficulties which hampers our progress.

In fact, education needs huge financial means in order to acquire quality infrastructures and qualified and motivated teachers. But, unfortunately, the extreme poverty of our States, which are the main sponsors in the field, the insufficient assistance of partners in development, the low participation of the private sector and the parents' poverty show that we are not out of difficulties.

The African Parliamentarians should not content themselves in voting budgets presented by the governments. They should be more committed and show their strong influence so that the resources that have been allocated to this vital sector increase in clear and reasonable ways; they should proclaim far and wide in favour of the granting of means equal to the expectations and demands of our African education system.

The instrument that we would like to set up will be a support to NEPAD effort which has made education one of its priorities.

We will therefore offer a tribune where African peoples, through their parliamentarian representation, will proclaim solidarity and complementary actions, in a perfect integration approach.

In conclusion, I will ask you to meditate on this famous remark which says "if you think that education is expensive, try ignorance."

That is the reason why I put all my hopes on our works.

Dear Chairman,
Dear Excellencies,
Ministers,
Honourable Colleagues the Parliamentarians,
Distinguished experts and guests

I wish you full success for the first meeting of the FAPED Contact Group.

Thank you for your kind attention.