Pakistan has urged the international community to pay greater attention to the eradication of poverty to get rid of terrorism.
Addressing the 11th global conference on women entrepreneurs here on Saturday, leader of the Pakistan delegation Shirin Niazi said that eradicating poverty would contribute to making the world a safer place for future generation. She regretted that in the Third World countries more than 70 percent of the people live below the poverty line.
"The government of Pakistan accords high priority to improve living standard of the people," she said, adding, "as a step to that direction, the government has introduced micro-financing credit as an important aspect of its economic agenda and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are being promoted."
Shirin Niazi, a senior business consultant and member Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, said Pakistan prepared to join hand with international community advancing development and reducing poverty by 2015, as per declaration adopted by the world leaders in New York in 2000 at the UN Millennium Summit.
She underlined the need of addressing the problems, like inadequate income, hunger, and gender inequality, lack of education and healthcare. In Pakistan, she said, "the provision of financial services to the poor is an important component of the poverty alleviation programme."
The donor agencies, she said should make conscious efforts to ensure that special targeted loans are given at concessional rates and should allow the developing countries to repay back the loan in local currencies, instead of dollars.
JOINT VENTURES: Meanwhile, Shirin Niazi told APP in an interview that she held very useful talks with the Chinese delegates at the conference to make joint ventures for undertaking women welfare-oriented programmes. The two sides, she said have identified the areas where the women can actively utilise business opportunities.
These areas include farming livestock, fish and shrimps, development of agriculture crops, food processing and education and craft-related trade, especially in rural sector.
She said there is a wide-scope of bilateral co-operation in development of small and medium enterprises. Pakistan, she said could take benefit from the Chinese experience, bringing their women at par with men in the socio-economic field. China and Pakistan, she said could cooperate promoting micro-financing schemes to ensure maximum participation of women in the national development.
Pakistan's delegates, attending the conference include Mrs. Razia Ali Agha, Jamila Rafi and Chaudhry Aziz Wali Mohammad.