Month: November 2011

Michael McCann MP in Busan, ROK

Parliamentary Meeting on 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, Busan, ROK

The most important words uttered at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness came from Lee Myung-bak, the President of the Republic of Korea. Fifty years ago when he was a child and Korea was a war ravaged country, it needed aid. Today it’s the 13th largest economy in the world, the second fastest growing economy in the OECD and an aid donor. That single statement confirms that despite the complexity of aid, despite the myriad cultures, despite the challenges that are presented from clean water to conflict to corruption, aid works.

Alamar is a district in east part of the city of Havana

Visit to Organoponico Vivero in Alamar

Our visit to Alamar was one of the highlights of the trip to Cuba. It is an example of how the country has moved away, be necessity, from large scale agriculture on state farms which relied heavily on imported inputs on to a smaller scale system that is more organic and offers real food security. It consists of 25 hectares and is a non state co operative established some 14 years ago.  

delegation to kosovo Nov 2011 234.JPG

The way forward in Kosovo

Kosovo is a fascinating country. It feels both ancient and brand new. Its people are warm and friendly, and for the most part young and full of life. Enthusiasm and optimism for the future is the dominant characteristic of a people who, despite everything, believe that education, enterprise and hard work will deliver prosperity and success. 

The UK delegation saw that peace remained fragile in Kosovo

Kosovo on the brink

Twelve years after surviving one of the bloodiest conflicts in the Balkans, Kosovo is pushing slowly through the political and economic barriers to the independence it declared in February 2008. But in the battle for recognition it still confronts not only Serbia, its ancient rival, but five European Union countries.

UK Delegation in November 2011 visited the Kosovo Parliament

Outward Delegation to Kosovo

The delegation’s visit to Kosovo was a very interesting one and allowed the UK Parliamentarians to visit several ministries and explore some of the issues pertinent to the country’s development since the Declaration of Independence in 2008. Independent Kosovo is recognised by 85 states but these do not include five members of the European Union or Serbia.