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| 14 April 2005 |
Bill Clinton to ensure Tsunami pledges are kept |
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Declaring that "no one could possibly be better qualified," UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has asked former US President Bill Clinton to head up United Nations operations in the dozen Indian Ocean countries devastated by December's Tsunami.
One of Mr Clinton's tasks will be to ensure that donors not only pledge but provide the money needed for recovery and reconstruction, and that said funds actually reach the communities who need it most.
"It's vitally important that we have someone capable of sustaining international interest in the fate of the survivors and their communities – and someone with vision and commitment to ensure that this time the international community really does follow through and support the transition from immediate relief to longer-term recovery and reconstruction," Mr. Annan told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York.
"Too often, in the aftermath of previous natural disasters, that has not been the case."
Mr Clinton said: "As we move from relief into recovery and reconstruction, the most difficult period is upon us," citing the need to rebuild homes, restore jobs, replace fishing boats, reconstruct sanitation facilities and rehabilitate roads.
"My job is to ensure first of all that the money which has been committed by the donor countries be invested, [and] that we assure the donors that it is spent effectively, responsibly and in a transparent manner."
(GB/KMcA)
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