THE MINISTER of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Joan Burton, will host a meeting in Dublin Castle today to discuss Ireland's development aid policies.
The European Commissioner responsible for humanitarian aid, Ms Emma Bonino, Ms Glenys Kinnock MEP, the BBC's Asia Correspondent, Mr Fergal Keane, and a Rwandan, government minister, Ms Aloyisia Inyumba (see interview, left), will be among the speakers at the National Forum on Development Aid.
The closing address will he given by the President, Mrs Robinson. The theme of the meeting is Humanitarian Crises Prevention, Response and Rehabilitation.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the meeting will offer the first major occasion during Ireland's EU Presidency for a discussion of issues which are of global importance in terms of long term development, particularly in the wake of recent tragedies such as those in Rwanda and Somalia".
The forum was established in 1993 to give a platform to nongovernmental organisations and other groups to discuss Ireland's development aid policies and cooperation with the developing world.
Last night in Dublin, Ms Burton and Ms Kinnock launched two publications on development and inequality in the world. They are published by Dochas, the Irish association of non governmental development organisations.