Former President Kufuor leaves for the US

Accra, July 23, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor left Accra Friday night for London, en route to Washington, DC. United States, where he will be the Key-note speaker at the triennial World Congress of the Society for International Development (SID).

A press release, issued and signed by Mr Frank Agyekum, Spokesperson, Office of the Former President, said Former President Kufuor will speak on: “Our Common Challenge - A World Moving toward a Sustainable Future,” at the congress to be attended by more than 1,000 of the 3,000-member SID spread over 80 countries.

He is expected to share his experience as one "of the leaders of the African Renaissance; his unwavering commitment to stimulating economic growth and reducing human suffering as well as, promoting transparency, reducing poverty and increasing prosperity.”

Other speakers include, Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank, Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank, Kandeh K. Yumkelia, Director-General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to US President and Senior Director of the National Security Council.

The Congress, which runs from July 29-31, will be on a range of critical international development issues, among them, economic progress, human development, health, governance and citizenship, science and technology.

While in Washington, DC, the Dutch Government through its Embassy in the United States, and the Dutch Development Organization, of which former President Kufuor is an advisory board member, will honour him with a dinner for winning the 2011 World Food Prize.

He is expected back on August 7, 2011.