Mwanza, Tanzania

Honourable Regional Commissioner,
UNDP Resident Representative,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me start by thanking You Honourable Regional Commissioner for hosting this dinner and according me and my delegation such a warm welcome to Mwanza. I am grateful for the excellent food, the very kind words and the traditional dances which we were welcomed with when arriving at the airport. Mwanza is truly a warm and most refreshing city.

Lake Victoria is a landmark on the African continent. It is the world’s second largest freshwater lake. For me to be on the shores of Lake Victoria is a great experience, and I am very pleased to be able to visit this

area. The fact that Lake Victoria also is a shared resource between the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, symbolizes its importance in the region and as a regional public good.

Today I am wearing a two hats. Today I am not solely the Crown Prince of Norway, I am also visiting Mwanza and Tanzania as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador. In this respect, I am very delighted to be here. The United Nations Development Programme is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources. UNDP supports Tanzania's poverty reduction efforts with strategic advice, capacity building, aid coordination and funding. For me to become a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador gives me the chance to learn and see more about UNDP’s important programme, and also to advocate for more focus on and support for this work that is helping to improve people’s lives here in Mwanza, here in Tanzania and throughout the developing world more broadly.

Tomorrow I am going to meet a HIV/AIDS youth group. I really look forward to meeting these young and brave people. Halting the spread of HIV/AIDS is one of the key eight Millennium Development Goals – and it is a goal that the Crown Princess and I are particularly concerned about. I am eager to meet youth involved in trying to halt and then reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS here in Tanzania. It is no exaggeration to say that unless the world meets this specific Millennium Goal, it has little prospect of meeting the overarching target of halving extreme poverty by 2015.

The tragedy of HIV/AIDS has multiple and inter-connected effects. In killing adults in the prime of their lives, HIV/AIDS deprives families, and communities of beloved and able men and women. I am pleased to note that UNDP has responded favourably in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic by making HIV/AIDS one of its five core priorities, working across the world to help governments respond to the complexe challenges it poses. As UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, it is my job to advocate for these issues in Norway, and I am very pleased to tell you that last week I launched an Internet game in Norway, in which 700 Nordic youth students will become involved in a dynamic discussion on how to fight HIV/AIDS in their own environment.

We as members of the international community have a duty to love and care for both the infected and orphans so that they can generate hope for positive living. I salute the Honourable Regional Commissioner and the kind hearted and warm people of Mwanza and wish you success in this noble and rewarding commitment.

Asanteni Sana (Thank You very much)