The vice president and minister of Women's Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, yesterday afternoon, received in audience Abdoulie Janneh, United Nations under secretary general and executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), at her office at State House.

Janneh, a Gambian based at the Commission's office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was accompanied to the vice president's office by the United Nations resident coordinator, Madam Chinwe M Dike. Speaking to journalists shortly after his audience with The Gambia's vice president, the UNECA executive secretary said their discussions centered mainly on the forthcoming conference and Africa review meeting scheduled to take place in The Gambia in November, this year. His discussions with Dr Njie-Saidy, according to him, also touched on The Gambia's state of preparedness to host such a high profile meeting.

The meeting, according to him, will take the form of both expert and ministerial sessions. The meeting, which he described as a major one, will involve looking at issues such as economic and gender empowerment, health, and girls education amongst a host of other development issues and challenges. According to him, the meeting will attract delegates from the United Nations, representatives from member states at the ministerial level and the civil society, amongst others. Janneh told the reporters that the vice president was excited that such a high level meeting will take place in The Gambia, noting that she had expressed the country's readiness to ensure the successful hosting of the conference.

The UNECA went on to say that the meeting will provide the opportunity for member countries to prepare their various country reports that will be combined in a global report on Africa. Janneh expressed hope that the Gambian meeting will be fruitful.