TUNISIA'S EXPERIENCE
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's initiative is the reflection of the experience of Tunisia in the area of fighting poverty and social exclusion, a country that has reduced its poverty rate to 6% based on social reforms initiated by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali relying on the notions of balance and solidarity and on developing mechanisms capable of giving concrete expression to such values. Among them in particular is the National Solidarity Fund that has helped give needy areas all the attributes of a decent life.
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has called for the setting up of a World Solidarity Fund, based on the success achieved by the National Solidarity Fund established on his initiative in 1992. Its basic mission was to implement a national strategy extending from 1993 to late 2000 in 1,150 of the country's regions with a total population of 181,213 families, accounting for nearly one million people living in difficult social conditions, such as the lack of stable incomes, basic facilities, schools, health, roads, or drinking water.
A total of 1,327 "shadow areas" in Tunisia benefited from the activities of the National Solidarity Fund. More than one million two hundred thousand citizens enjoyed the benefits of programs amounting to 546.7 million dinars (about 400 million US dollars). The Fund's activities helped build 30,545 houses and 122 health care centers and launch 58,837 small individual projects. Furthermore, the Fund generated 17,519 jobs.
NSF activities also made it possible to connect 63,151 households to the power grid and to the potable water network, to build or improve 19,736 houses, to construct 3,565 kilometers of road, to build 140 schools, and carry out 33 sanitation and anti-desertification projects; in addition to building a number of "youth halls".
Such achievements were carried out based on direct, and constant follow-up of NSF projects by President Ben Ali. No less than 23 Cabinet meetings were devoted to this issue, in addition to the numerous visits which the President of the Republic made to the "needy areas". They were also carried out thanks to the active solidarity of all sections of society; a solidarity evidenced by spontaneous and generous donations.
Other initiatives, including the establishment of the Tunisian Solidarity Bank and the National Employment Fund, instruments aimed at promoting the spirit of initiative and employment opportunities, came to consolidate and complement efforts made by the National Solidarity Fund and reinforce social cohesion in the country.Presentation I UN Resolution I Support to the initiative I Tunisia's experience I Forum I News briefs I Links I Home
