STATEMENT
BY
ANWARUL
K. CHOWDHURY
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL
AND HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE
LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES,
LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
AND SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES
AT
THE
CONFERENCE
OF AFRICAN MINISTERS OF FINANCE, PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
35th SESSION OF THE
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA (ECA)
JOHANNESBURG,
19 OCTOBER 2002
Mr.
Chairman,
Honourable Ministers, and
Distinguished Delegates,
I thank you for the invitation to participate at the Conference
of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development,
being held in this beautiful city of Johannesburg. Its
theme “Accelerating Africa’s Performance and Progress:
The Challenges of New Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD)” is not only very timely and relevant but also
substantively very crucial to the United Nations system as
a whole, in particular to the work of the Economic Commission
for Africa (ECA).
My presentation would focus on the implementation of the Brussels
Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for
the Decade 2001-2010 and in that context, on the activities
of the new Office of the High Representative for the Least
Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small
Island Developing States,
with special attention to the Least Developed Countries in
Africa.
The Twenty-first Meeting of the Committee of Experts which
met prior to this Ministerial Conference had before it a document
entitled “Programme for Action for the Least Developed
Countries: One Year after Brussels” (E/ECA/CM.1/4).
My Office participated at that Meeting and introduced the
document.
This
Conference comes one year after the Third Conference on Least
Developed Countries held in Brussels in May last year.
The Conference adopted a forward-looking Declaration and the
Programme of Action (POA). The Brussels Declaration
reaffirms the collective responsibility of the international
community to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality
and equity. The global scenario that has emerged since
calls for a renewed focus not only on this most vulnerable
group of countries, but also on the two other vulnerable groups
– Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing
States.
The United Nations Millennium Declaration of September 2000
called on the global community for both financial and technical
support to these vulnerable countries. It emphasized
that the efforts that least developed countries, landlocked
developing countries and small island developing States make
toward their development goals should be supported through
adequate resources by the international community.
Mr.
Chairman,
The
Brussels Programme focuses on seven specific commitments made
by the LDCs and their development partners: (i) fostering
a people-centred policy framework, (ii) good governance at
the national and international levels, (iii) building human
and institutional capacities, (iv) building productive capacities
to make globalization work for the LDCs, (v) enhancing the
role of trade and development, (vi) reducing vulnerability
and protecting the environment, and (vii) mobilizing financial
resources.
As a significant departure from the first two Programmes of
Action for LDCs for 1980s and 1990s, the Brussels Programme
recommended that an “effective and highly visible follow-up
mechanism” be created to undertake the implementation,
coordination, review and monitoring of the Programme.
For this purpose, upon recommendation of the Secretary-General
of the United Nations, the General Assembly by its resolution
56/227 of 24 December 2001 established the Office of the High
Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked
Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS).
I assumed my responsibilities in this Office formally in April
this year.
In
carrying out the mandate of the General Assembly, my Office
has adopted a framework of action with four main elements:
(i) Focus on country-level implementation – and this
means both Least Developed Countries and their development
partners,
(ii) Work with all the relevant entities of the UN family,
including the Regional Commissions and Bretton Woods institutions,
(iii) Work with multilateral organizations, particularly the
regional and sub-regional organizations for support to the
implementation of the Programme, (iv) Work closely with civil
society and private sector – both at national and global
levels.
The
Economic and Social Council in July this year adopted a resolution
to undertake the annual review of the implementation of the
Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries.
For this purpose, I have been asked to submit comprehensive
progress reports at its substantive sessions every July.
My Office will be coordinating the inputs inter alia from
the UN system organizations for these reports.
In this context, the input from ECA will be highly valuable
to the preparation of the reports and also to the Economic
and Social Council’s annual reviews for the implementation
of the Brussels Programme.
At
this point, I would like to pay tribute to the leadership
of Executive Secretary K.Y. Amoako and to express our deep
appreciation to him for all the support and cooperation that
we have received from ECA in the work of my Office.
ECA Headquarters has been one of the first UN entities that
I had visited and established good working relations with
the colleagues there.
Mr. Chairman,
As
outlined in the annotation of the agenda of this Conference,
with 34, out of 49, LDCs in Africa — and again, out of
53 African countries, 34 are LDCs —, special attention
and measures are needed for these countries to accelerate
their development and end their marginalization in an increasingly
globalizing world economy. Focussed global, regional
and, in particular, national efforts are critical to eradicate
poverty and to build a better life for the large segment of
humanity living in these countries. The commonalities
between the Brussels Programme and the NEPAD, both concentrating
on poverty eradication and human development, are remarkable
and need to be emphasized and taken advantage of. Human,
institutional, and productive capacity-building, good governance,
mobilizing financial resources and market access are all covered
by both the NEPAD and the Brussels Programme of Action.
Objectives of the NEPAD and the Brussels Programme will be
effectively enhanced by creating a synergy between their implementation
processes.
The
Brussels Programme is closely linked to the values, principles
and objectives of the Millennium Declaration. The global
campaign that has recently been launched by Secretary-General
Kofi Annan to achieve the Millennium Development Goals has
incorporated addressing the needs of LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS
as key targets.
The Millennium Declaration’s goals for development and
poverty eradication will not make much headway toward their
achievement if the LDCs are not supported to perform better.
The Secretary-General’s first annual report released
recently on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration
also indicates that these vulnerable groups of countries suffered
from lack of such support, particularly due to a decline in
ODA.
The Brussels Programme has recognized the special problems
of landlocked and small island LDCs as a cross-cutting priority.
Let me underscore here that the challenge for development
is even larger for the 15 African Landlocked Developing Countries
(LLDCs), which face additionally the geographical disadvantage
for lack of access to the sea. The bottom of the ranking
of the Human Development Index of UNDP is dominated by these
Landlocked African countries—this showing clearly the
formidable obstacles that they face. Many sub-regional
and regional policies were introduced to promote effective
interstate transportation system, expand national and international
transport infrastructure, and facilitate the increase of transnational
capital flows. However,
the implementation of these policies is not effective in the
real sense due to the lack of monitoring and enforcing institutions.
The upcoming International Ministerial Conference on Transit
Transport Cooperation in August 2003 in Kazakhstan is expected
to make progress in resolving some of these pressing issues
for LLDCs. Preparatory meetings for Africa’s sub-regions
for this Conference are expected to articulate
sub-regional plans of action and deliverables. Active
participation and substantive inputs from respective governments
to these preparatory meetings are important and necessary,
as they are crucial to a successful outcome of the Conference.
As the secretariat of the Kazakhstan Conference, my Office
is working closely with ECA, which is playing a lead role
in the preparation and organization of these sub regional
meetings.
Although the Small Island Developing States, a good number
of these countries in Africa, have been making serious efforts
in moving towards sustainable development, these countries
are increasingly constrained by the interplay of adverse factors
such as its remoteness, small-sized market and sea level rise
caused by global warming. These are underlined in Agenda 21
and the Barbados Programme of Action. The Plan of Implementation
adopted by the World Summit on Sustainable Development early
last month in this vibrant city emphasized the importance
of building genuine partnership between Small Island Developing
States and international community at global, regional and
national levels through implementation of the Barbados Programme
ensuring sustainable development for these particularly disadvantaged
countries. Africa has taken the lead in preparing effectively
for the ten-year review by the United Nations of the Barbados
Programme of Action with the generous offer of Mauritius to
host that review conference. The Barbados+10 should
not merely take stock of but must engage in its practical
and progressive implementation.
Mr.
Chairman,
The
Brussels Programme and subsequently the United Nations General
Assembly have clearly indicated the important role of the
UN system organizations in the implementation of the Programme.
The General Assembly resolution, which I mentioned earlier,
invites the UN system organizations to mainstream the implementation
of the Brussels Declaration and the Programme of Action within
their programmes of work as well as in their intergovernmental
processes. Responding to this call, the governing bodies
of UNCTAD, UNDP, UNICEF, World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO), UNESCO, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United
Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and WTO have already
adopted decisions to mainstream the Brussels POA within their
respective programmes of work. In this connection,
I would like to request the distinguished delegates participating
at this Conference to take a similar action to mainstream
the Brussels Programme within ECA’s programme of work
as well as in its intergovernmental process.
Furthermore,
I would like to suggest that the Commission decide to include
one separate section on LDCs in the ECA annual Economic Report
on Africa. This is being done annually by ESCAP for
their reports. Ensuring that the needs and problems
of the LDCs are addressed as part of the Regional Commissions’
ongoing work is clearly indicated in the Programme.
The information on progress in implementation of the Brussels
Programme at country and regional levels, as well as on their
impact in African LDCs, would contribute to the follow-up
process and facilitate monitoring the progress in these countries.
Let
me also take this opportunity to emphasize the importance
of integrating the Brussels Programme in the LDCs national
development plans, of appointing a high-level LDC focal point
to monitor and follow-up their national implementation, and
of working closely with the UN Resident Coordinator to facilitate
reporting the progress made to the UN. In this context,
I would also like to add that the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
has addressed a letter last month to all the Governments of
least developed countries and their development partners urging
the effective implementation of the Programme.
LDCs
represented at this Conference are encouraged to establish
in their respective countries a “national forum”
to oversee regularly and systematically the progress in the
implementation of the Programme through a broad-based and
inclusive dialogue between policymakers, private sector, NGOs/civil
society, academics, foundations and media. LDC representatives
are also urged to effectively participate in the intergovernmental
processes and coordination efforts to register their concerns
and to ensure support of the international community.
The regional and sub-regional organizations, such as the African
Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC),
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Economic
Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and East African
Community (EAC), whose member states include also African
LDCs, should give full attention in their economic analysis
and monitoring to the problems, needs and achievements of
LDCs. They are also encouraged to provide appropriate
inputs to the global-level follow-up and review process, particularly
to the Economic and Social Council’s annual reviews I
mentioned earlier.
Lastly,
I would like to call on the Commission to facilitate the implementation
of the Brussels POA at the regional level. It should
undertake, as the Programme specifically asks for, periodic
sub-regional and regional monitoring and review of progress
in the implementation of the Programme. This should
offer an opportunity for LDCs in their respective regions,
together with neighbouring developing countries,
to exchange experiences and seek solutions to development
problems common to them at the regional level.
Mr.
Chairman,
Honourable Ministers, and
Distinguished Delegates,
I
conclude my statement by quoting Secretary-General Kofi Annan
from his recent message to the Cotonou Ministerial Conference
of the Least Developed Countries: “The United Nations
family remains committed to helping the least developed countries
overcome the formidable obstacles they face.” He
expressed the hope that “All LDCs and their development
partners, as well as civil society, the private sector and
all other stakeholders, will forge partnerships that will
make the difference between success and stagnation.”
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