SECOND COMMITTEE HEARS CALLS FOR ACTION-ORIENTED AGENDA FOR DEVELOPMENT

19 October 1995

Press Release
GA/EF/2686

SECOND COMMITTEE HEARS CALLS FOR ACTION-ORIENTED AGENDA FOR DEVELOPMENT

19951019 Also, Committee Members Say Peace and Security Impossible Without Development

The developing countries would like to see an action-oriented Agenda for Development, which provided the framework for implementing existing international commitments for development, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) heard this morning as it completed its discussions of the Agenda.

The representative of the Philippines, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the Agenda should also stress the need for increased external resources to support economic growth and development.

Speaking on behalf of the European Union, the representative of Spain said the Agenda for Development should define more integrated roles for United Nations bodies, in order to reduce duplication and overlap, while increasing coordination. The respective roles of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council must be enhanced further, while cooperation with the Bretton Woods institutions should be strengthened.

The representative of El Salvador, speaking also for Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, said peace and security were impossible without development. Consideration must therefore be given to social justice, respect for human rights, and the indivisibility of political, economic and social variables.

Statements were also made by the representatives of the Republic of Korea, Benin, Russian Federation, Marshall Islands, Algeria, Japan, India, Bangladesh, Jordan, China, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Sudan, Poland and Malaysia.

The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 26 October, to consider the report of the Economic and Social Council.

Committee Work Programm

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to begin consideration of An Agenda for Development.

Statements

GOCE PETRESKI, Chairman of the Second Committee, said the General Assembly had last year established an open-ended working group under the chairmanship of the President of the General Assembly to elaborate further An Agenda for Development and had requested the group to report on progress before the end of the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly.

He said that although initially concern had been expressed by some about the progress of work in completing An Agenda for Development, none the less considerable headway was achieved by the group at its last two sessions. The agreement on a structure consisting of three main chapters, namely setting and objectives, policy framework including means of implementation, and institutional issues and follow-up, as well as agreement on a synthesis text, consisting of the first two chapters prepared by the two Vice-Chairmen -- Rene V. Mongbe of Benin and Peter Osvald of Sweden -- as the basis for discussion, had brought the group much closer to completion of its task.

He said that during the last session of the group, an intensive first reading of chapters one and two of the synthesis text had been completed. Also, a wide-ranging discussion had been held on the third chapter, on institutional issues. As a result, he said, the group had been able to present a progress report to the General Assembly in early September, that clearly conveyed the considerable momentum the group had gained and its intention to continue and complete its work during the current session of the Assembly. Also, he said that at the conclusion of its last session, the working group had requested its two vice-chairmen to revise their synthesis text, including all three chapters, based on the discussions held.

The Chairman said that in its progress report the group had recommended to the General Assembly that it should continue its work at the fiftieth session of the Assembly, taking into account the progress achieved during the forty-ninth session, with a view to completing An Agenda for Development during the current session of the Assembly. The General Assembly adopted the recommendation by decision 49/497, the Chairman added.

NARCISO MONFORT (Philippines), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said they maintained the importance of adopting an action-oriented Agenda providing the framework for implementing existing international commitments for development and for sustained economic growth and social development. He said the Agenda should also stress the need for increased external resources to finance and support economic growth and

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development and existing development commitments. Restoring development, particularly economic growth issues, to the top of the United Nations agenda and creating greater balance in United Nations consideration of development vis-a-vis peace-keeping and other activities, remained an important objective to the Group and China.

He said it was important that the next session of the working group avoid any overlap with other key commitments or meetings of delegations. That was especially relevant with regard to work in the Second Committee. The Group of 77 and China would require at least one week for substantive preparations, particularly on the revised synthesis text.

ARTURO LACLAUSTRA (Spain), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said peace and development were interrelated. The Agenda for Peace and the Agenda for Development were complementary. Some developing countries had registered rapid growth, while the poorest countries risked being marginalized. That differentiation provided an opportunity for increased partnership between developing countries. Democracy, respect for human rights, the empowerment of women and a participatory approach to development were also important. There must be a mobilization of resources, both domestically and globally.

He said official development assistance (ODA) remained crucial, and should increasingly focus on the poorest countries and the most vulnerable sectors of society. A comprehensive approach was needed that went beyond ODA to encompass all available sources of financing. Aid effectiveness must also be considered. There was a strong case for reform of the United Nations machinery to improve its capacity to respond to the needs of developing countries.

The Agenda for Development should define more integrated roles for United Nations bodies, to reduce duplication and overlap, while increasing coordination within the United Nations system, he said. The respective roles of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council must be enhanced further, while cooperation with the Bretton Woods institutions should be strengthened. The Union was firmly committed to the conclusion of a concise, substantial and innovative Agenda for Development during the current session.

HA-YONG MOON (Republic of Korea) said the United Nations should play a more active role in shaping the course of the international development strategy. The reform of the United Nations system should be directed towards strengthening its role in development. Its effectiveness must be enhanced, particularly at the field level. That must be reflected in the text of An Agenda for Development. The private sector and government should be seen as complementary, mutually-reinforcing elements of a development strategy.

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The government should encourage the participation of domestic institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the process of economic and social development.

He said that, in formulating development plans, due consideration should be given to the unique conditions of each country. Although development was a multifaceted concept, economic growth was the mainstream and prerequisite for development in most developing countries. Means must be developed for addressing the questions of external debt, ODA, United Nations financing of development, science and technology, the relationship between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions, and South-South cooperation.

JOEL W. ADECHI (Benin) expressed the hope that conclusion of the Agenda for Development would be one of the first acts of the United Nations following the commemoration of its fiftieth anniversary. The Agenda had begun to take form, despite reservations that had been expressed by some delegations at the outset of discussions. However, much remained to be done.

Recommendations made and decisions taken over the past five years which had been implemented only partially or not at all must be identified. United Nations bodies, agencies and funds must outline their future needs. Annual timetables for implementation must be prepared, covering a 10-year period. The Agenda should not be merely another document taking a place in the dustbins of history.

EDUARD V. KUDRYAVTSEV (Russian Federation) expressed concern about the slow pace of the working group, and the unproductive contributions from some delegations. His delegation did not intend to put forward its position as that had been made clear in the working group. The Russian Federation was firmly convinced that the group should complete its work during the current session of the General Assembly, as called for by the Assembly. It should make maximum use of the time available to it and should continue work at the end of the Second Committee meetings. Another option could be for the working group to hold a session in January of next year.

ESPEN RONNEBERG (Marshall Islands) said his country, like most developing countries, was facing tough economic times. International economic assistance was becoming less available and his country was having a hard time following through on some of its development projects. He appealed to those countries able to do so to help lessen the burden of their development constraints. His Government had taken action with neighbouring countries to try to implement parts of the Programme of Action of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. With the island States of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu they were attempting to forge a

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dynamic partnership in transportation and shipping and were also in the process of solidifying a corresponding agreement with their other neighbour, Papua New Guinea. However, there was a perennial problem in funding the implementation of other parts of the Programme of Action.

He said the item under discussion provided many opportunities to review the record of the Organization. It had provided the Marshall Islands with much promise and hope, but they were not yet in the clear. The Marshall Islands would try to move ahead constructively to do its part to make this a viable Organization, which truly served the development needs of the countries not so well-off.

KHEIREDDINE RAMOUL (Algeria) said discussions in the working group had been characterized by a disturbing, short-term vision. The first round of negotiations were marked by the absence of real political will to resume debate on economic development in the developing countries. An Agenda for Development should provide an opportunity to lay down the basis for a new framework for development cooperation. It should provide for a North-South partnership based on justice, not charity or unilateral conditions.

He said it was necessary to promote a new ethic, in which policies were geared to sustainable development at the national and international levels. The Agenda must emphasize the anachronism of the current system, which deprived developing countries of $5 billion in development opportunities through lack of access to labour and capital markets.

Security must be viewed against the background of globalization of the economy. An Agenda for Development must deal seriously with the role to be played by the Bretton Woods institutions. Rather than being global governance bodies, those institutions found themselves involved in economic management in the developing countries alone. They were thus helpless to correct imbalances in world markets. Effective regulatory machinery was needed with effective authority over all the actors in the international economy.

SHUNJI MARUYAMA (Japan) said the working group on An Agenda for Development had continued to make slow progress. The approach of a confrontation between North and South was counter-productive. There must be a partnership between the developed and developing countries. Any development strategy must include the establishment of development objectives. There must be investment in health, education and vocational training, while opportunities available to women must be enhanced.

Development targets must be formulated, combining various economic and social indicators with specific deadlines, he said. Human resource development and institution building must also be addressed, as well as the

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promotion of peace and development. Both developed and developing countries must place greater emphasis on human rights, environmental protection and social welfare in formulating development strategies.

Japan advocated a comprehensive, flexible approach to development which was country-specific and included, but was not limited to ODA, he said. A comprehensive approach would not impose any conditions, but would be implemented in a flexible manner. As the maintenance of peace was the basis of economic development, both developed and developing countries should make provisions for disarmament. The recipient countries should make further efforts towards maintaining peace and reducing military expenditures. Donor countries must assist those countries which did so, in a spirit of real partnership.

ARUN K. SINGH (India) said the Agenda at its current stage was more in the nature of a summary of commitments undertaken at different conferences. It was unfortunate that an opportunity to advance the development process was not being seized. It was necessary to use the framework of the Agenda to focus attention on the implementation of the agreements reached. Institutions, their structure and methods of work could only be relevant in the context of what was sought to be implemented. Reform for its sake or downsizing purely on account of budgetary constraints would not serve the cause of development. Hard-won results over decades of debate and struggle should not be squandered. He said resources could not be mobilized domestically when economies were not improving. There should be no additional conditionality. Poverty eradication remained a priority of developing countries, he stated.

MOHAMMAD ZIAUDDIN (Bangladesh) said there was a clear case for more action-oriented language on the core issues of trade, science and technology, finance and the means of implementation. The present text did not refer to required action measures in explicit terms. The least developed countries would like the incorporation of language which would address their needs. There must be an expanded role for United Nations operational activities. The relationship between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions was important; there must be greater democratization of the decision-making system.

JOSE TOMAS REGALADO PAPINI (El Salvador), also speaking on behalf of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, said peace and security were impossible without development. That involved social justice, respect for human rights, and the indivisibility of political, economic and social variables. Efforts were under way to formulate An Agenda for Development, which would identify development as the most important task of the present era. It was essential to establish an order of priorities for the objectives of An Agenda for Development and An Agenda for Peace in a way that would enhance the Organization's ability to meet economic and social challenges.

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BASHEER ZOUBI (Jordan) proposed that the Agenda should include objective evaluation criteria whereby countries would be judged on their performance in achieving sustainable development. It should devise a plan to help alleviate debt-overhang and put a ceiling on debt repayment through rescheduling on reasonable terms, writing-off of some debts and enhancing ODA to the countries concerned. There should be financial packages to finance multi-national projects which could enhance regional peace and cooperation for the benefit of the regional parties to such projects. Special arrangements must be made to help countries engaged in reforming their economies, he stated, adding that there was also urgent need for an international incentive plan for those countries.

CUI TIANKAI (China) stressed the importance of negotiations on the Agenda. The working group on the Agenda had already reached an initial understanding on a framework and had exchanged views on some of the substantial sections. A good basis had been laid down for further negotiations. The working group should try to complete its negotiations during the Assembly's current session.

KAREL ZEBRAKOVSKY (Czech Republic) said that recent work on an Agenda for Development adequately reflected the hopes for establishment of a new framework for development. The text of the Agenda should be completed without delay and should provide a basis for far-reaching reforms in the United Nations system. A vision of action for development was needed, which would embrace potential development activities and resources, while identifying possible new activities. The Agenda must be an open and flexible document, rather than a snapshot of a single moment in history.

The Economic and Social Council must be the steering body of all United Nations development vehicles, he said. The new development challenges could be better addressed under the Council than under new global conferences. The regional economic commissions also had an important role to play. Most important was the upgrading of cooperation with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organization.

The Czech Republic, one of the countries in transition, was now entering the post-transformation stage of development, he said. In that new phase, it sought to increase its cooperation with developing countries.

VOLODYMYR M. RESHETNYAK (Ukraine) said the initial draft did not reflect all the key aspects of development. It was unfortunate that the working group had not completed its task. There was no need for new institutions, and existing ones, such as the Economic and Social Council, must be strengthened. He said insufficient use was being made by the working group of existing documents, including the report of the Secretary-General on An Agenda for Development. The problems of the countries in transition had been reflected

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in the first two chapters of the draft of the working group and he hoped the third chapter would equally do so.

BERHANU KEBEDE (Ethiopia) said the Agenda must focus, among other things, on key factors responsible for the gap between rich and poor countries. It must address poverty eradication, economic diversification, debt relief, human development and capacity building. Successful implementation of the recommendations of the Agenda would depend on the flow of resources. The Agenda should come up with new and innovative methods of raising resources for development. The Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly must be given enhanced roles in development issues and the regional commissions should also be strengthened.

HAMID ALI MOHAMED ELTINAY (Sudan) said An Agenda for Peace could not be implemented without An Agenda for Development. The Vienna Conference on Human Rights had been a turning point, in that it emphasized the right to development as a fundamental human right. The eradication of hunger, poverty and disease was crucial. Assistance to the Sudan had been curtailed, even though it was continuing negotiations on the situation within the country. Development was a fundamental and inalienable human right.

An Agenda for Development posed a genuine test of intentions, he said. Policies must be adopted to restore confidence to international economic relations. Partnership in development must be emphasized. The approach to the dialogue on the Agenda had been a disappointment to many developing countries. It was hoped that future discussions would contribute to the restoration of confidence and would constitute a turning point in international economic relations. For the Agenda to be successful, the United Nations machinery should be supported and enabled to shoulder its development responsibilities.

JAN PIOTR JAREMCZUK (Poland) expressed support for all constructive efforts to improve the institutional structures of the United Nations aimed at promoting sustainable development. An Agenda for Development should provide important guidelines for the challenges facing the United Nations system in the years to come. The integration of central and eastern Europe into the world economy could contribute to cooperation with the developing countries. Poland favoured strengthening cooperation and making the division of work clearer among all partners for development, including the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions, and the World Trade Organization. The recommendations of the United Nations world conferences must be urgently implemented.

MOHD SINON MUDZAKIR (Malaysia) said benefits accruing from the international economy must be shared widely. All the players in the system, governments, the private sector and institutions, should be involved in the work of improving the international economy. The private sector, in

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particular, must be given appropriate recognition in the Agenda, because of the enhanced role it played in the international economy.

He said the developing countries could not withstand sudden shocks in the international economic system. A new perspective for international cooperation must be fostered and a new partnership must be forged. He said the commitment of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) for ODA must be met. Also, reform of the global economic system must, as a priority, include the Bretton Woods institutions. The reform process should also cover macroeconomic issues, with the views of developing countries being taken nto account.

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