SPECIAL INITIATIVE ON AFRICA IS LARGEST COORDINATED UNITED NATIONS UNDERTAKING IN HISTORY, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL

3 July 1996

Press Release
SG/SM/6015/Rev.1*
DEV/2114/Rev.1*

SPECIAL INITIATIVE ON AFRICA IS LARGEST COORDINATED UNITED NATIONS UNDERTAKING IN HISTORY, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL

19960703 Stresses Concerted Efforts to End Terrible Living Conditions of Half of All Africans

Following is the text of Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's statement at the informal consultations on the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa, held yesterday at Geneva:

Welcome to this informal consultation on the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa.

This gathering continues our concerted efforts to put an end to the terrible conditions in which more than half of all Africans live. To break the vicious cycle of marginalization, underdevelopment, poverty and insecurity. And to meet the pressing needs of the continent's men, women and children.

I have great faith in our ability to respond to this challenge. This meeting brings together an impressive range of experience and expertise in the field of African development cooperation. Your efforts, as representatives of governments, financial institutions and the United Nations system, have helped improve the daily lives of millions of people. With your support, African governments and people have made important strides towards long-term peace and well-being, and towards African ownership of the development process.

Yet our talks occur against an alarming backdrop of donor fatigue, and "Africa fatigue" in particular; of public resignation and hopelessness about the situation in Africa; of statistics that show rising debt, declining food production and a status quo of poverty and civil strife; and of scepticism that this Special Initiative is long on good intentions but short on concrete action.

__________ * Revised to incorporate translation from the French part of the statement.

The Special Initiative is different, both qualitatively and quantitatively.

As you know, it is the largest coordinated United Nations undertaking in history. The Bretton Woods institutions are fully involved. So are non-traditional partners, such as leaders of business and civil society. It is based on priorities identified by Africans, including good governance and democratization. And it addresses the special needs of countries recovering from civil conflict.

Most importantly, the Special Initiative was launched at a time when prospects for economic recovery and development are better than they have been for years.

Today, there is reason to hope for a better tomorrow for all African men and women!

Several countries of the continent are now stable States, enjoying genuine economic growth. Investment and production conditions are improving greatly and are beginning to attract both local and foreign entrepreneurs. None other than the President of the World Bank, a few days ago at the Lyon summit meeting, stressed the positive examples provided by Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Benin and, most recently, Mali. These are models offering encouragement to Africa as a whole. They give the lie to the fatalism of underdevelopment. They give the lie to Afro-pessimism! They refute the prejudices still held by some towards the potential of Africa! They show the falseness of stereotypes and the culture of despair! They demonstrate that a real and solid partnership can arise in Africa.

But this is only a beginning! We cannot limit ourselves to the development of a few countries, seeing them as the exceptions that prove the rule. We must, rather, make a decisive commitment to the advancement of the continent as a whole.

This is the firm intention of the United Nations. Throughout its history, the world Organization has defended the rights of African men and women, whether, yesterday, promoting the attainment of independence, or, today, promoting economic and social development.

For my part, since I assumed my duties, I have sought to place Africa among the top priorities of the United Nations. You are well aware that I have made every effort to mobilize the entire international community to promote African development.

The United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa, launched last March in New York, is one strand in this approach.

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Just three days ago, at the summit of the most industrialized countries, held in Lyon, I had an opportunity once again to insist on this absolute imperative. I must say, here, that the support I received from the heads of State and government shows the interest that each and every one of them has in the problems of Africa. At a time of economic globalization, no one can overlook a continent so close at hand. No one can think that they are immune from the problems today being experienced by the peoples of Africa, and no one can remain indifferent to the suffering of so many men, women and children.

It is from this certainty that was born, at the conclusion of the summit, the "New Partnership for Development" launched by the leaders of the seven most industrialized countries in cooperation with the United Nations system.

In a few days, at Yaoundé, at the summit of the Organization of African Unity, I shall have an opportunity to introduce this new partnership and to seek, with all the heads of State and government of the African countries, means of working together and strengthening our cooperation in the service of African development.

Rest assured that our efforts are intended for the long term and will entail follow-up to this Special Initiative on Africa. Next October, in conjunction with the fifty-first session of the General Assembly, the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) will take up this important issue. And may I remind you that for the first time in the history of the United Nations, the ACC has met in Nairobi, just as, previously, we held the ninth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD IX) in South Africa. The choice of South Africa and Kenya was intended to mobilize public opinion in support of this Initiative. And lastly, next November, at the World Food Summit to be held in Rome, I also intend to ensure that the Special Initiative receives particular attention.

The development of Africa requires a long-term commitment. It also requires us to take an interest, not only in the consequences, but also in the causes of the problem.

We know that the international community and donor States mobilize more readily to provide humanitarian assistance and emergency relief. This is essential, even vital. Yet, it is also essential to look at the origins, the underlying reasons, which give rise to intervention, and to take symptoms as well as their expression into account.

For this, we need new resources. It is not enough to transfer funds from one programme to another, hoping to ease the plight of those in the direst straits. We must, rather, make a genuine political, diplomatic and financial commitment to tackle causes, as well as effects!

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In saying this, I am well aware that questions arise. I realize where the priorities of donor States lie and understand the pressure of public opinion. I appreciate the limits of any generosity, however constant it may be.

Yet, the technical and economic assistance needed today by Africa must, as a priority, come from the industrialized countries. Of course, the African countries must assume responsibility for their own development. But it must be recognized that nothing can be done without a commitment by the international community as a whole at their side.

In this conviction and with this appeal, I now wish, with you, to open debate in this meeting. Thank you very much.

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