ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONCLUDES CONSIDERATION OF NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION DECADE
Press Release
ECOSOC/5672
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONCLUDES CONSIDERATION OF NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION DECADE
19960717 Begins Consideration of Regional CooperationDisaster reduction measures should be completely integrated into sustainable development programmes, several speakers told the Economic and Social Council this afternoon, as it continued consideration of matters related to the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction as part of its general segment.
Vulnerability to natural disasters had impeded social and economic development in Jamaica, that country's representative said. She stressed that the 1994 Barbados Declaration and Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States contained a blueprint for integrating natural disaster reduction with sustainable development. The representative of the United States said natural disaster reduction should be an integral part of country programmes of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The representative of the Russian Federation supported the drafting of an international convention on international cooperation for natural disaster relief. He emphasized that the United Nations role was to be a catalyst for different international bodies offering humanitarian assistance.
Statements were also made by the representatives of China, Guyana, Japan and Philippines. A representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) spoke, as did the Director of the Decade's secretariat, Olavi Elo.
After the discussion on the Natural Disaster Reduction Decade, the Council took note of the Secretary-General's report on that topic.
Also this afternoon, the Council heard from the Executive Secretaries of the regional commissions. The Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said that continuing economic sanctions on
Economic and Social Council - 1a - Press Release ECOSOC/5672 38th Meeting (PM) 17 July 1996
Iraq and the low level of economic cooperation had restrained development in western Asia. Gross domestic product (GDP) in the whole region, excluding Iraq, grew at 2.8 per cent in 1995 in real terms, but was stagnant when factored together with the population growth rate of 2.5 per cent.
The developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region had achieved an average rate of economic growth of nearly 8 per cent during 1995, the Executive Director of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) told the Council. But more than one third of the region's developing country population remained caught in the clutches of poverty, he added.
The main activities of the Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) were focused on stability and growth, saving and investment, productive restructuring, global competitiveness and public policies, its Executive Secretary told the Council.
The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) informed the Council of efforts at reform within his Commission, which was in the process of identifying activities undertaken by it that were important to member States. On the basis of responses received, the Commission would draw a plan of action to define its role.
Regional GDP in Africa grew by 2.3 per cent in 1995, according to the Executive Director of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), with more than half the countries of the region registering growth rates in excess of their population growth. But Africa's share of world trade had steadily fallen to 2.2 per cent in 1995, as compared with 5 per cent in 1980.
The Council will meet again at 11 a.m. tomorrow, 18 July, to continue its general segment.
Council Work Programme
The Economic and Social Council met this afternoon to continue its general segment. It was scheduled to continue its consideration of economic and environmental questions, including the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields. (For background information, see Press Release ECOSOC/5671 issue today).
Natural Disaster Reduction
ALEKSANDR A. PANKIN (Russian Federation) said that his Government favoured the drafting of an international convention on international cooperation for natural disaster relief. It was important to recall that the United Nations' role in that area was to be a catalyst for different international bodies offering humanitarian assistance. He noted with satisfaction the idea of involving the private sector, particularly insurance companies, in disaster readiness and relief.
ANN M. LOW (United States) said that disaster reduction measures should be completely integrated into sustainable development programmes. Progress to date had not been uniform nor consistent; the growing number and diversity of initiatives was a positive sign. The Decade's secretariat should continue to emphasize the coordination of programmes in the United Nations system. Natural disaster reduction should be an integral part of the country programmes of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country programmes.
LI TIANWU (China) said that since the proclamation of the Decade in 1989, United Nations development agencies, through resident coordinators, had taken an active part in the area of natural disaster reduction. Seven years into the Decade, it was now a good time to review achievements thus far. China suffered from frequent natural disasters and had integrated remedial programmes into its development master plans. The overwhelming majority of natural disasters took place in developing countries.
VILMA McNISH (Jamaica) said that natural disasters had repeatedly caused substantial disaster to infrastructure in the Caribbean region. Vulnerability to natural disasters had impeded social and economic development; they were occupying increasing proportions of government budgets and setting back development plans. Natural disaster reduction should be integrated into the sustainable development process. The 1994 Barbados Declaration and Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States contained a blueprint for such an effort.
GEORGE TALBOT (Guyana) said his delegation fully supported the Decade's goals and objectives. He thanked the United Nations bodies and the countries which had helped his country combat natural disasters.
Economic and Social Council - 4 - Press Release ECOSOC/5672 38th Meeting (PM) 17 July 1996
KEEICHI MURAOKA (Japan) said the report of the Secretary-General described progress since the first World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction (Yokohama, Japan, May 1994). Japan recognized the importance of sharing the lessons learned. An approach that encompassed local, regional, national and global experience in reducing natural disasters was needed.
NINA SIBAL, representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said the organization had accelerated and expanded its programme related to natural hazards. Its programme focused on improved understanding of risks, hazard mapping, monitoring of earthquakes and volcanoes, floods and tsunamis, as well as on technical, educational and information measures aimed at risk mitigation.
The UNESCO continued to cooperate with its Decade's partners to that end, she said. It saw prevention as the only possible solution to hazards and risks. It was concerned about the insufficient support given to the Decade within the United Nations system. She appealed for a distinct identity and autonomy for the Decade's organizational arrangements. The stability of its secretariat should be improved.
CECILIA REBONG (Philippines) said the interdependence between natural disaster reduction and development was a crucial one. The Yokohama Plan of Action should be coordinated with other programmes of action adopted at recent United Nations conference. The various recommendations in the Secretary- General's report should get the full attention of the Council.
OLAVI ELO, Director of the secretariat for Natural Disaster Reduction Decade, said discussions continued with the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, and an effort was being made to develop programmes so that, by the end of the century, a way to protect development from the effect of disasters could be devised.
The Council then took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the "International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction" (document A/51/186- E/1996/80).
Regional Cooperation
ADRIANUS MOOY, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and current coordinator of the regional commissions, introducing the report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation, expressed the hope that the Council would give more attention to substantive matters pertaining to those bodies. The United Nations' regional commissions were very involved in regional plans of action for follow-up to the global development conferences, he added.
Economic and Social Council - 5 - Press Release ECOSOC/5672 38th Meeting (PM) 17 July 1996
K.Y. AMOAKO, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), recalled that in 1995, introducing that Commission's report, he had said that the continent experienced its highest annual rate of economic growth since the beginning of the decade. Regional gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.3 per cent in 1995. More than half the countries of Africa registered growth rates of GDP in excess of their population growth. No less than a third grew at 6 per cent and above. But Africa's share of world trade had steadily fallen to 2.2 per cent in 1995, as compared with 5 per cent in 1980. The decline of Africa's share in the trade of developing countries as a whole had been even more dramatic, from 14.9 per cent in 1980 to 10.9 per cent in 1990, to only 6.4 per cent in 1995.
Africa had not fully benefited from the surge in world investment flows, he said. But there was increasing expectation that foreign investors would be attracted to Africa as a growing number of countries pursued reform programmes and showed signs of sound recovery, profitability and economic liberalization. An increasing number of African countries had embarked on the development of capital markets in order to encourage local and foreign private investment in securities. Africa's economic recovery was still threatened by external debt and debt-servicing obligations, he added.
YVES BERTHELOT, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), said the whole of Europe was going through significant transformations as the western part adjusted to a globalized world and the eastern part continued with the transition process. Most of eastern Europe had done well in 1995 in terms of rising output. The increasing integration of eastern European countries in the global economy had been reflected in the rapid growth of its exports and imports, but in 1995 there had been a sharp decline in its trade as import growth had outstripped the growth of exports.
Western Europe was now the main trading partner for most of the economies in transition and accounted for 50 to 60 per cent of their trade, he said. In general, the decline of inflation rates in eastern Europe had continued in the first five months of 1996. However, the reduction of unemployment continued to be a slow process in eastern Europe. In Russia, there was considerable progress in controlling prices in 1995. However, economic activity in western Europe had remained sluggish. Industrial output had stagnated between the last quarter of 1995 and the first of 1996, and the situation in western European labour markets had not improved.
The ECE had decided to send a questionnaire to member countries to identify the activities of the Commission which were important to them and which were not, he continued. The responses had been reviewed and conclusions would soon be drawn. There had been a broad consensus among members States, and very soon a plan of action to define the role of the Commission would be finalized.
Economic and Social Council - 6 - Press Release ECOSOC/5672 38th Meeting (PM) 17 July 1996
GERT ROSENTHAL, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), said the main activities of the Commission since July 1995 had focused on stability and growth, saving and investment, productive restructuring, global competitiveness and public policies. It had continued its research on many important topics, including assessing changing production patterns in Latin America and the Caribbean. It had continued to serve as a meeting place for governments. Together with its analytical work, the secretariat of the Commission had continued its activities involving training and providing advise at the country level.
The Commission's secretariat had also pursued its activities on the subregional level, he said. In both the subregions of Latin America and the Caribbean, the thrust had been on increasing cooperation. The secretariat had actively pursued its traditional role of supporting intraregional cooperation through a variety of activities undertaken in collaboration with institutions concerned in subregional integration process.
Mr. MOOY, Executive-Director of ESCAP, said that the developing countries of his region had achieved an average rate of economic growth of nearly 8 per cent during 1995. Almost all countries in the region had maintained their strong commitments to reform, restructuring, stabilization and liberalization of their economies. While monetary and fiscal objectives, including stabilization of balance of payments, had been pursued, the expanding role of the private sector had been emphatically laid out in national policies.
Asia still faced problems of poverty despite four decades of development efforts, he said. More than one third of the region's developing country population remained caught in the clutches of poverty. The problem of poverty in Asia was rooted in a lack of opportunities for employment and the lack of capabilities to respond to new and emerging opportunities. At this year's session, the Commission had adopted resolutions on intra-Asia and Europe-Asia land bridges, human resources development among youth and revision of the Action Programme for Regional Economic Cooperation in Trade and Investment.
HAZEM EL-BEBLAWI, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), said that over the past year, trends in his region had been dominated by the state of political relations among the countries of the region, the extent and nature of regional cooperation, general trends in the oil sector, economic sanctions on Iraq and the Middle East peace process. The continuing economic sanctions against Iraq and the low level of economic cooperation had restrained development in western Asia. Gross domestic product (GDP) in the whole region, excluding Iraq, grew at 2.8 per cent in 1995 in real terms, as compared with 0.8 per cent in 1994. The region's high population growth rate (2.5 per cent) meant that GDP growth in 1995 was stagnant, following a negative 1.8 per cent rate the previous year.
Economic and Social Council - 7 - Press Release ECOSOC/5672 38th Meeting (PM) 17 July 1996
High population growth during the past two decades, intensive rural to urban migration and poor educational infrastructure had exacerbated poverty in the area, he continued. The cycle of poverty and unemployment threatened to destabilize the social structure of the region by creating marginalized groups with frustrations that led to waves of violence and extremism. The Commission's future role would probably evolve around the new geo-economic realities which were emerging in the Middle East, he added.
* *** *