GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TOLD SETTLEMENT OF CIVIL CONFLICTS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS OF DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN AFRICA

4 November 1996

Press Release
GA/9154

GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TOLD SETTLEMENT OF CIVIL CONFLICTS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS OF DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN AFRICA

19961104 Russian Federation Says Resources Freed from Peace-keeping Could Be Better Used; Others Stress Continuing Problems of Debt Burden, Trade Access

No success in development strategies for Africa could be achieved without the settlement of civil conflict and the promotion of political stability, the General Assembly was told this afternoon as it continued its discussion of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s.

Citing the "destabilizing elements" in the Great Lakes region, the delegate of the Russian Federation said that the mechanism for the prevention of conflict of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was crucial. He noted that it could also free up resources currently used in peace-keeping operations; these would be used instead for promoting the peaceful development of the continent. The representative of Canada said that recent conflicts entailed massive costs, not only in human terms, but also regarding the political attention and resources that the international community had to devote to those countries.

While no outside government could impose peace on those who did not desire peace, said the representative of the United States, her country had pledged to help interested African States increase their capacity for responding to conflicts through an African Crisis Response Force. In Africa, one of the great challenges today was the control of ethnic hatred, but despite the current problems in the Great Lakes region, Africans had much to teach the world about the peaceful resolution of ethnic differences.

Noting the very low level of direct foreign investment in Africa, the representative of Ethiopia said that unless the present unfavourable trading pattern changed to accommodate the commodity and other trade interests of Africa, no meaningful development was imaginable. Also, the continent's weak physical and institutional infrastructure needed urgent improvement so as to attract more foreign investment. The representative of South Africa stated

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that the continent's main challenges in the economic field were its debt burden and its over-reliance on raw commodities. The representative of the Congo noted that African economies remained extremely vulnerable to external fluctuations.

On behalf of the European Union and associated countries, the representative of Ireland said that the Union remained committed to striving to reach, as soon as possible, the objective of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) for official development assistance (ODA) and to the related target for assistance to the least developed countries.

Statements were also made by Argentina, Libya, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Benin, Fiji, Swaziland, Indonesia, Lebanon, Costa Rica on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, and the Gambia.

The Assembly meets again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, to continue its consideration of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s.

Assembly Work Programme

The General Assembly met this afternoon to continue discussion of the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s.

It had before it the report of its Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole which, from 16 to 29 September, conducted the Mid-term Review of the Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (document A/51/48), and a related report of the Secretary-General (documents A/51/228 and Add.1).

The Committee recommends in its report to the Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution by which the Assembly would adopt the conclusions of the mid- term review, consisting of an assessment of the responses and measures to accelerate the implementation of the New Agenda, as set forth in an annex to the resolution. The Assembly would also request governments and organizations to take appropriate measures to implement fully the recommendations contained in the annex. In addition, it would decide that in 2002 an ad hoc Committee of the Whole from the Assembly's fifty-sixth session would conduct a final review and appraisal of the implementation of the New Agenda. (For further details, see Press Release GA/9152, issued today.)

Statements

JOHN H.F. CAMPBELL (Ireland), for the European Union and Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Iceland, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovenia, said the results of the mid-term review should be endorsed and consensus items should not be re-opened. The support of the international community, both at bilateral and multilateral levels, remained essential. Since the review, the international community had agreed to take action by addressing the burden of the most heavily indebted countries. Members of the European Union and the South African Development Community (SADC) had recently met in Namibia to discuss support for regional integration in Africa. At that meeting, they had agreed to consolidate and increase cooperation in such areas as strengthening democracy, and promoting trade and investment with and within southern Africa.

The European Union remained fully committed to supporting African countries in their efforts to achieve sustainable development, he continued. It also remained committed to striving to reach, as soon as possible, the objective of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product (GNP) for official development assistance (ODA) and the related target for assistance to the least developed countries. The Union members believed that assistance should be directed to the poorest countries and poorest sections of society. The United Nations system was central to a successful implementation of the outcome of the mid-term review.

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FERNANDO ENRIQUE PETRELLA (Argentina) said all initiatives which could assist the implementation of the New Agenda should be accepted. Structural activities for development must be included, not solely efforts to confront poverty. Good governance, public savings and other aspects of democratic society must be supported.

Success in reforms in the private sectors and direct foreign investment, and the reinforcement of the democracy and civil society depended on financial and political support of the international community, he said. The recent meeting convened in Japan on African development had established helpful guidelines for international cooperation. Also, the efforts of the Bretton Woods institutions to relieve the debt burden were welcome. International markets must be opened to the African countries and trade barriers lifted.

He said potential cooperation between Africa and the Latin American and the Caribbean regions was a timely issue. The regions shared similar concerns, such as the achievement of security through the elimination of nuclear weapons. Africa and Latin America had established a fund several years ago to support horizontal cooperation. Today, some 70 projects sponsored by the fund were operating.

YURI ISAKOV (Russian Federation) said that since the launch of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa, a number of African countries had made considerable progress in social and economic development. The appropriate monetary reforms and the steps taken to strengthen financial institutions and increase efficiency in the taxation systems had contributed to stabilization. Such measures should be encouraged. But it was too early to celebrate, he continued, and it was necessary to look into the causes of the persistent critical economic situation on the African continent. In the past four years, the indicators for mobilization of financial resources had been only partly achieved, in terms both of the volume of domestic savings and of sustained debt burden. The reduction in overseas development aid was particularly alarming.

He said development was the way to stability, and he referred to the destabilizing elements in the Great Lakes region. No success in the African development strategy could be achieved, he went on, without the settlement of numerous conflicts and the promotion of political stability on the continent. The mechanism of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) for the prevention of conflicts was crucial, as it would ease the efforts of the international community invested in peacemaking, mitigation of humanitarian crises and, as a consequence, for channelling resources for the peaceful development of Africa.

On a multilateral and bilateral basis, there were a number of programmes that overlapped in Africa, he said. There was a need to prevent the dissipation of efforts, and to enhancing the coordinating role of the United Nations among the donor countries and international institutions.

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MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT (United States) said the primary impetus for economic growth in Africa must come from the private sector. While ODA and multilateral lending to African countries were essential, they were most effective when they supplemented and promoted private sector participation.

She said many governments in Africa were facilitating growth by creating monetary, regulatory and legal policies that allowed private enterprises to take hold. As a result, the economic outlook in Africa was improving after three years of decline. The world must do all it could to help African governments enhance the rule of law, protect human rights and create the kind of stability in which local businesses and outside investors could have confidence.

While no outside government could impose peace on those who did not desire peace, the United States had pledged to help interested African States increase their capacity for responding to conflicts, through an African Crisis Response Force. She said the United States also strongly supported the United Nations peace-keeping mission in Angola and had lent strong diplomatic support to peace initiatives in Burundi and Liberia. In Africa, one of the great challenges today was the control of "ethnic hate" and curbing extreme nationalism. Despite the current problems in central Africa, she added, Africans had much to teach the world about the peaceful resolution of ethnic differences.

She said the United States would continue to participate in efforts to ease the debt burdens of the world's poorest countries, especially those committed to economic and political reform. The United States had already forgiven more than $1.2 billion in debt owed by 19 countries.

MOHAMED AZWAI (Libya) said that the New Agenda had not been given the expected support by the international community, and western countries owed Africans their assistance. Those countries would benefit from ending Africa's backwardness because creating an economic, industrial and agricultural renaissance in Africa would make the region a useful trading partner.

He said that peace was a precondition to development in Africa. Economic sanctions imposed against some African countries, such as Libya, ran counter to peace and successful development. He said that cooperation and inter- dependence among African countries, especially in the economic field, was essential if African countries were to achieve their economic and social development.

DURI MOHAMMED (Ethiopia) called for a renewed and fresh commitment of the international community for an accelerated implementation of the New Agenda. He said the gains from reform, notwithstanding the commitment of many African countries to secure peace and macroeconomic stability, fell short of expectations.

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There had been a steady decline of international support and cooperation. The ODA was only 0.27 per cent of the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of all member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), against the target of 0.7 per cent set at the United Nations in 1970. The African countries received only about 2 per cent of global capital flows, a very low level due to the accumulation of factors such as Africa's poor infrastructure. The weak physical and institutional infrastructure needed to be improved, to bring about a significant shift in foreign investment. Unless the present unfavourable trading pattern changed to accommodate the commodity and other trade interests of Africa, no meaningful development was imaginable.

ROBERT R. FOWLER (Canada) recalled his country's commitment to the challenge implied by the New Agenda and cited the continuing engagement of Canadian non-governmental institutions throughout the African continent. African leadership and initiatives had produced many positive developments in recent years, including good governance, economic management and political liberalization. Such good news, he said, seldom made international headlines, but it should.

He said civil conflict continued to have a major impact on development in Africa. Recent conflicts have entailed tragic human costs and also massive costs in terms of the political attention and resources which must be devoted to them by the international community. To surmount internal and external conflicts, there was no substitute for homegrown political will. The OAU mechanism for the prevention of conflict should be financially supported. It was to be hoped that a treaty totally banning land-mines could be signed by the end of 1997; economic and social development of both Angola and Mozambique was hampered until millions of land-mines were removed from their territory, particularly from their rural agricultural land.

JACK N. WILMOT (Ghana) said the mid-term review had indicated that the African countries had undertaken various political and economic reforms which had contributed to the achievement of economic growth over the past few years. It also showed that the international community, including the United Nations, had provided African countries with some support. None the less, the implementation of the New Agenda had faced serious obstacles which had prevented the achievement of set targets. Among them, African countries had experienced considerable difficulties in attracting the requisite foreign direct investment and had been unable to ensure adequate access to education, health and related social services.

The review showed that ODA disbursement had been less than had been projected, he said. The total external debt of Africa had risen from about $300 billion in 1991 to about $322 billion in 1995, while Africa's share of the trade of developing countries had declined. Implementation of the New Agenda had been hindered by the lack of clear mandates and insufficient

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resources. Hoping that such obstacles would be removed, the African countries would continue to pursue the necessary programmes of reform.

While acknowledging that the primary responsibility for implementation was that of the African countries at the national level, he said those nations called on the international community to provide the necessary financial resources in accordance with its commitments. Those included the provision of $30 billion in ODA annually, to be increased further; an effective international debt strategy; support for development of trade infrastructure; the removal of trade barriers; and support for commodities diversification.

MACHIVENYIKA T. MAPURANGA (Zimbabwe) said African countries had undertaken measures to restructure and liberalize their economies; measures taken at enormous social and political cost. Much had been achieved in terms of promoting freedom, social justice, peace and security. However, those ambitious and painful reforms would certainly flounder if Africa's development partners failed to augment Africa's sterling efforts. Peace had dawned in many parts of Africa allowing nations to refocus attention and resources on economic development. Clearly, those peaceful conditions could not be fully secured without the requisite undergirding of economic development. Development was a sine qua non for international peace and security.

An economically vibrant and prosperous Africa was an asset to the world economy, he said. Alternatively, poverty, deprivation and want created fertile ground for political instability and social decay. "As the international community hatches one ineffective initiative after another", he continued, "that dark cloud hovering over much of Africa threatens to drag us back into the abyss of political instability and even deeper economic ruin." The question the Assembly should ask itself, he said, was whether it was necessary to wait until after catastrophes manifest themselves through "unsightly and gruesome television images in our living rooms".

Africa's development partners should honour their obligations, he said. While ODA remained a crucial aspect of assistance, African nations remained firm in the conviction that ODA should not continue to be such a decisive factor in African development. African governments would prefer the development of a genuine partnership in trade and not the surrogate role of recipient of aid. Developed countries should abandon their protectionist policies.

He said that while the final effect of the new multilateral trade regime was not assured, in the short and medium terms African countries would suffer substantial losses. The international community must take urgent measures to alleviate the adverse impact. It was disingenuous for Africa's development partners to insist that African countries meet all their debt obligations to the penny when debt services gobbled all export earnings. It was only good

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economic sense to let African countries retain a larger part of export earning so as to re-invest in their economies.

FASSASSI ADAM YACOUBOU (Benin) said recent commitments made by the international community to African development were of great political significance. However, despite the promising political backdrop and the will demonstrated by African countries to lift themselves from underdevelopment, the New Agenda had only been partially implemented. The establishment of a fund to help diversify African economies had encountered resistance.

The globalization of the economy and the liberalization of trade presented Africa with the risk of greater marginalization, he said. A global effort must be made to integrate African and other of the least developed countries into the world economy. An effective and lasting solution to Africa's debt burden must be found. While it was clear that considerable efforts must be made on the part of African countries, the results of the mid- term review must be scrupulously applied.

DANIEL ABIBI (Congo) said the praiseworthy results achieved regarding both structural and institutional reforms in Africa, and also the efforts of the international community, should not obscure the numerous obstacles that remained in the path towards sustainable development for Africa. The main goals were still a long way off. Africa's economies remained extremely vulnerable to external fluctuations, and the development process was far from being endogenous. Many of the economic and social problems which led to the New Agenda in 1991 remained acute. The external debt still sapped many initiatives.

Peace, he continued, was an essential condition for development and a peaceful environment needed to be created. The persistence of armed conflicts, civil wars and political instability destroyed development efforts. The international community should continue to support regional and subregional efforts for the settlement of conflict. The reinforcement of Africa's own capacities was an imperative, so as to enable it to take its own destiny in its hands.

POSECI W. BUNE (Fiji) said there was no doubt whatsoever that Africa had been a grossly neglected continent. That neglect had spawned a litany of negative elements that had stagnated its growth and development, individually and collectively; yet, Africa was a continent blessed with a plethora of natural resources.

The decline seen in ODA from traditional and regional donors had declined, and conditions were being imposed on the reduced aid levels. Capital inflows had declined. The implementation of the New Agenda had a poor record. Accelerated progress was needed. The Special Initiative had the task

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of bridging the gap between the international community, the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations on the issues of development.

MOSES M. DLAMINI (Swaziland) said both African countries and the international community had taken actions to implement the New Agenda for the Development in Africa. While the African governments had undertaken major political and economic reforms, the international community had not fulfilled its commitment to assist Africa by providing adequate resources for development and investment, diversification of primary commodities and support for regional economic integration.

While some improvement of the African economic climate had been achieved, Africa remained unable to attract foreign direct investment, he said. The target of $30 billion in ODA per year had not been achieved. He appealed to the developed countries to fulfil their commitment of 0.7 per cent to ODA. Unless bold and innovative measures to reduce Africa's debt burden were developed by multilateral financial institution, the negative economic conditions in Africa would persist. The political will that allowed for the creation of the New Agenda must be brought back to support its implementation. A war was being waged; an economic war against underdevelopment. Africa's partners must join the countries of the African continent in the fight to win that war.

MALIKUS SUAMIN (Indonesia) said that despite the untiring efforts of the African countries, the New Agenda had fallen short of expectations. Much remained to be done by the international community. African countries were now in a perilous situation and unless the international community effectively addressed global development issues, Africa's future prospects were likely to be dim. The international community must enhance its support for African development. With financial resources to support the New Agenda falling short of projections, new efforts to effectively reach targets were imperative. By default, ODA was the dominant source of financial support for Africa. Clearly, the international community should accept the target of 0.7 per cent. African investment must be fostered; venture capital initiatives encouraged and institution-building and human resource development supported.

A comprehensive approach to relieving Africa's debt burden was urgently needed. Without a once-and-for-all strategy, the problem could not be decisively resolved. While in some cases the liberalization of international trade served to generate external earnings and to promote development, it had negatively impacted many developing countries. As had been noted, African countries could lose as much as $3 billion in foreign earnings by the next century.

HICHAM HAMDAN (Lebanon) said the world was a global village without borders, which required the international community to pay intensified attention to Africa. It was a continent full of resources and should be an

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active partner of the rest of the world. Main responsibility for the problems of the African continent fell on the countries themselves. Assistance by the international community remained essential. Local communities should be targeted in assistance programmes. Modern technology provided effective means to that goal, and required appropriate support.

Political and managerial aspects should not divert the international community's attention from the various obstacles that impeded the achievement of the desired structural reforms: democracy, defence of human rights, elimination of corruption and the realization of accountability. He said weakness in the prices of basic commodities, and exploitation by the transnationals, had, among other factors, contributed to the failure of development programmes.

ANA TERESA DENGO (Costa Rica), on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said that the present economic and political situation in Africa was exacerbated by the several conflicts in part of the continent. Africa was a unique case, she said, which would test international cooperation for some time to come.

It was imperative that Africa continue to obtain a significant amount of external support, in the form of ODA, so that they could create and establish the conditions to attract foreign investment. The New Agenda represented the minimum that the international community could do in order to support Africa's own efforts. The Group of 77 and China were firmly committed to accelerating the implementation of the New Agenda, in the spirit of South-South cooperation.

LESLIE GUMBI (South Africa) said democracy, the promotion of and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, good governance and administrative reform were fundamental to sustainable growth and development in Africa. The attraction of domestic and foreign direct investment was also crucial. The importance of the complimentary technical and financial support of the international community in that regard could not be over-emphasized. While heartened by cooperation between Africa and the international community to stabilize private capital flows, human development must anchor such progress needed to be under-girded on the human development dimension.

South Africa's participation in the SADC underlined the importance it attached to subregional economic integration, he said. The ultimate aim of those efforts was the full implementation of the Abuja Treaty on the African Economic Community. The greatest challenges facing the international community were Africa's debt burden and the over-reliance of African economies on raw commodities. Until those matters were addressed, Africa's ability to mobilize domestic resources would be stunted.

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MOMODOU KEBBA JALLOW (Gambia) said that despite efforts to reduce African debt, the burden continued to grow. Debt-reduction efforts of the international community enacted since 1990 had not achieved the desired results. New initiatives extending beyond existing bilateral and multilateral debt relief programmes were needed. The debt burden discouraged direct foreign investment in Africa. Also, the decline in foreign direct investment had seriously affected capacity of African nations to market their products, improve their technical expertise in economic sectors and maintain the attractiveness of their investment potentials. The benefits for Africa from globalization and liberalization had been limited by the narrowness of Africa's participation in world trade and the disadvantages of world market forces.

African nations had made remarkable efforts to achieve the goals of the New Agenda, he said. The democratization process in Africa had accelerated, with attention paid to good governance, democracy, rule of law and the preservation of human rights. African governments were allocating more of their national budgets to building their social and economic infrastructure. However, gains from those investments were slight due to the limited resources allocated and remaining factors working against sustainable development, such as poverty. Much effort would be required during the next five years of the New Agenda, both on the part of Africa and the international community. The need for partners to remain firm to their collective responsibilities and commitments was the most crucial factor in successful implementation.

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