SECOND COMMITTEE TAKES UP DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

27 October 1997

Press Release
GA/EF/2774

SECOND COMMITTEE TAKES UP DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

19971027 Too Often Steps Taken to Deal with Problems of LDCs Fail to Produce Any Tangible Outcome, Bangladesh's Representative Says

The Agenda for Development should be built upon to enhance international cooperation and invigorate a strengthened partnership for development, the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning as it began consideration of renewal of the dialogue on strengthening economic cooperation for development through partnership and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s.

Speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, he said the dismal performance of the development partners in fulfilling commitments agreed upon in the Programme of Action had adversely affected progress made in improving economic and social conditions, growth prospects, structural adjustment and transformation, and external trade opportunities. The international community must review the implementation of the Programme of Action and take measures to enable the least developed countries to achieve desirable human and socio-economic conditions.

There was a close relationship between political stability and development, the representative of Luxembourg said, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States. The least developed countries should redouble their efforts to undertake economic reforms and structural adjustment. Attention should also be paid to social areas to ensure the stability of democratic political institutions and to strengthen the participation of civil society, particularly women.

The representative of Bangladesh said the difficulties of the least developed countries had worsened in recent years despite the implementation of domestic reforms and structural and sectoral adjustment measures. Poverty in

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those countries remained pervasive, and reduced calorie intake and increased mortality and morbidity continued. Too often, steps taken to deal with the problems of LDCs failed to produce any tangible outcome.

The representative of Burkina Faso said the blame for the lack of progress made by developing countries lay with all sides. Developed countries, as a whole, had not respected their commitments or respected the goals for official development assistance contained in the Programme of Action. The rules of the game in international trade were also unfavorable to the least developed countries, particularly those in Africa, and emphasized their marginalization.

The international community should seek a synthesized approach to macroeconomic policy, sustainable development, international cooperation, and trade and development, the representative of the United States said. The United States had recently announced a new programme to promote economic growth and opportunity in Africa. That initiative complemented and supported similar multilateral efforts and offered sub-Saharan African countries different levels of participation, tailored to their needs.

Statements were also made by the representatives of the Russian Federation, Mexico, China, Algeria, Philippines, Ghana, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mali, Sudan, Burundi and Côte d'Ivoire.

The Officer-in-Charge of the New York Office of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Khalilur Rahman, and the Officer-in-Charge, Division of Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sarbuland Khan, introduced reports.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to resume its consideration of renewal of the development dialogue and the Programme of Action for the least developed countries.

Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to consider, under the general heading "sustainable development and international economic cooperation", the question of the renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership, and the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s.

The Secretary-General's report on the renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership (document A/52/425) is submitted in response to General Assembly resolution 51/174 of 16 December 1996. It contains further recommendations for enhancing the dialogue, including a review of the outcome of the discussions of the General Assembly's Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on an Agenda for Development and proposals to convene special sessions of the Assembly on major issues relevant to the dialogue on international economic cooperation for development.

Built on the outcome of recent United Nations conferences, the Agenda for Development was adopted by the Assembly on 20 June 1997 (resolution 51/240), the report states. The Agenda was aimed at invigorating a renewed and strengthened partnership for development, based on the imperatives of mutual benefits and genuine interdependence. It testified to the renewed commitments of all countries to mobilize national and international efforts in pursuit of sustainable development and to revitalize and strengthen international cooperation for development.

The Agenda for Development noted that globalization and interdependence are deepening the need and creating greater opportunities for international cooperation. It manifested the international community's commitment to grasp the opportunity which has arisen with the waning of ideological confrontations, the rise in globalization, and the deepening of interdependence among nations, for constructive dialogue among all countries, particularly among the developed and developing countries, and political mobilization for the promotion of international cooperation for development based on genuine partnership and mutuality of interests and benefits.

The Agenda noted that a primary objective of its implementation should be to contribute in such a way that the benefits stemming from future growth and development were distributed equitably among all countries and peoples. It also noted that achieving and maintaining an international environment favourable to all countries is in the interest of all countries. The Agenda also recognized that the renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international cooperation through partnership was an important mechanism through which the intergovernmental follow-up and assessment of the Agenda and its implementation would be conducted. Such dialogue should also be used as

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an opportunity to discuss new and emerging issues concerning international cooperation for development.

The setting, the objectives and the policy framework of the Agenda for Development provides the overall context within which the themes for the development dialogue could be chosen, according to the report. It adds that a number of possible themes were recommended in a previous report of the Secretary-General (document A/50/480). Taking action on that report, by its resolution 50/122, the Assembly decided that the theme for the first high- level dialogue would be the social and economic impact of globalization and interdependence and their policy implications.

Building on the previous proposals and taking into account recent developments, the report lists the following as other possible topics for the dialogue: development finance; strengthening the means for development cooperation, including South-South cooperation; information technologies and development; international migration and development; prevention and management of emergencies and post-conflict peace-building; and the "uncivil society", the ominous growth in the activities and influence of terrorists, drug traffickers and those engaged in organizing prostitution and trafficking in women and children.

According to the report, the theme to be selected for the dialogue should be chosen in a timely manner, preferably at least one year or more in advance to allow for adequate preparations. The Assembly had agreed that the date, modalities and focus of the discussion would be decided by the President of the Assembly through consultations with Member States. Given the nature of the preparatory and related processes and the time required to initiate and organize them, the report recommends that the first such event should be held no earlier than autumn (northern hemisphere) of 1998.

The Committee also has before it the Secretary-General's report on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the least developed countries for the 1990s (document A/52/279).

Prepared in response to General Assembly resolution 50/103, by which the Assembly reaffirmed the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s as the basis for continuing cooperation between those countries and their development partners, the report gives an overview of the recent economic performance of the least developed countries and the policies and measures adopted by them in line with the provisions of the Programme of Action. It also sets out the overall arrangements made for the implementation, follow-up and monitoring, and review of the Programme of Action; describes the measures taken by the organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to implement it; and presents available information on international support measures in the fields of external resources, debt and trade.

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According to the report, the recent economic performance of a number of least developed countries is encouraging. Preliminary estimates indicate that the growth rates of gross domestic product (GDP) in the least developed countries for which data are available averaged 4.7 per cent in 1996. Recovery is still fragile, however, and the medium-term and long-term challenges facing those countries, in a world economy transformed by globalization and liberalization, are complex. The mid-term global review of the implementation of the Programme of Action identified the following as the main challenges facing the least developed countries in the second half of the 1990s: to reverse the decline in economic and social conditions; to promote sustainable economic growth, development and structural transformation; and to avoid becoming further marginalized in the international economy.

To succeed in coping with the above-mentioned challenges, the report says that the least developed countries would need to further strengthen their national development efforts which, as was evidenced by those countries that had improved their performance, could make a difference. It is imperative to sustain economic reforms and effect further trade liberalization measures, pursue policies to tackle supply-side constraints, and improve the efficiency of agriculture. For a number of least developed countries, bringing political conflicts and civil strife to an early and peaceful conclusion and the restoration of a viable system of government must be a prerequisite to commencing any development programmes.

A strengthened country review process was considered the principal means of policy dialogue and of coordinating the aid efforts of development partners with the development programmes of least developed countries, as well as for mobilizing the required resources for their implementation, says the report. An important aspect of the country review process in recent years has been the attempt to link those arrangements more closely to national policy-making and programming. The Programme of Action also called upon the regional commissions to contribute to the follow-up process by addressing, as part of their ongoing work, the needs and problems of the least developed countries. The report details the follow-up activities of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

According to the report, the Programme of Action and the Assembly entrusted the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) with the focal role, at the global level, for the monitoring, follow-up and review of the implementation of the Programme of Action. Issues pertaining to the least developed countries were considered at UNCTAD's ninth session in Midrand, South Africa, in May 1996 (UNCTAD IX). In the Midrand Declaration, Member States of the Conference stated that the impact of globalization and liberalization was uneven and that the least developed countries, particularly those in Africa, remained constrained by weak supply capabilities and were

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unable to benefit from trade. The Declaration also stressed that special attention should be paid to creating an overall enabling environment at a policy and institutional level for the least developed countries.

As the focal point in the United Nations system for monitoring the implementation of the Programme of Action at the global level, UNCTAD also coordinates and programmes its work with regional commissions and other organizations within and outside the United Nations system, the report says. The Secretary-General of UNCTAD, in accordance with the recommendation of UNCTAD IX, established the Trust Fund for the Least Developed Countries, which came into operation in early 1997. The Trust Fund will facilitate new activities in the four main areas of work of UNCTAD, namely: globalization and development; international trade in goods and services, and commodity issues; investment, enterprise development and technology; and services infrastructure for development and trade efficiency. The Governments of France, India, Republic of Korea, Netherlands and Switzerland have made contributions or pledges to the Trust Fund.

In the area of external financing, a reversal of the current trend in donor performance with regard to the least developed countries would require both a recovery in overall official development assistance (ODA) and a reorientation of aid programmes towards the least developed countries, according to the report. The quality and effectiveness of assistance to those also need to be enhanced. External finance should help fund major investment programmes in the physical infrastructure and social services which are necessary for helping the least developed countries to encourage substantial private investment. In addition, the least developed countries will need the active support of non-traditional donors. They should continue their efforts to provide improved incentives for both domestic and foreign investment to attract foreign direct investment and other private capital flows.

The external debt situation of the least developed countries remains a cause for serious concern, says the report. With scheduled debt service payments estimated to be in the order of one third of the aggregate export earnings of those countries, external debt-servicing obligations continue to be an important drain on resources and clearly exceed the capacity to pay of many of the least developed countries. As a consequence, they have accumulated massive payments arrears. The debt overhang compounds the pressures on the least developed countries attempting to implement structural adjustment programmes and tends to inhibit growth, as well as to dampen prospects for private capital inflows.

Globalization and liberalization have increased the potential for international trade to become an unprecedented engine of growth and an important mechanism for integrating countries into the global economy, the report states. These processes offer the least developed countries important long-term opportunities to reverse the economic decline that they have

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experienced over the past two decades, but they also raise serious concerns for them. More than any other group of countries in the world, the least developed countries, with only a few exceptions, have become marginalized from the mainstream of global economic activity and from sharing in its benefits. Globalization might do little to alleviate the trend towards marginalization and, without adequate international support measures, may accentuate it.

According to the report, it was encouraging to note that the trading opportunities of the least developed countries have been significantly enhanced by the improvements, made subsequent to the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations agreements, by major developed countries in their Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) schemes in favour of these countries. Improvements were also made in the trading regimes applied under special preferential arrangements, such as the Lomé Convention and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, for the least developed countries and other developing countries participating in such arrangements.

Easing supply-side constraints is critical to enabling the least developed countries to utilize the enhanced market access provided by the Uruguay Round agreements, the report says. To facilitate the integration of least developed countries into the multilateral trading system, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Plan of Action contains recommendations on policy measures and programmes to enhance the trading opportunities. At a broad level, technical assistance, complemented by adequate financial support, should be provided to the least developed countries through the coordinated efforts of all donors, including the Bretton Woods institutions. Member States should also support the Plan of Action by enhancing conditions for investment and providing favourable market access conditions for the products of the least developed countries.

The list of the least developed countries comprises 48 countries, the combined population of which was estimated at 588 million in 1995. Those countries are: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia.

Statements

SARBULAND KHAN, Officer-in-Charge, Division of Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said the Secretary-General's report on renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through

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partnership should be read in relation with the Agenda for Development, its main ideas and themes, as well as the modalities proposed that built upon previous reports of the Secretary-General on the subject. It should also be considered in the context provided by recent developments, particularly the adoption of the Agenda for Development in June, the convening of the Assembly's special session to review implementation of Agenda 21, the high- level segment of the Economic and Social Council and the Assembly's decisions to hold special sessions on drug control and a follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development. The report should also be read in the context of the Secretary-General's report on the reform of the Organization.

Key elements of the proposal for renewal of the development dialogue were that the dialogue should be at a high-level, theme-oriented and prepared with the participation of all actors of development, including civil society, he said. That preparation should be participatory, open and take place across the globe. Another feature of the proposal were the themes suggested which could be seen as a menu of options from which the Assembly would choose. Those themes were drawn primarily from the Agenda for Development, in the economic, social and cross-sectoral areas. It was important to bear in mind that the themes should be topical, he added.

KHALILUR RAHMAN, Officer-in-Charge, New York Office of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said while introducing the report that one important trend in the economic performance of least developed countries had been their ability to raise their per capita income for the second consecutive year . However, he cautioned that falling levels of official development assistance (ODA) as well as the heavy debt burden of the least developed countries would continue to place them at the periphery of international trade and the development system.

Continuing, he said a high-level meeting was being held in Geneva on an integrated framework for trade and development activities for the least developed countries. He also said that for the first time, a multi-agency approach to trade and development had been put in place in Bangladesh.

OSCAR DE ROJAS (Venezuela), the Committee Chairman, recalled that the current year marked the twentieth anniversary of the conclusion of the Conference on International Economic Cooperation (Paris, 1977). There was no doubt that the genealogy of North-South dialogue could be traced back to that Conference, as before it there had been several North-South debate exercises, but most of them had not been consensual and had ended in outright confrontation. The Paris Conference was the first attempt to launch a genuine, serious dialogue based on consensus. Yet, it did not achieve its objectives; the hope for "quid pro quo" did not happen.

After the Paris Conference the exercise was brought back to the United Nations and there began lengthy efforts to launch global negotiations, he

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said. At the beginning of the current decade there was a wave of liberalizing fervour which made it more difficult to launch such negotiations. The major macroeconomic issues were left out of the negotiations agenda, with the exception of trade, and efforts were concentrated on the "soft issues", such as population, women and human rights.

There was still a great interest among most of the international community to have the major issues related to international cooperation and development addressed on the world level in an integrated and global fashion, as was done in restricted bodies like the "Group of Seven" major industrialized countries, but with participation of all. That was what was involved in the Committee's consideration of the item. How could that particular dialogue among the international community be effectively restarted and renewed, with the participation of countries at various levels of development? The Committee must take advantage of the new opportunities and new realities in the world. That opportunity should be seized, particularly at a time when a basis for a new consensus for partnership had been established and when the United Nations was involved in a phase of renewal and reform. The Committee should address the issues with openness, courage and vision, as was done by the participants in the Paris Conference 20 years ago.

ARTHUR MWAKAPUGI (United Republic of Tanzania), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the United Nations, with its uniqueness and universality, was best suited to guide and lead international efforts in charting and evolving the most effective development cooperation. The outcome of the Agenda for Development should be built upon to enhance international cooperation for development and invigorate a renewed and strengthened partnership for development with renewed commitments of all countries to mobilize national and international efforts in pursuit of sustained economic growth and sustainable development.

He said the dismal performance of the development partners in the fulfilment of the commitments agreed upon in the Programme of Action to support the efforts of the least developed countries was adversely affecting and retarding progress already made in improving economic and social conditions, growth prospects, structural adjustment and transformation, and external trade opportunities. Resource flows to the least developed countries had remained stagnant in current dollar terms throughout the 1990s and had diminished in real terms. The international community must review the implementation of the Programme of Action and take effective measures to enable the least developed countries to face the next millennium with desirable human and socio-economic conditions.

JEAN GRAFF (Luxembourg), speaking on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Cyprus, said the Union would have been ready to hold the high- level dialogue on the social and economic impact of globalization and

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interdependence during the current session, as had been agreed by the Assembly last year. To hold the dialogue closely following the adoption of the Agenda for Development would have been in line with the Union's efforts to improve the quality of the Assembly's proceedings. The dialogue should be held during the regular session of the Assembly, preferably at the beginning of the fifty- third session. The President of the Assembly should take account of the Secretary-General's proposals regarding organization of the dialogue when consulting Member States on the dates, modalities and the focus of the discussion. The sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development might provide an additional source of inspiration. There was a close relationship between political stability and development, he said. The least developed countries should redouble their efforts to undertake the requisite economic reforms and structural adjustment, while not forgetting the social dimension, to ensure the stability of democratic political institutions and to strengthen the participation of civil society, particularly that of women. Official development assistance (ODA) remained a major source of external funding for developing countries, especially for the least developed countries, which too often had difficulty in attracting private capital. The European Union favoured focusing official development assistance on the least developed countries and affirmed its commitment to achieving the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) to ODA as soon as possible. FRANK GUARINI (United States) said the international community should tap into the knowledge and expertise of the international economic community, including the Bretton Woods institutions, to provide input on the critical issues to be addressed by the dialogue. That dialogue should promote, in an integrated manner, discussion on advancing and implementing the broad consensus on development which was achieved during the recent series of United Nations global conferences. The Agenda for Development reaffirmed the Copenhagen doctrine that social development, economic development and environmental protection were interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development. In the course of the current Assembly session, he said, the international community should seek a synthesized approach to issues such as macroeconomic policy, sustainable development, international cooperation and trade and development. The United States had recently announced a new programme to promote economic growth and opportunity in Africa -- a programme which would complement and support similar efforts under way multilaterally. The initiative illustrated his Government's commitment to support those least developed countries that were liberalizing their economies and striving to achieve good governance. It offered sub-Saharan African countries different levels of participation, tailored to their needs, in a programme which included enhanced market access, investment support, support for regional integration, debt reduction, bilateral technical assistance and trade promotion.

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ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said the difficulties of the LDCs had worsened over the years and resulted in their being pushed to the fringe of global economic activities. That had happened despite wide-ranging reforms in domestic policies and measures for structural and sectoral adjustments, often under internationally agreed frameworks. Poverty in LDCs remained pervasive. Reduced calorie intake continued as did increased mortality and morbidity. His Government urged that the activities of the United Nations, as well as of its Member States, in the International Decade for the Eradication of Poverty should be particularly focused on those countries. Too often steps taken to deal with the problems of LDCs failed to produce any tangible outcome. The Secretary-General's report described steps to remove tariffs from industrial products from LDCs, but it was important to know how much that effort would raise LDCs' exports in view of their low industrial base.

The convening of the third United Nations conference on least developed countries in the year 2000 was an issue of great importance, he said. At its forty-fourth session, the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD had agreed upon the elements of the conference. It recommended that the conference would assess the results of the Programme of Action during the 1990s at the country level; review implementation of the international support measures; and consider formulation and adoption of appropriate national and international policies for development of LDCs. Prior to the conference, an intergovernmental preparatory committee would be convened. That would be preceded by three expert-level preparatory meetings. The participation of civil society in the preparatory process would be helpful.

NIKOLAI V. TCHOULKOV (Russian Federation) said the concept of partnership should be interpreted in its broadest sense to include States and private and public groups. The adoption of the Agenda for Development was an indication of the willingness of the international community to enhance and promote international cooperation for development. Responsibility for putting it into operation should be borne squarely by the international community.

Stressing that United Nations programmes and funds had a big role to play in international cooperation for development, he said international efforts should also be aimed at strengthening the role of the Economic and Social Council.

FRANCISCO SUAREZ DAVILA (Mexico) said his Government concurred with the Secretary-General that addressing the question of renewing the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation meant addressing directly the Agenda for Development and its implementation. Globalization was an inescapable fact from which no country could remain aloof. On the world macroeconomic level there had been positive trends, but averages obscured extremes that were out of control. The benefits of globalization had been concentrated in a few countries, and many nations still faced recession and marginalization. Within countries the inequality gap was widening among

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regions and sectors. All over the world, populations had the same grievances, including the stagnation of real wages and worsening poverty. Globalization also altered the definition of international economic cooperation.

The United Nations could not fulfil its objectives without revitalizing its activities in the economic and social areas, he said. Regarding the environment, all governments needed to reaffirm their commitments to make progress in evaluating and fully implementing the Rio agreements.

Productive direct investment had many favourable features and there should be multilateral investment agreements that would set fair rules for all countries, he said. The globalization of the economic agenda had been limited to a few aspects, and there were severe limitations when it came to the movement of persons. The economic and social dimensions of migration should be considered to protect the human rights of such workers and their families. His Government called for the holding of an international conference on migration and development. It was clear that there could be no headway in economic matters if there was no progress in the areas of social and institutional development.

WANG QUN (China) said unfavourable external factors continued to hamper sustained economic growth in the developing countries. Poverty remained widespread; the gap between the North and South was widening; the least developed countries were being further marginalized in the process of integration, and developing countries with healthier economies were still facing new challenges and adversities. Those were urgent issues that should be addressed by the international community.

Stressing that it was essential to look for new concepts, he said genuine global partnership should be established on the basis of the principles of mutuality of interests and benefits and of common but differentiated responsibilities, with the objective of enhancing international cooperation for development and the promotion of common prosperity. The right of developing countries to choose their mode of development must be respected.

ZINEDDINE BIROUK (Algeria) said the question of renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation had been dragging on since the forty-eighth session of the Assembly. Uncertainties characterizing international trade, questions raised by financial flows, and protectionist measures all emphasized the relevance of such a dialogue and of finding lasting solutions. His Government was convinced that international economic problems could not be dealt with except in the framework of sincere dialogue based on interdependence, mutual interest and responsibility.

Such a dialogue would be the start of better communication between the North and the South, he said. It would also be a unique starting point for international economic cooperation for development and serve as a catalyst for

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a new form of dialogue within the United Nations, inaugurating a new era of mutual understanding. The renewal of the development dialogue should be an opportunity to engage in discussions on the implications of globalization for developing countries and to define goals for the upcoming century. It could also be a means for the orderly restructuring of global economic relations.

The Agenda for Development offered the United Nations the opportunity for a multilateral debate on the strengths and weaknesses of the international economic system, and it held a solid basis for high-level debate within the General Assembly, he said. Regarding the modalities for the dialogue, the recommendations in the Secretary-General's report were realistic. The dialogue could take the form of a two- or three-day special session at the beginning of the Assembly's next session.

LIBRAN CABACTULAN (Philippines) said appropriate arrangements should be made for the convening of a two-day high-level dialogue at the fifty-third session of the General Assembly to review and assess the implementation of the Agenda for Development. The international community should envision future high-level dialogues to consider new and emerging issues concerning international cooperation for development. Through such a mechanism the General Assembly could provide additional impetus to the implementation of the various internationally agreed plans of action, such as action for the least developed countries.

Noting the impressive economic performance of the least developed countries, he said those countries should be commended for their discipline, economic reforms and adjustment which they had instituted. Their positive economic performance was largely a result of their own efforts. Stagnating resource flows, declining official development assistance (ODA) and the increasing debt burden had continued to hamper trade and development efforts of those countries.

JACK WILMOT (Ghana) said the Agenda for Development and recent high- level dialogue on financial flows, investment and trade in the Economic and Social Council pointed to a shift in North-South dialogue toward constructive discussions based on partnership and a growing recognition of interdependence, shared responsibility and mutual interests and benefits. The Agenda for Development provided a good policy framework within which themes might be chosen. Those themes should generate interest among other actors in development and result in stimulating and productive discussions that might expand the frontier of international cooperation.

Strengthened cooperation and global measures were required to achieve the objectives of the Programme of Action for the LDCs for the 1990s, he said. Those countries had, over the past several years, undertaken wide-ranging reforms and measures for structural adjustment, yet poverty remained pervasive. In addition to national and regional measures, an overall

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environment at the policy and institutional levels to facilitate the resolution of the problems of development finance, debt, technology transfer and trade was required. He called on all countries to exercise the necessary political will to renew and strengthen the North-South dialogue on the basis of genuine partnership, human solidarity and effective cooperation for development with the overall objective of banishing poverty and other social ills and ensuring durable peace and prosperity for all.

KINGMANO PHOMMAHAXAY (Lao People's Democratic Republic) said official development assistance still played a critical role in the development process of the developing countries and, in particular, the most vulnerable ones like the least developed countries. The United Nations should promote international cooperation for sustained economic growth and sustainable development of the least developed countries. It was essential that special treatment in areas such as debt relief, easy access to technology, and product and service markets be granted to the least developed countries. They would take advantage of such measures in their efforts to redress their present difficult economic situation.

He called for the strengthening of UNCTAD so that it could fully carry out its trade and development mandate with regard to the least developed countries. The international community needed to establish new micro-lending institutions or strengthen existing ones so as to facilitate poor people's access to credit.

MAMADOU B. TRAORE (Mali) said the purpose of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries in the 1990s was to prevent the further deterioration of the economic situation in those countries and to speed up economic growth. Mali continued to face economic difficulties, and it had taken a number of steps to promote economic and social development. His Government had developed policies to revitalize the banking sector, redirect pubic investment programmes and develop human resources. Mali had also adopted a three-year investment programme for 1995-1997, which was part of several nationally implemented economic policies to help attain an annual growth rate of 5 per cent and a progressive reduction in the inflation rate. Mali wanted to achieve sustainable economic growth and financial viability. His Government's actions aimed at promoting the private sector, increasing productivity and diversity of the agricultural sector and increasing the output of the industrial sector in the national economy.

International economic cooperation was vital, he said. His Government asked the international community to give bilateral and multilateral measures the appropriate financial support. This assistance should go to the least developed countries in their development efforts. Regarding renewing the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation, Mali was holding round tables with its partners on various subjects, including the private sector, combating poverty and population issues. His Government's primary

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motivation was to meet the essential needs of the population of Mali. The international community must work together in the spirit of worldwide partnership to meet the needs in all areas of sustainable development. MUBARAK HUSSEIN RAHMTALLA (Sudan) said the challenges facing the least developed countries were enormous and that there was a need for external assistance in order for them to meet those development challenges. The least developed countries had carried out reforms, restructured their economies and liberalized trade. The international community must support those efforts. The least developed countries needed financial support, increased official development assistance flows, investment and debt relief to be able to fully realize the benefits of those reforms. Reviewing his country's economic performance, he said measures had been taken to make the economy more competitive and to improve infrastructure, agriculture and communication. Sudan had done all that without much external help. The impact of globalization and liberalization had not been even. Africa was not enjoying the benefits of globalization. Special attention should be given to the unique circumstances of the developing countries. Noting that in his country a peace agreement had just been concluded, he stressed that peace and development were integrated. JEAN-BAPTISTE HAJAYANDI (Burundi) said the least developed countries, including Burundi, were potentially rich countries, replete with human and natural resources. Yet those resources needed to be developed properly, and often the capacity of the least developed countries needed to be bolstered to achieve that objective. International cooperation was needed to help those countries overcome major constraints to development, including the lack of adequate education and capacity-building. The Programme of Action for the LDCs was manifestly handicapped by certain aspects of international cooperation, he said. One of those aspects was the drop in ODA, which was essential for LDCs. His Government appealed to all its partners, both in the private and public sectors, to display solidarity with the least developed countries. The problem of external debt was extremely acute, he said. His Government encouraged the Paris Club to continue its case-by-case analysis of countries and to find innovative and sound solutions that would benefit the least developed countries. He commended and encouraged the UNCTAD secretariat for its effective work, as well as those of all United Nations entities that played a role in implementing the Programme of Action. International solidarity needed to be revitalized in order to achieve the goals of the Programme of Action. LARGATON G. OUATTARA (Côte d'Ivoire) said there was a need to strengthen dialogue among States to make international development efforts fair and beneficial to all countries.

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Continuing, he said the concept of solidarity and social development should be at the core of international cooperation for development. The concept of shared efforts was indispensable in the attempts to find solutions to the challenges and problems of international development. Social development must be a priority of trade and development. The Bretton Woods institutions should make social development an important element of their programmes.

PAUL ROBERT TIENDREGEOGO (Burkina Faso) said that by reaffirming the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries in the 1990s and endorsing the results of its mid-term review, the Assembly had sent out two messages. The first invited LDCs to establish a stable environment to provide incentives that favoured investment and capacity-building. The second called on development partners to honour commitments in the Programme of Action. Nonetheless, the balance sheet was far from a positive one, apart from a few exceptions. The Secretary-General's report clearly stated that responsibility for that outcome fell on all sides. Developed countries as a whole had not respected their commitments or respected the goals laid down in the Programme of Action concerning ODA. The current global economic picture emphasized the role of the development partners that had met their responsibilities.

The rules of the game in international trade were unfavourable to the least developed countries, particularly those in Africa, and emphasized their marginalization, he said. In that regard, an exchange of experiences among LDCs and South-South cooperation had not exhausted all of their potential. The United Nations institutions in the area of development needed to be supported. The current session of the Assembly should be involved in the process of implementing the Programme of Action. All actors and partners in development should make the upcoming third conference on the least developed countries the starting point for making the improvement of the situation in those countries a common goal.

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