THIRTY-SIX STATES PLEDGE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR UN DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, AS EUROPEAN, OTHER DELEGATIONS CALL CONFERENCE ANACHRONISM

Press Release
DEV/2222
GA/9648

THIRTY-SIX STATES PLEDGE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR UN DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, AS EUROPEAN, OTHER DELEGATIONS CALL CONFERENCE ANACHRONISM

Doubts Symptomatic of `Wider Malaise’, Says UNDP Head

Thirty-six countries pledged contributions to support development activities of the United Nations operational activities for development during the annual two-day United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities, which concluded this morning.

Australia’s representative (speaking also for Canada, Iceland, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States), said the Conference duplicated the United Nations system bodies’ own funding processes. The countries he spoke for would not participate, because they believed the time had come to streamline consideration of funds and programmes funding, and to wind up the Pledging Conference.

(As the Conference began yesterday, Finland’s representative, speaking for the European Union and associated States, had likewise announced that Union member States would not be making pledges as they believed the Conference format was not efficient and should be replaced by another funding mechanism.)

Speaking for the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, Guyana’s representative voiced his concern that internationally agreed objectives regarding funding -- including those expressed by the General Assembly in its resolution 50/227 -- remained largely unmet. It was premature to call for abolition of the Pledging Conference, as the diagnostic process had not yet been exhausted. A careful review of funding modalities was needed.

The representative of Brazil also expressed concern about the declining trend in voluntary contributions for funds and programmes. Indonesia’s representative said there was need to explore a new funding mechanism, which could provide an additional boost to financing for development. Malawi’s representative said the Conference should be revitalized, not discontinued.

The Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mark Malloch Brown, said he feared that doubts expressed about the Conference were symptoms of a deeper malaise: a drift away from financial support for United Nations development cooperation itself. The implicit social compact that underpinned the global legitimacy of the United Nations required an effective system of United Nations multilateral development cooperation. For most people, that was the area in which United Nations activities most closely touched their lives. On behalf of the millions of people the UNDP served in 170 countries, he expressed gratitude to those who supported UNDP’s work.

Contributions to development activities signified hope, said the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Carol Bellamy. Providing for the health of children was both a moral responsibility and a prerequisite for a just and peaceful world. But there were added challenges, such as the 8,500 new cases of HIV/AIDS infection a day and the need to help the large numbers of children who lived in conflict areas. In a $28 trillion global economy, 3 billion people lived on less than $2 a day, she continued. A quarter of humanity was living in conditions of almost unimaginable suffering and want. Never in history had such a situation existed. A powerful blow must be struck against the poverty that had entrapped 650 million children.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Nafis Sadik, said that the UNFPA knew what to do. It had a strong organization and dedicated staff. But resources had not kept pace with increasing demand for UNFPA assistance. This year, the UNFPA projected a resource shortfall of around $72 million for country programmes approved by the Executive Board. That was a significant setback.

In the midst of the greatest wealth the world had ever seen, a billion people lived without adequate water, housing and health care, she continued. Some 350 million women lacked the means or the information to decide on the size of their families or the spacing of their children. Nearly 600,000 women died from pregnancy-related complications each year. Pregnancy should be a choice and a joy, she stressed.

The Conference Secretary announced that the Secretary-General would maintain a list of the pledges made or announced at the Conference until 30 June 2000. States could enter additional pledges until that date. At the end of that period, the Secretary-General would issue the list of total pledges made.

The Conference also adopted its draft report this morning (document A/CONF.190/L.1). The names of delegations participating in the Conference will be issued in a future report (document A/CONF.190/3).

Pledges were made this morning by: Thailand, India, Turkey, Chile, Brazil, Mongolia, China, Malaysia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bolivia, Cameroon, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Viet Nam and Malawi.

The representatives of Japan and Andorra said their countries’ contributions would be pledged at a later date.

Statements

ALAN MARCH (Australia), speaking also for Canada, Iceland, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States, said those countries’ lack of participation reflected their belief that the current pledging format had outlived its usefulness. The Conference duplicated United Nations system bodies’ own evolving funding processes. The time had come to streamline consideration of funds and programmes funding, and to wind up the Pledging Conference.

GEORGE TALBOT (Guyana), speaking for the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said he had noted statements about the future of the Pledging Conference, including the call for its abolition in light of evolving implementation of Assembly resolution 50/227 on funding modalities. But that resolution also reflected agreement on the need for substantial increases in resources to fund development activities, and the need to intensify efforts to mobilize political will. Further, the text recognized the urgent need to fulfil the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) going for official development assistance (ODA).

The Group was very concerned that the funding objectives, as contained in that text and others, remained largely unfulfilled and, therefore, viewed with concern the calls for abolishing the Pledging Conference. At the same time, it was legitimate to call for a review of the United Nations Pledging Conference to see how it could best serve the purpose intended. The review of funding modalities contemplated in resolution 50/227 had not yet taken place. It should be done as a matter of urgency. The future of the Pledging Conference should be considered with care and broad consultation. It was premature to call for abolition of the Conference, since the diagnostic process had not yet been exhausted. A careful review of funding modalities was needed.

Concluding Remarks

MARK MALLOCH BROWN, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said he feared that difficulties being expressed about the Conference were symptoms of a deeper malaise: a drift away from financial support for United Nations development cooperation itself. There was a long way to go before a truly adequate funding base for the operational arms of the United Nations was secured. While there had been a modest rise in ODA this year, that overall trend in funding for development cooperation was not evident for the United Nations or the UNDP. The real achievements of United Nations development cooperation were being jeopardized by a lack of high-level support, and the UNDP was threatened by political and financial neglect.

The implicit social compact that underpinned the global legitimacy of the United Nations required an effective system of United Nations multilateral development cooperation, he continued. For most people, that was the area in which United Nations activities most closely touched their lives. It was the indispensable addition of the political, peacekeeping and humanitarian roles of the Organization.

Rebuilding his organization's political and financial support was a shared responsibility, he said. He encouraged all present to speak out forcefully on behalf of multilateral development assistance, in general, and the UNDP, in particular. For his part, he was committed to sharpening the business vision of the UNDP, and to building a more effective and robustly funded organization. On behalf of the millions of people the UNDP served in 170 countries, he expressed gratitude to all those countries which supported UNDP’s work.

CAROL BELLAMY, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), expressed appreciation to those who had pledged. She also acknowledged the preference of those who provided the bulk of UNICEF’s resources for doing so at another forum. Providing for the health of children was both a moral responsibility and a prerequisite for a just and peaceful world. But there were added challenges: 8,500 new cases of HIV/AIDS infection a day, and large numbers of children living in conflict areas. In a $28-trillion global economy, 3 billion people lived on less than $2 a day. A quarter of humanity was living in conditions of almost unimaginable suffering and want. Never in history had such a situation existed.

A powerful blow must be struck against the poverty that had entrapped 650 million children, she continued. Contributions to development activities signified hope. They were accepted by UNICEF as part of its overall resource mobilization strategy.

The Fund was grateful to those States that accepted its multi-year funding framework, she said. All programmes had a critical evaluation component, and all were measured for results and performance that was sustainable. UNICEF’s global agenda was to ensure the fundamental rights of all children and all women. It counted on the continuing support of countries. Together, efforts on behalf of children must be redoubled.

Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said UNFPA’s thirtieth anniversary had been marked in October. Much progress had been recorded. At the anniversary, the Secretary-General, the Assembly President and the regional groups had noted the changes in population and development over the years and expressed support for the UNFPA.

The African Group cited progress in lowering maternal mortality rates and outlawing female genital mutilation, and called the UNFPA indispensable to the continent, she said. The Asian Group cited improved life expectancy and greater numbers of children in school as areas of success. Eastern Europe said the UNFPA had become the indisputable leader in the population field, due to its quick response and close partnerships with national governments and civil society. The Latin American and Caribbean Group had emphasized a widespread change in attitudes as one prominent result of UNFPA’s work. The Western European and Other States Group commended the Fund for promoting reproductive rights and women’s rights. The host country -– the United States -– had said an unshakeable consensus had emerged on the link between population and development.

She said that the UNFPA knew what to do. It had a strong organization and dedicated staff. But resources had not kept pace with increasing demand for UNFPA assistance. This year, the UNFPA projected a resource shortfall of around $72 million for country programmes approved by the Executive Board. That was a significant setback. Some $1.8 million had been pledged for the UNFPA in the past two days, for which she expressed appreciation.

In the midst of the greatest wealth the world had ever seen, a billion people lived without adequate water, housing and health care, she said. Some 350 million women lacked the means or the information to decide on the size of the families or the spacing of their children. Nearly 600,000 women died from pregnancy-related complications each year. Pregnancy should be a choice and a joy, she said.

Pledges Made

Thailand

UNDP $ 865,112 UNICEF $ 112,500 UNFPA $ 96,000 UNIEM 120,000 baht INSTRAW 120,000 “ UNV 100,000 “ UNITAR $ 2,000 UNDCP $ 10,000 UNCDF $ 2,500

India

UNDP $4,500,000 WFP $1,920,000 in goods UNEP $ 100,000 UNV $ 15,000 UNDCP $ 60,000 Habitat $ 100,000 UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund $ 3,000 UN Educational and Training Programme for Southern Africa $ 2,000 UNICEF 31,000,000 rupees UNFPA 9,000,000 “ UNIFEM 509,000 “ UNRWA 225,000 “ INSTRAW 50,000 “

Turkey

UNDP $ 770,000 UNICEF $ 120,000 UNIFEM $ 15,000 UNFPA $ 108,000 UNDCP $ 250,000 INSTRAW $ 35,000 UNDP Study Programme $ 30,000 UNEP $ 100,000 UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund $ 75,000 Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture $ 5,000

Chile

UNITAR $ 10,000 UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund $ 10,000 INSTRAW $ 5,000 Habitat $ 5,000 UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture $ 10,000 Voluntary Fund for the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People $ 5,000 Voluntary Contributions $ 5,000 Brazil

UNDP $ 200,000

Mongolia

UNDP $ 17,000 UNICEF $ 10,000 UNFPA $ 4,000 UNEP $ 1,000

China

UNDP $3,150,000 UNDP Local 2,500,000 rmb yuan UNICEF $1,100,000 UNFPA $ 820,000 UNV $ 30,000 UNCDF $ 30,000 UNIDO $ 300,000 and 350,000 rmb yuan IFAD $2,100,000 Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs $ 20,000 UN Revolving Fund for Natural Resources Exploration $ 20,000 WFP $1,150,000 UNHCR $ 250,000 UNITAR $ 10,000 UN Voluntary Fund on Disability $ 10,000 UNIFEM $ 30,000 INSTRAW $ 10,000 Habitat $ 40,000 and 150,000 rmb yuan UNDCP $ 40,000 UNEP $ 180,000 UNFPA Local 300,000 rmb yuan UNICEF Local 500,000 “ “ WFP Local 400,000 “ “ FAO Local 400,000 “ “

Malaysia

UNDP $ 385,000 UNICEF $ 84,000 UNFPA $ 15,000 UNDCP $ 20,000

Oman

UNDP $ 10,000 UNICEF $ 50,000 United Arab Emirates

UNDP $ 324,000 UNICEF $ 100,000 UNHCR $ 54,000

Bolivia

UNEP $ 2,000 UNDCP $ 4,000 UNFPA $ 3,000 Indigenous People $ 1,000

Cameroon

UNDCP $ 1,700 UNITAR $ 42,000 UNIC $ 17,000 UNIFEM $ 6,000

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

UNDP $ 21,168 UNCDF $ 1,500 UNICEF $ 5,000 UNFPA $ 600 UNDCP $ 1,000 UNEP $ 2,000

Viet Nam

UNDP $ 29,035 UNFPA $ 3,563 UNICEF $ 13,709 WFP $ 18,000 (for 1999 & 2000)

Malawi

UNDP 180,000 kwachas UNICEF 60,000 “ UNCDF 60,000 “ UNFPA 98,625 “

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