ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS, LASTING SOLUTION TO EXTERNAL DEBT PROBLEM, ACTION ON POVERTY ERADICATION DECADE, CALLED FOR BY COMMITTEE
Press Release
GA/EF/2904
ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS, LASTING SOLUTION TO EXTERNAL DEBT PROBLEM, ACTION ON POVERTY ERADICATION DECADE, CALLED FOR BY COMMITTEE
19991209The General Assembly would urge all Governments, through anti-corruption and anti-bribery efforts, to create an enabling environment for business and investment, according to one of three draft texts approved this afternoon without a vote by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial).
Other such measures, according to the draft resolution on business and development, would include sound macroeconomic, fiscal and development policies, the rule of law and transparent business practices. The Assembly would also urge the private sector to conduct orderly and fair business practices while adhering to and promoting the principles of honesty, transparency and accountability in international commercial transactions.
On the issue of enhancing international cooperation for a durable solution to the external debt problem of developing countries, the Assembly would call for concerted national and international action to address the debt problems of middle-income developing countries with a view to resolving their potential long-term debt sustainability problems.
By the same text, approved as orally revised, the Assembly would invite the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to continue to strengthen the transparency and integrity of debt sustainability analysis, and encourage the further commissioning of relevant independent studies on the debt problem of developing countries.
Finally, in approving a draft resolution on the implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, the Committee would have the Assembly call on all countries to formulate and implement outcome-oriented national strategies and programmes, including setting time- bound targets for poverty reduction.
By the terms of the same text, the Assembly would call on the developed countries to strengthen their efforts to achieve the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for overall official development assistance. Where agreed, within that target, it would call on them to earmark 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of their gross national product for the least developed countries..
The representatives of the United States, Philippines and Cameroon spoke.
The Committee will meet again on a date to be announced in the Journal.
Committee Work Programme
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this afternoon to take action on several draft texts on macroeconomic policy questions, sectoral policy questions and the implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006).
Macroeconomic policy questions
Before the Committee was a draft resolution, submitted by the Vice- Chairman of the Committee, Giovanni Brauzzi (Italy), on the basis of informal consultations held on draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.2, on enhancing international cooperation towards a durable solution to the external debt problem of developing countries (document A/C.2/54/L.71). By its terms, the Assembly would call for concerted national and international action to address debt problems of middle-income developing countries with a view to resolving their potential long-term debt sustainability problems through various debt treatment measures. Those would include orderly mechanisms for debt reduction. The Assembly would also encourage all creditor and debtor countries to utilize to the fullest extent possible, all existing mechanisms for debt reduction.
It would call upon the international community, including the United Nations system, and invite the Bretton Woods institutions, as well as the private sector to take appropriate measures for implementation of the commitments and decisions of the major United Nations conferences and summits since the beginning of the 1990s on development, as well as for implementation of the outcomes of review processes, in particular those related to the external debt problem of developing countries.
In addition, the Assembly would invite the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to continue to strengthen the transparency and integrity of debt sustainability analysis, and encourage the further commissioning of relevant independent studies on the debt problem of developing countries.
Sectoral policy questions
The Committee had before it a draft resolution, submitted by the Vice- Chairman of the Committee, Alexandru Niculescu (Romania), based on informal consultations on draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.34, on business and development (document A/C.2/54/L.70). By its terms, the Assembly would call upon the United Nations funds and programmes to continue to strengthen support for the promotion of entrepreneurship and, in their work in implementing the present resolution, to give due consideration to the role of the business sector in development, taking into account the priorities set by each country, while ensuring a gender perspective.
Further, the Assembly would call upon the relevant bodies of the United Nations system to continue to assist Member States in implementing national programmes to create an enabling environment for business, investment and development.
By the terms of the same draft, the Assembly would invite the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and other relevant United Nations organizations to further strengthen their activities, in particular for Africa and the least developed countries, in the promotion of entrepreneurship development, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. It would call upon the international community to lend its support, where appropriate, to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
The Assembly would urge all Governments to create an enabling environment for business and investment, through such measures as sound macroeconomic, fiscal and development policies, the rule of law, anti- corruption and anti-bribery efforts, and transparent business practices that promote efficiency, fairness and competitiveness in international commercial transactions, taking into account the needs of developing countries. It would also urge the private sector, including corporations engaged in international business activities, to conduct orderly and fair business practices while adhering to and promoting the principles of honesty, transparency and accountability in international commercial transactions, with a view to creating an enabling environment for business and investment.
By the terms of the draft, the Assembly would request the international community, including the business community and relevant international bodies, to consider ways and means of promoting such principles and practices and respect for those principles and practices by multinational companies in their operations in all countries.
Implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006)
Also before the Committee was a text submitted by the Committees Vice- Chairman, Daul Matute (Peru), based on informal consultations on draft resolution A/C.2/L.3, on Implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (document A/C.2/54/L.69). By the terms of the draft, the General Assembly would call upon all Governments to incorporate, as appropriate, the recommendations made by the Secretary-General for possible action and initiatives for poverty eradication towards the new millennium in the design and implementation of their national poverty alleviation strategies.
The Assembly would also call upon all countries to formulate and implement outcome-oriented national strategies and programmes, including setting time-bound targets for poverty reduction. It would note the efforts being made to achieve the target of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015, which required strengthened national action and international assistance. It would call upon the developed countries to strengthen their efforts to achieve the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for overall official development assistance and, where agreed, within that target, to earmark 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of their gross national product for the least developed countries.
The Assembly would further call upon the developed countries, by means of intensified and effective cooperation with developing countries, to promote capacity-building and to facilitate access to and transfer of technologies and corresponding knowledge, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights, as well as the special need of developing countries, by identifying and implementing practical steps to ensure the achievements of progress and to assist developing countries in their efforts to eradicate poverty in an era influenced in large measure by technology.
By the terms of the draft, the Assembly would urge that international efforts to assist developing countries in their efforts to alleviate poverty be strengthened, by such means as creating an enabling environment that would facilitate the integration of developing countries into the world economy, improving their market access, facilitating the flow of financial resources and implementing all initiatives already taken regarding debt relief for developing countries.
Action on Drafts: Implementation of Poverty Eradication Decade
Committee Vice-Chairman Daul Matute (Peru) introduced the draft resolution entitled implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006) (document A/C.2/54/L.69), which was based on informal consultations held on draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.3. He proposed some amendments for operative paragraphs 13 and 19. In operative paragraph 19, second line, the word debtor should be deleted. In the fourth line, the word high should read higher. The word production and in the second line of operative paragraph 13 should read productive.
He said that the subject of poverty eradication had evoked great interest in the various bodies and funds of the United Nations. It had also been the focus of the last Economic and Social Council meeting in Geneva, in July. It was the greatest challenge in the upcoming millennium. Poverty meant the degradation of human beings and a threat to human rights. He thanked all the delegations involved in the negotiations for their cooperation.
The resolution, as orally revised, was approved without a vote, and draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.3 was withdrawn by its sponsors.
Macroeconomic Policy Questions
Committee Vice-Chairman Giovanni Brauzzi (Italy), introduced, on the basis of informal consultations held on draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.2, introduced draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.71 entitled enhancing international cooperation towards a durable solution to the external debt problem of developing countries. He proposed a correction in operative paragraph five, fifth line, where the comma after Trust Fund should be deleted.
The representative of the Philippines said that agreement had been reached on all commas. In preambular paragraph five, fourth line, the commas before and after the phrase in this regard should be removed. The same should apply to the second line of operative paragraph five. He asked the text's editors not to touch the matter.
Mr. Brauzzi agreed that the representative's comments reflected the careful balance reached during negotiations. The representative of the United States said it was her understanding that the commas in the fourth and the fifth line of operative paragraph five should be deleted.
The representative of the Philippines insisted that the comma after Initiative in the fourth line of operative paragraph five should stay.
The representative of Cameroon said that commas had their importance. The comma after Initiative was supposed to stay.
The representative of the United States said that it had been her understanding that both commas should remain or should be deleted, but she would not insist on it.
The text, as orally revised, was approved without a vote, and draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.2 was withdrawn by its sponsors.
Sectoral Policy Questions
Committee Vice-Chairman Alexandru Niculescu (Romania) introduced draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.70 entitled "business and development". That resolution was based on informal consultations on draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.34. He said that negotiations had been successfully completed, without comma problems.
The representative of the United States said that since 18 November, when draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.34 had first been introduced, Australia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Russian Federation and Ukraine had expressed the wish to be co-sponsors of that text.
The Committee approved the submitted text without a vote, and draft resolution A/C.2/54/L.34 was withdrawn by its sponsors.
* *** *