FIFTY-THIRD ANNUAL DPI/NGO CONFERENCE CONCLUDES AT HEADQUARTERS; STATEMENT MADE BY PRESIDENT ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA OF ALGERIA

Press Release
NGO/380
PI/1279

FIFTY-THIRD ANNUAL DPI/NGO CONFERENCE CONCLUDES AT HEADQUARTERS; STATEMENT MADE BY PRESIDENT ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA OF ALGERIA

More than ever, the world needed non-governmental organization (NGO) action and the vision of a society with a human face where fraternity and understanding would prevail, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of Algeria, told participants this afternoon at the closing session of the fifty-third annual DPI/NGO Conference.

The first sitting head of State to address the Conference in its 53-year history, President Bouteflika said the world was now in crucial need of new impetus especially when unbridled materialism, strong technical progress and inequity were multiplying and aggravating the rights of human beings. Non- governmental organizations were ethical entities and represented the values of solidarity, which might be able to change the negative trends of globalization and the cult of profit.

Ralph Nader, Founder of Public Citizen, also a keynote speaker at the conclusion of the Conference, said that there was too much concentration of power and wealth in too few hands. Governments did not recognize human rights. Also, the concentration of solutions to global problems, technologies and propaganda remained in the hands of a few. Consequently, focus should be placed on deconcentrating power and wealth, and on how freedom could be defined as participation by all in power-sharing. The purpose of democracy was to deconcentrate power so that that power could liberate solutions.

He said the global corporation was now the major threat to democratic processes in the world. Corporate destruction was also long-ranging and harmful to the environment. The extremism and radicalism of the commercial environmental ventures were proceeding at an accelerated rate, as was technology, whose ambition was to change the nature of nature. Those actions challenged the meanings of democracy, accountability and decision-making.

Kensaku Hogen, Under Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, chaired the closing session.

Malia Craver, Kupuna for Queen Lili’uokalani Children’s Centre, also made a statement.

In an earlier meeting held this afternoon, the Conference held its fifth and final panel discussion, entitled “An Economic Vision That Works: A Dialogue”.

DPI/NGO Annual Conference - 1a - Press Release NGO/380 PM Meeting PI/1279 30 August 2000

During that discussion, Arthur Mbanefo (Nigeria), Chairman, “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that the governments of developing countries lacked the wherewithal to reach the masses, and most of the policy measures envisaged by the international community were predicated on outdated socio- economic paradigms. The first urgent task facing the international community was to invent a new multilateral financial system to restore income and to build the capacity of millions – any future economic framework must have a human face and must not ignore the mass population.

Khadija Haq, President, Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre, said that for the poor to experience the positive effects of globalization, governments in South Asia needed to work closely with civil society groups to establish sustainable economic policies and build the capabilities of people.

Carlos Fortin, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and Jacqueline Grapin, President, European Institute and moderator of the discussion, also addressed participants.

The three-day Conference was attended by over 1,800 representatives of NGOs from more than 60 countries. In addition to the above-mentioned participants, Secretary-General Kofi Annan and General Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia) addressed the Conference.

Other speakers included: Hanan Ashrawi, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Initiative for Global Dialogue and Democracy; Governor Jaime Lerner of the State of Paraná, Brazil; and Hanna Suchocka, Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Poland

The Conference also featured five panel discussions which included high- level government and United Nations officials and representatives of civil society, including NGOs, the private sector, academia and the media.

Conference Work Programme

The fifty-third annual Department of Public Information (DPI)/Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) Conference is expected to conclude its session this afternoon with a panel discussion on the theme “An Economic Vision That Works: A Dialogue”. Panellists will discuss options for economic initiatives to be undertaken at the local, national, regional and international levels to reorient economic policies for equitable sustainable development. They will also explore methods to address the seemingly unbridgeable gap between the North and the South, and management of undesirable elements of globalization.

Later in the afternoon, Conference participants will hear addresses on new responsibilities for civil society.

Panellists will include: Carlos Fortin, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Khadija Haq, President, Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre; and Arthur Mbanefo, Chairman, “Group of 77” developing countries and China. Jacqueline Grapin, President, European Institute, will be the moderator.

Addresses will also be made by Kensaku Hogen, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, who will chair the latter segment of the afternoon session; Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of Algeria; Malia Craver, Kupuna for Queen Lili’uokalani Children’s Center; and Ralph Nader, Public Citizen.

Statements

Jacqueline Grapin, President, European Institute and panel moderator, said that a discussion had to take place that addressed a viable economic vision. It was important to establish a dialogue and come up with interesting ideas. While not everyone agreed on the causes, the facts were well known.

Half of the world’s people lived on less than two dollars a day. The gap in per capita income between the richest fifth and the poorest fifth had widened tremendously over the past decade. Today, 1 billion people were chronically hungry. Furthermore, the illiteracy rate in developing countries included over half the population. The world population would almost double by 2050. It was clear that the current system did not allow for such a population to live without increasing problems.

Thus far, poverty had not been eradicated. A new model of development had to be devised to address the problem. It was important to note that there was also considerable poverty within the rich countries themselves. For example, in the United States, 17 per cent of the population lived below the poverty line. The challenge was to learn how to deal with that new reality -- and institutions, governments, NGOs and individuals were now taking a new look at the situation.

As a result, new questions were emerging. What should be the role of the State? How did we reward good governance? How did we expand the effort of NGOs and other civil institutions? How did we expand micro-finance to empower millions of entrepreneurs, including women? How did we harness technology to reduce suffering and bridge the poverty gap? How did we enhance international exchange at every level, and what type of trade was most appropriate in the global economy? There were many questions. Ms. Grapin hoped that some would be addressed today.

ARTHUR MBANEFO, Chairman, “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that during the past decades the international community had been engaged in soul- searching efforts on how to build a bridge between freedom from want and freedom from fear. The treaties and conventions of the 1990s had set acceptable standards of behaviour for governments and individuals. For instance, it was now known that poverty eradication should be the primary goal of all governments and NGOs, that violations of human rights were no longer to be tolerated, and that impunity must be abolished. Those instruments were mainly the products of civil society, but the goals for universal well-being were yet to be met. Poverty and disease were rife, and ignorance and superstition persisted.

He said that the people for whom the treaties and conventions were intended were yet to be reached. How then could governments and the United Nations be meaningful to those people? The governments of developing countries lacked the wherewithal to reach the masses, and most of the policy measures envisaged by the international community were predicated on outdated social and economic paradigms. As a result, the first urgent task facing the international community was to invent a new multilateral financial system to restore income and to build the capacity of millions -- any future economic framework must have a human face and must not ignore the mass population.

It could no longer be business as usual, when millions were excluded from the new economic policies. Furthermore, the goals set for the eradication of poverty would never be attained; migration to the North, and the subsequent brain drain, would continue; and strife and conflicts would be perpetuated. Developing countries wished to operate as any others in the evolving global economy, and they must be able to work as credible partners. That could be accomplished -- if those States were able to utilize their natural potential.

KHADIJA HAQ, President, Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre, said that economic growth was essential, but it must be achieved with a human face. Public policies to enhance the lives of all people missed the link between economic growth, the environment and society. That led to poverty and environmental degradation (among other negative outcomes) in developing countries. The challenge of reducing poverty remained the most daunting task of policy-makers, particularly in South Asia, and in spite of numerous efforts by governments and civil society, the situation was becoming worse. For example, India still had the world’s largest number of people living in poverty.

The United Nations had set a new time-bound target for poverty eradication by 2015, she continued, and, to achieve that end, focus should be placed on such factors as pro-poor growth and the reduction of unemployment. In addition, the promotion of economic growth must be integrated into all national development policies. The vast majority of the poor were still illiterate, had poor health, and had no sustainable income -- indicating that poverty reduction had not been enough of a priority.

She said that for the poor to experience the positive effects of globalization, governments in South Asia needed to work closely with civil society groups to establish sustainable economic policies and build the capabilities of people. One of the most critical links in that process was the expansion of employment opportunities. But globalization was having an opposite impact by opening job opportunities for highly skilled people in urban centres. Another link -- the achievement of gender equality -- should have three characteristics: regulations governing equality should be enshrined in States’ constitutions; women’s capabilities must be built; and economic opportunities provided through quotas.

CARLOS FORTIN, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said that his organization had made an effort to reach out to NGOs and civil society. He hoped that the kind of exchange the Conference was holding would continue to flourish.

Today, there were many underlying suspicions about globalization. One view was that globalization was an inevitable process and that nothing would change it. That was a serious misconception. In fact, in terms of globalization, there were two phenomena at work.

The first was a process of increased interaction across borders, specifically within the economic and information field. That was inevitable. The second was a process of policy making. That was not inevitable, but required choices and needed to be influenced. Policy making needed to be conducive to true human development, he said.

Both processes tended towards inequality and asymmetry. In the technological process, returns on sales were increasing. Those who had would have more. That problem needed to be addressed. As far as policy making was concerned, that was a power process at the global level. As a result, there was a tendency for the outcome to be biased towards the powerful.

The problem of asymmetry needed to be addressed. The international trade system had to take the developing world into consideration. On debt, there had to be a major move to help highly indebted countries. One solution was a massive increase in flows. If aid to Africa doubled over a period of many years, it would allow the countries of Africa to break out of the dependency trap. That was a substantial proposal, but it was the kind of bold thinking that needed to be discussed now.

All of those factors made it a difficult task to steer globalization. There was an agenda. It was ambitious and all of the stakeholders needed to be involved. But most importantly, the people of the United Nations had to be brought back into the decision-making process.

Questions and Answers

Could the panel give examples of principles and ideas that could be followed so NGOs could be more effective?

Mr. FORTIN, referring to the demonstrations at the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) Conference in Seattle, said the protests were ineffective because they occurred at a time when policies had already been set. Rather, they should have taken place in capitals, the seats of national governments, to force policy-makers to take note. Also, the only way to make the international economic system more viable, development-friendly and enduring was to enable global systems to respond to developing countries and their citizenry.

What steps could be taken to ensure that women and girls had more access to education? And what was the first priority in the eradication of poverty?

Ms. HAQ said there were a number of constraints in providing education to women and girls, and financial setbacks were more rife because certain governments had not given priority to girls’ education, resulting in the practice of gender discrimination.

She noted that the main priority for reducing poverty was the improvement of the employment situation and the earning capability of the poor. It should not be considered a social welfare issue, she said. As for increasing the productive capacity of the poor, governments should invest in areas where they lived. The poor should have a stake in economic development, she emphasized.

What was the role of the military in socio-economic analysis? How was military expenditure hindering the eradication of poverty?

Ms. HAQ responded that it was a waste for countries, particularly those in South Asia, to become involved in the nuclear race. Military expenditure should be diverted to human development.

Closing Statements

KENSAKU HOGEN, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said participants had been able to address a number of important issues, both in their substantive meetings and during their midday workshops, including the highly complex issue of the role of civil society in humanitarian intervention.

ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA, President of Algeria, said that in the past there were men and women who had been distressed at the plight of the wretched of the earth. But their voices were sparse and had been drowned out by the clamour of the rivalry between States. The rise of the civil movement had, however, broadened, revitalized, strengthened and solidified the framework for goodwill. The world was now in crucial need of new impetus, especially when unbridled materialism, strong technical progress and inequity were multiplying and aggravating the infringement of people’s rights.

He said NGOs were ethical dimensions representing the values of solidarity, which might be able to change the negative trends of globalization and the cult of profit. The present world order, replete with contradictions and inequalities, generated new dangers. Never before had there been such a great gap separating men from other men, rich from poor, and South from North. That gap was increasing. More and more, humans were suffering and dying from hunger and the lack of medical care. Hundreds of millions knew nothing about using a telephone, or even of its existence. While democracy was broadly advocated, it continued to regress in the international order. Another paradox was the alienating mechanism of the debt, whereby the poor were obliged to finance the rich. That particular world was one without regulations or corrective mechanism, and one that was being delivered into the hands of those who controlled market forces. Everywhere the right to education was touted, yet countries were everywhere being forced to curtail that right. States needed to obtain currency through exports, but were being constrained by external forces to reduce such efforts. Malnutrition, tension and conflict also siphoned off resources and provoked death and destruction.

In many areas, the voices and actions of NGOs stood out. The mistakes of the world were unacceptable, and silence was reprehensible. Non-governmental organizations had worked to spread the culture of peace, end apartheid, discrimination and landmines, and curb nuclear proliferation. In flashpoints like Rwanda and Kosovo they had renewed hope, reduced suffering and dispelled the cruel feeling of abandonment. The NGO entry into world affairs had shaken classic multilateral and government structures. Those organizations had pleaded for the settlement of debt in the third world. Such action had sparked responses, although at this stage they remained too slow and weak. Non-governmental organizations had been a true and powerful reality of the times, making a unique contribution to the building of a universal conscience free from manipulation.

Addressing the negatives aspects of NGOs, he pointed to their mistrust and hostility vis-à-vis States and their tendency to reduce the State’s role, especially in the countries of the third world. The obstacles to good governance in the South were not excesses of the State, but signs that it was often too weak. If the State was to withdraw, tragedy could ensue. Somalia and Sierra Leone were classic examples of the consequences of such abdication. Only a national sovereign State could represent the general interest in the face of a particular interest. Only a State could correct elitist mistakes. In his own country, some NGOs had even challenged the right of the State to maintain public order. Upon his inauguration as head of State, he had initiated a policy of civil concord based on understanding and a broad national reconciliation platform. He had also invited human rights organizations to come to Algeria and inform themselves of the reality.

Humanitarian action, however admirable, must be accompanied by strong mobilization to eliminate the signals of distress. Poverty and hunger must, therefore, not be acceptable facts. Economic and social rights, which were elementary, were ignored and flouted for millions of people and further aggravated by the globalization process. The countries of the South had welcomed the actions of certain NGOs at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle last November. He also saluted campaigns by NGOs in favour of debt relief in the developing countries. Such actions clearly strengthened the defence of human rights.

Humanitarian action, he said, addressed itself principally to the countries of the third world, which constituted the disinherited faction of mankind. “When we talk of utter poverty and human distress, how can we not think of Africa?” he asked. That continent had suffered through massacres, slavery, foreign domination and exploitation. The independence of many of its countries had often been achieved through blood. Africa, mutilated and ravaged throughout the centuries, had not benefited in any way from such experiences.

In closing, he offered Algeria as a location for future NGO conferences. The world, more than ever, needed NGO action, and it needed the dream of society with a human face, where fraternity and understanding among men would prevail.

MALIA CRAVER, Kupuna for Queen Lili’uokalani Children’s Center, stated that mankind’s existence depended on the harmony maintained through love, honour, respect and reverence for each other. Therefore, peace could be achieved if the desire existed to establish a loving relationship with family, neighbours, friends and enemies. The word aloha (love) meant that differences could be transferred to uniqueness. That meant that a person’s uniqueness could be felt and seen even through differences.

She said the ancestors of Hawaiians, a seafaring and spiritual people with a tradition of island living, travelled the Pacific with double-hulled canoes for thousands of miles, even when the rest of the world continued to believe that the world was flat. The unique island living and traditions had taught the importance and value of learning to get along with each other.

The world today was like an island, she said. Technology, air transportation and communication had brought the different cultures of the world to each other’s doorsteps. Mankind still faced the challenge of spreading love and lasting peace throughout the world -- but the beginning of that responsibility rested with individuals, not with the capitals of the world. Human relationships must be improved and people must feel the need to serve and give of themselves to help others.

RALPH NADER, Founder of Public Citizen, said there was too much concentration of power and wealth in too few hands. Governments did not recognize human rights and the concentration of solutions to global problems, technologies and propaganda remained in the hands of few. Consequently, focus should be placed on deconcentrating power and wealth, and on how freedom could be defined as participation by all in power sharing. The concept of the public citizen in contrast to the private citizen was a person who engaged in civil society with other citizen groups to confront injustice. The purpose of democracy was to deconcentrate power so that that power could liberate solutions.

He said that the multinational corporate powers, such as giant pharmaceutical companies, banks and other financial industries, used a new form of capitalism that created massive wealth and misdirected it so that a few controlled that wealth. The disparity evolved down to the local, national and regional levels.

The theory of democracy should be applied when building civic society, he said. Societies that had more justice needed less charity. The greatest advances in social justice resulted from civic actions. Leaving open options for revision in the light of new facts was an instrument of democracy. Education was another instrument that could be applied in forwarding the principles of civic action, beginning with teaching young children the skills of citizenship and the practice of democracy.

Addressing the issue of globalization, he said that corporate globalization was different from civic globalization. The difference was concentrated oligarchy versus deconcentrated initiatory democracy. Globalization put power in the hands of large corporations, which were merging into larger entities. Those powerful bodies confronted governments with ultimatums such as loss of access because of their debt problems.

The global corporation now posed the major threat to democratic processes in the world, he said. Corporate destruction was also long ranging and destructive to the environment. The extremism and radicalism of the commercial environmental ventures were proceeding at an accelerated rate as was technology whose ambition was to change the nature of nature. Those actions challenged the meanings of democracy, accountability and decision-making.

International trade agreements must also be renegotiated, he proposed. It must be ensured that health safety became insubordinate because of the dictates of international trade. Corporate globalization was destructive to childhood as it had become a homogenized mélange of pornography through advertisements and the sale of products. The world must declare itself in an emergency status, because it was currently spending billions of dollars on arms while watching thousands of children die each day from preventable causes.

He said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank were suffering from excessive hubris because they believed they could improve economic development by recognizing corporate entities and, at the same time, advance the interests of people. Furthermore, he asked, what was it about the media, conferences and academia that they did not advance the genius of indigenous cultures in finding fundamental solutions to the problems humanity faced?

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