SPEAKERS CALL FOR FURTHER ACTION TO SUPPORT AFRICAN-LED STRATEGIES FOR PEACE, DEVELOPMENT, OVERCOME DEADLY DISEASES, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONCLUDES DEBATE

Fifty-ninth General Assembly

Plenary

35^th Meeting (AM & PM)

SPEAKERS CALL FOR FURTHER ACTION TO SUPPORT AFRICAN-LED STRATEGIES FOR PEACE,

DEVELOPMENT, OVERCOME DEADLY DISEASES, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONCLUDES DEBATE

As the General Assembly concluded its joint debate on key African issues today, Cuba’s representative cautioned that as long as the current political and economic order continued, in which a few consumed almost everything and the majority of the world’s people were alienated from the so-called benefits of neo-liberal globalization, third world problems, especially those of African countries, would not be solved.

During the two-day debate, the Assembly heard from some 67 speakers on the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace in Africa; and the United Nations Decade to Roll Back Malaria.  There was an overwhelmingly positive response for burgeoning African-led strategies to reinvigorate and kick-start development, end conflicts and address their causes, and overcome deadly pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, which annually claimed the lives of millions.

The representative of Cuba went on to say that although a lot had been said about Africa’s current living standards and the accumulated needs of the region, current international economic relations had left the continent at a total disadvantage.  Inequality was the reason why that continent’s people –- 18.5 per cent of the world population with the greatest global natural resource reserves –- had a share of only 1 to 2 per cent of world trade.  In 2002, African nations received some $22 billion in official development assistance (ODA), while they paid some $39 billion in debt servicing.

Likewise, Ethiopia’s representative said Africa was the only continent where per capita food production had been steadily declining for nearly 40 years, leaving some 200 million people hungry.  In Ethiopia alone, some 7.8 million people needed food assistance.  He reminded the Assembly that its debate on Africa’s development followed the Secretary-General’s recent warning that, at the current pace, most of the continent might not achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  He urged partners to continue to strengthen support for Africa’s future, particularly for agricultural development and food security.

The continuing menace and destruction caused by malaria far exceeded that of HIV/AIDS, Djibouti’s representative said, noting that it killed more than one million people in Africa every year.  And that was despite the fact that malaria was treatable, preventable and curable.  Newer combination therapies and medicines were badly needed.  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was a major breakthrough, and held the potential for access to funds for malaria control, commensurate with need.  He added that major advances were possible in many nations by simply utilizing existing tools.

Acknowledging that the Global Fund was a useful mechanism that had enabled his country to subsidize impregnated mosquito nets and significantly reduce malarial infection, the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania said resources made available to the Fund so far lagged far behind the needs and challenges posed by malaria and HIV/AIDS.  He encouraged bold initiatives, spearheaded by the United Nations, in order to invest more resources for research in curative medicines and preventive vaccines for both HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Underscoring the inextricable link between peace and development, Zimbabwe’s representative said that, while the causes of conflict were multiple, poverty and marginalization remained the key issues.  No assessment of Africa’s situation could ignore the numerous conflicts that were mortgaging the country’s future growth and development.  The building of lasting peace was a long-term undertaking in which no effort must be spared if there was to be success.  The promotion of sustainable development in Africa would remain an illusion as long as conflict continued to ravage the continent.

Rwanda’s representative said the African Union had demonstrated that the continent’s leadership was resolved to equipping itself with the means to take a firm grip of the problems afflicting Africa.  Thus, the Peer Review Mechanism was important because it would enable self-evaluation by African countries, lessons sharing and the promotion of synergies.  It would also improve methods of governance and enhance communities.

Summing up the discussion, Assembly President Jean Ping (Gabon) said speakers had noted the favourable evolution of the peace and security situation in Africa throughout the past year, as well as cooperation on a shared security policy and ongoing efforts to organize a conference on the Great Lakes region.  On the Decade to Roll Back Malaria, he said many had recognized that diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria severely tested Africa’s health systems and put development at risk.  Africa’s development partners had reiterated their commitment to making sure the continent was better able to combat and overcome the ravages of infectious disease.

The representatives of Guinea, Republic of Korea, Congo, Guyana, Kuwait, Cape Verde, Mali, Myanmar, Pakistan, Côte d’Ivoire, Viet Nam, Ukraine, Comoros, Indonesia, Libya, Brazil, Niger, Grenada, Angola, Venezuela and Israel also made statements today, as did the Observers for the Holy See, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the International Organization of la Francophonie.

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 20 October, to consider matters related to the implementation of the recommendations of the Third United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III).

Background

The General Assembly met today to continue its joint debate on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa; and the United Nations Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa.  (For background, see Press Release GA/10279 issued on 18 October.)

Statements

ALPHA IBRAHIMA SOW (Guinea) said he was convinced that the implementation of the NEPAD was the solution to Africa’s problems, including armed conflict and disease.  Africa was responsible for its own development.  Guinea had established a national coordinating committee for the NEPAD, with representatives from ministries, civil society and the private sector.  His nation was at work, initiating projects and drafting policies.  It was Guinea’s objective to mainstream the NEPAD into the national policy plan.  He was convinced that the African Peer Review Mechanism would help identify areas which needed to be remedied and would be critical to attaining the Millennium Development Goals.

So much was at stake for Africa, he noted.  Therefore, it was necessary to act quickly to reverse current negative trends.  New relationships between Africa and its partners were essential, and the international community needed to shoulder some of the responsibility by providing economic resources, expertise and technology to implement the initiatives of the Partnership.  He welcomed South-South cooperation to make sure the NEPAD was a complete success, and commended initiatives taken by countries or regional groups to respond to Africa’s appeal. Likewise, he was encouraged by the measures taken by bilateral and multilateral partners to ease Africa’s debt.

Still, more was necessary, he said, appealing to partners to cancel the continent’s debt and increase effective aid for Africa, which could mobilize increased support.  It was necessary to promote integrated global development based on joint responsibility.  He was grateful to nations for their commitment, and advocated strengthened support from the United Nations for the Office of the Special Advisor to Africa.

KIM SAM-HOON (Republic of Korea) said he supported Africa’s ownership and leadership in implementing the NEPAD.  He noted with concern the assessment of the Secretary-General that progress had been modest and slow in democratic governance, administrative capacity, the independence of the judiciary, transparency and accountability.  His country’s development experience had taught it that international trade was an effective tool through which developing countries could develop their economies and integrate into the world economy.  However, in order for all countries, including those in Africa, to reap the full benefits of international trade, it was necessary to create a more liberalized and development-friendly multilateral trading system.  The successful completion of negotiations to fulfil the Doha development agenda and expanded market access for African products were essential.

It was also vital for developing countries to focus on enhancing their production capacities and human resources development, he said.  His country had invited 1,700 African trainees, ranging from government officials to academia, to study in various fields, including education, public administration, healthcare, water supply, agriculture and trade policies.  He also emphasized the need for further progress to solve the debt problems of the heavily indebted poor countries in Africa.  By exploring such options as debt restructuring and debt relief, the Republic of Korea believed that a final resolution could be achieved that would contribute to the sustained economic growth of those countries.

The partnership between African countries and development partners needed to be further strengthened in such a way that African countries could continue to maintain leadership and ownership of the implementation process, he added.  At the same time, development partners must better assist African countries by improving coherence in their trade, official development assistance (ODA) and debt policies.

BASILE IKOUEBE (Congo) said that during the periods under review in the reports before the Assembly, Africa had achieved notable progress in the areas of peace and security, as well as in socio-economic development.  As States took more and more responsibility for harnessing their own potential, African leaders had also pressed ahead with initiatives to maintain peace, promote cooperation and ensure the protection of natural resources, among other things.  In spite of myriad constraints, the NEPAD agenda was being implemented, he declared.  And while it would be difficult for many African countries to devote the requisite percentages of their budgetary resources to some of the NEPAD’s main concerns, encouraging steps had been taken to address many of the Partnership’s vital priority areas, including health, science and technology and developing sectoral policy frameworks.

He stressed that important steps had been taken in the area of agriculture, which had done much to protect and shore up food reserves continent-wide.  Many observers had noted varying degrees of growth throughout the continent, but in view of the persistence of a number of negative factors such as deepening poverty in some regions, the growth rate needed to be higher than 7 per cent in order to have any impact.  Turning to the efforts of the United Nations to support the Partnership, as well as wider development in Africa, he welcomed the appointment of Ibrahim Gambari, the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Africa.  He urged MemberStates and the Secretariat to ensure that the envoy’s Office continued to receive the requisite resources and support.  He also called for continued efforts to enhance the capacities of the United Nations family of agencies and funds so that they could step up their support of NEPAD.

GEORGE TALBOT (Guyana) said that his delegation was satisfied at the progress that had been made by African countries in developing policy frameworks, implementing specific programmes, and in establishing targets for expenditure on selected NEPAD sectoral priorities.  He also noted the launch of specific initiatives in areas such as infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, science and technology and industrialization, as well as further action to ensure the full and effective functioning of the African Peer Review Mechanism. Notwithstanding those encouraging developments, he was concerned that many challenges remained as African countries continued to struggle with heavy debt, which was a major drain on development potential; lack of resources to apply to development initiatives, and continued marginalization within the global marketplace.  Those obstacles not only posed problems for the NEPAD agenda, but also placed attainment of the Millennium Development Goals at risk.

With all that in mind, he welcomed the positive steps taken to ease Africa’s debt burden, including through, in some cases, outright debt cancellation.  He also welcomed recent increases in the ODA.  Nonetheless, it was clear that much more was required in those areas, as well as in the area of trade, if Africa was to achieve global development goals.  Guyana would, therefore, urge increased international support for the Partnership, and would call on development partners to increase the ODA and to take bolder measures to relieve Africa’s debt burden. Promoting South-South cooperation would also help push the NEPAD agenda forward, he added.  On peace and security matters, he hoped that the newly established African Peace and Security Council would play a pivotal role in the resolution of conflicts and disputes, as well as in the promotion of durable peace.  That was particularly important when, sadly, even though the number of conflicts had decreased significantly, some of the largest and richest African countries were still enmeshed in conflicts. The pursuit of development cannot, therefore, be separated from the continuing search for peace.

NABEELA ABDULLA AL-MULLA (Kuwait) said the items being discussed were linked to the interests of African States, with which her nation had historic links and a desire for mutual support on common issues.  Kuwait was engaged in economic initiatives in Africa.  She applauded the efforts of African nations to incorporate the NEPAD into national policies and development planning.  There were attempts to overcome the challenges facing Africa.  Among other things, 11 States had benefited from debt cancellation.  Kuwait was the first nation, before the establishment of the NEPAD, to seek to relieve the debt burden of African States. The Kuwaiti Fund had relieved the debt of 12 African States, through a re-scheduling of debt over 40 years, beginning with a grace period with low interest rates.  It was reviewing whether or not to do the same for others as well.

Kuwait had also provided development aid, equal to 8.3 per cent of its gross national product (GNP), she said.  It had also provided financial assistance to the African Development Fund and the African Development Bank.  In addition, $15 million was provided to the special programme to assist sub-Saharan Africa.  The Kuwaiti Development Fund had provided grants, totalling $220 million, and had also participated in a number of programmes, including one to combat river blindness.  Kuwait, through the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), had participated in development projects in numerous countries, including 46 African States.  She added that the NEPAD was an ongoing process and required long-term evaluation.  African nations and organizations needed to increase their efforts to make the Partnership a success.  Efforts must be made to help stabilize the continent, in order to encourage donors and the private sector.

MARIA DE FATIMA LIMA DA VEIGA (Cape Verde) said that Africans had a new and clear cut vision of their future, and were demonstrating assertiveness in its implementation.  Much progress had been achieved and Africa was afflicted by fewer conflicts today than at the time of the publication of the Secretary-General’s report in 1998.  The establishment of the African Peace and Security Council within the African Union had been a major step for the AU, enabling it to play an effective role in the management and resolution of conflicts.  She pointed to the positive outcome of the peace process in Somalia, which culminated with the inauguration of the country’s highest authorities last week.  Conflict and strife were among the first roadblocks to African development.

The main responsibility for peace rested with the African States, she said, but concerted efforts by the international community were still crucial to dealing with existing conflicts and new threats to political and social stability.  In that context, the partnership between the United Nations and the regional organizations had acquired a particular importance.  The creation of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa and the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on African Countries Emerging from Conflict had paved the way for a more comprehensive approach to address conflicts.  Also, the increase in the number of countries joining the African Peer Review Mechanism indicated the growing appeal of its voluntary approach and African ownership of the process.  The Mechanism was an instrument of accountability for good economic and political governance.

However, she noted, lack of resources was a constraint to addressing challenges such as capacity building and unemployment reduction, and combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  It was necessary to incorporate into the implementation of the NEPAD the special issues of island and landlocked nations.  Her nation, along with other African countries, had launched a think tank on that issue, and was pleased to note increasing awareness of the difficulties faced by such States.

CHEICK SIDI DIARRA (Mali) said African ownership of the NEPAD had made it possible to accommodate the needs of regional communities within a continental approach to development.  It had also driven public, private and civic partnership and cooperation for action.  The Partnership had grown over the past two years, and expenditure targets had been defined for important sectors, including science and technology industrialization, and health, among others.  To that end, he stressed the urgent need to strengthen national and regional programmes in the area of health in order to combat the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, which hit newborns particularly hard.

He welcomed the launching of the Roll Back Malaria Decade and praised its focus on treatment, as well as innovative ways to ensure the delivery of medicines.  All endeavours should aim at prevention through widespread use of mosquito nets and limited use of pesticides.  They should also focus on vaccination –- concentrating on mothers and infants -- and increased research and development, particularly to help fight strains of the disease that were harder to treat with traditional medications.  He urged the international community to work harder to eliminate taxes on mosquito nests and medicines.  He also called for increased support for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as relevant United Nations programmes.

In addition, he praised the perseverance of African heads of State and government in pushing forward the NEPAD agenda’s various objectives, particularly the African Peer Review Mechanism.  But he added that the programmes and plans could only be designed and executed with further commitment, particularly from the wider international community.  South-South cooperation could also help build capacities and establish partnerships, particularly between Africa and Asia.  He also praised the commitment of the United Nations system for the NEPAD. Nevertheless, it was still necessary to increase the ODA in order for Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Africa’s capacities also needed to be strengthened in the areas of trade negotiations and supply side management.  Partners could also help create conditions conducive to investment.  Finally, he felt that the reports did not do enough to highlight the potential of the African Diaspora in achieving the NEPAD goals.  Indeed, the expertise of that vast and talented group was necessary to continue designing innovative plans and programmes.  Ways must be found to involve those intellectuals that had left Africa en masse, but who generated some $80 billion in 2003.

U AYE (Myanmar) said commitments by countries in Africa to the NEPAD were unequivocal.  More African countries were joining a voluntary process of self-assessment to identify and apply best practices in political and economic governance, through the African Peer Review Mechanism.  However, Africa still needed more aid, debt relief, foreign investment and further help in trade to implement the NEPAD.  Peace and stability were prerequisites for economic development in Africa.  Yet some ongoing issues in Africa had demonstrated that more efforts were needed to achieve peace and stability.

One of the greatest threats challenging African nations, he said, was the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS.  He called for the successful implementation of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “3 by 5” plan, which aimed to put three million people into treatment by the end of the year 2005, and also for the availability of affordable drugs in the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa.  The United Nations agencies and the international community must redouble their efforts to achieve the aims of the United Nations Decade to Roll Back Malaria.  He firmly believed that South-South cooperation would supplement the international community’s efforts to assist African development.  If Member States were not aggressive enough to tackle problems in Africa, it would affect lives everywhere.  He called for a sustained momentum to implement the NEPAD to the fullest extent possible and to enhance international cooperation to help achieve the aspirations of the African people.

MUZAFFAR HUSSAIN SHAH (Pakistan) said that while there had been some impressive achievements in Africa, new conflicts and complex crises continued to afflict the continent.  Risks of relapse into conflict were real, and new trends and sources of conflict presented potential threats to peace and security. Africa’s potential could not be fully realized as long as conflict raged in the continent.  He was convinced that sustainable peace could only be assured by evolving a comprehensive conflict prevention strategy; addressing the root causes of conflict, strengthening long-term capacities for peaceful settlement of disputes, and mobilizing resources for post-conflict peacebuilding, reconstruction and development.  The United Nations system and the international community must work together to evolve a comprehensive, integrated and coherent policy response.

The progress made in implementing the NEPAD was unmistakable, but, unfortunately, it was still far below the real potential of the Partnership, which faced several constraints in the effective execution of its programmes, he stated.  Foremost among those constraints was the serious inadequacy of fiscal resources to meet the targets and the needs.  There was overwhelming evidence suggesting that the Millennium Goals would remain largely elusive for Africa unless something was done to substantially enhance the existing development assistance flows to generate the resources required for achieving the Goals.  Africa’s inability to realize the Goals would also be seen as a failure of the NEPAD.  The issue of resource flows had to be addressed effectively and expeditiously with the support and assistance of the international community, and the granting of debt relief needed to be further expanded to cover other countries in Africa that were in financial distress.  Pakistan strongly felt that bolstering investments, expanding trade by allowing greater market access to exports from Africa, and building capacity and human resources were the most important tools to put Africa on the fast development track.

PHILIPPE DJANGONE-BI (Côte d’Ivoire) said that, as far as Africa was concerned, the NEPAD was a crucial instrument for all development strategies.  But while the recent report of the Secretary-General had noted considerable progress, there were also obstacles, including pandemics such as malaria, which was as devastating as HIV/AIDS.  Hopefully, the resources being made available through the Global Fund would help stem the current spread of that disease.

The newly created African Peer Review Mechanism firmly rooted the NEPAD in both local and regional government and contributed to its transparency, he said.  Subregional dimensions had also been taken into account as part of strategies.  While African countries had to contribute substantially to the NEPAD, the support of the international community was also crucial.  Only 5 per cent of global official development assistance was earmarked for Africa, while only 1 per cent out of that five was for sub-Saharan African countries.  He warned that all efforts towards African development would fail because of the prevalence of conflicts.  Therefore, he fully supported the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stabilization plan.  He appealed for more international solidarity and good governance in Africa so that the NEPAD would be successful.

RODNEY LOPEZ CLEMENTE (Cuba) said a lot had been said about Africa’s current living standards and the accumulated needs of the region, after centuries of exploitation and plundering.  As long as the current political and economic order continued, whereby a few consumed almost everything and the majority of the world’s people was alienated from the so-called benefits of neo-liberal globalization, Third World problems, especially those of African countries, would not be solved.  Current international economic relations had left Africa at a total disadvantage.  Enormous inequality was the reason why that continent’s people –- some 18.5 per cent of the world’s population and in possession of the greatest global natural resource reserves –- had a share of only 1 to 2 per cent of world trade.  In 2002, African nations received some $22 billion in the ODA, while they paid some $39 billion in debt servicing.

Along with the socio-economic situation, he said the heritage of colonialism continued to be a force.  More armed conflicts were taking place in Africa than in any other region -- an additional hindrance to achieving the Millennium Goals.  Africans needed the international community’s support.  The continent, for example, currently spent four times more on debt service repayment than on education and healthcare together.  International cooperation should aim at increased access to markets, stability in commodity prices, total and immediate debt cancellation, access to technologies and substantive increases in the ODA.

His country had offered its solidarity and cooperation to African countries in the areas of healthcare, education, sports, agriculture, fishery, construction, water resources and physical planning.  Between 1963 and 2003, some 86,395 Cubans had offered their services to 38 African countries.  By mid-2004, some 2,400 of his countrymen were assisting 29 of that continent’s countries.  All of that was done despite his country’s scarce resources, as a result of the imposition of a strict economic, commercial and financial embargo for more than four decades.  He added that Africa deserved respect and solidarity and not more foreign recipes to attain development.

LE LUONG MINH (Viet Nam) said that African countries had achieved progress in developing sectoral policy frameworks, implementing specific programmes and projects, and establishing targets for expenditure on selected priorities of the New Partnership.  After decades of prolonged tension and hostilities, Africa was moving forward on its development.  Mutual support in their struggles for independence and freedom had brought the Vietnamese people close to the peoples of Africa.  While African countries were trying to maintain and build on the initial and modest progress they had recorded in implementing the NEPAD and the Millennium Goals, the challenges and constraints they faced would make their tasks more difficult, if not effectively addressed.  In addition to assistance from developed countries, South-South cooperation was necessary for African countries in implementing the NEPAD.  The forthcoming Asia-Africa business forum and the Asian-African Summit were meaningful initiatives in that direction.

He said that the Secretary-General had rightly said that the United Nations had a key role to play in mobilizing support for the NEPAD.  He welcomed and highly appreciated the efforts of the United Nations and other related agencies in that connection, and hoped that the advisory panel set up by the Secretary-General would be successful in its dialogues with Africa’s development partners, with a view to promoting support for the NEPAD.  African countries had great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, including agriculture, health, education, trade and investment.  Over the past years, despite limited resources, Viet Nam had endeavoured to promote multi-faceted cooperation with African countries, and now looked forward to contributing to the implementation of the NEPAD.

ROBLE OLHAYE (Djibouti) said the breadth of the NEPAD’s plans, as well as the implicit coordination and commitment that would be necessary, were clear indicators of Africa’s seriousness of purpose.  Yet, the continent would continue to lag behind in its potential if it did not make strides in coming together as a whole.  A distinct feature of the NEPAD was the combination of the presentation of policy frameworks on specific issues with the implementation of programmes and projects in the sectoral priority areas.  The constraints faced by African nations only exacerbated their dire situation.  Any discussion of the NEPAD should include the continuing threat of poverty in the continent.

The continuing menace and destruction caused by malaria far exceeded that of HIV/AIDS, he said, adding that the disease killed more than 1 million people every year.  The Secretary-General had urged all African nations to implement the Abuja recommendations to waive taxes and tariffs on bed nets and netting materials that prevented infection.  In addition, the recommendations called for an increase in domestic resource allocation to malaria control.  Newer combination therapies and medicines were badly needed. It was important to note the promising results of a new malaria vaccine that was now in clinical trials with children in Mozambique.  The Global Fund was a major breakthrough, and held the potential of access to funds for malaria control, commensurate with need.  Malaria was treatable, preventable and curable, and that could be seen in the zero to low levels of incidence in many parts of the world.  Major advances were possible in many nations by simply utilizing existing tools.

VICTOR KRYZHANIVSKY (Ukraine) said advancement in the implementation of the NEPAD, in particular in establishing its sectoral policy frameworks, was complemented by the institutional strengthening of the continent, namely in the creation of the Pan-African Parliament and the African Peace and Security Council. The commitment of African nations to the principles of ownership, leadership and responsibility, were steadily being translated into reality in the economic, political and security areas.  Of particular importance was the progress in moving the African Peer Review Mechanism process forward.  The implementation of that innovative feature would help African nations reach higher economic and political standards through a transparent system of self-monitoring.

There was no doubt that international support was vital for the NEPAD’s success, he said, and welcomed the growing number of international initiatives aimed at assisting the continent.  The United Nations had a particular role to play by coordinating global advocacy and mobilizing international support.  That demanded strengthening collaboration and coordination among the various United Nations components.  He supported the principles and objectives of the Partnership and closely followed the process of its implementation.  It was ready to participate in the realization of programmes and projects in priority areas such as infrastructure, industrialization, energy, transport, agriculture and education.

Sustainable development was unimaginable without the consolidation of peace and security, he added.  Despite significant achievements, conflicts still constituted one of the major impediments to the renaissance of the continent.  More and more responsibility for resolving conflicts was being shouldered by Africans themselves, through the expertise and potential of the African Union, the ECOWAS, the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and other regional organizations.  That had proved to be the most effective way to peace.

FESSEHA TESFU (Ethiopia) said that major steps had been taken under the New Partnership at national and regional levels.  With regard to agricultural development, the Partnership’s central focus area, bankable projects had been prepared in more than 30 countries.  Initial steps had been taken to develop a tracking mechanism to monitor the commitment of African governments to allocating 10 per cent of their national budgets to agriculture.  For its part, Ethiopia was undertaking a food security strategy based on agricultural development-led industrialization.  It was also making progress in establishing good political and economic governance.  In the area of infrastructure, progress had been made towards the implementation of a number of high priority projects crucial to the effort to spread economic integration throughout the continent and to strengthen Africa’s competitiveness in the world market.

Nevertheless, he reminded the Assembly that its debate on Africa’s development was taking place following the Secretary-General’s recent warning that, at the current pace, most of the continent might not achieve the Millennium Goals by 2015.  Therefore, he encouraged partners to continue to strengthen support for efforts to ensure Africa’s future, particularly towards agricultural development and food security.  Africa was the only continent where per capita food production had been steadily declining for nearly 40 years, leaving some 200 million people hungry.  In Ethiopia alone, some 7.8 million people needed food assistance.

Partners should also strengthen their support for improved market access combined with the removal of supply-side constraints, he added.  In addition, he called for more assistance to help African countries fight communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.  Ethiopia had reduced taxes levied on mosquito nets and had increased its budget to combat malaria from $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

STANISLAS KAMANZI (Rwanda) said Africa had endured a multiplicity of unspeakable ordeals -- from conflicts, genocide and colonialism to pandemics such as malaria and HIV/AIDS.  Development had now become a priority for most countries on the continent and that had been made evident by the policies to spur economic growth in Africa.  The NEPAD had demonstrated the firm resolve of Africans to take charge of their own destiny, with priorities articulated by the beneficiaries themselves.  Many countries in the region had expressed support for development plans drawn in the context of the NEPAD.  Significant steps had been taken to define the principles underpinning priority development programmes and the prerequisites to achieve them.  What was needed now was implementation.

He said that most development programmes under the NEPAD fell within the framework of achieving the Millennium Goals.  Their execution was, therefore, subject to the commitments undertaken by implementing partners from developing and developed countries.  Developed countries felt their developing counterparts had not done enough to create better socio-economic conditions, while developing countries felt that the time was now right for investment.  The African Union had demonstrated that Africa’s leadership was resolved to equipping itself with the means to take a firm grip of the problems afflicting the continent.  The African Peer Review Mechanism was important because it would enable self-evaluation by African countries, lessons sharing and the promotion of synergies.  It would also improve methods of governance and enhance communities.  Rwanda, he said, was one of the first to support that Mechanism.

MAHMOUD ABOUD (Comoros) said that, owing to his own country’s difficult past, he welcomed all efforts to ensure a favourable environment for the harmonious development of Africa.  The Comoros had been marked by many events including separatist-led coups, which had negatively affected the country’s development efforts. He went on to describe events that had led to widespread unrest, and said that civil war had been spared in 1999, with the intervention of the National Development Army.  Although the circumstances of that intervention had not been ideal, it had led to the first real talks between the separatist movement and the Government, which in turn had led to a new constitution and broad autonomy for the island.  It had been against such a backdrop that the Comoros had tried to ensure socio-economic stability and advancement.

He said that malaria was another hindrance to development, and called on the international community to mobilize the necessary resources to combat that disease, as well as the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  On the NEPAD -- a strategy developed for Africa, by Africa -- he noted that progress had been made in several crucial priority sectors.  Nevertheless, African countries needed international support to fully meet the objectives of the NEPAD agenda.  He also called for such support during the upcoming round of peace and development talks on the Comoros.

REZLAN ISHAR JENIE (Indonesia) said the NEPAD was a pledge by African leaders, based on a common vision and a firm conviction, to eradicate poverty and to place their nations on a path to sustainable growth and development.  He noted progress made in developing sectoral policy frameworks, in the implementation of specific programmes and projects, and in the earmarking of financial resources to selected NEPAD priorities.  Much progress had also been made in moving the African Peer Review Mechanism process forward.  Addressing challenges, however, required a far greater and integrated response from both African governments and the international community.

He believed that the United Nations played a key role in mobilizing international support for the NEPAD.  Particularly encouraging were the contributions currently being made by the Organization to ensure the success of the initiative, including in the areas of conflict resolution and sustainable development.  By placing the NEPAD within the framework of the Millennium Goals, the United Nations was making available a wide range of expertise and support to facilitate the achievements of the NEPAD’s objectives.  South-South cooperation was an important complement to international development cooperation.  Cooperation between African nations and Indonesia had been established under the framework of technical cooperation among developing nations.

In that spirit of cooperation, he said, the Governments of Indonesia and South Africa had initiated the convening of the Asia Africa Subregional Organizations Conference.  Also, a New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) was being established to achieve a better future for countries on both the African and Asian continents.  The Partnership enabled the nations of the two continents to unite and make use of the world’s largest pool of natural resources, as well as engage all regional stakeholders in a concerted effort to achieve peace, stability and prosperity.

FATEH B.A. BSHAINA (Libya) said that while the implementation of the Partnership’s goals was in the hands of Africans, international support was crucial.  Therefore, he appealed to the United Nations and the international community to work for the attainment of the Partnership’s objectives, namely through increasing resources and the ODA; reducing the debt burden; allowing access to global trade markets; and helping to strengthen human resources, particularly in health, education and other areas that contributed to economic development.

He underscored that the NEPAD’s partners must respect the will and culture of Africa.  They must appreciate that the continent’s development was a historic process in which they could not take the initiative.  He also called for the strengthening of peace and stability.  Moving on to what he called more critical issues, he said priority must be given to water, its uses and the resources for it, and by extension to agriculture.  He also called for the elimination of restrictions on all technologies.

He said the African tragedy over the past hundreds of years, including the looting of resources, all had to be taken into account.  The NEPAD’s international partners should invest in African societies, which would be beneficial as it would limit migration.  Investing in development projects would help stem the exodus of populations, he said, drawing attention to the serious problem of brain drain in Africa.  Providing favourable conditions so that such people could perform the roles for which they were trained would help forestall untold losses.

RONALDO MOTA SARDENBERG (Brazil) said progress had been achieved both in the implementation of the NEPAD and in the promotion of peace in Africa.  As many delegations had already stressed, there were now fewer countries in Africa under civil strife or in conflict.  That welcoming development, nonetheless, took place amidst the perseverance of several situations of instability that needed to be addressed by means of conflict prevention or peace-building mechanisms, oriented to the root causes of conflicts.  For peace and democracy to be sustained, democratic governments needed to be able to deliver to the high expectations and demands of their people.  Democracy and development went hand-in-hand, and the NEPAD was the framework to provide them with a boost.  The international community, and Africans themselves, were fully aware of their best practices and specific hindrances. Economic and social management policies had to be developed in accordance with each nation and each circumstance.

Despite the laudable efforts of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Guinea-Bissau, recent developments in that nation showed that the resurgence of instability could not be avoided, he said.  Brazil regretted that the response of the international community to the many steps taken by the Guinean authorities towards democracy was not enough.  As mentioned yesterday, the India-Brazil-South Africa Initiative (IBAS) had selected Guinea-Bissau as the first beneficiary of a programme of cooperation undertaken by the three nations.  Without international support, Guinea Bissau might not be able to surmount current constraints and advance towards democracy and peace.

Brazil was launching programmes in Africa that were linked to the priorities selected under the NEPAD, he said.  Literacy and education; health, particularly HIV/AIDS prevention; job creation; and agriculture were some of the areas covered by bilateral and multilateral programmes of cooperation.  By forging strong alliances with African countries in the areas of market access and drug licenses, among other things, Brazil was assisting African efforts towards the implementation of the NEPAD.  He insisted on the need for a free and more equitable multilateral trade system to generate jobs and wealth, which were essential for the development of nations.

OUSMANE MOUTARI (Niger) said he joined others in expressing encouragement for the efforts made on the part of African countries to implement the objectives of the NEPAD agenda, prevent conflicts and promote peace, and to fight against the spread of deadly diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.  He was also pleased with efforts underway in the United Nations system to support Africa’s sustainable development, and called for those efforts to continue apace and with requisite support.  The international community must support efforts underway to end conflict and calm tensions in Africa’s remaining hotspots.  Noting specifically the situation in the Sudan’s Darfur region, he urged the international community to come together to ensure the vulnerable populations in that region received the humanitarian assistance they needed.  He warned the Assembly not to forget the needs of Chad, whose enormous sacrifices many often ignored, as it bore the burden of hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees.

He went on to call for enhanced support for the NEPAD agenda through the promotion of partnerships and cooperation.  Such cooperation with developed countries could lead to more targeted resource allocations for the NEPAD’s objectives.  At the same time, it was necessary to explore broader and more innovative forms of South-South cooperation, particularly in areas such as education, water and sanitation, and agriculture.  He praised the support his country had received from countries like China, which showed that South-South cooperation needed to be regularized and put in the service of the Partnership. Another sector that could give impetus to the full implementation of the NEPAD agenda was the African Diaspora, whose expertise must be mobilized.  He added that development partners must create an environment that was conducive to the growth and development of Africa, particularly in areas such as trade, market access and debt relief.

LAMUEL A. STANISLAUS (Grenada) said the primary ownership of the NEPAD was vested in Africa.  The developed partners, especially those nations that had a historical and economic involvement in Africa, must now “come to the plate and bat” for the development of the continent.  He said peace and security were vital to Africa’s development, and Africa shouldered the responsibility for assuring that the causes of conflict were mitigated.  The Peer Review Mechanism afforded the best hope for achieving that goal by ensuring that a culture of prevention took precedence over a culture of reaction.  Improved coordination and collaboration among United Nations organs and agencies were indispensable to the NEPAD’s success, and, most importantly, the Millennium Development Goals could serve as the blueprint for Africa’s development.

Grenada could envision Africa as the breadbasket of the world if its potential was developed and utilized properly, he said, adding that the continent geographical position was the most centrally located of all the continents.  His nation was excited about the success of the Partnership, and even with Grenada’s limited resources, it pledged support for the NEPAD in whatever way possible.  He suggested that the time had come for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to forge a loose structural arrangement at the United Nations with the African Group, with whom it had so much in common.

AUGUSTINE MAHIGA (United Republic of Tanzania) said his country had prepared priority programmes for the promotion and implementation of the NEPAD agenda.  The Partnership’s policies had been integrated in national policies and the development framework.  Consistent with Tanzania’s domestic reforms to institutionalize democracy, good governance, transparency and accountability, his country had joined the African Peer Review Mechanism in July.  Also, Tanzania had integrated the Millennium Goals at the national level along with the NEPAD programmes for poverty eradication and for tackling HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Malaria, he continued, was the leading cause of death in his country and took more lives than HIV/AIDS.  The combination of malaria and tuberculosis was lethal and ought to be attacked in an integrated manner by governments, NGOs and the private sector.  Tanzania had been at the forefront of the war against malaria and had received support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  The Fund had enabled his country to subsidize impregnated mosquito nets which significantly reduced malarial infection.  “However, we have learned that all these efforts will only succeed if the people avail themselves of these opportunities and the international community redoubles its efforts to assist malaria-infected countries such as Tanzania”, he said.

He added that while the Global Fund was a useful mechanism, the resources made available to it so far lagged far behind the needs and challenges posed by malaria and HIV/AIDS.  He encouraged bold initiatives, spearheaded by the United Nations, in order to invest more resources for research in curative medicines and preventive vaccines for both HIV/AIDS and malaria.

ISMAEL GASPAR MARTINS (Angola) said a strengthened partnership with the international community was needed to give the NEPAD a major impetus. And no one should forget that the NEPAD’s goals and objectives mirrored many of those set out in the Millennium Declaration.  And while much of the responsibility to meet those objectives rested with African States, development partners needed to give practical expression to their support for Africa.  To that end, he had been pleased to hear yesterday that the European Union was on track to increase the ODA to 0.39 per cent in 2006.

Turning to initiatives underway in his own country, he said Angola had adopted its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper aimed at improving the macro-economic framework, as well as structural and social policies to foster growth and reduce poverty.  Angola’s Ministry of Planning was the focal point for the implementation of national NEPAD objectives, and was sparing no effort to honour its responsibilities when it came to taking action in that regard.  Angola stood ready to continue its participation in regional and subregional programmes aimed at enhancing the capacity of African countries to better respond to the challenges of the Partnership, particularly in fostering peace, security and economic growth on the continent.

He went on to commend African countries and regional organizations for their efforts to deal with the scourge of conflicts and in promoting peace and brokering peace agreements.  And while the report before the Assembly noted the significant reduction of conflict, he warned that remaining hotspots and sources of tension required close attention.  Angola agreed that special attention should also be given to the potential sources of conflicts, and concurred that there was a need to address the challenges faced by the continent’s youth in order to prevent new conflicts and setbacks in countries where war had ended.

FERMIN TORO JIMENEZ (Venezuela), recognizing the efforts of the African Union for peace and security in Africa, reaffirmed multilateralism as the only means to tackling challenges to overcome poverty and hunger.  Those challenges could not be resolved unilaterally by international organizations and powerful States that obeyed their own economic and political interest, thus disregarding millions of people living in extreme poverty.  Peace in Africa, he said, was threatened by the participation of State and non-State agents, and individual nations in the service of armed traffickers in countries in the North.  He appealed for the adoption of measures to eradicate arms trading.  The African Union had set an example in its decision to confront the problems in its region.

Venezuela was firm in its support to eradicate hunger and poverty and in the creation of the sustainable development of peoples, he said.  It offered its cooperation and assistance in programmes aimed at facilitating the improvement of the economic and social conditions of Africa.  At Monterrey, his nation had proposed the establishment of an international humanitarian fund, and, this year, it had contributed seed capital in the amount of $30 million for Africa and other Latin American and Caribbean nations.  That was intended to make up for short falls that poor nations could not solve on their own.

BONIFACE G. CHIDYAUSIKU (Zimbabwe) said that, despite progress by African countries in several areas in the implementation of the NEPAD in the past year, he agreed with the Secretary-General that international support should entail more aid, debt relief, foreign investment and trade opportunities.  Also, international support should involve greater consistency in external policies, so that advances on one front were not undercut by lags in another.  International action was too dissipated and there was a need for better coherence.  There was also an urgent need to bridge the gap between political undertaking and development financing.

Africa should not rely on the ODA alone, he continued.  Improved market access for the continent’s agricultural and non-agricultural goods was the key to its ability to finance development.  Developed countries should, therefore, phase out subsidies on agricultural products and remove trade barriers for African exports.  In particular, they should remove non-tariff barriers to products of interest to African countries.  What Africa needed today was not a diagnosis of the causes of underdevelopment or prescriptive advice, but a strong helping hand from the international community to ensure the NEPAD’s success.

Turning to the issue of conflict, he underscored the inextricable link between peace and development.  And while the causes of conflict were multiple, poverty and marginalization remained the key issues.  The complexity of conflicts in Africa warranted the involvement of a number of players in their resolution, including regional and subregional organizations.  No assessment of Africa’s situation could ignore the numerous conflicts that were mortgaging the country’s future growth and development.  The building of lasting peace was a long-term undertaking in which no effort must be spared if there was to be success.  The promotion of sustainable development in Africa would remain an illusion as long as conflict continued to ravage the continent.

He added that African countries had established the Peace and Security Council as a mechanism to prevent, manage and solve conflicts on the continent.  He called for the establishment of a strategic partnership between the United Nations Security Council, the African Union and the African Peace and Security Council to ensure efforts complemented each other.

CHAIM SHACHAM (Israel) reiterated his strong support for the actions taken by the African Union to allow the continent to rise above its difficult past.  The African–led, -owned, and -managed initiatives provided sharp examples of how countries could harness their potential to pursue development.  The progress made in the water and sanitation sector was particularly important, as that could only serve to protect the continent’s vulnerable health situation, as well as help to nourish its population.  He also commended the progress made in moving the African Peer Review Mechanism process forward.  The fact that the number of nations that had signed on to the Mechanism had now risen to 23 highlighted the fact that efforts were paying off.  It also meant that African nations had a real desire to realize the potential of the NEPAD, by acting on its promises, including good governance, democracy, peace and security and human rights.

It was through science and technology, another NEPAD priority area, that nations could improve their standards of living, he said.  And it was through education and training that that was possible at all.  Israel had built development partnerships with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, exchanging and providing information and know-how with regard to food security, women’s empowerment, education and health.  The MASHAV programme, with its basic orientation rooted in Israel’s own development experience, carried on that tradition.  In 2003, trainees from more than 30 African nations came to Israel to gain new skills to take back to their nations.  In addition, Israel held “on-the-spot” courses in 14 different African countries in such fields as agriculture, community development, and medicine and public health.

In the past year, he continued, trauma and emergency units constructed by MASHAV in Ghana became fully operational and local staff were trained in the maintenance and operation of those facilities.  Israel was committed to working with the international community to continue to aid in the success of the NEPAD and to overcome its challenges.  In that connection, his country had already forgiven the debt of a number of African nations and additional debt relief to additional States was expected in the near future.  

Archbishop CELESTINO MIGLIORE, Observer of the Holy See, said it was the duty of the international community, particularly the more powerful countries, to redress the economic imbalances that penalized Africa and to help it resolve its regional and national conflicts, beyond the mere discussion of their causes.  And while those conflicts were well known, the reasons for them were complex and the actors and motives behind them were due not only to AfricanStates or factions, but were also found beyond Africa and its interests.  The Holy See recognized, nevertheless, that in terms of peace-building, security and prevention of conflicts, Africa was doing more and more, despite the many adversities it faced and the lack of means to overcome them.

At the national level, he said Africa could boast many examples of good governance, rule of law and the fight against corruption under the recently established African Peer Review Mechanism.  Parallel to promoting regional cooperation for peace, that Mechanism could play a helpful role in promoting sound national policies and practices.  Turning to specific issues that needed more concerted action, he noted the management of natural resources, which should be considered a source of concern for the wider international community, as well as Africa.  As conflicts came to an end, the durability of peace in many cases would depend on the capacity of governments to take control of their natural resources and to manage the possible wealth they could generate in a transparent manner and for the benefit of the people of their countries.  He added that much still had to be done to rebuild trust among the continent’s many ethnic groups so that a new framework of solidarity could pave the way to development.

K. BHAGWAT-SINGH, Observer of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), said that in order to fulfil its vision, the NEPAD had outlined and developed several action plans, especially in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure and environment. The Environment Action Plan of the environment initiative of the NEPAD was a comprehensive plan that sought to address the environmental challenges currently facing the continent, while combating poverty.  The IUCN was keen to support the NEPAD, especially through that plan at regional and subregional levels.  He urged continued support and encouragement, particularly to the NEPAD’s Secretariat, which was facilitating the partnership for sustainable development across Africa but was currently overstretched.

The IUCN also supported the concept of subregional environment action plans as sensible mechanisms to foster sustainable development through environmental awareness and action.  He hoped that the United Nations system would continue to support that process and raise awareness of its value through such agencies as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), especially through its regional office for Africa and the series of publications in the Africa Environment Outlook.  The IUCN would like to see more involvement of all African stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, and civil society, in the NEPAD’s implementation.  He also encouraged bilateral and multilateral aid agencies to further increase their support for NEPAD.

ENCHO GOSPODINOV, Observer of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said partnerships for development and for social and economic progress in Africa were very high priority for his delegation.  The IRFC wished to intensify its cooperative work with the United Nations family, the NEPAD and its processes, the African Union, and with other regional organizations. The work done in Africa in recent years, especially through the growth of the NEPAD and the creation of the African Union, demonstrated an African vitality, which the whole international community should welcome and support.

The IFRC intended to pursue vigorously partnership opportunities, which linked governments, agencies and others devoted to progress in the region, to the African National Societies and their community outreach structures.  His delegation intended to build those opportunities for results in the closest of cooperation with regional and subregional organizations.  Achievement would depend on the degree to which communities and the vulnerable people themselves were brought into the design and implementation of programmes.  The IFRC stood ready to play its part, both globally and locally, and would continue to develop the African priorities identified in Ouagadougou and taken forward in Algiers.

RIDHA BOUABID, Observer of the International Organization of la Francophonie, said his organization was a partner in the implementation of the NEPAD.  He noted that information technology was an essential tool in that regard, and his organization was working to reduce the digital divide, which put Africans in an unfavourable situation.  Ownership of information technology would make the people of Africa part of development policies.  The development of new technology was crucial for integration in the global economy.  In addition, his organization would work to strengthen the education and skills of African members.

Culture was also an important field, he noted, adding that one of the initiatives of the NEPAD was to foster tourism.  The market for the arts was also critical and there were programmes in place to support those, including some relating to African cinema.  The goal of the NEPAD was sustainable development and his organization would hold its tenth annual summit in Burkina Faso to discuss development issues.  The first meeting of the Partnership for Africa in 2003 demonstrated the determination of the international community to shoulder its responsibility for the implementation of the NEPAD.  Yet, a lot remained to be done to support the NEPAD, including the creation of an enabling environment, and support for investment.  The Peer Review Mechanism had proven the commitment of African nations to succeed.

His organization was committed to peace, the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts and the strengthening of democracy, he added.  It would continue to promote synergies with international partners, in particular the African Union and the United Nations.  It would also organize a new dialogue to promote early warning as the best way to prevent conflict.  He appealed for a stronger, more lasting commitment for the development of Africa.  The international community was witnessing an important period in the history of the continent.  The NEPAD could not succeed without international support, and his organization would make its expertise available to it.

Wrapping up the joint debate, Assembly President JEAN PING (Gabon) said that 67 speakers had taken the floor, expressing support for the NEPAD agenda and the will of Africans to take charge of their future.  Many delegations emphasized its importance as a framework for Africa’s renewal, growth and development in areas such as good governance, the promotion of peace and enhancements in administration and regional cooperation.  They also noted the importance of the African Peer Review Mechanism, he added.  Many drew attention to the importance of South-South cooperation in implementing the NEPAD agenda, and while they recognized that much remained to be done, Africa’s development partners pledged their continued support for the Partnership.

On matters related to ending conflict and maintaining peace, delegations noted the favourable evolution of the security situation throughout the past year, ongoing efforts to organize a conference on the Great Lakes and cooperation on a shared security policy.  Many speakers stressed the need to support the work of the African Union, and particularly its Peace and Security Council.  They also praised the work of Ibrahim Gambari, the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Africa, and expressed hope that his office would continue to receive the requisite support.

On the United Nations Roll Back Malaria Decade, he said speakers recognized that diseases such as HIV/AIDS, as well as malaria, severely put Africa’s health systems to the test, and also put development efforts at risk.  Here, Africa’s development partners reiterated their commitment to making sure the continent was made better able to combat and overcome the ravages of infectious disease.

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