INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY URGED TO BOOST AID TO LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, SMALL ISLAND STATES AS SECOND COMMITTEE ENDS GENERAL DEBATE

Fifty-ninth General Assembly

Second Committee

6^th & 7^th Meetings (AM & PM)

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY URGED TO BOOST AID TO LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES,

SMALL ISLAND STATES AS SECOND COMMITTEE ENDS GENERAL DEBATE

High Transport Costs, Lack of Sea Access,

Remoteness, Natural Disasters Blamed for Increasing Marginalization

(Issued on 7 October 2004.)

As the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) wound up its general debate today, delegates urged the international community to step up its efforts to assist landlocked developing countries and small island States in overcoming such developmental obstacles as high transport costs, marginalization and natural disasters.

Speaking on behalf of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, the representative of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic noted that lack of economic growth and declining foreign direct investment (FDI) levels had eaten up domestic resources, leaving little for development.  The eighth Millennium Development Goal called on the international community to address the needs of landlocked States, and the Group urged donors to increase FDI, as well as official development assistance (ODA) flows.

Landlocked countries, he went on, had become increasingly marginalized from the world trading system due to high transport costs, which had spiralled upwards due to a lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness from world markets, inadequate transport infrastructure and burdensome border crossings.  The current World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on market access should focus on products of interest to landlocked developing countries, as laid out in the Almaty Programme of Action, he said.

Kazakhstan’s representative furthered that appeal by emphasizing that the interests of landlocked developing countries, as laid down in the Almaty Programme of Action, should be considered fully in economic decision-making, international trade and interregional cooperation.  Moreover, the Second Committee should make firm recommendations in forthcoming discussions on expanding partnerships for effective transit transport systems in landlocked developing countries.

He added that the Committee should also make environmental protection a top priority, noting that several man-made and natural disasters, including those in the dying Aral Sea and his country’s former Semipalatinsk nuclear-testing site, had impeded economic, social and humanitarian development in Kazakhstan and surrounding Central Asian countries.  Stressing the need for international financial, technical and humanitarian assistance, he called for a specific General Assembly resolution that would lay the foundation for a global partnership to restore the region.

Also addressing the question of natural disasters, Brazil’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, called for a positive outcome to the forthcoming World Conference on Disaster Reduction to be held in Kobe, Japan.  The international community should fully support a trust fund for natural disaster relief, sufficient scientific, as well as technical and human, know-how for an inter-institutional secretariat, and efforts to create early-warning and disaster-prevention systems.  More immediately, increased funding was vitally needed for United Nations humanitarian relief efforts in Grenada and Haiti to help those island nations recover from the devastating impact of recent hurricanes.

Underscoring that point, Haiti’s delegate said that such humanitarian aid should remain on the international priority list.  The needs of small developing countries that were prone to natural disasters -- which were occurring more frequently and with greater intensity -- were of grave concern and required effective follow-up and increased resources for the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action.

Other speakers today said the current global economic slowdown had seriously impeded the ability of developing countries to attain the Millennium Goals.  They also pointed to low levels of technology transfer, technical support and ODA, and stressed the need to relieve heavy debt burdens.  Small economies had been assured of various forms of assistance by multilateral and financial institutions, which would hopefully prove to be genuine efforts to pull them out of the doldrums, rather than public relations gimmicks.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Mongolia, Cuba, Fiji, Ecuador, Syria, Tunisia, Malaysia, Jamaica, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Uganda, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Senegal, Cameroon, Congo, Kuwait, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tuvalu (on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States) and the United Arab Emirates.

A representative of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) also made a statement.

The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday 12 October, to begin its consideration of the international financial system and development, as well as the external debt crisis and development.

Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to conclude its general debate.

Statements

CHOISUREN BAATAR (Mongolia) said that developing countries must institute domestic reforms and good governance while developed countries must provide increased financial resources in order for the international community to achieve internationally agreed development goals.  A fair international trade regime could contribute significantly to development.  Trade liberalization in agriculture and improved market access to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies would surely enhance export earnings for developing countries.

Moreover, he continued, unsustainable external debt remained a serious obstacle to the economic and social development of many countries, and concerted efforts were needed to find lasting solutions to that problem, including the idea of exchanging debt for social development.  Debt relief by lender countries and international financial institutions could give a strong push to economic growth in poor countries.

RODNEY LOPEZ (Cuba) said globalization had failed to close the gap between rich and poor countries.  Developing countries paid $100 billion annually in commercial tariffs to developed countries, double the amount of money sent the other way in development aid.  Industrialized countries had committed on average just 0.22 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to official development assistance (ODA), below the agreed 0.7 per cent target.  The United States had allocated just 0.11 per cent of GDP, the lowest rate among industrialized nations.

The recent natural disasters in the Caribbean and their devastating impact on local populations underscored the need to recognize the special needs of small island developing States (SIDS), he said, stressing the importance of reaching a positive outcome during the upcoming preparatory process for next year’s international meeting for the 10-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the SIDS.  There was also a need to pay close attention to the analysis of the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review of the Operational Activities for Development.

FILIMONE KAU (Fiji) said that the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) insistence on free and open trade was killing small economies through losses from lower commodity prices.  Fijian families that had formerly relied on sugar production for their sustenance were now being added to the list of people needing government assistance.  Unemployment and delinquency were on the rise.  Everyone would benefit if the WTO focused on social and development agendas rather than exclusively on rules.

He objected to the pace of globalization and trade liberalization as dictated by developed countries through various multilateral institutions and instruments, including international financial institutions.  Moreover, developing countries were far removed from the decision-making process and in many instances they were mere bystanders.  Small economies had been assured of assistance through various options mooted by multilateral and financial institutions, which hopefully were genuine efforts to pull them out of the doldrums rather than public relations gimmicks.

YERZHAN KAZYKHANOV (Kazakhstan) expressed concern over the increasing marginalization of economies in transition and the worsening economic conditions of countries with poorly diversified economies.  The Committee should identify weaknesses and strengths in integrating transition economies into the global economy in order to enable them to access world markets and join the WTO.  The interests of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries regarding decision-making in economic development, international trade and interregional cooperation in the Almaty Programme of Action must be fully taken into account, and the Committee should make recommendations in forthcoming discussions on how to expand partnerships for effective transit transport systems.

Sustainable development and environmental protection should be top priorities on the Committee’s agenda, he continued.  Several man-made and natural disasters, including in the dying Aral Sea and the former Semipalatinsk nuclear testing site had impeded Kazakhstan’s economic, social and humanitarian development as well as that of surrounding Central Asian countries.  International financial, technical and humanitarian assistance was needed, and a specific General Assembly resolution should lay the foundation for an international partnership to restore the area.  The entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol was critical to sustainable development and Kazakhstan was in the process of becoming a party to the treaty.

HUMBERTO JIMENEZ (Ecuador) noted that debt had continued to exert great pressure on developing economies, diverting resources away from needed services.  To date, the international community had not properly considered the vulnerability of indebted nations.  Any international action should be based on specific economic indicators and a viable framework for debt servicing.

He stressed that preferential trade mechanisms that were not subject to reciprocity should be expanded and simplified.  Furthermore, international migration was a truly multidimensional and multidisciplinary phenomenon requiring the coordination of origin, transit and host countries.  The practice was rapidly growing and could offer potential benefits to all.

K. BHAGWAT-SINGH, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), said that the Third IUCN World Conservation Congress, to be held in Bangkok next month, was designed to help position conservation as an integral and essential component of sustainable development.  It would be the world’s premier conservation and sustainable development event in 2004 for governments, civil society, and the private sector.  It would consider and discuss conservation and development issues on the regional and global scales, as well as explore the relationships between people, development and conservation, including markets, trade and the private sector.

The latest assessments from the World Bank on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals made for grim reading, he stated.  Nevertheless, there were some rays of hope.  A milestone achievement of the conservation community had been that, collectively, governments had now achieved some form of legal protection for biodiversity conservation over 10 per cent of the planet’s terrestrial biosphere.  That achievement demonstrated that multilateral goals, requiring concerted action by all of United Nations Member States, were in fact achievable within the course of a decade.  The world, however, still had a long way to go, especially in protecting marine ecosystems, both within and beyond national jurisdictions.  People and ecosystems also faced a grave and looming threat in the form of climate change.  In addition, the world’s progress continued to lag in the area of greenhouse gas emissions.

FAYSSAL MEKDAD (Syria), noting that the global economic slowdown had seriously impeded developing countries’ ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, said the international community was on the wrong path and pointed to the low levels of technology transfer, technical support and ODA allocated for developing countries, as well as the heavy debt burdens they continued to bear.  The International community must work to cancel that debt, fulfil their ODA pledges and adopt innovate mechanisms to finance development and close the technological divide between rich and poor nations.

Unilateral economic sanctions against developing countries were major obstacles to development and also undermined international law, he continued, stressing the need to eliminate them.  Development was a human right not a privilege and it was incumbent upon the United Nations to ensure that the fulfilment of that right was given top priority.  Foreign occupations also impeded development and violated human rights.

ALI HACHANI (Tunisia) said that poverty resulted from a global economic process that moved at multiple and unequal speeds.  Several factors aggravated poverty, including external debt, the unfair multilateral trading system, the digital divide and shortfalls in international assistance.  According to a study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Africa’s indebtedness was incompatible with attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.  Recycling debt to social projects in developing countries, particularly middle-income ones, was likely to stimulate their economies and reduce poverty.

As for the multilateral trading system, it discriminated against developing countries and kept them from enjoying the fruits of globalization, he said.  The upcoming WTO negotiations should include all members, so that trade could become more balanced and contribute to development.  Limited access to markets and unfair agricultural subsidies kept poorer nations from integrating into the world economy.

Turning to the digital divide, he said the General Assembly should be involved in preparations leading up to the Tunis World Summit on the Information Society.  The financial, human and technical resources needed for development were beyond the means of several developing countries.  There was a need to increase ODA and to find alternative ways to fill the ODA gap.

RONALDO MOTA SARDENBERG (Brazil), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, called for a broad international consensus to implement the socio-economic targets agreed upon at recent major summits and conferences, particularly the Monterrey Consensus and the Johannesburg Programme of Action.  The presence of United Nations resident coordinators in developing countries was crucial in facilitating the proper functioning and enhancement of programmes and projects tailored to the needs of each nation.

He called for a positive outcome to the forthcoming World Conference on Disaster Reduction to be held in Kobe, Japan, stressing that the Yokohama Strategy should ensure that the international community fully supported a trust fund for natural disaster relief, sufficient scientific, technical and human know-how for an inter-institutional secretariat and all efforts to create early warning and disaster prevention systems.  Increased funding was also needed for United Nations humanitarian relief efforts in Grenada and Haiti to enable those nations to recover from the devastating impact of recent natural disasters.

Financing for development was a long-term, effective method to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, he continued, urging the Committee to continue working vigorously through September 2005 to implement the Monterrey Consensus.  It must focus on innovative financing mechanisms as part of the Action against Hunger Initiative formed on 20 September by the Presidents of Brazil, France and Chile and the Prime Minister of Spain.  The Rio Group had recently put forth several concrete proposals for innovative financing methods and greater public investment, particularly for infrastructure development.

RASTAM MOHD ISA (Malaysia) said fair trade was vital for promoting economic growth and sustainable development and that major economies and trading nations from among the developed countries must demonstrate a spirit of flexibility and goodwill.  They must live up to their Doha commitments to eliminate export subsidies and substantially reduce trade-distorting domestic support.  Creating trading opportunities for developing countries should not be viewed as acts of charity, but as a way of drawing them into the global economy.  That, in turn, would assist them in eradicating poverty and help to create a more secure, equitable and prosperous global environment.

He applauded African countries on their determination to realize the vision of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).  Many African countries had taken positive steps to integrate NEPAD’s goals into their national development programmes.  An improved policy environment under NEPAD had led to a more positive outlook for foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Africa, although mainly in the natural resources sector.  But unless countries were given adequate support and facilities, including market access, all those efforts would be in vain.

STAFFORD NEIL (Jamaica) said that while the 3 per cent to 4 per cent economic growth projected for the coming year was positive for the international economy as a whole, rates of 6 per cent to 8 per cent were needed in order for developing countries, particularly those with high debt-to-income ratios, to bridge the economic gap between the North and South.  The international community must step up efforts to mobilize financial, technical and human resources for development based on a nation’s socio-economic needs.  Promoting good governance in developing countries was also essential, but they should not be forced to follow any particular governance model.

The forthcoming Doha round of trade negotiations must focus on correcting trade balances that adversely affected developing countries, he continued.  The international community must not overlook the need to stabilize commodity prices and earnings.  Concerning finances, Jamaica urged industrialized countries to increase FDI in developing countries and to meet their ODA commitments.  The remittances that expatriates sent to their home countries had become an important aspect of development financing, and new methods must be created to lower the costs of transmitting them.  Developing countries also needed greater policy space in international tax cooperation matters.

ALOUNKEO KITTIKHOUN (Lao People’s Democratic Republic), speaking on behalf of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, stressed the need for greater integrated efforts at all levels towards reaching the Millennium Goals.  The eighth goal stressed the special needs of landlocked developing countries, as well as small island developing States and the least developed countries.  To date, however, no significant progress had been made to tackle the needs of those States, which together made up almost half the membership of the United Nations, and neither had any satisfactory mechanisms been set up to measure progress.

He noted that financing for development remained indispensable for sustained growth in developing economies.  Landlocked developing countries had made every effort to mobilize domestic resources to meet their development needs, but few resources were available, mainly due to the lack of significant economic growth and the accelerating decline in FDI.  The donor community should support landlocked countries without imposing conditions and complex procedures if they were to overcome financial and human resource barriers in implementing their international commitments.  The international community must ensure increased ODA and FDI flows to landlocked countries so they could meet their development needs.

Landlocked developing countries had also become increasingly marginalized in the world trading system, he said.  Lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness from world markets, inadequate transport infrastructure, and burdensome border crossings had resulted in high transport costs.  Landlocked developing countries spent, on average, twice as much as other developing countries and three times more than developed nations on transport and insurance services as a share of total export earnings.  Such high costs prevented them from reaping the benefits of international trade and integrating into the global economic mainstream.  Current WTO negotiations on market access for agricultural and non-agricultural goods should focus special attention on products of interest to landlocked developing countries, as called for in the Almaty Programme of Action and the Sao Paulo Consensus.  Efficient trading measures would go a long way towards tackling the high costs of trade transactions in landlocked countries.

SONG SE IL (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) said that, although some progress had been made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the overall international economic situation was still grave and far from meeting the demands of reality.  The gap between the North and South had not narrowed because the commitments by the developed countries to provide assistance to the developing countries had not been fully implemented.  The question of establishing a fair international economic system and addressing the external debts of developing countries had also not been resolved.

In order to achieve the major development objectives set out in the Millennium Declaration and the World Summit on Sustainable Development, it was necessary first to create international conditions that were conducive to speeding up poverty eradication and development, he said.  Developed countries should increase their ODA and FDI contributions without political preconditions.  They also needed to show a decisive will to solve the problem of external debt.

With regard to international trade, he stressed the need to create conditions for developing countries to have access to international markets.  International financial and trade organizations must be reformed in such a way as to make it possible for developing countries to take part in their decision-making processes.  In addition, partnership should be established between the United Nations, other international organizations, non-governmental organizations, private organizations and private enterprises.  High handed actions, such as military intervention and economic embargo against sovereign States, which represented the biggest threat to world peace and security and to the wellbeing of humankind, should be rejected.

JAMES MUGUME (Uganda) said current economic trends indicated that the Millennium Development Goals were unlikely to be achieved in sub-Saharan Africa due to negative growth in per capita income, persistent poverty and heavy debt loads.  Uganda had gone to great lengths for more than a decade to create a favourable macroeconomic environment and push through stringent economic and political reforms.  Despite those efforts and benefits from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative, the country’s debt burden was unsustainable.

Uganda had embarked on a peer review process and had integrated priorities set forth in NEPAD into its national development programmes, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and medium-expenditure framework, he said.  Eastern African countries had focused on key NEPAD projects to build up the region’s infrastructure, energy services and information and communication technology networks.  Still, greater international support was needed to help Africa meet challenges identified under NEPAD.  As noted by the keynote speaker at yesterday’s Committee meeting, poverty was both a cause and effect of many conflicts.  That was indeed the case in the Great Lakes region, where conflict had undermined prospects for development and exacerbated poverty.  However, regional governments were committed to a successful outcome of the forthcoming conference in Dar-es-Salaam on post-conflict reconstruction.  Similarly, well-balanced social, macroeconomic and structural post-conflict assistance would ensure that the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and their neighbours followed a sustained path to peace.

SAR SAMBATH (Cambodia) said that following the formation of a new Government in July, his country was now able to continue its efforts to give top priority to building good governance based on a comprehensive approach in the key areas of fighting corruption, legal and judicial reform, public administration reform, and armed forces reform and demobilization.  The Government was enhancing peace, political stability and social order; strengthening its integration into regional and international organizations; building partnerships in development; and sustaining a favourable macroeconomic and financial environment.

Earlier this year, the Government had launched a comprehensive report called the “Cambodia Millennium Development Goals”, he continued.  In addition to the eight points included in the Millennium Development Goals, the Government of Cambodia had a ninth point relating to demining, unexploded ordinance and victim assistance.

Poor developing countries such as Cambodia would not be able to reach their development goals by themselves, he said.  Full support from industrialized countries would benefit not only the developing countries, but, in the long run, the assisting countries as well.  The developed nations must remain firm in their commitment to increase ODA flows to the least developed countries from 0.15 to 0.2 per cent of their GDP by the year 2006.  They must also take the necessary steps to reverse the declining aid flows.

CINTHIA SOTO (Costa Rica) said her country had diversified its exports and signed several bilateral trade treaties in its bid for development.  South-South trade had become its most dynamic sector, but it still relied heavily on markets in the North, where trade-distorting measures had a severely negative impact.

Noting that the international community was far from attaining the environmental goals laid down at the Johannesburg World Summit, she said that all stakeholders must work together to achieve sustainable development by protecting, conserving and sustainably using natural resources.  Costa Rica had drawn up environmental legislation that would form part of its constitution and also had in place measures urging industries to protect the environment.  However, sustainable development was expensive and the country also needed to combat hunger and poverty.  Investment in sustainable development must compete with priorities in health care, security, transportation and other sectors.  All nations must meet their obligations under the Monterrey Consensus, as well as respect human rights, protect the environment, cut down on military expenditures, and open up their markets.

SUZE PERCY FILIPPINI (Haiti) said the resolution to reactivate the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Ad Hoc Consultative Group on Haiti was encouraging for the prospects of long-term humanitarian donor assistance.  Humanitarian aid, particularly in light of the recent natural disasters that had wreaked havoc on Haiti’s entire economy and infrastructure, should not fall off the priority list and the already long and complicated aid disbursement procedures should not slow further.

The effective integration into the world economy of least developed countries, such as Haiti, required a common fight against hunger and poverty, she continued, lauding the recent Action against Hunger and Poverty Initiative launched in September to promote greater international cooperation and increase the availability of resources to tackle such concerns.  The international community must make the initiative succeed through concrete action.  The needs of small developing countries that were prone to natural disasters were of grave concern, particularly as those disasters occurred more frequently and with greater intensity.  Haiti was grateful to neighbouring countries for their support in the wake of the severe hurricanes and called for effective follow-up, as well as increased resources for the Barbados Programme of Action.

PAUL BADJI (Senegal) said that last month’s Action against Hunger and Poverty initiative was an important step forward in the fight against poverty and hunger, which had plagued sub-Saharan Africa in particular.  The international community must work to eliminate the heavy debt burden of poor nations and step up ODA to enable them to achieve the Millennium Goals.  Senegal was carefully following efforts by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to find an acceptable definition of sustainable debt levels.

Pointing out that sub-Saharan Africa’s total trade in goods and services was small, making it a small market player, he stressed the need for innovative ways to ensure the region’s full and equal integration into world markets.  The July Package on agriculture contained constructive proposals for cotton, while the Dakar Agriculture Agreement launched by President Abdoulaye Wade reflected efforts by the scientific community, agribusiness and financial institutions to ensure Africa’s food security, health and livelihood.  The locust invasion of Senegal had infected 4 million hectares of crops, threatening the food safety of millions of people and it was important to push the Dakar initiative forward.

MARTIN BELINGA-EBOUTOU (Cameroon) noted that the United Nations had committed itself to promoting social progress and had turned to international institutions to bring that about.  The time had come to reaffirm political will within the Organization and the intention of Member States to remain faithful to the United Nations Charter –- namely, to build a world free from conflict, want and hunger.  The United Nations must be keen to resolve development problems, some of which were burning with urgency.

Noting that sub-Saharan Africa would be unable to attain most of the Millennium Goals by 2015, despite its annual growth rate of 4.5 per cent, he said NEPAD must be implemented without delay, and the wherewithal found to promote sustainable economic development.  Poverty must be attacked, and the debt problem settled.  The HIPC Initiative had failed to produce the expected results, no doubt due to its draconian conditions, and must be strengthened.  Also, development must be home-grown.  Countries must develop sound governance, build democracy, generate savings and make sound investments.

JEAN-MARIE BOSSINA (Congo) said that the IMF’s efforts to improve the current global economic situation must ensure increased resources for developing countries.  The international financial institutions’ efforts to develop innovative sources of financing were modest, but positive and would contribute to poverty eradication and sustainable development.  Heavy debt loads and debt servicing payments continued to impede economic growth in developing nations, absorbing resources needed for social and economic development.  As noted in the Secretary-General’s report, 11 countries, including the Congo, would not meet the percentage point required under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative should it end in 2004.  The Congo supported its extension.

The 2004 growth forecast of 7 per cent must not blind the international community to the large economic disparities between developing and developed countries, he continued.  While the international community and the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Africa had provided significant support to NEPAD, more must be done to help Africa attain the Millennium Development Goals.

NABEELA ABDULLA AL-MULLA (Kuwait) said that attaining development goals required national measures and policies that would satisfy the needs of developing countries within a realistic timetable.  The international community must eliminate disparities within the world economy, involve all nations in global decision-making and attach due importance to trade as a principle source of financing and growth.  It must also realize that developing countries needed the skills and capacity to participate effectively in trade negotiations and defend their interests.

Stressing that developing countries were still suffering from a lack of resources for development, she said all nations must fulfil their ODA commitments and direct FDI towards development.  Kuwait had continually earmarked 0.7 per cent of its gross national product to finance development contributed through the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund and was also involved in the work of international financial institutions.

She noted that the slowdown in global economic growth was the result of political instability, climatic conditions, and such economic factors as indebtedness.  The international community must tackle the root causes of debt so that it could take effective measures to deal with the problem.  It must also grapple with environmental degradation and climate issues.

JUAN BUFFA (Paraguay) underscored the importance of taking into account the needs of landlocked countries in WTO negotiations and other international trade forums, particularly the need to eliminate obstacles to market access for landlocked nations’ agricultural and non-agricultural exports.  As a landlocked developing country, Paraguay grappled with prohibitive transport costs, forking over a 40 per cent transport tax on petroleum products, for example.  Substantive reform was needed to improve market access and eliminate high transit trade costs of exporting agriculture products.

Lauding the Action against Hunger and Poverty Initiative launched in September, he said it was an important step in promoting greater international cooperation and increasing the availability of resources to tackle obstacles to development.  The Sao Paulo Consensus adopted last June at the eleventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had drawn fresh attention to the needs of landlocked countries.  It was hoped that international development and financial organizations, as well as donor countries, would provide additional resources to facilitate the construction of adequate transit transport infrastructure.

TERUNEH ZENNA (Ethiopia) noted that globalization had thrown the gap between developed and developing countries into stark relief.  The Monterrey Consensus was meant as a basis for future action in addressing that gap, both from international and national sources.  It was important for developing countries to have ownership and responsibility for their own development, including through a conducive investment environment, sound policies, and investment in human and physical infrastructure.

The international community should speedily conclude the Doha Round without losing sight of its developmental aspects, he said.  The market access and bilateral initiatives were encouraging, but they must be complemented by support for capacity-building in trade and the whole question of removing supply-side constraints.  The long-neglected issue of commodities needed further deliberation to mitigate the impact of international price volatility and the resulting decline in terms-of-trade on commodity-dependent countries.

OMAR BASHIR MOHAMED MANIS (Sudan) said the international community must do more to reduce the income divide between rich and poor countries and tackle imbalances in international trade and the world economy.  The least developed countries, in particular, continued to suffer from hunger and poverty.  That, and the lack of sufficient access to education and health care, must be addressed if the world was to realize the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  The Action against Hunger and Poverty Initiative was a good example of concrete steps to do just that.

Many developed countries, however, had not lived up to their commitments to help developing nations out of the poverty trap through ODA and debt relief, he continued.  They should follow through on those pledges, as well as expand FDI and capacity-building and improve market access for developing nations’ products.  The Sudan appealed for greater political will among the international community to achieve that end.

ENELE SOSENE SOPOAGA (Tuvalu), speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), recalled that the international community had recognized the special problems facing small island developing states in Rio, Barbados and Johannesburg.  Small islands acknowledged their responsibilities to build a conducive environment for sustainable development, but also recognized that they needed assistance to attain their goals.  The last 10 years had not seen any marked improvement in the level or quality of assistance to small islands States or in implementing the Barbados Plan of Action.  The AOSIS looked forward to a real translation of international commitments into action at the January 2005 international meeting on small island States in Mauritius.

He said that trade for small island States was not only an effective tool for promoting national interests, but also the engine of economic growth and development.  It was vital for smaller and weaker nations to be able to take advantage of international trade and, thus, necessary to have strong, equitable, transparent, all-inclusive trading rules to prepare them for the global trading system.  Under the current Doha Round of negotiations, the preferential market access arrangement must be protected and the erosion of the margins of preferences dealt with.

SALIM MOHAMMED AL-SHAMSI (United Arab Emirates) said development aid had not reached the levels needed to enable developing countries to improve economic conditions in a timely and suitable manner.  International commercial and financial system reform, debt relief and write-off strategies were important in ensuring sustainable development.  Armed conflicts and foreign occupation must end and developing countries must create a favourable development and investment climate by reforming social and economic institutions.

He said the United Arab Emirates had sustained steady economic growth by developing human resources through education, promoting universal health and social services, using oil proceeds effectively for development, promoting private-sector growth and expanding the financial and banking sector, combating desertification and pollution, and fostering information and communication technology development.  Moreover, it had forged bilateral, regional and international arrangements in the economic and development fields, while providing reconstruction aid to areas of conflict such as Kosovo, Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq.

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