PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNITED NATIONS HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR LEAST DEVELOPED,

LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

The economic performance of the least developed countries since the 2001 Brussels Conference was “mixed” and the challenge was to ensure that economic growth contributed to poverty reduction, Anwarul K. Chowdhury, High Representative of the Secretary-General for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, said at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

Mr. Chowdhury said that the final outcome document of the High-Level Meeting on the Least Developed Countries currently under way at Headquarters would urge the international community to enhance the partnership to which they had committed themselves in the Brussels Programme of Action adopted at the end of the 2001 Conference.  The draft document, in the form of a declaration, would also help the Office of the High Representative to carry out its monitoring and coordination responsibilities.

[The High-Level Meeting is carrying out a midterm comprehensive global review of the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010].

There had been good progress in the overall economic growth of the least developed countries in the past five years but that had not contributed significantly to the reduction of their poverty levels, Mr. Chowdhury said.  And while the international community had provided good support in terms of increasing official development assistance (ODA) -- which had risen to 25 per cent from 2001 to 2004 -- almost all the least developed countries would be unable to attain the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  However, they had done well in a number of areas, such as school enrolment, girls’ education and access to clean drinking water.

“So we need to develop strong enough partnerships to look into the situation of the LDCs and to provide them with the support that they need in the next five years”, the High Representative stated.  The challenge for the United Nations and the international community was to see how the support they had committed to give, and the partnership envisaged in the Brussels Programme of Action, could be structured to ensure that the Millennium Goals were met and the Brussels Programme implemented.

Describing the Programme as a unique one in which the least developed countries themselves pledged to do their part, he noted that the 50-member group’s Chairman, the President of Benin, had made a strong plea in his opening statement to the High-Level Meeting this morning for global partnership in support of the least developed countries, 34 of which are in Africa.  The Brussels Programme had been reviewed in June by 15 ministers from the group, who had subsequently issued a document, popularly known as the Cotonou Strategy, laying out what they thought should be done in the next five years on the basis of the partnership arrangement contained in the Brussels Programme.

He observed that five of the least developed countries were rich in oil reserves but still among the least developed, while a number of others had valuable mineral resources.  That was a dilemma as it was necessary to ensure that governmental structures and policies, as well as democratic participation, permitted their people to reap the benefits of those resources.  “I believe that there should be legislative frameworks in each of these oil-producing and mineral-rich countries to ensure that the revenues they get from these natural resources benefit the common people, the poorest of the poor.”

Responding to questions, he said an analysis by his Office showed the importance of enhancing democratic participation.  The poor must have a voice in decision-making in areas that affected them.  Local government and central government must be improved to ensure the fair distribution of the benefits of growth, reduced corruption and greater transparency, all areas upon which the High Representative’s Office was focusing.

He told another questioner that the 2005 Summit of the Group of Eight industrialized countries, held at Gleneagles, Scotland, with its focus on Africa, had helped the least developed countries in a great way.  The debt relief arrangements agreed upon were now being implemented through the Multilateral Debt Relief Programme of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.  About 100 per cent debt relief had been provided to 19 countries, of which 13 were least developed countries, and 9 additional members of the group had been identified to benefit as well.  But as encouraging as that development was, the debt situation of most least developed countries was not sustainable and all their debts should be cancelled.

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For information media • not an official record