Sixty-first General Assembly

Second Committee

4^th & 5^th Meetings (AM & PM)

poorest countries in dire need of efforts to develop, safeguard economies

in face of unique challenges, Second Committee told

 

Landlocked Countries, Small Island States Cited as General Debate Continues

Faced with a unique set of problems, from rising sea levels to weak transportation networks, the world’s poorest countries were in dire need of global efforts to develop and safeguard their economies over the long-term, the representatives of several Member States said today as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) continued its general debate.

Speaking on behalf of the Group of Landlocked Developed Countries, for example, the representative of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic said they needed stronger transportation networks, which would be crucial to gaining access to the sea and to its links with the global economy.  The donor community should recognize the special requirements of landlocked nations and meet the commitments they had made under the 2003 Almaty Programme of Action.  Kazakhstan’s representative also noted the need to develop the transportation capabilities of the landlocked developing nations, saying that their transit needs were among the issues alongside water and energy capacities that a proposed Union of Central Asian States would handle.

The representative of Barbados, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said most of the small island developing States were adversely affected by global climate change, including the increasing severity and frequency of hurricanes and subsequently rising sea-levels.  Since those States were only “one hurricane away from the complete reversal of decades of progress”, CARICOM placed great value on the Hyogo Declaration adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction.  CARICOM urged the Committee to send a strong message to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to quickly wrap up talks on a post-Kyoto framework.

Many delegates also stressed the importance of bolstering through practical steps the numerous international accords intended to advance developing economies.  Singapore’s representative said the fight against poverty would not be won by simply “getting the right language” in resolutions and the international community must focus on workable techniques.  But to those who advocated universal solutions, Singapore suggested that there was no “one-size-fits-all” model.

Sri Lanka’s representative said it was imperative to make operational this year the commitments outlined in the 2005 World Summit Outcome, noting that the landmark document emphasized the importance of assigning specific tasks to Governments, international agencies and other stakeholders.  Libya’s delegate expressed the hope that practical steps would be taken to implement the Summit’s recommendations relating to the financing of development programmes.

Several delegates also advocated giving developing countries a stronger role in international financial decision-making.  China’s representative, while welcoming the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) resolution on quota and “voice” reform, said he hoped for additional reforms in that area.  The Fund should also pay special attention to helping developing countries to better fend off financial risks.  Also speaking today were representatives of Ghana, Iran, the Sudan, Cuba, United Republic of Tanzania, Malaysia, Qatar, Ukraine (on behalf of the GUAM States), Saudi Arabia, Croatia, Cambodia, Nigeria, Kuwait, Costa Rica and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Other speakers included representatives of the World Conservation Union, Food and Agricultural Organization, International Labour Organization and the World Bank.

The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday 4 October, to continue its general debate.

Background

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

Statements

LIU ZHENMIN (China), aligning himself with the “Group of 77” developing countries, said that global problems like environmental pollution, natural disasters and infectious diseases were now more prominent and that many developing countries, especially the least developed and those in Africa, were trapped in a vicious cycle where the poor were becoming poorer.  The world should act on the basis of mutually beneficial partnerships and within a multilateral trade system geared towards win-win outcomes.  China hoped that World Trade Organization members would show political sincerity, with major developed countries taking the lead, in creating conditions to restart the Doha Development Round of trade talks.  In particular, World Trade Organization members should remove barriers to trade, establish a fair and competitive order, appropriately handle trade disputes and avoid politicizing trade issues.

The importance of warding off financial risks could not be overemphasized, he said, stressing also that developing countries should have more of a voice in world financial affairs.  China welcomed the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) resolution on quota and “voice” reform and hoped that more of such reforms would be implemented in that area.  The IMF should also pay special attention to helping developing countries to better fend off financial risks.  Energy security was another issue deserving attention -- so far the “hidden threat” in world economic development.  Energy channels should be expanded and countries should jointly maintain energy market stability, use advanced technologies to raise the efficiency of energy use and reduce negative environmental impacts.  The principle of “common but differentiated responsibility” should be applied in the energy field.

He stressed that the United Nations should play a leading role in development.  Member States should build a fair framework to evaluate progress on the Millennium Development Goals and create an enabling international environment for developing countries.  China would support such efforts by proposing new measures on debt relief, tariff exemption, increased assistance and greater medical and human resources for Africa.  It would be announced by President Hun Jintao at the forthcoming China-Africa Cooperation Summit in November.  Domestically, China had formulated its eleventh five-year plan to raise the efficiency of energy and resource usage, protect the biological environment and build a “resource cost-effective society”.

DAMPEEY ASARE ( Ghana) said the 2005 World Summit Outcome recognized the importance of mobilizing and effectively using financial resources to advance developing countries and those with economies in transition.  The Summit Outcome document placed the Monterrey Consensus at the centre of the Global Partnership for Development needed to attain the development targets agreed by Member States over the past decades.  Yet despite positive trends such as the Group of Eight (G-8) decision to cancel the debt of many poor countries, current and projected levels of official development assistance (ODA) still fell short of the expected $150 billion deemed necessary for developing countries to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

Debt relief did not generally provide fresh money for development, he said.  Rather, trade was crucial to development as its benefits accrued to all partners and were more permanent than ODA or debt relief.  The sudden suspension of the Doha Round of trade talks had been a shock to World Trade Organization members, particularly developing countries that viewed the round as a critical complement to their efforts to increase growth, enhance development and reduce global poverty.  Trade was an accepted engine of growth and without a timely outcome to the trade talks, developing countries especially African States could not achieve the economic growth necessary to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

Turning to migration, he stressed that it was usually rooted in the broader problem of underdevelopment.  Ghana was satisfied that the recent High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development had explored the trend’s opportunities and challenges, and the country strongly supported the call for an additional dialogue at the international level to seize the potential of migration and minimize its negative effects.  As the Secretary-General indicated in his report, there was a need for policy coherence and harmonization to maximize the benefits of migration at the national and international levels.

JAVAD AMIN-MANSOUR (Iran), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, said that the belief, harboured during the 1980s and 1990s, that the global market would narrow the income gap between poor and rich countries had not come to pass.  In reality, income convergence had taken place only for a small number of countries.  Poorer countries had less diversified economies and export structures, which made them more vulnerable to shocks in international financial markets.  In most parts of the world, trade liberalization had expanded export volume but not necessarily led to growth.  In addition to improved market access, such countries also needed more policy space to develop strategies for building the supply capacity needed to succeed in global markets.  They also needed to develop adequate infrastructure, which in turn required large-scale investment.

He said that unilateral coercive economic measures posed undeniable threats to international trade and hindered development and such measures had been rejected at the recent Non-Aligned Movement Summit.  Failures seen in the Doha negotiations had harmed agricultural activities and the revenues of many people particularly poor farmers in developing countries.  Meanwhile, hunger, lack of access to primary education and deforestation continued throughout the world.  In the midst of all that, however, there was one example of success:  the third Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) meeting in Cape Town, South Africa had given developing countries the green light to present project proposals on protecting the environment.  But, a substantial increase in financial resources was needed for GEF.

Iran had participated in several rounds of negotiations on United Nations reform and enthusiastic but careful follow-up was now needed to enable the Organization to carry out its objectives of helping the poor, he said.  Dealing with natural disasters, which had been increasing in terms of frequency and severity, was another responsibility of the international community as was the need to consider a collective approach to mitigate the negative impacts of migration.  Finally, given the limited finances and weak human and institutional capacities of least developed countries, more international cooperation was required to support their efforts.

ALOUNKEO KITTIKHOUN (Lao People’s Democratic Republic), speaking on behalf of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, said large global imbalances --  coupled with such other economic uncertainties as unpredictable oil prices, the risk of an avian influenza pandemic, increasing interest rates and geopolitical tensions
-- could affect the stability of the world economy.  Despite sustained growth averaging more than 6 per cent annually since 2001, the economies of the landlocked developing countries varied widely as many remained dependent on agricultural production, which was vulnerable to weather.  And many of the most vulnerable were net importers of oil suffering from the soaring prices and limited access to external financing.

As emphasized by the Secretary-General last year in a report to the sixtieth General Assembly session, most landlocked developing countries were among the poorest developing nations, he said.  Their gross domestic product (GDP) per capita growth rate, for example, had declined from 2.2 per cent in 2002 to 1.5 per cent in 2003 and they faced heavy debt burdens.  The Group of Landlocked Developing Countries renewed its call for a global environment that was conducive to growth and, during global trade talks, considered the difficult problems faced by its member countries.

He said it was critical for those countries to weave the Almaty Programme of Action into their national development strategies.  Last month’s summit of the Group’s leaders in Havana, Cuba had stressed the importance for national-level action of raising awareness, and adopted a declaration reaffirming the right of sea-access for landlocked countries in accordance with international law.  The donor community was called upon to meet their commitments under the Almaty Programme of Action and recognized their great need for stronger transportation infrastructure.

KEVIN LIM ( Singapore), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the United Nations was well-placed to play a facilitator’s role in capacity-building and to act as a focal point in mobilizing resources for development.  Indeed, globalization had transformed countries like Brazil, China, India and Mexico and many others were now exporters of industrial products and services, in addition to commodities and primary products.  But, not all had benefited equally from the opportunities of globalization.  The world suffered from a technology divide and 1.2 billion people still lived on an income of less than $1 a day.

Expanding international commerce and negotiating reduced trade barriers was one way to combat poverty, he said, noting that his own country would not have succeeded without the cooperation of trade partners, operating under a rules-based multilateral trading system.  Also, World Bank and IMF estimates indicated that a successful Doha Round could have lifted 140 million people out of poverty in 10 years.  It would be grossly irresponsible to allow negotiations to collapse and it was essential to negotiate a broad-based and balanced package with clear benefits for developing countries and least developed countries.  Agriculture was a key factor and the removal of export subsidies and trade-distorting domestic support would add billions of dollars a year to global welfare.  Unfortunately, agricultural interests were often tied to domestic politics making the achievement of those goals difficult.

He said South-South trade was another way to support development noting that it accounted for 40 per cent of global commerce.  The growth of South-South trade created new markets and fed demand for imports from the North.  China and India, for example, were not only important export markets for developing countries, but also for North America, Europe and Japan.  Singapore, as a strong advocate of greater South-South cooperation, was committed to sharing its experiences with others.  Also, the fight against poverty would not be won by simply “getting the right language” in resolutions; there should also be a focus on what was workable.  To those who advocated universal solutions, Singapore suggested that there was no “one-size-fits-all” model.  Indeed, sustainable growth was influenced by many different factors.

OMER BASHIR MANIS (Sudan), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, expressed his sympathy for the landlocked developing countries as well as his concern over the suspension of the Doha Round noting that developing countries needed a fair trading system.  Many of the least developed countries were chafing under the yoke of poverty and hunger as well as epidemics like AIDS and malaria.  That called for greater international efforts to mobilize financing and help build the capacity of developing countries.

Noting that the Committee’s general debate followed the High-Level Dialogue on International, he said he looked forward to a constructive dialogue on migration during the Committee’s sessions.  It was to be hoped that the proposed resolution to reform the Economic and Social Council would be successful because that was important as part of the general reform of the United Nations.  It was also important to achieve sustainable development through the implementation of the international development goals set during various United Nations meetings over the years.

Expressing his country’s support for cooperation between the States of the South and regional organizations, he said the Sudan was a member of many regional groups.  Regarding the links between peace and development, the main obstacle to meeting the Sudan’s development goals was economic sanctions as well as the paucity of external assistance and its debt burden.  Hopefully, the Committee’s work would shed light on the problems facing States emerging from conflict.

ILEANA NUÑEZ MORDOCHE ( Cuba), aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China, said that 1.3 billion of the world’s population counted among “the poorest of the poor”.  Some 40 per cent of the world’s population lived on less than $2 a day and accounted for only 5 per cent of the world’s income, while the richest 10 per cent accounted for 54 per cent.  Some 11 million children continued to die from preventable diseases and yet over $1 trillion went towards military expenditure.  Those conditions resulted from an unfavourable international economic environment and an unjust world order.

Noting that developing-country external debt continued to grow, amounting to an estimated $2.8 trillion, she said the solution was unconditional cancellation and mechanisms to guarantee a sustained flow of financial concessions rather than meagre initiatives and relief measures.  Although some indicators showed a slight increase in ODA, that aid was subject to conditions and in many cases consisted of debt cancellation grants and emergency assistance.   Unilateral sanctions against developing countries, which were contrary to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, also hindered trade and investment.  Cuba, for example, had suffered from a blockade by the world’s main Power for 40 years.  However, its economic and social model had made it possible to provide universal access to free health services, low infant mortality, 95 per cent access to electricity and a life expectancy of 77 years.

She said environmental deterioration, polluted water, waste of non-renewable resources and natural disasters threatened the very existence of nations particularly the small island developing States.  Last year, more than 91,000 people had lost their lives to natural disasters.  Meanwhile, millions of people had emigrated to developed countries where they faced discrimination despite their substantial contribution to the industrialized world.  Narrow national interests had prevailed over cooperation and mutual benefit.  Indeed, the suspension of the Doha trade talks only showed the lack of political will in the developed world to correct the structural inequalities of a trade system designed to benefit the richest countries.

AUGUSTINE MAHIGA (United Republic of Tanzania) said the United Nations had adopted outcomes and set frameworks for the advancement of developing countries, yet the political will to mobilize resources for those concerted actions remained inadequate.  The 2005 World Summit Outcome document and implementing resolution 60/265 had injected new impetus into the implementation process and raised world awareness regarding development partnership.  The Outcome document showed that Africa had special needs and that despite its abundant resources, it remained the poorest continent and the most unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals particularly that of halving poverty by 2015.

He noted that increased mobilization of domestic resources, improved ODA and foreign direct investment (FDI) flows as well as debt relief still fell short of the resources required for the African continent to attain the Millennium Goals and other internationally agreed development targets.  The United Republic of Tanzania welcomed initiatives taken by such development partners as the G-8 and the European Union in keeping with the 2005 World Summit Outcome document.  However, it was regrettable that the Doha Round would not be concluded as scheduled.  The numerous setbacks showed that the World Trade Organization required reform to make it more transparent and inclusive, a task that should not wait any longer if trade was to be an engine for the development of poor countries.

HAMIDON ALI (Malaysia), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, highlighted five challenges facing the global economy:  global imbalances brought on by a current account deficit in the United States of nearly 7 per cent of its GDP; the potential of a disorderly unwinding of those imbalances; a faster-than-expected cooling of the United States housing market, triggering an abrupt slowdown of the country’s economy; high oil prices; and intense inflationary pressures, leading to possible tightening of monetary policy.

To that list he added rising international inequality as another point of concern.  Indeed, outright growth failures in many countries had caused a dual divergence -- an increasing income gap between developed and developing countries, paralleled by a “growth divergence” among developing countries.  Markets had a tendency to exacerbate inequalities, which left the poor vulnerable to international financial shocks.  Such inequalities diminished the growth prospects of the less advantaged.

Malaysia was also deeply concerned about the impasse in the Doha negotiations but would continue to support multilateral trade negotiations, he said.  As the only multilateral institution in existence, the United Nations should strengthen its role in economic and development issues, and Malaysia supported the General Assembly President’s call for implementation of the global partnership for development.  The Economic and Social Council should be empowered and attempts to diminish its role were troublesome.  For its part, Malaysia was an open economy with a volume of trade that was more than twice its GDP.  In implementing its Ninth Malaysia Plan, the country would focus on building quality human capital and combating corruption, since social integrity was an important facet of national development.

CHRISTOPHER HACKETT ( Barbados), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the regional body had embarked on the creation of a Caribbean single market and economy by 2008.  Through that arrangement, member countries hoped to escape limitations posed by their small land, market and population size and limited natural resources.  CARICOM also hoped that revived Doha trade talks would succeed in passing special and differential treatment for small and vulnerable economies such as theirs in recognition of the unique economic challenges they faced.  Initiatives like “Aid for Trade” were also necessary prerequisites for developing countries and could rely on support from CARICOM.  The Second Committee should send a strong message to World Trade Organization members that the Doha negotiations must fulfil their development promise.

He said other priority issues for CARICOM included the easing of debt for middle-income countries.  Enhancing the voice of developing countries in international dialogue and decision-making was also important and the process on quota and voice reform initiated recently by the IMF was notable.  In line with its commitment to preserving the environment, CARICOM would work towards achieving international recognition of the Caribbean Sea as a key resource for the development of CARICOM members and looked forward to considering a resolution on that topic during the Committee’s current session.

Turning to climate change, he said small island developing States were the most affected by the adverse effects of global climate change such as rising sea levels and increased severity and frequency of hurricanes.  CARICOM reiterated the call for those that had not yet ratified the Kyoto Protocol to do so without delay.  The Committee should send a strong message to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change to urgently conclude negotiations on a post-Kyoto framework.  CARICOM also placed great value on implementation of the Hyogo Declaration and its framework of action since the group was only “one hurricane away from the complete reversal of decades of progress”.

NASSIR ABDULAZIZ AL-NASSER ( Qatar) said the prevailing economic conditions including meager ODA flows, unjust terms of global trade, restricted access for developing-world exports and the heavy foreign debt burden of developing countries -- posed a threat to the social and economic development of those countries especially the least developed among them.  Other problems such as hunger, poverty and disease had acquired horrifying dimensions and posed a challenge to the international community.  The Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015 would be elusive unless the international community made concerted efforts to accelerate equitable development in the developing countries.

He said the suspension of the Doha Round had been a major disappointment for the developing countries and it was to be hoped that all parties would muster the political will and flexibility to resume the talks.  On the issue of reform, the enhancement of the authority and effectiveness of the Economic and Social Council was necessary to enable that organ body to play its role in advancing economic, social and environmental cooperation.  As for financing of development, Qatar recognized its importance and had launched an initiative to create the South Fund for Development and Humanitarian affairs during the Second South Summit, which the country had hosted in June 2005.  During the high-level segment of the General Assembly, Qatar had offered to host the first follow-up conference to the International Conference on Financing for Development in the period 2008-2009.

JAMES C. MORANT, World Conservation Union (IUCN), voiced his organization’s deep commitment to increasing the impact of conservation and natural-resources management on poverty alleviation.  Its multimillion dollar efforts included such projects as the Water and Nature Initiative, the Conservation for Poverty Reduction Initiative and the Forest Landscapes and Livelihoods Project.  The IUCN would also participate in consultations on international environmental governance and looked forward to positive outcomes from the Secretary-General’s efforts on strengthening the coordinating role of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting an active base of science information and technical knowledge; and providing more robust policy development to buttress development efforts.

He said the IUCN had made extensive efforts to improve fragile ecosystems including the initiative conducted in cooperation with the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery aimed at bringing the problems of sustainable development policies into focus.  The Biodiversity in European Development Cooperation Conference held recently in Paris had also been led by the IUCN and had brought forth a statement recognizing the importance of biodiversity.  With structural and policy support from the United Nations, it was possible to achieve environmental and conservation outcomes that benefited the entire globe.

VIKTOR KRYZHANIVSKYI (Ukraine), speaking on behalf of the GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Republic of Moldova) Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, said the four Member States were making headway in developing democratic institutions and a free market as well as integrating into the global economy.  They were also making efforts to create favourable monetary and financial conditions to help maintain the progress achieved.  The GUAM States hoped to create a free trade area based on equality and mutual benefit.  Though poised for full participation in the global economy, the GUAM States had much to do in order to realize that goal.  They looked forward to sharing their experiences with the Committee.

He said the agenda item on integration of economies in transition into the world economy was a priority for the GUAM States.  The Secretary-General’s report and the input from regional commissions would help in analyzing economic trends.  It was nevertheless obvious that the international community should further support economies in transition and the forthcoming resolution on that subject would be a good instrument for use towards that goal.  Recognizing the vital role of trade in development, the GUAM States also supported the early resumption of the Doha trade talks.

FAWZI BIN ABDUL MAJEED SHOBOKSHI ( Saudi Arabia), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, stressed the importance of protecting the environment and dealing adequately with climate change since it was tied to the security of individuals and nations.  Also, given the special role of oil in the economies of many countries, Saudi Arabia -- the world’s largest oil exporter -- would do all it could to make the oil market stable.  A seminar involving oil consumers and producers would be held in Riyadh in the near future to help create an atmosphere of stability.

He said sustainable development required collaboration between countries.  In tackling that challenge, the world’s nations should exhibit solidarity and not engage solely on the basis of national interest.  A constructive partnership among States was also needed to bolster the Economic and Social Council.  For their part, specialized United Nations agencies should not exceed their remit.  They were urged to incorporate the views of developing countries into their decision-making.

Building a competitive market involved training, education and advances in science and technology in addition to economic research, he said.  However, preferential treatment should be given to developing countries given the uneven playing field.  Saudi Arabia, which had recently acceded to the World Trade Organization, hoped that body’s rules would be reformed to speed up the accession of other developing countries.  To help them, Saudi Arabia had allocated an average of 4 per cent of its GDP to assistance over the last 10 years in addition to providing interest-free loans.

MIRJANA MLADINEO (Croatia), noting that financing for development was a priority for her country, said the mobilization of all domestic resources as well as close cooperation and coherence of policies among development partners were needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  Transparency and financial management must be enhanced in the Government and in the broader public sector to speed up key structural reforms.  While the increased resources that had become available for ODA were welcome, it was necessary to look at innovative sources of financing, which could provide stable and predictable funding to complement foreign assistance.  Croatia supported the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

She said her country also supported improving capacities at the country level in order to strengthen the voice of developing countries and transition economies.  Additional capacity-building in transition countries like Croatia had an important part to play in supporting its active role in the international development arena.  Such countries needed to participate actively as owners not just borrowers in the Bretton Woods institutions.  In addition, Croatia would continue to work on a worldwide early-warning system for all natural hazards.  It recognized the vulnerabilities of small island developing States and stood ready to continue contributing to the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for small island developing States.

WIDHYA CHEM (Cambodia), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, said that, since adopting the Millennium Development Goals in 2000, his country had adopted several cross-cutting strategies to build a society free from hunger, disease, inequality, vulnerability and exclusion.  Since the adoption of its National Poverty Reduction Strategy in 2002, Cambodia had made progress in some areas such as reducing poverty, combating HIV/AIDS and improving people’s livelihoods.  The growth rate had reached 13.4 per cent in 2005.

However, the situation in developing countries generally had not much improved, he said, noting that poverty affected several billions of the world’s people.  Alleviating their plight required cooperation from developed countries, international institutions and the private sector.  Advances in science, technology, knowledge, know-how and prosperity must be shared with developing countries especially the least developed countries.  Indeed, social and economic progress would go towards reducing illegal trafficking and enhancing international security.  Cambodia appealed for wider market access for goods from the least developed countries.  Ways must also be found to translate the rhetoric of debt write-offs into speedy action through debt swaps for developing countries.  Cambodia also continued to call for all developed countries to honour their commitment to allocate 0.7 per cent of GDP to ODA.

YERZHAN KAZYKHANOV ( Kazakhstan) said it was important to take the needs of the landlocked developing countries into account in developing transportation capabilities, promoting trade and obtaining access to world markets.  The first meeting of the leaders of the landlocked developing countries in Havana last month had reiterated their commitment the full and timely implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action.  Kazakhstan stood for the global partnership for development through the creation of an open, rules-based, predictable and non-discriminatory trade and financial system.

Regional integration was a vehicle to meet the challenges of the modern world and Kazakhstan had repeatedly declared its firm commitment to the consistent development of regional cooperation for the economic prosperity of all countries, he said.  To deal with common issues facing Central Asia, Kazakhstan was working to create a Union of Central Asian States.  And to ensure the reliable delivery of energy, it was important to support oil producers and oil exporters in addition to addressing the trade issues involving the lowering of tariff and non-tariff barriers.

MOHAMED ALMABROK ( Libya) expressed the hope that practical steps would be taken to implement the recommendations of the 2005 World Summit on supporting financing for development programmes.  The General Assembly’s adoption last June of a resolution on the follow-up to the Summit’s recommendations was an important step towards activating international cooperation and fulfilling the pledges made during the event.

Libya emphasized the importance of increasing official aid for development and for United Nations bodies to assume a major role in supporting development in Africa. 

Turning to trade, he said membership in the World Trade Organization should be eased so it could become an international forum where trade matters could be discussed transparently, thus guaranteeing the economic interests of all parties.  The suspension of the Doha Round had had a negative impact on efforts to make the international trade order more equitable and oriented towards development.  Libya stressed the role of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in addressing the issues of development, trade and investment and called for the strengthening of its mandate so it could fulfil its duties. 

SIMEON A. ADEKANYE ( Nigeria) said that lasting peace in Africa was a prerequisite for realizing the goals of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).  To that end, Nigeria would work towards the speedy resolution of conflicts in the Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Congo, Somalia and other troubled spots in Africa.  As a signatory to the African Peer Review Mechanism, Nigeria would promote good governance and encouraged others to follow that track.

He said that suspension of the Doha Round constituted a negative signal and he called for an early resumption of those talks.  The need for an equitable and representative financial system was also emphasized.  Indeed, developing countries must be given a greater voice in international financial and trade institutions and should be given enough policy space to adopt measures that responded to their particular circumstances.  Efforts to address the external debt crisis so far were welcomed including Nigeria’s debt workout with the Paris Club in 2005.  However, debt relief should not mean that ODA inflows must suffer, since current levels of ODA were grossly inadequate to assist developing countries to meet their development goals.  Commitments to least developed countries through the Brussels Programme of Action must also be fulfilled.

Turning to the Economic and Social Council, he said that body would soon be undertaking new responsibilities as mandated by the 2005 World Summit, but its effectiveness depended on the amount of resources at hand.  Hopefully, Member States would reach a consensus on the thorny question of providing additional resources to the Council.

MUDITHA HALLIYADDE ( Sri Lanka) said the impact of globalization had been far reaching and Governments should seize the positive aspects to improve the economic conditions of their citizens.  But, the achievements should not provide a false sense of complacency while imbalances in global economic, financial and trade regimes escalated.  Monetary and trade polices pursued by the North sometimes constricted the scope for economic advancement of nations in the South.  The resulting economic disparities had frequently created a pervasive sense of discontent and despair that posed serious challenges to peace and security.

The Outcome document emphasized the imperative of prioritizing development needs and re-allocating resources to key sectors and assigning specific tasks to Governments, international agencies and other stakeholders with the objective of achieving international development goals.  Making the commitments outlined in the Outcome document operational this year was imperative.  Sri Lanka had committed itself to achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and its economic growth had averaged 4.6 per cent annually over the past decade.  Its economy was robust and stable, despite the adverse impact of the 2005 Tsunami.  She noted that leaders of 11 countries including Sri Lanka met in New York last month and endorsed a new initiative known as the Group of Eleven.  She asked the international community to support the Group and its commitment to advance its interests in the global trade and investment arena.

NASSER AL-GHANIM (Kuwait), aligning himself with the Group of 77, said that discussions at the 2005 World Summit had revolved around sustainable development with a view to ensuring that globalization benefited the maximum number of people.  A world partnership was needed to achieve that end whether at the regional or international level.  Developed countries should assist developing countries by providing financial aid, medicines and technology.  Their efforts to allocate
0.7 per cent of their income towards ODA were welcome as were the efforts of developing countries to mainstream gender issues, combat corruption and engage in other ways to bolster sustainable development. 

He said the Kuwaiti Fund for Economic Development had provided $12.5 billion in low-interest loans so far, double the targeted amount set internationally.  It had also provided $300 million to projects in Africa through the Islamic Bank for Development.  Domestically, Kuwait was putting policies in place to promote a competitive private sector and ensure that foreign and domestic capital could compete equally.  A high-level working group had been created to study the matter so as to advance Kuwait’s aim of becoming an international investment and financial centre.

Regarding the environment, he said Kuwait was focusing on the study of climate change and its consequence by establishing research centres of international prominence.  Funds must be earmarked for the purpose of finding alternatives to fossil fuels and countries must cooperate in seeking ways to meet the energy needs of developing countries.  The world must also become more aware of renewable energy sources.

CINTHIA SOTO ( Costa Rica) said there were many imbalances between developed and developing countries in their approach to trade.  Some of the former dedicated funds to agricultural subsidies that were three to five times higher than those allocated to ODA.  Such practices led to a distortion of trade, which rather than aid, should be the source of development.  Development was a form of well-being and the eradication of poverty should be a priority.  The trade polices of the developed countries were also restrictive to the middle-income countries.

The elimination of major trade obstacles would bring many people out of poverty, yet the Doha trade talks remained bogged down, she said.  The restrictions that wealthy nations placed on agricultural goods from developing countries hurt the latter, yet the rich nations paid millions of dollars in subsidies to their own farmers.

She said the protection of the environment was important to developing nations, many of which depended on their biological diversity for economic gain.  There should be more protection for the benefits of genetic resources through international agreements.  All countries should benefit equally from trade.

PANG KWANG HYOK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, said that, in order to ensure the eradication of poverty and promote development, practical measures must be taken without delay.  Developed nations should meet their commitment to ODA, according to a timetable, and take practical measures to relieve the debt of the developing and least developed countries.  There was a trend among some developed countries to turn their faces away from fulfilling those commitments using as an excuse the supposed inability of developing countries to prepare national development policy, among other arguments.

He said that since the level and capacity of each country in the world was different, no single solution should be applied to all.  Developing countries should be able to adopt those strategies that strengthened their development capacity.  At a time when international relations had not yet switched from confrontation to cooperation, invasions, economic sanctions and embargoes against sovereign States had been tolerated or even justified under the pretext of “anti-terrorism”, “protection of human rights” and “non-proliferation”.  Such coercive measures, which went against the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, should not be tolerated.

FLORENCE CHELOWETH, Director, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office with the United Nations, said food security remained a persistent development problem.  The agency estimated that the number of undernourished people in the world totalled 852 million, of whom 815 million lived in developing countries.  Africa accounted for 24 per cent of that number while two thirds lived in Asia and the Pacific.  The attainment of most of the Millennium Development Goals depended on progress in improving nutrition and reducing hunger.

Combating hunger and extreme poverty required a renewed and expanded commitment to agriculture and rural development in developing countries, she said.  About 70 per cent of the poor in developing countries lived in rural areas and derived their livelihoods directly or indirectly from agriculture.  It was opportune that the theme for World Food Day – to be observed at the United Nations on 18 October -- was “Invest in Agriculture for Food Security.”  The FAO would repeat the message that investing in agriculture for food security would make a dramatic contribution to the well-being of people everywhere.

DJANKOU NDJONKOU, Director, International Labour Organization (ILO), said substantial resources had been allocated to promoting social justice through the “Decent Work Country Programme”, “More and Better Jobs for Women Programme” and others like them.  The ILO had also assisted regional efforts to promote international labour standards and foster enterprise and employment-generation policies.  Programmes on poverty reduction, the informal economy and gender equity were also in place as were others on workplace action against HIV/AIDS.  The dramatic impact of natural disasters had led the ILO to contribute to reconstruction processes through work-related initiatives as it had done in India, Indonesia, Seychelles, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Thailand following the Indian Ocean tsunami.

He said that achieving international development goals required continuous efforts to help marginalized people to create wealth.  The ILO’s experience had shown that employment and enterprise were the most effective routes out of poverty.  The world must therefore create jobs which create wealth that could be distributed fairly, and which sent children back to school.  The benefits of new technologies must also be shared.

OSCAR A. AVALLE, Special Representative of the World Bank, said the Bank and the IMF had recently met in Singapore to discuss progress towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals.  The Development Committee had reaffirmed the Bank’s poverty reduction framework and set the ground for enhanced assistance to country partners.  So far, efforts to fight poverty had resulted in $23.6 billion in grants and credits being committed to Africa.  An Africa Action Plan had been developed to scale up assistance and $37 billion in debt owed by the world’s poorest countries had been cancelled, on top of $17 billion in debt relief committed by the Bank’s International Development Association to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative members.  The Bank was also committed to the Paris Agenda on Aid Effectiveness and was piloting an approach to facilitate alignment on national priorities.

He said the Bank was also active in promoting quality education, improving child and maternal health, intensifying malaria control and promoting gender equality through various action plans.  In response to a call by G-8 leaders at Gleneagles Summit in July 2005, the Bank was developing a clean energy investment framework to help countries secure affordable and cost-effective energy for growth while protecting the environment.  It would use a three-pronged approach:  increase access to affordable energy; seek a transition to a low-carbon economy; and adapt to climate change.

On governance, he said the Bank had stepped up anti-corruption efforts in line with its President’s stance that aid would not deliver sustainable results in the absence of strong governance.  A strategy paper approved by the Bank’s Development Committee aimed to ensure the highest fiduciary standards in Bank operations and emphasize engagement with the private sector to help reduce bribery.  Also, since many developing countries placed burdensome regulations on business activity and entrepreneurship, the Bank had produced tools for policy-makers to pursue reforms in cooperation with the Bank Group’s private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation.  It was also committed to expanding funding for “Aid for Trade” and would work with low-income countries to incorporate trade needs into national strategies.

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For information media • not an official record