AFRICA’S PROGRESS DISPROVES DISTORTED PORTRAYAL AS SEA OF CONFLICT, POVERTY,

SAYS DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL AT OSLO SEMINAR

 

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s remarks to the “New Images of Africa” seminar, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, in Oslo, 15 October:

I am delighted to join all of you today to discuss a topic that is always at the top of the United Nations agenda -- the challenges facing Africa, but this time incorporating new and positive images of Africa.

Let me thank the Government of Norway for organizing this important event.   Norway is a great ally of the United Nations.  You are also reliable partners in our efforts to build a better future for Africa.

Dear friends, I cannot resist the temptation to add a personal touch here.  Between 1988 and 1992, I had the rare privilege of visiting Oslo to contribute to a series of lectures at the Institute of Women’s Law, Oslo University.  I made many friends! My husband made his career in this great country between 1974 and 1980 at the NTH, which is now called the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.  I am, therefore, extremely delighted to be back in Norway to make new friends once again -- this time in my new capacity as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

It is fitting that the focus of this seminar is on the positive developments in Africa.  As enlightened friends of Africa, you know that the reality is vastly different from the image usually conveyed by the media.  This was well conveyed earlier by Minister [Erik] Solheim.  You know that Africa’s progress disproves the distorted and widespread portrayal of the continent as a sea of conflict and undifferentiated poverty.

We all recognize that this image has been nurtured over time by the many crisis and violent conflicts that used to plague the continent, particularly in the immediate post-colonial era, as eloquently highlighted by the President of Liberia.  It is enduring today in the face of the challenges to peace and security in Somalia and Darfur, where conflicts continue to hasten an unconscionable toll on civilians.

The protracted crisis and State failure in Somalia presents a challenge, not only to Somalis, but to the United Nations and the international community at large.  The prolonged suffering of the Somali population must push us to more effectively address this crisis.  We must help the Somalis find a lasting political solution.

Darfur requires a political solution, too.  All parties to the Darfur conflict must play a constructive role to this end.  Since taking office, the tragedy of Darfur has been a top priority for the Secretary-General, and for me personally.  Some progress has been made, but not enough.  The upcoming negotiations in Libya must result in an agreement that will bring a stable and secure peace to the region.  Meanwhile, a robust African Union-United Nations hybrid peacekeeping force is being raised for deployment to the area.  And sustained attention is being given to the humanitarian needs of the region’s displaced population.

The crisis in Darfur grew from many causes.  Any enduring solution must address all of them -- security, politics, impunity, resources, water, humanitarian and development issues.  There, as in Somalia and elsewhere, we must deal with root causes of conflict, however complex and entangled.

These crises, combined with poor governance, have for a long time hampered progress in the areas of human rights and the rule of law in many African countries.

On the other hand, social and economic development remains particularly fragile.  Overall, the continent is not on track to reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  The number of people living in extreme poverty in Africa is rising, although the increase has levelled off slightly since 1999.

Child mortality rates have fallen, but only marginally to 166 per 1,000 live births.  This is nowhere near the objective of a two-thirds reduction by 2015, the target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Maternal mortality rates remain shockingly high.  A woman in Africa has a 1 in 26 chance to die in childbirth or from complications in pregnancy, compared with a likelihood of 1 in 7,300 in the developed world.

As we ponder these rather sombre facts still facing African States today, let us not also loose sight of the major developments that are taking place throughout the continent.  While looking at Africa as a whole, we should refrain from falling into the simplistic identification of Africa with the violent conflicts and despair that are affecting or have destabilized many of its members.  The reality is, indeed, more complex.  In recent years, many African States have made significant strides on several fronts.

Consider governance.  More African States have democratically elected Governments today than ever before.  And term limits are taking root as a democratic norm.  Freedom of the press is on the rise and more efforts are being expended to promoting transparency and accountability, and to the fight against corruption.

Africa’s regional and subregional institutions -- such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) -- are increasingly playing key roles in determining Africa’s agenda and providing leadership.

Over the years, the United Nations has developed productive partnerships with the African Union and with subregional organizations.  Today, we are working to strengthen those partnerships even further.  Close collaboration with regional actors and organizations is ever more critical for the successful management of conflicts in Africa.

As Africans have taken greater ownership of the security agenda, remarkable advances have been made in ending armed conflict and consolidating peace in many parts of the continent.  Compared to a decade ago, the number of violent conflicts has dropped dramatically.

Sierra Leone, which conducted successful elections in August and September this year, is the most recent manifestation of the positive trends.

Liberia is another shining example, as reflected by the presence here today of the first woman ever to be elected President of an African State.  We commend President [Ellen] Johnson-Sirleaf for her important contribution to advancing our shared goals.

In the Great Lakes region, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi have made steady progress in overcoming years of conflict and instability, and embarking on the path to peace.  There have been setbacks and many challenges remain.  But both countries hold great promise.

Progress has also been witnessed recently in the peace negotiations for northern Uganda.  It is crucial that the parties remain committed to the peace process, so that this brutal conflict can finally be brought to an end.

If we have reasons to feel encouraged on the peace and security front, comparable progress will be needed on the social and economic front, in order to maintain lasting peace and prosperity in Africa.

Indeed, issues of economic and social development cannot take a backseat to issues of peace and security.  The two go hand in hand.  That is why we must all do our part to promote the Millennium Development Goals -- our shared blueprint for creating a better world for all in the twenty-first century.

The Governments and people of Africa are working hard to overcome the longstanding challenges of poverty and to promote sustainable development.  They are doing so through the African Union, through the regional economic communities and through community-based and national programmes, with the support of the United Nations and other partners.

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism are fine examples of the resolve demonstrated by Africa to take full responsibility for its own future.  These encouraging developments have, in turn, helped boost economic growth and consolidate peace on the continent.

But open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory global trading and financial systems are equally critical to Africa’s development efforts.  The Doha Round must conclude early with a meaningful development package.  And aid for trade must be operationalized.

Many African States have already made good progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.  Many African countries have put in place robust strategies for meeting the Goals, as agreed at the 2005 World Summit. Over 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have prepared Millennium Development Goal-based plans.  Other countries are at advanced stages of elaborating their plans.  However, most have yet to receive adequate funding from Africa’s development partners.  And the gap between commitments and implementation is a major hindrance to attaining the Goals in Africa.

To help fill the implementation gap, the Secretary-General convened last month the Millennium Development Goals Africa Steering Group, supported by a Working Group, bringing together leaders of major multilateral and intergovernmental organizations.

As Deputy Secretary-General, I am following up on this important initiative, at the operational level, by chairing the MDG Africa Working Group.  Our aim is to accelerate efforts to follow through on existing promises by keeping our focus clearly on implementation.  We will work together with other stakeholders towards improving predictability and effectiveness of aid.

We also aim to strengthen our joint actions at the country level by using multilateral development cooperation more efficiently and coherently to help implement commitments in key areas like health, education, agriculture and food security, and infrastructure.

I commend Norway and Prime Minister [Jens] Stoltenberg for being an important driving force behind the initiative to forge a global partnership to ensure implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.  The recent pledge to contribute $1 billion in support of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 (reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health) is a demonstration of the commitment that can turn our vision to reality.

The time for words has passed.  We must follow through on existing promises and focus on implementation.

Member States of the United Nations agree that the three pillars of our work -- development, security and human rights -- are not only vitally important in their own right; they reinforce -- indeed, depend on -- each other.

On this front, the continent’s democratic reforms are good news.  That is because the surest safeguards of human rights and, indeed, of development, are political institutions, which allow the people of each country the decisive role in freely choosing their own leaders.

It is also good news that, throughout the continent, ordinary people are organizing themselves and making their voices heard in defence of human rights.  They are a source of great hope for Africa’s prospects.  And they are a testament to the crucial role of civil society in advancing our common objectives.

Achieving our shared goals in Africa demands that all stakeholders work hand in hand -- Governments, regional organizations, the United Nations system, civil society, the private sector and other partners.  Today, more than ever, strong partnerships are vital if we are to help tackle the continent’s many challenges and realize its great potential.

We in the United Nations are extremely grateful for Norway’s strong support.  I hope that our collaboration will continue to go from strength to strength, as we work together to ensure a more peaceful, prosperous and just future for the people of Africa.

At the beginning of this event, we enjoyed a beautiful performance entitled Umoja, which means “united” in Swahili.  Let’s bring new images of Africa Umoja.

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For information media • not an official record