ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONSIDERS REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES FOR DECADE 2001–2010

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONSIDERS REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMME

OF ACTION FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES FOR DECADE 2001–2010

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 19 July (UN Information Service) -- The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this afternoon considered the review and coordination of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010. 

Zamira Eshmambetova, Senior Programme Officer at the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked and Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, introducing the annual progress report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010, said the report showed that strong economic performance of least developed countries continued, with fewer countries, mainly Pacific islands, lagging behind.  International support to health was paying dividends, and social indicators were also improving, but overall socio-economic performance of African least developed countries had been significantly compromised by continuing population growth driven by the highest fertility rate in the world.  Creating productive employment and decent work for youth and adults was one of the greatest challenges in reaping the first demographic dividend in the least developed countries.

In the course of the general discussion, speakers mentioned that the report of the Secretary-General contained useful information on the results achieved and the challenges and difficulties encountered by the least developed countries.  The least developed countries had made tremendous efforts to build enabling national environments for the implementation of the Programme of Action.  It was noted that the economic performance of the least developed countries had been improving, and they were making good efforts towards attaining the target of annual GDP growth rate of 7 percent.  Many countries had also made remarkable progress in promoting good governance including creating a mechanism for participation, accountability and inclusive development.  But least developed countries had not yet acquired productive capacities and the competitive strength required in order to benefit from the on-going process of globalization.  Least developed countries should be helped to overcome the burden of their external debt.  The problem of debt should be resolved in consultation with these countries so that their contributions could be taken into account. 

Speaking in the course of the general discussion were representatives of: Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, Benin on behalf of the least developed countries, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea, Turkey, Nepal, Sudan, China, Guyana, Luxembourg and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 

The Council will resume its meeting on Friday, 20 July at 10 a.m., when it will begin its consideration of agenda item 7 entitled “coordination, programme and other questions”.

Document

The Council has before it the fifth results-oriented annual progress report of the Secretary-General on implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 (A/62/79-E/2007/63), which shows continued strong economic performance by least developed countries, with fewer countries, mainly Pacific islands, lagging behind.  Social indicators are also improving, but overall socio-economic progress in African least developed countries has been significantly compromised by continuing population growth driven by the highest fertility in the world.  International support for health is paying dividends in African least developed countries, but malnutrition appears to be worsening, particularly in rural areas where agriculture can hardly keep up with rapid population growth, environmental degradation and challenges associated with climate change.  As a result, African least developed countries increasingly face food shortages, disruption of food supplies and famine.

Presentation of Annual Progress Report

ZAMIRA ESHMAMBETOVA, Senior Programme Officer at the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, introducing the annual progress report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010, said the report showed that strong economic performance of least developed countries continued, with fewer countries, mainly Pacific islands, lagging behind.  International support to health was paying dividends, and social indicators were also improving, but overall socio-economic performance of African least developed countries had been significantly compromised by continuing population growth driven by the highest fertility rate in the world.  As hygiene, nutrition and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases improved, deaths would be increasingly shifted from children to older people. 

This dramatic change of the population structure would lead to the decrease of the child dependency ratio, and the increase of the economic support ratio.  It would provide the least developed countries with a demographic window of opportunity, which could increase their productivity, output and earnings, generate wealth, and improve the standard of living of the population.  Creating productive employment and decent work for youth and adults was one of the greatest challenges in reaping the first demographic dividend in the least developed countries.  Achieving the objectives of the Brussels Programme of making substantial progress towards halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and suffering from hunger by 2015 required greater donor focus on enhancing the productive capacity of the least developed countries. 

In the Millennium Declaration, the leaders of the world committed themselves to addressing the special needs of least developed countries.  This commitment was reaffirmed in the Brussels Declaration, and later in outcomes of various United Nations conferences and summits.  Most recently, it was reaffirmed in the Ministerial Declaration at the high-level meeting of the sixty-first session of the General Assembly.  Commitments were made and goals and targets were set.  What was now required were actions.  Moreover, if the goals and objectives of the Programme were to be achieved by 2010, then there was a need for urgent and bold actions.

General Discussion

FARHAT AYESHA ( Pakistan), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said the Group of 77 and China thanked the Secretary-General for the annual progress report on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010.  The report contained useful information on the results achieved and the challenges and difficulties encountered by the least-developed countries.  Unfortunately, the report did not address the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action from the perspective of Pakistan’s development partners, including the results achieved by them in the fulfilment of their commitments.  The General Assembly undertook the mid-term comprehensive review of the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action on 18-19 September 2006.  During the review process, the Group had noted with concern that the progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action had been insufficient and uneven.  Hence, very few least developed countries would be able to meet the objectives, goals and targets of the Programme of Action if current trends persisted. 

Least developed countries had made tremendous efforts to build an enabling national environment for the implementation of the Programme of Action.  The Group of 77 hoped that the international community would draw upon the results of the mid-term review and address the challenges that had been identified by the least developed countries themselves as contained in the Cotonou Strategy for the further implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action.  This would require the development partners to fully and in timely manner implement their commitments to least developed countries, including significant efforts from donors that had not yet done so.  The Group of 77 would also like to reiterate the critical importance of the participation of least developed countries in the annual review of the Programme of Action by ECOSOC.  The Group of 77 and China urge that the administrative and budgetary procedures should be respected and that no changes are made in the programmes and mandates of the organization without the approval of the General Assembly.

JEAN-MARIE EHOUZOU ( Benin), speaking on behalf of the least developed countries, said the report gave an inventory of the situation in the least developed countries, tying that in to their vision for the future.  It also gave information on the implementation of the Programme of Action, commitment by commitment.  However, the analysis and conclusions in the report did not lay sufficient stress on the activities undertaken by least developed countries development partners.  One of the objectives of the Brussels Programme was the revitalization of the links between the least developed countries and their development partners through mutual and shared responsibility.  There should be cooperation in order to bring about open and transparent development, supported by strong political will.  A great deal remained to be done, despite the efforts of the least developed countries.  Support measures at the international level did not always arrive at the right time to support the efforts the least developed countries were making themselves.

It should be borne in mind that the Programme of Action for the least developed countries rested on the specific commitments between them and their development partners.  In the framework of these commitments, each of the partners should shoulder their part of the burden fully, so each part of the bargain could be fulfilled.  There was still a glimmer of hope for the rest of the decade, and the goals of poverty eradication, peace, development, improving the quality of life for people in least developed countries and capacity building could be achieved, allowing the inhabitants of those countries to build themselves a better future by achieving development. 

JORGE ARTHURO REYES ( Venezuela) said Venezuela supported what had been said by Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.  While evaluating the Monterrey Consensus process, it was clear that most of the objectives would not be met for most of the countries, including the least developed countries.  Yet, some progress had been made.  Venezuela endorsed the desire of the least developed countries for development.  The development strategy should be compatible with the necessities, resources and possibilities of the different countries.  It was necessary to have policies helping countries to implement policies in a sovereign manner.  As world trade increased, levels of poverty and exclusion were also growing. 

Venezuela supported the initiative to help countries to overcome the burden of external debt.  In looking at the problem of debt, this should be done in consultation with the least developed countries so that their contributions could be taken into account.  Venezuela had always had links with African countries when it came to technical cooperation and South-South relations.  Venezuela was actively promoting multilateralism.  Venezuela also had ties with least developed countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.  It was transferring funds to help those countries to fight, among other things, desertification.  All that had been done without imposing conditions on the concerned countries.  It was possible to build a world other than that which economic superpowers were trying to impose nowadays. 

JAHAN ISMAT ( Bangladesh) said development was possible when a nation was determined to lift itself up by its own bootstraps.  The primary responsibility of development lay with national Governments.  However, national efforts should be supported by effective international assistance and a favourable international economic environment.  In the spirit of partnership, the international community had made a number of commitments in international conferences and summits.  The Secretary-General’s report underpinned that aid allocation by donors had been characterized by selectivity and high concentration - this should be addressed with urgency to enable the least developed countries to meet their required resources.  Multilateral negotiations in the World Trade Organization offered a framework to address temporary movement of service providers.  Unfortunately, little progress had been made so far.  In the current round of negotiations, it was critically important to have full market access for all categories of service providers from the least developed countries. 

Least developed countries were facing the huge burden of adjustment costs.  These critical issues should be addressed with utmost sincerity.  External debt continued to be a big challenge, as existing international debt relief initiatives had failed to deliver meaningful results.  All outstanding debt of all least developed countries should be written off without further categorization.  Climate change was a formidable global challenge, and least developed countries did not have the necessary capacity for adaptation.  They required sufficient resources and affordable access to technical know-how to address this imminent threat.  The two previous programmes of action for the least developed countries had failed to deliver, and it was hoped the third would not meet a similar fate.  It was important to combine all endeavours to achieve the goals set out in the Brussels Programme of Action.

BENIGNO-PEDRO MATUTE-TANG ( Equatorial Guinea) said Equatorial Guinea was on the list of the world’s poorest countries, being a member of the least developed countries.  It was true that the macroeconomic indicators had improved significantly in the last years thanks to the income from oil, which had a tendency to make the world see Equatorial Guinea as a middle-income country.  However, when analysing the social and economic situation, there was still a huge gulf between the level of economic growth and the standard of living of the population.  Equatorial Guinea supported what had been said by Benin on behalf of least developed countries and Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. 

Given the economic situation for the last 20 years, it would be unfair for the international community to take Equatorial Guinea off the list of least developed countries because its main resource was coming from oil, a non-renewable energy source.  Training of the country’s human resources was needed.  The effective implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 would require enormous resources.  Equatorial Guinea requested that it remain on the list of least developed countries. 

AHMET UZUMCU ( Turkey) said there was a strong trend of globalization which seemed irreversible; the position of the least developed countries in this process was particularly difficult.  Strengthening their ability to cope with the challenges of globalization and to benefit from its opportunities presented a tall order.  Promotion of economic growth, sustainable development, capacity building and good governance appeared to be the essential elements of success.  The least developed countries had achieved considerable progress in structural reforms, trade promotion and the development of private enterprise.  It was highly positive that the pro-poor growth approach had been integrated into their national poverty reduction strategies; however, despite their own efforts and assistance by donors, much remained to be done. 

The focus should be on the regional cooperation schemes, bearing in mind the positive impact that such arrangements could have on peace and stability.  This was a collective responsibility for the entire international community, and it should fulfil the commitments of official development assistance for least developed countries.  Cancellation of bilateral and multilateral debts and the acceleration of the World Trade Organization’s Doha Work Programme were also crucial.  Attention should be focused on strengthening and accelerating the effective implementation of the United Nations development agenda in general, and the Millennium Development Goals in particular.  Least developed country ministers at the Istanbul Ministerial Conference of least developed countries had called upon the international community to undertake pragmatic and innovative measures to further enhance the effective participation of least developed countries in the international dialogue and the decision making process. 

BHIM PRASAD NEUPANE ( Nepal) said Nepal associated itself with the statement made by Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and the statement by Benin on behalf of least developed countries.  Nepal concurred with the conclusion of the report of the Secretary-General that full adherence to the principles of country ownership, result-orientation, and genuine partnership among others were vital in the effective implementation of the Programme of Action for the Decade 2001-2010.  The economic performance of the least developed countries had been improving, and least developed countries were making good efforts towards attaining the target of annual GDP growth rate of 7 percent.  However, Nepal was concerned that social indicators in many of the least developed countries had not improved.  Many countries had also made remarkable progress in promoting good governance, including creating a mechanism for participation, accountability and inclusive development.  But least developed countries had not yet acquired productive capacities and the competitive strength required in order to benefit from the on-going process of globalization. 

Nepal reiterated that nothing less than full and timely implementation of the commitments of the Brussels Programme of Action would address the recurring poverty and marginalization of the least developed countries.  Least developed countries were crucially in need of an enhanced level of support and cooperation from the development partners, particularly by donor countries in meeting and exceeding the target of 0.15 to 0.20 percent of Gross National Product (GNP) in official development assistance to least developed countries.  Least developed countries were in need of increased public investment in building infrastructure and investing in education and capacity development.  Globalization could work for the least developed countries if they were beneficially integrated into the multilateral trading system and if the voice and participation of least developed countries in the international economic governance was insured.  Nepal was in an important political transformation process.  The Government had laid emphasis on strengthening the democratic system aimed at poverty alleviation and economic prosperity. 

NADIA MOHAMED K. OSMAN ( Sudan) said as the international community approached the end of the Brussels Programme of Action, it was faced with the daunting task of self-examination, of where it was, and the road ahead, and whether what had been achieved so far should give reasons for rejoicing.  Most of all, it was faced with the question of what would be the post-2010 situation, and how progress could be accelerated, and cooperation achieved to remove the obstacles that impeded efforts to eradicate poverty and the realization of the aspirations of people for genuine development.  Most least developed countries had demonstrated sincere commitments to the Programme of Action, by putting in place national development strategies, improving governance, and creating macro-economic climates conducive to economic growth, trade and investment.

In their efforts to secure a conducive environment, many least developed countries had implemented economic reform programmes with a reasonable degree of success, but these programmes, despite positive economic growth, fell short of bringing about the socio-economic structural changes and transformation that were required to substantially reduce poverty levels.  This was because positive developments had often been thwarted by lack of resources and financial shortages, adverse effects of climate change, unfair international terms of trade, weak capacities and poor infrastructure.  The availability of financial resources was crucial to the success of the Brussels Programme of Action, and combining this with efforts made at the national level should pave the way forward. 

YANG NINGNING ( China) said China associated itself with the statement made by Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77.  With the unremitting efforts of the least developed countries themselves and the active support from the international community, recent years had witnessed certain achievements in economic and social development in the least developed countries.  However, as a vulnerable group in the world economy, the least developed countries were still in danger of being marginalized in the process of economic globalization.  During last year’s mid-term review of the Programme of Action, in-depth discussions were held on the difficulties and challenges faced by least developed countries, systematic assessment was made on the implementation of the Programme of Action, and priorities of future cooperation were planned in a comprehensive way.  At this stage, one should maintain the spirit of global partnership, consolidate the achievements gained and focus on the aspects of resolutely fulfilling commitments, increasing development aid, expanding trade preferences, and strengthening capacity building. 

As a developing country, China fully understood the difficulties and challenges facing the least developed countries and firmly supported their development efforts.  China had comprehensively and intensively implemented the commitments contained in the Programme of Action, and had tried its best to help the least developed countries realize sustainable development.  China would also provide preferential loans and preferential export-buyers’ credit, further expand the size of its aid, establish the China-Africa Development Fund and help train human resources.  China’s aid and support to the least developed countries were an important part of the South-South cooperation, with absolutely no political strings attached.  With the sustained development of China’s economy, China would continue to actively fulfil all the commitments contained in the Programme of Action, intensify the mutually-beneficial and win-win cooperation with the least developed countries, and make greater contribution to the social and economic development of these countries.   

TROY F. TORRINGTON ( Guyana) said two aspects of importance in achieving the objectives of the Brussels Programme were financing for development, and the role of agricultural food security.  In recent years, least developed countries had reported many important developments - and these had invariably occurred in environments of sound economic management and with a context of favourable international partnerships.  The complementary action of the international community was not misplaced in fostering accelerated growth in least developed countries.  Adequate and predictable sources of financing for development, and greater support for agricultural development, food security and rural development were aspects that would ensure sustainable development. 

Adequate policies for least developed countries should take account of their peculiarities and ability to implement policies for sustainable development.  The revitalization of agriculture, rural development and food security should be at the heart of efforts to achieve the Brussels Programme and the Millennium Development Goals as a whole.  The efforts of the least developed countries in their development endeavours were commended. 

JEAN FEYDER ( Luxembourg) said that Luxembourg was delighted to see the discussion on the situation of least developed countries.  It was a very important discussion.  Luxembourg attached great important within its development strategy to cooperation with least developed countries.  Luxembourg fully respected the official development aid commitment toward least developed countries.  More than 20 percent of its aid was allocated to those countries.  With regard to the issue of agriculture, Luxembourg applauded the fact that more importance was given to agriculture in the documents.   Agriculture was important in Africa because a very large number of people were involved in this sector.  They were often small farmers.  Women were particularly important and had to do most of the work. 

Three quarters of the poorest people in the world lived in rural areas.  The situation needed to be remedied.  It was important that least developed countries gave a fresh priority to agriculture in their national development strategies.  The African Union recommended that 10 percent of the investments of developing countries should be dedicated to agriculture.  Thinking about trade rules, one should more closely look at the current rules to see whether and how they fostered development or not.  Within the World Trade Organization, a very good job was done with regard to the least developed countries.  Real assistance was provided there for least developed countries, when looking on how to overcome trade barriers, for example. 

INGEBORG BREINES, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said UNESCO was committed to assisting least developed countries ensure environmental sustainability through various means.  Education for Sustainable Development was critical for least developed countries, as there could be no long-term economic or social development without understanding the interdependence and fragility of planetary life support systems, and the natural resource base upon which human well-being depended.  In this regard, UNESCO was coordinating the efforts of Governments, educators and students in the least developed countries to integrate the theme of sustainable development in educational systems at all levels and through various means. 

UNESCO also helped build human and institutional capacities in least developed countries in the area of science and technology in order to assist the poor to benefit from improved access to natural resources, particularly to safe drinking water.  Emphasis had been placed on capacity building in areas such as the sustainable use of natural resources, including water; environmental management; the impact of climate change; and renewable energy in order to ensure environmental sustainability.  UNESCO also strove to support States in their initiatives to establish efficient sectoral cultural policies.

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