Sixty-third General Assembly

Fifth Committee

8^th Meeting (AM)

PROPOSALS TO STRENGTHEN DEVELOPMENT WORK OF UNITED NATIONS THREATENED

BY GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS, BUDGET COMMITTEE TOLD

 

‘Modest’ Increase in Resources Said to Be Insufficient to Meet Mandates

A number of speakers addressed the discrepancy between the needs of developing countries and the resources allocated to meet them, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today concluded its discussion on development-related activities of the United Nations.

The representative of India said that the “modest proposals before the Committee had been overtaken by the global financial crisis” and could be considered only a first small step.  As earlier in the Committee’s two-day review of the subject, others also continued to point out the decrease in resources allocated to development over the last 10 years, and noted that the Secretary-General’s current proposal to raise the allotment to 18.2 per cent would not even bring it back to the level at that time, and would be insufficient to meet increasing mandates.

It was argued that supporting the “development pillar” was essential to the other pillars of the United Nations -- the maintenance of peace and support of human rights. 

The representative of Guyana, speaking for the countries of the Caribbean Community, said that, without strengthening its development work, the Organization would not be successful in preventing conflicts, building peace, countering terrorism, advancing human rights or consolidating principles of the rule of law and democracy. 

Ecuador’s representative cited Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, in saying that development should be understood not as growth but as a way to achieve welfare and human dignity, the only real solution to getting clear of the current crisis and the only instrument for peacekeeping available to the Organization. 

Another topic of importance to delegates was the Secretariat’s role in coordinating development activities.  The representative of Kazakhstan noted that the crises facing the world today put social progress and existence itself at stake.  The time had come to improve coordination of the activities of all involved.  Many delegations noted the significance of the regional commissions in that regard. 

Other speakers raised the essential nature of the coordinated efforts of entities within the United Nations.  The significance of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs was singled out in this regard, the representative of Syria noting that the Department was at the heart of development, since it was responsible for the Organization’s development agenda as a whole.  However, while its responsibilities had increased, it had not been provided with greater resources.

Also taking part in the discussion were the representatives of Argentina, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Algeria, Congo, Chile, Russian Federation, Venezuela, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Qatar and Nigeria.

The Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs spoke in response.

The Committee will meet again at a date to be announced.

Background

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met today to continue its discussion of development-related activities within the framework of the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009.  (For background information, see Press Release GA/AB/3865 of 14 October.)

Statements

NIRUPAM SEN ( India) said that, if anything, modest proposals before the Committee had been overtaken by the global financial crisis and could only be welcomed as a good first step.  The Charter of the United Nations recognized that economic and social development was crucial to building the foundations of a world where security, human rights and fundamental freedoms were guaranteed for all.  Against that background, it was unfortunate and inexplicable that, in the midst of the implementation phase of internationally-agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, appropriations for development-related sections of the budget had decreased from 21.8 per cent in 1998-1999 to 17.8 per cent in 2008-2009 and the proportion of posts under those budget sections had gone down from 33.5 per cent to 29.9 per cent.  By approving 152 new posts at a cost of $25.5 million for development-related activities, Member States would be merely increasing the percentage of development-related appropriation to 18.2 per cent and the percentage of posts to 30.2 per cent, a level that would be still below the 1998-1999 figures.

For United Nations leadership on development to be real, the Organization’s mandated responsibilities for development had to be matched with adequate, sustained and predictable resources, he continued.  Critical gaps had arisen in the capacity of the Secretariat development pillar, and urgent action was required to plug those gaps.  As to the argument that resources dedicated to development in the regular budget did not reflect the real picture, because a large chunk of resources was channelled through funds and programmes on a voluntary basis, the Board of Auditors had noted that “the proportionate decrease in regular resources and increase in other resources meant that projects were being executed on the basis of donor requirements and few projects were being executed through voluntary contributions in fulfilment of the objective and mandates of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)”.  That could be true for any fund or programme where voluntary funding was predominant.  While acknowledging development-related work by the funds and programmes, he insisted that strengthening of the United Nations analytical and normative functions for poverty eradication and sustainable development could not be ignored.

He added that the monopolization of economic advice by the Bretton Woods institutions and their policy prescriptions had only aggravated past crises in developing countries, and it had been irrelevant to the present financial crisis in the developed countries.  The current global financial crisis could be used to bring about much-needed reforms of international economic governance, which would give a leading oversight role to the United Nations and lead to a fundamental reform of the Bretton Woods institutions.  In fact, he was glad to see recent headlines, which showed that European leaders were now also calling for the reform of those institutions.

The legitimacy and neutrality of the United Nations would ensure the acceptability and success of policy formulation.  To attain those objectives, it would be essential that, once the General Assembly approved the resources proposed by the Secretary-General, the Secretariat should be held accountable for hiring high-quality human resources in economics and other social sciences, which would in turn produce outstanding work in development-related areas and be an adequate technical resource for Member States in their efforts to promote development and the reform of the Bretton Woods institutions.  He said that he wanted to emphasize that point, because he found the process of recruitment in the Secretariat “somewhat dysfunctional”.

He concurred with the Advisory Committee’s observation that the organizational changes proposed for the merger of the Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States with the Office of the Special Adviser for Africa were inconsistent with relevant decisions of the Assembly.  Moreover, the Secretary-General had not provided supporting analysis and rationale for the realignment.  Given the special needs of Africa and the world’s poorest countries, he was also concerned that the initiative could undermine the required dedicated high-level attention to their needs.  His delegation fully and categorically supported the approval of all the resources proposed.  That would make a valuable contribution in making the United Nations “somewhat better equipped” to face the formidable challenges of eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development.

GEORGE TALBOT ( Guyana), speaking on behalf of the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), aligned himself with the statement of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China.  He said development should not be a privilege of the few, but a right and interest of all.  Development had been central to the United Nations from the beginning, but the rate of development had fallen behind expectations over the last two decades.  He noted that it was generally accepted that the United Nations development agenda was as important as the Organization’s work in peace and human rights.  Those three areas were interlinked, mutually reinforcing and of equal importance.

Without strengthening its development work, he said, the Organization would not be successful in preventing conflicts, building peace, countering terrorism, advancing human rights or consolidating principles of rule of law and democracy.  CARICOM believed that the best peacekeeping instrument was a strong development pillar, something the founders had also believed.  Today, he said, there was a risk that development gains would be reversed.  The World Bank’s most recent data put the number of people living in poverty at 2.4 billion, half a billion more than previously thought.  This, he noted, was at a time of food, energy and financial crises.

Addressing those challenges, he continued, required strengthening the analytical capacity of the Secretariat, and it was imperative to lay the basis for discussing and adopting norms and policy guidelines to deal with their fundamental causes and solutions.  The international community must find alternative policies to achieve sustained growth and poverty reduction in developing countries and those emerging from conflict in a globalized and competitive environment.  Resources must be provided to strengthen the Organization’s capacity to monitor developments and provide early warnings on key development issues.

The Secretary-General’s proposals to increase the share of the budget for development activities to 18.2 per cent showed recognition of the imbalance between the three pillars, but did not address it, nor even bring the percentage of the budget for development back to the level of 10 years ago.  The proposals were an important, but small step in the right direction, he went on.  The needs of the Secretariat in the field of development must be kept under constant review.  The current crises demanded that review now.

All the development entities of the United Nations, even those not mentioned in the report, could play a vital role in promoting development.  He singled out the importance of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for the work it had done to promote economic and social development in CARICOM countries.  He also noted the role of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) whose resources were to have been strengthened, but instead were cut.  Noting that the Development Account, 10 years after its establishment, was still not close to its $200 million goal, he called for a viable system to ensure its sustained funding.

DIEGO LIMERES ( Argentina) said he supported the position of the Group of 77 and China and the Rio Group and his country agreed with the Secretary-General’s observations on the need to strengthen the development pillar of the Organization.  He was convinced that the quest for peace and security and the observance of human rights and development mutually reinforced each other, being a clear mission of the United Nations.  The World Summit had emphasized development as one of the fundamental objectives of the Organization, yet the structure of the United Nations had not adapted to the requests made by the Summit.  The Secretary-General’s comprehensive report on reforming the development sector had now been presented to the Committee.  Unfortunately, the report did not include the prospects for the Development Account, but his delegation would take part in the consultations on that issue as soon as a relevant report was available.  Following the delay in considering development-related activities, the General Assembly must take up the development issue now.

The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals seemed further and further away for a number of countries, and it was important to act with urgency and determination now to support the efforts of Governments in their quest for comprehensive inclusive development, he said.  His region received assistance from the United Nations system.  In particular, ECLAC provided invaluable aid in strengthening Member States’ capacity.  His country welcomed the intention of that Commission to rejuvenate and expand its human resources.  His country thanked the donor countries and funds and programmes of the United Nations for their work, but it believed the Secretariat had the obligation to provide a strategically integrated approach to development, complementing and strengthening the tasks of agencies from the point of view of analysis and coordination.

BASHAR JA’AFARI ( Syria) said his country aligned itself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China.  Development was one of the main areas of United Nations activities.  Social and economic development across the globe would alleviate conflicts and violations of human rights, which were rooted in dreadful social and economic conditions.  Articles 1 and 55 of the Charter recognized that social and economic development was fundamental to ensuring peace and security.

He said political affairs and human rights had been enhanced in the Organization through many resolutions and actions.  It was equally necessary to enhance the development pillar.  The Secretary-General’s report did not propose anything new for development, but sought to increase resources for what was already being done.  Strict budgetary constraints diluted the development efforts of the Secretariat, as resources were spread too thinly by over too many activities.

He said he supported the Secretary-General’s report, agreeing that the proposals therein would allow the Secretariat, at least partially, to pursue its development agenda.  The Department of Economic and Social Affairs was at the heart of development, as it was responsible for the Organization’s development agenda as a whole.  However, that Department was deadlocked.  Its responsibilities had increased, he said, but it had not been provided with greater resources.  It was well known to be one of the most poorly resourced departments in the Secretariat.

Further, he supported the work of regional organizations, and singled out support for the work of the regional commission for West Africa.  He said he understood there would be some increases to the regular budget if the proposals were adopted, but noted that development was only a very small portion of the budget.  He would welcome further proposals on development from the Secretary-General.  Providing additional resources for people throughout the world would provide for longer-term savings, since it would lead to peace and security and the protection of human rights.

MARIA RUBIALES DE CHAMORRO (Nicaragua) endorsed the position of the Group of 77 and China and the Rio Group and said that, in the whole process of United Nations reform, the strengthening of the development pillar was the one element that had unequivocal legislative mandate with the adoption of the Summit Outcome and resolution 62/236 on the regular budget of the Organization.  Building the Organization’s capacity to fulfil the international development agenda required an understanding of the inter-relationship between the three pillars of the Organization.  Without development, there could be no peace and security, or enjoyment of human rights, yet the proportion of the budget for development-related activities had shrunk over the years.  Similarly, the level of the Development Account and its financing mechanism were, sadly, ridiculous.  The presentation of the report on the Development Account would be made later, but she regretted that to date, the Secretariat had not shown any will to make use of that instrument to strengthen some of the development activities.  Non-inclusion of the Development Account in a supposedly comprehensive report before the Committee was an illustration of that shortcoming.

Rarely in the past had the world had to face so many crises collectively, including climate change and energy and food crises, she continued.  Each had its solution, provided “the mother of all crises” was addressed, which was the lack of political will.  The old model of exploitation of the majority by the minority had to be changed, and the United Nations had a key role in that regard.  International financial institutions had shown their incompetence, unable to prevent an alarming economic and financial crisis.  In fact, their policies had worsened poverty.  A sad example of that was the current food crisis.  The international community had to free hundreds of millions of dispossessed from the yoke of extreme poverty of the capitalist model of exploitation, which was founded on the slave trade.  That model was the main threat to world peace today.  The Organization could not ignore that and had to be a driving force for forging a new economic model.  The General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council had given new impulse to putting order in the world economic and financial architecture.

Nicaragua, she said, would be eager to back the proposal of the Secretary-General, so that, in the light of many crises, the world could see the beginning of strengthening the role of the Secretariat in supporting the achievement of international development agenda.  The strengthening of the Secretariat and regional commissions could be a first step towards empowering the Organization in a range of issues related to the development agenda. 

KARLA SAMAYOA-RECARI ( Guatemala) endorsed the statements of the Group of 77 and China, and of the Rio Group.  She said it was important to support the three pillars of the United Nations, and that included the development pillar.  Member States also supported the Organization’s role in development as demonstrated at the 2005 World Summit and through the Millennium Declaration, and the Monterrey Consensus, among others.  She expressed concern that there had been nominal zero growth in the development budget for 2008-2009.  The Secretary-General’s proposals for the budget were imbalanced, she said, noting that the General Assembly had requested a proposal to strengthen the United Nations architecture for development.  The only reform that had been carried out was reform of the Economic and Social Council, which was done through the use of existing resources.

For the United Nations to be stronger, the development pillar had to be stronger.  Without that, she said, there would be no peace and security.  Resources for development had been meagre and spread over a broad range of activities; this had led to shortcomings.  She hoped the Secretary-General’s report for the budget 2010-2011 would be a balanced proposal.  There had been rumours of a requested “across-the-board” cut of 2 per cent for that budget; she hoped this would not be true in the case of development.

ABDELATIF DEBABECHE ( Algeria) said he supported the position of the Group of 77 and China and the African Group, and noted that recent coordinated moves in international markets by the richest nations to bring about stability and confidence related to the “intertwining” of relations that governed today’s international scene.  Even the richest countries had to coordinate common policies to try to extricate themselves from serious financial problems, while all suffered from climate change, depletion of resources and inflation in food prices.  If development could not be the outcome of a common endeavour, the developing countries had just to bear the brunt of the negative impact of an order they had not created.  Because of the injection of “fabulous amounts” in the world financial system, inflation was rampant and prices for commodities were failing, thus jeopardizing sustainable development plans and strategies which were based on only a few currencies.  The Doha round of trade talks was at a standstill and financial speculation was taking its toll on the weakest.  There were also ominous signs that the Millennium Development Goals would not be reached.

He said that, while a total revamping of the international monetary system was more than ever the order of the day, it was evident that the symbiotic correlation between the three axes of peace, human rights and development was of utmost significance.  Concentrating on just one aspect to the detriment of two others was not the correct path to follow.  He was disturbed by the findings of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) in relation to the trend of a decrease in the appropriations related to the development sector and the weakening of capacities of regional commissions.  The discussion of the report before the Committee was long overdue, and it was about time “to mingle words with deeds”.  Solidarity should be the order of the day.  The countries already dispensing 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) for development-related activities were setting an example that should be followed.

Continuing, he said he supported the reform of the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, adding that the Secretary-General’s proposals constituted an important step in the right direction, considering the multiplication of mandates to be carried out.  While resources were important, it was essential to carry out related mandates with the same diligence as any other legislative mandate.  It was necessary to transfer savings made from streamlining mandates to development activities.

The question of the Development Account should be part and parcel of the whole exercise, and he deplored the absence of the ACABQ report on that item.  He also insisted on the paramount importance of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and took note with interest of the Secretary-General’s conclusions in paragraphs 77 to 88 of his sixth report on the implementation of NEPAD (A/63/206).  He also fully agreed with the conclusion in paragraph 88 of document A/63/212 that, “without development, there will be no durable peace”.  The proposals before the Committee, more than the price tag they induced, carried with them a simple message related to the political will to confront the ills of today’s world.  That was a challenge everybody had to confront, one that the international community could not afford to lose. 

JUSTIN BIABAROH-IBORO ( Congo) joined the statement made on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.  He said the Millennium Summit and the World Summit of 2005 provided the framework for the international community to undertake development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.  He named seven priority areas which needed to be addressed:  achievement of those Goals; economic development, trade and finance; south-south cooperation and economic integration; gender equality in development; the environment, climate change and sustainable development; regional aspects of development; and, finally, support for intergovernmental processes.  He said he was concerned with the achievement of coherence, complementarity and interdependence of all parties working towards common goals, and asked for greater clarity in the division of responsibilities and coordination among those entities carrying out development activities.

Africa, he continued, was the continent most affected by armed conflicts; the food, energy and financial crises; climate change; HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, among other scourges endangering entire populations.  The political declaration adopted at the High-Level Meeting on Africa’s development needs, on the eve of the current session of the General Assembly, called for revitalizing financing for development in Africa; improving institutional capacities; ending armed conflicts; and mitigating the effects of climate change and the food crisis.  Yet resources allocated for development had been reduced over the last 10 years from 21.8 per cent to 17.8 per cent.  Posts for those budget sections had also been decreased.

He said it was not through reorganization and reappropriation, as proposed by the Secretary-General, that this imbalance between mandates and resources allocated for them could be rectified.  Rather, it was necessary to look for lasting solutions and to increase both financial and human resources for development.

ABRAHAM QUEZADA ( Chile) said he supported the position of the Group of 77 and China and the Rio Group, and development-related activities must be dealt with on an equal footing with peace and security and human rights.  He therefore saw a special need for sufficient, constant and predictable resources towards that end.  However, in practice there had been a reduction in the proportion of development-related activities in the budget, and it was the duty of the Fifth Committee to reverse that trend.  The request of the Secretary-General for $25.5 million was leading in the right direction.  Such resources would be used for the creation of 152 new posts, to strengthen the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Office of the High Commissioner on Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and to reactivate NEPAD.  A significant part would be used for strengthening the regional dimension of development.  In that connection, there should be a focus on the inclusion of ECLAC in the budget resources.

Among the areas relevant for development, he listed financing for development, recognition of special needs of middle-income countries, creation of the national capacity, good governance at both national and international levels, gender equity and empowerment of women, as well as south-south and triangular cooperation.  The proposals before the Committee would give the Secretariat sufficient means to fulfil its mandate.  The Secretariat should have the means, mandates and capacity to act in an effective and efficient way.  Midway towards the Millennium Development Goals, there was no doubt that most regions of the world would not reach those goals.  The world was also facing one of its greatest financial crises, along with the food crisis.  Challenges were huge, and urgent concerted action could not be delayed.  Calling on the donors to implement their official development assistance goals and efficient public policies, he said he was convinced that it was not a good idea to link the development pillar to other aspects of the United Nations agenda.  He hoped there would be a global view for cooperation and flexibility in the process.  Many people were expecting a specific resolution on development from the Assembly.

ANDREY V. KOVALENKO ( Russian Federation) said that, under conditions of globalization and growing global economic instability, there was a further need for the United Nations to develop balanced, consensual approaches to resolving problems of security, development and human rights.  For that reason, he supported strengthening the development pillar of the United Nations.  Overall, he supported the priorities named in the report and agreed with the substantive and organizational challenges noted therein.  He said the goals of reform should be to improve the Secretariat’s effective realization of mandates by Member States and intergovernmental bodies of the Organization.

The establishment of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs in 1997 had laid a foundation for strengthening the Organization’s role in economic and social matters, he continued.  It was a focal point within the United Nations in the area of economic analysis and forecasting.  The Department’s low-cost work should be supported.

Improving the effectiveness of the regional economic commissions was of particular importance.  He proposed that strengthening the role of those commissions at the subregional level could be achieved through coordinating their activities with those of other subregional institutions for integration.  Their efforts should not be duplicated by other United Nations entities.  He further said that it was of key importance to closely examine structures and posts proposed for the strategic development strategy.

AURA MAHUAMPI RODRIGUEZ DE ORTIZ (Venezuela), endorsing the position of the Group of 77 and China and the Rio Group, stressed the need for constant efforts to respond in an effective way to the challenges in the three basic areas of peace, development and human rights.  She said her country believed that economic and social development was needed to maintain international peace and security, as stated in the Charter of the United Nations.  The proposal to increase the proportion of development activities in the budget for 2008-2009 to 18.2 per cent was not sufficient to offset the current imbalance between those three pillars of the United Nations.  She also stressed the importance of maintaining the Development Account as part of the Organization’s development agenda.  More than 10 years after its creation, it was far from the level of $200 million that was set for its financing.  The mechanisms for transfer of savings to the Development Account had not been successful, either.  It was necessary to establish a serious efficient mechanism to support the Account.

She said the only reform with a mandate from the Assembly related to the development pillar, yet there had been no interest in or resources for the others; the United Nations must be more effective in that regard.  Developed countries must comply with the commitment of 0.7 per cent of GDP for official development assistance, which should be distributed in an equitable way, leaving aside political considerations.  The world was facing one of the worst crises ever.  Unless immediate action was taken, the situation could become even more detrimental to countries, especially the most vulnerable ones.  The cost of dealing with the situation should not be placed on the shoulders of the whole world, however.   Venezuela believed that, without development, peace and security could not be achieved.  It was time to attach greater importance to development. 

LOY HUI CHIEN ( Singapore) reaffirmed his country’s support for the United Nations development agenda, saying there should be no illusions about the magnitude of the task ahead of the international community.  Acute problems of poverty and lack of access to basic amenities in many developing countries continued to make a mockery of international efforts to improve the human condition.  Those problems had been aggravated by rising food and energy prices and by the ongoing financial crisis.  Many calls for strong leadership and numerous suggestions for reform had been made, but it was troubling that the United Nations had been largely absent from those voices.  The Organization had not demonstrated initiative to calm the current financial turmoil.  In that context, strengthening the development pillar was, at the minimum, extremely important, and should not be relegated to a lower priority vis-à-vis the other better-known pillars of human rights, and of peace and security.  Indeed, continued relevance of the United Nations would depend greatly on whether it was able to achieve results in that area.  Therefore, the Secretary-General’s report was a meaningful step in the right direction.

Strengthening the development pillar must be viewed as a long-term endeavour.  It would take many years before the world saw the fruits of that labour.  Member States must be prepared to commit sufficient resources in a sustained manner.  “To do otherwise”, he continued, “would be to set ourselves up for failure, and we would have let down the hopes and expectations of the world’s ‘bottom billion’”.  It was also imperative to ensure systematic follow-up for Member States to exercise their responsibilities and to reinforce the development agenda of the United Nations.  It was also necessary to ensure that the resources translated into meaningful results.  All too often, they went into funding “all sorts of seminars and meetings in places like New York or Geneva”.  It might be better to direct some of those resources into activities in the field instead.  While there were times when meetings were necessary, in such instances, the Secretariat must ensure real and effective follow-up on the ground.  It was important to make sure that each dollar counted towards development, not pontification.

Resources should go to all countries that needed it, he said.  The Deputy Secretary-General had highlighted the mismatch between United Nations-mandated responsibilities and the resources available, and the Secretary-General’s proposal went some way towards addressing that.  However, there remained some areas needing greater attention.  For example, the Secretary-General was proposing only a modest increase in resources for the Pacific Islands, even though they were among the States most vulnerable to natural disasters.  Considering that the regional commission for those countries was many thousands of miles away in Bangkok, perhaps it was necessary to think how to strengthen the work of the United Nations in those countries.  The Caribbean Island States had similar challenges and would definitely need more assistance.  The Secretary-General also continued to propose only one Under-Secretary-General to handle sizeable portfolios of development for Africa and the world’s poorest countries, including least developed countries.  Did that arrangement do justice to the needs of all those countries? he asked, perhaps the matter needed to be further looked into.

GULZARA TUYUNBAYEVA ( Uzbekistan) said that the United Nations was a complex organization, and noted that one of the main goals of the reform begun in 1997 was to improve coordination with the system.  To improve coordination and effectiveness in the area of development, the Secretariat must be strengthened in that area.  The Secretary-General’s report relied on the coordinating role of the regional commissions to realize the United Nations global programme.  She said the Central Asian regional Commission was an integral part of achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the region.

Central Asia was becoming one of the centres for growth in Eurasia, she said.  Its significant human and natural resources, including energy resources, among other assets, should help increase the region’s role in the global economy.  She welcomed the Secretary-General’s proposal to open a joint department of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the European Economic Commission in the region to support United Nations programmes within the framework of the Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), a mechanism for regional cooperation.  Marking its tenth anniversary, the Special Programme was currently working on the development of transport infrastructure and simplifying border crossing procedures, among other projects.

MARIA FERNANDA ESPINOSA ( Ecuador) aligned herself with the statements of the Group of 77 and China, and of the Rio Group.  She said the damage from the current economic, food, energy, climate and financial crises could not be mitigated because those responsible for those crises were not taking effective measures.  The United Nations must propose concrete measures to build a new international economic order.  There was a lack of structure in assigning the resources the Organization relied on to respond to actual challenges as well as to principles stated in the Charter.

All nations had the right to development, she went on.  She quoted Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, in saying that development should be understood not as growth but as a way to achieve welfare and human dignity, the only real solution to getting out of the current crisis and the only instrument for peacekeeping available to the Organization.  In that context, she said, she supported the Secretary-General’s proposal to increase to 18.2 per cent the share of development activities in the regular budget.  However, the proposal was insufficient to compensate for the imbalance with the other two pillars of the Organization.

Assessment of sufficient resources, while still not achieved, was not the ultimate goal; strengthening the capacities of the Organization’s development entities such as the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the regional commissions was also required, as well as clarifying the roles of the various funds and programmes.

RASHID BUGALOOF ( Qatar) supported the position of the Group of 77 and China and said that he firmly believed in the importance of development.  The United Nations Charter asserted the essential role of economic and social development for creating world peace and cooperation.  The Secretariat’s capacity to meet its responsibilities in the development sphere needed to be strengthened.  Achieving the Millennium Development Goals depended on increasing resources in order to fill the development gap, but those resources still did not meet the objectives.  Assistance should be provided to developing States to address such new challenges as food and energy crises and climate change.  However, the proportion of resources devoted to development-related activities had fallen over the past decade.  Therefore, he supported the recommendations before the Committee that aimed to fill that gap.

He added that some developed States had made pledges to provide official development assistance, which should represent 0.7 per cent of their GDP.  Those promises had often not been met.   Qatar, however, exceeded that goal.  He also addressed the preparations for the international meeting on follow-up to the Monterrey Conference, expressing hope that financing for development would spread to new areas and that there would be an objective monitoring of the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus.  He said the conference would be taking place at an appropriate time, given the urgency of reviewing progress in development, and would find a way forward. 

BYRGANYM AITIMOVA ( Kazakhstan) said development assistance and debt relief were key priorities of the United Nations development agenda.  The importance of the development pillar was demonstrated by the renewed promises of the Group of Eight (G-8) countries and political declarations adopted by the General Assembly during the recent high-level events on the development needs of Africa; the review of progress on the Millennium Development Goals; and the midterm review of the Almaty Programme of Action.  The crises facing the world today put social progress and existence itself at stake.  The time had come to improve coordination of the activities of all stakeholders.

She noted that, during the recent high-level meeting on the midterm review of the Almaty Programme of Action, all States had unanimously adopted new modalities of international cooperation to ensure stable economic growth and redress trade imbalances for landlocked developing countries, so as to achieve their development priorities in accordance with the goals and targets of the Programme.  She looked to the international community for concrete strategies in developing transport capabilities, social and economic infrastructure, promotion of trade and access to global markets, to enhance the global partnership in providing assistance.  She further looked forward to working with the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

She said she was pleased to note that budget appropriations for development-related activities were being increased, but expressed doubt that assigning the functions of the Special Adviser on Africa in support of NEPAD to the Office of the High Representative would make either Office more effective or efficient.  Agreeing with the findings of ACABQ, she called for clarification of the adjustments proposed for the Office of the High Representative for the poorest countries.  She noted that changes to existing mandates could be made only by the General Assembly, and she called for the Secretary-General’s report to be brought into alignment with relevant Assembly resolutions.

She urged urgent and careful consideration of proposals to enhance development-related mandates and activities from the standpoint of delivering effective, efficient and coordinated results.  She further said that the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the regional commissions and the Development Cooperation Forum should continue to work to build coherence in United Nations development work.

T.D. HART ( Nigeria) said the current global financial turmoil attested to the need for strengthening the United Nations role in supporting development.  “The speed and progress that have been made in repositioning the work of the United Nations in peace and security matters must also be brought to bear on the development pillar,” he said.  Nigeria applauded the efforts of the Secretary-General, modest as the steps were, to strengthen the normative and analytical capacity of the Organization in the development pillar.  One must not lose sight of the fact that those were only initial steps in the overall action needed to put development at the centre of United Nations activities.  The United Nations experienced serious constraints in the resource base for development, and the appropriations for development-related activities had dropped over the past decade.  A 4-per cent loss in vital resources in the face of growing multi-faceted development challenges neither spoke of an appreciation of the enormity of the challenges, nor a demonstrable political will or commitment to overcome them.  The marginal increase of the regular budget to 18.2 per cent for development activities, though positive, did not go far enough to significantly redress the gross imbalance in United Nations activities.  Indeed, the United Nations needed more and not less resources for development-related activities.

He said Nigeria expected the ongoing reforms in the United Nations to result in an organization that could mobilize its strength to make contributions in areas that mattered the most –- economic development, environmental protection and social development.  He awaited the Secretary-General’s proposal on the Development Account as part of the comprehensive proposals for improving the effective and efficient delivery of development-related mandates of the United Nations.  The result of the last 10 years showed that a piecemeal approach to financing and meeting the $200-million target of the Account was not working.  There was an urgent need to provide sufficient funding for the Development Account in the context of promoting system-wide coherence, effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of United Nations mandates. 

THOMAS STELZER, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, responded that the Department of Economic and Social Affairs had been following the debate with great attention, and had prepared its proposals for development meticulously.  He noted that the Russian Federation would receive a response to its question.

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For information media • not an official record