Sixty-fourth General Assembly

Plenary

75^th Meeting (AM)

General Assembly Urges Backing for Steps to Address Poverty Eradication in Africa,

 

Private Sector Support, Market Access, Debt Relief, in Consensus Resolution

 

Text, Positioned in Context of Implementation of African Union’s Development

Framework, Reiterates Need for Coherence of Trade Policies towards African Nations

Concerned at Africa’s low share of international trade, rising unemployment and slowed capital inflows in the wake of the world financial crisis, General Assembly delegates today adopted a consensus text urging continued support of measures to address poverty eradication, debt relief, improved market access and support for the private sector, within the context of the African Union’s cornerstone policy framework for increasing economic integration among nations.

By the text ‑‑ New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD):  progress in implementation and international support (document A/64/L.38/Rev.1) ‑‑ introduced by Yemen’s representative on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, the Assembly reiterated the need for all countries and relevant multilateral institutions to enhance coherence of their trade policies towards African nations.  It acknowledged the importance of fully integrating African countries into the global trade system, including through initiatives such as Aid for Trade, and further, called for a comprehensive solution to African nations’ external debt problems, including through cancellation or restructuring.

For their part, African countries were encouraged to strengthen governance institutions, create conducive conditions for including the private sector in the New Partnership implementation process and attract foreign direct investment for the region’s development.  The Assembly welcomed progress in implementing the African Peer Review Mechanism ‑‑ a voluntary self-monitoring system to foster the New Partnership development objectives ‑‑ and encouraged States that had not done so to consider joining it.  It also welcomed the commitment by African leaders to raise the share of agriculture and rural development in budget spending.

By other terms, the Assembly requested that the Organization continue providing assistance to the African Union and the New Partnership secretariat, and that the Secretary-General both promote greater coherence in the United Nations support for the New Partnership and take measures to strengthen the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa.

Also today, the General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) appointed Anupam Ray (India) as a member of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for a term of office beginning on 16 Marchand ending on 31 December 2010.

In other business, the Assembly took note of two letters from the Secretary-General to the President of the General Assembly (documents A/64/631/Adds.6 and 7) in which he communicates that the Marshall Islands and the Dominican Republic had made the necessary payments to reduce their arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the United Nations Charter.

[Article 19 states that a United Nations Member which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years.]

The General Assembly will reconvene at a time and date to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record