Least Developed Nations Declare They Lived Up to Their End of Bargain, Say Donors Must Live Up to Theirs, as Istanbul Conference Continues
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| Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York |
Least Developed Nations Declare They Lived Up to Their End of Bargain,
Say Donors Must Live Up to Theirs, as Istanbul Conference Continues
In Complex Aid Construct, Least Developed Seek ‘Real’ Chance;
Developed Nations Urge Them to ‘Take Development into Their Own Hands’
(Received from a UN Information Officer.)
ISTANBUL, 9 May — Declaring that they had lived up to their end of the development partnership bargain, leaders from developing nations called for renewed political will from donors to help them stimulate economic activity, create jobs, participate as equals in global trade and turn back the ravages of poverty, as talks on a new 10-year development programme for the world’s poorest countries got under way in Istanbul this afternoon.
“What we want is clear: we want to diversify our economies; achieve market access; have fair trade rules; benefit from technology transfer; and improve our infrastructure,” said Rupiah Bwezani Banda, President of Zambia, as he addressed Heads of State, representatives of civil society, the private sector and international agencies gathered in the Turkish capital for the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which opened today and runs through Friday, 13 May.
The Conference, convened to identify measures to build on the 2001 Brussels Programme of Action and lead to economic self-sufficiency in 48 of the world’s most vulnerable nations opened this morning with addresses from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, General Assembly President Joseph Deiss and Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey, among other high-level officials. (See Press Release DEV/2880.)
President Banda this afternoon stressed that the Brussels action plan had been shaped by the Millennium Development Goals, but that its implementation had been mixed and its objectives had not adequately addressed challenges specific to least developed countries, particularly weak productive capacity, inadequate financial resources and poor infrastructure. Zambia had aligned its development strategies with the Brussels Programme. Yet, while it had achieved a measure of economic growth during the past decade, it had not been able to significantly reduce poverty. One of the country’s most abiding challenges had proved to be generating productive employment.
He said that even as the international community sought to institute the proposed Istanbul programme of action, the hoped-for outcome of the current Conference, all stakeholders must acknowledge that the only way it would succeed was if it was implemented in full. Success hinged on broad and effective cooperation between the least developed countries and donors. Such cooperation not only would ensure progress towards attaining the Millennium Goals, but also would help meet the target of graduating half the least developed countries from the United Nations list by 2015.
“It is unconscionable and unacceptable that so many people remain desperately poor in today’s world,” said Mohammed Gharib Bilal, Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Much had been done to implement the Brussels Programme of Action, but clearly it was not enough. Many poor countries had fulfilled most, if not all, of their responsibilities under the plan, but it was disappointing that some of the commitments made by development partners remained unmet. “We must be more ambitious in Istanbul.”
He said his country had met its commitments, as noted in its 2009 national report. He had come to Istanbul to conclude one important task: to determine how to help countries like his own to graduate from the “sad” status of least developed country. He was asking for a real opportunity for his country to self-develop and he invited genuine partnership focused on key obstacles. A renewed, precise agreement for that purpose was needed, with numerical targets and support of key areas of interventions, which went beyond the Brussels Programme.
While acknowledging the critical role played by donor countries and development partners, Yves Leterme, Prime Minister of Belgium, urged Governments of the least developed countries to “take development into their own hands”, by committing themselves to institutional reforms and accountability. Good governance was absolutely essential. Community empowerment, the rule of law, respect for human rights, the fight against corruption, and gender equality were central to such reforms. Further, all citizens must participate in the creation and equal distribution of wealth and exploitation of natural resources in line with a vision of sustainable development.
In addition, he said renewed interest in the productive sectors should not be allowed to overshadow the importance of education and health in guaranteeing successful structural change. As the substantial results of the Brussels action plan had fallen short of expectations, the Istanbul programme must show how the international community could do better, in a different way and at a faster pace. It must deal seriously with structural problems and lack of infrastructure through approaches that varied according to the specific characteristics of each country.
Also addressing the Conference were the Presidents of Albania, Iran, Comoros, and Afghanistan.
The Prime Ministers of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Samoa, and Chad and the Vice-President of Gambia also spoke. The Deputy Minister of International Development of Norway also addressed the Conference.
The Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 10 May.
Background
The Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries this afternoon continued its week-long meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. (For background, see Press Release DEV/2877 of 5 May.)
YVES LETERME, Prime Minister of Belgium said that keys to meeting the Millennium Development Goals were to be found in the least developed countries themselves, which must be fully involved in the process. In that light, Belgium regarded itself as one of the most sincere and active allies of those countries, being proportionately a leading donor and a partner to 10 of them. As the substantial results of the Brussels Programme of Action fell short of expectations, the Istanbul programme must show how the international community could do better, in a different way and at a faster pace. It must deal seriously with structural problems and lack of infrastructure through approaches that varied according to the specific characteristics of each country.
In addition, he said, the poor countries themselves must make radical changes to their economies and take the development process into their own hands, committing themselves to institutional reforms and accountability. Good governance was absolutely essential. Community empowerment, the rule of law, respect for human rights, the fight against corruption, women’s empowerment and, more generally, gender equality, were central to such reforms. All members of society must participate in the creation and equal distribution of wealth and the exploitation of natural resources in line with a vision of sustainable development. In addition, renewed interest in the productive sectors should not be allowed to overshadow the importance of education and health in guaranteeing successful structural change.
International support for those efforts must evolve into an economic partnership based on mutual interest. As innovative financing was needed, he supported the proposal for a financial transaction tax at the global or European level, to be used for the financing of development goals and global public goods. Particular attention should be given to the graduation process, which must be governed by transparent and realistic criteria. For that purpose, he called on the Office of the High Representative to develop a well-defined frame of reference together with suitable monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Reaching a political commitment on all those fronts must guide the work this week and throughout the term of implementation of the Istanbul plan of action.
BAMIR TOPI, President of Albania, said his country shared many problems with the least developed countries and supported all policies for stable and sustainable development to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Progress would accelerate if cooperation among all stakeholders was assured. Exchanging best practices in all areas, along with the active participation of poor countries, was crucial. In addition, the development of human capacity was needed through education, health programmes and other social services. He supported all approaches that sought to overcome the challenges in an integrated manner, affirming the United Nations role in the process.
He said that his country had similar energy problems as least developed countries and had focused on increasing energy sources, particularly in forms of renewable energy. Describing other development initiatives and challenges facing Albania, he said the country was working hard to reduce extreme poverty, as a primary goal, in a multifaceted way. Employment and education were critical in that regard, as were the fight against corruption and the achievement of gender equality. Such problems were also being addressed by Albania’s neighbour, Kosovo. He said that as Kosovo’s status was settled, it deserved the international community’s recognition and support.
RUPIAH BWEZANI BANDA, President of Zambia, said it was his Government’s desire that the Conference outcome clearly reflected the needs of the least developed countries. Those needs had been outlined at a host of pre-Conference meetings and regional gatherings. Negotiators in Istanbul should take those into account to ensure that the outcome added value to the Brussels Programme of Action. “What we want is clear: we want to diversify our economies; achieve market access; have fair trade rule; benefit from technology transfer; and improve our infrastructure,” he said, stressing that such actions would help those countries lift their people out of poverty and end their distress.
Meeting all those needs would help developed as well as developing countries, he continued, especially as that would help create an enabling environment for sustainable development for all. Brussels had been built around the Millennium Development Goals, but its implementation had been mixed and its aims had failed to address challenges that were specific to the least developed countries, particularly weak productive capacities, inadequate financial resources and poor infrastructure. Zambia had aligned its development strategies with the Brussels Programme. Yet, while it had logged solid economic growth during the past decade, that growth had not necessarily led to significant poverty reduction. One of the country’s most abiding challenges had proved to be generating productive employment.
He said that even as the international community sought to institute the Istanbul Programme of Action, all stakeholders must acknowledge that the only way it would succeed was if it was implemented in full. One reason implementation of past development plans had lagged was because donors appeared to be very selective about what was funded. Indeed, while there had been a welcome focus on social issues, little attention had been devoted to infrastructure enhancement and boosting productive capacities. While the problems facing developing countries were many, tackling them effectively was not impossible. Success hinged on broad and effective cooperation between the least developed countries and donors. Such cooperation, not only would ensure progress towards attaining the Millennium Goals, but also would help meet the goal of graduating half the least developed countries from the United Nations list by 2015.
MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, President of Iran, said millions of people continued to struggle against the ravages of poverty, illiteracy and underdevelopment. The United Nations had initiated a number of plans and programmes to address those ills, and civic organizations had also carried out similar actions. Yet, despite that, the gap between rich and poor was growing, while economies in some parts of the world weakened, and poverty deepened. Some believed that was because of a combination of cultural specifics and weak governance in some countries. Those and other broad assumptions resulted in decisions to direct huge flows of resources and give preferential treatment to a select group of countries and institutions.
He said that the “worthless paper assets” of the United States, combined with that country’s massive foreign debt and huge deficits, were a spectre of disaster to come. They also were characteristic of many faded and formerly dominant Powers. Unfortunately, international institutions consistently overlooked such deficiencies even as they placed ever higher hurdles in the path of developing countries and unfair conditions on their access to international systems. How long was that going to continue? When would it end? The current system of global governance must be reformed. In the name of justice, the out-of-balance relations among Governments must be realigned.
Institutions must be created to attend to the needs of developing and least developed nations, he continued. They should not be treated like “homeless people”; they had capacity and resources. Colonialism and decades of inequitable polices had placed them in the position they were in today. He called for a more equitable system of global governance. He was proud to announce that the people of Iran, despite all the efforts of the “arrogant Powers”, stood ready to assist all justice-seeking nations of the world and independent international organizations as they crafted a plan of action to ensure sustainable development for the least developed countries.
AHMED ABDALLAH SAMBI, President of Comoros, said that the Brussels Programme had not really been implemented in his country, but the country had been working on a strategy of growth and poverty reduction. Numerous problems prevented the implementation of the Brussels programme, including political separatism and volcanic eruptions. Despite those challenges, new action plans were instituted in Comoros in 2006 and 2011, which focused on economic structural changes, governance, education and sustainability. Implementation of that plan required political stability as well as capacity-building.
He said he trusted that the international community would continue to support his country’s efforts in development. He noted that his mandate as President was coming to a close, following democratic elections. He thanked Turkey and other countries in the international community for their support during his presidency, stressing that democratic governance had allowed a peaceful transition. His successor would now be governing a stable country that should be attractive for investment. He called on the international community to help Comoros sustain its progress.
HÂMID KARZAI, President of Afghanistan, said he hoped that the Istanbul programme would represent a new phase in assisting the poorest countries. Afghanistan had been faced with a complex set of challenges, including devastating conflict and organized crime, which inhibited economic growth, but despite those, the country had undergone significant progress. Growth had been seen in the private sector, school enrolment and health services, with the generous support of the international community. More than 26,000 communities had been mobilized for local initiatives in development, particularly in agriculture.
Describing national and local initiatives to build up the national infrastructure for sustainable development, he said trade between his country and neighbours had grown substantially. Speaking of strategies towards the country’s assumption of responsibility in the areas of development, governance and peace and security, he welcomed greater attention to building productive capacity in the least developed countries overall. Aid for that purpose should be channelled through national Governments and consistent with the need of the recipients. In addition, South-South cooperation and direct investment could be important factors in integrating the poorest countries into the international community. He hoped the new Istanbul programme would accelerate progress in all those areas.
ARTUR TAHIR OGLU RASIZADEH, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, said the continuing world economic crisis and increasing prices in food and fuel had complicated the task of implementing the Millennium Development Goals. Those crises had affected job creation and other measures aimed at achieving sustainable development. To dampen the effects of those challenges, Azerbaijan had undertaken a series of actions to bolster its economy and enhance the lives and livelihoods of its citizens.
Thanks to a more rational use of the resources at its disposal, in particular those generated by the trade in hydrocarbons, he said Azerbaijan had been able to make progress in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. “In spite of the aggression and the occupation by Armenia of 20 per cent of its territory,” Azerbaijan also had remained a partner working for the significant development of less developed countries in its region and beyond, he added.
OQIL OQILOV, Prime Minister of Tajikistan, said that in light of current complex challenges, the international community should give priority to reducing the number of least developed countries through targeted national- and regional-level action combined with active assistance from development partners. Overall, it was necessary to ensure that all plans and initiatives were adequately resourced, and in that regard, he called for an increase in official development assistance (ODA). Tajikistan also supported the speedy conclusion of the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations, to help all countries attain the Millennium Development Goals. “We believe the international trading system […] should remain open, equitable, predictable, non-discriminatory and be based on agreed-upon rules,” he said.
Those principles were vital for the landlocked developing countries, especially because their geographical location and other existing barriers hampered their integration into the world trading system, he said. With that in mind, he considered it necessary to concentrate on efforts to explore new and more effective use of existing international transportation systems and corridors to remove such impediments to world trade. Tajikistan had identified three strategic goals to ensure the country’s sustainable development: creating or rehabilitating communications infrastructure; ensuring energy independence; and providing food security for all citizens. Further, a national development strategy through 2015 had been outlined, with the key aim of further reducing poverty rates, which had already seen a 20 per cent drop over the past five years.
He went on to say that Tajikistan was consistently and systematically developing its energy potential, focusing on renewable sources. Along with construction of small and medium hydroelectric power plants, it also considered large-scale projects of regional significance. Such projects were not only environmentally sound, but they helped boost socio-economic development in Tajikistan and the wider central Asian region. Currently, his country, though rich in hydropower potential, used only 3 per cent of its stock. Developing that sector would not only help Tajikistan at home, but it would allow the country to export electricity in the region, especially to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He added that the Government was also carrying out feasibility studies on wind and solar energy.
NIKOLOZ GILAURI, Prime Minister of Georgia, said that in the past decade, his Government had instituted reforms aiming at broad-based economic growth and, despite external and internal challenges, including a military invasion, had developed remarkable economic resilience. It was ranked as a top reformer, had weathered the financial crisis better than many other countries, had grown on average of 8 per cent annually and had created a climate conducive to investment. Infrastructure had been built up, trade regimes liberalized and business taxes had been cut. Additionally, Georgia had become a net energy exporter.
Moreover, he said, high growth rates had allowed the country to address the needs of the most vulnerable in society, with a safety net for all those below the poverty line. Corruption was a particular target of reform. The reforms had laid a foundation for sustainable development and the country was now ready to share its experience and best practices with developing countries, including those in the least developed category.
TUILAEPA SAILELE MALIELEGAOI, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Samoa, said that his country planned to graduate from least-developed status in 2014, despite challenges that had arisen in the past decade. Towards that goal, it was looking to strengthen relationships with its development partners. He called for the Istanbul programme to sharpen attention in support of measures for those countries that were in transition out of the least developed country category. He particularly welcomed technical support from international agencies in that regard. He thanked Samoa’s traditional partners, as well as new donors that had helped address gaps in infrastructure development.
He underscored the important role played by civil society and the private sector in ensuring national ownership of development efforts. Responsibility for his country’s development, he recognized, lay with the people of Samoa, and to build capacity in that regard, he welcomed support that had been channelled through the national Government. In the future, modalities of aid delivery should be enhanced, with improved commitments of implementation of the Paris Declaration on country ownership of development efforts. Adding shared risk management would openly acknowledge the uncertainties in development partnerships and cement joint responsibility. There was also a need to find the right mix of aid funding between sectors, reflecting national priorities. The simultaneous development of human capacity was also important.
The Istanbul programme of action was an opportunity to improve development cooperation, in a more defined way, he said. He suggested clustering the least developed countries under, for example, a small-island category, for more effective application of available aid resources. Support should include new initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation, which, along with other areas of aid, should be made more effective. Links between international and national strategies should also be strengthened. He looked forward to a realistic and effective plan of action that was well-resourced and supported by the international community.
EMMANUEL DJELASSEM NADINGAR, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chad, said the Conference celebrated solidarity among nations, while it also sought to address the specific needs of the least developed countries. “It is an opportunity to consider the futures of our countries,” he said, underscoring that while significant progress had been achieved over the past decade — those countries had registered an average yearly growth rate of 8 per cent — it had become clear that additional measures were needed to address their remaining challenges. He stressed that world partnership for development would renew and strengthen the path towards re-emergence of the least developed countries.
He said that although his country looked towards a promising future, it had recently been impacted by a series of dramatic situations that had absorbed its resources. Those had included the resurgence of conflict in the region, a rise in food prices, and an influx of refugees from surrounding countries. Despite that particularly difficult context, Chad had achieved some of the Brussels-led objectives. That included devoting some of its meagre oil resources to sectors such as health and education. Nevertheless, child and maternal mortality rates remained relatively high. The Government was making strides to bolster public administration, and recent elections had been held in an atmosphere of calm. Noting that Chad was both a fragile and a landlocked country, he called on the Conference to support its efforts to implement its national development projects and poverty reduction strategy.
AJA ISATOU NJIE-SAIDY, Vice-President of Gambia, said that while all nations were looking forward to the new decade being different from the last, the question of how to address the needs of the least developed countries remained. It was clear that the Brussels Programme of Action had not been completely successful. Indeed, while there had been some isolated successes in health, education and economic diversification, many developing countries had become “even less developed”. The fact that Brussels had not met its proposed aims confirmed the need for a more comprehensive approach that would help those countries more sustainably secure economic growth. To that end, the Istanbul programme should focus on critical matters such as infrastructure and technology development, and building productive capacity, among others.
For its part, Gambia had undertaken significant measures to enhance commercial and financial activities and boost development, she said. One area where that had been most evident was in foreign direct investment. Gambia’s active efforts to address investor concerns had kept the country’s economy resilient during the current global economic downturn. Nevertheless, much remained to be done to ensure that all the Millennium Development Goals were reached by 2015. For example, more attention needed to be paid to employment and education among women and youth. In all, the international community must not keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results. “We must peruse new paths,” she said, calling for innovative solutions that would improve least developed countries’ access to trade and strengthen the participation of civil society partners in implementation of relevant development plans.
MOHAMMED GHARIB BILAL, Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania, said that it was unconscionable and unacceptable that so many people remained desperately poor in today’s world. Much had been done to implement the Brussels Programme of Action, but clearly it was not enough. Many poor countries had fulfilled most, if not all, of their responsibilities under the plan, but it was disappointing that some of the commitments made by development partners remained unmet. “We must be more ambitious in Istanbul.”
He said his country had met its commitments, as noted in its 2009 national report. He had come to Istanbul to conclude one important task: to determine how to help countries like his own to graduate from the “sad” status of least developed country. He was asking for a real opportunity for his country to self-develop and he invited genuine partnership focused on key obstacles. A renewed, precise agreement for that purpose was needed, with numerical targets and support of key areas of interventions, which went beyond the Brussels Programme.
Critical components of the new programme were financing for development from both domestic and international sources, and capacity-building and infrastructure, especially geared towards unlocking productive capacities, he said. Also crucial was access to markets and triangular cooperation that allowed poor countries to take better advantage of the experience of other developing nations.
INGRID FISKAA, Deputy Minister for International Development and Environment of Norway, said that climate change, to which least developed countries were particularly vulnerable, represented a global challenge for sustainable development. Even if temperatures were limited to a rise of 2° C, there would still be negative consequences for poor countries and their adaptation must be adequately supported. Turning to energy, she said that Norway was preparing to host a Conference on renewable energy and development in October. It was critical to stimulate private-public partnerships in that sector. In addition, a credible distribution of wealth must be encouraged in poor countries, along with the provision of education and employment.
ODA was important, but the recapture of lost tax funds was also critical, she emphasized. For that reason, she supported global action against tax havens and other mechanisms. She also favoured a levy on financial transactions to fund development in the poorest countries. Access to markets was important, but Aid for Trade was often needed to ensure that countries took advantage of such opportunities. She welcomed the emergence of development partners in the South and she advocated the further broadening of development cooperation through global structures.
Investing in women’s and girl’s opportunities was crucial, she said, adding that any suggestion that women’s empowerment was problematic should be rejected. That crucial factor for reaching all the Millennium Development Goals should be the focus at this Conference and she looked forward to working with all partners on that issue and securing a successful outcome.
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