Statement by
Mr. President, Let me first thank the Secretary-General
for his report on this important item. We also associate ourselves
with the remarks by the distinguished representative of Morocco on
behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The time has come for us to meet the
challenges posed by the lack of progress and implementation of the
outcomes of the major UN conferences and summits in the economic,
social and related fields. We must live up to the commitments made
at the conferences and summits where together we established internationally
agreed development goals aimed at eradicating poverty, achieving sustained
economic growth and promoting sustainable development. With this background in mind, my delegation
welcomes the resolution 57/270 B on the subject before us. We believe
that this comprehensive resolution should be used for guidance and
as the basis of work by the relevant bodies in the United Nations
and other stakeholders responsible for implementing the outcomes of
the conferences and summits. At the national level, appropriate policies and development strategies are indeed crucial for achieving the agreed goals of development. The fact is that domestic economies are interwoven with the global economic system which underlines the need to establish an enabling international economic environment to support national development efforts. In fulfilling this goal, it is important to stress, inter alia, the need to enhance partnerships between developed and developing countries; the importance of strengthening coherence of the UN system, including the Bretton Woods Institutions and the WTO; and the need to engage other relevant stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, in this process. This holistic approach will, of necessity,
require the formulation of a global strategy. In light of the agenda
item before us, such a move will be a step in that direction. For
this purpose, the initiative taken by the Secretary General to establish
a “High-Level Panel of eminent personalities” is certainly
relevant and timely. In this regard, my delegation takes this opportunity
to call on the high level panel of eminent personalities to strengthen
efforts aimed at integrating and coordinating the implementation of
and follow-up to the outcomes of the major UN conferences and summits.
Other UN bodies have equally important roles to play in this regard. Furthermore, it is essential to strengthen the links between policy development at the intergovernmental level and the operational work being undertaken at the country level by the funds and programmes and the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods Institutions and the World Trade Organization. Such an approach will enable greater coherence of a whole range of activities and undertakings initiated by the funds and programmes and other relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations, as they work towards the realization of the outcomes of the conferences and summits. Towards those ends, we should strive
for greater coherence and coordination in the work of the General
Assembly, especially in the Plenary, Second and Third Committees.
This would ensure that the system is fully equipped to effectively
adopt an integrated approach to follow-up the outcomes of the conferences
and summits. Concerning the programme of work of the Second Committee,
my delegation is of the view that the restructuring and mainstreaming
of its agenda item needs to be reflected within the framework for
the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up of
the conferences’ outcomes. This must be done without diluting
any agenda item, such as debt, trade, or financing for development,
that is of critical importance to developing countries. Another positive measure that could aid the implementation process is a possible comprehensive review in 2005 of actions taken to achieve that goal. It is believed that such a major event would prove politically attractive and powerful for Member States. Accordingly, this review process should be placed high on the agenda of this august body, coinciding with the decision taken at the 57th General Assembly and taking into account the need to attach more importance, coherence and visibility to the implementation of the Millennium Declaration. In this regard, I would like to stress that the importance of such a review be considered within the framework of the integrated and coordinated follow-up to the outcomes of major United Nations conferences and summits. In achieving our objective, my delegation would like to emphasize the crucial role of the General Assembly as the highest intergovernmental mechanism and the most important tool for the appraisal of policy on matters related to the integrated and coordinated follow-up to the major United Nations conferences and summits. The General Assembly must ensure that the provision to integrate and harmonize policy guidance, based on the recommendation of the ECOSOC as the coordinating mechanism of the functional commissions and specialized agencies, is put into effect. Moreover, the General Assembly should begin to enhance greater policy coherence between the United Nations system, the Bretton Woods Institutions and the WTO in achieving development goals, particularly in eradicating poverty, promoting food security and enhancing sustainable development. In conclusion, Mr. President, my delegation would like to reassert that the focus must be on implementation, while still preserving the thematic unity of each of the conferences and summits and their respective follow-up mechanisms. To gear up further, we should also seek to ensure complementarity of the implementation process with the on-going reform process of the United Nations as a whole. However high the challenge may be, one has to be optimistic in realizing these objectives. It is our hope that we shall not move backward but display the political will to progress consistently as required by General Assembly in its resolution 50/227 on further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields. Thank you.
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