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Statement by New York, 28 October 2002
Let me begin by thanking the Secretary-General for the comprehensive nature of his reports before us on measures to promoting and facilitate South-South cooperation (A15711 55) and on pledging mechanisms to fund operational activities for development of the United Nations system (A157/3 32). Let me also extend our appreciation to the Secretariat for introducing the item and we fully associate ourselves with the informative remarks by the distinguished representative of Venezuela on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Mr. Chairman, We meet today in the wake of a number of unique and significant global conferences and summits that have, taken together, shaped the development approach for the 2lst century. In that pursuit, the Millennium Development Goals, the Monterrey Consensus and WSSD Programme of Implementation each have a critical role to play. Together, they provide the international community with a solid platform for eradicating poverty, achieving sustained economic growth and promoting sustainable development. For this reason we are obviously entering a period of implementation, that is a period of translating the commitments and outcomes of these major conferences into concrete action. For without thoroughgoing implementation these lofty commitments, forged at the Millennium Summit, the Monterrey international conference and the Johannesburg World Summit, will be dissipated and lost. In this context, the UN operational activities for development are uniquely positioned for executing many of these programmes through multilateral actions. Part and parcel of the process of implementation is the critical need for both human and financial resources. Yet, both of these are wanting. Adequate funding remains a perennial problem for the operational activities. Looking back over the past years, the rapid erosion of the resources base of the UN operational activities for development was a direct result of the declining trends in official development assistance. Against this bleak background, my Government reaffirms its support for the continued efforts of the UN system to ensure that core resources for operational activities for development become available on a predictable, continuous and assured basis. We see these resources as the bedrock of the operational activities, which greatly help to preserve the multilateral character of the UN system. It is therefore, very encouraging that the leaders of donor countries announced a significant increase in aid in Monterrey. The recent agreement to extend further grand funding to low income countries by the World Bank is also a welcome sign, indicating that developing countries can indeed count on the support and solidarity of the international community. It is critical, however, that these unique commitments are fulfilled and not merely reduced to empty rhetoric. As for future pledging events, as noted in the report (A15713 32), such events should encompass, at least, two important elements, namely, political visibility and programmatic accountability. We also note with great interest the criteria suggested by the report in developing a more effective and productive pledging event. We must search for an alternative model for pledging that would reflect the positive aspects of the current mechanism and those of the multi-year funding framework. In this regard, we see the merit in further enriching the agenda of the reconstituted high-level dialogue to include, inter alia, a pledging event for the UN operational activities for development. However, at the same time we should guard against the possibility of overloading or diluting the holistic agenda of the high-level dialogue as the intergovernmental focal point for the follow up to the commitments made in Monterrey Conference. In this context, we should explore other options such as embedding the pledging exercise in a broader high-level dialogue to address UN priorities including the MDGs and the integrated follow-up to the outcomes of the major conferences and summits, which could be held on alternative years. Mr. Chairman, Let me now turn briefly to the issue of measures to promote and facilitate South-South cooperation as contained in document A157/155. This document provides us with a good background on the achievements and constraints of South-South co-operation since its roots at the Bandung Conference in 1955, the Non-aligned Movement in 1961 and the Group of 77 in 1964. Over the decades many achievements were made and many agendas elaborated. But, in general, we agree with the conclusions of the report that implementation has been sluggish and its powerful potential as an agent of change and development has fallen far short of expectations. Much of the problem lay in the lack of widespread understanding of its real potential, the lack of strong institutions to support its programmes and projects, the lack of South-South flow of information and the dearth of adequate human and financial resources. Today, however, in a rapidly interdependent world, the relevance of South-South cooperation is becoming more imperative and clearer than ever and the complementarities of developing countries for South-South cooperation have grown stronger with the passing years. We agree with the conclusion in the report that, at the operational level, the ad hoc approaches employed by the various partners including the United Nations should be replaced with a new concentration of resources on wellcoordinated programmes. Mr. Chairman, Our challenge in today’s world, I believe, is to initiate programmes and projects that align the agenda for South-South cooperation with the Millennium Development Goals. We must also monitor their progress in meeting these goals. Let me add that we cannot effectively act today without building strong partnerships with the civic and private sectors. We also fully agree with the report’s recommendation to improve the funding base for South-South cooperation through including the Trustee Fund in the UN pledging conference. Thank you.
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