Statement by
Mr. Darmansjah Djumala
Minister Counsellor
Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations
before
the second committee
of the 57th general assembly
on
agenda item 94:
Role of the UN in Promoting Development
in the context of Globalization and Interdependence
New York, 1 November 2002
Mr. Chairman,
Let me first thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive
report on this item. My delegation also fully associates itself with
the statement by the distinguished representative of Venezuela on behalf
of the Group of 77 and China.
There is no doubt that the powerful phenomenon of globalization
dominates the global economy, greatly reshaping it and deeply touching
the lives of billions. The role and challenge of the UN and the international
community, as stressed in the Millennium Declaration, is to ensure that
globalization becomes a positive force for all. To do so would require
a conducive environment for harnessing the potential of globalization
in the service of development and the eradication of poverty.
Thus, our focus during this meeting is on one important
aspect of such a conducive environment, that of economic governance.
For this reason, we clearly see the merit in the Secretary-General’s
report of highlighting governance areas that are critical to maximizing
the benefits of globalization while minimizing its costs.
Mr. Chairman,
To minimize the risks of globalization, it is critical
to address economic governance in its national, regional and international
dimensions. Let me, therefore, briefly comment on some of these areas.
At the international level the report points to four
majors areas of concern that demands our attention. The promotion of
these areas are crucial, if we want to close the gap between the rapid
globalization of markets and the slow adaptation of necessary governance
structures and processes. These include, first, the enhanced coherency
of the international monetary, financial and trading systems in support
of development. Second, the participation in global decision-making.
Third, the increased role of civil society in intergovernmental processes.
And forth, cooperation to effectively tackle corruption and international
crime. My delegation see the promotion of each of these critical fronts
are urgent.
In this context, it is well recognized that the globalization
of finance and trade has a crucial impact on the development of the
developing countries. As pointed out in the report, the Monterrey Consensus
addressed itself to economic governance, calling for, among others,
a holistic approach to the interconnected national, international and
systemic challenges faced by a globalized world. In this regard, a number
of pertinent considerations were addressed at Monterrey including, among
others, the need for the increased participation of the developing countries
in global decision-making as their integration into the global economy
proceeds. Moreover, global democratization was also recognized as important
for global integration so as to increase inclusiveness, ownership, accountability
and transparency in policy-making, institutions and markets at the national
and international levels. We can fully concur with such a holistic approach
and urge that our development partners move forward on these important
issues.
Mr. Chairman,
Turning to the national dimension of economic governance,
we note that the Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus and
the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation have emphasized the importance
of an enabling environment for the promotion of both domestic and foreign
investment and through them, of growth, poverty eradication and sustainable
development. There is no doubt that developing countries must seek
to strengthen their national institutions particularly their financial
institutions so as to effectively and productively integrate into the
global economy.
The challenge is for the developing countries to effectively
tap into the benefits of globalization through productive and effective
integration. Yet, to do so the demands are enormous. As stated in the
report, these concerns are no longer confined to macro-economic policy
and the protection of property rights but also other demands have also
soared. In the increasingly competitive environment these include such
areas as micro-economic, sectoral policies and the quality of the hard
and the soft infrastructure. But, with the rapid pace of globalization
the need for international cooperation in these undertakings has been
amplified. We are therefore pleased to note in the Monterrey Consensus
the commitment of the international community to support the developing
countries in their efforts to develop effective economic governance
systems. We agree with the report that these are indispensable and should
be acted upon, particularly for providing the developing countries with
increased technical assistance resources for institutional building.
Mr. Chairman,
Let me conclude, as I began, by saying that our great
challenge as we begin the 21st century is to ensure that
the power and potential of globalization is harnessed in the services
of development and the eradication of poverty. To summarize, this entails
enhancing economic governance at both the international and national
levels. It requires increased transparency, inclusiveness and the participation
of the developing countries in global economic decision-making which
has been well defined in the emerging concept of international cooperation
for development from the outcomes of the major UN conference over the
past decade and particularly within the past three years. And, at the
same time, at the national level, governments have a central role to
play in creating a conducive domestic environment. We must adopt national
principles, rules and practices that are more transparent, participatory
and accountable without undue pressure being imposed from outside. And,
as a priority, we must build strong institutions. Only then can we,
I believe, make headway in ensuring that globalization becomes a positive
force for all.
Thank you.
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