A/61/PV.28 General Assembly

If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the report of the Fifth Committee that is before the Assembly today.

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendation of the Fifth Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. May I remind members that under paragraph 7 of decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that “When the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, i.e., either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation’s vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee.” May I remind delegations that, also in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes. Before we begin to take action on the recommendation contained in the report of the Fifth Committee, I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take a decision in the same manner as was done in the Fifth Committee. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 122.

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, we wish to thank the Secretary-General for his three reports on the items we are discussing today: the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. Five years ago, African heads of State and Government signed the Abuja Declaration and Plan of Action that committed African countries to reaching specific targets on malaria prevention and control by 2005. Although much progress has been made in the fight against malaria, major interventions are still needed. Last year, malaria claimed more than a million lives worldwide, 90 per cent of which were African and mostly children. It is quite clear that combating malaria can only be achieved if there is concerted and coordinated action among all stakeholders to fully implement all commitments that have been made on combating malaria in all the outcomes of all the major conferences and summits. We call upon the international community to continue supporting the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and through country-led initiatives to create conditions for full access to insecticide-treated mosquito nets, insecticides for indoor residual spraying for malaria control and effective antimalarial combination treatments, including through the free distribution of antimalarial mosquito nets, where appropriate. In the 2005 World Summit Outcome heads of State and Government categorically stated that Africa was the only continent not on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. This was once again reiterated in the development follow-up resolution (resolution 60/265), which emphasized that vigorous implementation of all development commitments was needed without delay, and in particular the promises that have been made in support of Africa. If we are to succeed in eradicating poverty and hunger in Africa, urgent and concerted action by developed countries and the international community is needed. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China reiterates that the main challenge remaining for the development of Africa is the full implementation of a truly global partnership for development. It has become clear that, despite all the actions and commitments by African countries, the main constraint to African development remains the lack of adequate resources. Much has been achieved in Africa since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration in 2000. NEPAD, a programme of the African Union, is now five years old. The key NEPAD principles are African ownership in the promotion of socio-economic development, the advancement of democracy, human rights and good governance. Through NEPAD, African leaders have taken ownership and leadership of the continent’s socio-economic renewal agenda and transformed the content of the development agenda. The NEPAD policies and priorities have become an acceptable internationally approved framework for Africa’s development. Through NEPAD, African leaders have therefore fundamentally changed the development paradigm. The narrow approach of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers has been expanded to include a comprehensive and holistic approach to development through African ownership. In fact, most African countries now have their own national development strategies. Despite efforts in implementing NEPAD, Africa is still far from realizing the levels of support required under this partnership. While we welcome the support provided by international partners and the United Nations in particular, much needs to be done. The Group of 77 and China is of the view that resources must be mobilized for African States, the Regional Economic Communities and the African Union (AU), in order to support efforts aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals within the framework of national development programmes and the implementation of the NEPAD programme. We have taken note of the innovative approaches that have been developed in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Development Programme and the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa regarding funding and project implementation of priority areas for NEPAD. We are pleased that United Nations agencies have been organized into various clusters in line with NEPAD priority areas as a way to increase coordination and cooperation in their work relating to NEPAD. In addition, a number of these agencies are playing a critical role in supporting the work of NEPAD, especially in areas such as agriculture, trade and market access, infrastructural development and science and technology, among others. However, we still urge the United Nations to mainstream NEPAD into all its normative and operational activities. On the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, the AU has made substantial progress in conflict prevention on the continent. One of the key changes is the way in which Africans, through the AU, are leading the resolution of conflicts and managing peace building by providing strong leadership from within. This African ownership in resolving African conflicts has produced remarkable results. The AU has created mechanisms that are instrumental in the resolution of conflicts and the promotion of durable peace on the continent. They include the Peace and Security Council whose decisions are binding on all AU members, Economic, Social and Cultural Council, and a Pan-African Parliament, with representatives from all AU member States. The African Peer Review Mechanism has started reviewing best practices in several African countries as a way to strengthen and consolidate democracy and sustainable development on the continent. The Group of 77 and China reiterates that the main challenges remaining for the development of Africa concern the full implementation of a truly global, equitable partnership for development through the international community honouring its commitments. We call on developed countries and the international community at large to honour their commitments to support African development by launching, in 2007, concrete programmes of action aimed at fully implementing all the commitments made in the Millennium Declaration, the World Summit Outcome and the development follow-up resolution (resolution 60/265).

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The acceding countries Bulgaria and Romania, the candidate countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as Ukraine and Moldova, align themselves with this statement. First of all, the EU wishes to congratulate its African partners on the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). As in previous years, the EU welcomes today’s debate on Africa in the General Assembly. Likewise, the EU welcomes the opportunity to address three key items: NEPAD, peace and security aspects, and the fight against malaria on the African continent. Africa is at the heart of the European Union’s development policy. Our partnership with Africa is strong and lasting. The EU continues to support the NEPAD initiative, which forms an important part of the partnership between the international community and African nations. One of the most significant results of NEPAD activities is the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The EU is pleased to note that 25 countries have so far acceded to the Review Mechanism. South Africa completed its self-assessment, and the African Peer Review panel undertook a review mission there in July 2006. So far three countries — Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya — have completed the peer review process, and their country review reports have been considered by the African Peer Review forum. The Review Mechanism has encouraged countries to adopt policy measures to strengthen accountability and transparency. It will be essential to monitor how the recommendations of the reviews are translated into policy measures on the ground. The sixth African Governance Forum on the theme “Implementing the APRM: Challenges and Opportunities”, held in Kigali in May 2006, has given needed publicity to the Review Mechanism. It also delivered important messages about the need for flexibility within the APRM process to facilitate and speed up implementation, and the need for countries to mainstream APRM commitments into their national plans. The completion of the peer review by some pioneer countries provides a good example for others to follow and shows a strong commitment by the African Governments to move forward with this element within NEPAD. The progress report by the Secretary-General (A/61/212) indicates that African Governments and regional organizations have achieved significant results within the framework of NEPAD. The EU concurs with this positive assessment. At the same time, analysis has shown that the contribution of civil society, and particularly that of the private sector, to the implementation of the priority projects of NEPAD has not been fully satisfactory. The EU believes that promoting African ownership and engagement within the productive sectors of society should be regarded as a key challenge for the implementation of NEPAD. To this end, a wider and deeper awareness should be raised among the business community, both inside the continent and beyond, regarding existing opportunities and economic dividends of NEPAD. The EU will continue strengthening its relationships with Africa within the framework of the comprehensive EU Strategy on Africa, which was adopted by the European Council in 2005. In the course of next year this unilateral agreement will be transformed into a joint African strategy in close cooperation with African partners. The primary aim of the Strategy is the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, with a key focus on sustainable development, security and good governance in Africa. Efforts will be made to enhance coordination and cooperation with the African Union (AU), subregional African organizations and other international partners, while respecting the principles of African ownership. The EU is committed to support Africa’s efforts to consolidate peace, democracy and human rights on the African continent. Successful development in Africa also requires adherence to human rights, democratic principles and the rule of effective, well- governed States, and strong and efficient institutions. The EU Strategy identifies good and effective governance as a prerequisite for development. Good governance not only encompasses the fight against corruption, but also includes political, economic, social and environmental governance. As a positive example of economic governance, the World Bank report entitled “Doing Business 2007” refers to Tanzania and Ghana as recent reformers that have succeeded in creating business-friendly environments. Good governance should be agreed, not imposed. Africa has demonstrated signs of positive change in the area of governance in the framework of the above- mentioned African Peer Review Mechanism. The EU supports, both politically and financially, this process in the context of its Governance Initiative. In addition to good governance, sound development requires adherence to human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law, as well as a commitment to strong and effective institutions. The EU has recently launched the Infrastructure Initiative. It has led to the establishment of an Infrastructure Trust Fund, the key objective of which is to respond to the regional and continental infrastructure deficit. Through the Trust Fund, the EU will support Africa’s efforts to identify and address missing links in existing networks, harmonize transport policies, develop integrated water management, develop cross-border and regional energy infrastructure and promote efforts to bridge the digital divide. Without peace there can be no lasting development. Without African leadership to end Africa’s conflicts there can be no lasting peace. The EU works with the AU, subregional organizations and African countries to predict, prevent and mediate conflicts, including by addressing the root causes. Key in this regard is assistance in developing the AU’s African peace and security architecture, including the African Standby Force. In sub-Saharan Africa, many peace agreements have been secured after close cooperation among the United Nations, the AU and the EU. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the EU remains fully involved by continuing its active support of the electoral process. The EU looks forward to the orderly and peaceful conclusion of the process, which will be paving the way for legitimate and democratically elected institutions in expression of the full sovereignty of the Congolese people. On the basis of a successful conclusion of the elections, the EU remains committed to cooperating with the newly elected Government in promoting both short-term reconstruction and rehabilitation needs, as well as long-term efforts for sustainable development, taking into account the principles of good governance. The European Union expresses its deep concern about the constant deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur and condemns the continuing violations of the ceasefire, in particular, the violence directed at the civilian population and providers of humanitarian assistance. The EU supports the efforts of the United Nations and other partners in the planning for a transition from the deployment of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in Darfur to the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. The EU strongly urges the Sudanese Government to give its consent to such an operation. The EU underlines its deep concern at the potential negative impact of a continuing conflict in Darfur on the rest of the Sudan and in the wider region. The EU welcomes the increased role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy and reiterates its support for the World Summit Outcome conclusion that each individual State has the responsibility to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The central responsibility rests within countries themselves and no external efforts as regards prevention will be of use unless the State and its population agree on their importance and have a will to address the issues in question. The European Union is fully engaged in post- conflict construction in Africa and supports, in particular, the newly established United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. The Commission, along with the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Peacebuilding Fund, is a key achievement of the United Nations reform process launched by the World Summit. The Peacebuilding Commission provides a much-needed forum for the coordination of efforts by all actors in peacebuilding to ensure coherence in the security, development, human and political aspects of peacebuilding. The EU has for many years provided considerable input for peacebuilding activities in Africa and elsewhere in the world and is ready to continue its commitments by actively supporting the work of the Peacebuilding Commission in two African countries, Burundi and Sierra Leone. The EU understands the importance of integrating a gender perspective into conflict prevention. Urgent preventive measures should be developed, especially in relation to gender-based violence in conflicts. Mechanisms for prevention against and protection from gender-based violence need to be well planned in advance and included in interagency contingency plans and strategies. The EU also supports the strengthening of fragile States, as well as programmes for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and for security sector reform in African States. Recognizing the fact that natural resources can be instrumental to the continuation of conflicts, the EU welcomed the outcome in June this year of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Natural Resources and Conflict in Africa. Migration issues are an integral part of development. Over the last few years, the EU has been moving towards a holistic approach to migration, taking into full consideration the relationship of migration with development. Europeans and Africans adopted a political declaration and an action plan at the Euro-African regional Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development, held last July in Rabat. Preparations are under way for another conference on the subject, scheduled for Tripoli in November. Health is at the core of development. It is a key element in reducing poverty and in promoting human security. The Abuja commitment of African leaders aiming at increased health sector financing is a clear recognition of that fact. After many years of impressive gains in human health worldwide, we are now in a situation where countries are unable to cope with the burden of disease imposed on their health systems. That is due to inherent weaknesses in national health systems, unpredictable and uneven funding and the dire lack of skilled human resources. Moreover, without skilled and motivated health personnel, any health sector intervention is bound to fail. The EU is presently preparing an action plan to address the crisis in human resources for health. The global efforts to roll back malaria highlight many of the key weaknesses and possibilities for the health sector. Even though malaria is a global problem, it particularly concerns Africa, with a disproportional effect on poor people and taking a specific toll on women and children. The EU welcomes the World Health Organization (WHO) report on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa (A/61/218 and Corr.1). The facts given in the report are a cause of concern. We would especially like to draw attention to the need to support the WHO in its role to ensure adherence to evidence-based malaria policies and strategies and the necessity to harmonize activities at the country level. Malaria-specific interventions need to be accompanied by simultaneous strengthening of health systems as well as by supporting actors outside the public health care system. We must therefore reaffirm our commitment to work with African countries to scale up malaria control interventions and reduce the burden of this disease. The EU will also support endeavours to ensure access to antimalaria drugs. Along with attempts to stimulate research and development, to lower prices of new drugs and to enhance procurement and distribution, it is also crucial to closely monitor the impact of new treatments and problems of drug resistance and to strengthen community knowledge, including by encouraging proper use of insecticide- treated bed nets and other preventive and awareness- enhancing measures. HIV/AIDS also continues to pose immense challenges to health systems everywhere and especially in Africa. The EU will support the “treat, train and retain” initiative, which attempts to bring together HIV/AIDS and health systems challenges, for which there is clearly an urgent need. Let me conclude by saying that, above all, Africa needs peace and stability. The European Union’s commitment to Africa results from our belief that the promotion of peace and sustainable development in Africa constitutes one of the key challenges to the international community today. Our relationship with Africa is conducted in a spirit of equal partnership and is based on a firm, shared commitment to democracy, the promotion of human rights, good governance and respect for the rule of law, as well as to mutual respect and accountability. In all its endeavours, the EU continues to honour this commitment.

At the outset, permit me to congratulate you, Madam President, on the sentiments conveyed in your statement, which serves as a useful guide to our deliberations this morning. I am honoured to join in today’s debate on agenda item 62 (a), entitled “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support”, on behalf of the member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CARICOM fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The Caribbean Community shares a special kinship with Africa and its developmental process. We share a sense of common historical experience, a common descent and identity. I make particular reference to efforts to build on this kinship with the hosting in Kingston of the 2005 Caribbean Diaspora Conference, in collaboration with the African Union and the Government of South Africa. The Conference was specifically designed to create linkages between Africa and the diaspora and to initiate a dialogue on common challenges. It was also aimed at strengthening partnerships and cooperation between the peoples of the two regions and establishing mechanisms for building stronger political and economic relations between Africa and the Caribbean for our mutual benefit. CARICOM is pleased, therefore, to note the contents of the Secretary-General’s fourth consolidated report (A/61/212), five years after the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). We also take note of the second report of the Secretary- General’s Advisory Panel on International Support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (A/61/138) and commend the Chairman and members of the Panel for their contribution. We welcome the progress made by African leaders to implement NEPAD and the support committed by the international community. We see a great future ahead for Africa, socially, economically and politically. CARICOM welcomes progress made in key priority areas of NEPAD. The year 2006 has seen a positive start to delivery on commitments by the international community. Much has been achieved with infrastructural development, and we commend the efforts of cooperation between the NEPAD secretariat and the African Development Bank in implementing several important projects. With the increase in global activity, CARICOM applauds the establishment of the NEPAD e-schools initiative, with the e-Africa Commission. Involvement of the private sector is also commendable, and we call for continued cooperation among the various sectors in order to achieve this important NEPAD objective. CARICOM also welcomes the initiatives taken by the G8 countries and countries of the South to deliver on the promises made with respect to Africa’s continued development. CARICOM is in total agreement with the view that partnership is the key element in NEPAD implementation. The theme chosen for the Assembly’s general debate this year — “Implementing a Global Partnership for Development” — could not be more timely. NEPAD has become known worldwide, and apart from the United Nations system, several other international and private sector organizations have been able to identify with NEPAD, which augurs well for the future of the initiative. CARICOM has taken note of progress in the area of education, environmental sustainability, agricultural initiatives, scientific and technological advancement, the strengthening of health systems, gender mainstreaming and civil society participation, among other areas. Several of these programmes are now ready to be implemented, and we encourage NEPAD leaders in their efforts to put into place institutional arrangements to accelerate implementation. CARICOM is well aware that there are several constraints and mitigating factors that may hinder implementation in some areas. Recent developments with respect to international trade, growing security concerns and new political and economic realities continue to face us in all regions of the world. For Africa, this has proven to be particularly challenging. The international community has a significant role to play and a promise to keep in support of the African leaders’ common vision and shared commitment to eradicating poverty on the continent. We therefore underscore the need to give Africa the necessary resources, including through increased official development aid and technical assistance in support of the implementation of NEPAD. The United Nations system also plays a critical role in this regard, and we therefore welcome ongoing efforts to improve coordination of United Nations work in support of NEPAD. CARICOM stands ready and willing to assist Africa through this process as we grapple with our own integration process. We are confident that we can share in achievements and lessons learned, and together we can join with our global partners to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and make this world a better place for all humanity.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. ASEAN aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. It is very encouraging to note the vocabulary and tone of the Secretary-General’s progress report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/61/213), which underscores development momentum in the region and the reduction of conflict. However, the report also notes the potential for relapse. Furthermore, the fact that some situations in the region have worsened points to the need for deeper understanding of the root causes of conflict. Available insight appears to be insufficient to anticipate and prevent violent outbreaks that would hinder development and effectively suspend implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). There is no denying that NEPAD can play and is playing a vital role in transforming the political culture of its member States. To achieve such transformation, however, requires the full participation of all stakeholders. In addition, technical and financial assistance is required to ensure that its political agenda is realized. That requires adequate and predictable funding from both domestic and international sources. In particular, NEPAD’s Peer Review Mechanism is an innovative and effective instrument for the promotion of democracy. The Secretary-General’s report assures us that the African Peer Review Mechanism is enjoying some measure of success. A strong NEPAD will contribute to conflict resolution, because it recognizes the dangers of war. Conflict is a hindrance to sustainable development because it disrupts and destabilizes the economic environment. Development depends upon and thrives in conditions of peace. The inability to forecast the likely outcome of investments will make such activity a difficult exercise because sudden destruction threatens everything, including human lives. But there are known strategies for reducing and eliminating the possibility of war. The Secretary- General’s report is correct in asserting that decent employment and access to productive resources can prevent the recurrence of conflict. On that basis, better policies must be implemented to stimulate strong economic growth and give people, especially young people, the assurance of a brighter tomorrow. While the primary responsibility for these changes rests with Africa’s leadership, international support is vital for success in these endeavours — pledges and commitments should be fulfilled. There must be greater flow of financing for development and the strength of Africa’s export capacity must be built up through genuinely free and fair international trade. Aid for trade has a key role to play in this regard. South-South cooperation complements North- South relations and forms an integral part of international support. In particular, two sources attract attention: the Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC) in Jakarta and the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership. Over the period 2001 to 2006, the Centre, which was established by Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam in 1995, implemented 28 programmes that benefited close to 800 individuals from 84 developing countries, including countries from Africa, and 23 international institutions. The programmes involved exchange and dissemination of development experience as well as technical assistance and training and were designed to make developing economies more broad-based, efficient and resilient. In the meantime, the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership, inaugurated in 2005 and co-chaired by South Africa and Indonesia, follows a road map covering three areas of cooperation — political, economic and socio-cultural. In this regard, concrete activities are being pursued in the areas of capacity- building, environmental law and policy, preservation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge and the development of small and medium enterprises among others. Furthermore, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have also sought to strengthen trade as well as people-to-people links. They have done so particularly within the context of their cooperation programmes. In conclusion, preserving the peace and prosperity of their nations is an ideal worth pursuing by Africa’s leadership for the good of the continent and its peoples. The common good must always be treated as paramount.

We thank the Secretary- General for his fourth consolidated report on the progress in implementation and international support of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and other reports prepared for this joint debate. We associate ourselves with the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77. India has consistently identified with the aspirations of the peoples of Africa and has maintained long-standing political relations with the countries of that continent. It was in South Africa that Mahatma Gandhi forged the political weapon of “Satyagraha”, which means non-violent struggle or passive resistance. His exposure to injustice in Africa transformed an urbane lawyer into an icon for the peaceful and non-violent struggle that evolved into India’s struggle for independence. South African President Thabo Mbeki described Mahatma Gandhi as “the beloved son of South Africa” at the centenary celebrations of the launching of the Satyagraha movement in South Africa. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, speaking at the Afro-Asian Conference at Bandung in 1955, described Asia and Africa as sister continents. Like the countries of Africa, India suffered the burdens of colonial domination, economic exploitation and racial discrimination. Even though our own deprivation was considerable, we realized that Africa’s tribulations were even greater. India has, therefore, always been a strong and consistent voice in support of Africa at the United Nations and elsewhere. It is our firm conviction that success in achieving the objectives of NEPAD depends on an African-led and African-developed agenda. With the rich human and natural resources available to Africa, and the commitment of Africa’s leaders to achieving the objectives of NEPAD, success can be achieved if NEPAD receives the dedicated support of the international community in realizing the African dream. The report of the Secretary-General (A/61/212) provides details of the progress made in the various priority areas of NEPAD and analyses the response of the international community in support of NEPAD. The report states that while the past year has witnessed a promising start to delivery on commitments, progress has been more marked on debt relief than on official development assistance (ODA) and trade. It is heartening that the trend of significant increases in ODA to Africa continued in 2004 and 2005. However, much of the increase in 2005 was on account of huge debt write-offs. The report states that a massive collective increase in ODA is required in 2006 and thereafter in order to meet the 2010 commitments, but that the level of increase is not nearly fast enough to deliver on the pledges made at the Gleneagles Group of Eight (G8) Summit in 2005. The report adds that the observed increase continues to take the form of emergency aid, debt relief and technical assistance. The Secretary-General’s report acknowledges that the substantial progress over the last twelve months in debt relief makes this an area in which the G8 countries have kept their commitments. We would emphasize here that the multilateral debt relief initiative of donor countries should include a commitment to provide additional resources to the international financial institutions to ensure that debt forgiveness does not erode their financial capacity. Reports on Africa have emphasized that aid should be released in predictable tranches over a long- term period and should be focused on enabling African economies to produce a broad range of goods and to create more jobs. For the success of the international community’s current focus on the special needs of Africa and in order to avoid the damage done to African countries through the austerity measures brought in by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through the imposition of structural adjustment programmes in the past, African countries should be allowed to implement their national development policies with national ownership and policy space, instead of with an imposition of intrusive policy conditionalities. While ODA and debt relief can ease financial burdens, especially in highly indebted countries in Africa, sustained economic growth requires long-term measures, especially in the area of trade. The report of the Secretary-General recommends that initiatives such as aid for trade must complement and not replace efforts to improve market access for African exports and strengthen Africa’s participation in world trade. In this context, the suspension of the Doha Trade Round is a cause for concern. Early resumption of the trade talks, along with adherence to the existing mandate — that is, the mandate of the Doha Declaration, the July Framework and the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration — is an absolute imperative. The report of the Secretary-General recalls that, at the Hong Kong Ministerial trade talks, agreement was reached to eliminate export subsidies by developed countries on cotton in 2006 and to end all forms of agricultural export subsidies by the end of 2013, with a substantial portion to be lifted as early as 2010. The report also points out that export subsidies represent only a small share of the support given to agriculture in countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Much of the support is in the form of trade-distorting domestic price support and agricultural tariffs. Failure to resume the Doha Round of trade talks has negative implications on the food security, livelihood security and rural development of a large number of poor and marginal farmers in developing countries, especially those engaged in subsistence farming. The report of the Secretary-General highlights India’s cooperation with NEPAD as part of South- South cooperation. It also highlights the projects being undertaken by India in infrastructure, information technologies and other areas, through the Techno- Economic Approach for Africa-India Movement, or TEAM-9. In addition, India is engaged in several other bilateral initiatives in a number of African countries, as well as a pan-Africa e-connectivity mission. India has shared its expertise in sectors such as infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, health care and information technologies, among others, with the aim of building capacity and technology transfer for the benefit of African countries. The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation scheme, which provides training programmes to over 150 countries, including most African countries, has been running since 1954, providing scholarships to African students interested in studying in India and sending Indian experts to Africa for training. India’s cooperation programme with Africa currently amounts to about $1 billion. India’s efforts, as well as those of other partner countries from the developing world, form a part of South-South cooperation. Contrary to the suggestion of the Advisory Panel on International Support for NEPAD, these efforts should not be lumped together with those of the developed countries, either in calculations of volume of aid moving to Africa or in monitoring such aid. The Secretary-General’s most recent report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/61/213) describes recent conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities in Africa. India has been one of the oldest, largest and most consistent contributors to United Nations peacekeeping organizations, having participated in almost every major operation since the inception of peacekeeping in the 1950s. Indian personnel are currently serving in United Nations Missions in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and the Sudan. Given the need to focus on gender issues in Africa, India will soon despatch the first-ever female-formed police unit to Liberia. We expect the all-women unit to be in Liberia by the end of the year. India has consistently pointed to the need for an integral link between peacekeeping and peacebuilding, which is a prerequisite for investment in the future to protect the hard-won gains of the efforts to establish peace. India, therefore, energetically participated in the deliberations last year on the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and welcomed its creation by announcing a contribution of $2 million. We have emphasized national ownership of the peacebuilding process, and we have been closely associated with the holding of the first two country-specific meetings of the Peacebuilding Commission. We will remain engaged in efforts to define the role and method of work of this new body. Turning to the agenda item on the rolling back of malaria in developing countries, particularly in Africa, we believe that there is need for wider recognition that malaria is largely a killer of children and poor people. It continues to threaten at least three billion people in 107 countries and territories. Each year, more than 500 million people suffer from acute malaria, resulting in more than one million deaths. About 3,000 children and infants die from malaria every day. The disease also has a significant impact on long-term economic growth and development, leading to loss of gross domestic product and the consumption of enormous portions of household incomes and Government health spending. India is familiar with tackling the mosquito menace and fully supports efforts that focus on the prevention and elimination of malaria in developing countries, including in Africa.

First of all, I would like to thank Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the high quality of the reports that he has presented on follow-up progress in implementing the recommendations on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and development in Africa and on the implementation and international support of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The annual review of progress made in achieving the objectives of peace, security and development in Africa is, without doubt, a very timely opportunity to assess the state of implementation of promises and commitments made internationally in order to assist African countries in their ongoing resolve to reclaim their destiny for a renewal of peace, social progress and economic recovery. We associate ourselves with the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. We would simply like to make a number of additional comments. To deal with the root causes of conflict in Africa and, at the same time, make the efforts to prevent conflicts more effective and to re-establish, maintain and build peace after conflicts, a combination of short- and long-term actions, based on objective linkages between security, development and cooperation, must be the thrust of our work and our thinking in formulating any type of initiative, be it fundamentally African or not. And so, here, the African response to the challenges of peace and security has resulted in a new approach based on African capabilities, political will and a strategic commitment to repatriate onto African soil actions aimed at building and consolidating peace. We have seen this in the security agenda of the African Union (AU), through the establishment in 2002 of a Peace and Security Council, which is an initial institutional step to support the peaceful settlement of disputes. Its action is part and parcel of a structural strengthening of peace, which integrates in an extremely serious way a proactive dimension and a preventive dimension in order to minimize the risks of conflict breaking out. Building peace, as pointed out by the Secretary- General in his report on the implementation of support and recommendations on the causes of conflict, also involves the ongoing building of the rule of law and the promotion of instruments to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is precisely in this spirit that the African Union, in 2002, instituted an African Peer Review Mechanism, which is completely voluntary and which seeks to put the management of the public affairs of an African country in the hands of its peers and very successfully highlights the commitment of Africa to transparency and good governance. The economic and social development of nations is the most favourable context for building lasting peace and socio-political stability. On the basis of that principle, the AU economic programme, NEPAD, is also a peace and security initiative. Fully African in purpose and inspiration, NEPAD is premised on the idea of freeing the continent of conflicts and combating the political and social vulnerabilities that cause them and fighting underdevelopment. Through its ambitious multisectoral programmes, it aspires to assert Africa’s political will to reassume responsibility for resolving its own problems and to fulfil its aspiration to be marginalized no longer. However, that ambition conflicts with a familiar — but no less devastating — record characterized at the internal level by extreme poverty, substantial migratory flows, the breakdown of economic and social systems and the absence of development infrastructures. At the external level, while the countries of Asia, Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe are emerging in the sphere of international economic relations, Africa — which represents a quarter of the Organization’s Member States and 12 per cent of the world population — accounts for only 1 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 1.8 per cent of international exports. To climb out of that socio-economic morass, NEPAD has implemented an ambitious programme whose viability depends largely on consistent resources to feed it — estimated at $64 billion per year, or 12 per cent of the continent’s GDP. It supplements insufficient internal resources with public and private external financing and calls for greater access to Western markets for African exports. In its implementation cycle, the programme relies in the short term on traditional, but improved, means of development: greater official development assistance (ODA) and swifter debt relief. Over the long term, it seeks to reduce dependence on aid. To that end, it favours foreign direct investment as a source of supplementary financing. In the wake of the NEPAD implementation process, African countries have had to identify more clearly the constraints and structural obstacles impeding continental economic integration and a multitude of development projects. Those obstacles and constraints — several of which are highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report — include weak institutional capacities and uneven development of the subregional pillars of continental integration, which do not promote the complementarity or optimal use of African capacities and experiences; insufficient financial resources; the scarcity of skilled labour; limited private-sector participation in NEPAD’s implementation, accompanied by the late arrival of sufficient amounts of foreign direct investment; ODA that remains below the set targets and is always largely consumed by the costs of expertise; and an economic, financial and trade environment that does not value African countries’ efforts to emerge from underdevelopment. The quest for regional stability in Africa has led the African Union and NEPAD to make cooperation an integral and even decisive component of achieving collective security and development at the continental level. That imperative is fully justified in the global context following 11 September 2001, where poverty has emerged as one of the causes of terrorism. The struggle for development has thus become a global priority, and NEPAD has become the reference framework within which the international community — particularly the United Nations system — should focus its African development efforts. A partnership for security in Africa depends to a large degree on continental and international mobilization. Such general mobilization should be based on the strengthening of regional and local mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution, particularly through the training of mediators and negotiators in the cultural foundations of peace. It should also be based on a peace diplomacy charged with creating conditions for the peaceful resolution of disputes — a diplomacy whose ultimate goal would be that set by the Fifth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held in July 2005: to achieve a conflict- free Africa by 2010. Enhanced cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations system is another important area of work, because it would enable the Union to benefit from the Organization’s expertise and broad experience in the area of peacekeeping. It would also facilitate the Union’s access to additional resources for conducting its own operations. In that connection, the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission in December 2005 is part of a complementary approach in which the Commission, in close collaboration with other major United Nations organs, maintains the level of attention and assistance accorded to countries emerging from conflict, particularly in Africa — Burundi and Sierra Leone, for example. In addition, to improve on an unsatisfactory assistance relationship, NEPAD calls for the establishment of a genuine partnership with industrialized countries and multilateral institutions on the basis of shared responsibilities. In that regard, we welcome the partnership established between NEPAD and the Group of Eight (G8) and the G8’s commitments to support African efforts. Likewise, we welcome the many initiatives carried out by a number of developed countries to support Africa. Whether multilateral or bilateral, such initiatives are to be encouraged. We remain convinced that, if we are to succeed in the gamble of an effective partnership that produces economic and social benefits, the support of development partners should be expressed not only through coherent international cooperation policies that provide Africa with a comprehensive response and the means to attain its objectives, but also through the establishment of a more favourable environment for the access of African products to international markets. Accordingly, as the basis for a genuine solidarity policy, the objective of allocating 0.7 per cent of the gross national product of industrialized countries to ODA and providing total foreign debt relief to sub-Saharan Africa should become a tangible reality — and no longer be just a political and moral platitude — so that the actions of those countries will live up to their statements. For its part, the United Nations system must play a significant role in helping to support African efforts. Operational activities are of great importance in that regard and could have greater visibility if they had a solid footing and a clear framework. To conclude, I cannot fail to stress the importance of the role of the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, whose efforts demonstrate — if that were necessary — the commitment of the United Nations to ensure regular follow-up on the international support for NEPAD.

I wish to thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this important joint debate on agenda item 62 (a), “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation of international support”, and item 62 (b), “Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa”. I also wish to thank the Secretary-General for his report on the item under review. Rwanda associates itself with the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. We believe that this General Assembly debate provides a good opportunity to discuss critical issues related to the speedy implementation of international support to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Rwanda is strongly committed to the ideals and vision of NEPAD, which, we believe, are very critical to the socio-economic transformation of Africa. Rwanda was among the first countries to submit to the scrutiny of our peers under NEPAD’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The Review Mechanism is founded on the principle that peace, security and good governance are the firm foundations for sustainable development. It entails a collective political commitment to implementing best governance practices and to accepting review by our peers on the basis of these standards. In Rwanda, the Review Mechanism gave us the opportunity to measure our national governance initiatives against the benchmark of international standards and to provide a forum for broadening national dialogue on these initiatives. For post-conflict countries, the Review Mechanism provides a rare opportunity to initiate reforms. The Secretary-General’s report on the causes of conflict also recognizes the opportunities to create new governance structures in post-conflict situations. We welcome this recognition. Our experience as a pioneer Peer Review Mechanism country was recently shared at the Sixth African Governance Forum in Kigali, Rwanda. We are committed to continue to share our experience in the spirit of mutual learning, particularly with countries emerging from conflict. It is also important to note that at last June’s Peer Review Meeting in Banjul, at which Rwanda was subject to review, a resulting programme of action was endorsed by participating heads of State. Rwanda’s implementation of this programme of action is already under way. However, we would like to encourage our friends and partners to join us in its comprehensive and accelerated implementation. The imperative for the integration of African economies has been well articulated under NEPAD and facilitated by its infrastructure programmes. Unfortunately, these well-meaning initiatives remain on the drawing board five years after NEPAD’s inauguration. The delays in the implementation of these initiatives seem to emanate from the failure on our part to mobilize sufficient domestic resources for their financing. On the other hand, our delays have been compounded by our partners’ ongoing political commitments, which have caused the postponement of concrete disbursements. It is my hope that this debate shall be the catalyst that will stimulate the needed progress in this regard.

In order to save time, I will abridge my statement, but the full text of our delegation’s statement has been submitted to you for distribution. The Russian Federation welcomes the progress achieved during the recent years in settling conflicts in Africa, above all, in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Still, much remains to be done until definitive stabilization of the situation in the continent is reached. We attach great importance to the elaboration of agreed comprehensive steps to the settlement of conflict situations in the region, which must be based on giving priority to political and diplomatic approaches and the unconditional compliance with norms and principles of peacekeeping, as provided for in the Charter of the United Nations. During its presidency of the Group of Eight (G8), the Russian Federation has promoted the inclusion of African issues on the G8 agenda as one of its priorities. During the St. Petersburg summit, the G8 leaders discussed in detail the issues of peace and development in Africa and established guidelines for future assistance to the continent. In accordance with its status as a permanent member of the Security Council, the Russian Federation has made a substantial contribution to peacekeeping activities in Africa, including the development within the framework of the Council, of strategies to settle specific armed conflicts and the adoption of mandates for relevant peacekeeping operations in order to support such operations in Africa. We continue to provide assistance in training African peacekeepers. We envisage a potential increase of our cooperation with African countries in this area. We intend to further contribute to the development of African countries’ own anti-crisis capacity. We support new rational methods in the practice of United Nations peacekeeping activities, while maintaining compliance with all existing rules and procedures. The joint activities of United Nations forces must be carried out on the basis of Security Council authorization on the principles of full respect for the sovereignty of individual countries and the consent of the troop-contributing countries, and should not exceed the mandates of specific missions. In the context of efforts to stabilize the post- conflict situations in Africa, we see substantial potential in the Peacebuilding Commission. We are looking forward to a substantial contribution by the Commission to the resolution of issues associated with definitive normalization and measures to ensure sustainable development in Sierra Leone and in Burundi, and in the long-term, in other African countries emerging from crises. We have taken note of the ideas contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and on the need to elaborate so-called millennium peace and security goals in Africa. We believe that this idea should not run counter to the already existing initiatives in this area, and therefore requires, in our view, further careful study. The Russian Federation would like to express its gratitude to the Secretary-General for his detailed and comprehensive report on implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). From the very beginning, Russia has supported this initiative. As a responsible member of the international community and a member of organizations that are friendly towards Africa, such as the Group of Eight, we are continuing to increase our contribution to the accelerated development of that continent. A major area of Russian assistance to Africa is alleviation of the debt burden of the countries of the region within the framework of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative (HIPC). To date, Russia has written off or committed to write off African debt worth $11.3 billion, including $2.2 billion within the HIPC Initiative. In 2003-2004, Russia made an additional contribution to the HIPC Trust Fund in the amount of $10 million. In 2005-2006, yet another additional contribution of $15 million was made to the Trust Fund. This year, we intend to additionally write off bilateral liabilities of African countries for the total amount of over $700 million. Russia participates in the International Development Association (IDA) replenishment for 2003-2011 in the amount of $30 million. The Russian contribution to the fourteenth IDA replenishment for 2006-2014 has been earmarked at approximately $60 million. The share of sub-Saharan African countries will total 49 per cent of that amount. Russia is contributing to the development of energy security on the continent. We intend to contribute $30 million to the Global Village Energy Partnership in order to expand its activities in sub-Saharan Africa. Broad trade preferences have been offered to the countries of Africa. Most of their export commodities are imported into Russia on preferential terms. Customs duties and fees on goods imported from the poorest countries are not assessed. We are intensively developing our cooperation in a number of major investment projects in Africa. We understand the importance of human resources development on the African continent, and for that reason we are providing substantial training support to African countries. To date, over 4,500 African students are studying in Russian higher education institutions, approximately 75 per cent of whom receive scholarships from the Russian federal budget. For the 2006-2007 academic years, African countries have been allocated approximately 750 scholarships. In April 2006, a decision was taken on Russia’s participation in the initiative on the expedited funding of the Education for All programme and a contribution was made to its funds of $7.2 million for 2006-2008. An important element of our work with Africa is assistance in public health. The final document on this agenda item of the Saint Petersburg Summit sets out a comprehensive long-term strategy of global efforts in this area that has already been highly appreciated by the World Health Organization (WHO). While we positively assess the efforts on combating malaria undertaken through WHO, UNICEF and other partner organizations, in particular the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Russia calls for further increased and agreed international measures within the framework of the United Nations to reduce the spread of this disease, with overall coordination by WHO and financial support from the Global Fund. In 2005, Russia paid its contributions to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in the amount of $8 million. We have fully implemented our commitment to contribute in 2002-2006 $20 million to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In 2005-2008, Russia will contribute an additional $20 million to that Fund. In addition, we have made the decision to reimburse during 2007-2010 the grants that were earlier provided through that Fund to support relevant projects in Russia. Thus, the Fund will have an additional approximately $217 million at its disposal. Russia is also providing humanitarian and special economic assistance to African nations. This year a decision was made on Russia’s participation in financing the IMF programme to provide assistance to the poorest countries that have suffered from external shocks, by making a voluntary contribution in the amount of approximately $45 million in 2006-2010. Last year was an international pledge year to assist implementation of NEPAD. The current year is the year of implementation of those commitments. Those commitments will be reconfirmed at the regular seventh meeting of the African Partnership Forum late in October 2006 in Moscow. On the agenda are issues directly related to implementation of the NEPAD programme. We believe that with the good will of the international community in solidarity with the African continent, we can together promote substantial modernization of Africa.

I would like to endorse fully the statement made by South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I will focus on certain points that are particularly important for Tunisia. The increasing interest of the international community and the United Nations system in particular towards Africa is twofold. First, the African continent is a prey to poverty, conflicts and pandemics, which can explain its overall delays in meeting the timetable agreed for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Also, Africa is an active and vibrant continent, which is taking responsibility and deploying political and economic efforts at the national and regional levels to come to terms with itself and to find a way out of the situation. In this framework, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), with its holistic development approach, constitutes a global and integrated programme in the service of the development of Africa and a basis for cooperation with its partners. However, despite the firm will of African countries and the commitment of its partners, the implementation of this significant African programme still requires greater mobilization by the international community and better harmonization of the instruments of intervention. Certainly, progress has been made since last year, particularly with regard to debt reduction, thanks to international support, but the situation risks being reversed if the support provided by Africa’s partners is not consolidated and increased and value added in the long term. The fourth report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of international support for development for NEPAD is both optimistic and contradictory with regard to the impact and scope of progress made. On the one hand, it shows that there is a new impetus promoting African development, but it is not solid enough to be sustainable. On the other hand, it asks development partners to put flesh on the bones of their commitments, particularly with regard to official development assistance, free market access and trade diversification. In this respect, I would like to welcome the steps made in 2006 by the developed countries to dismantle the cotton subsidies that have been a source of suffering for African countries. Trade assistance should be complementary to market access and not a substitute for it. In the 2006 report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on the economic development of Africa, entitled “Doubling Aid: Making the ‘Big Push’ Work”, UNCTAD suggested that there should be a new Marshall Plan to help Africa that would involve doubling aid to the region, redefining relevant mechanisms and streamlining our methods of intervention. According to UNCTAD, that new approach would enable Africa to achieve the necessary growth to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The interaction between poverty, conflicts and pandemics is clear. Any new recovery strategy must simultaneously address those three obstacles to development. Economic growth, human development and political stability must be part of a systematic vision and must not be addressed in a separate and distinct manner. NEPAD’s approach incorporates that vision. My delegation shares that vision and believes the macro-economic reform process, the political stabilization process and human development require financial, human and technical resources that currently are beyond the reach of certain African countries. For that reason, there is a structural need for external help in order that we may meet the targeted objectives and priorities. That fertile environment is also a prerequisite for NEPAD. There needs to be a stable and ongoing balance between the development goals of Africa and the constraints brought on by globalization. The goal is to enable Africa to adapt and to speed up its process of integration in the world economy. On the other hand, it is important to strengthen national and regional capacities with regard to the implementation of NEPAD and to insure coherence and coordination between national development plans and the NEPAD priorities. We must also insure the conditions for better participation of the private sector in the implementation of the programmes and projects of NEPAD. I would like to point out that in the 2005 Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1), the heads of State and Government decided unequivocally to provide coherent and regular support to NEPAD programmes. Along the same lines, Tunisia welcomes the conclusions of the Committee for Programme and Coordination with regard to the renewed commitment of the United Nations to provide active and coordinated assistance to the various aspects of NEPAD and the need to identify innovative sources of funding for its priorities. Before concluding on that point, I would like to express the appreciation of the Tunisian delegation for the untiring efforts made in that respect by the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa, who is in charge of, inter alia, relations with NEPAD, and whose office should be further strengthened. In this combined discussion, another subject of much interest for Africa and the international community should be mentioned — namely, the management of conflict and post-conflict situations and the promotion of a lasting peace in Africa. Those are questions my delegation would now like to comment upon. With regard to political instability and conflict and post-conflict situations, my delegation feels that in order to bring concerned countries back to the path of reconstruction and development, we need international, political and economic support that is more robust and better targeted. In that framework, the creation of the Peacebuilding Commission constitutes a new instrument that will be particularly useful for Africa. Africa has the greatest number of conflict and post- conflict situations, and it also provides 75 per cent of the military police and civilian contingents that make up United Nations peacekeeping operations. In that respect, I wish to stress the beneficial role of the African Union, in particular the Peace and Security Council, which is the structure for consolidating peace and security in material, political, legal and institutional terms. In that framework, better structured cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations is required in order to promote the establishment of an African capacity for conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Without the commitment of all partners, the ambitious objective — a conflict-free Africa by the year 2010 — will be difficult to bring about.

My delegation is pleased to participate in the discussion of the item entitled, “New Partnership for Africa’s Development”, and has read with great interest the fourth report of the Secretary-General on the progress achieved in providing international support to the initiative of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Kuwait attaches great importance to that question, as it affects the interests and concerns of the African countries with which Kuwait maintains strong historic relations. Five years have elapsed since the African leaders adopted the NEPAD initiative, which is aimed at achieving equal growth on a large scale. That would enable Africa to alleviate poverty and to be better integrated in the world economy. Kuwait hopes that the resolutions adopted by many international conferences with a view to achieving sustainable development will help in establishing the basis for a partnership between developed and developing countries. That partnership would contribute to the stability and development of economic relations between those countries through the establishment of a fair and balanced framework for international trade, thus allowing each party to assume its own responsibilities in satisfying the special needs of Africa. The efforts of the African countries to overcome the vicious cycle of eliminating the burden of indebtedness on one hand, and ensuring the financial resources for its development goals on the other hand, reflect the most significant challenges facing the African continent. Some heavily indebted African countries benefited from writing off bilateral debts, which some donor countries have announced. Those efforts include the decision taken by the G8 countries to cancel, multilaterally, 100 per cent of the debts owed mostly by low-income African countries and to write off debts of $40 billion, and the International Monetary Fund initiative to cancel the debts of 27 African countries in the amount of $25 billion. Such cancellations are a positive step that has drawn the attention of the State of Kuwait, which — long before the announcement of the NEPAD initiative — had already begun to alleviate the debt burden for African countries. Those efforts are illustrated in the statement made by the late Amir of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, at the forty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly, in 1988, when he called upon the international community, especially the donor countries, to take action to alleviate the burden of debts that encumbered the economies of developing countries, and to cancel the debts of countries whose economies were experiencing difficulties. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has contributed to the alleviation of foreign debts for 14 African countries in the framework of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, by reducing debts due to the Fund by those countries and by rescheduling those debts over a period of 40 years, including a 16-year grace period with an interest rate ranging from 0.5 per cent to 2.0 per cent. Those terms are considered more attractive than the initial terms for those loans. The Fund is also working to alleviate the debts of other African countries within the framework of the HIPC initiative. In the context of the principle of partnership among developing countries themselves, mention should be made of the role of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development, acting within the HIPC initiative, to alleviate the foreign debts of 18 African countries. The solution to the problem of indebtedness and the cancellation of debts will not be useful or effective if it is not associated with the means to provide the funds necessary for development assistance. Kuwait is proud to abide by all of its international obligations and to pursue its contributions for supporting economic development programmes in developing countries through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, which has granted development loans in the amount of $12 billion to more than 100 countries around the world; 40 per cent of those countries are in Africa. Thus the overall average Kuwaiti official development assistance is almost double the agreed United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product for the developed countries. Last August, within the framework of international efforts to eradicate poverty, Kuwait announced a donation of $300 million for the efforts of the Islamic Development Bank for development in Africa. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has contributed resources to many development institutions in Africa. The African Development Fund was granted development assistance amounting to $205 million as of October of 2006, the African Development Bank received $117 million, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa received $50 million, while the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Special Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa was granted financial aid in the amount of $15 million. The Kuwait Development Fund has contributed more than $100 million to many rehabilitation programmes that build upon the success of the first phase of the fight against river blindness. Kuwait’s contributions have continued in later phases up to the year 2003. It is noteworthy to mention the Kuwait Development Fund’s contribution to the Foundation for Tropical Diseases, where the Fund is a founding member. Mention should also be made of the Fund’s contribution to the International Development Law Institute. Kuwait has efficiently contributed through the OPEC Fund to many development projects in developing countries, as 119 countries have received assistance from the Fund — including 46 African countries. The soft loans granted up until August 2006 amounted to $5.4 billion. This principle of partnership includes the OPEC Fund’s contribution to the capital of the Common Fund for Commodities and the grant of loans to assist countries in subscribing to the Common Fund, as well as the OPEC Fund’s contribution to the special account for the fight against HIV/AIDS. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize certain points. It is important for African countries to exert significant efforts in order to promote NEPAD at a global level, and not to limit their efforts to some donor countries or certain continents. They must increase global awareness of African problems, include NEPAD, within the institutional framework of the African Union and its various operations. They must provide more assistance to the private sector, as well as increase awareness of efforts within civil society. Partnership is not something transitional, but is a long- term exercise and warrants continuous assessment. Here, we welcome the pioneering goal of this global Organization to mobilize international support for NEPAD. We would like to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for establishing the Advisory Panel on International Support for NEPAD. African countries exerted significant efforts to satisfy the previous demands of the international community in assuming, by themselves, the major role in achieving stability in Africa. They have done this in order to encourage donor countries and the private sector to offer the necessary economic and technical support to the African countries. The fourth report of the Secretary- General on progress made in the implementation of and international support for NEPAD (A/61/212), shows the diversification of economic and export structures in Africa, which is essential for the promotion of growth and the acceleration of development in Africa. Building infrastructure for trade and improving exports are all efforts that will improve the opportunities and the prospects for the entry of African exports into the international markets. The time has come for the international community to take more decisive steps to encourage and support African efforts through an increase in the technical, political and financial support that must accompany the significant efforts being made to prepare the peaceful environment needed for development.

At the outset, I wish to thank the Secretary-General for his report on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/61/212), his report on the causes of conflict and promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/61/213), as well as his report on international efforts aimed at combating malaria (A/61/218 and Corr.1). We would like to align ourselves with the statement delivered by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The fourth progress report of the Secretary- General on the implementation of NEPAD coincides with the fifth anniversary of the Partnership’s adoption as a visionary initiative originating from within Africa and aimed at addressing the problems and challenges facing our continent. While the report acknowledges the existing new momentum for development in Africa, as well as some progress in the implementation of a number of projects in various fields, we agree with the Secretary-General that international support to Africa has not yet reached the level needed to empower NEPAD with a self-propelled and irreversible momentum. I must emphasize in this context that all parties must live up to their commitments to the special needs of Africa, as decided by the heads of State and Government in the Millennium Declaration and in the 2005 World Summit Outcome. In that context, we also wish to stress the vital priority that Egypt accords to the agriculture and trade sectors of NEPAD, which are coordinated by Egypt. We welcome the reference in the report of the Secretary-General to the progress made in the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme. However, we believe that the ongoing preparatory process and proposal making should not be prolonged and should quickly lead to the next phase of actual implementation. Egypt accords particular importance to the further mobilization of efforts for the implementation of that programme. Since we acknowledge the important role of trade in the development process, we wish to draw particular attention to the issue of diversification of African exports and to the protection of fragile economies from fluctuations in the world market for raw materials, upon which many African economies are dependant. Furthermore, it is important to focus further international efforts on improving market access for African exports to the markets of developed countries. Africa is aware of the myriad challenges it is facing on its path to development and poverty alleviation, based on the implementation of the objectives and programmes of NEPAD. Thus, we attach particular significance to taking the appropriate measures aimed at addressing institutional issues related to the increased integration of NEPAD in the structures of the African Union, as well as to providing increased support and encouragement to the private sector as a partner in the implementation of the initiative and its objectives. To that end and in keeping with its responsibilities and commitments, Egypt announced, during the meeting of the NEPAD Implementation Committee at the summit level at Sharm el-Sheikh in 2005, that it is placing all its training and rehabilitation institutes and scientific and technological research facilities at the disposal of African countries. Egypt wishes to join its African brothers and sisters in calling for increasing the effectiveness of the contribution of the United Nations system to the regional and international development efforts in Africa. That can be achieved through interaction and coordination between United Nations organs, funds, programmes and specialized agencies on the one hand, and the African Union organs on the other, so as to ensure the mobilization of increasing international support for NEPAD. The Egyptian delegation wishes to stress once again the special importance of the annual report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict in Africa, which has previously included a consolidated and unique view of the achievements made and the threats and challenges facing the realization of peace and security on the continent. While the focus of the report this year is on the issue of improving political and economic governance as one of the important elements of conflict prevention and peacemaking, we need to avoid addressing the responsibilities and causes of conflict in Africa exclusively through the issue of governance. We must give parallel attention to addressing the multidimensional aspects of peace and security and their close and mutual linkage to sustainable development in Africa and the resolution of its political problems, which occupy more than 60 per cent of the agenda of the Security Council. In that context, we welcome the report’s focus on post-conflict peacebuilding and reconstruction and wish to reemphasize the need to reinforce national ownership of peacebuilding activities, as well as African ownership of the means to address security and development issues on the continent, with the required international technical and financial support that rejects conditionality and the tendency to develop trusteeship-like relations with Africa. The report of the Secretary-General presents numerous important ideas on the promotion of institutional cooperation between the United Nations, the African Union and other subregional organizations in Africa, particularly in the field of building Africa’s own peacekeeping capacity. However, we would wish the report to return in the future to its focus on African priorities in the areas of conflict prevention and peacebuilding as means to eliminate the phenomenon of the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons and to promote youth employment and empowerment so as to discourage young people from turning to violence and extremism. We also hope that it will focus on the continuing negative implications of the illegal exploitation of natural resources in conflict-affected regions in Africa. I refer, in that context, to the expert-level meeting hosted by Egypt in cooperation with the Office of the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Africa from 17 to 19 June 2006. That meeting addressed the issue from a comprehensive perspective that transcends the relevant section of this year’s report of the Secretary-General, which takes a different approach limited to the sound economic management of natural resources. The report further attempts to reinterpret the concept of the legal exploitation of natural resources while ignoring the repercussions of their illegal exploitation by external actors on the fuelling of conflicts, as was established in the cases of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Moreover, the report does not address the close link between the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. In that context, we wish to recall the previous report of the Secretary-General submitted to the General Assembly at its sixtieth session, in which he proposed guidelines and concrete measures to deter the illegal exploitation of natural resources and to pursue and bring to justice those responsible for it. The report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict in Africa presents a set of important recommendations, most notable among which is the proposal to create millennium peace and security goals that would accord highest priority to the protection of civilians in the overall collective security system. Despite the fact that the report links that proposal to the goal of a conflict-free Africa by 2010, the proposal undoubtedly has implications beyond the borders of the African continent. To that end, we look forward to receiving further information on the scope of the aforementioned proposal and the appropriateness of its submission at a time when developing and least developed countries are struggling to mobilize sustained international attention for their aspirations and concerns with respect to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. While we acknowledge all efforts and initiatives related to combating malaria, we remain unable to achieve our objectives in that respect. The most recent report of the Secretary-General clearly reflects that reality and argues that its primary cause is the lack of sustained international financial support and of appropriate technical capacities to address the pandemic. Hence, there is a clear need for partnership at all levels, the provision of treatment and treated nets at affordable prices, and the development of creative means to intensify individual and collective efforts aimed at the elimination of malaria. The proposals presented in the report of the Secretary-General contain positive ideas that could be adopted or further elaborated during the upcoming period to meet our objectives. In that context, following its success in totally eliminating the pandemic, Egypt reiterates its readiness to share its expertise in the area of combating and rolling back malaria. We also wish to recall the Egyptian initiative, adopted at the 2005 African Union summit in Abuja, to establish an African regional centre in Cairo for epidemic and indigenous diseases and HIV/AIDS, which would provide and develop vaccines, serums and medications for all such epidemics, including malaria. Egypt looks forward to increasing regional and international efforts to support that initiative, aimed at the alleviation of one of the primary causes of suffering for the African peoples.

It is now five years since Africa adopted the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as its development strategy, and four years since the Partnership’s endorsement by the international community as the framework for support to Africa. In the intervening years, many positive changes have taken place in Africa, notably the peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected Government to another in several countries, the resolution of conflicts, and the consolidation of efforts to sustain peace, security and stability in the continent. Those developments have received positive mention in the Secretary-General’s reports before us. Undoubtedly, the obstacles facing the continent are enormous, but so too are the opportunities to transform the lives of our peoples. African leaders remain resolute in their commitment and efforts to resolve conflicts, promote peace and achieve sustainable development. Carefully designed peacebuilding initiatives have been deployed at the subregional and continental levels, including the historic launching of the Peace and Security Council of the Africa Union, the deployment of some of our best troops and police in service under the African Union Mission in Sudan, and continuing exertions in Côte d’Ivoire to create conditions that would make the path of peace secure and irreversible. Let me, in that regard, recall the statement of President Olusegun Obasanjo to this Assembly on 25 September 2006, which captured the ethos of Africa’s challenge. He said: “For Africa, the most urgent challenge remains the resolution of conflicts and the maintenance of peace and security as the foundation for socio-economic progress.” (A/61/PV.18) Nigeria firmly believes that resolving the conflicts in the Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and other troubled spots in Africa merits the best of our efforts. Nigeria will continue to coordinate efforts with other countries in our region, as well as like-minded members of the international community, to achieve the shared goals of peace and security, stability and development in Africa. Whilst an analytical research of the specific causes of conflict in each situation in Africa is essential to improve the effectiveness of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and post-conflict recovery measures, it is our conviction, however, that only global cooperation would lead to a lasting solution. Nowhere is such cooperation more urgent than in the area of small arms and light weapons, whose proliferation and widespread use by non-State actors have contributed to the persistence of conflicts. By the adoption of the Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition, and Other Related Materials last June, States members of the Economic Community of West African States demonstrated their resolve to combat the spread of those arms and weapons in our subregion. We invite other States Members of the United Nations to emulate that decision to enable us all to confront that scourge. We should not allow the regrettable failure at the recent first United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects to agree on a final document, including a ban on arms supplies to non- State actors, to weaken our resolve in that regard. Instead, we should strengthen the capacities of State authorities and deny non-State actors the ready access to those weapons with which they have wrought so much destruction not only in Africa, but elsewhere in the world. The Secretary-General’s fourth consolidated report, in document A/61/212, as in past years provides useful insights on the progress made in the implementation of NEPAD and the challenges ahead. It is clear that a lot more needs to be done by all parties in support of Africa. The commitment of African leaders to NEPAD is evident from the priority projects that our respective countries have initiated and are implementing consistent with the broad objectives of the Programme. Those projects cover areas as varied as infrastructure, information and communication technologies, health, education and agriculture. However, our countries continue to face the dire shortage of resources commensurate with the scale of ambition and desire to transform Africa. Resources mobilized from all sources have fallen short of minimum targets on NEPAD priority projects, a situation to which the Secretary-General refers in one of his reports. Support for Africa must therefore transcend platitudes; it must be reflected in concrete assistance. Only thus shall we be able to maintain the momentum generated in recent years in support of the continent. Nigeria has, on its part, adopted a comprehensive strategy for realizing its development objectives, integrating into the process the goals and targets of the Millennium Development Goals and NEPAD. The objective of the macroeconomic and political reforms introduced by President Olusegun Obasanjo since 1999 is to reposition Nigeria as one of the leading economies in the world. Our flagship development framework, the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, has been designed to mobilize our national resources, create self-sustaining economic growth that will translate into prosperity for our peoples, and thus bequeath to generations to come a strong, self- confident nation that can continue to be relied upon to play an important role in our region and the world at large. The strategy is anchored on four key strategies: to reform the way Government and its institutions work, to develop the private sector as the driving force for growth, to implement a social charter, and to reorient the value system in Nigeria. In 1999, there were 590 public enterprises spanning such areas as petroleum, mining, power, telecommunications, steel, transport and banking. Through a vigorous privatization programme, as reflected in the Public Enterprises Act of 1999, the Nigerian Government has divested itself of its shares in most of those ventures, which, in turn, are now better managed and have become more efficient. Achieving food security is the spearhead of our poverty eradication programmes. We have therefore adopted policy measures to boost agricultural productivity, with emphasis on food production and preservation. Working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), we have dedicated a trust fund on food security, managed by the FAO, to boost our food reserves and availability to all Nigerians. In pursuit of our development goals, appropriate laws have been enacted and strong anti- corruption institutions created. We intend to reinforce that process by making those changes irreversible. I should emphasize that good social, economic and political governance is the core of the new orientation in public management in Nigeria. That is the bedrock of the vision of NEPAD, whose optional African Peer Review Mechanism has been embraced by 25 countries, including Nigeria. Nigeria is concerned that Africa is the only continent that is not on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals, particularly the goal of reducing poverty and hunger by half by the year 2015. While we are mindful of the support rendered by various partners, including the United Nations system, to African countries in the implementation of NEPAD, we should draw attention to the fact that the assistance so far provided falls short of Africa’s overall needs. Many NEPAD programmes and projects are on hold for lack of resources to finance their implementation. A more positive assistance, provided in a timely manner, should therefore boost the efforts of Africa’s leadership and Governments. There are other measures that can facilitate Africa’s development objectives. Those include market access for African goods and services, the removal of agricultural subsidies and other harmful barriers, an increase in official development assistance, foreign direct investment, and debt cancellation or relief. Clear action on each and every one of those issues would serve notice of the positive engagement of Africa’s development partners with us in the campaign to reverse our economic fortunes and return the continent to the mainstream of global development. It is equally desirable that the United Nations system not relent in its support for NEPAD. We call for the strengthening of its advocacy and coordination mechanisms for NEPAD beyond the funds, programmes and specialized agencies. Towards that end, the resource needs of the United Nations system should be kept under constant review so that stepped- up support for NEPAD programmes, especially in the area of capacity-building, technical assistance and transfer of knowledge and expertise, does not suffer. Nigeria believes that the acceleration of the implementation of the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-Building would be invaluable in that process. We also hope that the Chief Executives Board will continue to give adequate support to the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa to enable it to carry out its mandate. I wish to recall that Nigeria warmly welcomed the Millennium Villages project when it was launched at the sixtieth session. We note with satisfaction that the project is now operational in 10 African countries, including Nigeria — a development that attests to how modest resources can make an enormous difference to the reduction of poverty in rural areas. We commend the United Nations Development Programme for incorporating the Millennium Villages project into its work and urge that the lessons learnt be taken into account in other quick-impact initiatives in developing countries. Africa continues to pay a heavy price from the HIV/AIDS pandemic, further deepening the continent’s development crisis. The resurgence of malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases has stretched Africa’s capacity to the limits. As most reports have shown, there has been a steady increase in recent years in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. To confront that disturbing situation, African leaders have expressed their political support for fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and have embarked upon policies towards that end. For the second time in the past five years, Nigeria hosted in June 2006 a summit on HIV/AIDS, during which African leaders reaffirmed their Governments’ commitment to allocating 15 per cent of their national budgets to the health sector. We hope that those efforts will continue to receive the generous and sustained support of the international community. Success in promoting peace and sustaining social and economic development in Africa will require genuine partnership through international cooperation. Our respective commitments should be reflected not in pious declaration, but in concrete action. Africa would then emerge a very strong continent.

Senegal is grateful to the Secretary-General for having quickly accomplished the important job of making available to the General Assembly the relevant reports (A/61/212 and A/61/213), which clearly reveal the tremendous challenges that await us in our endeavours to give substance to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and to implement sustainable peace in Africa. My delegation fully concurs with the statement made earlier by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and would like to make some additional comments. NEPAD was created by African leaders as a result of the lack of success, or even the failure, of innumerable programmes and initiatives of past decades. It was then adopted by the international community as part of a resolute effort to match development initiatives and peace efforts in Africa to the specific needs of the continent. That adoption presaged an improvement in the economic prospects of the African countries and provided a common response to the economic paradigm in Africa. At the same time, while everyone seems to agree on the legitimate ambitions and the relevance of NEPAD, the existing reality causes us to be less than enthusiastic about the results. In fact, in spite of the encouraging signs presented appropriately in the report of the Secretary-General — and with which we are pleased — progress is still slow and the difficulties on the continent continue to weigh upon its future due to a lack of mobilization of international support — support that should be sizeable. If, despite the efforts made, Africa continues to figure prominently on the international agenda, it is because the anticipated support from the international community has not risen to the level of declared expectations and ambitions. That means that humanitarian crises persist, that poverty and pandemics — especially HIV/AIDS — continue to spread and that the promises for increased assistance have not been kept. The debt burden remains unbearable; direct foreign investment is not what it should be; and access to Northern markets is obstructed by numerous tariff and non-tariff barriers. If the international community truly wants to help Africa, that would involve, as the Secretary-General has said, keeping promises and making financial efforts. We welcome the relevant proposals in his report for fulfilling the contractual commitments made to Africa and for taking concrete steps and measures to strengthen the impetus for the implementation of NEPAD. At the same time, the need for international support does not absolve each State of its primary responsibility to implement its own development. That is the philosophy upon which NEPAD is based. Therefore, we are pleased to note that a number of African countries have undertaken bold reforms as part of the transition to democracy and to good economic and political governance, and have made considerable progress in the areas of human rights and the rule of law. The adoption of the African Peer Review Mechanism is an eloquent illustration of that. At the same time, such progress should not divert us from another essential element of work — to which my country is totally committed — which is to continue our efforts to eliminate all conflicts completely, as that is the sole prerequisite by which we may, on an ongoing basis, remain committed to the path that leads to development. In the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict in Africa (A/61/213), poverty, inequality and poor governance are identified as the major causes of conflict situations on the continent. Thus, establishing conditions for stability and sustainable peace in Africa also means addressing the challenges of development and eradicating poverty, which often feeds conflicts. At the same time, a careful analysis of the report allows us realize that the most serious threats involve power, in particular its acquisition and management, and the distribution of wealth. Thus, political and economic governance remains an important element in conflict prevention. It is vital to establish conditions for organizing free and transparent elections, which is the only way to ensure a fair distribution of power. Along those lines, Senegal is particularly pleased with the remarkable progress observed in a number of countries, such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and earnestly hopes the same momentum will be established in the neighbourly countries of the Côte d’Ivoire, the Sudan, Somalia and elsewhere. We see in the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission the hope for stronger cooperation and interaction, not only with the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, but also with regional and subregional African mechanisms to promote stability, including the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the African Peer Review Mechanism. The objective, therefore, is to comprehensively grasp the problems of conflict prevention and to provide the necessary assistance of the United Nations system in those peace efforts. Along those lines, Senegal is also pleased with the decision of the Secretary-General to dispatch to the African Union an interdepartmental task force whose main task will be to elaborate a 10-year capacity- building plan to forge closer and more structured cooperation between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, to improve rapid alert capabilities, develop competencies in mediation and the maintenance of peace, and to assist in building capacities in political and electoral matters, governance, human rights, the rule of law, peacebuilding and humanitarian assistance. We impatiently await the conclusions of the task force. By the same token, it is necessary for non-African States to strengthen their assistance to the African Union by making available appropriate resources and by providing the necessary assistance to meet the mandate of establishing and maintaining peace, which the African Union, up until now, has done its best to finance on its own. In another area, the promotion of sustainable development in Africa remains, to a large extent, dependent on resolving health issues that affect the continent. Therefore, we believe it urgent to adopt an integrated approach in addressing public health problems such as malaria, which is both a cause and a consequence of poverty. Must it be repeated that this pandemic kills more than 1 million people in Africa every year, causes the loss of $12 billion in gross domestic product and is responsible for 40 per cent of public health expenditures? Some estimates attribute an annual growth deficit of almost 1.3 per cent to this scourge in African countries. In order to tangibly reduce the prevalence of this illness, we need to do more to support African efforts through an even greater mobilization within The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and in implementing quick impact projects called for in the 2005 World Summit. In conclusion, I wish to restate that the global partnership for development, which you have made the theme of this session of the General Assembly, has in NEPAD a unique and effective framework for its implementation. My country hopes to see the system of the United Nations continue to do more to lend its invaluable support to NEPAD in the pursuit of its objective to catapult Africa into the ranks of developed and prosperous continents.

For some people in the world, Africa is still just a myth and a veritable mine of resources where they can earn huge profits without paying the high costs and catastrophic consequences that this centuries-long exploitation and plundering process has brought on the African peoples. This erroneous vision has prevented these countries from understanding and acquiring a true awareness of the hardships that this continent is undergoing today and of the need to pay off the incalculable historical debt that all of humanity owes to Africa. Many of those who now express their concerns for the grave economic and social problems affecting the African countries have not been able to show a true political resolve to change this gloomy landscape and its structural causes. Now they think that lukewarm and meagre initiatives will solve the severe situation in the African countries and disguise the low level of fulfilment of the commitments that they have made. Their harsh reality has proved otherwise. Not only does Africa continue to be marginalized and totally disadvantaged in international economic relations, but its levels of poverty continue to grow at an alarming rate, along with surges of armed conflicts and the spread of diseases like AIDS that are decimating entire populations of the African continent. The cause of this has been the economic and financial policies and the frenzied waves of privatization coming with the neo-liberal globalization process imposed by the developed countries. These countries have ensured the perpetuation of the precarious situation that plagues the African countries. It is not the weaknesses of African institutions that is to blame, as the developed countries want us to believe. A few figures will suffice to illustrate these points. In the last 20 years, the imposition of trade liberalization has cost the African countries some $272 billion, an amount that would have been enough to pay off the continent’s debt. Moreover, it has provoked a serious deterioration of the terms of trade and an increase of capital flight, which nowadays is the largest in the world in regional terms. With 11 per cent of the world’s population and the largest natural reserves in the world, Africa contributes only 1 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and its share of the world trade barely reaches 2 per cent. However, the developed countries’ commitment to a $50 billion increase in annual assistance by 2010 has not been fulfilled. The seeming increase in such assistance in the last few years has been mainly due to debt cancellation grants and emergency assistance. It is still far from the amount needed for the African countries to be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While some sources indicate that the flow of foreign direct investment increased in some African countries, there was a clear decrease in others and, moreover, most of the increase was only concentrated in the area of the exploitation of natural resources. It is high time for the international community, particularly the developed countries, to go beyond simply stating their concerns to implementing solutions and keeping their commitments. For Cuba, Africa is very close to our hearts; it is part and parcel of what we are. It informs our identity and culture; a great part of the Cuban population’s roots are in Africa. More than a million Africans were taken to Cuba by force, after being pulled from their homelands — coming from different ethnic groups such as the Yoruba, Congo, Carabali and others. They worked under the whip in the hell of the sugar plantations for the benefit of the island’s landowners and the colonial metropole. The uprisings and escapes of the slaves from oppression nurtured our vocation for liberty. Our independence wars had the mass participation of African descendants, who gave us brilliant leaders of our liberation army. The Cuban nation was born out of the particularly fertile mix of African, European and Chinese blood, and was born proclaiming the pride for its African roots and the emancipation of its children of African origin. Since the very year of its triumph, the revolution offered and continues to offer its support of and solidarity with the African peoples on the basis of the consistent practice of internationalism and solidarity with the peoples of the world, a guiding principle of our foreign policy. Despite being a country with scarce resources and subject for over four decades to a cruel and genocidal economic, financial and commercial blockade by the Government of the United States, Cuba has trained more than 30,000 African students and 1,661 young people from 43 African countries are currently studying in our universities — 708 of them studying medicine. More than 2,433 Cuban overseas workers provide their selfless services in 33 African countries — of those, 1,893 are working in the area of health care. As a result of our comprehensive health care delivery programme, our doctors have saved the lives of more than 729,000 Africans. A literacy campaign is currently being implemented in several African countries to help tackle the critical situation of illiteracy that this continent suffers from. Our cooperation with the African countries proves that significant results can be achieved with serious political will. Cuba has taken from Africa only the mortal remains of its dead. Cuba has no property there, no mines and no oil wells. We reaffirm our determination to continue providing selfless aid to our African brothers and sisters and sharing our main wealth: human capital. Africans do not need to be reminded of their problems and suffering. They do not need charity. Africa does require resources and concrete action. Let us act jointly. Let us save Africa.

First, my delegation would like to touch on agenda item 62(b), on the causes of conflict in Africa, and then on agenda item 48, on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria. We thank the Secretary- General for his two comprehensive reports on agenda item 62 and for the report of his Advisory Panel on International Support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Japan is glad to see that progress has been made in implementing of NEPAD, in generating international commitment to NEPAD, and in improving the prospects for peace in many countries. At the Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) in 2003, the Government of Japan announced that it would support NEPAD through an enhanced TICAD process. Japan will continue to do so, as it proceeds with preparations for TICAD IV in 2008. As part of that process, a Japan- NEPAD policy dialogue was held in Japan in March 2006. To contribute to even more effective implementation of NEPAD, Japan identified four out of the eight priorities in the programme of action as being in need of immediate support. They are: infrastructure; agriculture; improving market access through the promotion of trade, investment and private sector development; and developing human resources through support for education and public health. A recent development in the concrete support Japan provides to NEPAD is Japan’s decision to extend assistance to the Mali-Senegal South Corridor, which is one of the short-term action plan projects. In terms of trade and investment, Japan will convene the Africa- Asia Business Forum IV (AABF IV) in 2007 in close collaboration with United Nations agencies, in the belief that promotion of trade and investment is key to sustainable economic development. Foreign direct investment tends to favour North Africa, however, and the rest of the continent needs more attention. Japan hopes that the coming Forum will help invigorate business interaction between Asia and Africa. Almost half of all post-conflict countries have tended to relapse into conflict within several years when they are outside the focus of the world’s attention. Ensuring consolidation of peace is one of the main items on the TICAD agenda. Japan and other conference organizers convened the TICAD Conference on the Consolidation of Peace in Ethiopia in February 2006. At that conference, Japan expressed its view that security, political governance and transition, community reconstruction and socio- economic development should be addressed in a comprehensive and well-coordinated manner. We are now observing the fifth anniversary of NEPAD, whose implementation will go into full swing as we move towards 2010. Based on the commitments made by the G8 members and other donors in 2005, total official development assistance (ODA) to Africa is expected to amount to $25 billion annually in real terms between 2004 and 2010. Effective use must be made of this increase in ODA in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Africa and promote NEPAD. At the same time, however, we believe that projects should be appropriately aligned with each African country’s national development strategy or poverty reduction strategy paper to ensure good coordination with other development partners. Allow me to turn to agenda item 48, on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria. This is the year we conduct a mid-term review of the Roll Back Malaria 2005-2010 campaign. Although effective tools and key substances to control malaria exist, we all know that the disease remains a major worldwide health problem. The Secretary-General’s report makes it clear what United Nations agencies, Governments and the private sector have failed to do and which activities need to be improved. Special emphasis is placed on the need to increase the availability of key inputs such as long- lasting insecticide-treated nets and artemisinian- combination therapies. To expand access to preventive measures, Japan will support distribution of 10 million treated nets to African countries by 2007, in particular targeting pregnant women and children. At the same time, a Japanese company in the private sector, in cooperation with the Government of Tanzania, established a factory in that country to produce a reliable supply of affordable insecticide-treated nets. Also, Japan has been one of the major contributors to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In order to achieve effective and sustainable strategies to combat malaria and other diseases, we must not rely on fragmented approaches, but must instead work to establish national health systems. We believe that capacity-building in the public health sector is essential in this regard. Also, the international assistance given to developing countries hardest hit by malaria, especially those in Africa, needs to be strengthened in order to ensure universal access to health services. Japan intends to continue to work with the international community to achieve our common goal of controlling malaria.