A/61/PV.29 General Assembly
48. 2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa Note by the Secretary-General (A/61/218 and Corr.1) New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support (a) New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support (b) Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa Reports of the Secretary-General (A/61/212 and A/61/213) Note by the Secretary-General (A/61/69 and Add.1) Mr. Olhaye (Djibouti): We wish to thank the Secretary-General for the second report of his Advisory Panel on International Support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (A/61/138), as well as his fourth consolidated report on progress in implementation and international support of NEPAD (A/61/212), his progress report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/61/213) and the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa (A/61/218 and Corr.1). I would also like to commend the critical work carried out by the Office of the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Africa. The report on NEPAD by the Secretary-General’s Advisory Panel captures the essence of those efforts in its first paragraph: “[NEPAD] is an Africa-owned and -led process that reflects African leaders’ common vision and shared commitment to eradicating poverty and to placing their countries, both individually and collectively, on the path to sustainable growth and development.” More and more, Africa is moving away from individual planning and development, recognizing the need for coordinated cooperation between States and economic sectors. As the report also notes, the Partnership marks the first time that an African development framework has emerged as the focal and rallying point for the international community’s support for Africa and as a basis for new partnership with the region. As it is, there is increasing talk throughout the continent about realizing the goal of a continental common market by 2025, for which NEPAD will be instrumental. The Advisory Panel suggests that Africa needs to press for action in the delivery of commitments made by the international community in coordinating measures. The year 2005 was designated the Year of Africa and, indeed, there was a continuance in the trend of increases in official development assistance (ODA) to Africa. The G8 countries, the European Union (EU), the United States and Japan, to name a few, all announced increased aid in support of Africa. As usual, a few development partners — namely, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden — met the 0.7 per cent aid target. Additionally, the Panel noted that, despite the difficulty in obtaining comprehensive information on their aid volumes and commitments, major emerging market countries, such as China, India, South Korea and Brazil, have begun to play a role in development assistance to Africa. Concern about the make-up of publicized development aid figures has surfaced. Items which do not represent real resource transfers in support of development apparently play a significant role in calculating aid totals for some countries. A joint European-non-governmental organization report estimated that some one third of ODA, as reported by the EU in 2005, did not include any new aid resources for poverty reduction in developing countries. A large amount of State aid spending was debt cancellation, despite the Monterrey Consensus agreement that debt cancellation should be additional to ODA. The Panel also highlighted an important institutional issue, namely, that the three-year transition period for the integration of the NEPAD secretariat into the African Union Commission — as provided for in the Maputo Decision adopted by the Executive Council of the African Union in July 2003 — ended this year without this integration being completed. Certainly, in view of increased developmental activity on several fronts with international entities, as we take our development efforts to a higher level — with, hopefully, a coordinated multi-stakeholder approach — such integration will become very important. In addition, emphasis is placed on the expansion and growth of the private sector in Africa and the kind of support it should be given. Interaction with civil society will also need to be coordinated as will interaction with foreign entities. It is true that awareness is growing with regard to NEPAD’s goals and objectives within and outside Africa. However, it must be admitted that more can and should be done with regard to communication and outreach. The degree to which Africa is committed to the task of development, the extent of efforts being made and the steady progress in results all need to be more widely appreciated around the globe. Much of Africa is on the move and that fact should be better known. Successful projects, good practices, improved governance and services and growing businesses, are but a few examples. The report of the Panel also highlights the key role of the United Nations system in the implementation of NEPAD, both in the provision of resources and in the maintenance of international support. As such, the United Nations needs to work more closely with NEPAD and the African Union Commission and to increase its capacity to support NEPAD. The realization of the NEPAD programme is critical for the coordinated development of Africa. Africa must continue to come together to address its common problems, such as poverty, unemployment, health issues, insufficient ODA, weak debt relief policies, limited and highly concentrated foreign investment, trade restrictions and crippling macroeconomic policies imposed by financial institutions. On the issue of the causes of conflict and the promotion of a durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, the monitoring of progress which has been going on in this area since the initial report of the Secretary-General in 1998 continues. Much has been done and a great deal achieved, and the results of substantial efforts are in place. The Secretary-General’s report makes the essential point that in order to eliminate conflict we need to better understand the underlying causes, the enabling and mobilizing factors or triggers. As identified in 1998, such causes and factors must be specifically researched and analysed for the countries in question if we are to improve conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding. Much of the information needs to be gathered so that we may be more effective in our actions to avert conflict. The gathering of information and statistics and the process of analysis cannot be done in isolation, but must be performed by institutions capable of using such data and acting upon it. With experience, information and coordination, such institutions, organizations and entities will become more effective and thus, with the proper policies, will continue to gain public recognition and acceptance and improve in effectiveness. As the Secretary-General’s report noted, this will become evident in early warning systems, mediation and preventive diplomacy, peace negotiations and peace agreements. The General Assembly has called for support for the establishment of the African Union’s Continental Early Warning System as a matter of priority. As the Secretary-General also highlights, the need to increase efforts to build an African mediation and negotiation capacity is urgent and must be done by the United Nations and donor agencies. With regard to post-conflict peacebuilding, it is encouraging to note the creation of a Peacebuilding Commission by the United Nations with an associated Peacebuilding Support Office and a Peacebuilding Fund. Thus, all key stakeholders can be brought together with the full range of United Nations expertise in a coordinated and coherent manner in order to respond to the pressing needs of war-torn societies. Africa itself has continued to recognize the urgency of a high-level coordinated response to address conflict and political instability on the continent. African Union measures increasingly complement those of the United Nations in mediation, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. An essential element emphasized by the Secretary-General is that of good governance. The African Union has created its own mechanisms towards the resolution of conflict and promotion of durable peace on the continent. Most significant of all is the establishment of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, whose decisions are binding on all countries in Africa. The Constitutive Act of the African Union holds its member States to a number of democratic principles, including condemnation and non-recognition of unlawful changes of government and the application of sanctions against regimes in violation of the Act. The Secretary-General’s report also highlights the African Union’s efforts in the Sudan, along with conflict resolution, peace processes and national reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Chad and Somalia. Finally, some challenges noted in the past will continue to hamper the realization of full peace and security on the continent. We must therefore address youth unemployment, the crushing impact of the HIV/ AIDS crisis and the illicit exploitation of natural resources as well as the illegal flow of arms, small arms and, of course, the inability to achieve the targets set forth in the Millennium Development Goals. With regard to the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa, our war against the scourge of malaria continues, but we should recognize that there are many elements and players and protracted competition from other issues vying for public attention, resources and action. Thus, malaria has only slowly received the international attention it must command. In fact, there still remains a considerable distance to go if we are to reach the targets we have set for 2010 and 2015. Most of us are cognizant of the depressing statistics regarding the deadly impact of malaria. As highlighted in the report transmitted by the Secretary-General’s note of 3 August 2006 (A/61/218), malaria is largely a killer of children and the poor, threatening at least 3 billion people in 107 countries. His essential point was that more than 500 million people suffer from acute malaria, resulting in more than one million deaths each year. Three thousand children and infants alone die from malaria every day, 86 per cent of whom are from Africa. What is the cost of this phenomenon? During the period 1965-1990, countries with severe malaria had annual economic growth rates which were 1.3 per cent lower than other countries over the same period. Africa lost some $12 billion per year in gross domestic product and spent 40 per cent of governmental health funds to fight this menace. These figures show that the impact of malaria in Africa has been deadly, costly and prolonged. Even today, the war against this disease remains in a mixed state. There is progress in some areas and lagging in others. Africa itself has long recognized the devastation and cost of malaria on the continent. The Abuja Declaration of 2000 set targets for the prevention and treatment of the disease that were certainly achievable if efforts had been carried out. The primary international thrust to combat malaria has been the Decade to roll back the disease. The Malaria Partnership was launched in 1998 by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme and a wide collection of national institutions and philanthropic organizations, in particular, the Gates Foundation, with the main goal of halving malaria mortality by 2010 and of reducing it by 75 per cent by 2015. There is indeed a tremendous array of efforts directed towards the lessening of the disease’s deadly impact in Africa. Africa has sufficiently realized the need to re- energize the fight against malaria. At the special summit in Abuja in May this year, renewed undertakings were pledged against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and for eventual universal access to services and the elimination of malaria. Nevertheless, as the Secretary-General’s note indicates, resources are still far short of what is needed and focus too much on commodities at the expense of technical assistance to build national capacities. There is progress, but much remains to be done. We must increase our ability to develop national programmes and capacity to deal with malaria. Funding must be provided where possible, and vital information needs to be collected and reported accurately. Africa also needs to do more to reduce barriers to trade in nets and other commodities necessary to fight malaria. Many countries have been able to eliminate malaria. Africa can do likewise. The first step must be to meet the targets that we have designated for the eventual realization of our own goals. Nana Effah-Apenteng (Ghana): My delegation wishes to express its appreciation to the Secretary- General for his consolidated reports on the items under consideration in this joint debate. Five years ago, African leaders adopted the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as the strategic framework designed to address the challenges facing the African continent and its peoples. At that time, our leaders recognized that issues such as escalating poverty levels, underdevelopment and the continued marginalization of Africa required a new, radical intervention, spearheaded by the African leaders themselves, aimed at developing a new vision that would guarantee Africa’s renewal. NEPAD was to provide a platform within which Africa could develop a new and common vision to confront issues such as trade, development and scientific and technological innovation, and skills to enhance the competitiveness of African economies and facilitate their integration into the global economy. Five years later, a lot has happened to prompt the Secretary-General to speak of a new momentum of action for Africa’s development. The major task ahead, as rightly pointed out in the report, is to consolidate that momentum by delivering on commitments to enable African Governments to advance the NEPAD agenda and, in particular, to lay a strong foundation for sustainable growth and development, political stability and democratic governance. The report on the international support for NEPAD identifies a number of important areas where African countries themselves have made progress, including infrastructure, information and communication technologies, health, education, the environment, agriculture, science and technology. Others include gender mainstreaming, civil society involvement and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It is encouraging that 25 countries have so far acceded to the APRM, and that so far, Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya — in that order — have completed the peer review progress. We urge the others to join. With regard to the international community as a whole, as indicated in the report, the past year witnessed a promising start in terms of delivery on commitments in a number of areas, including debt relief, official development assistance (ODA) and South-South cooperation. We are grateful to France, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the European Union, which have in diverse ways contributed significantly to the international response in this area. We acknowledge, in particular, the substantial progress made in extending and deepening debt relief to African countries, making that one area in which the Group of Eight countries have kept their commitments. We appreciate their efforts and express the hope that they will follow through, delivering on the additional commitments that they have pledged, and at a faster pace. In the same vein, we are encouraged by the determined efforts being made by a number of countries, including Brazil, China, India and Japan, to support the development of Africa. With regard to trade, I do not need to belabour the point. But I would just like to say that without a timely and satisfactory outcome to the Doha Development Agenda, African countries cannot achieve the economic growth necessary to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and all the efforts in the context of debt relief and increased ODA may come to naught. It is obvious that the lack of progress will hurt African and other developing countries more than others. Debt relief, trade and ODA alone cannot solve Africa’s development problems; they need to be supplemented with much foreign direct investment. Most of the increase in foreign direct investment to Africa in 2004 was in the area of natural resource exploitation, spurred on by rising commodity prices and concentrated in only a few countries. We therefore welcome the establishment of the Investment Climate Facility, in the context of the NEPAD-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Africa Investment Initiative. We hope that during its seven- year lifespan, it will achieve its goal of helping to improve Africa’s investment environment by removing real and perceived impediments to doing business on the continent. Needless to say, we in Ghana are convinced that the private sector has a major role to play in promoting sustainable development. We would also like to reiterate our concern about the precarious state of health services throughout the African continent, caused partly by the mass exodus of health professionals. The migration of such professionals poses a real threat to our human resource development, and it invariably affects our efforts to reduce poverty, fight diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria and reduce child and maternal mortality. The sooner the international recruitment of health professionals from Africa is controlled, the better it will be for us. On malaria prevention, we acknowledge the increased international funding following the creation of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In addition, recent pledges from major donors have raised our expectations that more funds will be available for malaria — a long-term major killer on the continent. We hope that there will be consensus on appropriate levels and sources of subsidies for the provision of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and artemisinin combination therapy so as to increase access to good quality drugs and preventive measures for populations at risk of malaria. On the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development, we are anxiously awaiting the day when the Secretary- General’s report on Africa will be fully occupied with economic, financial and development issues, as well as with discussions about science, technological advancement and economic competitiveness, making no mention of conflict. In 1998 the Secretary-General first submitted his report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/52/871). In paragraph 2 of that report, he stated “Africa as a whole has begun to make significant economic and political progress in recent years, but in many parts of the continent progress remains threatened or impeded by conflict.” In paragraph 2 of his most recent report (A/61/213) on the subject, he states, “While prospects for peace in a number of countries have improved during the year, some situations have worsened, despite considerable efforts by African countries, regional organizations and the international community.” This means that the desired goal has not yet been achieved. Africa is a vast and varied continent and the sources of its conflicts reflect its diversity and complexity. Despite these differences, the sources of conflict in Africa are linked by a number of themes and experiences that are largely similar: historical legacies, internal and external factors and economic motives. As indicated in the report, others include extreme poverty, gross inequalities and weak State capacity. Following the authoritative 1998 report of the Secretary-General, however, the international community has no more excuses for a lack of understanding of the causes of the conflicts plaguing the African continent. What has obviously been lacking is the timely response sometimes needed to avert the escalation of tension into violent conflict. Today, the critical concern is no longer the lack of early warning of impending crises but, rather, the need to follow up early warning with early and effective action. Whether the response involves diplomatic efforts, a peacekeeping deployment or a humanitarian intervention, the sooner action is taken the more effective it is likely to be. The international community is not unaware that international arms merchants and their local collaborators have interest not in stopping conflicts, but in prolonging them. It is from that perspective that we wish to acknowledge and commend the decision of the Dutch Government to prosecute a Dutch businessman for his role in the Liberian conflict. It is that political will to transform our knowledge and commitment into practical action that the world sometimes lacks. The picture, however, is not all depressing. Africa has a lot to be thankful for in terms of the contribution made by the international community to finding solutions to conflicts on the continent. We have success stories in Sierra Leone, Angola and, lately, Liberia. The continued engagement of the international community in Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo shows that the experiences over the years in keeping the peace in Africa have taught us all valuable lessons and invariably galvanized the requisite support. We therefore wish to urge that, even in the most intractable cases — such as in Darfur, where atrocities are being prosecuted against innocent civilians — we must resolve to remain engaged in the search for solutions. The United Nations and, for that matter, the international community at large have shown that, given the right conditions, peacekeeping operations can make a difference between peace and war in Africa. Africa has the primary responsibility for its own development. We therefore urge African Governments and other protagonists in African conflicts to reciprocate the gesture of the international community and also to cooperate, because United Nations peacekeeping cannot always provide the answer to every problem without the needed support and cooperation on the ground. None of the efforts to broaden and deepen international support for NEPAD and its various programmes will yield fruitful outcomes until we demonstrate practically that we appreciate the nexus between peace, security and sustainable development. African countries must do more on their own to provide an environment in which individuals feel protected, civil society is able to flourish, and Government carries out its responsibilities effectively and transparently, with adequate institutional mechanisms to ensure accountability. Support for human rights and the rule of law are necessary components of any effort to achieve durable peace and promote sustainable development. Those are the cornerstones of good governance, and that is the path chosen by some African countries including my own country, Ghana, for their future.
I have the honour to speak on behalf of African Member States on agenda items 62 (a), “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support”; 62 (b), “Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa”; and 48, “2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa”.
We thank the Secretary-General for the comprehensive reports and his continued support for Africa’s development efforts. Our appreciation also goes to the Special Adviser on Africa for his important work in championing the interests of the African continent. There is no doubt that, in order to advance the development of Africa more effectively, his Office should be strengthened and given all the necessary support.
In 2001, Africa’s heads of State and Government adopted the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as a framework for development and renewal of the continent. NEPAD is a pledge by African leaders, based on a common vision and a shared conviction that they have a pressing duty to eradicate poverty and to place their countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development. It is a call for a new relationship of partnership between Africa and the international community, especially the highly industrialized countries, to bridge the development chasm that has widened over centuries of unequal relations.
It is only appropriate that this year, as the NEPAD framework turns five-years old, we should evaluate the progress made and take the necessary steps to add a much-needed impetus to the Partnership. We must do so with the full understanding that NEPAD is an African-owned framework. What is needed is commitment and support from our development partners.
The report before us shows that perceptible progress is being made in different areas of the framework, such as infrastructure, information and communication technologies, health, education, environment, agriculture, science and technology, and gender. African countries are committed to doing more
in the implementation of NEPAD and to creating the necessary political and economic conditions for its realization. The African Peer Review Mechanism is a clear demonstration of our determination to improve governance in the continent. So far, 25 countries have acceded to the Mechanism and three have completed the peer review process. We do acknowledge, however, that much as progress is being made, challenges remain in consolidating democracy and good governance across the continent.
We welcome the call by the Secretary-General to Africa’s development partners to deliver on their commitments. NEPAD is all about partnership; unless our partners translate their pledges into real development assistance, the momentum of implementation will stagnate. It is regrettable that much of the observed increase in official development assistance continues to take the form of emergency aid, debt relief and technical assistance, which do not necessarily lead to significant financial transfers to developing countries. It is imperative for the partners to conform to the commitments made at the International Conference on Financing for Development to allocate at least half of the increase in official development assistance to Africa by 2006.
We welcome the progress that has been made on providing indebted African countries necessary debt relief. Nonetheless, more needs to be done to free African countries from a debilitating debt burden that has undermined their development efforts for decades. In that respect, we wish to acknowledge the efforts of the G-8, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other bilateral and multilateral donors.
The institutional questions raised by the Secretary-General, in particular the integration of NEPAD into the structure and processes of the African Union, are pertinent. At Banjul, the Gambia, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) extended the deadline of three years set in Maputo in July 2003 for the integration of NEPAD into the AU to January 2007. Furthermore, the heads of State set up a committee comprising the Chairman of the Union, the Chairperson of the Commission, the Chairman of the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC), the President of South Africa, and the Chief Executive of the NEPAD Secretariat, as well as the vice- chairpersons of HSGIC, to finalize the proposal on the integration of NEPAD into the AU structure and
processes; conduct an evaluation of NEPAD at its current stage; and propose a realignment of NEPAD to its original objectives, mandate and philosophy.
We note the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. The Secretary-General raises important questions and makes recommendations that require our consideration. We shall reflect upon them accordingly.
Africa attaches great importance to the issues of peace and security. In that respect, in July 2005, the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government pledged to address conflict and political instability in Africa on the continent with the aim of achieving a conflict-free Africa by 2010. That is a clear recognition by the African leaders that, unless we address issues of peace and security, the realization of the development agenda will be difficult.
The establishment of the African Union Peace and Security Council was yet another demonstration of the political will of African leaders to address conflicts and create sustainable peace. The Council continues to play an important role in the prevention and resolution of conflict in the continent. We thus welcome efforts by the United Nations to collaborate with the African Union with a view to building and enhancing the latter’s capacity for peacekeeping. Let me commend the Secretary-General on his report on our efforts to contain and reverse the spread of Africa’s most deadly disease — malaria. Since the inception of the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa, we have witnessed significant strides by both the international community and the African Governments themselves. The partnerships have truly been broadened and have involved grassroots organizations, civil society and even individual households. Africa has benefited to the tune of some $700 million from the Global Fund to support the fight against malaria. This money has gone to fund information, communications and sensitization programmes, the propagation of preventive measures and mechanisms, including basic hygiene practices, and a greater use of treated bed nets and insecticides. Although progress has been discerned in the decreasing incidence of morbidity and maternal and infant mortality in many countries, there clearly is a need for the partnership that is currently working so well to be even further strengthened and for us not to relent in our resolve to ensure that funding is always made available to win the fight against this terrible scourge, which has always been a serious constraint on our social and economic progress. We are indeed grateful to all of our partners for their solidarity and support.
Mrs. Mladineo (Croatia), Vice-President, took the Chair.
Peru is bound to Africa by historical and cultural ties. For many Peruvians, the land of their ancestors is sub- Saharan Africa or the Maghreb. Their traditions emerged at the dawn of the Andean civilization upon which Peru was founded.
In addition to this historical link, Peru has supported the struggles of the African peoples for self- determination through its clear condemnation of apartheid, its support to all initiatives for the development of Africa and, more recently, its participation in peacekeeping operations in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and the Sudan.
Furthermore, as an elected member of the Security Council during the current year, we have been entrusted with the chairmanship of the Council’s Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Therefore, Peru is involved in dealing with the socio-political evolution of the African continent, and this is a commitment to international peace and security.
In this context, the actions of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, which is a mechanism that demonstrates that Africans are in the front line solving their problems, are extremely relevant.
In the case of Africa, it is clear that peace and security not only involves military, political and strategic aspects, but also deeds fundamentally with social and economic factors. Poverty, social exclusion, economic and political, ethnic and religious exclusion, and the situation of human rights are the main factors for violence, instability and national fragmentation.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the developing region where the adjustment programmes of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are most applied. Despite this, the region has been abandoned by foreign investment. Due to the fluctuating prices of its raw materials exports and its increasing debt, Africa is the region of the developing world that is the most impoverished and most indebted. The result is that, today, we have an Africa characterized by growing social exclusion, where the majority of its population — 60 per cent, particularly young people — are living on one or two dollars per day.
Peru believes that the stability of Africa can be achieved only by combating social exclusion. For that reason, the priority of international cooperation must be to ensure that sub-Saharan Africa will meet the Millennium Development Goals, whose implementation and statistics have until now been discouraging. Moreover, in order for it to be equitably integrated in the global economy, Africa needs a cancellation — or at least a significant reduction — of its debt, as well as favourable good prices for the commodities it exports; at the same time, it needs access to markets and the elimination of subsidies that exist both for production and export.
Economic dysfunction and structural adjustments have resulted in the destruction of the social fabric of African countries and have pushed them into civil conflicts. The United Nations, and the Security Council in particular, has tried to resolve these conflicts with necessary political solutions, in certain cases by organizing elections and planning exit strategies. But these solutions are precarious when they are not accompanied by conferences and economic pacts aimed not only at providing assistance or achieving millennium goals, but also at modernizing African economies through investments and private technology, in order to make them more competitive in the global economy.
In post-conflict situations, such as those in Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic or Burundi, there is an enormous challenge to establish democratic governance, inclusion and social integration, due respect for human rights, bases for a viable economy and sustainable reform of the security sector, as well as viable processes of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. If we are not successful, some of these countries will regress to a conflict situation. Therefore, we must insist on a
preventive approach to post-conflict situations and to agreed strategies of cooperation with the United Nations and the international community, in particular with the subregional organizations involved.
In this context, I would like to point out certain processes that we believe to be important. First is the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is none other than the result of socio-economic dysfunction, to which I have already referred. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is going through a second round of presidential and provincial elections. While progress has been made in the transitional process, there is a lack of funds to provide basic public services. Armed groups are controlling mineral wealth and are trafficking in and procuring arms, and they build networks of economic interests with sectors in neighbouring countries. Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are certainly necessary, because power must be in the hands of the legitimately elected authorities; but it is essential to deal with the economic and social dysfunction and extend the authority of the State as a guarantor of security.
Another relevant case is that of Côte d’Ivoire. In addition to the imbalance in that country’s economy, there has been no substantial progress in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process nor in the process of identification. If neither of those processes, which are at the heart of the political accords, is implemented, it will be difficult to overcome a key problem in Côte d’Ivoire, which is the question of nationality and citizenship. In this respect, we believe that the leaders and the population of Côte d’Ivoire have the primary responsibility to make those agreements effective.
A third case with its own characteristics is the Sudan. Despite the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and the Darfur Peace Agreement, these accords are not being wholly implemented, and violence in the Sudan continues, in particular in Darfur. The regional implications of this are well known. Violence is spreading into Chad, both in villages and in refugee camps, as well as to the Central African Republic. We are now witnessing a prolongation of the beneficial but insufficient presence of the African Union Mission in the Sudan in Darfur. Because of its impact on the region, this situation requires a strategic approach by the Security Council, which would include actions by the entire system, in particular by the Bretton Woods institutions.
I have shared this analysis of conflicts in Africa, because we feel that, owing to the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and Peacebuilding Fund and the greater experience acquired in post-conflict stages, there is now an opportunity to organize conferences and social and economic agreements to rebuild the social fabric of many African countries and give young democracies the possibility of being viable and having good governance. The efforts of countries in that region, the international community, especially the local inhabitants, deserve that.
In conclusion, I should like to associate myself with the statement made by the delegation of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77.
The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is pleased to participate in discussions of the agenda item on malaria because of its importance to the well-being of our people. The WHO report on malaria has provided us with recommendations that warrant our serious consideration and support in our endeavours to roll back malaria. Africa bears an overwhelming proportion of the malaria burden, not only because of the number of people killed by malaria but also because of the economic loss caused by that disease. In the United Republic of Tanzania, 93 per cent of the population is at risk of infection. It is estimated that 18 million cases of malaria and 100,000 deaths occur annually. Most deaths, about 80 per cent, however, are children. The country also suffers an economic loss of the equivalent of 3.4 per cent of the gross domestic product as a result of the direct and indirect costs of this disease. We need to redouble our efforts if we are to meet the targets of the Abuja Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals.
The United Republic of Tanzania is committed to implementing the Abuja Declaration on rolling back malaria and other international agreed goals on malaria, including the Millennium Development Goals. In this regard, the Government is implementing the final phase of a five-year medium-term strategic plan (2002-2007) for malaria, which incorporates the Abuja goals, strategies and targets agreed to by all African countries. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is cognizant of the WHO technical recommendations for treating malaria. We have been adopting more effective malaria treatments to deal with increased malarial parasite resistance: in 2001 we went from chloroquine to sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP)
and in December 2006 we shall start to use artemether/ lumefantrine (ACT) as a replacement for the failing earlier drugs. Zanzibar, part of the United Republic of Tanzania, introduced ACT in 2003. We intend to ban the use of monotherapy as soon as the ACT supply is stabilized. All public health facilities have an adequate supply of anti-malarial drugs with very few interruptions in supply.
The change to ACT brings with it some consequences. Those drugs are provided by Novartis to the public sector at highly discounted prices, for which that company deserves praise. However, the $8 to $10 price for ACT in private shops is too high for many patients. It should be noted that those who buy from private shops do so out of necessity, since public shops are not accessible to all. The public sector supplied 60 per cent of malaria treatments when drugs were cheap. The proportion of patients coming to the public sector for malaria treatment is going to increase and overload a workforce that is already overworked. We call upon WHO, the Malaria Partnerships, development partners and drug companies to look for new ways of subsidizing the cost of ACT drugs in the private sector.
Concerning vector control strategies, the trend has been to increase the use of insecticide-treated nets by vulnerable groups, in particular pregnant women and children. Production of mosquito nets in Tanzania by the private sector has increased from 500,000 in 1997, before the Roll Back Malaria Initiative took off, and is expected to reach over 12 million nets by 2007. This rise is the result of Government encouragement of the private sector, including the waiving of taxes on raw materials for manufacturing nets. The price of conventional nets has remained stable at $3 to $5, despite the high price of raw materials, especially petroleum products.
There has been a heated debate about the merits and demerits of free or subsidized net distribution. For the United Republic of Tanzania, the choice was very clear. If we wanted the private sector to continue producing nets and carrying out distribution — thus ensuring long-term sustainability of the production of nets in the country — the best way forward was not to undermine the private sector through free net distribution, but to work with the private sector to achieve a win-win situation.
We have created a voucher scheme, which is a public-private initiative. Under that scheme, pregnant
women attending a pre-natal clinic receive a highly subsidized voucher worth $2.75. They take it to a nearby retailer, pay an additional $0.5 to $1, which is the retailer’s margin, and walk away with a net bundled with an insecticide. That scheme has been very successful. There are now more nets available in remote rural areas where the public sector could reach only with difficulty. Most women, about 80 per cent, use the voucher to buy a net. People do not have to travel long distances to buy a net for their family. We are studying why 20 per cent of women do not use the voucher to buy a net. We are aware that abject poverty is preventing some women from using the voucher, but that is not the only explanation. To improve distribution, an equity voucher for the poorest people will be launched in late 2006, initially as a pilot study in six districts and then expanded, based on lessons learned in the pilot districts.
Prevention of malaria must include an early- warning system and rapid deployment of assistance. We welcome WHO’s efforts to improve preparedness and early recognition of epidemics. In Tanzania, a system for detecting and preventing epidemics has been established and is operational in 19 out of 25 malaria epidemic districts. The six remaining districts will be equipped before the end of 2007.
There are a number of challenges that we face as we move to the second strategic plan. These include sustaining the momentum of global funding, particularly inputs into the Global Fund; recruitment and retention of skilled health personnel, especially in rural areas where they are most needed; and a behavioural change of our population to embrace preventive measures. Resources for the health sector are low — the Government still relies on external funding for 40 per cent of its budget. Poverty is an even bigger challenge.
We are now developing the next malaria strategic plan. This plan will consolidate the gains of the previous plan, explore new areas and strengthen others where weakness has been observed. One new area that we wish to explore is indoor residual spraying in epidemic-prone districts where the use of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is considered to be an option. In this regard, it is important that food- importing countries issue clear statements outlining their position on the use of DDT for indoor residual spraying.
At the same time, technical support and guidance from WHO will be required with a view to preventing the contamination of agricultural products with DDT and other insecticides used for indoor residual spraying.
Another new area is the introduction of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria diagnosis to complement clinical diagnosis. Such diagnostic tests are quick and easier to manage, and can be undertaken by semi- skilled health workers at the village level. The tests will reduce the waste of resources caused by incorrect or late diagnosis. This is an area that needs more funding.
The issue of the monitoring and evaluation of malaria intervention is critical if we are to reach the goals that we have set for ourselves. Currently, we have several malaria monitoring and evaluation systems operating. We have learned that we are being neither cost-effective nor efficient. Thus, the new strategy will encompass a single monitoring and evaluation system that would harmonize the several existing systems
The Secretary-General reports that malaria is largely a killer of children and poor people; hence interventions to address malaria have to target them and the places where they reside. In the context of this endeavour, the implementation of the initiative to roll back malaria in Tanzania is taking place at the district level, which is closest to the people. The control of malaria is integrated within the comprehensive health system so as to ensure the sustainability and continuity of the interventions. District malaria focal persons — a cadre dedicated to the coordination of malaria-control activities at the district level — have been appointed and trained to ensure that malaria is getting the attention it deserves.
My Government is deeply concerned about the increase in counterfeit antimalarial medicines, and we strongly condemn all those who are involved in their production and distribution. We welcome the efforts of WHO, the Wellcome Trust and Interpol to curb counterfeit medicine, and call for the cooperation of all to end that practice.
We also welcome the launch of the International Drug Purchase Facility by Brazil, Chile, France and Norway, which will facilitate access to affordable drugs for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We
hope that the availability of affordable drugs will also assist in curbing counterfeit drugs.
We are encouraged by the increasing number of partners, including civil society organizations, that are interested in funding malaria interventions and we welcome the increased funding being made in that respect. However, we note the need for the coordination of the efforts of partners and the alignment of various interventions with WHO technical recommendations, as well as the capacity-building of national health systems. At this juncture, my Government recognizes the support provided by our malaria partners and requests their continued support.
Finally, we should not forget that malaria is a disease that is preventable, treatable and curable. Let us support each other in order to roll back malaria.
In 2001, Africa’s leadership launched the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). That initiative provided a vision for the continent and set out principles of good governance to which African Governments committed themselves. Canada was proud to be among the first members of the international community to work in partnership with Africa in support of the NEPAD agenda.
We can all take satisfaction from the fact that, after five years, significant progress has been made towards putting the NEPAD principles into practice and achieving some significant results. In the area of peace and security, which NEPAD recognizes as a condition for development, important strides have been made. Progress is being made towards consolidating peace and stability in the Great Lakes region. In northern Uganda, we are encouraged by the ceasefire agreement reached in August between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army. We hope that the ceasefire will mark the first substantive step in the context of the peace talks in Juba towards putting an end to that conflict.
With regard to governance, there are positive developments in many African countries. In July, the Democratic Republic of the Congo held the first general elections in its troubled history. I should note that the United Nations Development Programme deserves our congratulations for having helped to organize those critical elections — a huge and complicated task. The international community will be closely watching the second round of that country’s
elections, to be held at the end of this month. It is vital that all of the parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the people of that country support and respect the democratic process and that those elected use their offices for the betterment of the lives of all the people.
Other African countries, including Tanzania, Liberia and, most recently, Zambia, have held successful multiparty elections over the past year. This is a demonstration of the growing consolidation of democratic norms on the continent.
Africa’s commitment to improving governance is exemplified by the African Peer Review Mechanism. Canada commends the 25 countries that have signed on to that exercise. Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya have led the way in undertaking their initial reviews. We believe that this bold and innovative approach will lead to improved transparency and accountability in government and the sharing of best practices across the continent.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, progress in conflict resolution, improved governance and commitment to poverty reduction in many African countries is beginning to show positive results in terms of economic growth. The economy of Africa as a whole grew by almost 5 per cent in 2005 and is projected to grow by almost 6 per cent this year. Many of the countries that are achieving sustained strong growth are those whose Governments have embraced and implemented the NEPAD principles of good economic and political governance. Yet we all know the significant challenges that remain in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Canada is pleased to be a partner with Africa in pursuing the NEPAD vision. At the Group of Eight Summit in Saint Petersburg in July, Canada announced new funding commitments in support of Africa. These included $450 million between 2006 and 2016 to support country-led efforts to strengthen health-care systems and make concrete progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. They also included a further Canadian contribution of $250 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and $45 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. At the same time, Canada announced a 50 per cent increase in bilateral funding for Africa’s education sector.
We also recognize the key role that the private sector must play in achieving sustained economic growth and development in Africa. The Canada Investment Fund for Africa was launched last year. This very innovative joint public-private fund has pooled investment capital of over $230 million and is currently investing in a range of sectors across the continent.
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In the field of peace and security, Canada is continuing to play an active role in supporting Africa’s efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts on its territory. Since 2004, Canada has provided $320 million to assist the Sudan. This assistance includes funding for reconstruction and peacebuilding efforts and humanitarian aid, as well as $190 million in support of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). Canada’s contribution to that mission has included the provision of armoured personnel carriers, fixed-wing aircraft and transport helicopters, as well as the fuel necessary for their use. In the Great Lakes region, Canada will continue to co-chair the Group of Friends and will also continue to regularly discuss with countries of the region progress in the implementation of the Pact to be signed at the Nairobi summit in December 2006.
To be sure, the progress in Africa to which I have referred is significant, but much still remains to be done. Therefore, efforts to resolve continuing conflicts, such as the situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan, must be redoubled. Moreover, respect for the primacy of the rule of law and of human rights must from now on become the norm in all countries. In addition, the responsibility for confronting these challenges and implementing commitments made falls upon the Governments and people of the countries of Africa. Nevertheless, the broader international community, too, must remain engaged for the long-term.
Canada remains committed to this partnership and looks forward to continuing to work with our African partners in order to realize the vision of NEPAD.
First of all, my delegation, which has carefully considered documents A/61/212 and A/61/138, entitled “The New Partnership for Africa’s Development: fourth consolidated report on progress in implementation and international support” and “Second report of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Panel on International
Support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development”. I would like to congratulate the Secretary-General as well as the Advisory Panel for the high quality of the information in these documents.
The Kingdom of Morocco endorses the declaration made on this subject by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
This debate on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, organized one year after the adoption of the final document of the 2005 summit, provides an opportunity to assess the actions carried out as of today in this area. Indeed, the Heads of State and Government had placed the development of Africa in the forefront of the priorities of the international community. In so doing, they were voicing the urgent need to extricate this continent from the throes of underdevelopment and from the plethora of scourges that have afflicted it, such as armed conflict, poverty, illness, and to assist in the implementation of NEPAD.
This harmonious and integrated initiative, conceived and produced by the African leaders five years ago, is considered as the template solution for the advancement of sustainable development in Africa. However, its potential for success would be diminished without the support of the international community. It is clear that the mechanisms established by NEPAD have provided a new and dynamic impetus for Africa and that, now, what is needed is to maintain that impetus by immediately following through on the commitments made, both on the part of the Africans themselves and on the part of the donor countries.
For its part, the Kingdom of Morocco, as it stated through the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation during the general debate, has been resolutely committed to a process designed to establish active solidarity among States Members of the United Nations through constructive and fruitful partnership between the North and South and by the strengthening of South-South cooperation as a strategic priority.
Morocco has also attempted to implement all of the recommendations adopted by the various conferences organized regarding development issues, in particular, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In that framework, it adopted a national strategy for development. Thus, the National Initiative for Human Development, launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI on 18 May 2005, attests to the
will of Morocco to adapt to a model of integrated and participatory development and one which takes into account all national sensitivities and represents civil society and the public and private sectors. Its objective was to lay the basis for a democratic and modern society that places the citizen at the heart of its concerns. The Initiative thus meets the recommendations advocated by the Secretary-General in his report entitled “In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all” (A/59/2005).
In reaffirming its commitment to Africa, Morocco has been continuing its efforts designed to implement a set of initiatives that is part of the framework of priorities set by NEPAD and designed to produce genuine South-South partnerships and placing the participation of the private sector at the core of the strategy. Thus, it launched a set of projects in various sectors of socio-economic activity, such as agriculture, health, managerial training, science and new technologies, fishing, hydraulics and transportation. Morocco, through the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, has contributed to training in Moroccan universities and institutes of more than 10,000 students and 80 per cent of them are from countries south of the Sahara. More than 5,000 of them have received scholarships subsidized by the Moroccan Government. In addition, they have participated in the implementation of several sustainable development projects in several countries of the continent.
Morocco has cancelled the public debt of the African least developed countries (LDCs), and has also facilitated the access of their exports to the Moroccan market. Moreover, Morocco is making available to African countries the sum of its expertise for the implementation of several projects having a direct impact on sustainable development, such as techniques for cloud seeding or artificial rain, which has greatly benefited African countries such as Burkina Faso and the Niger. The success of this programme has prompted other countries, such as Cameroon, Mali, Gambia and Cape Verde, to request Morocco’s assistance. This programme is indeed an integral part of the NEPAD strategy for the implementation of the MDGs, in particular, the goal of universal access to water in Africa by 2015.
At the same time, Morocco has been actively contributing — within the framework of tripartite cooperation, working with the United Nations
specialized agencies for the benefit of the countries south of the Sahara — to the implementation of development programmes that create jobs and protect the environment, while promoting the creation and the strengthening of local potential.
Need we recall here that the mechanisms established by NEPAD assign a pivotal role to those Governments that are benefiting for the success of these cooperation programmes? In this framework, the Kingdom of Morocco believes that greater involvement of these Governments, through the establishment of institutional structures and mechanisms, remains necessary to optimize the results we hope to achieve. The same holds true for a strengthening of the support provided to the private sector in these countries. In addition, it is important to underscore that the contributions pledged and the commitments made to Africa must be honoured with a respect for deadlines and at a more rapid pace. In this context, Morocco shares the view of the Secretary-General that the progress made regarding the cancellation of the public debt by the countries of the North to benefit the LDCs must be accompanied by a parallel effort to achieve the annual sum that has been set and implement the goals set. Likewise, we urge the countries of the Group of Eight to accelerate the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals to benefit Africa.
The Kingdom of Morocco strongly urges United Nations bodies to enhance their contributions to regional and international efforts aimed at Africa’s development by improving the coordination of their activities to support NEPAD. We also urge the international community to consider innovative ways to ensure reliable and predictable sources of project financing. In that context, Morocco supported the International Drug Purchase Facility initiative, originally proposed by France and sponsored by several countries.
My delegation is convinced that the attainment of the objective of a prosperous and economically stable Africa depends on cooperation and effective solidarity among all United Nations Member States.
I would like to thank you, Madam President, for chairing this meeting, which provides us with a valuable opportunity to discuss highly important issues for Africa and the international community as a whole — issues that
concern the promotion of peace and sustainable development on that continent.
President Lula has repeatedly stated — and even reaffirmed a few days ago before the General Assembly — that we, the Members of the United Nations, are expected to contribute to the success of the ongoing fight against hunger and poverty. Brazil believes that it is only through collective efforts that we will be able to eliminate or alleviate the consequences of social and economic injustice and underdevelopment. It is mainly towards African countries and their brotherly peoples that such efforts should be directed.
The debate on this basic challenge is highly timely, and the report of the Secretary-General on progress in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/61/212) provides us with relevant information. I would like to make a few remarks regarding that document.
I should commend the Secretary-General for rightly indicating that the international community’s commitment to support Africa and NEPAD is closely associated with two major issues: the fulfilment of pledges made by donors in international summits and conferences; and the benefits that African countries can derive from economic and trade negotiations.
For its part, the delegation of Brazil would like to add a third issue: negotiations within the United Nations on items related to the development agenda, including certain aspects of United Nations reform, such as the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council and system-wide coherence. Those closely interlinked issues have a bearing on the capacity of the United Nations system and associated institutions to coordinate and deliver international assistance. In that context, we should renew, in stronger terms, our commitment to support NEPAD and the African countries in coping with their formidable challenges.
According to the report, the progress made in the implementation of NEPAD has been too little and too slow. We understand from the report’s analyses that the pledges and commitments made in support of NEPAD and Africa have hardly been implemented, which makes it more difficult for the Governments on that continent to meet the basic requirements of their populations.
My Government is of the view that every effort must be made to effectively deliver on the commitments undertaken in bilateral and multilateral arrangements related to NEPAD. In addition, efforts must be focused on strengthening the multilateral system as a whole and its negotiating processes — for example, the Doha round in the context of the World Trade Organization, reform of the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council, and revitalization of the role of the General Assembly. Accomplishments in those areas will provide safe and stable ground for development and peace in Africa as well as in other parts of the developing world.
As already stated by previous speakers, the diagnosis, in terms of the insufficient level of official development assistance to Africa and the selective approach of foreign direct investment, is clear and unmistakable. Furthermore, the ongoing discussions on debt relief must be concluded sooner rather than later. In today’s discussions, we reaffirm that the United Nations and the multilateral system still offer the best framework for enabling African countries to find sustainable ways out of their poverty and suffering. The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) — our main priority — will also help to achieve NEPAD’s goals through its many programmes related to, inter alia, infrastructural development, economic integration and the “green revolution”.
I should also note that, as part of the internationally agreed development goals, the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis remains a priority on the multilateral agenda. For its part, Brazil has been fully engaged in the implementation of Millennium Development Goal 6, which calls for reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and the incidence of malaria and other major diseases.
Brazil is committed to the efforts of the international community to roll back malaria in developing countries — particularly those in Africa — before the year 2010. In addition to the various contributions made through bilateral cooperation, last September, Brazil co-sponsored the launching of the International Drug Purchase Facility against HIV/ AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (UNITAID), with the aim of promoting universal access to medicines in the fight against those three diseases, which affect developing countries most.
South-South cooperation is another relevant aspect of international cooperation that we should explore in order to supplement the multilateral and bilateral assistance provided by donors. In that regard, Brazil has been extending cooperation in various fields to many African countries, and we hope to be able to increase that cooperation in the future. We are particularly thankful to the delegations that have mentioned those and other efforts of ours.
In sum, I would suggest that efforts be concentrated on implementing the commitments undertaken and on strengthening our multilateral framework and instruments — including innovative ones — so that the required international support reaches Africa in an effective and expeditious manner.
I would like to associate our delegation with the views expressed by the Secretary-General in his second report before us today, on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/61/213). The Secretary- General puts great emphasis on the capacity of the United Nations and the multilateral system to promote peace and to prevent the recurrence of conflicts. We note that the Secretary-General also places emphasis on the economic dimension of conflicts, the elaboration of a 10-year capacity-building plan for the African Union and the strengthening of women’s participation in peace processes.
With regard to the suggested millennium peace and security goals, the recommendations made by the Secretary-General are still very preliminary. Our debate would certainly benefit from a more thorough examination of the issue. It is our conviction that the international community should devote further efforts to achieving the MDGs. Their achievement would not only ensure dignity and freedom of choice for millions of people in poor countries or regions, but would also provide the conditions for the building and consolidation of world peace.
In closing, I would stress that Brazil is certainly working to improve and further strengthen its bilateral ties with many countries on the African continent. Our main priority regarding peace, development and international support for African countries is associated with and complementary to our efforts in all multilateral forums: to ensure the right of developing
countries to equal and legitimate participation in decision-making in world affairs and to the benefits of globalization and sustainable development.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Secretary-General for his fourth consolidated report on progress in implementation and international support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/61/212).
My delegation associates itself with the statements made by the Permanent Representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the adoption of NEPAD, whereby African leaders expressed their commitments to a common vision for the eradication of poverty and placed their countries on the path to sustainable growth and development.
We are encouraged that over the last 12 months, regional efforts to implement NEPAD and the commitments by the international community have created new momentum for Africa’s development. The international community’s support for the development of Africa is reflected by the fact that this subject was featured prominently in the 2005 World Summit Outcome adopted by the General Assembly. NEPAD has also significantly impacted the resolution of conflict situations in Africa, demonstrating that peace, security and development are interrelated. The number of African countries that were in a state of armed conflict and civil strife has declined dramatically.
My delegation is encouraged to note from the report of the Secretary-General that there has been progress in various areas of NEPAD, including in the e-Schools Initiative, the Global Health Workforce Alliance and the NEPAD Environment Initiative. The report also reflects the encouraging trend in the financial and technical support from Governments, United Nations agencies, transnational companies and other NEPAD stakeholders.
It is imperative that this momentum be maintained and enhanced in order to move forward with the implementation of NEPAD. We therefore agree with the notion that Africa’s development partners should undertake timely and effective delivery
of their pledges. We also urge them to match their welcome progress on debt write-offs by corresponding efforts to achieve the target for official development assistance to Africa. In order to maintain the progress achieved so far, sustained and constructive dialogue and broad engagement among African Governments and their development partners on the current and emerging priorities on Africa’s development agenda will be required.
Solidarity, friendship and cooperation between Asia and Africa dates back at least to the Bandung Conference of 1955. We are gratified that this spirit of Bangdung was reinvigorated at the 2005 Asian-African Summit in Jakarta. Myanmar, as a founding member of the Bangdung Conference and a nation friendly to African countries, whole-heartedly supports NEPAD.
May I now touch upon the report prepared by the World Health Organization entitled: “2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa” (see A/61/218). My delegation finds the report relevant and helpful for all malaria- affected countries. It rightly points out that malaria is a global problem, as it continues to threaten at least 3 billion people in 107 countries in Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. The adverse effects of the disease on social development and the long-term economic growth and development of these countries are cause for serious concern.
In Africa, malaria remains the biggest killer of children under 5 years of age. Malaria also poses serious challenges in my own country. While the malaria situation in Myanmar is improving, it remains a major public health problem. Out of an estimated population of 56 million, some 17 million reside in malaria high-risk areas. Malaria has therefore been designated as a disease of national concern in Myanmar, together with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
The National Strategic Plan for Malaria Prevention and Control in Myanmar for 2006 and 2007 has been put in place. Under the Plan, a National Malaria Control Programme has been drawn up in accordance with the Global Malaria Control Strategy and the Roll Back Malaria strategy.
The strategy of Myanmar’s National Malaria Control Programme consists of the following elements: to provide early diagnosis and prompt treatment of malaria wherever it occurs; to plan and implement
selective and sustainable preventive measures, including vector control; the early prevention, detention or containment of malaria epidemics; and the strengthening of local capacity in basic and applied research to permit and promote the regular assessment of the country’s malaria situation, in particular the ecological, social and economic determinants of the disease. The Programme also adopted the Roll Back Malaria strategy, which includes the aforementioned provisions, in addition to evidence-based planning, social mobilization and multisectored partnership.
We have also set up an external review team, comprised of both international and national experts, for the effective evaluation of the Malaria Control Programme. The team concluded in its last report that the results of the Programme were impressive and reported that malaria morbidity and mortality rates were declining in the country. In spite of the positive trends, we are not complacent, recognizing that the challenge posed by malaria remains a serious one. We will endeavour to effectively implement the Programme to achieve the goal of reducing the malaria morbidity and mortality rate by at least 50 per cent over a five-year period.
The international community, in adopting the Roll Back Malaria strategy, has set for itself an ambitious goal to reduce malaria mortality by 50 per cent by the year 2010 and 75 per cent by the year 2015. The targeted dates are rapidly approaching. The significant gap between the targets and what has been achieved so far clearly underscores the challenge that lies ahead. In order to attain our goal, concerted efforts are needed at the national level, complemented by the fulfilment by our development partners, of commitments made with regard to funds established for malaria control.
I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his fourth consolidated report on the progress made in the implementation of and international support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/61/212). My congratulations are also addressed to the Secretary-General’s Advisory Panel on International Support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, whose second report in document A/61/138 is consistent with the concrete realities of Africa.
My delegation associates itself with the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
However, I should like to recall that, when adopting the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) five years ago — the first programme of this type designed and drawn up by Africans for Africans — the heads of State and Government of the continent expressed the same vision — a common will and a shared determination — namely, to commit their countries, individually and collectively, to a policy of growth and sustainable development, to eradicate widespread poverty and to put an end to Africa’s marginalization in the globalization process.
Implementation of this vision is based on a strategic framework and a global approach to development, the principles of which are based on Africa’s control of its own economic and social take- off, the promotion of democracy, of human rights and good governance in a domestic context marked by peace, security and stability.
In carrying out this huge and ambitious endeavour, if Africa acts alone it can only harm its chances for success. That is why the African leaders deemed that NEPAD should be based on two essential pillars: Africa’s own efforts and international support. They, therefore, made an appeal to the international community, in general, and to their development partners, in particular, to contribute to translating NEPAD’s goals into concrete action.
In the report submitted in this discussion of NEPAD, the Secretary-General emphasizes the measures taken and efforts made by organizations and African countries in the Partnership’s implementation, in particular in the areas of infrastructure, health, agriculture, education, science and technology, information and communication technologies, the environment, civil society’s involvement, as well as gender issues. From a political standpoint, he notes that, thanks to the African Peer Review Mechanism, democracy and economic governance are taking root and spreading further in the continent.
With regard to support from the international community, the Secretary-General underscores that the commitments made by Africa’s development partners are off to a promising start. The G-8 took concrete measures in 2005 to cancel the multilateral debt of 14
African countries, within the framework of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt (HIPC) Initiative. Official development assistance (ODA) could grow significantly if the European Union were to implement the new, collective target of 0.56 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) for ODA by 2010 with a view to achieving the target of 0.7 per cent in 2015. Foreign direct investment in Africa also reflects an upward trend, going from $15 billion in 2003 to $20 billion in 2004, even if for the time being these figures only represent three per cent of global flows.
Clearly, these are very encouraging developments, which show a new impetus for our continent. However, suspension in July of the multilateral trade negotiations at the Doha Round are a source of great disappointment to African countries. It is, therefore, important that the promises made and pledges made towards the implementation of NEPAD be honoured at a faster rate and within agreed deadlines. The Chairman of the Advisory Committee for international assistance warned that despite progress made to date, the international community cannot rest on its laurels. That is why my delegation makes a pressing appeal to the partners in the development of Africa that they give stronger and more vigorous support to NEPAD, proceeding notably to direct budgetary assistance for the programme, the total cancellation of the debt of all African countries, the substantial increase of ODA for the continent, the rapid and positive conclusion of multilateral trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to guarantee access of African products to markets and the elimination of all forms of agricultural subsidies, the reform of the international financial system and, finally, the promotion of foreign direct investment in Africa.
In this entire process, we believe that the United Nations has a central role to play to ensure that issues with regard to the development of the African continent and its particular needs remain constantly at the centre of the international agenda.
African leaders, for their part, are aware that the implementation of NEPAD and its fundamental objectives can only take place in the appropriate environment. They will continue their efforts to make Africa a conflict-free zone by the year 2010. They will continue to implement political, economic and institutional reforms that are necessary to promote and entrench democracy, the rule of law and respect for
human rights in our countries. They will tirelessly continue their efforts to establish a legal framework and to have a conducive investment environment. In order to ensure the efficiency of the aid, they will combat further corruption in all its forms and manifestations.
Togo resolutely endorses this dynamic approach, which opens up new prospects for the continent. It is this commitment to attain the goals set that has led the highest Togolese authorities to establish a Ministry responsible for NEPAD.
Africa does, and will continue to do, what it has to do, and it is incumbent on its international partners to join it in carrying out this great human venture that NEPAD means. Today, it is difficult to invoke, as we are accustomed to doing, the lack of development strategies and African plans of action, which are sufficiently structured, quantified and detailed, to justify the lack of progress in the implementation of a genuine partnership between Africa and the international community.
I wish to conclude my statement by saying that I hope that the international community will continuously have in mind that NEPAD represents the hopes of an entire continent. Together we can achieve this — we must achieve this — in order to provide Africans with a truly dignified life.
My delegation takes the floor to comment on agenda item 48 on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa, and agenda item 62 (a) on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support.
In this regard, I associate myself with the statements made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the representative of the Gambia on behalf of Africa.
Allow me, at the outset, to express my appreciation to the World Health Organization (WHO) for its informative report entitled “2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa” (see A/61/218). My delegation also appreciates WHO’s efforts to fight the problem effectively in the light of the massiveness of this challenge facing the world, and particularly the malaria-epidemic-prone developing countries.
WHO contributed more than its share in saving human lives in developing countries at a time when the Roll Back Malaria Partnership was about to fail because of inadequate technical support, adoption and implementation of erroneous technical policies, lack of consensus by all stakeholders and ineffective monitoring and evaluation systems. WHO efforts undertaken to mitigate the problems encountered, and the implementation of its Global Malaria Programme since the beginning of 2006, are greatly appreciated. Indeed, this rescue programme has started to show some encouraging results, and my delegation would therefore like to seize this opportunity to call upon all concerned to rally behind the organization so that its efforts will bear more fruit. More specifically, as the report vividly shows, cohesive, coordinated support and the availability of adequate resources are prerequisites for success, without which the lofty objective may face difficulties similar to the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. Therefore, we all need to redouble our efforts.
My country, Ethiopia, is one of the African countries most prone to malaria epidemics, with an annual caseload that increased to over 6.1 million in 2003. After major Government actions — community- based malaria control, epidemic control and the introduction of mosquito bed nets — about 3.1 million people are still assumed to be at risk in 2006 alone. In Ethiopia, the malaria epidemic remains the major cause of mortality and morbidity. In 2004 and 2005, malaria was reported as the first cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 16.6 per cent of patient consultations, 15 per cent of admissions and 29 per cent of deaths.
Apart from its health impact, malaria is seriously impeding the socio-economic development of Ethiopia. The disease’s major transmission season coincides with the peak harvest period. The disease also causes loss of income, low school attendance and high treatment costs, all of which ultimately lead to slow economic growth.
My Government has thus taken precautionary measures to pre-empt the possible outbreak of malaria following the rainy season and recent floods. Because the country has recently experienced heavy rains and floods, a strategy has been put into place to undertake rapid testing and counselling services and to provide the necessary personnel, drugs and other equipment, in order to efficiently tackle a possible outbreak. Drugs to
treat over 4.7 million people at a time have to be in place. In addition, 600 tons of DDT has already been sprayed in over one million households which are considered malaria prone. Some 8.2 million birr worth of insecticide-treated bed nets have been distributed, while another 10.2 million birr worth of such nets have been imported. More than 20 local and international antimalarial task forces have been set up.
We believe that these efforts will help curb the epidemic in the event that it occurs in the magnitude that is expected. If the epidemic grows beyond reach, we hope that the international community will be at our disposal. For its part, my Government will continue to take action in the light of the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa, under the Abuja Treaty. It is in this regard that we welcome and fully endorse the recommendations outlined in the current WHO document.
As the review reports of Ethiopia’s National Demographic and Health Survey 2005 show, positive results were registered owing to efforts made during the past five years in implementing the first Five-Year National Strategic Plan, though the achievements were still below the set targets. Major factors associated with low achievement in malaria prevention and control activities during this period were related mainly to poor overall health service coverage, which actually serves about 64 per cent of the population, limited resource flows and low level of implementation capacity. These shortcomings have been well addressed in the revised National Health Action Plan for the next five years, the implementation of which has already started.
On the issue of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), allow me once again to thank the Secretary-General for his informative fourth consolidated report on progress in implementation and international support. The report (A/61/212) clearly shows efforts made by Africans themselves and by development partners and the system-wide support by the United Nations in implementing NEPAD programmes. What is needed now is to deepen and widen those efforts so that the momentum can be kept up. Indeed, that is the reason why my delegation wanted to speak on this agenda item as well.
First and foremost, my delegation is encouraged by the fact that our development partners have shown their commitment to the implementation of NEPAD by
committing resources, including debt cancellation, increased official development assistance and improved market access. Indeed, the Group of Eight initiative was a positive response by the international community to the implementation of NEPAD.
For its part, Africa has made remarkable progress since the launch of the programme through such notable efforts as the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the project on agriculture and measures to improve the institutional capacity of the continent. As we speak, several African countries, including my country, Ethiopia, have become participants in the APRM, while others have expressed their intention to accede to this project. The review processes of some countries are still under way, while for others, the reviews have already taken place and have been completed at the summit level.
To enhance the institutional capacity of the NEPAD secretariat and the regional economic communities, a grant has been obtained from the Africa Capacity Building Foundation to provide resources to develop necessary systems and procedures. Capacity- building has received the utmost emphasis, as it has been deemed to be an indispensable requirement for the realization of NEPAD’s objectives.
In the area of agriculture and food security, there have been increasing strides towards taking the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme to the regional economic communities and to the country level. The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa has taken an important step in developing the framework for African agriculture productivity in order to augment the flow of technologies that will permit farmers to seize opportunities available to them and tackle the constraints they face. This is a principal area of endeavour in which my country has embarked to alleviate poverty and ensure food security.
Agriculture is the mainstay of our national economy. It employs 85 per cent of the total labour force, contributes 45 per cent of the gross domestic product and accounts for more than 50 per cent of export earnings. That is why the Government is pursuing an industrialization strategy led by agricultural development. The strategy, which was under implementation for the last five years, has brought about a change in the economy. Again, on the basis of the results achieved so far and the analysis of
observers, a second five-year plan, for the period 2006 to 2011, called the “Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development to End Poverty”, has been elaborated and put into place.
The plan has as its priorities improving agricultural productivity and natural resource management and ensuring food security and diversification. Accordingly, practical actions have already been taken to ensure its timely implementation. Land-use certificates have been issued to farmers to improve the land administration system, and education and health sector development programmes are on track. The country hopes that they will result in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals set in that sector.
Given those positive developments, one would reasonably expect an increase in resource flows. The facts, however, are not encouraging. The country receives per capita official development assistance of only $12.80, which is about half of the average of $22.60 channelled to other sub-Saharan African countries.
Having said that, I also wish to take the opportunity to pinpoint some of the challenges we face regionally. Given agriculture’s great importance to the overall development of Africa and its role in fighting poverty, the assistance obtained so far has been minimal. Agricultural projects are crucial in strengthening national and regional development programmes. They serve as a springboard for regenerating the continent’s development and address both the physical and the institutional infrastructural improvements faced by the continent. However, although those projects are currently at various levels of development, adequate financing is still required for their timely implementation. The assistance of the international community is therefore critical if we are to attain that lofty objective, especially by setting up the financing mechanism.
It is therefore my delegation’s firm belief that the existence of a true partnership among Africa, its development partners and multilateral institutions is the cornerstone of the implementation of the programmes of NEPAD. We urge the international community, in keeping with the spirit of the African Partnership Forum, to assist African countries in moving forward in their endeavour to fight poverty. For that reason, we fully support and endorse the
recommendations made by the Secretary-General in the report before us.
My delegation would like to align itself with the statements made by the representative of South Africa, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and by the representative of the Gambia, on behalf of the Group of African States.
We would like to thank the Secretary-General for his three reports on the items we are discussing today, namely, 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.
First, I shall discuss the causes of conflict and the promotion of sustainable peace and development in Africa. Our experience in the Sudan has shown us the necessity of addressing the critical economic and developmental dimensions of conflicts as well as the vital role of improving the socio-economic conditions of people in achieving sustainable peace. As a result, wealth-sharing arrangements were essential components of both the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Darfur Peace Agreement, which addressed the conflicts in south Sudan and Darfur, respectively.
The unilateral sanctions imposed on my country since the 1990s continue to seriously hamper the efforts of the Government of National Unity to address the root causes of conflict, to give the peace dividend to the people, to eradicate poverty and to achieve sustainable development and internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The sanctions are stumbling blocks hampering the Sudan’s efforts to attract much-needed foreign direct investment and official development assistance. On the other hand, the Sudan has not benefited significantly from international debt relief initiatives despite its huge debt burden, its sound economic policies and its efforts to achieve peace and development — all because of conditionalities, so-called benchmarks and selectivity.
We strongly support the Secretary-General’s statement that “The United Nations and the donor community must increase efforts to build African mediation and negotiation capacity, provide training and ensure more predictable and timely funding” (A/61/213, para. 21).
Supporting the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) has been and remains an essential element in the Sudan’s policy to improve the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur. The success of AMIS is vital for any future African peacekeeping operation on the continent.
The report of the Secretary-General highlighted the importance of mediation and preventive diplomacy in Africa. My country has been very active in that field. Recently, Khartoum hosted two rounds of negotiations between the Somali transitional Government and the Islamic Courts Union, with the third round to be held soon. Those efforts indicate that the Sudan, despite its domestic difficulties, is actively engaged in solving Africa’s problems. Supporting Africa’s largest country in achieving stability, sustainable peace and development will have a positive impact on the whole continent.
Secondly, I should like to refer to the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries. Malaria is a major public health and economic problem in most developing countries, including the Sudan. Almost all of the country’s population is at risk for malaria, with varying degrees of intensity. It is estimated to affect approximately 7.5 million persons and to kill some 35,000 persons annually. In public-sector health facilities, malaria accounts for about one fifth of outpatient cases, and in paediatric hospitals the case fatality rate ranges between 5 and 15 per cent. Malaria results in 37.2 per cent of the maternal mortality rate and 18.1 per cent of the low-weight-births. Each year, it causes the loss of 22 working days and approximately 40 per cent of the harvest.
In addressing this serious health and economic problem, my Government has set up a strategy to combat malaria through improved disease management, disease surveillance and epidemic management, prevention and capacity-building in the health sector. The strategy is aimed at reducing malaria morbidity and mortality by 40 per cent by 2007. There is a strong partnership among the Government, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, non-governmental organizations, local communities and the private sector in executing that strategy.
Unfortunately, none of those highly commended efforts produced the expected results because of a number of obstacles, the most important of which is an
insufficiency of financial resources. It is obvious that the most effective way to enhance those resources is to support the efforts of the Government of National Unity to achieve peace, reduce poverty and attain sustainable development. Such support is a central element in the efforts to eradicate malaria in the country. Peace will undoubtedly assist in redirecting national resources to basic services such as education and health. On the other hand, combating malaria and other diseases will assist in achieving sustainable peace and in preventing new conflicts.
Thirdly, I should like to discuss NEPAD. My delegation would like to welcome the progress made by African countries with the support of international partners and domestic stakeholders, including members of civil society and the private sector. The report of the Secretary-General contains details on that progress, respectively, in plans for infrastructural development and in the development of the medium- to long-term strategic framework.
Here, my delegation would like to stress that special emphasis should be placed on plans to strengthen the health system in Africa, addressing in particular human resources for managing the health crisis. Indeed, more collective action is needed from the international community, including the United Nations system — particularly WHO — to support the efforts of developing countries to address that issue. A comprehensive campaign to eradicate malaria and tuberculosis and to combat HIV/AIDS is an urgent necessity. Education is also another field in which joint efforts are needed to achieve primary basic education, capacity-building, and the development of a database for research on the different educational aspects of Africa.
My delegation also welcomes the progress achieved in implementing the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The Sudan joined the Mechanism during the African Summit held in Khartoum in January this year. In the margin of that Summit, the Mechanism convened a meeting where all African countries were urged to join the Mechanism as soon as possible.
Immediately after joining the APRM, the Sudan established the organs needed to accelerate the implementation of the Mechanism with the participation of all domestic stakeholders, including civil society organizations and the private sector. Our
programme puts special emphasis on the empowerment of women, the promotion of democracy, accountability and strengthening the rule of law.
In order for the African countries to benefit from NEPAD, a comprehensive plan of action is required in order to integrate African economies into the world economy and the international trading system. Market access for African commodities is of overriding importance for Africa. Accession of African countries to the World Trade Organization is vital for the process of integration into the world economy. The international community should fulfil its commitments to support NEPAD and national efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, as those are the priorities of NEPAD.
While welcoming the efforts of the development partners, including the G-8, aimed at relieving the debt of the African countries, we believe that the work has not yet been completed, as African debt continues to pose serious burdens on those economies. If it is not cancelled, Africa’s external debt will rob NEPAD of one of its important ingredients needed to address the overall economic situation in the African continent.
Finally, my delegation would like to support the proposal of the Secretary-General to integrate NEPAD into African Union structures and calls on the international community to support the African Union efforts in this regard.
My delegation will address agenda item 48, on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria. Let me also associate my delegation with the statements made by the Ambassadors of South Africa and Gambia on behalf of the G-77 and China, and the African Group, respectively.
My delegation commends the Secretary-General for the detailed report contained in document A/61/218. We find it useful as it gives a very good overview of the measures taken and also assesses the implementation of the roll back malaria strategies. Those are important measures for Zambia’s future strategic planning.
Zambia, like the rest of the international community recognizes that malaria is a killer disease affecting especially children and the poor. At least 3 billion people in 107 countries, of which the majority are in Africa, are exposed to malaria. That deadly disease is reputed to be the number one cause of
mortality in most developing countries. Since malaria is a global problem, initiatives like Roll Back Malaria and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are indeed commendable, as they are aimed at reducing cases of malaria by half by the year 2010, and by 75 per cent by 2015, and in some cases call for its total eradication by 2015.
Zambia, like other developing countries that are adversely affected by the disease supports all of the efforts made by the international community in combating malaria, the HIV/AIDS scourge, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
Malaria also has adverse effects on long-term socio- economic and sustainable development, hence the need to combat it. Based on the incidence rate of malaria cases in Zambia, it is estimated that there are at least 3 million clinical cases per year, with the most affected being pregnant women and children.
That situation notwithstanding, the Zambian Government has identified malaria control as a priority since 2000 and has consequently been implementing the Roll Back Malaria strategy at country level since 2001. Furthermore, the anti-malaria drug policy has been revised, an inventory of laboratory services for malaria has been conducted, and two proposals were submitted to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The proposals succeeded in gaining approval. Other achievements that the country has registered include: prompt and effective treatment; epidemic preparedness and response; provision for malaria prevention during pregnancy; information, education and communication for malaria prevention and awareness; strengthening institutional infrastructure and staffing; revival of the indoor residual spraying programme; establishment of a sentinel surveillance system and monitoring anti- malaria drug efficacy and vector response to insecticides.
Furthermore, monitoring activities have been supplemented by household surveys to assess the status of intervention coverage. In that regard, there has been active collaboration with partners, including private, public and religious organizations.
Notwithstanding the above achievements, Zambia continues to face a number of challenges, which include among others: the poor deployment and monitoring of artemisinin-combination therapies in place of chloroquine as first-line treatment, and
inadequate coordination of insecticide-treated nets delivery systems for the effective scale-up of control programmes. Those major challenges are accompanied by attrition and high turnover among malarial control staff. Infrastructure and commodities are limited and cannot effectively deliver control and preventative interventions. There is inadequate capacity to provide supplies and equipment for malaria control programmes owing to single sourcing outside the country of spray pumps and insecticides for indoor residual house spraying and insecticide-treated nets. Procurement and supply systems have been inefficient and thus unable to deliver requisites in time to effectively support malaria control activities during the peak season. There has been poor performance by a demotivated workforce and finally, there is a lack of efficient utilization and supply of Coartem at the community level.
In order to assist Zambia to effectively address the above challenges, the following assistance is required: funds for improved diagnosis of malaria cases, insecticide-treated nets and mass distribution, technical assistance in operational research and efforts towards environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical-based interventions and technical and financial assistance to local manufacturing facilities for the production of insecticide-treated nets and insecticides for malaria control.
In conclusion, Zambia would like to take this opportunity to appeal to the international community to support our efforts at both the national and regional levels to combat the endemic. The Global Fund initiative has provided renewed impetus to the programmes and interventions of Member States designed to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. However, we would like to appeal for an early disbursal of these funds. Furthermore, we wish to underscore the need for additional and sustainable financing to ensure that the resources made available to fight the diseases are increased to new and more realistic levels, commensurate with the scale of the epidemics. We call for continued efforts by the international community towards actively increasing access by developing countries to cheap, generic drugs if meaningful steps are to be made to win the fight against malaria.
At the outset, I would like to align my delegation with the statements made by South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China
and by Grenada on behalf of the Caribbean Community on agenda item 62 (a), entitled “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support”. It is an honour for me to be speaking on this very important item. Jamaica has a historic link with the African continent and shares a special kinship with the people of Africa. We therefore welcome the opportunity for the international community to lend its support to the development efforts of the region as embodied in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). It matters to all of us that through our combined effort NEPAD can succeed.
The report of the Secretary-General before us (A/61/212) points to several significant developments over the past year in specific areas covered by NEPAD. I note in particular the continued progress in education, information and communication technologies, health, the environment, agriculture, science and technology, infrastructure and gender mainstreaming. It speaks to the unswerving commitment of African leaders to ensure that the African priorities are defined and truly owned by Africa. In keeping with the supportive role that the international community should provide in this regard, I wish to focus my intervention on some of the observations noted in section III of the report regarding the response of the international community.
From the report, it is clear that there is a renewed focus on the need to address the plight of the African continent and to implement the many pledges and commitments that were made or reaffirmed over the past year. Very encouraging information is provided on the various initiatives that have been or will be undertaken by Africa’s development partners with respect to aid, innovative sources of financing and quick-impact initiatives. Such efforts are commendable and are deserving of continued support, and we wish to encourage even greater progress in the years to come. At the same time, it has not escaped us that there are some underlying factors that need to be addressed if a real and lasting impact is to be made on the ground, and if the momentum of the past year is to be strengthened.
The first concerns the provision of official development assistance (ODA). The Secretary- General’s report highlights positive developments since the Group of Eight initiative of 2005 to increasing ODA by some $150 billion between 2004 and 2010. At the same time, paragraph 45 draws attention to the fact
that the amount of aid is not rising fast enough for these countries to be able to deliver on the pledges made at the 2005 G8 Gleneagles summit.
Another significant observation is that much of the ODA increase continues to take the form of emergency aid, debt relief and technical assistance that do not necessarily mean financial transfer to developing countries. Also noteworthy, although not specifically mentioned in the report, is the fact that efforts to improve the quality of aid that culminated in the adoption last year of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness are yet to effectively address the adverse effects of tied aid on development efforts. We trust that next year’s report will shed some light on developments in these two areas.
Secondly, despite global economic growth for 2005 and 2006, rising global imbalances and uncertainty regarding energy prices can negatively impact and constrain the efforts of African leaders to promote growth and human development objectives. For this reason, it is imperative that the international community, with developed countries in the lead, takes the requisite measures in a number of areas to ensure that whatever progress is made today is not reversed in the short term. I speak here of the urgency with which greater progress has to be made in the Doha trade negotiations in support of advancing the Doha Development Agenda and the special needs of Africa. We further hope that the indefinite suspension of the negotiations does not result in reneging on commitments made to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries. I draw attention to the need for specific action in terms of building productive capacity and addressing supply- side constraints to improve market access for African exports and to strengthen Africa’s participation in world trade.
We are encouraged that foreign direct investment flows to Africa have been increasing, and we commend the efforts of African leaders to continue to attract such flows through the recent establishment of the Investment Climate Facility this past June. However, we wish to highlight the fact that the efforts of the region in this regard must be complemented by efforts at the multilateral level to create a stable, global and macroeconomic environment. Much of this will depend on the macroeconomic policies adopted by developed countries and greater efforts to enhance the voice and
effective participation of developing countries in global economic policymaking.
I also wish to address the role of the United Nations system in support of the effective implementation of NEPAD. We welcome ongoing efforts to improve the coordination of the United Nations system and to enhance collaboration between United Nations agencies and the African Union Commission in support of NEPAD. Accordingly, we support the Secretary-General’s recommendation for the development of an integrated and coherent framework to further strengthen this collaboration.
Permit me now to make some brief remarks on agenda item 62 (b), “Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa”. We note from the Secretary- General’s report (A/61/213) that, while steady progress is being made in preventing, managing and resolving conflict and in building and consolidating peace, increased and concerted action is needed to prevent crises from escalating and to ensure that the peace in countries emerging from conflict is sustainable. This is critical, especially since post-conflict societies face such distinctive challenges as economic recovery and risk reduction. Against this background, we welcome the Secretary-General’s recommendation in paragraph 79 for a coherent holistic peacebuilding response that would jointly address peace and development, and for this to inform the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. We strongly endorse the call for the Bretton Woods institutions and development partners to fully engage and commit to this important process.
At the outset, my delegation would like to express its appreciation to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive reports on progress in implementing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
My delegation commends the strenuous efforts of African countries to implement NEPAD. We are pleased to note that the past five years have witnessed firm commitments by African countries to advance the implementation of NEPAD as well as continuous progress in infrastructure, information and communications technology (ICT), health, education, agriculture and other important areas. At the same time, the international community has demonstrated its solidarity with NEPAD through commitments and actions to facilitate the implementation of this new
development partnership. Moreover, the United Nations system has stood firmly as an important pillar of international support for NEPAD.
Nevertheless, we need to take more concrete and practical steps to strengthen the impetus for the implementation of NEPAD, whose objectives are fully in accord with international commitments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Above all, African countries should seize the opportunity to increase the momentum of international support for Africa’s development. As the Secretary-General recommended in his report (A/61/212), Africa needs to address institutional and partnership issues, including integrating NEPAD into African Union structures and processes, providing greater support for the private sector and promoting increased outreach to civil society. In some cases, greater efforts are also needed to integrate NEPAD priorities into comprehensive national development strategies and to improve national coordination in the implementation of NEPAD.
While we note encouraging progress on debt relief, we also recognize that more timely and faithful delivery of official development assistance (ODA) commitments to Africa is needed. Along with a range of actions and initiatives taken by other development partners, the Republic of Korea announced in April of this year the Korea Initiative for Africa’s Development in order to play a full part in the international endeavour to help African countries achieve the MDGs. With its focus on assistance in the fields of human resources development, health, administrative capacity, ICT and agriculture, the Initiative will be implemented in a way that strengthens Africa’s ownership of its development. In this regard, we will cooperate with African regional organizations, such as the African Union and NEPAD structures, with a view to supporting Africa’s own efforts for sustainable growth and development. We will also cooperate closely with international institutions and other donors to improve aid effectiveness. In this regard, the Republic of Korea’s partnership framework agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), signed in April of this year, and its co- financing development projects have set appropriate precedents as we expand our cooperation with multilateral institutions.
As another follow-up measure for the Initiative, my Government is planning to hold the first meeting of
the Korea-Africa Forum, a regular consultative channel between the Republic of Korea and Africa, from 7 to 10 November in Seoul. We are confident that this forum will provide valuable opportunities for sustained and constructive dialogue as well as broad engagement with respect to Africa’s development agenda. We are looking forward to the active participation of African countries.
Beyond debt relief and aid, trade has long been recognized as the element most vital to development. In this connection, we strongly support the early resumption and completion of the Doha development round negotiations. My Government also supports aid for trade, particularly for Africa. To this end, the Republic of Korea will expand duty-free and quota- free access for the least developed countries (LDCs). We will also increase our contribution to the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to LDCs and expand our training programmes on World Trade Organization rules and regulations.
Finally, as the Secretary-General rightly pointed out in his report, the United Nations system should maintain the momentum of international support for NEPAD by ensuring that Africa’s development issues remain high on the international agenda. It should also provide better practical assistance for Africa’s development by establishing an integrated and coherent framework for supporting the African Union and its NEPAD programme.
On behalf of the Vietnamese delegation, I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his fourth consolidated report on progress in the implementation of and international support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/61/212). The report highlights the progress made so far towards the realization of Africa’s aspirations to eradicate hunger and poverty and to attain sustained economic growth, sustainable development and durable peace. We fully support the call by the Secretary-General for more concerted international efforts to address the growing challenges and constraints that continue to hinder development in Africa.
My delegation associates itself with the statements made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and by the representative of Indonesia on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Viet Nam has followed with keen attention the implementation of NEPAD programmes and notes with pleasure that much progress is being made in the fight against hunger and poverty, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and in other fields such as education, the environment, science and technology and gender. We are pleased to note that the African Union has made substantial progress in conflict prevention on the continent. The primary role and efforts of the Union in finalizing an African Post-Conflict Reconstruction Policy Framework aimed at enhancing the capacity of internal actors should be mentioned. We see in these steps the strong political will and determination of African countries to strive for a brighter future for the continent.
In spite of the remarkable progress in some areas, we are aware that Africa is still facing numerous and complex issues. The continent is still far from achieving the target of 6 per cent growth in gross national product (GNP) per annum established by the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, thus hindering Africa’s ability to reduce by half the number of people living under the poverty line by 2015 and to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Africa continues to have the lowest share of global foreign direct investment flows. Africa also continues to shoulder a growing debt burden and to suffer from an unfair and inequitable global trade regime. African countries seriously lack adequate resources for development.
In this connection, I wish to reaffirm Viet Nam’s view that the international community should honour the commitments it has made in the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2) and in the section on the special needs of Africa in the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1) by increasing development assistance and by harmonizing and simplifying aid procedures so as to unleash Africa’s potential, creativity and dynamism in a wide range of areas, including agriculture, industry, science and technology and infrastructure development.
Viet Nam welcomes the agreement reached last year by the Group of Eight to cancel the debt of the 18 poorest countries, the majority of which are in Africa. We highly value the step taken by the European Union to set clear timelines for reaching the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for official development assistance and doubling its aid to more than $80 billion a year by 2010.
In recent years, bilateral and South-South cooperation between Viet Nam and African countries has been expanded in areas ranging from agriculture, industry, science and technology to health care, education and environmental protection. Trade relations are driven by a dynamic of mutual interest. The volume of Viet Nam’s trade with Africa grew manifold between 1991 and 2005, from just $15 million to over $300 million. Strengthening relations with Africa in all fields continues to be a cornerstone of Viet Nam’s foreign policy. In that spirit, we shall continue to find ways and means to further contribute to the successful implementation of NEPAD.
It is a great privilege and honour for me to participate in this important discussion under the stewardship of Ambassador Al-Khalifa. Pakistan wishes to associate itself with the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
We welcome the steady progress reported by the Secretary-General (see A/61/213) in implementing the recommendations contained in his report on the causes of conflict and promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. The African leadership, determined to address Africa’s problems, and the international community, committed to supporting those efforts, have worked hand in hand to achieve that difficult progress. Numerous daunting challenges, nevertheless, remain in the complex peace and security situation in Africa. The report of the Secretary-General contains a set of pertinent and updated recommendations that take into account developments in recent years. Considered together with numerous previous recommendations that continue to be valid, these provide a solid framework for action in the years ahead.
We are of the firm belief that pacific settlement of disputes in accordance with the provisions of the Charter is the best means of conflict prevention and resolution and should be increasingly employed. We appreciate the efforts at peaceful settlement under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union.
One recent development, and a concrete outcome of years of discussions and lessons learnt from conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacekeeping activities, is the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission. Incidentally, as we speak here today the Commission is holding its first country-specific meeting, on Sierra
Leone. As a member of the Commission, Pakistan is committed to contributing to its work and success.
Addressing the multifarious root causes of conflict remains a fundamental objective. This is vital to prevent relapse into conflict and pertinent for immediate and long-term recovery in post-conflict situations. United Nations peacekeeping operations are an indispensable tool for restoring peace and stability in conflict situations and have particularly proved their utility and effectiveness in Africa. Pakistan is committed to supporting United Nations peace efforts in Africa. Pakistan is a leading troop contributor and is participating in six of the seven current peacekeeping operations in Africa with over 9,000 personnel.
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), as rightly pointed out by the Secretary- General in his report (A/61/212), represents a paradigm shift in the way African Governments and peoples conceive their development strategies. Now in its fifth year of implementation, NEPAD has generated new momentum in action for Africa’s development by making considerable progress in developing sectoral policy frameworks, implementing specific programmes and projects and establishing targets for expenditure sectoral policy areas, including infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and environment, among others.
The Secretary-General’s report cites various actions taken by the international community, including progress made in extending and deepening debt relief and in raising investment flows to African countries to bolster their development endeavours, although these are still insignificant in the global context. We are happy to note this positive trend, which signifies that the implementation deficit commonly seen in the context of the wider global development agenda, does not affect Africa as much. However, there is also growing evidence suggesting that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will remain largely elusive for Africa, unless something is done to substantially enhance existing development assistance flows to generate the resources required for achieving the MDGs.
Pakistan strongly feels that further bolstering investments, expanding trade by allowing greater market access to exports from Africa and building capacity and human resources are the most important tools to put Africa on the fast development track. These, we believe, should be the three main pillars for
a strategic partnership between Africa and the rest of the world.
Pakistan has consistently supported the political and economic aspirations of Africa. We also support effective and early implementation of NEPAD. We have actively supported and contributed to efforts for promoting durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.
Apart from our contribution to United Nations peacekeeping in Africa, we provide bilateral assistance in economic, social, technical and military spheres to a number of African countries in the context of South- South cooperation. The Government of Pakistan has successfully run a special technical assistance programme for Africa since 1986. Hundreds of young African professionals from the public and private sectors have received training under this programme in various fields including public administration, management, banking, customs, accounting and diplomacy. We plan to enhance further the scope of this programme in the years ahead as an expression of our support for Africa’s development.
My delegation joins the others in thanking the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report entitled “The New Partnership for Africa’s Development: fourth consolidated report on progress in implementation and international support” (A/61/212). The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a symbol of the collective commitment to solidarity among African countries, the peoples of Africa and the international community, has gained momentum for building peace, increasing stability and achieving prosperity for all of Africa in the twenty-first century. Nepal welcomes the commitment of the international community and of Africa’s peoples to peace and development in Africa.
Coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development by African leaders, the fourth consolidated report provides us with a picture of the progress Africa has achieved so far in collaboration with the international community in the fields of infrastructure development, information and communications technologies, health, education, the environment, agriculture, science and technology, gender mainstreaming, debt relief, trade, foreign direct investment and the use of the African Peer Review Mechanism, et cetera.
Africa is endowed with significant natural resources and great potential for economic development. The effective and efficient use of natural resources is a challenge to African countries. We are confident that progress achieved in this area will accelerate the pace of overall socio-economic development in Africa.
Nepal highly values its relationship with African countries and, as a developing, landlocked and least developed country (LDC), shares aspirations and common interests with them. Nepal is committed to working together with Africa in various international forums, for example, the United Nations, the Non- Aligned Movement, the Group of 77 and China and the Group of LDCs. Nepal is pleased to contribute to the United Nations peacekeeping operations in various countries in Africa as a way of supporting peace, security and development on the continent.
We recognize that development, peace and security and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. We welcome Africa’s goal of achieving a conflict-free Africa by 2010. Conflict prevention and the consolidation of peace in Africa will benefit from the coordinated, sustained and integrated efforts of the United Nations system and its Member States, and of regional and subregional organizations, as well as of international and regional financial institutions.
We are pleased to note that steady progress is being made in preventing, managing and resolving conflict and in building and consolidating peace in Africa. There is a need for increased and concerted action to prevent potential crises from escalating and recurring. It is imperative to ensure that the hard-won peace in countries emerging from conflict becomes irreversible. The report of the Secretary-General contains a number of recommendations in the areas of conflict prevention, improving governance, early warning systems, mediation, preventive diplomacy and peace negotiations. We believe that the implementation of those recommendations will receive careful attention and will benefit from the allocation of the necessary resources. We support the efforts of the United Nations system to attach priority to durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.
NEPAD has raised the hopes and aspirations of the peoples of Africa, who have suffered the most from poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, violence and armed conflict, violations of human rights and fundamental
freedoms and epidemic levels of malaria and HIV/AIDS. Indeed, millions of people in Africa have become victims of these deadly diseases, despite the commitment of the international community to eradicate malaria. Malaria is preventable, treatable and curable. With this in view, we are one of the sponsors of a draft resolution entitled “2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa”. Nepal believes that combating malaria will help in implementing the Millennium Development Goals.
In concluding, my delegation would like to state that sustained peace, stability and development in Africa are in the interests of all of mankind. Despite daunting challenges for the development of Africa, Nepal is confident that the solidarity of the international community will complement the efforts of the friendly countries and peoples of Africa to attain peace, progress and prosperity.
Programme of work The President in the Chair.
I would like to inform members that I have received a letter dated 11 October 2006 from the President of the Economic and Social Council addressed to the President of the General Assembly.
In his letter, the President of the Economic and Social Council informs the Assembly that the Council, at its 44th meeting, held on 11 October 2006, took note of the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination on its forty-sixth session, contained in document A/61/16.
He also draws my attention to the recommendations contained in paragraphs 120 and 287 of the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination dealing with the allocation by the Assembly of the respective portions of the proposed strategic framework for the period 2008-2009 to the Second and Third Committees for their review and action under the item entitled “Programme planning”.
Members will recall that the General Assembly, at its 2nd plenary meeting, on 13 September 2006, decided to allocate agenda item 118 — “Programme planning” — to all of the Main Committees and the plenary.
Accordingly, I will transmit the recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Coordination to the Chairpersons of the Second and Third Committees for appropriate action under agenda item 118, “Programme planning”.
The meeting rose at 6.10 p.m.