A/62/PV.27 General Assembly

I now give the floor to the representative of Myanmar.

On behalf of the Government and people of Myanmar, I wish to express my profound gratitude to you for the words of condolence expressed on behalf of the General Assembly on the passing away of His Excellency General Soe Win, Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar. He was a soldier and a statesman who devoted his life to the service of his country. He will be remembered. He was respected by all who came into contact with him. His untimely demise has deprived my country of a true son.

I thank the representative of Myanmar.

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 53.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to introduce my reports on Africa at this important debate on agenda items 47 and 64. I am also pleased that the Chief Executive Director of the secretariat of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Mr. Firmino Mucavele, is with us today. Since I took office as Secretary-General, Africa and its special needs have topped my agenda. That is why my first extended official mission overseas took me to the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, followed by visits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Kenya. I have since visited the Sudan to underscore the United Nations commitment to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement as the cornerstone for peace throughout the country and to advance efforts to resolve the crisis in Darfur. As I have said on many occasions, peace in Darfur remains my most urgent priority. We must all work together to ensure the success of the Darfur peace negotiations commencing in Libya later this month. For my part, I intend to do everything I can to bring an end to the intense suffering in Darfur. I have also made it a priority to advance our development agenda in Africa, especially the Millennium Development Goals. Many African countries have made good progress towards the Goals. But overall, the continent is not on track to reach those development targets by 2015. Just past the midpoint of our marathon, the challenges remain daunting. Extreme poverty, reinforced by a lack of access to basic education, health care and adequate nutrition, continues to prevent million of talented, promising young Africans from fulfilling their potential. The status quo is unconscionable for Africa and for the world. Changing it requires a strengthened global partnership. It demands shared responsibility. And it needs the implementation of all existing commitments. That is why I have established the Millennium Development Goals Africa Steering Group to bring together all major multilateral and intergovernmental development organizations. The aim is to galvanize international action towards attaining the Goals in full, on time and across Africa. We know that peace, development and human rights go hand in hand. Fighting extreme poverty is key to preventing conflict. My progress report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of peace and development in Africa (A/62/204) clearly acknowledges that reality. It is therefore heartening that over the past decade, Africa has made significant progress towards ending armed conflict. It has also progressed in building its own architecture in support of conflict prevention, mediation and conflict resolution, particularly through the African Union. Conflicts in Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burundi have come to an end. Fragile peace processes are being reinforced, largely through African efforts strongly supported by the international community. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, successful democratic elections have at last taken place. The United Nations is supporting the Government’s efforts to consolidate State authority in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are also helping to address the serious humanitarian challenges in the Kivus. As outlined in my report, we must now help consolidate the positive changes in Africa through stronger, more coherent United Nations support, including in the areas of governance and institutional capacity-building. We must ensure that the United Nations plays its role to the fullest extent possible along the peace continuum, from conflict prevention to peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. We must use all possible resources to support Africa’s development and to empower women to strengthen their essential role in the process. And we must do more to help Africa deal with the increasing threat posed by climate change, because we know that poor countries stand to bear the brunt of it. Much has changed since 1998, when my predecessor prepared the initial report on the causes of conflict in Africa (A/52/87). The time has come to take stock of progress made and lessons learned so that we can build on the results attained thus far. That is why I am proposing a comprehensive review of the recommendations contained in the 1998 report. As requested by the Assembly, my report also includes proposals for United Nations action in support of the goal of achieving a conflict-free Africa by 2010. In my report on progress in implementation of and international support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (A/62/203), I have provided an overview of the progress being made in implementing the NEPAD blueprint. I have also provided Member States with a picture of the multifaceted ways in which the United Nations system is working closely with Africa and African institutions in the implementation of NEPAD. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development is a good example of the resolve demonstrated by Africans to take full responsibility for their continent’s future. A growing number of African countries are participating in the African Peer Review Mechanism. Improvements in governance have been accompanied by sustained economic growth and better management of the economies of many African countries. Those developments underscore the importance of international support for NEPAD as an African-owned and Africa-driven framework for the region’s future. In spite of many positive developments, the special needs of Africa remain immense. And today, there is no more pressing need than addressing the fight against the pandemics that continue to ravage the continent. Malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases are taking their worst social and economic toll on countries that can least afford it. They also pose threats to peace and stability due to the devastation they wreak on capacity and governance. Malaria alone kills more than one million people every year, mostly infants, young children and pregnant women — and most of them in Africa. In its report on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria (see A/62/321), the World Health Organization outlines the significant progress made in the international campaign against this ancient enemy of humanity. We now have the tools and increased resources to control malaria. But there is no time to waste. Every minute we deliberate, another two children die needlessly. Let us keep pushing to reverse the incidence of this killer disease. African countries are the first to acknowledge their primary responsibility to tackle Africa’s problems. They accept the urgent need to continue to fight corruption, improve governance, empower women and create jobs. They recognize that tens of millions of young people need education, that essential infrastructure must be built and that Africa must be able to compete effectively in the world economy. Africa’s courageous efforts at reform must continue, but the international community must also rise to the challenge. The United Nations has a crucial role to play in helping Africa meet its challenges and realize its full potential. That is why I will do my utmost to further enhance the Secretariat’s capacity to support our Africa-related programmes and efforts. I look forward to a substantive and useful debate on these Africa-related agenda items. And I am confident that the Assembly will reaffirm its strong political will to assist the Governments and people of Africa in their struggle for lasting peace, poverty eradication and sustainable development.

I thank the Secretary-General for his statement.

May I at the outset express the condolences of the Pakistan delegation on the sad demise of the Prime Minister of Myanmar. I have the honour today to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 64 (a), entitled “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support”. The Group of 77 and China thanks the Secretary-General for his report (A/62/203) on that item. There is much that has been achieved in Africa since the launch of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a six year-old programme of the African Union. Through NEPAD, African leaders have taken ownership and leadership of the continent’s socio-economic renewal agenda and transformed the content of that agenda. NEPAD represents the collective determination and commitment of Africa to place its countries on the road to sustainable economic and social development by taking control of their own development and by fighting poverty. NEPAD’s policies and priorities have become an acceptable internationally approved framework for Africa’s development. Through NEPAD, African leaders have fundamentally changed the development paradigm. The narrow approach of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers has been expanded to include a comprehensive and holistic approach to development through African ownership. In fact, most African countries now have their own national development strategies. Today, as we stand at the halfway point before the target date of 2015 to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), unfortunately, Africa remains the sole continent which is not on track to achieve the Goals. The situation is particularly bleak in sub-Saharan Africa. If we are to succeed in eradicating poverty and hunger in Africa, urgent and concerted action by developed countries and the international community is imperative. Today, inadequacy of resources is widely seen as the main constraint on African development. Despite serious, sincere and consistent efforts by African countries themselves to implement NEPAD, Africa is still far from realizing the levels of support required under that partnership. The Group of 77 and China is deeply concerned in particular about the overall decline of official development assistance flows, including to Africa, despite the promises made by the Group of Eight at Gleneagles in 2005 to double aid to Africa by 2010. The welcome debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative may have released resources for development-related expenditures in Africa, yet they are completely inadequate in helping African countries to realize the internationally agreed development goals including the MDGs. The situation clearly demands urgent, bold and more encompassing initiatives to solve the external debt problems of African countries. The international community should also ensure that multilateral trade agreements, including those which will result from the Doha Round, should give priority to Africa’s needs and incorporate appropriate development provisions. Efforts should be made to ensure that the Aid for Trade initiative is formulated in a manner that is adequately funded, efficiently managed and effectively implemented as quickly as possible. Resources granted to the initiative should be additional to existing resources, predictable, adequate and sustainable. Despite record high levels of inflows of $31 billion in 2005, Africa’s share in global foreign direct investment has remained low, at about 3 per cent. Conscious efforts are thus needed to direct investment flows, particularly infrastructure investments, to support and sustain the development objectives of Africa. The Group of 77 and China is of the view that resources must be mobilized for African States, the regional economic communities and the African Union in order to support efforts aimed at achieving the MDGs within the framework of national development programmes and at implementing the NEPAD programme. We note the innovative approaches that have been developed by some of the institutions regarding funding and project implementation in priority areas for NEPAD. We are pleased that United Nations agencies have organized themselves into various clusters in line with NEPAD priority areas as a way to increase coordination and cooperation in their work relating to NEPAD. Additionally, a number of these agencies are playing a critical role in supporting the work of NEPAD. We welcome this important support and we still believe that there is need for the United Nations to mainstream NEPAD into all its normative and operational activities. The Group of 77 and China also looks forward to the convening of and active participation of all partners in the high-level meeting on “Africa’s development needs: state of implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward” to be held during the sixty-third session of the Assembly. We will work with our partners during this session to decide on the modalities and scope of the high-level meeting in order to make it a success.

I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the Group of African States to talk under item 64, on the New Partnership for the Development of Africa (NEPAD), on progress in implementation and international support, and on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, as well as on item 47 on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa. The African Group would like to express its satisfaction to the Secretary-General for his various detailed reports and for the support that he continues to provide for Africa’s development efforts. We welcome the fact that he has drawn attention to the risks involved in pursuing the traditional path that has tended to lead to the lack of respect for commitments and to delays in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration Goals (MDGs) and the implementation of NEPAD. In 2001, the African heads of State and Government, convinced that each country bears primary responsibility for its own development and that African countries should pursue their programmes of reform, both economic and social, adopted NEPAD as a framework for development and the reinvigoration of our continent. Through NEPAD, African countries have committed themselves to creating conditions conducive to economic growth and sustainable development and to mobilizing the African people so that they can become the main stakeholders in development. The call launched to the rest of the world is to promote complementary action to support African nations in the implementation of their own programmes of self- sufficiency and development. We can assert that Africa is making progress along these lines. The economy is turning around and key indicators are improving. NEPAD has launched a kind of revolution based on a global programme that aims to exploit scientific and technological progress so as to improve agricultural production. Progress is also being made in the key areas of infrastructure, energy, information technology, communication, transportation, water and sanitation. Recently, NEPAD has undertaken important efforts in gender equality aimed at implementing programmes capable of giving free rein to the economic potential of women, combating poverty, overcoming the gap between men and women, increasing women’s economic power and contributing to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and sustainable development. Another important fact is the pace at which the African countries are acceding to the African Peer Review Mechanism. Today, 26 countries have voluntarily signed on to this completely African mechanism. This confirms, once again, that African countries are taking the reforms and transparency very seriously indeed. However, despite all of these achievements, they are still faced with major challenges to further progress, such as HIV/AIDS, capacity-building, the need for increased official development assistance, the need for foreign direct investment and the need for a breakthrough in the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. Most African countries are ready to accelerate economic and social reforms and to implement programmes of essential development in education, science, technology, health and agriculture. However, as you know, they have neither the capacity, nor the resources, nor the means to do so. These challenges must not be taken lightly. Africa can only make progress if it finds appropriate solutions to them. The question of subsidies accorded by industrialized countries to their agricultural sectors is a major concern for the continent of Africa. Unfortunately, the negotiations within the WTO have been progressing extremely slowly. The developed countries are reluctant to take the necessary steps. They know that their policies are not compatible with the positions that they defend in international proceedings. They know that African farmers are becoming poorer and poorer, even though they are working harder and harder. Moreover, although the developed countries know that these subsidies undermine the poorest countries, they do not have the political courage to admit the truth and act appropriately. African countries know that they have to improve intra-African trade and NEPAD gives high priority to this issue, as it is a fundamental factor in helping African countries to achieve sustainable development. Therefore, we welcome the call made by the Secretary-General to the development partners of Africa, calling upon them to honour their commitments. We welcome the fact that he asked donors and trade partners to open up access to markets and to reschedule international aid, so that African products and services can benefit from equitable opportunities. The partners supporting African development should translate their commitments into true development assistance. It is regrettable that the official development assistance (ODA) that the Development Assistance Committee provides to Africa, apart from debt relief measures, dropped in real terms in 2005 and stagnated in 2006. We welcome with satisfaction the progress accomplished in debt relief for indebted African countries. However, more remains to be done to free Africa from the debt burden that has sapped its development efforts over decades. Here, while recognizing the efforts of the Group of Eight (G-8), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other bilateral donors, we would stress the fact that Africa needs nothing less than 100 per cent debt cancellation. African countries welcome recent developments in South-South cooperation. We are convinced that South-South cooperation is mobilizing essential resources to optimize its potential through sharing know-how with the goal of promoting the sustainable development of our continent. African countries have been at the forefront of deciding upon their own destiny. The African Union, with the support of the main African countries, has assumed a key role in seeking ways to settle conflicts and has refused to recognize unconstitutional changes of Government. Strong, new leadership is emerging; this is supported by the emergence of a better organized civil society. We take note of the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of recommendations on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/62/204). Despite the fact that the report indicates that the major handicaps to the consolidation of peace and development persist owing to extreme poverty, weak governmental institutions, the poor management of natural resources, the insufficient protection of fundamental human rights and increased threats linked to climate change, Africa still attaches great importance to questions of peace and security. there can be no development without peace; there can be no development without security. Thus, the African Union has promised that it will attack the conflicts and the political instability in Africa so as to rid the continent of all conflicts by 2010. The decision of heads of State and Government was taken at the Sirte Summit. The Peace and Security Council of the African Union continues to play an important role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts throughout the continent. Here, we welcome the efforts of the United Nations to work in cooperation with the African Union to assist us in strengthening capacity-building in the sphere of peacekeeping. The African Union is endeavouring to tackle the challenges confronted by its States and peoples emerging from conflict situations. The programme entitled Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development is one the African Union’s tools to help reduce the harshness and frequency of relapses into conflict situations, as well as to promote sustainable development. That African Union programme has also endeavoured to complement the work of the Peacebuilding Commission by identifying those States that risk falling back into conflict by providing them with appropriate, timely and effective assistance. They are helping to reduce the rate at which those countries torn apart by war slide back into conflict. The Post- Conflict Reconstruction and Development programme underscores the fact that the strategy of post-conflict rebuilding is a long-term one by its very nature. This strategy must be decided upon by the African communities and States themselves. I wish to congratulate the Secretary-General on his extensive report on the efforts made to contain and reverse the spread of the most murderous disease on the continent: malaria. Since the beginning of Decade to Roll Back Malaria, we have seen significant steps taken by both the international community and by African Governments themselves. Partnerships have expanded to include local organizations, civil society and individual households. Africa needs the international resources of the Global Fund to fight malaria. We are very grateful indeed to all of our partners for their solidarity and for their support; however, much remains to be done. The issue of impregnated mosquito nets to be distributed to all households is still an issue of serious concern for the African Governments and people themselves. Even though we can see progress in that we are seeing a drop in maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in many countries, we still need to strengthen this partnership. It is important to make sure that there are sufficient funds available so that African countries continue with the same determination to lead this victorious fight against this scourge that has already hampered Africa’s economic and social development. A sick citizen in a country is not an efficient economic actor. This is the situation and we need to bear that in mind. To conclude, I would say that time is passing and that it is not favouring Africa. Africa calls for action; many challenges still need to be tackled: the consolidation of democracy, good governance and durable economic growth throughout the continent. The fact that the international community is not responding to the pressing needs to finance Africa constitutes for us and for the whole of the African continent a huge source of disappointment. Africa has demonstrated its commitment and works to establish institutions and subregional groups that play a key role in the realization of the objectives of regional integration. Africa also works to ensure the optimal utilization of the resources of the different areas of Africa. Africa is impatiently awaiting the appointment for the new Special Adviser on Africa in the context of the reforms proposed by the Secretary-General. These activities are very important to promoting the interests of the African continent here within the United Nations. There is no doubt that in order for development to make progress, Africa needs key individuals to deal with these issues within the Secretariat of this Organization.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The candidate countries Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia, align themselves with this statement. For the sake of efficiency, and in order to save time, I will shorten my oral statement today. The full text has been distributed. First of all, the European Union wishes to congratulate its African partners on the sixth anniversary of the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). As in previous years, the European Union welcomes today’s Africa debate in the United Nations General Assembly and welcomes the opportunity to address three key items, namely, NEPAD, peace and security aspects and the fight against malaria on the African continent. I will start with NEPAD. Africa is one of the main points of focus of the European Union’s development policy. The EU continues to support the NEPAD initiative, which provides an appropriate basis for the partnership between the international community and African nations. We can surely state that, thanks to NEPAD, democratic and accountable governance is gaining ground on the African continent. This is most clearly shown by the growing number of multiparty elections, more representative and effective legislatures, improved space for civil society and the adoption of policy milestones, such as the January 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The European Union will continue to support these processes at the institutional and field levels, as it is already doing, for example with its assistance to electoral observer missions in many African countries. One of the most significant results of NEPAD activities, however, is the African Peer Review Mechanism. The EU is pleased to note that, as of June 2007, 26 countries have voluntarily acceded to this entirely African-owned process. The EU has been following the activities of the African Peer Review Mechanism with great interest in 2007 and is pleased that the Mechanism, an African way to good governance, has encouraged countries to adopt policy measures to strengthen accountability and transparency. However, key challenges remain in the implementation of projects and programmes identified in national programmes of action. The EU is, therefore, willing to support countries that are tackling the problems identified in the African Peer Review Mechanism process. The EU strongly supports the orientation of the member States of the African Union, confirmed at the highest level on the occasion of the Accra meeting of heads of State and Government, to proceed steadily towards the objective of economic and institutional integration, which, as shown by the EU’s own experience, is an invaluable asset for ensuring stability and development. Africa is at the heart of the EU’s development policy. The African continent has great potential, as evidenced by its people, its culture and its economic and political successes during the last decade. But Africa also has its continuing problems. Poverty is not just a concept in Africa — it is a reality. Armed conflicts, failing States, lack of economic development, inadequate social infrastructure, poor standards of education, environmental degradation and the HIV/AIDS pandemic are depressing its standard of living. As far as official development assistance (ODA) is concerned, the European Council reiterated in Brussels in June 2005 that the EU would intensify its efforts to fulfil the commitments undertaken in Monterrey, including through the exploration of innovative sources of financing. The EU, which is already the world’s main purveyor of development, with over 50 per cent of the total, has collectively agreed to increase its ODA to 0.56 per cent of its gross national income by 2010, and to 0.7 per cent by 2015. The European Union stands ready to assist with its commitment to ODA and debt relief. The resolution of Africa’s external debt problem is critical for the sustainable development of the African countries. The Union remains committed to the extended Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative (HIPC) and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative to help eligible countries reach and maintain a sustainable level of debt in order for them to reinforce poverty reduction efforts and promote growth. By 2008, European Union economic partnership agreements with four African, Caribbean and Pacific regions in Africa will enter into force, thus promoting regional integration and a comprehensive approach to tackling barriers to trade and to attracting investors. The EU has taken its Africa Strategy as a starting point for the programming of relevant EU aid instruments. We would also like to highlight the 10th European Development Fund, with funds that amount to 22.7 billion euros for the period 2008-2013, 90 per cent of which will be allocated to sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, the European Union and Africa have decided to further strengthen the ties linking both continents by developing a co-owned joint strategy reflecting the needs and aspirations of the peoples of Africa and Europe. In that connection, we are heading towards a second EU-Africa Summit, scheduled to place in Lisbon at the end of 2007. On the subject of the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, I would like to say that Africa today is afflicted by far fewer armed conflicts than it was a decade ago, but one fifth of the population of the continent still lives in areas affected by conflict. There has been considerable progress over the past few years. Today, while conflicts in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Darfur region of the Sudan are cause for concern, other conflicts, such as the civil wars in Angola, Sierra Leone and Liberia, have been resolved; and many other conflicts are in the course of being settled. The EU expresses its deep concern about the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur and condemns the continuing violations of the ceasefire. The EU actively supports the transition from the African Union Mission in Sudan to the African Union- United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and calls upon all parties to participate constructively at the Darfur peace negotiations to begin on 27 October. The EU also calls upon the parties to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement to implement the Agreement in full and in good faith. Furthermore, we would like to expresses our concern over the security and humanitarian situation in Somalia and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Numerous actions have been taken by the EU in the area of peace and security in Africa. Under the African Peace Facility, around €300 million have been provided to support the Africa Union Mission in the Sudan; while the operation in the Central African Republic led by the Central African Economic and Monetary Community was supported with over €23 million and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) with another €15 million. A number of capacity-building programmes have been launched as well. The initial funding for the African Peace Facility — €250 million — was raised to a total of €385 million. The EU welcomes the role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy and reiterates its support for the Summit Outcome conclusion that each individual State has the responsibility to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The EU condemns all forms of sexual violence and underscores the importance of integrating a gender perspective and the protection of children into conflict prevention. Urgent preventive measures should be developed, especially in relation to gender-based violence in conflicts. The EU also supports the strengthening of fragile States, as well as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), together with security-sector reform programmes, in African States. In that context, we welcome the second International Conference on DDR and Stability in Africa, which was held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in June 2007. Conflict prevention and reconstruction efforts in Africa go hand-in-hand with the building of durable peace and the promotion of economic growth. The new Instrument for Stability therefore combines short-term measures in situations of political crisis or natural disaster and long-term activities in a stable context aimed at mitigating threats that could fuel conflicts. Initiatives that are currently planned or being implemented this year include support for security- sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, accompanying measures to AMISOM in Somalia and the support for the Juba peace talks in Uganda. Increasingly, countries on the continent are holding democratic elections. The EU has played a key role in the peaceful completion of presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone. Africa is moving in the direction of economic prosperity, with a 6 per cent growth rate expected in 2007. The rule of law has become the centrepiece of all policymaking processes. Twenty-nine African countries are now parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The EU is fully engaged in post-conflict reconstruction in Africa and supports, in particular, the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. The Commission provides an agreed framework for monitoring commitments from the country under consideration, the Commission and other partners and for ensuring greater coherence and coordination of efforts. The EU has for many years provided considerable input for peacebuilding activities in Africa and elsewhere in the world. The Union is ready to continue its commitments by actively supporting the work of the Peacebuilding Commission in the two African countries inscribed on its agenda, namely, Burundi and Sierra Leone. Let me focus my remaining comments on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria. Health is inextricably linked to development. It is a fundamental element in reducing poverty and in promoting human security. After many years of impressive gains in human health worldwide, we are now in a situation where countries are unable to cope with the burden that disease poses to their health systems. Malaria disproportionately affects poor people, with almost 60 per cent of malaria cases occurring among the poorest 20 per cent of the world’s population. The disease also exacerbates the poverty of poor countries and communities, through its significant effects on long-term economic growth and development. As indicated in the World Health Organization (WHO) report, which was transmitted by the Secretary-General in document A/62/321, evidence shows that malaria keeps poor people poor — costing Africa $12 billion per year in lost gross domestic product (GDP). There are, however, positive signs. There is evidence that cases of malaria have decreased in seven African countries. South Africa is a success story, and so is Swaziland. The EU takes note with great appreciation of those positive developments. The EU will support endeavours to ensure access to effective antimalarial drugs. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, whose budget receives support from European Union member States, has financed a massive campaign for the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets in Africa, which the European Union hopes will result in a substantial reduction in malaria cases and deaths, in particular among children under the age of five. While attempting to stimulate research and development so as to lower the prices of new drugs and to enhance procurement and distribution, it is also crucial to closely monitor the impact of both new treatments and problems relating to drug resistance and to strengthen community knowledge — including encouraging access to long- lasting insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying, in accordance with the rules of the Stockholm Convention, and other preventive and awareness-enhancing measures. Let me conclude by saying that Africa needs peace and stability and that the European Union is fully committed to helping Africa to reach that goal. Our relationship, which is conducted in a spirit of equal partnership, is also based on firm and shared commitments to democracy, the promotion of human rights, good governance and respect for the rule of law, mutual respect and accountability.

May I also express my condolences on the passing away of the Prime Minister of Myanmar. I have the honour to speak today on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose member countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. ASEAN also aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Six years have passed since the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). It has become the key mechanism through which multilateral financial institutions and development partners seek to engage Africa. The Secretary General’s fifth consolidated report on progress in implementation and international support (A/62/203) notes forward movement in key areas, such as infrastructure, agriculture, health, education and information technology. Those trends indicate the good work that has been done through NEPAD. But Africa still faces daunting challenges. The report reminds us that African countries are behind schedule in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Without concerted international support, there is a real danger that Africa will continue to lag behind, despite the best efforts of its leaders and peoples. In that regard, we welcome the Secretary-General’s efforts to help bring those countries back on track, including through the convening of the Millennium Development Goals Africa Steering Group. Leadership and accountability are key factors for sustainable development. ASEAN sees the African Peer Review Mechanism as an innovative instrument for promoting good governance. This is not about recrimination; this is about assistance and support. We are encouraged by the growing enthusiasm among NEPAD countries for that initiative. According to the Secretary-General’s report, 26 countries have voluntarily acceded to the Review Mechanism. That is a positive sign. NEPAD is a regional initiative, but in this globalized world none of us can go it alone. While the primary responsibility for change obviously rests with Africa, the international community should also support these efforts. For instance, several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have contributed to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Thailand has contributed $1 million annually to the Fund since 2003. We also welcome the decision of the Group of Eight countries at the 2007 Heiligendamm Summit to dedicate $30 billion to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa. But more must be done if the Group of Eight is to meet its commitment of doubling aid to Africa by 2010. It is also worrying that, according to the Secretary-General’s report, official development assistance (ODA) flows to Africa are declining despite pledges of support. This is about credibility. Donors should live up to their stated commitments. There is a long history between Africa and Asia. The first Asia-Africa summit was held in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955. In fact, leaders of both regions marked the fiftieth anniversary of the summit two years ago, again in Indonesia, by agreeing on a declaration to focus cooperation on three pillars: political, economic, and social and cultural relations. Activities are being pursued via the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership in areas such as like capacity- building, environmental law and policy, preservation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. ASEAN considers this initiative to be an excellent example of South-South cooperation. Another concrete outcome is the Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation in Jakarta, which was initiated by Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam in 1995. The Centre promotes the exchange and dissemination of development experiences through technical assistance and training. Individually, ASEAN members have also strengthened their relations with NEPAD countries. Trade between the regions has grown in volume and now encompasses an ever-growing list of products and services. Both ASEAN and NEPAD have a common interest in the early conclusion of a successful Doha Round. It is clear that trade barriers imposed on developing-country products are a huge handicap to economic development. ASEAN countries have also sought to share development experiences with our African friends through our respective cooperation programmes. Several ASEAN members, my country included, have provided assistance in areas such as education, human resource development and health, particularly HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. We have done this through study visits and training programmes. Let me conclude by saying that all of us in ASEAN will continue to work closely with NEPAD countries to achieve our common development goals.

First of all, I wish to thank the Secretary-General for his report entitled “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: fifth consolidated report on progress in implementation and international support” (A/62/203), which highlights progress made so far towards the realization of Africa’s aspiration to eradicating hunger and poverty and attaining sustainable development and durable peace, and which focuses on the special needs of Africa regarding the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). My delegation associates itself with the statements just made by the representative of Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and by the representative of Singapore on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). We also strongly support the statement made by the Permanent Representative of Benin on behalf of the Group of African States. This year marks the midpoint towards the target date for attaining the MDGs. We are delighted to witness some encouraging progress made by African States in their struggle for lasting peace, poverty eradication, HIV/AIDS prevention and sustainable development. More African countries are participating in the African Peer Review Mechanism, which enables them to improve their political, economic and social performance. Despite these positive developments, however, there remain enormous challenges facing African States in their endeavours to achieve the MDGs. The continent continues to lag behind the rest of the developing world and has not yet achieved the target of 6 per cent growth in gross national product per annum established by the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. Moreover, Africa is known to have the lowest share of global foreign direct investment flows, to shoulder growing debt burdens and to seriously lack adequate resources for development. Viet Nam holds that, in response to the daunting magnitude of these challenges the international community should strengthen global partnership to provide African States with support and assistance in their efforts to reach the MDGs, including through more and better aid for trade, further debt relief and cancellation, and improved market access for African products. In this regard, Viet Nam fully supports the Secretary-General’s decision to establish the Millennium Development Goal Africa Steering Group, which calls for international support for Africa’s implementation of the Goals, and notes with pleasure that the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative and the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative have been complemented by bilateral debt relief efforts of the Group of Eight and other donor countries. It is also worth restating that the Aid for Trade initiative performs a vital role in bringing additional resources to scale up investments necessary for African States to achieve the MDGs. Viet Nam is of the view that, by enabling better use of trading opportunities and facilitating trade flows, the Aid for Trade initiative has great potential for accelerating growth in Africa. However, we should not consider Aid for Trade to be an isolated response to the trading challenges facing African countries, but rather to be part of the ongoing effort to build a global partnership for development, in which South-South and North-South cooperation are both of paramount importance. In this connection, Viet Nam welcomes the ongoing initiatives and partnerships being undertaken by the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation at the subregional, regional, interregional and global levels towards establishing public-private partnership mechanisms aimed at enhancing and expanding South- South cooperation, including triangular cooperation in trade and investment. Over the past years, the scope of cooperation between Viet Nam and its African brothers and sisters has been expanded bilaterally and in the South-South cooperation framework in areas ranging from agriculture, industry and science and technology to health care, education and environmental protection. Viet Nam has signed numerous cooperation agreements and projects with African States, such as the agriculture cooperation project with Mozambique, under the sponsorship of the Japan International Cooperation Agency; the tripartite cooperation project between Viet Nam, France and Mali; and the project on lessons learned from economic development and poverty eradication in Viet Nam, with the participation of Viet Nam, Benin and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Driven by a dynamism of mutual interest, Viet Nam’s two-way trade volume with Africa grew manyfold between 1991 and 2006, from just $15 million to approximately $1 billion last year. Let me conclude by reaffirming that strengthening all-sided relations with Africa continues to be a cornerstone of Viet Nam’s foreign policy. We shall continue to explore ways and means to further contribute to the successful implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

Allow me to join previous speakers in thanking the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report (A/62/203) on progress in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Japan also commends the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, the Economic Commission for Africa and other bodies of the United Nations system for their tireless efforts for African development. We are approaching the midpoint towards 2015, the target year for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Many African countries are making strides towards the Goals, but they still face many daunting challenges. Japan believes that the international community must stand behind African countries and support their efforts to take charge of their development. Japan is dedicated to helping African countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Next year, Japan will co-organize the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in May with the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, and will host the Group of Eight (G-8) Hokkaido-Toyako Summit in July. We are determined to utilize the momentum generated by these two events to mobilize international support for African development and African countries’ efforts to achieve the MDGs. As an initiative created, led, implemented and monitored by African countries, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) deserves special recognition for its contribution to effective and sustainable development in Africa. Japan has cooperated with and supported NEPAD since its beginning in 2001. Through regular consultations between Japan and the NEPAD secretariat, led by its Chief Executive, Mr. Firmino Mucavele, several areas have been designated as priority areas for cooperation for the foreseeable future. These include infrastructure; agriculture; trade and investment and private sector development; and human resources development. Recently, Japan and the NEPAD secretariat agreed to add the environment as the fifth priority sector of Japan’s support to NEPAD, in response to the concerns about climate change expressed by African countries at the TICAD Ministerial Conference on Energy and Environment for Sustainable Development, held in Nairobi, Kenya, last March, and the second meeting of the NEPAD-Japan Dialogue, held in South Africa last August. Japan’s support for NEPAD takes various forms, as indicated in paragraph 57 of the report of the Secretary-General (A/62/203). Bilateral and subregional projects in the aforementioned priority areas are being developed, including six infrastructure projects that Japan has selected for funding from NEPAD’s short- term action plan. Meanwhile, Japan is moving steadily towards its goal of doubling its official development assistance to Africa by the end of this year while mobilizing the knowledge and resources of the international community to assist Africa in the areas of boosting economic growth, ensuring human security and addressing environmental issues and climate change. Japan believes that TICAD IV will further the aims of NEPAD and contribute to making Africa a vibrant continent of hope and opportunity. On the subject of peace consultations, Japan, as Chairman of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, will contribute to various peacebuilding activities in Africa. Japan agrees with the report of the Secretary- General on NEPAD that free trade and debt relief are crucial for the sustainable development of Africa. The objective of poverty reduction through economic growth has long been one of the pillars of Japan’s development cooperation with Africa, along with the consolidation of peace and human-centred development. As its contribution to the Aid for Trade initiative, Japan has been steadily implementing the development initiative launched in 2005 to help developing countries reap the benefits of free trade by building their capacity to export goods. Regarding debt relief, the Government of Japan has implemented the Cologne debt initiative and has thus far contributed about $3.4 billion to the 18 countries in Africa eligible for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt (HIPC) Initiative. Turning now to agenda item 47, I would like to convey to the Secretary-General my delegation’s sincere appreciation for his report (A/62/321) on the progress brought about by the international response to malaria. It has been almost a decade since the Roll Back Malaria Partnership was established by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, UNICEF and UNDP. Yet, malaria continues to threaten 107 countries and territories and at least 40 per cent of the world’s population. More than 500 million people still suffer from acute malaria, and 1 million lose their lives to it every year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The Secretary-General’s report stresses the importance of both early diagnosis and effective treatment, especially the parasitological-based confirmation and standardized artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), which WHO recommends. According to the report, 75 countries have implemented a monitoring system using a national sentinel site network, and more than 60 of the 82 countries where falciparum malaria is endemic have shifted their anti-malarial drug policies away from the use of monotherapy to ACTs. Japan is encouraged that there has been a change for the better in so many places around the world as a result of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. The report of the Secretary-General also points out the importance of prevention and of the recent shift in WHO’s guidance towards the use of insecticide- treated mosquito nets. For its part, Japan has committed itself to distributing 10 million long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets in Africa. As of August this year, 9.5 million nets had been distributed — enough to prevent the deaths of 150,000 African children, according to one estimate by UNICEF. Japan has also contributed $660 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which has allocated 24 per cent of its funding to combating malaria. At the international level, the Global Fund accounts for 64 per cent of international funding commitments for malaria. Health is one of the most important elements of human security. In June 2005, Japan launched its Health and Development Initiative, which promotes Japan’s comprehensive aid approach as a means of achieving the three health-related MDGs — that is, Goals 4, 5 and 6. As part of this initiative, Japan will help developing countries control the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria. I assure the Assembly that Japan, through these and other efforts, will continue to improve the quality of the global response to malaria by working as a responsible partner alongside developing countries. In closing, I would like to reaffirm Japan’s commitment to supporting African countries in a manner that fully respects their ownership and leadership. Japan will continue to support NEPAD as a means of achieving a better future for Africa.

The delegation of Kuwait is pleased to participate in this debate on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). We read with great interest the fifth consolidated report of the Secretary-General on the progress in the implementation of and international support for NEPAD (A/62/203). Kuwait attaches special importance to this subject because it is linked to our concerns and interests on the African continent, with which we share close historical ties. Six years have passed since African leaders adopted the NEPAD initiative, which aims to achieve balanced large-scale growth, enabling Africa to alleviate poverty and become better integrated into the world economy. Kuwait hopes that decisions adopted at many international conferences to promote sustainable development will lay the foundations of true partnership between developed and developing countries. This could contribute to the stability and development of economic relations by laying fair and balanced foundations for international trade, in which each party assumes its responsibilities to meet Africa’s special needs. The NEPAD initiative bolstered a principle in which we have always believed: that of the close link between successful development and political stability. Here we pay tribute to the efforts of African countries in incorporating the priorities of NEPAD in their national policies and development planning while endeavouring to establish firm institutional systems and mechanisms that will guarantee the success of the initiative. African countries are striving to break the vicious circle of debt. Ensuring that they have the financial resources they need for their development goals is one of the most significant challenges facing us. Some highly indebted African countries have benefited from the cancelling of bilateral debts announced by some donor countries, including the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, the Group of Eight commitments announced at the United Kingdom Summit in 2005 and Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative originally proposed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Together, they offer a reduction of almost $70 billion in the debt of African countries, which represents an average savings of $2 billion every year in debt-servicing costs. That cancellation is a positive step and has drawn Kuwait’s attention. Kuwait was one of the first countries to work to alleviate Africa’s debt burden, long before the announcement of the NEPAD initiative. That was illustrated in the address by the late Emir of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to the General Assembly at its forty-third session, in 1988, in which he called upon the international community, especially donor countries, to take action to lighten the debt burden encumbering the economies of developing countries and to cancel debts for countries with economies in difficulty. The Kuwait Fund for Economic Development has contributed to alleviating the burden of foreign debt for African countries in the framework of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative. Those debts were rescheduled over a period of 40 years, on very favourable terms. Here, we wish to reaffirm the content of the fifth report of the Secretary-General on progress in the implementation of and international support for NEPAD. The report calls upon African Governments to adopt wise debt policies while pursuing capacity- building and debt management. Countries must remain vigilant about financing conditions, particularly when these involve income from exports. We must not simply cancel or alleviate debt without providing funds for development assistance. Kuwait is proud to have abided by all of its international obligations in contributing to economic development programmes in developing countries through the Kuwait Fund for Economic Development. The Fund has granted development loans of $12 billion to more than 100 countries around the world, 40 per cent of which are African countries. Last August, Kuwait announced a gift of $300 million to the Islamic Development Bank, to fight poverty in Africa. The Kuwait Fund has contributed to many different development institutions in Africa, including the African Development Fund, the African Development Bank and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa. The Fund has also contributed to many rehabilitation programmes, including more than $100 million to 11 African countries to fight river blindness. Its contribution continued on through the fifth phase of that initiative, in 2003, which included additional African countries. We have contributed effectively to many development projects in developing countries through the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development. The total of soft loans reached $5.4 billion last year. Before I conclude my statement, I would like to make the following points. African countries must redouble their efforts to avoid focusing on a few donors for the continent and exclude others. They must create international awareness of the need to provide development assistance to Africa while incorporating NEPAD in African Union structures and operations, providing more assistance to the private sector and increasing the awareness of civil society. Partnership is not a temporary process; it is a long-term process that needs continuous assessment. We welcome the leading role played by the United Nations to mobilize the international community in favour of that initiative. African countries have made significant efforts to heed the call of the international community by assuming a major role in achieving stability in Africa, in order to encourage donor countries and the private sector to offer the necessary economic and technical support to the continent. It is high time for the international community to make more progress in honouring its commitments. African countries, for their part, must take all measures necessary to effectively implement the many NEPAD projects and programmes in order to ensure that we can prepare the peaceful environment necessary for development.

We would like to thank the Secretary-General for the fifth consolidated report on progress in the implementation of and international support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/62/203) and the other reports prepared for this joint debate. We broadly associate ourselves with the statement made by the Chair of the Group of 77, but I would like to deal with some of the issues discussed in the reports before us. First of all, I would like to talk about malaria. It is regrettable that malaria continues to plague several regions of the world, particularly many parts of Africa. As the former Health Minister of India, I can state with authority that this disease affects people of all ages, but is particularly dangerous and debilitating in young children and pregnant women. It disproportionately affects poor people and worsens the poverty of poor countries and communities by incapacitating the workforce, decreasing economic productivity and reducing output. In rural areas, where the transmission season generally coincides with the planting and harvesting seasons, malaria imposes a dual burden on the poor. The human suffering and economic losses caused by malaria are unnecessary, as the disease is preventable, treatable and perfectly curable. The report (A/62/321) discusses mosquito nets and adequate resource flow: that is necessary. But what is more necessary is protecting access to affordable generic medicines, which — I am sorry — the present intellectual property rights regime does not protect. I would therefore like to emphasize that the United Nations should try to improve that situation. Equally necessary is economic development, which historically eliminated malaria from the developed world. For this, capacity-building, science and technology and a truly developmental Doha Round are all necessary. I would like now to respond to the report of the Secretary-General on progress regarding the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace in Africa (A/62/204). The report states that the last few years have witnessed many positive developments in Africa and that the number of armed conflicts has been significantly reduced. The Secretary- General is right in saying that more action is needed, both to strengthen and support Africa’s own efforts to bring peace to the continent and to tackle the wider sources of armed conflicts. In this context, India welcomes the creation of the Peacebuilding Commission India is strongly committed to the objectives and work of the Commission and has contributed to the resources of the Peacebuilding Fund. The mobilization of resources is the key vehicle by which the international community can assist post-conflict societies in addressing critical issues in peace consolidation, on the basis of national ownership of that process. Hopefully that would bring the Bretton Woods institutions into the ambit of a larger perspective. It is worth remembering that many African countries in which conflicts have broken out were, during the preceding decade, under an International Monetary Fund programme for 60 to 80 per cent of the time. Economic advice given to them on trade, subsidies and agriculture caused many to fall back into civil conflict. Therefore, the United Nations must play a central role in the reform of the Bretton Woods institutions, including by increasing the voice and participation of developing countries, which would make the Bretton Woods institutions more responsive to their needs, including those of Africa. I am happy to say that India has been one of the oldest, largest and most consistent contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa. Indian soldiers have been part of United Nations peacekeeping and observer missions in more than 10 African countries, including the first United Nations mission to the Congo, established in 1960. Currently, there are more than 8,000 Indian personnel on the ground in Africa. Indian soldiers have been recognized for their humanitarian and basic infrastructure projects, including the provision of medical, water and vocational training assistance programmes. India has also contributed female military and police officers to United Nations missions in Africa. In a response to the Secretary-General’s call, India provided the first all-female formed police unit for peacekeeping work in Liberia at the beginning of this year. In addition to its normal duties, the unit has been successful in reaching out to the most vulnerable sections of society, that is, women and children. Despite positive developments, the Secretary- General reminds us of the serious challenges that lie ahead: challenges posed by poverty and by a lack of economic development and access to basic education, health care and adequate nutrition, which are stumbling blocks to unleashing the latent talent of the African people. It is in that context that the report of the Secretary-General on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/62/203) assumes significance. NEPAD reflects the commitment of African countries to implement their own programmes of development and self-reliance and the commitment of the international community to support these efforts. The Secretary-General’s report highlights the extensive measures and actions taken by African countries and organizations to implement the objectives of NEPAD. The report highlights details of the achievements of African countries in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, the environment, information and communication technology, science and technology, gender mainstreaming and civil society involvement, and the progress of the African Peer Review Mechanism. While several measures have been initiated by the international community to support NEPAD, and while there is indeed a greater understanding and awareness about the special needs of Africa, NEPAD can succeed only if the global partnership delivers in terms of resources. Pessimism results from the facts that total official development assistance to Africa provided by the Development Assistance Committee, excluding debt relief, declined in real terms in 2005 and stalled in 2006 and that, with the continuation of present trends, the Group of Eight will not be on track to meet the commitments of doubling aid to Africa by 2010. Timely fulfilment of the commitments made by the Group of Eight at the 2005 Gleneagles Summit and those made at the 2007 Heiligendamm Summit is an imperative. The problem of indebtedness has received the attention of the international community. The Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) and the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative, combined, are currently helping African countries through savings in debt servicing. The MDRI will, however, not be fully successful unless donor countries adequately offset the lost debt repayments to the International Development Association and the African Development Fund, thus maintaining their capacity to issue new grants and affordable loans. As we have seen, external assistance and an optimal enabling international economic environment must be governed by the logic of economic development. For instance, the Doha Round needs to address the problem of tariff escalation so that there is an incentive for Africa to specialize in processing rather than in raw materials. Consequently, trade that helps development, reform of the international financial architecture, meeting official development assistance commitments and the like are all essential for the achievement of the objectives of NEPAD. Historically, the invasions of Africa were in search of raw materials such as ivory, gold and diamonds. Unless there is a complete break with that, the difference from those who marched in the armies of Cecil Rhodes will be one of degree rather than kind. The great African writer Chinua Achebe, in his Anthills of the Savannah, made the point that the most important problem in Africa is not governance but foreign manipulation. That prevents the poor and dispossessed, who are the bruised heart that throbs so painfully at the core of Africa’s being, from coming into their own. India’s solidarity with Africa goes back a long time. The Foreign Minister of South Africa, speaking at the informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly on 2 October 2007 to observe the first International Day of Non-Violence, said that South Africans are proud to claim Mahatma Gandhi as one of their own because it is in South Africa that he developed and fashioned satyagraha as a tool of liberation. India’s economic cooperation with Africa is undertaken through its contribution to NEPAD and through several bilateral and other projects and programmes. Initiatives such as the Techno-Economic Approach for Africa-India Movement (TEAM-9) and cooperation with the African Union and the Southern African Development Community and others are in addition to the several bilateral cooperation efforts between India and Africa that cover, inter alia, infrastructure, including railways; food processing; information and communication technology; pharmaceuticals; and small and medium-sized enterprises. Indian companies, while contributing to economic growth, are encouraged to use the mechanism of joint ventures and employ African managerial and labour talent. India has been making its contribution to Africa’s human resource development efforts through the training of personnel under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) programme with an outlay of $1 billion and the provision of experts to several African countries. Cooperation through the supply of materials and medicines, including antiretroviral drugs to fight HIV/AIDS, are a part of our overall effort. The Pan-African e-network project is proceeding on schedule. The network is aimed at sharing India’s expertise in the fields of health care and education with all the countries of Africa and will connect 53 African countries into one network through satellite, fibre optics and wireless links to provide tele-education, telemedicine and voice and video conference facilities amongst African Heads of State. In conclusion, I would like to express the hope that with such initiatives, we will see very soon a self- reliant and economically and technologically vibrant Africa. We wish them all the best.

Peace and security should be viewed not simply from their political, military and strategic aspects, but rather as fundamentally social and economic factors. Social, economic, political, ethnic and religious exclusion, poverty and human rights issues are in general the main factors that engender violence, instability and national fragmentation. That is particularly true in Africa. Economic growth was at 6 per cent last year, but that was essentially due to increases in commodity prices. Today, only 3 per cent of foreign investment flows go to Africa, and that investment is linked, usually, to the exploitation of natural resources or related services. In many countries, international aid is still necessary to maintaining a functioning State mechanism. That aid, as the Secretary-General mentioned in his report, is decreasing. The population continues to grow beyond the capability of the labour market to absorb them. The greater part of the population, 60 per cent, especially young people, lives on one or two dollars per day. This year, we have noted once again that the Millennium Development Goals will not be met by 2015 in most of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, unless radical action reverses that trend. For those reasons, the priority for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and international cooperation, in the short term, is to help sub-Saharan Africa reach the Millennium Development Goals and join the global economy. Accomplishing that will require, among other measures, a cancellation — or at least a substantial reduction — of its debt, good prices for its export commodities and, at the same time, effective access to markets. Economic dysfunctionality and inadequate reform processes have often helped to destroy the social fabric of countries, sometimes sinking them into civil conflict. That is why it is interesting to note that the World Bank has reassessed its approach to the continent, assigning a priority, for example, to agriculture. Together with the International Monetary Fund, they have joined in the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. The challenges of peace and security in Africa require that the United Nations, and in particular the Security Council, have a strategic vision that considers peace and security in Africa to require successful management of four main variables: prevention, cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, humanitarian issues and post-conflict management. For that reason, we support the proposal of the Secretary-General to reinforce United Nations mediation capabilities and, by extension, assistance to regional organizations in this and other peacekeeping areas. It is also important to note the leading role assumed by the Africans themselves in the area of peace and security through their regional and subregional organizations, in particular the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. We support that evolution and close cooperation with the United Nations Security Council pursuant to Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. We also support the work of international tribunals and the processes for transitional justice in Africa. When a conflict breaks out and peacekeeping operations are required, those operations must have a multidimensional and strengthened mandate in order to protect civilians and undertake peacebuilding efforts. The presence of the United Nations should then provide a way to comprehensively manage humanitarian crises and the transition to post-conflict stabilization. Post-conflict situations are prevalent on the continent. The challenge is to establish democratic governance, social inclusion and integration, due respect for human rights, the foundations for a viable economy that include adequate management of natural resources, and sustainable reforms of the security sector, accompanied by a viable disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. If we are not successful, some countries could fall back into to conflict. That is why we support the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, in particular as regards the establishment of comprehensive strategies for countries such as Burundi and Sierra Leone on the basis of leadership by each country concerned. Bearing in mind all of those issues, Peru co-sponsored the resolution that provides for a hybrid operation in Darfur. We hope that it will be implemented as soon as possible. We also hope the political dialogue among rebel groups and between the groups and the Government of National Unity will be strengthened. The ultimate objective is to protect the civilian population and to prevent an expansion of the humanitarian catastrophe. Peru supports the Secretary- General in his efforts, in particular those carried out to ensure the protection of all civilians. Lastly, we reiterate the need for all parties to put an end to their use of violence. With regard to Somalia, Peru realistically acknowledges that the efforts of all the parties to the conflict have thus far not been able to achieve stability and lasting peace. We believe that external support must be aimed at building a viable, inter-Somali peace accord, after which the country must be supported in regaining a centralized authority structure and control over its entire territory. A third case is the conflict in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thus far, the military conflict has exacerbated the immense humanitarian crisis. We must continue to pursue political options in the quest for a comprehensive solution that includes, beyond the re-establishment of the authority of the Government in the area, the repatriation of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and attention to the needs of the Tutsi population. Those are steps that will decide the course of the conflict. A fourth case is the situation on the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. We hope that those countries will exercise the utmost caution in their actions, in order to avoid an escalation of the situation and effectively discharge their international obligations. Both countries must redouble their efforts to contribute to peace in their own region. Despite certain difficulties, there is an opportunity to rebuild the social fabric of many African States that are emerging from conflict situations and to give newborn democracies a chance at being viable and governable. The efforts of the countries of the region, the international community and, in particular, the people themselves are urgently required. We call on all actors to be responsible and not squander the opportunities for peace, security and development that the international community can help them attain and which their peoples demand and deserve.

First and foremost, allow me to express my delegation’s appreciation to the President of the General Assembly for the very rewarding introduction with which he opened this debate on the economic and social situation in Africa, in particular on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and for the reports presented by the Secretary-General. My delegation associates itself with the statements made by Pakistan, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and Benin, on behalf of the African Group, and we wish to raise a few points of particular interest to Tunisia. The increasingly marked interest of the international community and the United Nations system in Africa is based on two facts. First, the African continent is the region most affected by the three principal scourges facing humanity, namely, poverty, conflicts and pandemics. This explains to a large extent the fact that Africa is lagging behind in achieving the deadlines for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Secondly, Africa is a continent on the move, courageously taking care of itself and endeavouring, in political and economic terms at the national and regional level, to take charge of its fate and to progress despite the challenges of its environment. The fifth report of the Secretary-General on progress in implementation and international support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (A/62/203) notes a number of contrasting issues with regard to the support of the international community in the implementation of NEPAD — the comprehensive and integrated programme serving in the development of Africa — in particular the achievement of the MDGs, and the basis of cooperation with its partners. The report highlights in particular the need to strengthen national and regional capacities responsible for implementing NEPAD and to insure coherency and coordination between the national development programmes, international support and the NEPAD priorities. It is well established that despite the desire of African countries to take charge of their own fate and the increased commitment of their partners, the implementation of NEPAD and the achievement of the MDGs still depend on greater mobilization of the international community and better harmonization of the different aid instruments. Giving priority to specific African needs is certainly at the heart of the international and the United Nations agenda, but that consensus must be translated into a true development partnership for our continent, which has long been weakened by the torments of armed conflicts, instability, poverty and pandemics. Tunisia welcomes the conclusions of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) concerning renewed United Nations commitment to provide more-coordinated support and to better integrate strategies favourable to the objectives and priorities of NEPAD. On the basis of the CPC recommendations, my delegation calls for strengthening the material and human resources of the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa, which is also the centre for coordinating the support of the United Nations system for NEPAD. With regard to political instability and conflict and post-conflict situations, my delegation believes that normalization of reconstruction and development calls for enhanced and better-targeted international, economic and political support. In that context, the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission can benefit Africa, considering that our continent is the theatre of 75 per cent of the conflict and post-conflict situations worldwide. Given that, we should highlight the welcome role of the African Union, in particular its Peace and Security Council, an instrument to which more material, political, legal, regulatory and institutional resources must be made available. The recent establishment of an hybrid force of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations in Darfur is an edifying illustration of how structured, targeted and coordinated cooperation between the AU and the United Nations is well able to contribute to setting up an African capacity for preventing conflicts and for peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Without the commitment of all partners, the ambitious goal of achieving a conflict-free Africa by 2010 will remain far out of reach. With regard to pandemics, given their devastating impact on human resources and on development prospects, as well as their repercussions that aggravate conflicts and penalize all stabilization plans, a global partnership with adequate funding and human and technical resources is for us not only a choice but an imperative. At this pace, without a more consistent global mobilization at all levels, the MDG objective of eradicating malaria by 2015 will be nothing but a pious wish. And despite all the efforts made and all the mechanisms established, malaria causes the death of 1 million people each year, the majority of whom are children and 90 per cent of whom live in Africa. As stated in the report of the Secretary-General on that subject, international efforts — here we salute their worthiness and — have more often taken the form of emergency action focused on providing resources, rather than financial and technical operations to strengthen national healthcare capacities and infrastructure. Far from being a cause of despair, that rather gloomy picture of the situation in Africa should spur all sectors of the international community to redouble efforts, within the framework of a true development partnership, to enable Africa to experience a true revival and to adapt and accelerate its political and social development processes and thus its effective integration into the world economy. My delegation hopes that the high-level meeting on Africa’s development, which will take place during the Assembly’s sixty-third session, will lead to more concrete commitments in favour of Africa, commitments which will truly make an effective contribution to building the peace, security and prosperity of the continent.

Cuba acknowledges the efforts carried out by our African brethren through the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which was conceived as a collective vision and strategic framework for development in Africa. However, there still remain huge obstacles and challenges to confront in order for the African continent to be able to overcome the critical situation it suffers today and to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Many developed countries continue to hold a wrong view of Africa. Their deliberate political blindness makes them regard that great continent only as a myth and a source of wealth from which to get substantial profits for their own benefit, disregarding the catastrophic consequences that the centuries-long plundering and exploitation process has brought to the African peoples. That misguided view has impeded understanding and acquiring a genuine awareness of the difficult situation the continent is experiencing and of the need to pay the incalculable historic debt that all humankind owes to Africa. They have apparently forgotten that it was the economic and financial policies and the waves of unrestrained privatization that they imposed on the African countries that have been responsible for strengthening the precarious situation that African countries are experiencing and suffering from. Africa remains marginalized and at a total disadvantage in international economic relations. In addition poverty, unemployment, the surge of armed conflicts and the spreading of diseases such as HIV/AIDS are decimating entire nations of the continent, all of which predicts that the region will not be able to attain the Millennium Development Goals within the set deadline. In the last 20 years, the imposition of trade liberalization has cost the African countries more than $270 billion, an amount that could have paid off the continent’s debt. Moreover, it has brought about a serious deterioration in the terms of trade and an increase in the flight of capital, which continues to be the greatest in the world in regional terms. With 11 per cent of the world’s population and the most natural reserves of the planet, Africa contributes only 1 per cent to the world gross domestic product, and its participation in international trade is barely 2 per cent. The commitment of the developed countries to increase aid by $50 billion annually until 2010 is still an illusion. Official development assistance to Africa has not changed since 2004 and remains far from the amount needed for our African brothers to attain the Millennium Development Goals. While foreign direct investment flows in Africa have increased somewhat, Africa’s percentage of global foreign investment continues to be small, around 3 per cent. For Cuba, Africa is not a legend far off in time or space. Africa is one of the nourishing elements of our identity and culture. It is part of what we are. It is one of the main roots of the Cuban population. Our nation germinated from the fertile mixture of African, European and Chinese blood, and it sprang forth proclaiming its pride in its African roots and the emancipation of its children of African origin. The uprisings of slaves and their running away nurtured our hunger for freedom. Our wars of independence depended on the massive participation of African descendants, who provided brilliant leaders for our army of liberation. That is why, in the early years of our revolution, Cuba offered and continues to offer its support and solidarity to African peoples through consistent internationalism and solidarity with the peoples of the world, a cardinal principle of our foreign policy. Despite the fact that Cuba is a country with scant resources and that it has been subject for more than four decades to a cruel and genocidal economic, commercial and financial blockade by the Government of the United States, more than 30,000 African students have been trained in Cuba. Around 2,000 young people from 44 African countries are currently studying in our universities. Of them, more than 700 are studying medicine. Tens of thousands of Cuban doctors, teachers, engineers and builders have gone to Africa. More than 2,400 Cuban assistance workers may be found in African countries unselfishly providing their services. Among them, close to 2,000 Cuban doctors, nurses and health technicians are working in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other illnesses that continue to bring suffering to the continent. In the context of our comprehensive health programme, our doctors have saved the lives of more than 730,000 Africans, and currently, in several African countries, a literacy campaign is being carried out to ease the critical situation of illiteracy facing the continent. When it became necessary, Cuban blood was also shed in Africa. We brought back from there only the physical remains of our combatants. We did not go to bring back gold, diamonds or oil. We went to fight for freedom, against colonialism and apartheid. Our cooperation with African countries proves that significant results can be achieved when there is serious political will. Cuba reiterates its unwavering solidarity with the peoples and the Governments of Africa in their struggles against the poverty and underdevelopment inherited from centuries of slavery, wars of pillage, colonialism and an utterly unfair and exclusive international economic order. We also reaffirm our determination to continue providing, as far as our capabilities allow, our helping hand and the support of our principal resource — human capital created by the Revolution. The peoples of Africa do not need to be reminded of their difficulties and sufferings. They do not need alms or paltry initiatives or false commitments or hypocritical lessons on what is most useful for them. Africa needs to have its foreign debt cancelled. It needs special and differentiated treatment, access to markets, fair prices for its exports, access to technology and to the training of human resources, as well as assistance in the fight against disease. Africa needs international cooperation and the political will of all for our African brethren to have a decent future.

It is a great privilege for us to address this Assembly on one of the most crucial issues on the international community’s agenda. We fully subscribe to the statement made by Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and the one made by Benin on behalf of the Group of African States. Our delegation would like, nevertheless, to make a number of observations and underscore certain points that are very important for our country. When some decades ago, the international community became truly aware of the severity of the economic and social difficulties that Africa was facing, a certain number of programmes were designed under the aegis of the United Nations to help the continent find its way towards economic growth and development. I will mention only two — The United Nations Program of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development (UNPAAERD) in the 1980s and the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF). The optimism and hope evoked by those two programmes inspired our countries to courageously pursue the economic reforms undertaken from the beginning of the 1980s and aimed at promoting long-term development, thanks in particular to the installation of a regulatory framework that was much more liberal and likely to act as an incentive for the promotion of the private sector as the engine of growth. Despite the efforts and the sacrifices made, the main objective of those programmes was not obtained owing to the lack of sustained and adequate financial and technical support from the international community. Faced with these facts and given the sustained deterioration of the social and economic situation in Africa, six years ago the leaders of the continent jointly designed the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). As a veritable, complete and comprehensive strategic plan, the realization of which should allow our countries to overcome the challenges that they are facing, NEPAD is also proof of the commitment of our heads of State taken before their peoples to free them from destitution and extreme poverty. NEPAD is above all an appeal for a new partnership with the international community, where its support is necessary or even indispensable to hasten the integration of Africa into the world economy. It is thus with great hope and satisfaction that the leaders of Africa noted, following the launching of NEPAD, that their appeal received a favourable reception from the international community. In effect, the General Assembly immediately made NEPAD the guiding plan for the actions of the international community, in particular of the United Nations, actions to be undertaken to support the development programme of the continent. The need to reinforce support for NEPAD was reaffirmed by the General Assembly, which in resolution 61/229, adopted in December 2006, called for greater coherence in the work of the United Nations system in support of African countries. For their part, the development partners undertook numerous commitments, particularly at Group of Eight summits. These initiatives, aimed at providing direct or indirect support for NEPAD programmes, include commitments intended to respond to the specific needs of Africa. At the outset of our statement, we looked back a few years to pose the serious question of whether NEPAD is going to suffer the same luck as its predecessors, and if consciously or unconsciously the international community is going to insert it in the spiral of missed opportunities for Africa. The Secretary-General’s fifth report on progress made in the implementation of and international support for NEPAD (A/62/203) is not encouraging. In that report the Secretary-General underscored that, in real terms, official development assistance (ODA) contributions to sub-Saharan Africa have suffered a drop in 2005, stagnated in 2006 and risk further reduction in 2007. The Secretary-General warns that, if the current trend continues, the Group of Eight (G-8) countries might not be able to fulfil their commitment to double aid to Africa by 2010. The areas of debt alleviation and growth of investment flows have slightly improved, but we are disappointed in that there has been very little progress in multilateral trade negotiations, specifically on the thorny question of the elimination of agricultural subsidies. Also, the negotiations of economic partnership agreements between the European Union and Africa constitute, in their present form, a source of concern for our countries. Built upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the NEPAD development model favours the attainment of those Goals. How is it that, as this session is taking place, halfway to 2015, the target date for the MDGs, and given the lack of progress, we are not concerned by the fact that not a single African country will attain all of the established goals. This sad reality demands the attention of the entire international community. That is why we call once again on all of Africa’s development partners in general, and to the G-8 countries in particular, to honour the commitments they assumed in different international forums from Monterrey and Gleneagles to Heiligendamm, so as to enable our countries to advance the vision of NEPAD. Urgent measures must be undertaken to increase aid flows, to improve their effectiveness pursuant to the Paris Declaration, to cancel the entirety of African debt and to ensure that trade will benefit Africa, including by the prompt conclusion of the Doha Round. It is important for the negotiation of partnership agreements between the European Union and African groups to be more than simple trade agreements. Rather, they should favour development in order to accelerate and enhance the integration of our region and the renewal of our economies. In requesting the support of the international community for the implementation of this ambitious initiative called NEPAD, African leaders are aware that they bear primary responsibility for the development of their continent. That is why our countries are sparing no effort to advance NEPAD in those priority areas. As underscored by the Secretary-General in his report, progress has been achieved in priority areas, such as infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, the environment, new information and communications technologies, science and technology and gender issues among others. We especially welcome the establishment of the African Peer Review Mechanism, which is the cornerstone of good political and economic governance in Africa. Despite the insufficiency of institutional financial means, year by year our countries are strengthening the Mechanism and achieving full ownership. Furthermore, major efforts have been made to create greater awareness among the public, especially in the private sector, about NEPAD and its programmes. In Togo, the creation of the NEPAD Business Group Togo is part of those efforts. In inviting the international community to assist them the implementation of NEPAD, the leaders of Africa call for the necessary human solidarity that alone will make it possible to overcome the challenges of our times. The shared problems of development and realization of our people call for a spirit of partnership and shared responsibility to achieve appropriate, lasting solutions to the issues facing the international community. In this era of globalization, small islands of prosperity are insignificant when surrounded by an ocean of poverty. Let us globalize democracy and peace, but let us also globalize prosperity and well-being. That is the vision of NEPAD; together, let us work to achieve it.

My delegation associates itself with the statements made by the representative of Benin on behalf of the African Group and by the representative of Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. During the general debate at the sixty-first session, in September 2006, Morocco proposed that a high-level dialogue be held on Africa and development (see A/61/PV.17). This proposal was approved by the General Assembly, which decided to hold in 2008 a high-level meeting on Africa’s development needs (see resolution 61/229). That meeting, we hope, will provide an opportunity for us to identify the needs of Africa as it moves to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the development goals of New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). It should also be an opportunity to breathe new life into cooperation across the African continent and to highlight the continent’s huge potential. The international community has committed itself, particularly at the Monterrey Conference, the Johannesburg Summit, the Conference on Least Developed Countries, held in Brussels, the Millennium Summit in 2000 and the 2005 World Summit, to provide aid and support to Africa. Developed countries have indeed committed themselves to increasing official development assistance (ODA) to Africa and to facilitating the creation of an international environment conducive to its development. Other initiatives have been adopted for Africa, in particular that of the Group of Eight (G-8) to double ODA to Africa by 2010. However, the Secretary-General’s report on the work of the Organization (A/62/1) and the report on progress in and international support for the implementation of NEPAD (A/62/203), note a decrease in ODA for Africa. On a different note, notable progress has indeed been achieved on external debt relief. Several countries have been able to benefit from substantial debt relief thanks to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, as well as to bilateral debt-relief initiatives. However, much remains to be done to ensure that all African countries that meet the required conditions are able to benefit from these initiatives. On foreign direct investment, Africa still is the region that receives the lowest amount of investment flows. The continent attracts only 3 per cent of worldwide investment flows, and those investments are in general focused in a very small number of countries. Despite the progress seen in the majority of African countries in the areas of macroeconomic policy reform, good governance and the rule of law, Africa has not yet been able to attract the investment necessary for its development. Africa cannot be integrated into the world economy without a massive influx of foreign direct investment and a strengthening of production and export capacity. Capacity-building remains a considerable challenge, and lack of capacity is a major structural handicap that hampers the development of our continent. It is clear that, without improved market access, the policies undertaken by African countries aimed at economic liberalization and opening up to the outside world cannot succeed. The United Nations system, particularly the development agencies and the international and regional financial institutions, must play the lead role in mobilizing the aid and support necessary for Africa. We await with interest the recommendations of the Millennium Development Goals Africa Steering Group, which was recently established by the Secretary- General. The work of the Group, which brings together the heads of United Nations agencies, will be very useful for the high-level meeting planned for the sixty- third session. Those are some of the areas that should be at the heart of the discussions with a view to next year’s high-level meeting. Morocco is prepared to participate constructively in the preparations for that event, particularly within the framework of the Group of African States and the Group of 77. With regard to activities aimed at promoting cooperation for economic and social development in Africa and contributing to the achievement of NEPAD’s objectives, Morocco has undertaken many incentive measures not only to produce immediate results, but also, and in particular, to create lasting momentum and ensure sustainable development. It is from that perspective that Morocco has decided to provide free access to exports from Africa’s least developed countries. Consultations are under way with other countries with a view to trade liberalization. Thus, Morocco has committed itself to promoting commercial trade with the countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union and is about to conclude a free-trade agreement with the States members of that organization to strengthen trade and investment cooperation. Furthermore, in 2001 Morocco joined the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States, comprising 16 countries of the region. We remain actively engaged in other processes involving North African countries. Promoting partnerships with countries of our continent is particularly important to us. Indeed, within the framework of our activities to fulfil NEPAD’s objectives and priorities, Morocco encourages the establishment of partnerships with our partners on the African continent, involving the participation of the private sector. Many sectors — particularly infrastructure, telecommunications, banking, air and sea transport, housing, water and agriculture — are involved. All these initiatives attest to the strengthening of Morocco’s ties, solidarity, partnership and trade with other African countries in the context of regional economic integration. Similarly, Morocco distinguishes itself through a cooperation policy in the areas of university education and training. The Kingdom of Morocco offers more than 7,000 scholarships to students from African countries. That is a considerable investment in training, which remains a key to human development. Morocco has also developed triangular cooperation in collaboration with European countries, Japan and regional and international organizations. Morocco’s activities to promote South-South cooperation accord priority to concrete projects in areas vital for human development and sustainable development. Ours is an innovative approach that places the social dimension at the centre of development discussions through a participative approach involving the population, through non- governmental organizations and local elected officials, in the definition of needs and priorities. Furthermore, it is in that spirit that Morocco, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme, hosted the first African Conference on Human Development, last April. The debates among the 49 ministers who took part in the Conference showed a real will to strengthen their solidarity and their ties of cooperation in order to improve the living conditions of African populations. The Conference adopted a ministerial Declaration setting out fundamental principles that will enable the African continent to instil new momentum into South-South cooperation. The Conference also made it possible to launch exchange mechanisms and networks to strengthen such cooperation. Gabon has indicated its willingness to host a second African Conference on Human Development, in 2009. In conclusion, I should like to reaffirm my country’s resolve to continue its efforts to promote investment and development in Africa and to work to create an environment conducive to thriving trade and growth. We reaffirm our full support for all NEPAD initiatives to that end.

We should like to thank the Secretary-General and the members of the Secretariat who have provided us with the progress report on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/62/203), the report on implementing the recommendations of the Secretary- General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/62/204) and the report on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, particularly in Africa (A/62/321). The United States congratulates the African members of NEPAD on six years of enhancing economic growth and good governance across the continent. During the past six years, the United States Government has collaborated with NEPAD on a wide variety of programmes in agriculture, power infrastructure, trade development and other areas. A major NEPAD programme that the United States has continued to support is the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). We support the CAADP in six countries that are meeting their pledges to increase support and attention to the agricultural sector. We hope that the CAADP will reduce food insecurity by facilitating the development of regional agricultural markets and trade. For the United States, support for NEPAD is one way of recognizing that Africa, more than ever, is taking advantage of the synergy between democracy, good governance and free markets. In 1990, the non-governmental organization Freedom House classified 24 sub-Saharan African countries as free or partly free. In 2007, 33 are seen as free or partly free, with only 15 classified as not free. Per capita economic growth of more than 3 per cent last year is a sign that African States are succeeding at encouraging entrepreneurship and economic activity. Indeed, this year the World Bank’s “Doing Business 2007” reports that Africa ranks third among the world’s regions in introducing regulatory reform. We firmly support sub-Saharan countries in implementing policies and creating infrastructure necessary for development, economic growth and job creation. Recently, the Millennium Challenge Corporation announced a $698 million grant to Tanzania for infrastructure improvements in transport, energy and water and a $164 million grant to Lesotho for dam construction and water urban infrastructure. The programmes of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States Agency for International Development and the African Growth and Opportunity Act are strong signs of the commitment of the United States to work with African nations and African institutions, such as NEPAD, on meeting the Millennium Development Goals through economic growth and poverty reduction. The United States welcomes the report on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa (A/62/321). Each year, an estimated 300 to 500 million people become ill with malaria worldwide and more than 1 million die. Eighty-five per cent of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Recognizing the critical need for greater international efforts to reduce the burden of malaria across Africa, President George W. Bush in June 2005 announced the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). The PMI represents a historic five-year expansion of United States Government resources to fight malaria in regions most affected by the disease. President Bush committed an additional $1.2 billion to this Initiative, and set the ambitious goal of reducing malaria mortality by 50 per cent in the 15 Malaria Initiative focus countries by 2010. Those countries include Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. President and Mrs. Bush also hosted a White House summit on malaria in December 2006 to raise awareness about malaria and mobilize a grass- roots effort to save millions of lives from the disease. These new resources, combined with major contributions from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are helping ramp up comprehensive control efforts in African countries, and in all malaria-endemic countries. Nearly one third of these resources are provided by the World Bank Booster Programme for Malaria Control, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the generosity of the American people, including from those in my home state of Kentucky. PMI has moved quickly. By the end of 2007, we expect to reach 30 million people with life-saving prevention and treatment measures, and by the end of next year, working in partnership with national Governments, the Global Fund, the World Bank, UNICEF and others, PMI is expected to make major gains in net ownership and use of lifesaving artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). Partnerships are at the heart of PMI’s strategy. Given the enormous burden of malaria and the ambitious target of reducing malaria deaths by half by 2010, effective partnerships, particularly at the country level, are essential to reach the maximum number of people. For this reason, PMI closely coordinates its activities with host Governments, international organizations, the private sector and non-governmental and faith-based organizations. The United States is working with the private sector to mobilize further financial support and draw on its experience in planning and logistics to create robust public-private partnerships to reach those affected by this preventable and treatable disease. According to a new UNICEF report, tangible progress is being made in the fight against malaria, setting the stage for dramatic gains in the next few years. With a new set of sophisticated, cost-effective tools, such as insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying of households and ACTs, the world is poised to radically reduce the human and economic costs of malaria. We celebrate this good news, recommit our efforts and urge other countries and public and private groups to expand their commitments to address this tremendous burden. To conclude, let me emphasize that the United States supports the members of NEPAD and the people of Africa in achieving peace and stability, freedom from highly endemic disease and prosperity through trade and economic freedom. Our commitment will not falter. We stand ready to work with our partners to meet these global challenges and realize Africa’s promise.

At the outset, I wish to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for his report on progress in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/62/203) and on implementation of the recommendations in the report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace (A/62/204) and sustainable development in Africa. We also appreciate the report on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa (A/62/321). I endorse the statements made by the representative of Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and by the representative of Benin on behalf of the African Group. Egypt attaches great importance to the review of progress achieved in the implementation of NEPAD, as that initiative represents a collective framework and a joint vision agreed to by the countries of the continent and supported by the international community, with a view to achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Six years have passed since NEPAD was launched; also, we are approaching the midpoint review of the MDGs. The Secretary- General’s report shows that most African countries are still far off track in achieving the Goals. This is a source of major concern to us, especially as our continent, Africa, is home to the greatest number of least developed countries (LDCs). African countries are implementing their obligations in accordance with the NEPAD initiative in various fields, such as basic infrastructure, health, agriculture, education, information and communications technology, science and technology, including the establishment and the operationalization of the African Peer Review Mechanism, which 26 countries, representing about 75 per cent of the total African population, have joined voluntarily. However, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) statistics reflect a drop in the total volume of official development assistance (ODA) provided to the continent in 2005. This is the first time this has happened since 1997, and it parallels the delay by the Group of Eight industrial countries in reaching their target of doubling the volume of their assistance to Africa by 2010. This confirms the need for an honest and swift implementation of previous commitments and for increased foreign direct investment in African countries. At present, Africa’s share of such investment does not exceed 3 per cent, which limits the continent’s ability to continue building the national and capacities institutions that can improve its productive capacity, promote diversification and upgrade its labour force. Because international trade represents an important engine for development in African countries, Egypt concurs with the Secretary-General that any agreement resulting from the Doha Round of trade negotiations — and any other multilateral trade agreements — must take into account the specific development needs of the African continent. While welcoming the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, progress is still slow in this regard. African countries are in need of additional and innovative resources to finance their development. The High-level Dialogue on financing for development scheduled for next week offers a timely opportunity to call upon donor countries and international and regional financial institutions to seriously assist the continent in achieving its development goals. The issue of climate change is an essential international priority. Here, Africa is one of the regions of the world most adversely affected by climate change, although its countries are the lowest contributors to the emissions leading to climate change. If the countries of the continent are to adapt to the effects of this phenomenon and effectively contribute to international efforts to address it, international assistance to African countries in the fields of capacity-building and technology transfer, including through the provision of the required financial resources, must become an integral part of any international action to deal with this phenomenon in the future. I would like to further point out that the United Nations plays an important role in supporting the efforts of Africa. We look forward to the continuation and strengthening of that role in order to extend it to evaluating and monitoring the implementation of United Nations activities towards the implementation of the goals of NEPAD. That goes hand in hand with the positive role played by regional organizations and institutions, such as the African Development Bank and the Economic Commission for Africa, in addition to the vital efforts, at the subregional level, of the regional economic groupings. In that regard, I would like to refer to the efforts of the Egyptian National Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa since 1981 in providing Egyptian support to African countries in such fields as health, education, agriculture, humanitarian assistance, which constitute the main pillars of the Millennium Development Goals. This assistance is provided on a bilateral basis or through trilateral cooperation with other donor countries. We also have before us the Secretary-General’s progress report (A/62/204) on the causes of conflict in Africa, together with the challenges facing the continent. Such challenges obstruct the establishment of peace and development and require that the international community intensify its engagement with African countries to help them achieve their national priorities and development objectives without infringing upon national sovereignty or imposing more conditionalities. On the basis of Africa’s belief in the correlation among security, development and human rights, the African Union has established the African Peace and Security Architecture, which comprises the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, a Panel of the Wise, a continental early warning system and the beginnings of an African standby force. This culminated in a partnership between the African Union and the United Nations, through the signing of the declaration regarding cooperation between the two organizations in November 2006. Efforts are also being exerted to prepare a 10-year capacity-building programme for the African Union, encompassing, inter alia, the boosting of cooperation in all phases of conflict management; early warning; preventive diplomacy; making, building and keeping peace; post- conflict reconstruction; and human rights. The joint efforts of the United Nations and the African Union in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have produced numerous achievements. We look forward to increasing those achievements by achieving peace in Darfur. These achievements also include the restructuring of the partnership between the specialized agencies and Africa, and to an increase in the interest of United Nations bodies such as the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission in dealing with the new challenges facing the African continent. The Egyptian delegation shares in the ambitious plan presented by the Secretary-General in his report aiming at achieving a conflict-free Africa by 2010. Egypt also supports the initiative of the Secretary- General for a comprehensive review of the proposals made in 1998 by the former Secretary-General to establish peace and security in Africa. On the proposal to strengthen negotiations to formulate a legally binding comprehensive instrument setting out new global standards for importing, exporting and transferring conventional weapons, we reiterate the need for the Secretariat to respect its mandate pursuant to resolution 61/89. In that resolution, the Secretary-General is requested to establish a group of governmental experts, to examine, commencing in 2008, the feasibility, scope and draft parameters for reaching a binding instrument on the import, export and transfer of conventional arms. There is still no agreement on the principle of drafting such an instrument, and the Secretariat can neither expand nor constrain the scope of its mandate until there has been a report by the group of experts on the matter. We call for the enhancement of African institutions in the area of regional cooperation and integration with a view to increasing trust and promoting economic relations that benefit all countries, including the attainment of better control of the exploitation of and trade in natural resources. Malaria causes more than a million deaths per year. Eighty-six per cent of those deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa. That means that we must try to reduce the mortality rate by 75 per cent by 2015. We look forward to the publication of the World Malaria Report early next year and expect it to provide reliable indicators to assess the scale of infection, the success of the programmes implemented and the financial needs. The preliminary indicators highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General note that malaria has the highest association of any disease with poverty. That in turn makes the elimination of poverty a major challenge facing overall development and the elimination of this disease. That requires the participation of all of society, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector. We need to increase international assistance in order to find flexible solutions that allow for the provision of health services to all segments of society. We need to find radical solutions to intellectual property issues regarding medications and new vaccines and ensure that we enhance national and regional capacities to combat malaria, particularly in Africa. Malaria overburdens countries in Africa and costs them $12 billion per year in lost gross domestic product. Egypt launched an initiative, with the African Union, at the Sirte Summit in 2005, to establish an African centre to promote cooperation and share expertise in the fight against malaria in Africa. We hope that the centre’s efforts will be strengthened.