A/64/PV.24 General Assembly

I thank the Secretary-General for his reports (A/64/204, A/64/208, A/64/210 and A/64/302) on the items that we are discussing today: the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa; and the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa. South Africa aligns itself with the statements made by the Sudan, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and by Tunisia, on behalf of the African Group. The adoption of NEPAD by the African Union in 2001 was the affirmation by Africa of a shared vision, conviction and pledge by its leaders to place African countries, both collectively and individually, on a path to sustainable economic growth and development and to halt the marginalization of Africa in the globalization process. The key priorities for NEPAD, as Africa’s socio- economic blueprint for development, remain viable infrastructure, agricultural development and information and communications technology connectivity, among others. In this regard, NEPAD has, over the years, focused on developing programmes and bankable projects, mainly in these areas. The key challenge that NEPAD continues to face is lack of funding and resources for its effective implementation. We believe that early implementation of major projects and mobilization and injection of resources in these sectors will spur development and enhance regional integration of African economies. NEPAD and regional integration are the cornerstones of the strategy for the economic rejuvenation and prosperity for our continent. It is therefore for this reason that the implementation of NEPAD programmes at all levels needs to be enhanced. As we have heard from many others in the developing world, the lack of funding has been compounded by the impact of the global financial and economic crisis, which has been severe in emerging and low-income countries, especially those in sub- Saharan Africa. Africa played no role in causing this crisis and yet it bears the brunt of its impact. Given this reality, many African countries are struggling to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) due to, among other reasons, a lack of resource flows. To this end, Africa resolved to undertake the necessary measures to enhance the development of expanded and integrated national development plans and related policies, and fast-track the adoption of NEPAD programmes, which include reforms and increased investments in key areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, health, human resource development and education, as a means of achieving the MDGs. We continue to commend the work done by the United Nations in support of Africa’s special development needs. We believe that a lot still needs to be done by the United Nations to ensure that the international community remains mobilized to collectively implement the commitments made to Africa. In this regard, we believe that the Office of the Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Africa needs to be further strengthened to continue its critical role in mobilizing the entire United Nations family and its organs, agencies and funds to mainstream the objectives of NEPAD and the achievement of the MDGs into their programmes and funding for Africa. The United Nations should continue to raise awareness and promote NEPAD among stakeholders, including donors, civil society and the private sector. This advocacy role is particularly important at this juncture, when international partners, who are dealing with the consequences of the financial crisis on their own economies, increasingly find themselves looking inwards. Africa’s economic development is inextricably linked to the global economic structure. In this regard, South Africa looks forward to the early conclusion of the Doha round of negotiations, focusing on its intended and agreed development agenda. The pursuit of peace, stability and security on the continent cannot be separated from the pursuit of justice, self-determination, human rights and economic development. My delegation therefore concurs with the Secretary-General when he states in his report that: “the determination of Africa’s peoples to work towards peace and development has driven many of the successes and encouraging developments during the reporting period”. (A/64/210, para. 70) Africa has, in the past few decades, made commendable progress in working to end conflicts and promote democracy and development on the continent. The African Union is in the process of implementing its African Peace and Security Architecture, including the Peace and Security Council, Continental Early Warning System, Panel of the Wise and African Peer Review Mechanism, and these efforts should be supported by the United Nations and the entire international community. Despite these commendable efforts, the continent is still vulnerable to the effects of unconstitutional change in government, lack of transparent electoral systems, climate change, rapid urban growth, youth unemployment, drug trafficking and food insecurity, all of which could lead potentially to open conflict. As noted in the report of the Secretary-General, the global economic and financial crises have threatened the livelihoods, well-being and development opportunities of millions of people and have exacerbated political and social tensions. On the issue of climate change, it is well documented that Africa, the continent that contributes the least to global warming, will suffer disproportionately in terms of its economic impact. Africa’s ability to deliver on its fundamental developmental priorities is being undermined by the impact of climate change, and it is therefore critical to secure an agreement on a comprehensive international adaptation programme as a priority outcome of the current international negotiations on climate change. Copenhagen must deliver an outcome that is binding, fair, just and effective, one that balances adaptation and mitigation while also balancing development imperatives with those of climate change. During those negotiations, the international community must give serious consideration to questions relating to financing for mitigation and adaptation, technology transfer and building human and institutional capacity. My delegation welcomes the deepening of cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union at all levels and reiterates the Secretary- General’s call for the international community to invest in mechanisms aimed at preventing conflict and supporting partners in the field of conflict prevention, conflict management, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. It is only by addressing the deep-rooted causes of conflict and appropriately addressing the nexus between peace and development that durable and sustainable peace can be secured. In his related report to the General Assembly and the Security Council entitled “Support to African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations” (A/64/359-S/2009/470), the Secretary- General characterizes the role of the African Union in supporting the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter as a “welcome development”. In that important report the Secretary-General makes critical recommendations on how the United Nations and the international community could further ensure the sustainability and predictability of Africa’s peacekeeping efforts. It is my delegation’s strong view that the General Assembly could contribute significantly to building Africa’s peacekeeping facility and financing by considering and acting on the recommendations of the Secretary-General. The Security Council will be debating the same report on 26 October. We wish to once again commend the General Assembly for proclaiming the period 2001-2010 the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa. We welcome and commend the initiative taken by African leaders called Malaria Alliance to protect all those at risk of the scourge of malaria. Those efforts seek to complement measures undertaken by Member States that have committed to increase Government spending on health. The progress towards that goal is slow but progressive, as more and more countries increase their budget allocation to the health sector. Since 2001, several initiatives to increase funding for malaria control have emerged to complement our Government expenditure on health and other bilateral and multilateral arrangements in individual countries. We call for the implementation of all commitments made to Africa on health, in particular those geared to fighting the scourge of malaria in Africa. South Africa supports private initiatives to address global health challenges and expresses its support for the work of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. At a national level, South Africa is committed to the implementation of its Comprehensive Plan for the Treatment, Management and Care of HIV and AIDS so as to reduce the rate of new HIV infections by 50 per cent by the year 2011 and to reach 80 per cent of those in need of anti-retroviral treatment by 2010. South Africa reiterates the call by the African Summit to Roll Back Malaria that development partners should cancel in full the debt of poor and heavily indebted countries in Africa in order to release resources for poverty alleviation programmes. Investing in Africa’s economic and social development, promoting human rights and strengthening its peace and security capacity will go a long way towards ensuring durable and sustainable peace in Africa. Africa is a continent where a billion people live, a continent that stood midwife to humanity, a continent that, despite its many challenges, is rich in opportunities and pregnant with endless possibilities. Africa has much to offer. Together, we can unlock the vast economic potential of that continent as we continue in this forward-looking trajectory. Failure is not an option. History will not judge us by the lofty ideals we have for Africa but by what we do today in ensuring a better, safer, prosperous and peaceful Africa.

At the outset, my delegation would like to align itself with the statement made by the representative of the Sudan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (see A/64/PV.22). With regard to the very important agenda items of today’s deliberations, it is worth noting that the underlying causes of problems in Africa cannot be overcome simply by increasing the level of aid or official development assistance. If we are truly looking for a solution for sustainable economic growth and peace and stability in Africa, the lack of a conducive international environment and chronic, lingering systematic shortcomings have to be effectively addressed. Taking into account the fact that Africa is the only continent not on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, special attention should be paid to the issues of providing adequate financial assistance and trade opportunities for Africa to favour its sustainable growth and the eradication of poverty and preventable diseases. In this context, we regard the 2010 United Nations MDG summit as an opportune occasion to take stock of the existing gaps and to identify the measures needed for the timely achievement of the MDGs. Bringing those targets and regions that lag behind back on the track to success should be the main focus of the summit and its outcome. To this end, Africa should receive adequate and immediate funding and attention. Accordingly, the unconditional and urgent fulfilling of commitments made is crucial. The Islamic Republic of Iran, in the spirit of South-South cooperation, has put Africa at the top of its international development cooperation programmes. The Islamic Republic of Iran allocated a total of $50 million to financial assistance in grants to Africa during the period from 2005 to 2008. A growing trend can be seen in the assistance figures during that period, which increased from $4.5 million in 2005 to $24 million in 2008. In the past year, 14 African countries received assistance. Additionally, the Islamic Republic of Iran provided $9 million to three African countries for the eradication of malaria within the framework of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Furthermore, 10 hospitals belonging to Iran’s Red Crescent Society continue to provide medical services almost free of charge in a number of African countries. Taking into account the importance of human resource development, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has granted several scholarships for African students in Iranian universities. We support the ongoing efforts of African countries to achieve their aspirations and economic development, and we welcome the encouraging progress achieved in different parts of the continent. However, we are concerned about the consequences of the financial and economic crisis, which occurred, as the report of the Secretary-General notes, at the most unfortunate time. Given the reliance of many African countries on the export of a few commodities, the crisis continues to take a heavy toll on Africa. The response of the international community to the challenge that Africa is facing in ensuring that the crisis does not reverse the progress made should complement the national policies of African countries and assist their implementation. In addressing the global financial crisis, adequate attention should be paid to the systemic and structural problems at the global level. And at the same time, the special needs of Africa have to be taken into account, particularly in the areas of trade, funding, infrastructure and peace and security.

The Republic of Korea is pleased to participate in the joint debate on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and health issues in Africa. One year after the high-level meeting on Africa’s development needs (see A/63/PV.3 and A/63/PV.4), we welcome the opportunity to continue making progress. While Africa has made steady progress, it is disproportionately affected by the current multiple crises. As a result, it requires additional efforts and assistance. In particular, official development assistance (ODA) must grow, even if the global financial crisis discourages donor countries from maintaining current levels of aid. The Republic of Korea has already affirmed its commitment to triple its ODA by 2015. Development cooperation with Africa should be firmly based on country-specific needs and requests. To enhance our understanding of Africa’s development needs, the Republic of Korea has been running several high-level dialogue channels. As mentioned in the Secretary-General’s report (A/64/208), the Ministerial Conference on Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Africa held last October promoted exchanges of economic development experiences and dialogue on the development issues of mutual interest. In addition, the Korea-Africa Forum, since its inception in 2006, has served as an avenue for cooperation among Governments, businesses and civil society in Korea and Africa. The second round of the meeting will be jointly held with the African Union in Seoul next month. We anticipate the Forum will further contribute to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. The high-level development cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Africa is now complemented by village and ground-level support. Through the Millennium Village Project, which now operates in more than 80 villages in sub-Saharan Africa, we are providing financial support and technical assistance based on accumulated knowledge from our own rural development experience. The Millennium Village Project provides local ownership, as it depends on leadership and implementation by the communities on the ground in Africa. The Republic of Korea believes that the focus of the Millennium Village Project on grass-roots efforts will help Africa achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To support grass-roots efforts for Africa, we also send a great number of Korean volunteers to Africa and invite African trainees to share our development experiences. In particular, the Republic of Korea will draw on the comparative advantage of its advanced information and communication technologies, thus bolstering Africa’s economic and social development by narrowing the digital gap. Our own experiences have demonstrated the success of export-based development. As a result, we understand that trade policy also plays an important role in Africa’s integration into the global economy. Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to improve trade in Africa in a short time, but Aid for Trade and adequate national strategies will eventually enhance the competitiveness of African countries. We also believe that successful conclusion of the Doha Round will foster development in Africa and, consequently, the growth of global trade. Africa’s population remains vulnerable to a wide range of health issues, including HIV/AIDS and malaria, but we have the means to respond. The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, along with many other institutions and stakeholders, has done a great deal, but the financing for health development assistance is still not sufficient. For its part, the Republic of Korea introduced an air-ticket solidarity levy, which is primarily earmarked for combating diseases and achieving MDGs in Africa. Such innovative development resources that go beyond traditional ODA can have a significant impact on meeting our MDG targets. The Republic of Korea would like to offer congratulations on the progress in NEPAD’s implementation during the past year. We look forward to seeing additional progress in Africa, particularly in the areas of infrastructure and basic health and education, as recommended by the Secretary-General in his report (A/64/204). The Republic of Korea was able to overcome development obstacles by investing heavily in those fields and fully supports measures that would allow Africa to implement them. As I conclude my remarks, let me reiterate the commitment of the Republic of Korea to working with Africa to confront development challenges facing it. It is in our common interest to help Africa achieve sustainable and more equitable development through an enhanced development partnership. As the saying goes, “Good company on the road is a shortcut”. The Republic of Korea will be good company on the road to Africa’s development.

At the outset my delegation wishes to align itself with the statement made by the representative of the Sudan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (see A/64/PV.22). The two complementary reports of the Secretary- General on agenda item 63 (A/64/204 and A/64/208) contend that despite the global financial and economic crisis and its negative impact, some progress has been achieved in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The first of those reports also notes that the main challenge now for African countries is to ensure that the financial crisis, combined with the latent food and energy crisis, does not reverse the progress made in Africa and reduce the risk of increasing poverty and hardship for the most vulnerable groups. We strongly believe that the way forward for meeting Africa’s development needs requires more intense, coordinated, balanced and integrated actions in order to effectively implement the development commitments made by the international community to comprehensively address all challenges to Africa’s development. In our view, an urgent and well-coordinated global action would help mitigate the socio-economic impact of the crisis and help African countries recover ground in their progress towards the implementation of NEPAD and the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Clearly, the international community has to scale up its efforts in order to meet all its commitments towards generating the resources needed to achieve sustainable development and sustained economic growth in Africa. Pakistan strongly feels that further bolstering investments, expanding trade by allowing greater market access to exports from Africa, and building capacity and human resources are the most important tools for putting Africa on the fast track for development. Those tools, we believe, should be the three main pillars for a strategic partnership between Africa and the rest of the world. Pakistan has consistently supported the political and economic aspirations of Africa. We support effective and early implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. We have actively supported and contributed to efforts to promote durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. Durable peace can be achieved only through a comprehensive strategy that includes conflict prevention, addressing the root causes of conflict and strengthening long-term capacities for peaceful settlement of disputes, peacemaking and peacekeeping; and sets up a coherent system-wide response to post- conflict peace-building, reconstruction and development. In this regard, United Nations peacekeeping is an indispensable tool for restoring peace and stability in conflict situations and has particularly proved its utility and effectiveness in the African continent. Pakistan is committed to supporting the United Nations peace efforts in Africa. Our contribution comes in the form of a contingent of nearly 10,000 troops, which continues to be among the two largest contingents deployed in Africa over the last decade. Pakistan also has an Africa plan for trade development, and its bilateral trade with countries of the continent today reaches nearly $1.8 billion a year. Furthermore, we provide bilateral assistance in the economic, social and technical spheres to a number of African countries in the context of South-South cooperation. In particular, Pakistan has been successfully running the Special Technical Assistance Programme for Africa since 1986. Under that programme hundreds of young African professionals from both the public and private sectors have received training in different fields, including public administration, management, banking, customs, accounting and diplomacy. We are in the process of further expanding the scope and scale of our assistance and cooperation programmes for Africa. Our Prime Minister has expressed his desire to help Africa replicate programmes focused on the eradication of hepatitis-C and schemes for providing safe drinking water and low-cost housing, which are being carried out as his special initiatives in Pakistan. I wish to conclude by saying that the challenges faced by Africa are colossal. But the opportunities, means and resources to address them are also immense, though they must be harnessed effectively. NEPAD presents a realistic framework for action. The African Union is emerging as a dynamic factor promoting African ownership in tackling Africa’s problems. The subregional organizations in Africa are also playing an important role. We are confident that with commensurate political will on the part of the international community, in particular the developed world, to faithfully implement the commitments made, Africa can hope to realize its full political and economic potential.

My delegation would like to express through me its high commendation of the admirable fashion in which the President is conducting the Assembly’s deliberations at its sixty-fourth session and to thank him for organizing this joint debate on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, and the implementation of the 2001-2010 Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa. In 2001, the African heads of State and Government adopted NEPAD to endow the continent with a coherent and harmonized development framework that would allow Africa to regain the initiative in its endeavours to bring about an economic upswing by harnessing the conception and implementation of the actions it requires, while pledging to develop an effective and efficient partnership with the international community in order to achieve that goal. We thank the Secretary-General for the four reports he has produced on these issues, which take stock of the progress achieved in pursuing the objectives of NEPAD and the Decade and which allow us a comprehensive view of the interactions of the issues of concern regarding the evolution of the situation in Africa. It is an extremely instructive exercise in which my delegation willingly takes part. It is a fact that with NEPAD Africa has established clear priorities, as well as coherent strategic guidance for the efforts needed to bring about its development. The African countries have thereby shouldered the requirement of responsible partnership with the international community. The lines of action decided upon are manifold, but two of them seem to be the most dynamic and the most conducive to restoring economic and social progress in Africa — namely, the promotion of agriculture and the development of infrastructure. These are two areas of activity that require substantial investment and call for the mobilization of substantial technical and financial support from partners in development. Several initiatives have been taken to bolster the capacity to manage the changes required in Africa, judging by the plethora of seminars and workshops organized at various levels on issues related to NEPAD. Those initiatives create conditions conducive to investment. The joint endeavours undertaken in this context must be continued without letting up in order to maintain the dynamic and to maximize their multiplying effects for all African economies. My delegation would like to stress the appeal launched by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Benin from this very rostrum during the general debate, at the 8th meeting, for the establishment of an investment fund under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union in order to carry out continent-wide infrastructure projects in Africa in the context of an innovative public-private partnership in order to rise to the serious challenges posed for Africa by climate change. Such an investment fund could be financed through the adaptation funds established at the Bali Conference, held in December 2007. The serious threats that climate change is posing to the progress made in promoting development in Africa must be brought under control in order to protect the achievements and preserve the momentum in the cumulative process of creating wealth, which can only lead to development. With regard in particular to strengthening peace and security in Africa as a precondition for all economic and social progress, despite the significant positive advances as a result of the efforts undertaken to strengthen the capacities of the international community to effectively prevent conflicts, it is clear that there are significant challenges to overcome. We reiterate the Secretary-General’s call on Africa’s partners to help put in place useable and effective mediation means. That would help to bolster the outstanding efforts made by the United Nations and the African Union to halt wars and crises on the continent. Benin is proud to have made a significant contribution to those efforts. Above and beyond that approach of strengthening capacities, when it comes to implementing the 10-year plan to assist the African Union, the international community would also do well to step up its efforts to bring about more effective control over the underlying structural causes of conflict, whose continued existence serves to undermine the continent and increase the likelihood that new conflicts will break out. That would entail increasing systemic and structural prevention efforts by supporting economic and social reforms and the fight against external factors that have a negative impact on the situation in African countries when it comes to the maintenance of peace and security. Efforts under way to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons should also be intensified. There is nothing more pernicious than cyclical instability, which the Secretary-General has rightly underscored has a negative impact on progress towards peace and development. Countries participating in the African Peer Review Mechanism deserve special attention from the United Nations with regard to the support they should be given in implementing the recommendations emanating from that process, especially when it comes to taking concrete steps to emerge from the situations of risk that are identified. In ensuring access to basic services for marginalized communities, we are not only providing the services themselves, we are contributing to peace and security. We should continue to pay crucial attention to supporting efforts to provide water and electrical services in rural and suburban areas, as well as access to basic health care and school costruction, as effective ways of ensuring that all citizens can improve their social conditions. It is therefore crucially important that we combat unemployment, especially among young people, as well as fight organized crime, which increases insecurity in both the countryside and in cities. Those issues have been the focus of special attention in the context of the efforts made to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We welcome the momentum towards that end, which should not be hampered by virtue of the successive crises that have taken place in recent years. We urge donor countries to continue their support for programmes that have a direct impact on people’s living conditions. The President took the Chair. We agree with the Secretary-General that, for their part, African countries should make the necessary efforts to honour the commitments they have undertaken when it comes to the share of national budgets to be devoted to financing efforts in the areas of health and promoting agriculture, as well as in particular related areas such as locally processing agricultural products to increase their added value and the revenue they produce. The policies of Benin’s Government are firmly grounded in that philosophy, especially when it comes to agriculture. The Government of Benin fully endorses the major areas for priority action that have been identified by the NEPAD secretariat, namely, strengthening human resources, providing agricultural inputs, including seeds and fertilizer, land reform and protecting the rights of agricultural workers. Those priorities were taken into consideration in developing the strategic outline that was adopted by the Government of Benin to promote rural development in our country. In that connection, our Government has just held a round table on the financing of our national agricultural investment programme, which is based on concerted agricultural policies at the continental level in the context of a detailed African agricultural development programme. Its goal is to reduce poverty through growth, improve food security by increasing production and maintaining an appropriate and secure production environment as the impetus for the dignified development of an emerging economy. Agriculture in Benin is responsible for 36 per cent of gross domestic product, 75 to 90 per cent of our export income, 15 per cent of State revenues and 70 per cent of all jobs. The round table, which was organized with the support of both NEPAD and the Economic Community of West African States, aimed at producing consensus among the various stakeholders with regard to the provisions of the national agricultural investment programme, identifying which partners were to be supported and, above all, mobilizing resources to produce real investments destined for the agricultural sector. We would like to pay tribute to friendly countries that have supported the efforts of the Government of Benin in this field, especially India, a country with which our Government is developing an agricultural mechanization programme at the national level. The opportunities that exist for South-South cooperation and for the launching of triangular cooperation in this area must be exploited. However, the efforts that have been made will not be successful unless meaningful progress is made in resolving the issue of agricultural subsidies. As the Assembly is aware, that continues to be a stumbling block in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. There is good reason to commend the progress made with regard to the Decade to Roll Back Malaria. However, we are still far from achieving the goals that have been set. The political will that has been manifested by affected countries, which was recently illustrated once again by the establishment of the African Leaders Alliance against Malaria, has been stymied by the low level of necessary financing that has been mobilized to ensure full coverage of the population. The observations contained in the report of the Secretary-General (A/64/302) leave no doubt that real challenges continue to exist when it comes to the quality of infrastructure to diagnose and adequately treat malaria. The international community must do everything possible to save the lives of the millions of people who die every year from bouts of malaria. Those deaths could be prevented through the comprehensive use of existing tools. We should continue to pay particular attention to the issue of the parasite’s resistance to insecticides and antimalarial medicines. However, there is also reason to celebrate. In particular, we should commend those countries which have already reached the targets set for 2010, and the other countries on the way to successfully eradicating this disease, an achievement which will make an important contribution to improving conditions for sustainable development in those countries. The complexity of the challenges facing Africa calls for more coherent and coordinated action, as highlighted by the report of the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit entitled “Towards more coherent United Nations system support to Africa” (JIU/REP/2009/5). We support the recommendations aimed at improving the division of labour among the organizations of the United Nations system with a view to achieving the operational coherence needed to be effective. Regional coordination mechanisms must be established as soon as possible, while the capacity of the Economic Commission for Africa to take action should be strengthened with a view to bolstering its ability to provide strategic support to regional African institutions and Governments. In this context, there is a need to safeguard the capacity of African Governments to harness mechanisms for defining national priorities and to ensure that they are fully coordinated, while seeking to bring about harmonious integration in national plans and regional and subregional strategies and programmes. This would create the conditions for results-based management, which can serve as a guarantee of the effectiveness of efforts to promote peace, stability and sustainable development.

I wish to begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his seventh consolidated report regarding the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/64/204). My delegation is pleased to learn from the report that, despite the financial and economic crisis which has affected countries large and small, some progress was still achieved in the implementation of NEPAD. This is reassuring, but much more needs to be done to mitigate the adverse affects of the crisis, especially on low- income countries, to prevent the risk of increasing poverty and misery for the most vulnerable groups. My delegation associates itself with the statements made by the representative of the Sudan, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and by the representative of Thailand, on behalf of Association of Southeast Asian Nations, on the need to take concerted action to ensure the successful implementation of NEPAD and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa. For several years, the Assembly has been considering progress in the implementation of NEPAD and international support for the programme. We welcome this practice. It is an effective means for the international community to take stock of the situation and to provide NEPAD the prominence it deserves on the global development agenda. The international community’s attention and focus on addressing Africa’s development needs has been demonstrated by the various high-level meetings on Africa in the past year. A number of key messages have already emerged from these high-level meetings. First, in order to generate broad-based, equitable and sustainable growth, more intense and coordinated action is required to implement the commitments made. The international community must live up to its commitments on assistance to Africa, in particular as the crisis has underscored the need to guard against back- sliding in the implementation of key socio-economic development programmes. Secondly, it is essential to help African countries build their capacity. They have made tremendous efforts to take development into their own hands by improving their governing capabilities and increasing their capacity and potential for development. The international community should complement these efforts by offering African countries favourable conditions in debt relief, market access and technology transfer to help them overcome development obstacles. In the field of the global economy, it is important to provide African countries with an enabling external environment for their development. Thirdly, emergency aid and debt relief, as well as concessional lending, should be increased to mitigate the adverse effects of the global crisis, in particular as the global financial and economic downturn has placed additional burdens on African countries. Official development assistance flows, increased debt relief and lending by the international financial institutions therefore remain essential. Fourthly, in addition to urgently fulfilling all official development assistance commitments, new and additional financial resources should be made available to address adaptation needs arising from the effects of the global crisis. In this context, the proposal made by the World Bank to design a special stabilization and development fund for Africa is positive. Fifthly, sustained and more intensive efforts are needed to achieve long-term debt sustainability. The recommendations of the MDG Africa Steering Group present a comprehensive picture of the progress made in promoting sustainable development in Africa over the past few years. However, formidable challenges remain. In this regard, we welcome actions focused on supporting African regional and subregional organizations, including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC), under the COMESA- SADC-EAC Harmonization Process. There is also concern relating to the financial and human resources required to solve Africa’s interlinked multidimensional problems. It is clear that the international community must scale up its efforts in order to meet all commitments to generate the resources required for achieving the MDGs. To conclude, the challenges faced by Africa are formidable, but the opportunities, means and resources to address those challenges are immense. NEPAD presents a realistic framework for action. The African Union is emerging as a main force in promoting African ownership for solving Africa’s problems. The subregional organizations in Africa are also playing an important role. The international community must play its part and fulfil the commitments made so that Africa can realize its full economic and political potential.

My delegation associates itself with the statements made by the representatives of Tunisia and the Sudan, on behalf of the Group of African States and the Group of 77 and China, respectively, on the agenda items under consideration, namely 63 (a) and (b). We should also like to thank the Secretary- General for the quality of the reports presented under this agenda item this year (A/64/204, A/64/208 and A/64/210). They reflect the range of measures undertaken by the African organizations and countries, the international community and, in particular, by the organizations of the United Nations system in the strategic domains defined by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and by the various United Nations resolutions relating to the promotion of sustainable peace and development in Africa. By adopting NEPAD in 2001, African countries were endeavouring to devise a plan, or more specifically, a vision, of realistic development drawn up by African themselves, determined to take charge of their own development in order to helping the continent overcome its lack of development. From this standpoint, strategic priorities were defined in the following fields: infrastructure, agriculture and food security, health, education and training, the environment, information and communication technologies, science and other technologies, gender equality, female empowerment, civil society participation, and an intra-African review mechanism. In all those fields, the Secretary-General’s reports underscore the progress achieved, and we welcome this, especially when it comes to the gradual integration of NEPAD within African Union structures and processes. In Central Africa, NEPAD has allowed the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to lay the foundation for the development of priority infrastructure in order to accelerate regional integration, to contribute to economic growth as well as to reduce poverty in member States. The transportation sector is one where the most important actions have been taken. Developments include the consensual master plan for transportation in Central Africa and a priority network that involves 55 projects. Among those projects is the filling in of the missing links in trans-African routes crossing Central Africa, NEPAD priority projects, the laying down of all of the inter-capital routes among States, as well as the main transportation infrastructure which supports international trade of States in the subregion, that is, the main ports, international airports, railways, and a lakes and rivers transportation network. Heads of State or Government of the subregion set up a committee to monitor the implementation of all of those programmes. For its part, Cameroon has established certain structures to support NEPAD projects. Institutionally, for example, the President of the Republic monitors at the highest level NEPAD, as well as the Africa Peer Evaluation Mechanism. Cameroon is a member of the NEPAD Steering Committee. In this context, a department was set up within the Foreign Ministry and focal points in charge of NEPAD issues have also been appointed in various sectgorial ministries. Our Government has also adopted a set of measures geared towards reducing poverty and improving the living conditions of our population. Those measures include free primary education, improvements in health care options, and fighting against rising costs through a price-stabilization policy. As can be seen, important strides have been achieved. It is clear that NEPAD is fully underway, and we have moved from words to plans to projects to concrete actions. At the same time, we should not be blinded to certain difficulties which prevent a more extensive implementation of NEPAD. There is, in particular, a certain sluggishness when it comes to the level and pace of efforts which are required. For example, while $25 billion in additional annual aid is expected by 2010 for the African continent, only $12.5 billion has been disbursed thus far. The gap between what has been promised and what is actually being done is widening. Another example is that sustained annual growth of 7 per cent for over 10 years is required for viable development, but the majority of African countries do not meet that requirement. Given that situation, vigorous corrective measures are necessary. First of all, the repeated promises made by Africa’s development partners must be fulfilled. The continent itself must step up its efforts to mobilize resources for NEPAD programmes and projects. Additional efforts must also be made to speed up the multilateral negotiations under way, specifically, those of the Doha Round, in order to establish an international environment which is more conducive to Africa’s development. The contributions of various United Nations bodies must be subject to more rigorous and strategic planning which would encourage more specific and periodically measurable goals. Here, the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa, as well as ECCAS, have leading roles to play in marshalling international opinion and resources, in coordinating the efforts, as well as the contributions, of various parties at the global, regional and subregional levels and in the ongoing assessment of those results. In other words, the road ahead is still filled with challenges and must prompt even more efforts for, dedication and solidarity to Africa. With respect to governance and to peace and security, the reports submitted by the Secretary- General have also mentioned the progress that has been achieved with respect to the African Peer Review Mechanism and strengthening the African Union Peace and Security Council and the capacity of the continent to conduct peacekeeping operations and calm conflict zones. However, those concerns continue because of ongoing or new sources of tension or conflict. We believe that the search for solutions in this area must be coordinated around preventive diplomacy to prevent situations from getting worse and leading to, in turn, incalculable additional costs. Here, we congratulate the Secretary-General for his decision to establish a permanent office of the United Nations in Central Africa in response to the unanimous appeal made by countries in the subregion. Cameroon has always expressed its preference for the peaceful settlement of disputes, but where conflict has broken out, our country has made its contribution to the restoration and maintenance of peace through our participation in peace mechanisms. Thus, we have provided the United Nations with several special representatives and we are also involved in peacekeeping operations in Cambodia, Namibia, Burundi, Rwanda, Chad, the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti. Our country currently welcomes 84,000 refugees and a great number of displaced persons due to conflict and instability in Central Africa. Finally, we would like to stress that with the current global financial, energy, climate and food crises, the development of Africa is, once again, at a crossroads. Selfishness and the Afro-pessimism of the 1980s threaten us even as we harbour the hope for a better future, a future made possible by the modern instruments available to help us overcome poverty. It is certainly up to the African continent itself to make choices and to take decisive steps, but our development partners are just as certainly called upon to realize their often-repeated promises to Africa. In a world increasingly interdependent only an ongoing combination of efforts will be able to equitably rebuild the interests of each and every one of us.

I now give the floor to the observer of The Observer State of the Holy See. Archbishop Migliore (Holy See): In congratulating the Secretary-General for his report on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (A/64/204), my delegation would like to offer some remarks on the overall situation in Africa. First of all, there are certain prejudices that must be eliminated once and for all. Often, when one speaks about Africa, both journalistically and at the academic or political level, one speaks of extreme poverty, coups d’état, corruption and regional conflicts. Also, when speaking positively of Africa, it is always about the future of Africa, as if it had nothing to offer at the present time. The reality is that Africa, even in its most difficult years, has been able to provide the international community examples and values worthy of admiration and, today, Africa can also offer signs of fulfilment of many of its hopes. Just think about the various cases in which Africa has proven its great capacity to manage the processes of transition to independence or reconstruction after situations of conflict. Consider too, the presence of so many valiant officials in the United Nations and United Nations agencies through which Africa shows the world the capability and talents of her people to manage the multilateral sector. Think also of the increasing contribution of the sons and daughters of Africa to the scientific, academic and intellectual life of the developed countries. Some African countries have succeeded in realizing the dream of a diversified agriculture, which obtains results that were up to this point considered impossible. They have proven that family farming, even on a very small scale, can actually be multifunctional, capable of ensuring countries’ food security and even generating export balance, while managing the conservation of land and natural resources. What is more, many African countries have made impressive strides in the field of elementary education and improving the situation of women. It remains true, nevertheless, that most of the people living in extreme poverty are in Africa and that the eradication of poverty and hunger, reducing by half the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day by 2015, is beyond the reach of most African countries. Africa needs, therefore, a hands-on, tangible solidarity, not only to cope with the negative impacts of its crises, but to help eradicate the unacceptable scourge of poverty and make available to other countries Africa’s true potential. Africa requires a strong reinforcement of its basic economic support, which consists of official development assistance and grants for eradicating extreme poverty and for the creation and maintenance of basic social structures. Long-term financing programmes are needed to overcome the external debt of the highly indebted poor countries, to consolidate economic and constitutional systems and to create social security networks. Likewise, international trade practices have to adapt to Africa’s peculiar needs and economic challenges. In the current crisis, developed countries should not reduce their development aid to Africa; on the contrary, they should embrace a farsighted vision of the world and the world economy and move to increase their investments in poor countries and those who live there. In the same vein, Africa needs support for its agricultural programmes. In addressing food insecurity, due consideration must be given to structural systems, such as subsidies in developed countries and commodity dumping, which drive down the ability of African farmers to make a living. In addition, the long decline in investment in the agricultural sector in Africa must be reversed and a renewed commitment to assisting family farmers to provide sustainable food production must be undertaken. Failure to assist Africans to feed themselves and their neighbours will only result in continued senseless loss of life from inadequate food security and increased conflict over natural resources. Africa also needs support in diversifying its economies. Recently, the world observed, both in a positive and negative manner, the institutionalization of the Group of 20 as a strong point of reference to manage the world economy. The positive aspect is that the large industrialized countries have felt the need to call to the negotiating table major emerging markets of the South. The involvement of emerging or developing countries now makes it possible to better manage the crisis. The negative aspect carries the risk of excluding small countries from participating in those important discussions. However, one notes that the emerging economies that will have an influence on politics and the world economy are those that have succeeded, to a greater or lesser extent, in diversifying their industrial and agricultural production. Finally, Africa needs integration support. NEPAD and all regional and subregional initiatives of trade, economic and cultural cooperation, conflict management, peacekeeping and reconstruction should be promoted and strengthened. The African Union has proven to be a strong focal point for connecting Africa with the United Nations and the international financial and trade organizations. Similarly, the African Union acts as a point of convergence in coordinating the many subregional multilateral initiatives in Africa. The integrated economy of the present day does not make the role of States redundant, but instead commits governments to greater collaboration with one another. The articulation of political authority at the local, national and international levels is one of the best ways of giving direction to the process of economic globalization.

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/2 of 19 October 1994, I now call on the observer for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

As we approach the concluding stages of the Roll Back Malaria 2010 targets of universal coverage for all populations at risk, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reaffirms its commitment to work in partnership towards achieving those targets. We are very active as part of the global Roll Back Malaria Partnership constituency. Also, the IFRC chairs the Alliance for Malaria Prevention, a partnership of more than 30 organizations including government, business, faith-based and humanitarian organizations. Furthermore, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as auxiliaries to their public authorities, are active in Africa, consistent with the strategies outlined by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, but also in parts of Asia, the Caribbean and South America. The IFRC malaria programmes are focused on scaling up insecticide-treated net ownership and ensuring that net distribution is accompanied by extensive and prolonged community education and empowerment efforts. Follow-on “hang up” campaigns carried out by Red Cross/Red Crescent-trained volunteers in the community significantly reduce the incidence of malaria, as not only our own data but also a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey confirm. Combining distribution with follow-on support and training is especially crucial in order to reach the most vulnerable groups, such as those living in remote areas, refugees and people affected by stigma and discrimination. Trained Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers who live in the very same community and speak the same local language are ideally placed to help families to overcome social or cultural barriers that may prevent the effective hanging and use of nets. Last August, the IFRC and the American Red Cross staff, working together with the Mozambique Red Cross Society, carried out a survey of mosquito net usage following mass distribution and a hang-up campaign in Mozambique’s Nampula Province. In that campaign, Mozambique Red Cross volunteers went from door to door, verifying that beneficiaries were hanging the nets properly. The survey focused on two districts targeted by hang-up intervention groups, compared with two districts in which the Red Cross was active as a control group. The findings confirmed that mass distribution raised net ownership from very low levels to more than 70 per cent in a very short time. Otherwise, 48 per cent of the households visited in the intervention group had their nets hanging, compared to only 31 per cent in the control group. The key message of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent is that communities must own the activities that support prevention. To increase ownership, families must have the support necessary to understand the transmission of malaria, prevention through nets and treatment. The IFRC will replicate and expand hang-up campaigns and will team up with partners to accelerate the delivery of nets. Lastly, the IFRC also includes a malaria component in its emergency response activities when disasters occur in malaria-endemic areas or where epidemics are possible as a result of disaster.

The debate that we have just concluded has been a strong demonstration of goodwill, solidarity and support for Africa. Over two days, Member States and regional groups have reaffirmed their support for Africa’s development objectives and, particularly, for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the continent’s blueprint to achieve those objectives. The debate was a timely opportunity to review progress in the implementation of and international support for NEPAD and to identify the ways and means of addressing the challenges. Many delegations spoke of progress in NEPAD priority areas, such as infrastructure, agriculture, health and education, and highlighted the challenges faced by Africa in attaining the Millennium Development Goals. While acknowledging Africa’s primary responsibility for its own development, member States renewed calls for strengthening international partnership to accelerate that process. In that regard, the importance of South-South cooperation and Africa’s strategic partnerships was highlighted. African delegations outlined the efforts made to advance the priorities of NEPAD, as well as to tackle the challenges of peace and security, emphasizing in that regard the role of the African Union, regional organizations and the United Nations. Some representatives welcomed the progress made in the integration of NEPAD into the African Union structure and process. The African Peer Review Mechanism was widely praised. Among the many challenges confronting Africa, the impact of the food, fuel and economic crises, climate change, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, transnational organized crime, narcotic drug trafficking, and the need to improve the status of women were particularly stressed. Many expressed their concern and dismay at the continuing toll of malaria in Africa and in developing countries elsewhere. We heard a number of specific proposals to address those challenges. It is widely acknowledged that while Africa’s own reform efforts must be sustained, the international community must also provide the necessary support in terms of investment, trade, debt relief and official development assistance (ODA). Africa’s development partners were called upon to meet their ODA pledges, particularly the Gleneagles commitment to double aid to Africa by 2010, and the long-standing commitment of many developed countries to increase ODA to 0.7 per cent of gross national income. Several representatives called for the implementation of the political declaration on Africa’s development needs (resolution 63/1), adopted at the high- level meeting on 22 September 2008, whereby the international community recommitted itself to reinvigorating and strengthening a global partnership of equals. Several delegations mentioned the calls for a monitoring mechanism to review the full and timely implementation of all commitments related to African development. In the light of the debate, it is my sincere hope that the international community will continue to stand with Africa and to follow up on its pledges in support of Africa in order to help attain from the international partnership more tangible results on the ground for the benefit of the people of Africa. I thank all members for their contribution and participation. The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda items 63 and 43.