By Holy See Mission
Statement byArchbishop Celestino MigliorePermanent Observer of the Holy See to the U.N.At
the Plenary of the 58TH Session ofthe
General Assembly of the United Nationson
Agenda item 40 (a):New
Partnership for Africa's DevelopmentProgress in Implementation and International SupportNew York, 16
October 2003Mr. President,
A year ago, this
General Assembly unanimously welcomed the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD) as the institutional response of the African Union
to meet
the special needs of Africa. My delegation is confident that the
international
community will not fail in assisting the efforts of this new alliance of
African
countries in responding to the challenges facing their continent. The
call to as
well as the need for solidarity among all peoples increase with the
passage of
each day.
In the present
world order, the African nations seem to be among the most
disadvantaged. In the
face of the current marginalization of Africa, we have a duty in
solidarity to
maintain the commitments we have collectively made to move forward with a
new
pattern of solidarity and cooperation between the wealthier nations and
the
peoples of Africa. This requires a rapid and definitive solution to the
external
debt overhang of African countries. Partial solutions have shown
themselves in
the past to have been inadequate. It is time to move forward with a
courageous
and generous solution, which at the same time involves ownership both by
the
governments of Africa and also by broad sectors of civil society.
The sum total of
African external debt is small by global standards. Hence, not only in
terms of
justice, but also of effective economic possibilities, the burden of
external
debt necessitates a comprehensive and expeditious solution through the
enhanced
Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative and other debt relief
measures,
as agreed upon in the Plan of Action of the Third LDC Conference. This
relief
process should not drag on long under the yoke of technical and
bureaucratic
requirements. Moreover, such process should neither be subject to
excessive
conditionalities nor become an obstacle to the achievement of the
Millennium
Development Goals.
Together with the
remission of debts, the target set by the international community to
contribute
0.7 per cent of GNP to Official Development Assistance (ODA), especially
in
favor of the less developed countries, among whom are the majority of
African
States, should become a real commitment and not a simple declaration of
good
will. Furthermore, the Plan of Action of the III LDC Conference requires
that
concrete efforts be made to reach ODA level to 0.15/0.20 per cent of the
GNP to
the LDCs. This ODA should be allocated primarily for building basic
infrastructure and for providing basic health care in favor of the
poorest
African countries, that would then be able to expand their attention to
other
related goals of economic and social development, as enunciated in the
Millennium Development Declaration. Proposals such as the International
Financial Facility (IFF), which could ensure the substantial
increasing of
stable and predictable aid flows deserve particular attention from the
donor
countries.
For external
trade to become an essential factor of African development, the
international
community should uphold and apply aptly the true values of trade by
eliminating
all types of unfair competition against African countries. Establishing
trade
barriers to protect the economic advantages of the producers of rich
countries,
particularly in those sectors in which Africa can be competitive, is
inconsistent with all those solemn economic international commitments.
In
conformity with the Program of Action of the Third Conference of the
LDCs for
the decade 2001-2010, the objective of granting duty-free and quota-free
market
access to LDCs should remain as a peremptory obligation. In the
aftermath of the
CancĂșn Conference of the WTO, my delegation hopes that the international
community will consider providing a coherent response to the trade
claims of
African countries, specially in relation to the leading case dealing
with
cotton.
In this regard,
my delegation wishes to note that Africa needs to develop a family-based
diversified agrarian economy, capable of responding to multiple
challenges, such
as excessive urban migration, lack of food security, welfare of the
family and
rural communities, protection of the environment, and greater economic
growth.
Furthermore, it is not possible to achieve an economic and social
development
without providing appropriate technology and know-how. However, such
technology
should be specifically designed for the economic, ecological and social
realities of Africa and not an imposition of scientific and
technological
programs that are alien to the African reality.
Without peace in
Africa, it is impossible to think of just structures of economic and
social
development. The prevention and resolution of regional and internal
conflicts,
as well as peace negotiations correspond to the role of the African
Union and to
the rest of the regional and sub-regional organizations, in conjunction
with the
interested governments. The United Nations and the rest of the
international
community have, nevertheless, an important role to play by sustaining
and
supporting regional initiatives and, eventually at a subsidiary level,
by
supplementing local efforts where necessary.
The African
ownership of NEPAD should not be an end in itself. Its processes of
implementation and ultimate responsibility will become fully African
only if it
is manifested in an effective and profound manner through the
ennoblement of
African values, especially the respect for the family. Within the
family, the
fundamental unit of society, is deeply rooted an acute sense of
solidarity and
community life, which in African societies is a true reflection of the
extended
family. The NEPAD should become the maximum political _expression of
this
extended African family. It is therefore the hope of my delegation that
the
NEPAD's pursuit of political, social and economic progress will also
help in the
advancement of the authentic values of Africa. The Holy See is confident
that
Africa will always preserve this priceless cultural heritage and never
succumb
to the temptation to individualism, which is so foreign to its best
traditions.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
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