General Assembly Session 51 meeting 50

The Acting President

I should like to inform the Assembly that, in a letter dated 31 October 1996 addressed to the President of the General Assembly, the Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, in his capacity as Chairman of the group of Western European and other States for the month of October, requests that the General Assembly hear in plenary meeting a statement by the observer of the Holy See during the debate on agenda item 44, "Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s".

Members will recall that in accordance with established practice of the General Assembly, observer non-Member States may normally make statements only in the Main Committees. However, following consultations and taking into account the importance attached to the issue under discussion, it is proposed that the General Assembly should take a decision on that request.

May I take it that there is no objection to the proposal to hear the observer of the Holy See in the course of the debate on agenda item 44, "Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s"?

The Acting President

I call now on the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly for the Mid-term Review of the Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, Mr. Hisashi Owada of Japan, to introduce the report of the Ad Hoc Committee and the draft resolution contained in section IV of that report.

Mr. Owada (Japan)

It is my honour as Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly for the Mid-term Review of the Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s to present to the General Assembly the report of the Committee as contained in document A/51/48.

The session of the Ad Hoc Committee was held at United Nations Headquarters from 16 to 20 September 1996 and was attended by a large number of Member States, entities of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The documentation for the mid-term review, as well as statements made at the opening meeting and during the general debate, have greatly contributed to facilitating the deliberations and achieving encouraging results.

The mid-term review represented an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate the validity of the emerging consensus for a new and innovative approach to the development of Africa. While the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF), which was adopted by the General Assembly by resolution 46/151 of 18 December 1991, represented a global compact between African countries on the one hand and the international community on the other, the conclusions and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee submitted for adoption at this session constitute a set of common and complementary objectives and targets to be implemented in an integrated manner and in a spirit of full partnership.

It should be noted that during its organizational session held on 20 June 1996, the Ad Hoc Committee had decided that the mid-term review would be conducted in two Working Groups to review the two main parts of the UN-NADAF, relating to Africa's responsibility and commitment and the responsibility and commitment of the international community. Both Working Groups, under the able chairmanship of Ambassador Insanally of Guyana and Ambassador Reyn of Belgium respectively, wisely avoided apportioning blame either to the African States or to the non-African partners. Instead, as can be seen in the conclusions that form the annex to the draft resolution submitted to the Assembly, the Working Groups identified selected areas in which to carry out a fair and impartial assessment of achievements over the past five years, and produced concrete and realistic recommendations to be implemented through cooperation and partnership among all the parties concerned.

It is heartening to note that, avoiding a pitfall encountered in the past, African countries and their development partners successfully concluded their discussion and analysis of the performance of all the parties involved, even in such controversial areas as political and economic reform, promotion of the private sector, human development, regional and subregional cooperation and integration, resource flows, external debt, trade, economic diversification and capacity-building. Thus, in spite of persisting differences with respect to these issues, such an approach led all parties to identify areas where additional efforts are required, and to recommend measures that are as practical and as specific as possible.

It should also be noted that the mid-term review of UN-NADAF took into account the developments that have taken place in the field of international cooperation. Prominent among them are the series of United Nations conferences and summits that have been held since the adoption of UN-NADAF. The outcomes of these global gatherings have helped, through the assessment and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee, to further the interdependence of such critical elements as social development, economic development, environmental protection and human rights.

Another point that was repeatedly referred to by the Ad Hoc Committee was the relevance of the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa. It should be noted that there was a broad consensus that the Special Initiative should be seen as an operational arm of UN-NADAF and that it should help in mobilizing resources for the implementation of the New Agenda.

The Ad Hoc Committee also reviewed the follow-up, monitoring and evaluation machinery of UN-NADAF at the global, regional, subregional and country levels. In this regard, two aspects were highlighted: the need to enhance coordination among the relevant bodies of the United Nations system, including harmonization of the activities of UN-NADAF; and the Special Initiative on Africa.

Follow-up and monitoring should also take into account recent initiatives such as the proposal made at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ministerial meeting of May 1996 for a new global development strategy, which was subsequently endorsed in the Economic Declaration of the Group of Seven summit in Lyon in June 1996. Another important follow-up activity identified by the Ad Hoc Committee is a second Tokyo International Conference on African Development, to be held in 1998, at which, inter alia, implementation of the outcome of the mid-term review of UN-NADAF is expected to be reviewed.

As indicated earlier, the assessment and recommendations with respect to the efforts of African countries in the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF), the support of their development partners, and the follow-up and monitoring machinery have been undertaken in the spirit of full partnership and shared responsibility. In other words, they reflect the conviction of the international community that the development of Africa is one of its major challenges in this post-cold-war era, and that an economic take-off in that region would not only improve the standard of living of its people, but would also have a positive impact on the world economy as a whole.

The General Assembly and all its individual components within and outside Africa should not only endorse the conclusions that have just been outlined but, more important, create the conditions for their speedy and successful implementation. Indeed, their common determination, demonstrated during the mid-term review, to go beyond the traditional division between donors and recipients, or North and South, should be seen as an enabling factor for creating such conditions.

Having thus far given an assessment of the UN-NADAF mid-term review work in my capacity as Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, I wish to offer a few points by way of comments on this UN-NADAF mid-term review exercise in my capacity as Permanent Representative of Japan. The first and the foremost point I wish to make is that, as many other colleagues of mine have repeatedly stated in the past, the problem of development in Africa is at a major crossroads. In the new international environment created by the end of the cold war, an environment in which the interdependence of the nations of the world, the globalization of the world economy, and the incidence of military conflict within national boundaries are all increasing, the development of Africa is one of the most pressing issues facing the international community, and it will continue to be of enormous significance well into the next century.

Economic and social development is not only important in and of itself. It is also a key to resolving the recurrent tragedy of armed confrontation and all the problems that flow from it. If only for that reason, we must keep our eyes on the problems impeding development when we address security and political questions in Africa. Also, economic take-off by a significant number of African countries through development would not only enhance the economic well-being of the peoples of Africa, but would also benefit the rest of the world enormously by promoting the full integration of African economies into the international economic system.

In clear recognition of this, in 1993, as the world began to reorder itself in the aftermath of the cold war, Japan, as host country for the G-7 economic summit in Tokyo, took the initiative in introducing the idea of a new development strategy. That concept came to be reflected in the economic declaration issued at the conclusion of the Tokyo summit meeting. Although at the time it existed only in the most rudimentary form, the strategy became the basis for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development that Japan organized in Tokyo later that year.

Since that time, Japan has been unwavering in its commitment to the international effort to promote the development of Africa. Thus, my Government hosted a series of meetings and seminars on this subject that proved most productive. On the strength of this experience, Japan is now planning to host a Second Tokyo Conference, this time at the summit level, in 1998. I should like to take this occasion to make it clear that it is the intention of my Government to link the cycle of Tokyo Conferences, which includes preparatory meetings and conferences, with efforts to implement UN-NADAF, so that they can complement and reinforce each other.

The best way to establish such a linkage is to identify common targets based on a new partnership of all parties involved in the development process. It is also important to set the ways and means to achieve this by utilizing not only official development assistance but also private investment, trade, social infrastructure building, human capacity development, and all other elements which are essential to achieving those targets, as well as by devising an ideal policy mix to suit the concrete socio-economic conditions of the countries involved. It is precisely this comprehensive and individualized approach that Japan has been refining and promoting as the ingredients of the new development strategy.

To start the process of implementing UN-NADAF through the new development strategy, Japan made two concrete proposals in the course of the mid-term review. First, it proposed that South-South cooperation be put into practice in the area of human resource development in Africa. Secondly, it urged that the General Assembly, as the only political institution in existence in which all the nations of the world are represented, engage in intensified dialogue with other international development agencies, by discussing with them the outcome of the review, with a view to strengthening collaboration in this area.

On this first point, specifically, it is the intention of my delegation to begin working with like-minded countries to establishing concrete plans on South-South cooperation in the area of human resource development in Africa. Let me explain specifically what we intend to do between now and the Second Tokyo Conference on International Development, to be held in 1998. The delegation of Japan has a plan to organize in New York a series of seminars for the purpose of exploring concrete ways to facilitate the implementation of South-South cooperation projects, particularly in the field of human resource development and institution-building. These seminars will be open-ended, and all delegations that have something to contribute on this score will be welcome. More detailed information on these seminars should be available before long. For next year, Japan, together with the United Nations, will host the Second Asia-Africa Forum in Thailand, as well as a preparatory meeting for the Second Tokyo Conference. Both of these events will, I hope, be instrumental in giving impetus to the implementation of UN-NADAF.

I wish to close my statement in my dual capacity as Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole for the UN-NADAF mid-term review and as Permanent Representative of Japan by stressing once again the importance of the issue of the development of Africa to all the Members of the United Nations, whether they are from Africa or not. With that recognition keenly in mind, my country, Japan, pledges to make the development of Africa its highest United Nations policy priority. Japan intends to be at the forefront of all international efforts to promote our common goals in this extremely important part of the globe.

The Acting President

Before calling on the next speaker, I should like to propose, if there is no objection, that the list of speakers in the debate on this item be closed at 5 p.m. this afternoon.

Mr. Mpay (Cameroon)

In accordance with the provisions of General Assembly resolution 50/160 of 22 December 1995, our delegations met from 16 to 20 September 1996 within the framework of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly for the Mid-term Review of the Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. I should like here to extend our congratulations to all the members of the Committee for the outstanding work accomplished.

I should in particular like to pay a well-deserved tribute to Ambassador Hisashi Owada, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations and Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, for his personal commitment, which is clearly a reflection of the concern of his country, Japan, for Africa. This concern has been reflected not only through the holding of a series of conferences and seminars on the development of Africa, but also through the adoption of numerous initiatives for the continent. By way of example, I would like to mention the holding of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), the establishment of budgetary appropriations for training of young people and the promotion of South-South cooperation.

Before taking up the question of the mid-term review as such, I would first of all like to place the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF) in its historic context so that we can better grasp its importance. Having noted that five years after the adoption of the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development the socio-economic situation of Africa was in fact deteriorating, the international community decided to conceive and adopt a new far-ranging, but realistic instrument for the development of the continent, based on the recognition that the development of Africa is primarily the responsibility of the Africans; that the objective of sustainable economic development can be achieved only through the establishment of a favourable international environment; and that the implementation of any programme for development requires a new type of partnership, one that goes beyond the simple ties that may exist between former colonies and their former colonizers. In short, there was a need to produce a new philosophy for development with shared but differentiated responsibilities and an active and sustained partnership.

This is what we did on 18 December 1991 by adopting the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. Under the terms of that Agenda, Africa was to undertake, strengthen or speed up reforms, in particular in the political, economic and social areas. The international community, for its part, was to encourage and sustain these efforts of Africa. Five years after the adoption of UN-NADAF, the balance sheet looks as follows. As was so well pointed out from this very rostrum by His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon and Acting Chairman of the Organization of African Unity, the overwhelming majority of African countries have fulfilled the commitments they made under the New Agenda. They have undertaken far-reaching and difficult reforms designed in particular to speed up the process of democratization, promote human rights and to ensure economic, social and cultural development.

During the past five years, significant breakthroughs have been made in democratic reforms through better management, greater transparency and greater popular participation in the management of public affairs. The Cairo Declaration adopted last year reaffirms the commitment of Africa to pursue these reforms.

As regards the promotion of investment, the majority of African countries have adopted new, very liberal investment regulations. They have gone on to significant customs and fiscal reforms and sped up the process of removing the State from the management of companies. The combined effects of these reforms and of structural adjustment have allowed a number of these countries to limit inflation to approximately 5 per cent.

Concerning popular participation, the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in activities for development has been recognized, and in the majority of African countries a framework for concerted action and coordination with these new partners has been set up. At the continental level, an Organization of African Unity (OAU) and non-governmental organization working group has been established to ensure greater participation of the non-governmental organizations in the activities of the OAU. Regarding the mobilization of resources, efforts have been made, in particular for control of public expenditures, to increase domestic savings and relaunch foreign trade.

In the context of cooperation and regional and subregional integration, beyond the purely economic framework, new initiatives are proliferating for the maintenance of peace -- for example, the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution in Africa, the Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), entrusted with the question of Liberia in West Africa, and similar mechanisms set up in southern Africa for the establishment of peace.

Despite all these efforts, as was so well stated in the report of the Ad Hoc Committee,

"Many of the critical social and economic problems which led to the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development (its resolution S-13/2 of 1 June 1986) and of the New Agenda in 1991 still exist. In some countries the problems have even worsened ... In Africa poverty and unemployment are expected to increase substantially. The estimated resource mobilization levels in the New Agenda are still far from being attained and the key development goals have yet to be met." (A/51/48, annex, para. 4)

The major merit of the mid-term review of UN-NADAF, the results of which have been submitted today for our consideration, is that it has allowed us to take objective and scrupulous stock of the implementation of UN-NADAF. Above all, it has allowed us to realize that plans and programmes, however ambitious they may be, are nothing without the political will of States to implement them. It is precisely this political will to which I am appealing today on the behalf of all Africa. This is not an appeal to charity, but rather an appeal to remove those obstacles that are negating all of Africa's efforts for development. For, as has also been emphasized by the Acting Chairman of the OAU, how can Africa develop if the financial flows towards the continent decline every day, if official development assistance, which is already declining, is subject to more and more conditions, if the burden of debt continues to increase, if African commodities have difficulty finding access to international markets and if the trend towards reducing investment in our countries is expanding and new capital is still not coming in?

If the international community really wants to support Africa's efforts, as it has committed itself to doing under the terms of UN-NADAF, it must direct its action towards priority areas such as the diversification of commodities and African economies, the improvement of conditions for access to the international market, increases in investments and financial flows and the solution to the problem of external debt.

As Cameroon has already stated, African economies are based primarily on trade in commodities, and any development strategy for the continent must take this reality into account. In this context, the efforts of the African countries to diversify their commodities and economies must be supported by the international community, and favourable conditions should be established for the access of these products to international markets. We welcome the measures taken at the level of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to step up production, promote intra-African trade and facilitate vertical diversification of industrial production through the development of Africa's technological capabilities. We also welcome the opening of a special facility for the diversification of African commodities, the Common Fund for Commodities. Africa is awaiting the annual meeting of the board of the Fund in Marrakesh next December and is expecting not only practical measures for the proper functioning of the facility but also bolder measures.

Regarding the foreign debt, we welcome the positive developments that have taken place recently, in particular the adoption of conditions for debt reduction that are more generous than the Naples terms for the most heavily indebted poor countries. I should like to repeat President Biya's appeal for the urgent implementation of this new initiative and its extension to a greater number of African countries.

At the dawn of the third millennium, Africa remains the continent facing the greatest number of challenges. It is clear that the responsibility for meeting these challenges lies above all with the Africans themselves. However, the duty of solidarity requires that the efforts of the continent be supported by the international community.

In this respect, UN-NADAF offers us an outstanding framework for partnership and cooperation. We can work together within this framework to build an Africa free of the scourges of debt, famine, endemic illness, school underenrolment and other ills. In a word, we can work together to advance an Africa which has joined the train of globalization and universalization. We therefore call upon the international community to fully and urgently implement the conclusions and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly contained in document A/51/48 submitted for our consideration.

Mr. Abdellah (Tunisia)

At the outset, I take pleasure in thanking Ambassador Hisashi Owada of Japan, who presided over last September's proceedings of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly for the Mid-term Review of the Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF). I would also like to thank the Government of Japan for its efforts to help our continent. The most recent demonstration of this was at the High-Level Seminar on African Development, which was held at Tokyo in August 1996 in the framework of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development.

In respect of item 44 entitled "Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s" I would like to make the following comments: I would like first to thank the international community for its interest in the development and growth of Africa. It is now the turn of UN-NADAF to give effect to United Nations support for the economic emancipation of the continent. The Agenda is a recommitment by United Nations Member States to support African development efforts. For the African States, it constitutes an act of faith and a sign of hope in support of their struggle for development, despite the current international situation and the difficulties they are facing. This support is particularly welcome, as the economic and social crisis that African has been experiencing for the past decade has yet not come to an end in broad areas of the continent.

Together with prolonged drought and acute ecological problems, the situation could only have led to social turmoil which has imperiled the precarious stability of countries, many of which are extremely fragile. It has been in this hostile context that African countries have had to adopt policies to reverse negative trends and put order into their devastated economies. In this connection, stabilization and the structural adjustment programmes sponsored by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have been undertaken in almost all of our countries. The reform and structural adjustment programmes to which African countries are committed have all been multidimensional in nature, including measures for domestic economic and commercial liberalization aimed at improving financial management, expanding the tax base and enhancing efficiency and transparency in the fiscal system. Reforms have also been focused on promoting direct foreign investment and on consolidating regional and subregional cooperation. Particular attention in this ambitious project has been given to the human dimension of development and to the balance between the environment and development.

The efforts of the African countries have obtained uneven results, although they have been positive overall. In 1992, 20 African countries experienced negative growth. In 1995, the number of such countries fell to 4. In 1992 once again, three African countries achieved a 6 per cent growth rate in gross national product. In 1995 there were 12.

In this connection, I would like to refer to the Secretary-General's report on implementing UN-NADAF (A/51/228 and Add.1), which indicates that as assessment of the implementation of this new order in 1992-1995 shows that results have been achieved in the areas of human development, the strengthening of institutions and the development of the private sector. However, the report adds that African efforts will not be successful in the time-frame set in UN-NADAF without appropriate support from the international community. This solidarity must be reflected in reliable contributions of sufficient resources on the one hand, and by the establishment of a favourable international context on the other.

Tunisia welcomes the efforts by other countries of the South to enhance their economic cooperation with Africa to that end. That cooperation is particularly noteworthy because it relates to such crucial areas as the transfer of technology and knowledge, providing advisory services, training, joint ventures, trade and investment. The interest that countries of the South have in Africa can also be seen in the development of agriculture and fisheries, education and research, and the alleviation of poverty.

A significant step towards achieving South-South solidarity was seen at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which was followed by the Asia-Africa Forum: Sharing of Experiences. But such South-South solidarity, which we welcome, does not suffice to help Africa overcome its current crisis. The scope of the problem and the complexity of the obstacles that the continent must overcome in building the foundations of its infrastructure and its social and economic development require greater resolve and more resources, both nationally and internationally, to guarantee that Africa, like other regions, will enjoy sustained and lasting growth and development. We must acknowledge that the activities under way in industrial countries and in the United Nations system, are far from meeting the problems facing Africa. This insufficiency is reflected in official development assistance, investments and indebtedness.

In his report, the Secretary-General notes that

"Since the early 1990s, less than 2 per cent of total foreign direct investment flows worldwide have come to Africa." (A/51/228/Add.1, para. 20)

Marginalizing Africa in direct foreign investment amounts to marginalizing it in world trade. This situation gives rise to deep concern.

The same document indicates that overindebtedness has been one of the major obstacles to Africa's economic recovery and lasting growth. In this connection, it is emphasized that despite the efforts that have been made the main foreign debt indicators show no appreciable improvement. Debt continues to grow and today represents a total of 71.6 per cent of Africa's gross domestic product, as compared to 67.1 per cent in 1991.

The negative flow of debt servicing -- which is currently on the order of $28 billion, while UN-NADAF envisaged an annual ceiling of $9 billion -- is not offset by the meagre resources received from official development assistance.

Official development assistance has continued to shrink, despite African efforts to use it better. Official development assistance to the continent is currently only $20 billion, far from the $30 billion set by UN-NADAF, with a 4 per cent annual growth rate.

Tunisia would like to express its appreciation for the initiatives taken by some countries -- particularly by Japan, Norway and other Nordic countries -- which have unreservedly adhered to the additional aid targets for Africa that were called for in UN-NADAF.

In this context, we believe that urgent measures must be taken in this area in order to increase capital flows to the countries of Africa. These measures should lighten the burden of external debt on African countries, thereby enabling them to move from the adjustment phase to the development phase.

The international community must support Africa's efforts to diversify its economy, thereby enabling its peoples not to depend on the export of one or two commodities, the prices of which fluctuate according to the market.

In this connection, I would like to refer to the report of the Secretary-General with regard to estimates of the resources needed to implement UN-NADAF. In its conclusion, the report emphasizes that

"the rigid international economic environment, the domestic economic hardship and the lukewarm disposition of some creditors to adopt radical measures have constituted obstacles to the mobilization of financial resources and to the development of Africa". (A/51/228/Add.1, para. 53)

The document adds that,

"Nor can Africans and the international community afford to see yet another international initiative for Africa's socio-economic recovery and development fail." (Ibid., para. 53)

Endorsing this conclusion, Tunisia, which expresses its appreciation for the Secretary-General's initiative for Africa, sends out an appeal to the international community to ensure that this initiative is successful.

I would like to recall in this connection the terms of draft resolution A/AC.251/L.2 on the mid-term review of the implementation of UN-NADAF, which the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole adopted by consensus last September. It calls upon all Governments, the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations -- that is to say, the entire international community -- to take the necessary measures to ensure effective implementation of UN-NADAF, with a view to the final evaluation undertaken by the United Nations in the year 2002.

The will of the countries of Africa to emancipate themselves and put an end to economic dependency should be received with interest by the international community, with a view to ensuring that the continent can find once again the path of growth within the framework of globalization and the interdependence of the world economy.

Mr. Amorim (Brazil)

The mid-term review of the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF) is a major opportunity to address issues that are critical not only to the African people, but to the international community as a whole. The report contains an assessment of actions undertaken and recommendations to fulfil specific development goals and address the challenges faced by African countries in their development process. It is a reaffirmation of the principle of partnership and shared responsibility towards Africa, to which Brazil fully subscribes.

Although agendas, initiatives and debates can create the reassuring impression -- particularly in the General Assembly -- that the international community is reaching out in support of Africa, they can also generate a sense of frustration, especially on a continent that faces so many development challenges. The exercise we have undertaken is no exception to this, and we must ensure that it generates concrete actions.

The role of the United Nations is crucial to translating commitments into concrete action in the coming years. It is important that the various agencies of UN-NADAF. I am convinced that in order to make a difference for Africa in areas such as finance, the United Nations must forge a closer relationship at all levels with the Bretton Woods institutions. The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Africa, set up by the Secretary-General, can play a more important role in this respect.

Some areas of the United Nations Secretariat -- such as the Office of the Special Coordinator for Africa and the Least Developed Countries and the Economic Commission for Africa -- can also play a central role in implementing UN-NADAF and should therefore be strengthened.

We welcome the recently launched United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa. At the same time, we stress that this Initiative is complementary and not an alternative to UN-NADAF. The fact that the Initiative has not involved the provision of new resource flows to Africa is, in our view, a source of frustration.

The achievement of the goals set forth in UN-NADAF goes far beyond institutional arrangements in the United Nations system and will depend ultimately on the political will of each of our countries to do its part. For this reason, I wish to focus now on one specific aspect of the implementation of UN-NADAF: the role a country such as mine, Brazil, can play in favour of Africa.

As a developing country which faces situations of extreme poverty and severe economic imbalances, Brazil is not a major donor. However, we are deploying efforts to share with African nations our own experience in struggling for development. In a number of areas of cooperation in capacity-building, this is already a reality. This is the case in fields such as management of agricultural policies, know-how on tropical agriculture, electric power generation and its distribution to poor communities, and monitoring and exploration of mineral resources. Some of these activities are under way in bilateral programmes or are under consideration within multilateral initiatives, such as the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic.

Most African countries still rely on a few primary commodities for much of their export earnings. Our cooperation with African countries to correct the imperfections of commodity markets is well known. Brazil and Africa coordinate with each other in international organizations on commodities, such as the International Coffee Organization, the International Cocoa Organization, the Cocoa Producers' Alliance and the Common Fund for Commodities.

Three years ago, when coffee prices were in a critical situation, we responded to the appeal of President Houphouët-Boigny on behalf of the Inter-African Coffee Organization to create an agreement with an economic clause. As a result, as Foreign Minister at the time, I had the honour to sign in 1993, in Brasilia, the agreement which established the Association of Coffee Producers.

We are working together in organizations such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with a view to ensuring that we are not discriminated against by rules that negatively affect the consumption of our products, such as the criteria for defining rules of origin for coffee in the WTO Committee on Rules of Origin, as well as the question of norms related to cocoa products in the FAO Codex Alimentarius.

More recently, there have been new modalities of cooperation between Brazil and Africa. One example is the Community of Portuguese-speaking countries, which was formally created earlier this year and of course includes the participation of Portugal and five Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.

The dialogue between subregional integration processes is yet another example of cooperation. We attach great importance to furthering a dialogue between the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the integration processes in Africa. With the Southern African Development Community, we have already taken initial steps in this direction. I would like to point out that one of the objectives of MERCOSUR has been to enhance external trade with other partners, including those of the developing world.

As far as conflict resolution is concerned, 30 years ago Brazil rejoiced at the creation of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU), which symbolized the end of colonialism. Today, we welcome new approaches to conflict prevention, management and resolution that will more deeply involve the Organization of African Unity. For our part, we are engaged as troop contributors in the peacekeeping process in Angola, as well as in the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III), with the participation of more than 1,000 men. Recently, we actively supported the peaceful transition in Mozambique, both in the United Nations Security Council and in the field.

One could ask whether Brazil could do more. The answer is certainly "yes", and we are committed to doing so. Presently, we are negotiating cooperation programmes with some African countries, focusing on social rehabilitation policies for populations affected by war and for children needing special protection measures, as well as on control of endemic diseases and HIV/AIDS.

I wish to conclude by assuring the Assembly that Brazil is fully committed to the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s.

Mr. Wang Xuexian (China)

The Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly has just concluded the mid-term review of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF). The conclusion shows that the main goals of UN-NADAF are far from having been attained, despite the untiring efforts of the African countries over the past five years. The African continent remains plagued by widespread poverty, heavy debt, worsening terms of trade and serious shortfalls in financial resources for development. Many African countries are being marginalized in an international environment of accelerating integration.

In order to put an end to this situation, priority areas and concrete suggestions for future action were proposed in the mid-term review. Meanwhile, African countries in the international community reaffirmed their respective commitments to the New Agenda and to the principle of partnership and shared responsibility in this regard. While gratified by the consensus reached in the mid-term review, we must ask ourselves how we can avoid having to reiterate the same commitments a few years hence and how can we truly translate them into actions that will contribute to Africa's recovery and healthy development.

During the mid-term review, African countries strongly urged the international community to fulfil in earnest its commitments under UN-NADAF. I clearly remember the strong appeal made by the Ambassador of Cameroon in his statement on behalf of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) members, which called for the international community to talk less to Africa and do more to support African efforts. This just demand of the OAU highlighted the New Agenda and its lack of direction for future international cooperation.

We have no doubt that Africans will continue to undertake the primary responsibility for the economic and social development of their continent. However, the consequences of the ruthless exploitation they suffered in the past and the poverty and underdevelopment caused by today's grim international economic environment are seriously hampering their efforts to achieve economic and social development. In these circumstances, African countries need the active support and cooperation of the international community in order to become free of the vicious cycle of underdevelopment. We are of the view that international support based on partnership and shared responsibility should be reflected in a series of measures.

First, more solid work should be done to help resolve the pressing problems confronting African countries. In this connection, efforts should be made to create a favourable external environment, in line with the priority areas identified in the mid-term review, to alleviate debt burden and increase capital flows into Africa, to promote Africa's economic diversification and improve its economic structure, and to establish fair terms of trade and increase market access for African commodities to the developed countries. It should be particularly emphasized that official development assistance remains the main source of external funds for many African countries. The countries concerned should fulfil their commitment by increasing official development assistance for African countries to meet their dire needs.

Secondly, concrete action should be taken to support efforts for development cooperation between African countries, including the regional integration process in Africa and subregional economic cooperation. In recent years, African countries have been exploring new ways to enhance cooperation, so as to accelerate the achievement of common development by learning from and complementing each other. The establishment of the African Economic Community and the development of many other regional and subregional economic cooperative organizations have brought about a strong momentum for cooperation. However, such regional cooperation efforts often suffer a lack of sufficient resources. The international community has no reason to stand by with folded arms. Rather, it should cooperate with African countries in their endeavours in this area.

Thirdly, the particular choice of a road for development on the part of the various African countries should be respected. Countries vary in their national conditions, needs and priorities. Imposing a specific model on Africa, in disregard of its actual situation, can only aggravate its difficulties. Sincere assistance should have no political strings attached.

Fourthly, the United Nations should continue to play a primary mobilizing and monitoring role in the effective implementation of the follow-up to the New Agenda. The United Nations has already launched the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa. The United Nations and the relevant bodies within the system should contribute to Africa's development by putting in sufficient resources and formulating and implementing assistance programmes in the light of the specific features of African countries and their priorities for national economic development.

An important component of China's foreign policy is to strengthen unity and cooperation with developing countries, including those in Africa. China has provided some assistance, within the means available to it, to African countries in support of their economic and social development. In recent years, we have been discussing with African countries ways to expand cooperation in various forms and through various channels, with a view to further expanding the scope of the cooperation and improving its efficiency. China will continue steadfastly to support African countries in their efforts for economic development in the context of bilateral and South-South cooperation. While continuing to provide government assistance to them with no political conditions, China will encourage enterprises on both sides to cooperate with each other and expand the channels, for the further growth of trade between China and Africa. In this way, China wishes to contribute its share to the attainment of the goals of the New Agenda.

His Excellency Mr. Jiang Zemin, President of China, predicted during his visit to Africa last May that

"a united, stable and prosperous new Africa will mean not only economic liberation for the politically emancipated African people, but also a tremendous contribution by Africa to peace and development in the world and to the civilization and progress of mankind".

We are convinced that this will become a reality.

Ms. Lee (Singapore)

The adoption of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF) by the General Assembly in December 1991 raised major expectations of better prospects for Africa.

In his mid-term report on UN-NADAF, the Secretary-General has confirmed that most African countries have taken action to promote growth and development. Many African countries have embarked on a range of political and economic reforms, which have shown signs of "tangible progress".

In particular, there has been a significant improvement in overall economic performance, with the number of African countries achieving UN-NADAF's annual target growth rate of 6 per cent in gross domestic product (GDP) increasing from three countries in 1992 to 12 countries in 1995. The number of African countries with negative growth also has dropped, from 19 countries in 1993 to three countries in 1995.

However, despite the various efforts of the African countries themselves and the assistance of the international community, those results have fallen short of what was envisaged by the New Agenda. In the first half of the 1990s, Africa's GDP accounted for only 2.04 per cent, on average, of the world output.

African countries have acknowledged that

"Africa's future is in their hands." (A/51/228, para. 55)

But the international community must also take concrete steps to help African countries adjust to the new global market environment. Greater investment inflows, diversification of export products and expanded access to external markets are urgently required. There is a need to improve the quality of international support for Africa's efforts. Most of the region's potential remains unrealized.

We have seen that within the South-South cooperation framework, the experiences of advanced developing countries are relevant to African development. This suggests that South-South cooperation is a viable strategy for African development. The many areas covered under this cooperation include the transfer of technology and expertise, the provision of advisory services, training, joint ventures, trade and investment, agricultural and fishery development, and education and research.

Singapore is fully committed to South-South cooperation. Within the limitations of our small size, limited resources, manpower constraints and inexperience, Singapore has adopted a stage-by-stage approach for the provision of technical assistance to other developing countries.

In 1992, Singapore formalized and expanded its technical assistance programmes through the establishment of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore currently coordinates SCP training courses and study visits for about 2,000 officials each year. Those officials come from more than 60 countries, including many African countries. Over 150 courses are conducted annually by some 40 Singapore public sector agencies. These courses cover a broad spectrum: civil aviation, health and medicine, customs documentation, economic development policies, information technology and the English language.

Singapore also has third country training programmes with seven countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, Norway and the United Kingdom, and three international organizations: the Asian Development Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the World Bank. Singapore also cooperates with the United Nations Development Programme and the Colombo Plan in running various training programmes.

At this time, because of our limited resources and manpower constraints, Singapore has been able to focus on only four African countries. However, we will expand this to include nine more in the near future. While we would like to do more, we are not able, with our small size and other limitations, to reach all 53 African countries.

Singapore therefore is exploring new ways and means of extending the reach of our technical assistance to as many African countries as we can. One example of this is the Botswana National Productivity Centre, which was opened by President Masire in August 1995. Singapore has also begun to conduct training for 75 Botswanan work improvement team facilitators, who are being trained in Singapore in three batches over three years.

By training these Botswana officials, Singapore hopes that the Centre will not only serve Botswana, but will become the premier training ground for productivity-related courses for the whole of southern Africa. Singapore has also given assistance to Ghana by providing training on how to adapt Singapore's social security system to Ghana's needs. We again hope that this experience can be of relevance to Ghana's neighbours.

I would like to add that at a recent dinner in Singapore, hosted by our Prime Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, in honour of the visiting Namibian President, Mr. Samuel Nujoma, Prime Minister Goh announced that Singapore will send a high-level study team to Namibia to discuss Namibia's specific training needs and to examine the possibility of formulating longer-term training programmes. Singapore's focus on training stems from its emphasis on human resources development, as this is an important factor in developing an economy. We hope to extend similar programmes to other African countries soon.

The private sector in Singapore has also begun assistance programmes for the African countries. On 22 October 1996, an African scholarship scheme was formally announced in Nairobi, Kenya. Under the scheme the Singapore International Foundation, a Singapore non-governmental organization, and the Standard Chartered Bank will offer scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and also short-term management courses to African nationals to study in Singapore. A total of 28 awards will be made available for the first three years.

Singapore has only been able to assist a small fraction of the African countries because we are a small country and have limited resources, especially in relation to manpower. We hope to do more in the future. Singapore believes in South-South cooperation and will continue to do all it can to help its friends in Africa realize their full and undoubted potential.

Mr. Willis (Australia)

As we move into the second half century of the United Nations and towards the new millennium, it is sobering indeed to recognize that although so much has been achieved to advance the human condition in many parts of the world, a substantial section of the world, by and large, has not been party to that progress. Nor will it be in the future unless there is substantive change.

Over the last 15 years, economic growth has failed in almost 100 countries around the world, representing 1.6 billion people -- almost one third of the world's population. Seventy of these countries now have average real incomes below those in 1980, and 43 are below 1970 levels. Many of these countries are in Africa, and for much of the past 15 years especially they have been experiencing negative economic growth. Thus, between 1980 and 1994 Africa's real gross domestic product per capita fell by 15 per cent.

More recently, however, the situation has improved, with the average rate of economic growth increasing considerably in the last couple of years. Africa is now in the third consecutive year of real per capita growth and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is forecasting growth in Africa of 5 per cent this year and next -- the highest growth rate in two decades.

Furthermore, in 1995 12 African countries achieved or surpassed a rate of growth of 6 per cent -- the target rate of growth for Africa as a whole established in the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa at the start of this decade. Moreover, the number of African countries with negative growth declined from 20 in 1992 to only 4 in 1995.

But, encouraging as these recent developments are, Africa's economic problems are far from being solved. There are still many countries in desperate economic circumstances, with high levels of external debt, minimal foreign investment, low levels of savings, poor terms of trade, adverse balances of payments and minimal participation in the global economy. As a consequence, they suffer from low growth, low and even falling per capita incomes, high unemployment and grinding poverty.

Despite these economic difficulties, some social progress has clearly been achieved by Africa in such areas as health and education. Thus, there have been important improvements in life expectancy, infant mortality rates and provision of safe drinking water, coupled with improved levels of nutrition, increased literacy rates and higher school enrolment.

Although some of these improvements are quite substantial, the absolute levels of achievement are well below most other parts of the world. There are, furthermore, some serious adverse developments in the social sphere. In particular, endemic diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS pose especially serious problems.

Africa's problems are clearly of such dimensions that they require special and extraordinary efforts if they are to be overcome, and if Africa is not to be largely excluded from the process of human development. This was recognized by the international community and led, among other steps, to the adoption by this body in 1991 of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s.

Such efforts are required not only by the international community, but by Africa itself. In so saying, we acknowledge that many African countries have taken very considerable steps to improve their level of social and economic development, including undertaking structural economic reform to correct economic imbalances, increasing the priority given to social expenditures, providing social safety nets, improving the rights of women and children, protecting the environment, enhancing agricultural production and marketing processes, increasing food security and embracing democratic processes, as well as the introduction of good governance.

Observers seeking evidence that economic reform is consistent with a decline in overall poverty need look no further than the example of Mozambique. While the debate over structural adjustment and poverty in broader Africa continues to attract a great deal of attention, signs of a growth dividend are emerging in Mozambique, which is one of the poorest and most indebted countries in the world.

Nevertheless, for Africa as a whole to make the kind of social and economic progress that it so desperately requires, an even greater reform effort will be required, along with enhanced support from the international community. It is in this context that Australia strongly welcomes the Secretary-General's Special Initiative on Africa. This initiative, which aims to reinforce the New Agenda for Africa by practical proposals to support African development, will require substantial resources, both internal and external, if it is to be implemented. This will in turn require considerable resolve by donor countries, multilateral institutions and African countries themselves to find the $2.5 billion per annum for the next decade that the Special Initiative will require.

Importantly, a key aspect of the Special Initiative -- the need for debt relief for highly indebted countries -- has been acted upon by the Bretton Woods institutions. The recent annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank agreed to adopt a new debt relief initiative for highly indebted poor countries, many of which are in Africa. This is welcome and practical progress.

Previous debt-relief initiatives have not succeeded in reducing African indebtedness. Indeed, debt has continued to rise; in 1995, it represented 65 per cent of Africa's gross domestic product and 250 per cent of Africa's exports. The debt-servicing burden, at $28 billion, or 38 per cent of Africa's export earnings, was three times higher than the target set in the United Nations New Agenda for Africa.

Debt burdens of such proportions place great limitations on growth potential. Nor can they be offset by private capital flows, because the very existence of such debts scares off foreign capital and may even create domestic capital flight. Africa has therefore fared poorly in attracting foreign private capital, especially foreign direct investment, which brings technology as well as capital. Of the $84 billion of foreign direct investment that went to developing countries in 1994, sub-Saharan Africa received only 3.6 per cent, and the least developed countries only 1 per cent.

The IMF-World Bank initiative, which could involve the sale of some of IMF's gold reserves to finance this measure, should help considerably over the next several years to alleviate the debt burden of the poorest countries, thereby relieving a major inhibition on growth. However, this assistance will properly be dependent on policy performance by the countries involved in regard both to macroeconomic and structural policies and to social policy reforms to reduce poverty and improve basic health care and education.

The inclusion of Africa in the global trading network is also a key factor in generating substantial and sustainable economic growth. Africa's increasing marginalization from the world economy, as shown by the decline in its share of world trade from 5 per cent in 1980 to only 2.1 per cent in 1995, must be reversed if it is to embark on a course of strong and sustained economic growth.

That will require major economic transformation to diversify production and exports. Diversification of its economy would involve widening its commodity base, expanding its production of mineral products, and especially increasing its production of manufactured goods. Africa's share of world manufacturing value-added has remained stagnant at just 1 per cent over the past two decades. The success of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa is therefore essential if the continent is to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities that will be created by the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round.

Australia is convinced that global trade and development will be strengthened by further liberalization of trade. An open world trading environment can make a positive and lasting contribution to economic growth and improved living standards. But extra measures, both national and international, are required. Australia therefore strongly supports the declaration of the ninth United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD IX) and has, through its own initiative, taken measures to help developing countries to benefit more completely from the opportunities presented by the post-Uruguay Round trading environment.

The United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF) and the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa will be central to achieving these policy and economic benchmarks. We support these measures and welcome the report of the Ad Hoc Committee undertaking the mid-term review.

Australia recognizes that the challenges faced by Africa are considerable and that multilateral partnerships are one important way of overcoming them. Australia also recognizes that Africa itself is taking definitive action, nationally and regionally, to put in place appropriate macroeconomic policies, to establish necessary infrastructure and to develop a skilled workforce. These African initiatives and reform measures were the subject of recent discussion at the Organization of African Unity summit meeting in Yaoundé. Australia supports this process and we will work with our African partners to assist in the implementation of agreed priorities. Like others, we also support the broad thrust of the recommendations in the report of the Ad Hoc Committee. We look to joint resolve to deliver against the agreed goals.

Australia's aid flows to Africa are expected to total over $A 105 million in the financial year 1996-1997. Our recognition of Africa's enormous development needs is evidenced by the fact that, although our aid is modest compared with the challenges faced, we are expanding the percentage of our bilateral aid allocated to Africa.

For the first time, Australia will be negotiating full country programmes with Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. These programmes will emphasize capacity-building, private sector development and poverty alleviation. Support will also be available for regional activities in southern Africa for areas such as health and desertification. In the area of health, Australia is particularly aware of the urgent need to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. To this end, we have pledged $A 10 million for HIV/AIDS care and prevention projects in Africa. Almost $A 2 million of these funds have now been committed for projects in Zambia in support of innovative ways of reducing HIV transmission and strengthening community-based care for AIDS sufferers.

Australian assistance will continue to be available to other countries in the Horn and eastern and southern Africa. The focus will be on training assistance, assistance through non-governmental organizations, emergency and relief programmes, and reconstruction and reform activities.

In conclusion, Australia welcomes the United Nations initiatives for Africa and the principles of partnership on which they are based. We look forward to joining a consensus resolution supporting the outcome of the mid-term review of the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s.

Mr. Aass (Norway)

We are here today to adopt the conclusions and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly for the Mid-term Review of the Implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. Norway strongly believes that the time has come to commit ourselves to ensuring that concrete steps are taken towards radically improving the livelihood of the many African women, men and children who live in absolute poverty. In other words, we should be content with no less than a common understanding and commitment from all involved parties -- the countries in sub-Saharan Africa and bilateral donors, as well as the various United Nations agencies -- to tackle the problems of Africa by operationalizing the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF), through the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa.

The mid-term review process has highlighted some central causes for the lack of implementation of UN-NADAF. Although at this stage we should not dwell too much on the past, it is important to take due note of these causes if we want the United Nations system to play a role as a major actor and initiator. The Norwegian Government is convinced that the United Nations system and the Secretary-General have an important role to play and a responsibility to take initiatives -- such as the one taken for Africa -- when the situation calls for it.

Experience has shown, however, that before initiatives are launched, extensive consultations are necessary -- even crucial -- to secure follow-up. UN-NADAF has been hampered by the fact that it has not been sufficiently anchored in the Governments in Africa, and that consequently it has not been adequately integrated into their development plans. In addition, the responsibility for implementation has been divided among different United Nations bodies. The countries in question often do not possess the necessary administrative capacity to deal with too many donors and agencies. It is therefore necessary to ensure that initiatives are well coordinated and broad-based, and that organizations of the United Nations system act in a unified manner at the country level. Last but not least, it is imperative that donors be consulted in time so as to secure financing and ensure sufficient funding.

The mid-term review has provided us with an opportunity to take stock of the situation in Africa. We note with satisfaction that the Organization of African Unity's assessment of the implementation of UN-NADAF coincides with the review. This fact, together with the consensus on the linkages and complementarity between UN-NADAF and the Special Initiative, which means that the latter is the operationalization of the former, will bring the process onto a new and sounder track. We now have legitimate hope that Africa's poor will play their rightful part in the development process, and that this constitutes an important step forward on the path to poverty eradication.

Norway supports the mid-term review's stress on implementation. The review provides us with an assessment of the present situation, describes the framework conditions and provides the African Governments and the international community with recommendations regarding implementation.

The Governments of Africa have come a long way towards creating a framework within which concrete actions can be implemented on a sustainable basis. In order for African leaders to be able to encourage and sustain this framework and even develop it further, we, the international community, must undertake firm commitments.

In my Government's view it is vital that adequate financial resources be allocated to the implementation of the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa. The mid-term review has shown that there are insufficient resources available to secure its implementation. We are concerned by the facts presented in the review, which show that Africa's debt burden has increased and that the level of official development assistance has dropped in this decade to an average 0.3 per cent of donor gross national product (GNP). Norway has for many years allocated around 1 per cent of its GNP to development assistance. It is our hope that by adopting the mid-term review the countries in the developed world will assume their responsibility for contributions to the financing of the Special Initiative. As the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Mr. Ricupero, stated in his intervention at the ninth session of the Conference, "We are all indebted to Africa". In Mr. Ricupero's thinking, assistance to Africa is a matter of justice; resources have been taken away from the continent over the centuries, and it is now time for the developed world to reverse the flow of resources.

In my Government's view, the review suffers from the fact that there is no outline for the practical implementation of the Special Initiative. Paragraph 2 of the draft resolution adopted at the review might take us a long way towards fulfilling the Special Initiative -- or it might not take us anywhere. The real challenge ahead is starting the implementation at the country level. However, before this can be done, modalities for coordination and cooperation as regards action on the Initiative must be clearly defined to ensure that we do not lose more time. We encourage the steering committee of the Special Initiative to give top priority to operationalizing the Initiative in a dynamic manner. Most of the activities planned under the Special Initiative are in the social sector. We are confident that with the broad aid experience gained in the past, activities will be planned and implemented in a manner that will not lead to further aid dependency in recipient countries.

Allow me to conclude by restating Norway's commitment and readiness to participate in a coordinated effort for the development of Africa. This includes a preparedness to participate in a dialogue on the implementation of the Initiative both at Headquarters as well as at the country level. Our commitment also implies a willingness by Norway to come up with additional budgetary funds, for example in the social sectors, as a follow-up on the 20/20 initiative. It is my Government's firm hope that this mid-term review will be a fresh point of departure for the Special Initiative. Innocent African children deserve hope for the future, a hope that stretches beyond day-to-day survival.