General Assembly Session 56 meeting 6

Mr. Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia)

Allow me at the outset to congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly. I am confident that, under your most able leadership, this session of the General Assembly will successfully achieve its objectives. My congratulations also go to your predecessor, Mr. Harry Holkeri, for his dedicated and skilful leadership.

My delegation wishes to associate itself with the statement delivered yesterday by the Chairman of the Group of 77. The current process of globalization and technological advancement remains highly selective and excludes the vast majority of the global population from its prospective benefits. A situation in which the income of the top 20 per cent of the global population is nearly 80 times greater than that of the 20 per cent at the bottom is not only morally difficult to accept, but also impossible to sustain. Further marginalization of the most weak and vulnerable is becoming a global challenge. Representatives who spoke yesterday touched upon the manifold responses that ought to be taken to address this global challenge. I would like to confine my brief remarks to the two sub-themes of our discussion.

With regard to the sub-theme 1, Promotion of the integration of developing countries into the world economy and generating new public and private resources to complement development efforts, many delegations yesterday justly emphasized the importance of the efforts by developing countries themselves. It must be pointed out, however, that international economic cooperation in trade, finance and technology could and in fact should create adequate conditions for enabling the developing countries to reap the benefits of globalization.

International trade plays an important role in the economic and social advancement of developing countries. Therefore, the elimination of physical and non-physical trade barriers would be a major step towards addressing the challenges faced by the developing countries. The current multilateral trade agreements require tariffs to be assessed on an equal most-favoured-nation basis. In these circumstances adequate measures should be taken to level the uneven playing field between industrialized and developing countries, taking duly into account the needs of the most vulnerable among them, particularly the least developed, landlocked and small island developing countries.

The current trade regime overlooks the very important fact that greatly varying international transport costs create extreme vulnerabilities for landlocked developing countries. These countries are paying three times as much as industrialized States and twice as much as fellow developing countries to transport their export items to the world markets. Therefore, it is difficult, or even impossible, to talk about benefits of international trade and globalization for this particular group of countries. Most landlocked developing countries depend heavily on a few export-based sectors for their economic and social growth. Therefore, my delegation believes that the special circumstances and needs of these countries should be adequately addressed at multilateral trade forums, particularly at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in Doha, and at the new round of trade negotiations, if and when they commence.

The issue of the technological marginalization of most of the developing world is being justly raised during this discussion of ours. We believe that this problem, like many other problems, cannot be adequately addressed when one third of the world's population has to survive on the equivalent of $1 per day. Adequate sources of financing are needed. Under these circumstances, the International Conference on Financing for Development and World Summit on Sustainable Development should address all aspects of development and development financing, especially for the most vulnerable and weakest developing countries.

The ability to benefit from globalization depends not only on the improved capacity to benefit from international trade, but also on the ability to make use of complex information and communication technology (ICT). ICT is becoming an essential tool for economic development in our age; it underlies power, knowledge and creativity. As developing countries, especially the most vulnerable among them, become ever more marginalized from globalization and are being left behind the advances of information technology, their developmental opportunities vanish and they face further marginalization with all the ensuing consequences. Therefore, it is vital that the United Nations make its own contribution to addressing this growing challenge.

My delegation therefore welcomes the establishment of the ICT Task Force as a significant first step towards bridging the digital divide. A major task now is to commence the activities of the Task Force, as was rightly pointed out by the Chairman of the Group of 77 yesterday in his statement.

My delegation believes that, perhaps, a special brainstorming meeting on ICT for development might be useful. Such a meeting could provide a major impetus to the commencement of the activities of the Task Force and could bring together Governments, multilateral institutions, the donor community, the private sector and civil society. It could discuss concrete ways and means of assisting developing countries to acquire the technological infrastructure of the new economy and the capacity to utilize it effectively. It could also focus on such priority issues as improving the quality of education in developing countries so as to enable them to utilize to the fullest extent the technology, developing informational infrastructure and broadly introducing ICT to the vast rural population in developing countries. It is evident that rural people will remain on the margins of development if their specific informational needs and remoteness from the centres of progress of technological development are not addressed.

Discriminatory globalization is fraught with the possibility of creating a world that is made up, on the one hand, of a highly connected, and thus productive, extremely affluent minority and, on the other, a vast majority that is excluded not only from its benefits but also from contributing in turn to technological advancement and globalization. The international community, through its sustained and cooperative efforts, should prevent and reverse the process of further marginalization of the weakest and most vulnerable. My delegation expresses the hope that this high-level dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership will be able to contribute to these efforts.

Mr. Ahsan (Bangladesh)

Since I am taking the floor for the first time since your assumption, Sir, of the presidency of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, allow me to congratulate you on behalf of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. We are confident that under your able guidance we will be able to reach fruitful conclusions in our work during this session.

I speak today with a heavy heart as I recall the massive loss of innocent human lives and destruction of property in the United States of America caused by the dastardly acts of terrorists. On behalf of the Government and the people of Bangladesh, I reiterate our total condemnation of this mindless violence and express our solidarity with the Government and the people of the United States at this hour. We offer our deep condolences for the victims and sympathy to the bereaved families. Bangladesh reiterates its support for any international effort to combat terrorism in all its manifestations.

I deem it an honour and privilege to be able to speak on this important occasion. I take this opportunity to commend the initiative of the Secretary-General in organizing this second high-level dialogue under the general theme of strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership. The basis and rationale for holding such a dialogue, for reiterating our commitment to achieving the common goal of economic development, is reflected in General Assembly resolution 55/193. That resolution identified the need to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas at a high level in order to give impetus to the implementation of the Millennium Declaration.

We commend the statement delivered yesterday by the Chairman of the Group of 77 and subscribe to the views expressed on behalf of the Group. I intend to address a couple of issues that we consider to be important.

The world is changing at an unthinkable pace due to the forces of globalization. The process throws up opportunities as well as challenges. Globalization has also transformed the social and economic considerations of countries around the world. Given its pervasive effects, we have to ensure that the process of globalization does not undermine social justice and that it works better, in the interests of everyone. That is why we need to make it broad-based and participatory. As the twin forces of globalization and trade liberalization proceed, the developing countries in general, and the least developed countries in particular, find themselves increasingly marginalized. That is evident in their gradually declining share in world trade, investment and output. In today's globalized world, the rationale for international cooperation is obvious, because those countries need a supportive external environment for the success of their economic development programmes.

In recognition of that imperative, and to reap the benefits of globalization, a series of major United Nations conferences were held in the area of sustainable development, with the adoption of a number of programmes of action. Over the past few years, their implementation has been followed up through their respective review and appraisal conferences. Despite the best intentions of the international community, the developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, have not been able to progress very far. Poverty remains pervasive; opportunities remain meagre for the poor; and a vast sector of women continue to be disadvantaged. We want full and faithful implementation of the programmes of action adopted at those conferences. We believe there is need for an effective mechanism for the implementation of these programmes of action, a mechanism pioneered by the United Nations for coordinated follow-up at the global and regional levels.

More than other developing countries, the least developed countries have had to face the challenges of globalization from a very weak socio-economic base. The Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held in May this year, provided an opportunity to deal comprehensively with the problems and prospects of least developed countries after more than a decade. The Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 and the accompanying Brussels Declaration, and in particular the seven commitments, cover a wide range of issues for follow-up at the national, subregional, regional and global levels.

International cooperation presupposes the sharing of resources and expertise in order to face the challenges of globalization. Apart from individual countries, regional organizations and international bodies have a vital role in operationalizing that cooperation. The idea of partnership was clearly reflected in the outcome of the Third Conference.

Another area requiring such cooperation was evident in the aftermath of the recent financial crises: improving the coherence of the international financial system through participatory management and greater transparency, thus ensuring increased participation of developing countries. The much-needed reform should encompass a mechanism for the management of financial crises and should provide early warning of impending crises.

We welcome the holding of the International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in March next year in Mexico. We consider that this will be a milestone event in international development cooperation following the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. We believe that the event will provide an opportunity to address related national, international and systemic issues, including mobilization of domestic resources, debt relief and trade benefits for developing countries. We are hopeful that it will be possible to reach agreement on concrete guidelines and measures for the mobilization of resources from the domestic sector, especially through effective public finance policy, and in the external sector as well, through increased trade, official development assistance, flows of foreign direct investment and transfer of technology.

We attach great importance to the issue of protectionism in trade measures, in particular in the agriculture sector of developed countries, because of its adverse impact on developing economies. This has prevented developing countries from benefiting fully from trade. We believe that the fourth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, to be held in Qatar in November, will present yet another opportunity to rectify current imbalances in the multilateral trading system. In that connection, I wish to flag some of the specific areas where well-designed policies and rules may be helpful for greater integration of the developing countries into the global economy. These include, first, market initiatives in favour of developing countries, including greater access for their goods; secondly, easier movement of labour; thirdly, progressive removal of all trade barriers and restrictions; fourthly, increased foreign capital flows in terms of both official development assistance and foreign direct investment; fifthly, effective measures to reduce the debt burden; and finally, increased flow of technical skills and knowledge.

The tremendous advancement of the information and communications technology sector offers a great opportunity for rapid dissemination of information and technical know-how. We are fully appreciative of the vital role it has to play in the global economy of the twenty-first century. In that context, we welcome the recommendations adopted at the Group of 8 summit in Okinawa with respect to reaping the full benefits of the digital revolution and to helping developing countries bridge the digital divide. It is heartening to know that the recently formed Digital Opportunity Task Force is fully functional.

I would like to conclude by expressing the hope that this high-level event will be able to make a positive contribution to our efforts to achieve the goal of economic development, by making concrete recommendations. In our endeavours, special focus must be maintained on the acute economic problems faced by the least developed countries. More should be done to help them combat the negative effects of globalization and to integrate them into the global economy.

Mr. Loizaga (Paraguay)

This second high-level dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership, which is addressing issues of far-reaching significance for developing countries, is for obvious reasons taking place under extremely trying and tragic circumstances. Given those circumstances, this dialogue is doubly important. First of all, it is focusing on its substantive agenda: the integration of developing countries into the world economy and into the global information network. And secondly, this dialogue is important because it symbolizes the firm determination of the international community, and of the United Nations in particular, to move forward with its essential task. The terrible events with which we are all familiar must not divert us from our goal.

Those points made, I cannot continue without first, on behalf of the people and Government of the Republic of Paraguay, reiterating our deepest feelings of condolence and solidarity to the people and Government of the United States of America, and in particular to the families of the victims of the recent tragedy. Undoubtedly, the international community must exhaust all possible efforts in order to carry out a joint action to eradicate this evil, which is terrorism.

We must collectively acknowledge that globalization is an undeniable reality that is intensifying daily and becoming increasingly evident in its various manifestations. The real point of discussion is how to channel this process and direct it in a way that may yield benefits for all of mankind equitably, while not allowing it to serve the interests of a few, nor allowing it to widen the already existing gap between the rich and the poor. We must approach globalization from a positive perspective because it makes available to us great progress in technology, communication, transportation and trade, to mention just some of aspects. However, the benefits of this phenomenon must be shared by all in a spirit of solidarity and social justice.

This is why consideration of the particular items on our agenda must be a shared endeavour based on cooperation and partnership. Integrating the developing countries into the global economy and seeking new sources of financing will prove successful only through a collective effort that includes all the major actors -- the United Nations institutions, the World Trade Organization, the Bretton Woods institutions, the private sector and civil society -- while at the same time ensuring the participation of countries with varying levels of development.

In this context, we emphasize the importance of the process of financing for development, which will culminate with the holding of the International Conference on Financing for Development next year in Monterrey, Mexico. We must, with our fullest effort, take advantage of this opportunity to examine the problems involving development resources, and not allow that to become an additional burden to the external debt of developing countries.

We can also emphasize the discussions on financing for development being carried out under the auspices of the Bretton Woods institutions, which are essential players in the process of integrating the developing world, as well as the fourth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference to be held in Doha, Qatar in November 2001.

In this context, bearing in mind the essential role of trade in development in our countries, we underscore the importance of continuing the trade liberalization process, particularly with regard to agricultural products, so as to offset existing disadvantages in the current trade regime, in order to create a just, transparent and predictable system, particularly through the complete elimination of all trade barriers, tariff and non-tariff barriers, that most hurt our countries.

Developing countries must have just access to markets, so that they can participate on an equal footing in the multilateral trade system. In this regard, we must acknowledge that certain developing countries have major disadvantages and situations that further impede their development because of specific factors and that any cooperation arrangement must take this reality into account. The landlocked developing countries, the least developed countries and the small-island-developing countries all face a greater risk of being marginalized and of not gaining the access to the globalization benefits that the other developing countries have. It would be a mistake to lump all developing countries into one group without recognizing that there are clear-cut differences in their respective situations and levels of development, as well as real capabilities for joining international processes.

Information and communication technology is both a cause and a component of globalization. Fairly and equitably oriented, it can be an important instrument for our countries, promoting human-resource training, strengthening both legal and financial institutional frameworks and facilitating trade, among other things. Having technology means having an advantage and development. That is why the developed countries have the obligation and the moral responsibility to ensure that new technologies be within the reach of all, in order to avoid exacerbating the inherent disadvantages of many developing countries. Technology can offset the obvious inequities only through the participation and the cooperation of all, in a spirit of human solidarity. We welcome the creation of the Information and Communication Technologies Task Force, and we underscore the need for it to receive the resources necessary to carry out its important work. We also highlight the work of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development.

Finally, we reiterate the importance of being ever mindful of the most disadvantaged developing countries, considering that technology is an essential tool for their future development, which will offer all the tools necessary for us to achieve social justice in our respective countries.

Mr. Al-Haddad (Yemen)

On behalf of the delegation of the Republic of Yemen, it is a pleasure for me to congratulate the President on his election to the presidency of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly and on the work of the high-level dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership.

We also wish to take this opportunity through you, Sir, to express our gratitude and appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Holkeri, for his constructive efforts throughout the last session of the General Assembly.

Allow us at the outset to express our most sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the terrorist operation, of which the United States, New York, Washington and Pennsylvania have been the victims. It was a shock for us, as well as for the entire international community. In view of the seriousness of what occurred, we wish to repeat once again that terrorism in all its forms is action condemned by all religions. We wish to express firm condemnation of terrorism at this important session of the General Assembly and stress the need for establishing an international coalition to end terrorism.

This second stage of the important dialogue on the strengthening of international economic cooperation for development through partnership is devoted to the issue of globalization and to facilitating the integration of developing countries into the international economy of the twenty-first century. We are following up a dialogue that began earlier this year and taking part in round-table meetings. Further impetus should be given to this process so as to ensure that important conclusions and decisions are taken at a global level as a result of this important dialogue.

Globalization, which is a characteristic of the modern era, is having an enormous impact on rapid and diversified progress, especially in the area of trade, technology and growth. The objectives of globalization, however, have been confined to the market, and social and human interests have tended to be ignored. The main actors in this process are operating within the major multinational companies and some developed countries, and this has created obstacles for the countries of the third world, which are suffering under the burden of foreign debt and deep financial crises. Indeed, it has worsened the situation for those countries, creating impediments and further marginalizing them.

In this context, international action should be taken, in a spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility, to deal with the crises in the developing countries and facilitate their integration into the world economy in an equitable and just manner. To this end, several steps need to be taken. The economic bases of the developing countries need to be strengthened to enable them to overcome their economic problems; infrastructure and human resource capacity must be enhanced; the problem of low prices for exports from developing countries must be addressed; and relations between developed and developing countries -- including on the issue of the debt -- must be improved. Furthermore, access to the international market for the agricultural and industrialized products of developing countries should be facilitated; this is vital.

There are other important aspects contributing to the weakness of the economies of developing countries that need to be addressed, including their lack of negotiating strength, given the current context of international relationships. We believe that this is a very important consideration. The Millennium Declaration, made by heads of State or Government, emphasized the need to adopt a new methodology within international relations based on the justice, equity and common interests.

The developing countries are heavily indebted, and greatly depend upon international development activity, external bilateral assistance and multilateral aid. Short-term direct investment in the development process strips developing countries of their negotiating power and does not allow them to qualify for integration in the global economy as an equal partner. Indeed, it leads to further marginalization.

Many developing countries, including the Republic of Yemen, have taken appropriate measures for the required adjustments, such as free markets and economic reforms that would push their economies forward and help them to integrate into the global economy. However, these measures, which are being taken in cooperation with international financial and trade institutions, have not yet led to integration into the global economy.

What we are witnessing now is that free trade and the removal of trade barriers have allowed world trade to break down the foundations of national economies. The expansion of world trade, which has led to increased production and growth of capital and short-term investment, was accompanied by harmful effects on domestic products in developing countries, due to their inability to compete with quality products. Furthermore, the capabilities of developing countries in the field of technology and information and in the interlinkage of production, distribution and marketing cannot be compared to those of the developed countries.

This should lead us to work to resolve the problem of international trade relations at a multilateral level. I am referring here to the World Trade Organization and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and to particular issues such as intellectual property, services and the criteria for economic and agricultural investment and so forth. The interests of the developing countries must be considered in dealing with all these issues; developing countries should be recognized as true partners and allowed to assume international economic responsibility.

Any attempt to integrate the developing countries into the world economy and the globalized world, based on partnership, must consider such countries as participants in the international decision-making process. This process, which has been globalized, tends to ignore the interests of the developing countries, because economic, social and even cultural decisions are made at the national level, while the objective of globalization is pursued through the vision of international financial organizations, which finance activities on a large scale. Thus, national Governments are pressured into relinquishing their national sovereignty in the management of national development policies and required to adapt to new concepts and trends that come from the outside.

We have great hopes that the high-level dialogue, and the International Conference on Financing for Development, to be convened next year, will enable us to achieve global world economic prosperity and international peace and security.

Mr. Galuska (Czech Republic)

As this is the first time I have taken the floor at this session as the representative of my country, I should like to congratulate you, Sir, on behalf of my Government, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session, and to pledge our full support to you in your important and demanding work.

The Czech Republic has aligned itself with the European Union (EU) statement on the topic under discussion. We unequivocally share the views on all issues expressed in the EU statement made by the Belgian presidency yesterday. The Czech delegation would now like to further elaborate on three points that in our view are crucial: the development dimension of international economic cooperation; countries' responsibility for their development; and regional cooperation.

The issue of international economic cooperation for development has been a major concern of the international community over the decades. But the most recent events and initiatives have created a truly new opportunity for strengthening cooperation and facilitating the integration of developing countries into the world economy. The turning point was the adoption of the Millennium Declaration, in which the heads of State and heads of Government agreed upon ambitious development goals. The third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, and particularly the preparatory process for the International Conference on Financing for Development, have also been important forums for tackling major existing challenges in economic cooperation for development.

The Czech Republic attaches great importance to the development goals of the United Nations. To achieve the majority of these specific complex development goals by 2015 will require numerous broadly based actions by various players, be they national Governments, international organizations, civil society organizations or private-sector entities. Our perception is that the United Nations should play a central role in building coalitions for the full implementation of the Millennium Declaration. That is why we strongly support all initiatives that have led to consultations and cooperation between the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly within the preparatory process of the International Conference on Financing for Development.

We are pleased to see that the question of financing for development will be considered at the next joint World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting of the Development Committee and that a possible development dimension of a new round of trade negotiations is now the subject of intensive consultations. We also welcome the significant outreach to the business sector and civil society which has taken place within the preparatory process on financing for development and the Global Partnership Initiative. We believe that all these processes will establish close collaboration and a better-coordinated approach in the implementation of the follow-up to the Millennium Declaration and, moreover, that they will strengthen the focus on development in international economic cooperation and perhaps make the international economic architecture more development-oriented.

The development dimension of international economic cooperation has enormous implications for the integration of developing countries and countries in transition into the global economy. However, an enabling international environment is not enough. It can have a supportive and catalytic impact, but each developing country and country in transition bears the primary responsibility for its own development and integration into the world economy.

The countries themselves must be the driving force in their integration. They need to develop consistent, country-driven poverty-reduction and development strategies which would set development goals at the country level and establish a basis for sound and coherent macroeconomic financial and trade policies, while embracing economic as well as social factors of development.

In this context, let me point out that the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), which is currently being introduced by the IMF in the least developed countries, is an exceptionally important instrument, as it introduces a new approach to development by prioritizing consistent, country-driven development strategies and coherent policies, with a supporting role to be played by international development partners. Therefore, we believe that this kind of development strategy should be widely applied in developing and in transition countries.

My last point relates to regional cooperation. In this connection, I welcome document HLD/CRP.3, which provides us with valuable data about new trends and regional perspectives on globalization. It also provides evidence of how immensely important regional cooperation is. It is a very suitable format for both trade relationships and for foreign direct investment. In our view, the potential of regional cooperation has not been fully recognized yet, particularly in financial and monetary matters.

The Czech delegation is convinced that appropriate and more focused attention should be given to regional cooperation and integration, as well as to the extremely pressing issues of globalization and interdependence.

Mr. El Atrash (Libya)

This being the first time that I have taken the floor since your assumption of the presidency of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, it is a pleasure for me first and foremost warmly to congratulate you, Sir, and to wish you every success in your task.

Let me take this opportunity also to express to your predecessor our full appreciation and gratitude for his outstanding efforts and wise leadership during the previous session of the General Assembly.

I am particularly pleased also to thank you, Sir, for your efforts in guiding this high-level dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership.

This meeting is being held just a few days after the horrible terrorist acts that struck New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Pennsylvania, killing thousands of innocent victims. I wish to take this opportunity to convey our most heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the people of the United States and to the families of the victims. This heinous terrorist act is not condoned by divine religious or civil laws; it is the work of criminals, and given that my country has been one of those most affected by terrorism, we wish in this respect to reiterate the need to combat terrorism in all its forms through action that is adopted and guided by the United Nations.

We welcome with satisfaction the meeting that the United Nations will be holding at the beginning of October aimed at fighting terrorism, and we hope that its objectives will be attained.

We are very aware of the importance of this dialogue, because it represents a comprehensive global assessment and review of all of the efforts made to date. In this regard, it is vital to stress the importance of integrating the developing countries in the international economy and to strengthen international economic cooperation, because this is one of the most complex issues confronting us at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Globalization is leading to crises and facing major opposition, for reasons that we believe are quite clear. With the opening of markets, freedom of trade has generated unprecedented wealth in certain areas of the world, but the distribution of this wealth has not been equitable. Globalization has not benefited the poor, so the promise of a better life in developing countries has been generally hard to fulfil.

This is the danger that globalization holds for the poor countries: not only the worsening and domination of their markets but also the abandonment of these countries and the neglect of any improvement to their economic situation.

It is very important to discuss poverty and underdevelopment. The challenge presented by poverty is urgent and vital. It seems that any progress in this area is extremely slow in coming. As to the current economic trends, dozens of countries, representing two thirds of the world's population, still live in conditions of underdevelopment. They cannot make economic progress, participate in the international economy or benefit from modern technology in order to modernize their trade institutions and markets.

We in the developing countries and markets, particularly in Africa -- where less than 1 per cent of the population has access to Internet, compared to 45 per cent in North America -- favour the current high-level dialogue, which would enable the developing countries to be integrated into the world economy and the global information network, thus strengthening the capacities of private and public institutions. The dialogue could enable us to achieve progress in the development of the global economy, taking into account the specific nature and possibilities of the developing countries. It could enable us to create a new world order that should promote trade and development and prosperity for all, especially developing countries.

If we really wish to improve the prevailing situation, and if we wish globalization to become a dynamic and positive force that is available to people, the international community has to introduce radical changes at the national and global levels, changes that should pay special attention to Africa because Africa is the continent most at risk of failure in achieving these objectives.

The Group of 77 and China has been aware of these realities for a long time and it is for this reason that this group, last year in Havana, adopted a bold and ambitious declaration and programme of action to establish a new humanitarian world order that would facilitate the integration of the developing countries into a world economy. The declaration's programme would allow us to achieve our common objectives: a more just and equitable future and the end of underdevelopment and poverty. It would also promote development on an equal footing.

This is the role that embodies our desires and objectives and that we should play at the threshold of the new millennium. We are fully aware that the working plan adopted by the Group of 77 and China last year and the synergy of world politics to achieve our common constructive goals, as personified by the Millennium Declaration of the United Nations last September, can become a positive factor for all peoples of the world. In order to achieve an effective form of partnership, the developing countries need to strengthen international economic cooperation for development through partnership.

In order to be able to achieve this goal, it is a pleasure for me to say that my country is carrying out practical and real measures towards development on the national and global levels. My country is implementing the Havana programme and the United Nations Millennium Declaration of last September. However, whatever happens, without a real worldwide effort, we cannot build true globalization. The northern countries need to enthusiastically and sincerely practice what they have been preaching and promising for several years and try to alter the situation for the poor who have been marginalized for long decades. It is high time to approve and implement new measures in order to alter the sad reality we are witnessing. If developed countries are truly committed to using trade to promote development, they need to formulate serious and specific measures and strengthen them. Let us recall here the upcoming international meetings: the ministerial-level meeting in Doha of the World Trade Organization, the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey and the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg. All these events and conferences could be an opportunity to discuss the possibility of speeding up the process of globalization and partnership. Such a partnership would be more global in character and would try to take up extremely important measures to break down existing barriers, to discuss debt alleviation for the poor countries, to help the developing countries and to commit to honouring the principle of sustainable development. Thus, on all fronts, we observe the importance of pushing forward with a dialogue on the promotion of economic world cooperation for development through partnership, and of enriching and broadening international dialogue in this area.

Allow me to conclude by saying that my country will make every effort to strengthen international economic cooperation for development through partnership and that we will be an active partner within the United Nations family in the various efforts carried out by this family. We are committed to building on the basis of partnership on all levels. We are committed to achieving all the objectives contained in the Havana Declaration and the Millennium Declaration. We wish every success for this dialogue so that it can attain its expected objectives.

Mr. Singhara Na Ayudhaya (Thailand)

Before I begin, please allow me to join my colleagues in expressing on behalf of the Government and people of Thailand our sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the President, the Government and the people of the United States of America, especially to those who have lost their loved ones in the tragic events of 11 September.

I would like to extend my congratulations to the President on his election as President of the fifty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly. I am confident that his leadership and vast experience will undoubtedly guide us to the session's successful conclusion, especially at a time when we are facing an extremely difficult situation. You can rest assured of my delegation's full cooperation towards the success of this meeting.

I wish to associate my delegation with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of Iran, the chairman of the Group of 77 and China.

Globalization is seen today as a process that integrates and democratizes the world's culture, economy, and infrastructure. However, it should not be seen as an inevitable force that is beyond our control. Rather, globalization should be seen as a result of interactions among its key components, such as liberalization, multilateral trade and financial institutions and the policies and decisions of different countries, as well as cooperation among and within the various groupings. More importantly, globalization is driven by the rapid proliferation of information and communication technology.

One of the main challenges we are facing today is how best to handle this ongoing process so that it will fully benefit all of us, especially those developing countries that have limited or no capability to cope with the new reality. In order to maximize the benefits of globalization, countries are required to have sound domestic policies and to improve their domestic capacities, including financial and structural reforms, to keep pace with the globalized world. Indeed, some of us are doing our best in this reform effort. Furthermore, there is also a need to create an enabling international environment. A level playing field alone is not adequate to address the growing disparity or the ever-larger gap between the developed and developing countries. Developing countries need to be assisted in their capacity-building so that they can fully reap the benefits of globalization in such areas as trade, investment, finance and technology. Genuine international economic cooperation and genuine efforts in good faith are needed in this regard.

Thailand recognizes that developing countries can generate economic growth through economic liberalization. However, liberalization must be done in a progressive manner or step by step in accordance with the degree of readiness. Liberalization has to be flexible and take place with due respect to national policy objectives and the level of development of each country. This step-by-step participation is possible and allowed for under both the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization agreements.

Although globalization is a potentially dynamic force for growth and development for developing countries, it can also be a serious threat to vulnerable economies with limited capacity. The recent financial crisis in Asia has vividly illustrated that developing countries that have previously enjoyed rapid economic growth are still not well equipped with crisis management and are vulnerable to world economic fluctuation. In light of this, Thailand supports a comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture that can provide a better mechanism for crisis management and make it more conducive to trade and development for developing countries.

Regional and subregional arrangements can effectively assist developing countries in their efforts to become integrated into the world economy. Hence, the countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations are fully committed and working closely towards economic integration within the region. The Greater Mekong subregion, which includes Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and Yunnan Province of the People's Republic of China, is another subregion in which countries are working together closely to accelerate their development in the framework of the Decade of the Greater Mekong Subregion Development Cooperation. In the larger picture, Thailand also fully supports the strengthening of South-South cooperation in the integration of countries of the South into the world economy.

At the international level, Thailand also has high hopes for the success of the International Conference on Financing for Development to be convened in Monterrey, Mexico, between 18 and 22 March 2002. The main purposes of this International Conference are to address national, international and systemic issues relating to financing for development in a holistic manner in the context of globalization and interdependence; and to address the mobilization of financial resources to reach the goals set by the major United Nations conferences and summits organized during the 1990s, including the Millennium Declaration. In this regard, Thailand wishes to stress that its agenda - which covers six areas, such as foreign direct investment and other private flows, trade, official development assistance and systemic issues - is very important to and will impact on the development and integration of the developing countries into the world economy.

Turning to the second agenda item of this meeting, Thailand believes that information and communication technology plays a vital role in and is part and parcel of the globalization process. Information networks also enhance the efficiency and quality of life by reducing the physical and time barriers. In order to induce people to use information technology, developing countries need to create a sufficient level of telecommunication service that is both reliable and inexpensive, with priority given to the construction of better telecommunication and networking infrastructure.

Thailand recognizes that liberalization in the area of telecommunications is an effective way to achieve higher quality information systems. However, such a process must take place in a progressive manner with due respect for national policy objectives and level of development. The liberalization process should also focus on consumer protection, fair competition, fair pricing, service licensing and stipulation of penalty.

Thailand believes that developing countries should be concerned not only with the number of telecommunication network connections, but also with the number of people who gain access to these connections and the level of their knowledge to make full use of the information and communication technologies. Therefore, communications links should be promoted simultaneously with computer training and human capacity-building in order to ensure maximum usage of the available technology.

Thailand also recognizes that e-government, which involves the digitalization of information and the provision of on-line transaction of public services, is an important impetus for many developing countries in the development of national communication infrastructure. It can significantly help accelerate the integration of a country into the global network. We are thus working towards the enhancement of our capacity in this direction. However, I do believe that many developing countries - indeed, including us - will still need some kind of overseas technical assistance in this area.

Thailand thus shares the wide concern that developing countries are increasingly becoming marginalized by not being able to keep up with the dynamism of technological changes, especially as access to global networks, new information technology and advanced services become the main driving forces of integration into the world economy. Therefore, there must be international cooperation on the transfer of information and communication technology, as well as assistance in human-capacity building in this area. Also needed are research and development initiatives that will help equip developing countries with the needed technological knowledge in order to prevent the further widening of the existing digital divide. In this regard, Thailand fully supports the role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence, especially in the dimension of technology, and the work of the United Nations Information and Communication Technology Task Force that was recently set up. For our part, we will render our full cooperation towards the success of this Task Force and beyond.

Mr. Sharma (Nepal)

Let me first express our deep sympathy and condolences to the United States Government and the American people at the incalculable loss of life and damage to property in the horrible terrorist attacks on United States landmarks on 11 September 2001. Our hearts go out to those who lost their loved ones in the tragedy.

I would like to begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on your well deserved election to lead the world's foremost representative body. My delegation has full confidence in your ability to steer the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly to a successful conclusion.

The high-level dialogue on twin issues of widely shared interest is timely and topical. It provides us a welcome opportunity to put our heads and experiences together to hammer out a global strategy to make globalization and information technology work for all countries and for every man and woman around the planet.

Globalization has failed the poor, as has the information revolution. Here is a stark example. According to the United Nations Development Programme Administrator, some 66 countries are now poorer than they were a decade ago. The gap between the rich and poor has widened tremendously. Clearly, it has coincided with the ascendancy of both globalization and the information revolution.

This regression has thrown us off the moral perch that we take for granted as caring and civilized human beings, and has stricken our conscience and diminished our humanity. We all have been collectively indicted -- those who fell, and those who let them fall off the cliff.

Opponents of globalization are gaining strength. They have a point: globalization is not really global. And the information revolution has come in handy for expanding their network. Opposition to the information revolution may begin to build if it remains exclusive as well. Conscious and coherent efforts, therefore, are essential to make these mutually reinforcing forces inclusive before developing countries are compelled to give up in sheer frustration and desperation.

Promoting the integration of developing countries into the global economy and into the global information network basically entails similar significant measures: building capacity, enhancing access and ensuring fairness and justice.

Developing countries must have the capacity to engage in trade, which is generated through the removal of supply-side constraints. They can increase their exports only if they have products and services to sell, and increase their imports only if their people have incomes to spend. The production of tradable goods and services and creation of incomes require technology and also investment in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors that create jobs and economic opportunities for people.

To attract foreign and domestic investment, poor countries need economic and social infrastructure -- roads, power, communications, markets, quality education, health services and an appropriate legal and institutional framework. Most developing countries cannot create the necessary infrastructure without outside help.

Essentially, the integration of the developing world into the global economy necessitates comprehensive and integrated national development. To get the ball rolling, developing countries will need a substantially enhanced, a front-loaded official development assistance (ODA) package, deeper and wider debt relief and strengthened institutional capacities that can create impetus for investment and trade. But over the last several years, there has been a net decline in ODA flows, particularly to the least developed countries. Nepal appreciates those countries that have met the ODA targets and those that are trying to do so.

The Zedillo Panel has estimated that an additional $50 billion will be needed annually to meet the development goals set out in the Millennium Declaration, the bulk of which will have to come from the North. Far-reaching steps become imperative to raise such resources. Therefore, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in Qatar later this year should launch a genuine development round of negotiations to build the capacity of developing countries to trade as an integral part of national development schemes. The Conference on Financing for Development next year should be used as an opportunity to cement global partnership for the progress of developing countries, with particular focus on the least developed countries in Africa and elsewhere.

It is absolutely crucial for developing countries to enjoy unfettered access to markets up North, as the developed countries do in the South, to sustain their trade and development. We applaud the fact that the European Union has taken a bold first step through the "Everything but arms" scheme for least developed countries, and urge others to follow suit. Letting the least developed countries join the WTO is also necessary for their integration into global trade.

Landlocked developing countries, lacking direct access to sea and having to incur high transit-transport costs, need additional help to overcome these serious bottlenecks hindering their development and to promote integration into the global economy.

Then comes the question of fairness and justice, based on predictable rules of the game. The developing countries have always complained about the new trading regime not providing a level playing field. Protectionism is the bane of free trade, but it is still prevalent, and all the more so in rich counties. For instance, the huge subsidies for agriculture, textile and some other labour-intensive sectors and the tariff and non-tariff walls in the North critically jeopardize the developing world's capacity to compete in rich-country markets. Intellectual property rights must be judiciously used so that the traditional modes of production in poor countries are not jeopardized.

Similarly, to be integrated into the emergent global information network, developing countries will need to have improved national capacities to process and use information. People must have jobs and incomes to be able to afford the necessary hardware and software, roads to transport them to potential users, advanced and reliable telecommunications facilities to which they can connect, education, which is essential if they are to profit from information, a commercially viable market and so on. This cannot be viewed in isolation from a larger national development picture.

Access to information is equally important to integrating the world in an information network. Without the availability of information on the network from government, civil society and the private sector, such innovative concepts as e-government, e-commerce, e-education, tele-medicine, e-research, and so on cannot be possible. Developing countries require know-how and support from outside to put such systems in place and, from within, the evolution of a culture of transparency and openness and willingness to share information.

For developing countries to take substantial advantage of the global information network, they must have room to participate in it meaningfully, particularly in terms of managing information. Control of global information by a few giants, which are further consolidating, hardly helps to create a conducive climate for the South to join and effectively engage in the network.

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Working Group established by the United Nations and the Digital Opportunity Task Force of the Group of 8 are preludes to emerging partnerships to bridge the digital divide. They should seriously look into these critical problems and work out modalities for forging deeper partnerships within and among countries so that developing countries can be integrated into the global information network. The 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development and other relevant forums should also look into the financing and technical cooperation aspects of this issue.

In essence, we are talking about a transformation in our collective attitudes, economies, societies and political relations to give globalization a human face. This calls for vision, statesmanship and political will to work for shared well-being and shared progress. On one level, it is an act of humanity and compassion for advanced countries to help their less privileged counterparts to attain sustainable development. But more important, it will be in the enlightened self-interest of the rich to help their poor brethren so that they do not have to spend their fortune keeping aliens away from their borders and keeping criminals at bay.

Poverty is not the destiny of the South. It is a product of complex social and economic phenomena steeped in history. No country, by choice, wants to remain poor, but not all countries or civilizations have grown simultaneously. That is the principal basis for wider and deeper cooperation across the globe for the common good.

Developing countries seek partnership to help trigger growth in their countries, to create jobs, to improve education and health services and to alleviate poverty. They want to learn how to fish rather than simply being given the fish itself. Those are goals the Millennium Declaration set for us, and here we should not fail our heads of State or Government.

Every crisis spawns opportunity and reinforces resolve. The world is now in an economic slump. Perhaps we can convert it into an opportunity of sorts by putting together a global economic stimulus package capable of making globalization and information technology work for every man and woman around the world.

Mr. Clodumar (Nauru)

I have the honour to speak at this important meeting on behalf of the States members of the Pacific Islands Forum represented at the United Nations. Our group believes that this dialogue is timely, and that it is especially relevant at this unique time as we prepare for next year's global meetings on financing for development and on sustainable development.

We all generally agree that the process of globalization has created significant new opportunities for developing countries to be integrated into the world trading, financial and information systems. At the same time, however, it was known that globalization was likely to pose substantial new challenges for countries through, for instance, the high transitional costs arising from market liberalization. As we have found in our own region, the new opportunities cannot and will not be fully realized unless there is a concomitant creation of constructive mechanisms for the financing and transfer of the requisite knowledge and technology.

In the Asia-Pacific region, globalization remains an enigma. The larger "tiger" economies have indeed benefited, but the gap between the faster-growing and slower-growing economies in the region has widened in nearly all respects. The fear is that the latter risk being further marginalized, the small Pacific island economies in particular, whose long-term development prospects have shown little improvement.

What, then, are the policy options available to the developing world? The reports of the regional commissions compiled in conference room paper 3 outline some general guidelines in dealing with globalization, but it is generally understood that there are no easy answers yet. Whatever global, regional or national strategies are born of meetings such as ours today, it is becoming increasingly obvious that Governments need to devise better policy responses that take more realistic account of their own unique circumstances. This applies particularly to the Pacific subregion, where there is growing recognition of the need to develop and strengthen the interface among economic, environmental and social policies, including the challenges imposed by the greater vulnerability that globalization has brought to our countries.

The 1994 Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States drew the world's attention to the problems facing small island States; if anything, those problems have increased in both intensity and urgency. Because of small country size and remoteness, an overemphasis on public-sector-led development strategies and gaps in technological capabilities, the Pacific islands in particular face special difficulties in making the globalization transition. Adjustment to the external trade regime and the sequencing of changes in our economies will therefore take time and careful planning. To that end, clear signals about the direction of domestic trade and regulatory policies are needed to guide the process and to attract new investment. For our part, we are learning the importance of subregional cooperation and solidarity in allowing for relative efficiency and economies of scale, which has perhaps been one of the bright spots in our experience so far.

While the world works to develop and implement effective strategies to address development and globalization, we must keep in mind the need to apply the general principles of country ownership, participation, partnership and a holistic approach to diagnosis and policy development to the special characteristics of marginalized economies. Much of this vernacular has been adopted by development agencies, but Governments and the private sector need to commit to such a model also, through both advocacy and the provision of technical assistance. For the small economies of the Pacific region, specific issues might include: taking appropriate account of the special circumstances of small island developing States and ensuring that any graduation from least developed country status is not premature; ensuring the provision of policy advice and technical assistance with regard to trade and investment; sharpening of advocacy roles and pursuing commitments from the United Nations system and others to include vulnerability as an additional criterion in determining treatment of small States on issues such as graduation, aid flows, development strategies and investment; and, very important, supporting private sector development, especially in terms of education and training, creating improved regulatory frameworks and infrastructure development, and in terms of the policies and investments needed to exploit the opportunities that information and communications technology (ICT) can bring.

In this respect, our Group acknowledges the pledge made by the Japanese Government at the Millennium Summit of a $15 billion commitment to the task of bridging the digital divide. We keenly await confirmation of the mechanisms for our countries to effectively participate in such fruitful and constructive offers.

Sustainable development is important to us, but we are discovering that the emerging tools to promote it are equally important. The opportunities that information technology and electronic commerce can bring to small isolated States suggest that these technologies can be a major source of help both in our development and in our integration into the global economy.

But we need assistance in understanding and using these new tools. We also need assistance in the dissemination of these technologies throughout our various sectors, both public and private, and, most importantly, within our educational institutions. The digital divide must be bridged in a constructive manner.

Finally, while the ongoing process of globalization may be beyond our control, ultimately the degree of our subregion's future integration will depend on our efforts and resolve. But to assist the small economies of the Pacific in pursuing the twin goals of global integration and sustainable development, the international community must offer both encouragement and support in our endeavours, and in doing so help make globalization a positive force for all.

Mr. Rosenthal (Guatemala)

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