General Assembly Session 61 meeting 28

The President

If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the report of the Fifth Committee that is before the Assembly today.

The President

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendation of the Fifth Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records.

May I remind members that under paragraph 7 of decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that

"When the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, i.e., either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation's vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee."

May I remind delegations that, also in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes.

Before we begin to take action on the recommendation contained in the report of the Fifth Committee, I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take a decision in the same manner as was done in the Fifth Committee.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Fifth Committee in paragraph 6 of its report. The Fifth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The President

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 122.

The President

The General Assembly meets today to discuss three interrelated agenda items -- namely, agenda item 48, "2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa"; agenda item 62 (a): "New Partnership for Africa's Development: progress in implementation and international support"; and finally, agenda item 62 (b): "Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa".

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) marked the first time that an African development framework had emerged as a focal and rallying point for the international community's support for the continent and as a basis for a new partnership. It is an Africa-owned-and-led process that reflects African leaders' common vision and shared commitment to eradicating poverty and to placing their countries, both individually and collectively, on the path to sustainable growth and development.

Its adoption five years ago promised a new socio-economic revival for Africa -- a multi-stakeholder partnership for a region that is still striving to overcome years of conflict, political instability, disease and poor economic performance. Much has been achieved since its adoption; yet, more needs to be done to translate commitments and vision into concrete measures and to build on the momentum generated in 2005, which was designated as the Year of Africa.

The present report on NEPAD (A/61/212) is the fourth consolidated report of the Secretary-General on progress in implementation and international support for NEPAD. It is encouraging to note that the report recognizes progress in the key priority areas of NEPAD, ranging from infrastructure to information and communication technologies, to education and health, environment, agriculture, science and technology, gender mainstreaming and the African Peer Review Mechanism. The report reflects the recognition of the progress made since last year, but it also underlines the importance of undertaking policy measures to accelerate its implementation.

The report of the World Health Organization (WHO) before the Assembly today (A/61/218) states that malaria remains largely a killer of children and poor people and continues to threaten the lives of at least 3 billion people in 107 countries and territories. Each year, more than 500 million people suffer from acute malaria, resulting in the loss of over a million lives, 86 per cent of which occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

It saddens me to say that at least 3,000 children die from malaria every day, mostly in Africa. International efforts since the beginning of the decade have faced some serious obstacles and setbacks. However, with the establishment of the WHO Global Malaria Programme at the beginning of 2006, providing a cohesive and strengthened response to the needs of malaria-endemic Member States, and the launching in February of the WHO guidelines for the treatment of malaria, some hopeful signs have emerged.

Lastly, we have before us today the report entitled "Implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa" (A/61/213). The report notes that, while steady progress is being made in preventing, managing and resolving conflict and in building and consolidating peace, increased and concerted action is needed to prevent simmering crises from escalating and to ensure that the hard-won peace in countries emerging from conflict becomes irreversible.

I fully concur with the Secretary-General that peace agreements must involve a broader group of national stakeholders and go beyond political and security issues by considering critical economic dimensions at an early stage. Peace agreements that committed all signatory parties to genuinely addressing the need for transparent natural resource and revenue management mechanisms, equitable distribution of resources, poverty eradication and anticorruption measures would lead to earlier and more sustainable peace dividends for the population and thereby reduce the likelihood of the recurrence of conflict.

I am convinced that the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, whose Fund was launched yesterday, will ensure that countries do not face a shortfall in assistance and prevent them from lapsing into major conflict. The report also directs our attention to the relationship between conflict and natural resources, the impact of youth unemployment on conflict and the challenges of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, all of which are cross-cutting issues requiring our sustained engagement.

I concur with the report where it states that the achievement of a conflict-free Africa by 2010 will require greater political will and increased technical and financial assistance to African countries, regional organizations and civil society.

Conflicts, disease and poor economic growth have hindered many African countries for decades and have hampered the region's quest for a durable peace and sustainable development. The adoption of NEPAD five years ago provided the framework for a better future, but as the Secretary-General states in his report, greater efforts are required to effectively address the obstacles that hinder progress -- youth unemployment, the devastating social, economic and political impact of HIV/AIDS, the illicit exploitation of natural resources and the illegal flows of small arms. We need to tackle, in a coherent manner, these obstacles in order to achieve tangible and sustainable results.

Mr. Kumalo (South Africa)

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, we wish to thank the Secretary-General for his three reports on the items we are discussing today: the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.

Five years ago, African heads of State and Government signed the Abuja Declaration and Plan of Action that committed African countries to reaching specific targets on malaria prevention and control by 2005. Although much progress has been made in the fight against malaria, major interventions are still needed. Last year, malaria claimed more than a million lives worldwide, 90 per cent of which were African and mostly children. It is quite clear that combating malaria can only be achieved if there is concerted and coordinated action among all stakeholders to fully implement all commitments that have been made on combating malaria in all the outcomes of all the major conferences and summits.

We call upon the international community to continue supporting the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and through country-led initiatives to create conditions for full access to insecticide-treated mosquito nets, insecticides for indoor residual spraying for malaria control and effective antimalarial combination treatments, including through the free distribution of antimalarial mosquito nets, where appropriate.

In the 2005 World Summit Outcome heads of State and Government categorically stated that Africa was the only continent not on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. This was once again reiterated in the development follow-up resolution (resolution 60/265), which emphasized that vigorous implementation of all development commitments was needed without delay, and in particular the promises that have been made in support of Africa.

If we are to succeed in eradicating poverty and hunger in Africa, urgent and concerted action by developed countries and the international community is needed. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China reiterates that the main challenge remaining for the development of Africa is the full implementation of a truly global partnership for development. It has become clear that, despite all the actions and commitments by African countries, the main constraint to African development remains the lack of adequate resources.

Much has been achieved in Africa since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration in 2000. NEPAD, a programme of the African Union, is now five years old. The key NEPAD principles are African ownership in the promotion of socio-economic development, the advancement of democracy, human rights and good governance. Through NEPAD, African leaders have taken ownership and leadership of the continent's socio-economic renewal agenda and transformed the content of the development agenda.

The NEPAD policies and priorities have become an acceptable internationally approved framework for Africa's development. Through NEPAD, African leaders have therefore fundamentally changed the development paradigm. The narrow approach of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers has been expanded to include a comprehensive and holistic approach to development through African ownership. In fact, most African countries now have their own national development strategies.

Despite efforts in implementing NEPAD, Africa is still far from realizing the levels of support required under this partnership. While we welcome the support provided by international partners and the United Nations in particular, much needs to be done.

The Group of 77 and China is of the view that resources must be mobilized for African States, the Regional Economic Communities and the African Union (AU), in order to support efforts aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals within the framework of national development programmes and the implementation of the NEPAD programme. We have taken note of the innovative approaches that have been developed in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Development Programme and the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa regarding funding and project implementation of priority areas for NEPAD.

We are pleased that United Nations agencies have been organized into various clusters in line with NEPAD priority areas as a way to increase coordination and cooperation in their work relating to NEPAD. In addition, a number of these agencies are playing a critical role in supporting the work of NEPAD, especially in areas such as agriculture, trade and market access, infrastructural development and science and technology, among others. However, we still urge the United Nations to mainstream NEPAD into all its normative and operational activities.

On the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, the AU has made substantial progress in conflict prevention on the continent. One of the key changes is the way in which Africans, through the AU, are leading the resolution of conflicts and managing peace building by providing strong leadership from within. This African ownership in resolving African conflicts has produced remarkable results.

The AU has created mechanisms that are instrumental in the resolution of conflicts and the promotion of durable peace on the continent. They include the Peace and Security Council whose decisions are binding on all AU members, Economic, Social and Cultural Council, and a Pan-African Parliament, with representatives from all AU member States. The African Peer Review Mechanism has started reviewing best practices in several African countries as a way to strengthen and consolidate democracy and sustainable development on the continent.

The Group of 77 and China reiterates that the main challenges remaining for the development of Africa concern the full implementation of a truly global, equitable partnership for development through the international community honouring its commitments. We call on developed countries and the international community at large to honour their commitments to support African development by launching, in 2007, concrete programmes of action aimed at fully implementing all the commitments made in the Millennium Declaration, the World Summit Outcome and the development follow-up resolution (resolution 60/265).

Mr. Huimasalo (Finland)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The acceding countries Bulgaria and Romania, the candidate countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as Ukraine and Moldova, align themselves with this statement.

First of all, the EU wishes to congratulate its African partners on the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). As in previous years, the EU welcomes today's debate on Africa in the General Assembly. Likewise, the EU welcomes the opportunity to address three key items: NEPAD, peace and security aspects, and the fight against malaria on the African continent.

Africa is at the heart of the European Union's development policy. Our partnership with Africa is strong and lasting. The EU continues to support the NEPAD initiative, which forms an important part of the partnership between the international community and African nations.

One of the most significant results of NEPAD activities is the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The EU is pleased to note that 25 countries have so far acceded to the Review Mechanism. South Africa completed its self-assessment, and the African Peer Review panel undertook a review mission there in July 2006. So far three countries -- Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya -- have completed the peer review process, and their country review reports have been considered by the African Peer Review forum. The Review Mechanism has encouraged countries to adopt policy measures to strengthen accountability and transparency. It will be essential to monitor how the recommendations of the reviews are translated into policy measures on the ground.

The sixth African Governance Forum on the theme "Implementing the APRM: Challenges and Opportunities", held in Kigali in May 2006, has given needed publicity to the Review Mechanism. It also delivered important messages about the need for flexibility within the APRM process to facilitate and speed up implementation, and the need for countries to mainstream APRM commitments into their national plans. The completion of the peer review by some pioneer countries provides a good example for others to follow and shows a strong commitment by the African Governments to move forward with this element within NEPAD.

The progress report by the Secretary-General (A/61/212) indicates that African Governments and regional organizations have achieved significant results within the framework of NEPAD. The EU concurs with this positive assessment. At the same time, analysis has shown that the contribution of civil society, and particularly that of the private sector, to the implementation of the priority projects of NEPAD has not been fully satisfactory. The EU believes that promoting African ownership and engagement within the productive sectors of society should be regarded as a key challenge for the implementation of NEPAD. To this end, a wider and deeper awareness should be raised among the business community, both inside the continent and beyond, regarding existing opportunities and economic dividends of NEPAD.

The EU will continue strengthening its relationships with Africa within the framework of the comprehensive EU Strategy on Africa, which was adopted by the European Council in 2005. In the course of next year this unilateral agreement will be transformed into a joint African strategy in close cooperation with African partners.

The primary aim of the Strategy is the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, with a key focus on sustainable development, security and good governance in Africa. Efforts will be made to enhance coordination and cooperation with the African Union (AU), subregional African organizations and other international partners, while respecting the principles of African ownership.

The EU is committed to support Africa's efforts to consolidate peace, democracy and human rights on the African continent. Successful development in Africa also requires adherence to human rights, democratic principles and the rule of effective, well-governed States, and strong and efficient institutions. The EU Strategy identifies good and effective governance as a prerequisite for development. Good governance not only encompasses the fight against corruption, but also includes political, economic, social and environmental governance. As a positive example of economic governance, the World Bank report entitled "Doing Business 2007" refers to Tanzania and Ghana as recent reformers that have succeeded in creating business-friendly environments.

Good governance should be agreed, not imposed. Africa has demonstrated signs of positive change in the area of governance in the framework of the above-mentioned African Peer Review Mechanism. The EU supports, both politically and financially, this process in the context of its Governance Initiative. In addition to good governance, sound development requires adherence to human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law, as well as a commitment to strong and effective institutions.

The EU has recently launched the Infrastructure Initiative. It has led to the establishment of an Infrastructure Trust Fund, the key objective of which is to respond to the regional and continental infrastructure deficit. Through the Trust Fund, the EU will support Africa's efforts to identify and address missing links in existing networks, harmonize transport policies, develop integrated water management, develop cross-border and regional energy infrastructure and promote efforts to bridge the digital divide.

Without peace there can be no lasting development. Without African leadership to end Africa's conflicts there can be no lasting peace. The EU works with the AU, subregional organizations and African countries to predict, prevent and mediate conflicts, including by addressing the root causes. Key in this regard is assistance in developing the AU's African peace and security architecture, including the African Standby Force.

In sub-Saharan Africa, many peace agreements have been secured after close cooperation among the United Nations, the AU and the EU. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the EU remains fully involved by continuing its active support of the electoral process. The EU looks forward to the orderly and peaceful conclusion of the process, which will be paving the way for legitimate and democratically elected institutions in expression of the full sovereignty of the Congolese people. On the basis of a successful conclusion of the elections, the EU remains committed to cooperating with the newly elected Government in promoting both short-term reconstruction and rehabilitation needs, as well as long-term efforts for sustainable development, taking into account the principles of good governance.

The European Union expresses its deep concern about the constant deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur and condemns the continuing violations of the ceasefire, in particular, the violence directed at the civilian population and providers of humanitarian assistance. The EU supports the efforts of the United Nations and other partners in the planning for a transition from the deployment of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in Darfur to the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. The EU strongly urges the Sudanese Government to give its consent to such an operation. The EU underlines its deep concern at the potential negative impact of a continuing conflict in Darfur on the rest of the Sudan and in the wider region.

The EU welcomes the increased role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy and reiterates its support for the World Summit Outcome conclusion that each individual State has the responsibility to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The central responsibility rests within countries themselves and no external efforts as regards prevention will be of use unless the State and its population agree on their importance and have a will to address the issues in question.

The European Union is fully engaged in post-conflict construction in Africa and supports, in particular, the newly established United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. The Commission, along with the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Peacebuilding Fund, is a key achievement of the United Nations reform process launched by the World Summit. The Peacebuilding Commission provides a much-needed forum for the coordination of efforts by all actors in peacebuilding to ensure coherence in the security, development, human and political aspects of peacebuilding. The EU has for many years provided considerable input for peacebuilding activities in Africa and elsewhere in the world and is ready to continue its commitments by actively supporting the work of the Peacebuilding Commission in two African countries, Burundi and Sierra Leone.

The EU understands the importance of integrating a gender perspective into conflict prevention. Urgent preventive measures should be developed, especially in relation to gender-based violence in conflicts. Mechanisms for prevention against and protection from gender-based violence need to be well planned in advance and included in interagency contingency plans and strategies.

The EU also supports the strengthening of fragile States, as well as programmes for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and for security sector reform in African States.

Recognizing the fact that natural resources can be instrumental to the continuation of conflicts, the EU welcomed the outcome in June this year of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Natural Resources and Conflict in Africa.

Migration issues are an integral part of development. Over the last few years, the EU has been moving towards a holistic approach to migration, taking into full consideration the relationship of migration with development. Europeans and Africans adopted a political declaration and an action plan at the Euro-African regional Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development, held last July in Rabat. Preparations are under way for another conference on the subject, scheduled for Tripoli in November.

Health is at the core of development. It is a key element in reducing poverty and in promoting human security. The Abuja commitment of African leaders aiming at increased health sector financing is a clear recognition of that fact. After many years of impressive gains in human health worldwide, we are now in a situation where countries are unable to cope with the burden of disease imposed on their health systems. That is due to inherent weaknesses in national health systems, unpredictable and uneven funding and the dire lack of skilled human resources. Moreover, without skilled and motivated health personnel, any health sector intervention is bound to fail. The EU is presently preparing an action plan to address the crisis in human resources for health.

The global efforts to roll back malaria highlight many of the key weaknesses and possibilities for the health sector. Even though malaria is a global problem, it particularly concerns Africa, with a disproportional effect on poor people and taking a specific toll on women and children.

The EU welcomes the World Health Organization (WHO) report on the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa (A/61/218 and Corr.1). The facts given in the report are a cause of concern. We would especially like to draw attention to the need to support the WHO in its role to ensure adherence to evidence-based malaria policies and strategies and the necessity to harmonize activities at the country level. Malaria-specific interventions need to be accompanied by simultaneous strengthening of health systems as well as by supporting actors outside the public health care system. We must therefore reaffirm our commitment to work with African countries to scale up malaria control interventions and reduce the burden of this disease.

The EU will also support endeavours to ensure access to antimalaria drugs. Along with attempts to stimulate research and development, to lower prices of new drugs and to enhance procurement and distribution, it is also crucial to closely monitor the impact of new treatments and problems of drug resistance and to strengthen community knowledge, including by encouraging proper use of insecticide-treated bed nets and other preventive and awareness-enhancing measures.

HIV/AIDS also continues to pose immense challenges to health systems everywhere and especially in Africa. The EU will support the "treat, train and retain" initiative, which attempts to bring together HIV/AIDS and health systems challenges, for which there is clearly an urgent need.

Let me conclude by saying that, above all, Africa needs peace and stability. The European Union's commitment to Africa results from our belief that the promotion of peace and sustainable development in Africa constitutes one of the key challenges to the international community today. Our relationship with Africa is conducted in a spirit of equal partnership and is based on a firm, shared commitment to democracy, the promotion of human rights, good governance and respect for the rule of law, as well as to mutual respect and accountability. In all its endeavours, the EU continues to honour this commitment.

Ms. Rouse (Grenada)

At the outset, permit me to congratulate you, Madam President, on the sentiments conveyed in your statement, which serves as a useful guide to our deliberations this morning. I am honoured to join in today's debate on agenda item 62 (a), entitled "New Partnership for Africa's Development: progress in implementation and international support", on behalf of the member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CARICOM fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The Caribbean Community shares a special kinship with Africa and its developmental process. We share a sense of common historical experience, a common descent and identity. I make particular reference to efforts to build on this kinship with the hosting in Kingston of the 2005 Caribbean Diaspora Conference, in collaboration with the African Union and the Government of South Africa. The Conference was specifically designed to create linkages between Africa and the diaspora and to initiate a dialogue on common challenges. It was also aimed at strengthening partnerships and cooperation between the peoples of the two regions and establishing mechanisms for building stronger political and economic relations between Africa and the Caribbean for our mutual benefit.

CARICOM is pleased, therefore, to note the contents of the Secretary-General's fourth consolidated report (A/61/212), five years after the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). We also take note of the second report of the Secretary-General's Advisory Panel on International Support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (A/61/138) and commend the Chairman and members of the Panel for their contribution. We welcome the progress made by African leaders to implement NEPAD and the support committed by the international community. We see a great future ahead for Africa, socially, economically and politically.

CARICOM welcomes progress made in key priority areas of NEPAD. The year 2006 has seen a positive start to delivery on commitments by the international community. Much has been achieved with infrastructural development, and we commend the efforts of cooperation between the NEPAD secretariat and the African Development Bank in implementing several important projects. With the increase in global activity, CARICOM applauds the establishment of the NEPAD e-schools initiative, with the e-Africa Commission. Involvement of the private sector is also commendable, and we call for continued cooperation among the various sectors in order to achieve this important NEPAD objective.

CARICOM also welcomes the initiatives taken by the G8 countries and countries of the South to deliver on the promises made with respect to Africa's continued development. CARICOM is in total agreement with the view that partnership is the key element in NEPAD implementation. The theme chosen for the Assembly's general debate this year -- "Implementing a Global Partnership for Development" -- could not be more timely.

NEPAD has become known worldwide, and apart from the United Nations system, several other international and private sector organizations have been able to identify with NEPAD, which augurs well for the future of the initiative. CARICOM has taken note of progress in the area of education, environmental sustainability, agricultural initiatives, scientific and technological advancement, the strengthening of health systems, gender mainstreaming and civil society participation, among other areas. Several of these programmes are now ready to be implemented, and we encourage NEPAD leaders in their efforts to put into place institutional arrangements to accelerate implementation.

CARICOM is well aware that there are several constraints and mitigating factors that may hinder implementation in some areas. Recent developments with respect to international trade, growing security concerns and new political and economic realities continue to face us in all regions of the world. For Africa, this has proven to be particularly challenging. The international community has a significant role to play and a promise to keep in support of the African leaders' common vision and shared commitment to eradicating poverty on the continent. We therefore underscore the need to give Africa the necessary resources, including through increased official development aid and technical assistance in support of the implementation of NEPAD.

The United Nations system also plays a critical role in this regard, and we therefore welcome ongoing efforts to improve coordination of United Nations work in support of NEPAD.

CARICOM stands ready and willing to assist Africa through this process as we grapple with our own integration process. We are confident that we can share in achievements and lessons learned, and together we can join with our global partners to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and make this world a better place for all humanity.

Mr. Gatan (Philippines)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. ASEAN aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

It is very encouraging to note the vocabulary and tone of the Secretary-General's progress report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/61/213), which underscores development momentum in the region and the reduction of conflict. However, the report also notes the potential for relapse. Furthermore, the fact that some situations in the region have worsened points to the need for deeper understanding of the root causes of conflict. Available insight appears to be insufficient to anticipate and prevent violent outbreaks that would hinder development and effectively suspend implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

There is no denying that NEPAD can play and is playing a vital role in transforming the political culture of its member States. To achieve such transformation, however, requires the full participation of all stakeholders. In addition, technical and financial assistance is required to ensure that its political agenda is realized. That requires adequate and predictable funding from both domestic and international sources. In particular, NEPAD's Peer Review Mechanism is an innovative and effective instrument for the promotion of democracy. The Secretary-General's report assures us that the African Peer Review Mechanism is enjoying some measure of success.

A strong NEPAD will contribute to conflict resolution, because it recognizes the dangers of war. Conflict is a hindrance to sustainable development because it disrupts and destabilizes the economic environment. Development depends upon and thrives in conditions of peace. The inability to forecast the likely outcome of investments will make such activity a difficult exercise because sudden destruction threatens everything, including human lives.

But there are known strategies for reducing and eliminating the possibility of war. The Secretary-General's report is correct in asserting that decent employment and access to productive resources can prevent the recurrence of conflict. On that basis, better policies must be implemented to stimulate strong economic growth and give people, especially young people, the assurance of a brighter tomorrow.

While the primary responsibility for these changes rests with Africa's leadership, international support is vital for success in these endeavours -- pledges and commitments should be fulfilled. There must be greater flow of financing for development and the strength of Africa's export capacity must be built up through genuinely free and fair international trade. Aid for trade has a key role to play in this regard.

South-South cooperation complements North-South relations and forms an integral part of international support. In particular, two sources attract attention: the Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC) in Jakarta and the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership.

Over the period 2001 to 2006, the Centre, which was established by Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam in 1995, implemented 28 programmes that benefited close to 800 individuals from 84 developing countries, including countries from Africa, and 23 international institutions. The programmes involved exchange and dissemination of development experience as well as technical assistance and training and were designed to make developing economies more broad-based, efficient and resilient.

In the meantime, the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership, inaugurated in 2005 and co-chaired by South Africa and Indonesia, follows a road map covering three areas of cooperation -- political, economic and socio-cultural. In this regard, concrete activities are being pursued in the areas of capacity-building, environmental law and policy, preservation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge and the development of small and medium enterprises among others.

Furthermore, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have also sought to strengthen trade as well as people-to-people links. They have done so particularly within the context of their cooperation programmes.

In conclusion, preserving the peace and prosperity of their nations is an ideal worth pursuing by Africa's leadership for the good of the continent and its peoples. The common good must always be treated as paramount.

Ms. Rebello (India)

We thank the Secretary-General for his fourth consolidated report on the progress in implementation and international support of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and other reports prepared for this joint debate. We associate ourselves with the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77.

India has consistently identified with the aspirations of the peoples of Africa and has maintained long-standing political relations with the countries of that continent. It was in South Africa that Mahatma Gandhi forged the political weapon of "Satyagraha", which means non-violent struggle or passive resistance. His exposure to injustice in Africa transformed an urbane lawyer into an icon for the peaceful and non-violent struggle that evolved into India's struggle for independence. South African President Thabo Mbeki described Mahatma Gandhi as "the beloved son of South Africa" at the centenary celebrations of the launching of the Satyagraha movement in South Africa.

India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, speaking at the Afro-Asian Conference at Bandung in 1955, described Asia and Africa as sister continents. Like the countries of Africa, India suffered the burdens of colonial domination, economic exploitation and racial discrimination. Even though our own deprivation was considerable, we realized that Africa's tribulations were even greater. India has, therefore, always been a strong and consistent voice in support of Africa at the United Nations and elsewhere.

It is our firm conviction that success in achieving the objectives of NEPAD depends on an African-led and African-developed agenda. With the rich human and natural resources available to Africa, and the commitment of Africa's leaders to achieving the objectives of NEPAD, success can be achieved if NEPAD receives the dedicated support of the international community in realizing the African dream.

The report of the Secretary-General (A/61/212) provides details of the progress made in the various priority areas of NEPAD and analyses the response of the international community in support of NEPAD. The report states that while the past year has witnessed a promising start to delivery on commitments, progress has been more marked on debt relief than on official development assistance (ODA) and trade.

It is heartening that the trend of significant increases in ODA to Africa continued in 2004 and 2005. However, much of the increase in 2005 was on account of huge debt write-offs. The report states that a massive collective increase in ODA is required in 2006 and thereafter in order to meet the 2010 commitments, but that the level of increase is not nearly fast enough to deliver on the pledges made at the Gleneagles Group of Eight (G8) Summit in 2005. The report adds that the observed increase continues to take the form of emergency aid, debt relief and technical assistance.

The Secretary-General's report acknowledges that the substantial progress over the last twelve months in debt relief makes this an area in which the G8 countries have kept their commitments. We would emphasize here that the multilateral debt relief initiative of donor countries should include a commitment to provide additional resources to the international financial institutions to ensure that debt forgiveness does not erode their financial capacity.

Reports on Africa have emphasized that aid should be released in predictable tranches over a long-term period and should be focused on enabling African economies to produce a broad range of goods and to create more jobs. For the success of the international community's current focus on the special needs of Africa and in order to avoid the damage done to African countries through the austerity measures brought in by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through the imposition of structural adjustment programmes in the past, African countries should be allowed to implement their national development policies with national ownership and policy space, instead of with an imposition of intrusive policy conditionalities.

While ODA and debt relief can ease financial burdens, especially in highly indebted countries in Africa, sustained economic growth requires long-term measures, especially in the area of trade. The report of the Secretary-General recommends that initiatives such as aid for trade must complement and not replace efforts to improve market access for African exports and strengthen Africa's participation in world trade.

In this context, the suspension of the Doha Trade Round is a cause for concern. Early resumption of the trade talks, along with adherence to the existing mandate -- that is, the mandate of the Doha Declaration, the July Framework and the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration -- is an absolute imperative. The report of the Secretary-General recalls that, at the Hong Kong Ministerial trade talks, agreement was reached to eliminate export subsidies by developed countries on cotton in 2006 and to end all forms of agricultural export subsidies by the end of 2013, with a substantial portion to be lifted as early as 2010. The report also points out that export subsidies represent only a small share of the support given to agriculture in countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Much of the support is in the form of trade-distorting domestic price support and agricultural tariffs. Failure to resume the Doha Round of trade talks has negative implications on the food security, livelihood security and rural development of a large number of poor and marginal farmers in developing countries, especially those engaged in subsistence farming.

The report of the Secretary-General highlights India's cooperation with NEPAD as part of South-South cooperation. It also highlights the projects being undertaken by India in infrastructure, information technologies and other areas, through the Techno-Economic Approach for Africa-India Movement, or TEAM-9. In addition, India is engaged in several other bilateral initiatives in a number of African countries, as well as a pan-Africa e-connectivity mission.

India has shared its expertise in sectors such as infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, health care and information technologies, among others, with the aim of building capacity and technology transfer for the benefit of African countries. The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation scheme, which provides training programmes to over 150 countries, including most African countries, has been running since 1954, providing scholarships to African students interested in studying in India and sending Indian experts to Africa for training.

Ms. Rebello (India)

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