General Assembly Session 63 meeting 26

The President

Members will recall that the Assembly held its high-level meeting on the theme "Africa's development needs: state of implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward" under agenda item 57 at the 3rd and 4th plenary meetings, on 22 September 2008.

The President

Before we hear from speakers in the debate, I would like to reiterate my mantra, which the General Assembly is coming to know well, namely, that we are now deep into a global economic crisis and that we must reinforce our efforts to protect our dear brothers international community in our support for their development. As the global financial crisis deepens, so does my concern that our commitments may be undone. That would be an unforgivable reversal and bring shame on all of us. While it is understandable that political concerns and financial constraints at home might make us waiver, we must keep in mind that this planet is our home and that Africans are our brothers and sisters. We cannot, as so often in the past, look away.

It is unpopular for politicians to say such things, but we have reached a point when real belt-tightening, and even painful sacrifices, are required. It is also necessary that those sacrifices be shared by all of us without exception.

During the general debate we had an opportunity to hold a high-level debate on Africa's development needs and reviewed the status of implementation of various commitments. I was heartened by the declarations of world leaders, who often passionately appealed to all of us to deliver despite the darkening horizon. By the time we meet at Doha at the end of November to consider financing for development, the full brunt of the financial storm will be upon us. Let us take every opportunity, including our review today of the encouraging progress being made within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, to reiterate our solidarity and determination to weather that storm together.

Mr. Olago Owuor (Kenya)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the African Group. The African Group associates itself with the statement to be made by the representative of Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The African Group is also thankful to the Secretary-General for his submission of the two reports (A/63/206 and A/63/212) under consideration under sub-items (a) and (b) of agenda item 57, entitled, respectively, "New Partnership for Africa's Development: progress in implementation and international support" and "Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa", as well as for his note (A/63/219) submitted under agenda item 43, entitled, "2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa". However, we wish to note that the world has changed significantly since the publication of those reports owing to dynamics in the global economy, particularly the current financial crisis in developed countries.

In that context, the African Group welcomed the adoption of the political declaration on Africa's development needs by heads of State or Government on 22 September 2008. The declaration is a clear undertaking at the highest political level to strengthen support for the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which is Africa's overarching framework for sustainable socio-economic development. It is also important to point out that the declaration came at a time when all economic indicators showed that globalization and the global partnership for Africa's development had yet to deliver Africa's poor from dehumanizing poverty and hunger.

Furthermore, the international community undertook to reinvigorate and strengthen the global partnership of equals based on our common values, mutual accountability, shared responsibility and the determination to collectively act for our common future and to mobilize the resources required to eradicate poverty, hunger and underdevelopment in Africa. We believe that the main objective of that undertaking is to turn existing commitments into concrete actions.

It is important to see Africa's development against the backdrop of the weakened global economy resulting from the energy crisis, food and oil price rises and the current financial crisis in developed countries. They are contributing to the adverse impact on growth and the economic prospects of all African economies, with the potential for severe consequences for the least developed countries in the continent.

The evident slowdown in global growth, the danger posed by the current high commodity prices and the possibility of entrenched long-term effects, the diminished access to finance for investment and the erosion of the balance of payments positions of many countries threaten to undermine the policy gains we have made over the past decade. That is likely to push millions across the African continent over the poverty line.

In view of the foregoing, Africa's growth is projected to slow down in 2008. The growth outlook for Africa may worsen if the global economy experiences a protracted slowdown. It is therefore essential that the international community's policy actions be aimed at supporting NEPAD's objectives of improving economic infrastructure and creating an enabling environment for investment and growth.

Through NEPAD, African leaders have committed themselves to consolidating democracy and good governance and to implementing sustainable socio-economic development programmes. NEPAD adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the centrepiece of Africa's development agenda. The United Nations system as a whole is mandated to coordinate programmes of action on the continent within the framework established by NEPAD. At the country level, the MDGs also inform the framework for national policy and planning. The Africa Peer Review Mechanism is being rolled out, providing a framework for sharing best practices on the continent. Assistance and support from the donor community are important for the long-term success of NEPAD.

Recent reports suggest that Africa is off-track in meeting the targets set by the MDGs. Africa's achievement of the MDGs will require rising above current crises and taking proactive action to substantially accelerate progress. There is an urgent need to scale up support to African countries to enable them to achieve the MDGs. Action is especially needed to identify precise areas of need in accordance with Africa's own development strategies. Commitments must continue to be translated into concrete action, in particular in the areas of development and poverty eradication. In that respect the report of the MDG Steering Group provides recommendations on how the challenges of achieving the MDGs can be met.

We take note of the Secretary-General's progress report on the implementation of the recommendations on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/63/212). The causes of conflict in Africa are many. They include extreme poverty, weak State institutions, poor management of natural resources, failure to protect fundamental human rights and increased threats related to climate change.

The African Union has pledged to address conflict and political instability in Africa, with the aim of achieving a conflict-free Africa by 2010. The African Union Peace and Security Council continues to play an important role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts in the continent. We therefore welcome efforts by the United Nations to collaborate with the African Union with a view to building and enhancing the Union's peacekeeping capacity.

The African Union endeavours to address the challenges facing member States emerging from conflict. Post-conflict reconstruction and development are among the tools of the African Union designed to curb the severity and repeated nature of conflicts in Africa and to bring about sustainable development. The African Union's post-conflict reconstruction and development also endeavour to complement the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission's work in identifying States that are at risk of becoming failed States by providing timely help to such States and peoples, and hence contribute towards lowering the rate at which war-torn countries may relapse into conflict. Post-conflict reconstruction and development stress the long-term nature of post-conflict reconstruction strategies that are established within and by communities and States themselves.

The African Group commends the Secretary-General for transmitting to the Assembly the comprehensive report by the World Health Organization on the efforts to contain and reverse the spread of malaria in Africa (A/63/219). Since the beginning of the Decade to Roll Back Malaria, we have witnessed significant progress by the international community and African Governments themselves. The partnerships have been broadened and have involved all stakeholders and concerned communities. Special thanks go to development partners for their continued support in that regard.

The United Nations, together with the international community, needs to display unequivocal political will to operationalize and implement the commitments made to enhance the global partnership for Africa's development. It is important that, in accordance with the political declaration on Africa's development needs, the United Nations should formulate, by the Assembly's sixty-fifth session, a monitoring mechanism to review the implementation of all commitments related to Africa's development, building on existing mechanisms, in order to ensure that Member States continue to be seized with addressing Africa's special needs. That is essential if the United Nations is to fulfil its mandate to achieve an equitable, integrated, coordinated and comprehensive approach to the global partnership for Africa's development to create a better life for the millions of people in Africa. That is the least we can expect from the United Nations, and indeed from all of us.

Mr. Delacroix (France)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The candidate countries of Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; the potential candidates and members of the Stabilization and Association Process Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia; and Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

As you have requested, Mr. President, my statement will address both agenda item 57, regarding the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and agenda item 43, on the fight against malaria, which primarily pertains to Africa.

Regarding Africa's development, as underscored at the high-level meeting on Africa's development needs, which culminated in the political declaration adopted on 22 September (resolution 63/1), much progress has been achieved, in terms of institutional organization, with the development of the African Union, and in economic terms. Nevertheless, the challenges that the continent still faces remain particularly important. NEPAD, whose ambition is to provide a road map for the renaissance of Africa, is, in our view, a key instrument. We are all committed to contributing actively to its implementation in all its dimensions.

The European Union welcomes the pace of reviews being carried out by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The follow-up to the implementation of action plans developed subsequent to those reviews is of major importance; it will be at the core of the Africa-EU Partnership on Democratic Governance and Human Rights. The concept of equal rights should allow women to participate fully in all aspects of economic, social and political life. In that regard, the European Union supports the current African Union efforts to protect the rights of women and takes note of the proposals submitted by the NEPAD Gender Task Force, which aim to bring about a number of changes to the African Peer Review Mechanism.

NEPAD is also called to reinforce its action, by means of regional integration initiatives, to promote Africa's economic and social development, alongside security and good governance. The European Union has noted the progress, highlighted in the Secretary-General's report (A/63/206), that, with the support of the international community, has been achieved at national and regional levels in numerous areas, including infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, training, the environment, information and communication technologies, science and technology, gender equality, participation by civil society, and the African Peer Review Mechanism. The European Union, in the spirit of partnership, will remain firmly committed to the implementation of NEPAD.

The European Union supports the ongoing efforts to strengthen the cooperation between NEPAD and the African Union. Inter-institutional cooperation is very important among regional organizations, especially between the Commission of the African Union and NEPAD. The European Union notes with great interest and supports the actions undertaken on 10 June in Addis Ababa by Mr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, with a view to better integration between the African Union and NEPAD. The current crises and climate change make consistency in actions between NEPAD and the African Union particularly necessary. Finally, the European Union encourages NEPAD to step up its efforts to combat HIV/AIDS.

The European Union is fully and unambiguously committed to stand by the African continent, as demonstrated by the adoption of the Joint EU-Africa Strategy in Lisbon in December 2007. Today the implementation of that strategy is actively pursued in all areas. The European Union is Africa's principal development partner. Sixty-two per cent of bilateral aid allocated at the regional level by the European Union went to Africa, and the European Union has reaffirmed its complete commitment to Africa.

As stressed in the 2005 World Summit Outcome document (resolution 60/1), development, human rights and peace and security are inextricably linked and inseparable. The search for peace on the African continent is therefore another of the European Union's priorities, as demonstrated by its commitment to help in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peacekeeping and reconstruction. Under the framework of the African Peace Facility, 250 million were transferred to support the African peace and security architecture between 2005 and 2007. The European Union has promised an additional 300 million for the period from 2008 to 2010. The European Union is also ready to help Africa through the European Union force (EUFOR).

The recent adoption of resolution 62/275, on the causes of conflicts and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, has enabled progress. The European Union remains committed to dealing with the causes of conflict and contributing to a lasting peace in Africa.

I would now like to focus my observations on 2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa. At present, malaria affects approximately 40 per cent of the world's population, and Africa is particularly hard hit. Of the 105 countries afflicted by this scourge, 45 are in Africa. It is first and foremost a human tragedy, causing more than 800,000 deaths each year, 91 per cent of which are in Africa. It is the leading cause of death among young children in sub-Saharan Africa. But the consequences of this epidemic go well beyond that; it is a handicap for the development and stability of the continent. It is estimated that $12 billion of the African gross domestic product is lost annually to malaria. The fight against malaria must therefore be considered a global emergency in order to defeat poverty.

The report transmitted by the Secretary-General (A/63/219) gives reason for hope, as it highlights the progress made in eradicating the disease. A net reduction in malaria has been recorded in certain countries and regions, sometimes as much as 50 per cent. Those reductions have been seen in Eritrea, Rwanda, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland and Zanzibar. This is evidence that a strategy combining anti-vector measures, particularly the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, and the use of treatments is effective and produces visible and lasting results.

The European Union is aware of the logistical and, above all, economic obstacles that often confront countries in the implementation of those measures. The European Union strongly supports the activities of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and UNITAID -- the International Drug Purchase Facility -- which have enabled considerable progress in the provision of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets and ACT, artemisinin-based combination therapy. Contributions from the countries of the European Union and the European Commission account for 60 per cent of the Global Fund. The European Union would like to pay tribute to the role of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, which is essential to the coordination of international action against malaria.

The European Union is fully committed to the fight against the scourge of malaria and determined to continue its efforts. The results observed in certain countries demonstrate that the eradication of the pandemic is within our reach. We can attain Millennium Development Goal 6 of controlling malaria and reversing current trends between now and 2015. To achieve that, mobilization must be global, bringing together Governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society. We must continue our efforts. Our attention should be focused on vulnerable populations and in particular on children and pregnant women, on whom the continent's future depends.

Mr. Pramudwinai (Thailand)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Africa's challenge is the world's challenge. The successful development of Africa, with its total population of over 920 million people, will be a success for us all. Now is the critical time for the development of Africa. We are standing at the midpoint for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Only seven years are left before the 2015 MDG deadline, but the challenges ahead are still daunting. According to the Secretary-General's reports on the subject, despite strong overall economic performances recently in many African countries, not one is on track to achieve all of the MDGs. Food, oil and financial crises, climate change, unfulfilled official development assistance (ODA) commitments and the stalled Doha Round have undermined their development efforts.

There is still hope, however. Thanks to the leadership and resolve of African leaders and their peoples, there are clear signs of progress. The international community must build on those positive developments and redouble its efforts to help African countries tackle the formidable challenges they are facing. The United Nations and its relevant agencies can play a greater role in that endeavour.

The emphasis for the international community should be on forging and strengthening partnership for mutual benefit rather than on creating dependence. Thus, Africa's determination to be in charge of its own development and to work with development partners in an atmosphere of respect and equality -- as embodied in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) -- should be given strong support.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) supports the determination to implement NEPAD. ASEAN supports NEPAD because it mobilizes and strengthens cooperation among regional organizations. That synergy has the potential to generate positive and dynamic development outcomes. ASEAN will also continue to support NEPAD as a coherent and concerted framework for engaging Africa's development issues. As part of that thrust, ASEAN urges the international community to build on the momentum created by the recent high-level meeting to address Africa's development needs, held on 22 September 2008 in New York. The political declaration adopted at the end of that meeting has all the answers on how best to respond effectively to Africa's development needs. All that is needed is for us to honour commitments already made and to turn words into deeds. In that context, ASEAN welcomes the mechanism formulated at the high-level meeting to review the full and timely implementation of all commitments related to Africa's development needs.

Asia's strong support for Africa's development should come as no surprise since we have a long history of fraternity between us. The first Asia-Africa summit was held in Bandung, Indonesia, and gave birth to the "Bandung Spirit" of solidarity, friendship and cooperation between Asia and Africa. The Spirit was reaffirmed by the participation of then-President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa on behalf of the African Union at the eighth ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2002. At that meeting, President Mbeki not only recalled the historical roots of cooperation between Asia and Africa, but also commended ASEAN for its South-South cooperation programmes.

The bonds of fraternity are strong because ASEAN leaders recognize that they share much common ground with African aspirations. On that basis, they acknowledge the need for greater interaction between ASEAN and the African Union. Leaders also agreed to take steps to promote stronger ties between Asia and Africa, including by convening an ASEAN-NEPAD conference. That desire took on the form of a process activated by the Asia-Africa Subregional Organizations Conference. The process was initiated in Bandung, Indonesia, in 2003. The second Conference was held in Durban, South Africa, in 2004.

In 2005, the Asia-Africa summit held in Bandung to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Bandung Spirit launched the New Asia-Africa Strategic Partnership. The Partnership is rooted within a framework calling for political solidarity, economic cooperation and improved sociocultural relations. As an expression of collaboration between southern countries, it should enjoy the full support of the United Nations Development Programme's Special Unit for South-South Cooperation.

While African countries are forging closer ties among themselves, ASEAN is also transforming itself into a rules-based, people-oriented community designed to integrate South-East Asia. In that process, ASEAN will continue to function as an outward-looking organization with an agenda stressing beneficial global partnerships, including close working relationships with Africa.

A strong foundation has already been laid for such ties with Africa. ASEAN countries have paved the way through many partnership projects with African countries. Today, policymakers, development actors and experts in various fields from ASEAN countries are working hand in hand with their counterparts in many African countries in areas such as human resources development, capacity-building, public health, infectious diseases, food security, fisheries and agricultural development.

ASEAN is keen to explore other avenues of partnership with Africa. As developing countries ourselves, ASEAN countries understand the nature of the challenges facing African countries. We are therefore willing to share with our African partners the experiences and lessons we have learned in tackling development challenges, many of which resemble development challenges that African countries are currently facing. Other forms of partnership, such as trilateral partnership, should also be further encouraged to maximize the synergetic potential of partnership between ASEAN, Africa and donor countries in response to Africa's development needs.

ASEAN believes that the sound and sustainable development of any country or region requires a favourable international environment if it is to succeed. The development of Africa is no exception. That is why ASEAN has been following the gathering global financial storm very closely. We ASEAN countries learned through our own painful experience in the 1990s that a major financial crisis can spawn multiple crises with far-reaching consequences for the development of nations near and far. Therefore, ASEAN calls upon all parties concerned to work together to arrest the current downward spiral and prevent panic in the world economy.

ASEAN urges its development partners to take steps to ensure that the current crisis in the world financial market does not adversely impact development partnerships or hinder assistance for developing countries, including in Africa. Donors should not let the current financial crisis distract them from their commitments to scale up and reverse the decline in ODA disbursement in the next few years. Steps should also be taken to improve the effectiveness of ODA in support of the national development strategies adopted by African countries.

ASEAN believes that integral to international development cooperation is the operation of an open and fair global trading system. The need for such a system has never been greater or more urgent, especially in the area of agricultural commodities. Those products make up the main exports of developing countries in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world. We therefore call on all parties concerned not only to promptly resume the Doha Round, but also to conclude it.

Now is the time for each of us to show leadership and for all of us to provide collective leadership. We all know what is required for Africa to achieve the MDGs: all we need to do is work together to make it happen. ASEAN is ready to do so and looks forward to strengthening its partnership with Africa in all areas of mutual benefit.

Mr. Talbot (Guyana)

As this is the first statement to be made on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the plenary of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session, permit me to convey to you, Sir, the felicitations of all of CARICOM on your election to guide the important deliberations of this session and to express to you our best wishes for a successful tenure.

I am especially pleased to address the theme of today's debate -- the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) -- on behalf of the 14 States members of CARICOM that are Members of this Organization. The Caribbean is umbilically linked to the African continent by strong bonds. It is a link established through the horrors of the Middle Passage, nurtured in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid, and today sustained by a sense of shared purpose and common destiny. CARICOM is pleased to renew its solidarity with Africa's quest for durable peace, sustainable development, the strengthening of democracy and the guarantee of full enjoyment by all its citizens of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The high-level meeting on Africa's development needs, held on 22 September 2008, took account of the state of implementation of various commitments, the challenges encountered and the way forward, and adopted a Political Declaration (resolution 63/1). That meeting, having followed others including the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, sustained the considerable attention that the international community has rightly been devoting to Africa.

Africa and its partners have taken several actions to ensure progress in the implementation of national and subregional development plans and strategies. Most notably, however, Africa's response is crystallized and coordinated within the ambit of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, which is the continent's overarching framework for socio-economic development. CARICOM has observed with much interest the steps that have been taken to implement that strategic framework for Africa's development.

Africa's quest is beset by myriad challenges, including those related to inadequate infrastructure and industrialization and to a lack of requisite human and institutional capacities. The continent needs to see substantially increased investments in those areas if it is to ensure a firm basis for sustained growth and sustainable development. As the report of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Africa Steering Group notes, the region has grown by some 3.6 per cent per year during periods of accelerated growth but, conversely, has shrunk by 2.7 per cent during periods of growth collapse. In addition, growth volatility in sub-Saharan Africa is some five times higher than that observed in low- and middle-income countries generally, as shown by the coefficient of variation of GDP growth per capita. CARICOM therefore underscores the urgency of finding solutions to Africa's major challenges.

Africa will no doubt feel some of the effects of the current financial crisis, which has cast a pall over the prospects of the world economy. Its traditional markets are at stake. And the threat of a further cutback in official development assistance (ODA) is now a real prospect as many developed countries struggle to safeguard their financial and banking systems from collapse. The crisis now serves to poignantly underscore our global and mutual interdependence. In the wake of the food crisis and high oil prices, the financial crisis is also a stark reminder that the policies of systemically important countries have serious impact on the fortunes of States far and wide, not least those of the African continent.

A special responsibility therefore devolves on developed countries to ensure that their policies, both domestic and foreign, contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the world. In our view, that entails greater coherence across various policy domains, including in financial, trade, development and environmental policies. CARICOM underscores that, as expressed in the 22 September Declaration, all commitments to and by Africa to comprehensively address the special development needs of the continent should be effectively implemented and given appropriate follow-up by the international community and by Africa itself.

While Africa is not currently on track to achieve the 2015 MDG targets, it is also evident that, at current rates, the commitment to double aid to Africa by 2010, as articulated at the Group of Eight Summit in Gleneagles, will also not be fulfilled. Although the international community has provided support for Africa's development, that assistance needs to be substantially increased and made more effective. In some cases, support programmes have not been adequately tailored to the needs and specificities of individual African countries. It is therefore essential that all ODA-related commitments by developed countries be fulfilled to improve the prospects for achieving the MDGs in Africa.

Considerable gains are possible if the international community translates its many commitments into actions. Africa's debt sustainability challenges must also be tackled coherently and its international trade facilitated and promoted, including through regional integration, greater integration into the global economy and the fulfilment of our global commitment to a well-functioning, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system that is supportive of sustainable development. In addition, given the importance of agriculture in the development of the continent and in order to cope with the current food crisis, African countries should strive to meet the Maputo Declaration target of devoting 10 per cent of public expenditure to agricultural and rural development in initiating a green African revolution and should be strongly supported by the international community in that endeavour.

Indeed, Africa continues to face formidable challenges in consolidating the basic conditions for peace and development. CARICOM applauds Africa's successes in that area, even as we observe its setbacks with concern, conscious of the devastating human and economic toll of armed conflict and absolute poverty. Greater attention must therefore be focused on eliminating the combination of internal and external factors that engender conflict and stymie development. We also support Africa's efforts to improve both economic and political governance and to strengthen mechanisms for the participation, inclusion and empowerment of all segments of society -- including civil society, women and girls, communities and households -- in political and development processes. Like Africa, CARICOM believes that good governance provides the foundation for peace, security and prosperity. In that context, we have noted with interest the design and implementation of the Peer Review Mechanism as a worthy instrument in that regard.

Perhaps the most salient of the lessons learned from the high-level meeting on Africa's development, held in September, was the recognition that Africa is capable of, and has dedicated much effort to, resolving the challenges it faces. Nonetheless, those endeavours must be supported and complemented by efforts on the part of the international community.

The Africa Steering Group report makes clear that the full implementation of appropriate policies can produce verifiable development results that can help to ensure the effective use of domestic and external resources and, inter alia, lay the foundation for robust economic growth. Africa provides a barometre of overall development progress. The international community must utilize it is as a window of opportunity.

In that regard, success stories on the achievement towards individual Goals across a range of countries show that rapid progress can be made when sound domestic policies are matched with substantial technical and financial support from the international community. CARICOM applauds the leadership shown by African countries in addressing their major challenges and in charting the way forward for the region in the context of the African Union, as well as through other national and subregional approaches.

CARICOM has followed with great interest the creative efforts of the African Union in the development of new institutional arrangements. Those efforts are geared to accelerate integration on the continent in order to enable Africa to better take its rightful place in the world and to strengthen relations with its diaspora. As shown by the visit of an East African delegation to the CARICOM secretariat just last week, there is much scope for exchanges of our development and other experience in the ambit of South-South cooperation.

In closing, CARICOM calls on the international community to significantly enhance its support for Africa's development through NEPAD. We also look forward to working with our brothers and sisters of Africa to further strengthen institutional mechanisms for collaboration between Africa and the Caribbean in support of mutual development objectives. Africa will ever find in CARICOM a staunch supporter for the continued progress of Africa and the full implementation of its aspirations.

Mr. Christian (Ghana)

Ghana associates itself with the statement made on behalf of the African Group and the Group of 77 and China.

The Secretary-General has appropriately described the development challenges of Africa as a development emergency. We are aware that the basic conditions required for sustained peace and development have yet to be adequately consolidated on the continent. Poverty, weak State institutions, poor management of natural resources, the failure to protect human rights and threats related to climate change are still persistent.

The Constitutive Act of the African Union acknowledges that conflicts in Africa constitute a major impediment to its socio-economic development. In addition to unfortunate historical legacies, African leaders have also come to terms with the fact that the impoverishment of the continent has been partly due to shortcomings in the policies pursued by many countries in the post-independence era.

This was the state of affairs on the continent when the Secretary-General wrote his seminal report "The causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa" (A/52/871). Considerable progress has been made since that report first appeared in 1998. Today, the number of African countries afflicted by conflicts is fewer than it was a decade ago. The improved institutional effectiveness in responding to conflict through peacekeeping, especially by Africans themselves, has been a major factor in containing violent conflicts on the continent.

The new generation of African leaders, in their determination to change course, adopted the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) as a strategic development framework to address the many development challenges facing the continent and its populations. NEPAD establishes the conditions for sustainable development by ensuring peace and security, building democracy and good governance, engendering policy reforms and increased investments in priority sectors, and mobilizing resources for development. Furthermore, the leaders have committed themselves to actively promoting human rights, the rule of law and the consolidation of democracy by, for instance, subscribing to the African Peer Review Mechanism.

However, as African countries embark on that journey, they continue to face daunting challenges that are beyond their control. Factors such as the current global financial crisis, the stalled Doha Development Round of trade negotiations and a general lack of a conducive international economic environment continue to impede Africa's development efforts both directly and indirectly.

Many African countries have pledged to increase their health budgets to 15 per cent of public expenditure so as to fight diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, but to date, only a few countries have reached that goal. That is because the chronic financial and institutional constraints facing most African countries have been aggravated by the brain drain that has resulted in the already few doctors, nurses and other health professionals, trained with meagre resources, leaving in droves in search of better conditions of service abroad. The brain drain has also affected professionals and skilled personnel in other sectors of the economy, thereby depriving the affected countries of much-needed human capital for development.

In the area of education, Ghana finds it unacceptable that currently over 1.4 million Ghanaian children do not go to school. To redress the situation, the Government is making heavy investments at all levels of the country's education system. For instance, Ghana launched educational reforms to put the country in a better position to achieve the targets under Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2. A cornerstone of the reforms is the introduction of a free and compulsory universal basic education from kindergarten through primary school to junior high school.

We are using various mechanisms, such as a capitation grant and school feeding programme, to boost enrolment. Special attention is paid to girls' education and, on the average, the rate of enrolment of the girl child has surpassed her male counterpart. To attain its goals and achieve quality education, the Government is working tirelessly to improve the conditions of service of Ghanaian teachers, including retraining and upgrading their professional skills, in addition to appreciable increases in the levels of their remuneration.

So far, the results of our efforts have been mixed. There is still resistance to enrolment due, among other things, to cultural and economic factors. There are wide disparities in access to education between the various regions and also between urban and rural areas. The uneven distribution of access appears to have been aggravated by our high birth rate as well as by rapid urbanization. We are also faced with the challenges of inadequate and obsolete training facilities, poor logistics and a host of other problems.

Despite existing challenges in the health sector, Ghana continues to strive to meet the targets in MDGs 4, 5 and 6. Through the National Health Insurance Scheme, which has taken off and is still being improved, the Government aims to increase public access to health care, improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery, as well as improve and increase programmes of education on curative and preventive health-care. Ghana has also managed to institute free medical care for expectant women to encourage more women to make use of modern medical facilities, reduce their exposure to unqualified traditional birth attendants and thereby promote overall reproductive health.

Although our efforts have resulted in some appreciable reduction in child mortality, Ghana will not find it easy to meet the targeted rate of reduction by 2015 due to the limited access to health facilities, including the wide doctor-patient ratio and the general problem of retaining health personnel that the nation has been facing for some time now.

We are counting on the continued support of our development partners to meet the shortfalls in funds for the education and health sectors, which have far reaching impacts on the other MDGs. The Government is working with agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, and the United States Agency for International Development, among other bilateral partners, to complement its efforts.

Malaria remains one of the deadliest diseases in Africa, killing more than 1 million people each year, mostly children and pregnant women. Although the disease is widespread, it does not enjoy the high profile visibility of other issues of similar scale and impact. In Ghana, malaria is prevalent throughout the country and is responsible for over 40 per cent of outpatient visits and approximately 20 per cent of deaths in children under five years.

In recent years, several African countries have made commitments to bringing malaria under control. In 2000, 44 African leaders signed the Abuja Declaration committing their countries to work towards a 50 per cent decrease in malaria deaths in Africa by 2010. Those efforts have been supported by development partners through such programmes as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the President's Malaria Initiative launched by the United States Government to provide financial resources to African countries to fight malaria. A recent United Nations report confirmed that more African children were getting insecticide-treated bednets and being treated for malaria.

There is concern, nonetheless, that most African nations remain off track in reaching the goal of halting and reversing the incidence of the disease. It is in that light that we laud the initiative of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to end malaria deaths by 2010. The initiative is a bold but achievable one, given the necessary leadership, commitment and will to fight malaria. It is imperative that we work together to realize the vision. Eliminating malaria deaths will remove a major barrier to economic development and provide significant momentum towards reaching at least four of the MDGs. We are already midway to the 2015 deadline set for the achievement of the MDGs. Therefore, the urgency of the Secretary-General's call to action cannot be overstated.

Mr. Christian (Ghana)

Africa is endowed with natural resources that represent a vast potential that can be harnessed for the continent's development. We recognize that, with the right combination of sound domestic policies and the timely fulfilment of long-standing pledges of support, the story of the Continent could be different in 2015.

Mr. Churkin (Russia)

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