Excellencies,
Distinguished
delegates;
On behalf of my delegation, I extend our
warm felicitations on your election as the President of this important
Conference. We are confident that you will guide our deliberations to a
fruitful conclusion. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our
appreciation to the Government of Belgium for the warm reception extended to
us. Our gratitude goes to the European Union for their generous offer to host
this Conference. We also commend UNCTAD under the leadership of its Secretary
General, Mr. Rubens Ricupero, for the vital role that it has continued to play
in assisting LDCs to meet the challenges posed by the forces of globalization.
Mr. President,
The
“Paris Declaration” in 1990 set forth
hopes and promises for the future but many of the commitments remain
unfulfilled. In order to make this Conference meaningful, it is essential for
us to learn from the mistakes of the past and to commit ourselves fully to
arresting and reversing the deterioration of the socio-economic status of the
LDCs. We must also renew and revitalize the spirit of partnership between the
LDCs and their development partners on the basis of mutual and shared
responsibility.
Permit
me to share a novel exercise undertaken by Bhutan last year with our
development partners. For the first time in the history of the Round Table
Meetings, Bhutan, as a recipient country, hosted the 7th Round Table
Meeting in the capital city, Thimphu in November 2000. The aim of the meeting
was to go beyond the standard resource mobilization exercise to promote a true
spirit of partnership. Toward this end, the Royal Government initiated free and
frank discussions on a wide range of topics of both policy and technical
nature. It is our conviction that such exchange of views and experiences beyond
the confines of cooperative activities are essential. The event was further
useful in helping our partners obtain a first hand account of the
socio-economic progress achieved by Bhutan and the challenges that it faces.
Mr. President,
The
declining levels of Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a matter of grave
concern. ODA is critical for meeting the multiple investment requirements in
the LDCs but many development partners have not fulfilled their commitment. On
the part of the LDCs, it is imperative to improve the utilization and
effectiveness of ODA to reduce our dependency on it in the long run.
Financing
for development has acquired a new urgency in view of the difficulties faced by
LDCs in raising sufficient domestic resources. However, LDCs that borrow to
finance development are overburdened with huge debts and a substantial amount
of their scarce budgetary resources are used to service debts. It is,
therefore, important to ensure that loans for financing development are made
available on concessional terms to LDCs and the enhanced HIPC initiative be
fully implemented.
Mr. President,
The
Millennium Summit recognized that the central challenge today is to ensure that
globalization becomes a positive force for all, and acknowledged that at
present, both its benefits and its costs are unequally shared. We in Bhutan
accept globalisation as a natural outcome of the continuing evolution of human
society and ideas, accelerated by the miracles of technology. While we welcome
the opportunities it offers for socio-economic progress, the fear that it
threatens to further marginalize the poor countries is not ill founded. The
appeal against consigning globalisation entirely to market forces alone is
growing louder. Indeed, the pitfalls are neither few in number nor minimal in
consequences. We believe that just as human institutions and cultural
expressions are of our own making, so must the direction, pace and impact of
globalisation be guided to ensure that it serves to enhance our greater common
interests and values.
The
multilateral trading system under the WTO must be sensitive to the particular
needs of the LDCs. The various demand and supply-side constraints, and
unfavourable market access conditions that have served to hinder the effective
participation by LDCs in international trade must be addressed. LDCs are
plagued with low productivity, lack of financial and skilled human resources,
inadequate physical and social infrastructure, and weak institutional and
technological capacities. For landlocked countries like Bhutan, this is further
aggravated by high transportation costs and distance to the sea. In this
context, the recent decision by Norway and the EU to eliminate quotas and
duties on all products originating from the LDCs with the exception of arms is
highly appreciated and welcomed. We remain hopeful that other countries will
follow this noble gesture.
Mr. President,
Although
threats to the global environment are the common concern of all countries,
steps to reverse the adverse impacts on our environment must be based on the
principle of common but differentiated responsibility. Following the Rio
Conference in 1992, Bhutan, Benin and Costa Rica entered into bilateral
treaties with the Netherlands to promote sustainable development in their
respective countries. The Agreement sought to foster a new development
cooperation paradigm based upon the principles of equality, participation and
reciprocity. We believe that this innovative arrangement merits the
consideration of other countries as a model of mutually beneficial cooperation,
to pursue development that is consistent with environmental sustainability.
My delegation is happy to note that
“Access to Energy” has been recognized as one of the main thematic roundtable
issues. The provision of clean, reliable, adequate and affordable energy is
vital for improving the standards of living and quality of life of our peoples.
Bhutan is mindful of this and is engaged in an extensive rural electrification programme
through the development of its hydropower potential. We are confident that with
the continued support of our development partners, Bhutan will be able to
provide electricity to all Bhutanese by the year 2020.
Mr. President,
Even
as we speak of the need for accelerating development in the LDCs and enhancing
their capacity to participate gainfully in the multilateral trading system in a
globalising world, the imperative of the human individual to exist amid peace,
security, and contentment cannot be overstated. In this context, Bhutan has
always endeavoured to maintain a harmonious balance between material and
spiritual development rather than being guided purely by the goal of a higher
GNP. My country continues to pursue a development philosophy based on the
concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) which aims to ensure that the end
product of development is to bring happiness to the individual citizen. This in
turn can best ensure the collective happiness of the community and human
society at large. The Royal Government thus considers it its responsibility to
establish and sustain the prerequisite conditions for such a state of being.
These are identified as conventional socio-economic development, environmental
conservation, promotion of basic human and cultural values and good governance.
The
successful implementation of the Programme of Action to be adopted by this
Conference will depend, among others, on good governance. The establishment of
a sound institutional, legal and regulatory framework to enable the
participation of all stakeholders at the national and local levels in the
development process is vital. The Royal Government has always accorded high
priority towards decentralization and people’s participation in
decision-making. This will be taken a step further in the year 2002 with the
formulation and implementation of Bhutan’s Ninth Five Year Development Plan at
the village level. Furthermore, the Royal Government remains committed to
promoting good governance through efficiency, transparency and accountability.
In
order to avoid the consequences of incremental and unsustainable development
and to guide Bhutan’s developmental process in a manner that is consistent with
our values and aspirations, the Royal Government published a document entitled,
“Bhutan: 2020 - A Vision for Peace, Prosperity and Happiness” in May 1999. The
document sets out a 20 year perspective to promote sustained socio-economic
progress in the country and provides an excellent basis for our development
partners to assess the ways and means in which they can support the endeavours
of the Royal Government.
Mr. President,
The
task ahead may be daunting but my delegation is confident that the collective
wisdom of this Conference will provide the framework for a strong global
partnership based on shared responsibility to promote economic growth and
development in the LDCs. We note with satisfaction that this Conference has
placed strong emphasis on adopting deliverables for the LDCs. We hope this will correct the shortcomings of the
previous two Programmes of Actions and pave the way for a better future for our
peoples. Indeed, my delegation is
confident that with the generous support of our development partners, the LDCs
will make tangible progress and become successfully integrated into the global
economy.
Thank
you and Tashi Delek!