Joint NGO Statement at the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries
(Check Against Delivery)
Mr. Chairman,
I express on behalf of the World Movement of Mother, the General Arab Women
Federation and the Union of Arab Jurists our thanks for giving us the
opportunity to address this meeting and convey our great concern on the
deteriorating situation in the least developed countries. Despite the flow of
foreign aid and the great efforts made by the LDCs, over the past two decades,
the results have been highly disappointing, ended with a negative growth in per
capita income, deteriorating living standards arid an increasingly heavy debt
burden in many LDCs. The number of countries defined as LDCs has grown from 25
in 1971 to 31 in 1981 and to 42 in 1990. Today after 20 years, since the
establishment of this category of countries, the number has reached 49, with
additional three eligible countries, whose combined population counts 613.5
million and is facing serious social, economic and political problems
The LDCs economic regression in a number of LDC countries has been reflected by
a slow improvement in the health and education sectors. The concern is that the
LDCs certainly lag behind the other developing countries. The average life
expectancy at birth in LDCs in 1998 was not more than 51 years compared to 65
years for other developing countries and 78 in high-income countries. On
average 15 per cent of all newborns in LDCs do not live to their fifth
birthday, which is almost double the rate in other developing countries.
Maternal mortality per 100,00 births ranges between 55 in Cape Verde to 1700 in
Afghanistan and only 26 percent of pregnant women are attended to during
childbirth by trained personnel. In addition, the LDCs are facing crucial
health problems related to the wide spread of 1-1-IV. This situation is the
result of the low per capita allocations for the health sector that in 1998
ranged from US S 8.00 to 11.00 compared to S 180 for the other developing
countries and to the average of above S 1700 in high-income countries.
Extensive efforts are needed to make heath services available and accessible to
meet the health needs.
Regarding the status of education, the latest available data in 1995 indicate
that the adult literacy rate was 49 percent compared to 81 percent and that the
gender gap in education in LDCs is much greater than that in other developing
countries. The literacy rate of males was 59 percent compared to 33 among
females. Primary and secondary school enrolment rates of LDCs also showed a
large gap, respectively on average about 30 and 50 percentage points behind the
other developing countries. An improvement in the education performance was
noted particularly by the slow growing countries, which had a very low level of
primary school enrolment in 1987.
These figures concerning health and education levels clearly show that the
major challenges for the 2000's would be to ensure improved health, better
nourishment and better education of children and women in LDCs. The need is for
the provision of financial and technical assistance with an improvement in the
coordination among donor countries, UN agencies and the receiving countries.
Mr. Chairman,
Although the LDC economies are in
great need of foreign aid, the findings of the many reports indicate that
foreign aid, over the past two decades, has not realized the aspirations of
either the receiving or the donor countries. The major constraints reported are
that, on one hand, the allocation of assistance has been unpredictable,
fragmented and not coordinated. On the other hand, the efforts made by LDCs
were on the reduction of budget deficit and on the implementation of adjustment
and reform measures to improve their economies. As a result, progress was slow
and what had been achieved was more than offset by the adverse impacts of
natural disasters and a worsening external economic environment along a scarce
domestic capacity in the management and use of resources.
The need is for a more flexible
aid policy that will address the countries' priority needs. The aims of aid
should help the country to develop a sense of ownership, self-reliance and
accountability, starting by the development of national capacities in
identifying their needs and obstacles and in finding the ways and the means for
solving them through an efficient system of planning, monitoring and
evaluation.
Mr. Chairman,
We call on this conference to undertake
a serious commitment to lift the LDCs populations out of the grim situation of
poverty, unemployment and stagnation. To this end, it is of crucial importance
to improve the aid modalities and develop a more effective mechanism of
assistance. The importance of such development imperatives would need to focus
on the countries' priority needs marshalling its political will and existing
resources, the development of the socio-economic infrastructure and
strengthening scientific, technological and human resources, including the
integration of women in the process of development.
We also call on all the donor
countries to fulfill the target of 0.20 percent of GNP agreed upon in Paris in
1990, as a way to meet their commitment to assist the LDCs.
We urge governments and financial
institutions to cancel all LDCs foreign debts without conditions and without
reservations.
We also urge governments and
institutions to take measures that will give LDCs access to the world markets
on a preferential basis for a defined period of time.
Thank
you,
Mouvement
Mondial des Mères.
World Movement of Mothers.
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