General statement by

Hon. Godfrey Simasiku, MP, Deputy Minister for Finance and

Economic Development And Head of Zambian Delegation

At the 3rd United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries

17 May 2001 – Brussels

(Check Against Delivery)

Thank you Mr. President for giving me the floor.

Since this is the first time that my delegation is taking the floor, allow me to congratulate you for assuming the important task of presidency of this conference. We are confident that you will steer it to its most successful and conclusive end.

Allow me, to also pay tribute to the United Nations for organizing this important conference that gives an opportunity to least developed countries to have a forum with one voice to deliberate, and come up with concrete commitments towards meaningful development. Commendation also goes to UNCTAD, and all those who took part in the preparatory process, for their relentless efforts to ensure the realization of this conference.

Zambia hopes that deliberations of this conference will lead to commitments that will produce tangible and concrete results that will improve the living standards of our people. The past LDC conferences and programmes of action have exhibited results below expectations. Both LDCs and development partners have alluded to this unfortunate outcome. We should not be oblivious to the fact that the publicity and the preparations of the conference all give high expectations to our constituencies.

Mr. President, ten years after the adoption of the Paris programme of action, the targets set therein have not been achieved and consequently the LDCs have not been able to take full advantage of the on-going process of globalization, which in some cases has also led to further marginalization.

Your Excellencies,

A decade past for LDCs is like a century. With all eyes focusing on LDCs’ democratization, the balance sheet highlights other “Ds”: devastation, despondency, destitution, destabilization, debilitation, degradation, dehumanization, discrimination, destruction, deforestation, dismemberment, disillusion, debt – and death.

Mr. President,

While the world welcomed and celebrated the end of the cold war, the LDCs have the cold hand of death decimating their people, thanks to the debt crisis, manifesting itself into epidemics and pandemics of TB and malaria, HIV/AIDS - related endless deaths exacerbated by low and poor nutrition levels, insufficient medical drugs, personnel and equipment. All this misery compounded by low social indicators such as high infant, child and maternal deaths and appalling all low life expectancy levels. While the world’s developed countries have a rich heritage of senior citizens, yes indeed senior citizens aged between 60-100 years, the LDCs are full of orphaned populations where “senior citizens” are endangered species at only half the ages of those in the developed world: 30 – 50 years. Sadly, the life expectancy in my county has dropped from the 47 to 37: years; Cry the Beloved Country.

Let this LDCs conference be a turning point. Let’s take stock of the first and second previous conferences whose objectives, like many distinguishes speakers have affirmed, have not been met. India said, “from conference to conference the number of LDCs is going up.” I pray that this must be the turning point: from failure to success.

Mr. President, let me state that it is not a pleasant thing for us to find ourselves in the category of LDCs. Because we are not proud of this status, we have embarked on various programmes aimed at developing our economies. Among these are the structural adjustment programs, which we have vigorously and religiously pursued throughout the 80s and 90s. While there have been some positive results such as increased private sector participation in the economy, that includes privatization, liberalization and removal of restrictions and controls on prices and foreign exchange, there have also been considerable human and social costs and hardship. For example, poverty levels have remained high with more than 70% of the population classified as poor. As earlier mentioned, our country faces serious developmental challenges such as HIV/AIDS, TB and other infectious diseases.

Your Excellencies,

In order to combat these diseases, the government has established an HIV/AIDS council secretariat to coordinate all interventions. In addition, the government has adopted a national HIV/AIDS strategic framework, which stipulates all the activities and budgetary requirements. Zambia worsened by the unsustainable debt burden where we spend more than 30 % of our national budget on debt service obligations. This situation deprives government’s intervention in social sectors such as health and education leading to deterioration in the standard of living of the people.

Mr. President, it is inevitable that for us to develop, we need to improve our productive capacities in order to integrate fully into the global economy. This entails unconditional market access. Bound market access blended with harmonized rules of origin as a pre-requisite to foreign investment.

In addition, market access opportunities and equal trade patterns can only be converted into tangible results if they are matched with less stringent sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Globalization, efficiency and competitiveness of African economies will require development partners to make a firm commitment to provide financial and technical assistance particularly in accordance with the various international agreements. For instance, some WTO provisions mandate developed countries to assist LDCs in this matter. We urge development partners to implement these provisions soon.

Let this indeed be united nations – not fragmented nations of the rich north and the poor south; the haves and have - nots; the well-fed and the hungry and thirsty; the healthy and the infirm; the prosperous and the wretched; the privileged and the underprivileged; them and us. And finally, as Shakespeare says, “to be or not to be is the question.”

Mr. President, let me quote martin Luther King Jr. who said and I quote, “ I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.” End of quote.

My own answer is: this conference and You, the big you – yes, the Big People – the key players.

The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, said, “ This conference may be the last chance of a better life for the people of the LDCs.”

Mr. President, the main challenge of the program of action is to contribute towards eliminating poverty. The key issue is for all stakeholders to make concrete commitments to undertake the actions agreed upon in the program of action to be agreed upon for the next decade. .

As I conclude, I wish to appeal to your goodwill to transform pledges into commitment. That commitment to halt the decline of quality of life in LDCs. That commitment to reverse the damage done in our communities.

Mr. President, in order to enhance the programme of action which aims to significantly improve the human conditions of more than 60-million people in 49 LDCs during the present decade, such a program should be based on the international targets; actions by LDCs; commensurate support measures by their development partners; and on the values, principles and objectives of the Millennium Declaration:

Finally, Zambia calls for the following:

1. Fast track debt relief programs for the LDCs and total debt cancellation as a long lasting solution to serious socio-economic problems caused by debilitating debt,

2. An immediate review of ODA commitments to the original concept of 0.7 of GDP, and

3. Better market access and equitable prices to commodities from LDCs.

I thank you Mr. President.

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