Statement by
H.E. MR. HARRI HOLKERI
President of the General Assembly
For the 2nd Meeting
of the Preparatory Committee
on the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries
5 February 2001
I would like to express
my gratitude to the Committee for giving me this opportunity to share some of
my views as you proceed with the preparations for the Third United Nations Conference
on Least Developed Countries.
Your work in this Committee is not a simple technical exercise of agreeing on
a common text. Your task goes beyond that. Your collective work must engender
a sense of hope for a better future in the minds of seven hundred million people
living in LDCs. This preparatory process must culminate in concrete actions
at the Conference that will help free these millions of people from poverty
and deprivation.
As President of the General Assembly, I have been entrusted by Member States
with the responsibility to follow-up the implementation of the Millennium Declaration.
The Third Conference on LDCs, which will be the first major conference to take
place after the Summit, together with other upcoming conferences, is a major
mechanism at the disposal of the General Assembly in implementing the commitments
of the Declaration.
The Millennium Declaration successfully articulated actions in three critical
areas concerning development in LDCs, namely trade, ODA and debt, where external
support could make a major difference. The world leaders agreed upon the target
of reducing by half the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015.
The other commitments in the Declaration concerning human rights, democracy,
good governance, peace and security and protection of the vulnerable, are equally
important in accelerating development and eradicating poverty. I am pleased
that the draft Programme of Action that you are considering captures all these
dimensions of the Millennium Declaration by following a holistic and multi-stakeholder
approach. The comprehensive scope of the Millennium Declaration reinforces the
need for an integrated and coordinated approach within the UN in the implementation
of its commitments.
There is an urgency to take concrete action in LDCs. The primary responsibility
in meeting the Millennium development targets rests on the shoulders of the
LDC-governments themselves. They must strengthen a range of national policies,
by putting people at the center of these policies, improving good governance
involving all stakeholders, and in the process taking charge of their own destiny.
On the other hand, the international community, the United Nations system and
Member States must be prepared to assist in order to achieve our goals.
To create a meaningful dialogue, reciprocal cooperation, and a more just world
we all need to walk an extra mile. We need to go beyond rigid positions, to
transcend the status quo. Remember, we are doing this for the poorest of the
poor - women, men and children living at the margin of existence.
I would like to echo the strong emphasis made in the draft Programme of Action
on the importance of involving all stakeholders, nationally and internationally.
Development can no longer be viewed as the business of governments alone. It
is the collective business of, in the words of the UN Charter, the peoples of
the United Nations. Unless we are able to effectively involve civil society,
the private sector, the media, lawmakers and academia in the process, we will
deprive ourselves of the enormous potential offered by these entities. Your
non-governmental partners are also present during this preparatory meeting,
if not in this very room. I urge you to bring them in to your midst throughout
the process. A broad based dialogue among all the stakeholders will give the
outcome a stronger foundation and a broader ownership.
The international community, in particular the industrialized countries, must
make stronger efforts to ensure the success of national policies of least developed
countries. The fact that this is the first UN Conference hosted by the European
Union signals the willingness of development partners to remain collectively
engaged in the development of LDCs.
It is particularly noteworthy that the policies and actions contained in the
draft Programme of Action are based on the set of universal values enshrined
in the Millennium Declaration, namely: solidarity, shared responsibility, freedom,
democracy, equality, common concern for world peace and security, and the well
being of next generations.
Many of the recommendations in the draft Programme of Action are derived from
the outcomes of major UN Conferences and Summits. All of these linkages provide
an opportunity t o an integrated approach, where the Millennium Declaration
is an overarching theme.
Achieving the targets of the Millennium Declaration will make our world safer,
more stable and more prosperous. Translating this hope into reality will require,
among other things, efficient mechanisms for implementation and follow-up of
the Programme of Action at all levels. The United Nations system will have an
important part in this. Playing this role will require us to refuse to accept
business as usual, and insist on harnessing the strength of the entire system
at global, regional and national levels. As you approach this particular task,
let me assure you of my full support.