Statement by Hon'ble Ram Chandra Paudel, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Nepal

Five years ago, we made commitments through the Copenhagen Declaration. As we review the achievements since then, we find the world facing paradoxes. On the one hand, it has unprecedented achievements in science and technology with full capacity to get rid of human sufferings. Yet, it is also facing ever widening gap between the rich and the poor. Humankind has acquired enough capacity to comfortably feed itself. Yet, it has largest number of people going to bed with empty stomach.

Beginning with the UN Charter, the number and coverage of commitments to defend human rights and to do away with human miseries are at record high. So are the number of unfulfilled promises. Questions are also being raised on the share of the real poor in whatever the donors have allocated to them or in their name. In essence, transparency is asked for. Together with the need for transparency, the need to rethink the prescription of a fixed policy package irrespective of different ground realities is equally important. In my view, this inconsistency could be removed through adoption of the following principles in development cooperation:
- Real democracies do produce plural policy packages.

- The purpose of co-operation is to respond to recipients' needs and priorities in the interest of safeguarding humanity and international social justice.
I appeal to protect peoples' rights of policy choice. I believe that people have the right to learn from their mistakes. Above all, we also need to create opportunities for policy ingenuity and creativeness at the individual country level.

The development needs of the developing world, especially the least developed among them, are many. To catch up, they need much higher level of assistance. It is important that the commitment to provide 0.7% of the industrialized countries' GDP as official development assistance (ODA) is met. We must also improve efficiency and effcacy of assistance and their utilization. It is high time that we ensure transparency at all levels, and on all sides - national and international. So is the need to allocate at least 20% of ODA to basic social sectors. Considering the severity of the debt burden on the LDCs and the much needed resource flowing out from these countries in debt repayment, the international community should expand the scope of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiatives to cover total debt relief of all LDCs. The available resources could be utilized for basic social services and poverty alleviation. For ensuring freedom, social justice, solidarity and global peace, I see the need to review the current international cooperation arrangements.

At the national level, poverty alleviation is Nepal's topmost policy priority. We are trying to achieve sustainable development through utilization of locally available resources for agriculture, forestry, tourism and water resources development. We have taken a number of initiatives in social development and inclusion. Highest priority has been accorded to develop rural areas where the incidence of poverty and ignorance is most serious. A Local Selfgovernance Act empowers local people in the decision making process.. Legal arrangements to safeguard womens' representation and participation in the decision making process even at the grassroot level have also been made. Environment is being created to resettle and emancipate landless people and bonded labourers. Institutional reform and implementation of a special programme for the indigenous people, downtrodden and oppressed communities as well as development of remote areas are in progress. Programmes like the Special Area Development, Bishweshwor with the Poor and Women Awareness are some of the target based programmes especially designed to enhance social and economic conditions of the poorest of the poor. To expedite poverty programs, a Poverty Alleviation Fund has been created recently and the poverty reduction strategy aims to implement various programs through local bodies and civil society including community based organizations through NGO's social mobilization.

Mr. Chairman,

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal promulgated after the historic political transformation of 1990 guarantees fundamental human rights. Commitment of His Majesty's Government of Nepal to promote and protect human rights are demonstrated in the various legislative, judicial and administrative measures taken since the restoration of democracy. A National Human Rights Commission has been constituted. Nepal has also ratified several international conventions, covenants and protocols. Of course, the change in the political system is accompanied by both opportunities and challenges. The opportunities inherent in a democratic system are clearly characterized by the transparency in the political process and accountability of those in positions of political leadership ultimately to the people. For a small, land-locked and least developed country like Nepal, the challenges on the other hand are manifest most strikingly in the lack of human, material and technical resources needed to be able to adequately address the growing needs and expectations of the people. In that sense, the widespread poverty, absence of physical and institutional infrastructure and provision of at least a minimum of social safety net for the most vulnerable groups in society continue to pose the biggest challenge. Generation of gainful employment for our increasingly literate and educated youths is another major challenge.

Our experience shows that start up of any social development becomes an expensive and unsustainable effort in the absence of basic infrastructural facilities. Therefore, we can not afford to relax our effort to create and expand them. So to initiate and sustain social development, I urge this august body to consider allocation of adequate resources to develop basic physical infrastructures, especially the transport and communication network as an additional item of explicit and long-term commitment.

We believe our development depends on good governance and honest implementation of the above initiatives. In this context, we have taken a number of initiatives including downsizing of government and implementation of drastic civil service reform. As we undertake these programs in earnest, we find ourselves facing a paradox of a different type. No sooner have we liberated ourselves from the tyranny of autocracy, people in some parts of our country find themselves pushed to live a life of fear and agony. In the form of terrorism autocracy is attempting to meddle. As we are fighting for freedom from hunger, we once again find ourselves fighting for freedom from fear.

As if that is not enough, we are forced with a heavy burden of over hundred thousand refugees from our neighboring country Bhutan. The pressure is casting its shadow in our social, economic and national environments.

To conclude Mr. Chairman, the Social Summit initiated a turn in the tide of political opinion. We agreed for a more balanced development policy based on growth with equity, away from the narrow pre-occupation with market liberalization. Our mission is to change the course of history as we enter the new millennium. For this, the well being of the people and society must be the goal of polity with economic strategy only as a means. So, let us recognize that social development without social justice is not possible. Democracy will also be threatened in the absence of social justice. Nor can sustained social development and justice take place in an undemocratic set-up, nationally or internationally. To ensure social justice nationally and internationally a major reorientation in international co-operation including international flow of product as well as human and capital is necessary. Let us solemnly pledge to do that. Let this be our commitment as we meet at the dawn of a new millennium in this Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in Geneva.