MEETING BETWEEN NAM TROIKA, GROUP 77 AND G8

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs

Japan 13 July 2000

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) delegation consisting of the Troika of the NAM, South Africa (Foreign Minister), Bangladesh (Foreign Minister), Columbia (Vice President), the Foreign Minister of Nigeria who is the Chairperson of the Group of 77, the President of the Association of South East Asian nations (ASEAN) and the Foreign Minister of Thailand in Miyazaki, Japan on the 13 July 2000.

The host country Japan, chair of the G8 held a preparatory meeting with senior officials of the NAM delegation on 10 July 2000 in Toyo.

This extra-ordinary meeting of the developing and developed countries focused on important global issues and resolved in principle that continuous dialogue is crucial between the countries of the South and North, and South and South in jointly responding to the challenges of the new millenium.

The meeting focused on these four critical issues:

1: The Impact of Globalisation

• Inharmonious manifestations of globalisation that would impact negatively and marginalise developing countries
• Other threats that could marginalise the developing countries are natural disasters, wars and conflicts, population shifts, human rights violations, illegal drug trafficking and organised crime, these increasingly take on international dimension and ide growth and development.
• The negative impact of globalisation is not a problem of the South alone, this requires a partnership between the developing and developed nations.
• The South therefore, advocates for a constructive and purposeful partnership aimed at a renewed framework on growth and development in the context of globalisation that can provide decent standards of living, adequate nutrition, health care education work for all.

2: Debt Relief and the Critical Economic Situation in Africa

The debt situation in developing countries remains very grave, NAM urgently urged the G8 to lend their support in the effort to reconstruct and develop the economies of the poor countries and place the debt issue at the forefront of human development and progress.

• The challenges of debt burden frustrate the initiative taken by many developing countries in an attempt to redress their economic plight.
• The OAU has also noted the debt problem and the economic and development crisis it has created in Africa, and how it has adversely affected the ability of African countries to meet their development objectives.
• Therefore, NAM urged the G8 to take cognisance of the critical socio-economic situation in developing countries, despite efforts undertaken by these countries to lay foundation for development.

3: Poverty Eradication and Development Challenges

In the Human Development Report 2000 of the UNDP, poverty eradication is described as a major challenge for the 21st century. This report further states that poverty is no longer a phenomenon of the South, it has become a global problem as well.

• The ILO annual report points that a quarter of the world's population of 6 billion lives on less than a $1 a day. Also that the world's poor increased in the course of the past five years by 200 million, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern and CentrEurope and South East Asia - regions which all represent members of the Non-Aligned Movement.
• UNICEF, in a report on the state of the world's children, points out that poverty continues to grow as globalisation advances on an uneven path with women and children being the primary victims of the negative consequences of the process.
• It was agreed in principle that, issues of poverty eradication will remain a mutual challenge, and commitment was made to address this challenge.

4: NAM expressed its concern with the widening gap in Information Technology between the developing and developed countries.

• The Secretary General of the UN in his Millenium Report, urges that the digital divide between the South and North be bridged.
• It was also, recognised that access to information technology could offer vast opportunities for poverty eradication and human development.
• Potential benefits and opportunities of technological advances were identified as key priorities in efforts to advance growth and development in developing countries.
• The NAM delegation appealed to the G8 to support the Nordic initiative and help bridge this digital divide.

The NAM delegation committed itself to the opportunity presented by this meeting with Foreign Ministers of the G8 countries, and that the vision of the developing countries should be articulated at the forthcoming Millennium Summit later in the year.

These meetings will culminate in the Heads of States of the NAM delegation addressing these issues at the G8 Summit in Japan next week.

The NAM delegation handed a letter detailing the above mentioned issues from the President of South Africa, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, the Chairperson of the NAM addressed to the Japan Prime Minister, Mr. Yoshiro Mori, the President of the G8.

For inquiries contact Basetsana Thokoane: 083 443 7740

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs

PRIVATE BAG X152

Pretoria