Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
13 November 2000
Mr President,
We meet today to evaluate the implementation of the UN-NADAF. Before us are two very useful reports by the Secretary General, aimed at assisting us in this review. My delegation wishes to thank the Secretary General for a very thorough report and addendum providing a most useful overview of the implementation of the recommendations of the mid term review of this important agenda.
The reports also contain interesting proposals for further implementation, which need serious consideration.
The addendum on resource flows to Africa makes rather sad reading as it highlights the deteriorating situation in Africa over the recent past. The decrease in domestic savings rates; the continuing flight of capital from the continent which has reached a staggering estimated total of US$350 billion; the drop of more than 50 percent in ODA flows into the continent in a six year period, from 1992 to 1998; the persistently low and decreasing foreign direct investment flows into Africa; the deterioration in terms of trade for the continent; the escalating debt burden; the decline of the per capita income from $749 in 1980 to $688 in 1998, a decline of about nine percent; all these paint a very bleak picture of the problems facing our continent.
All these signs seem to suggest that once we come to the final review of the UN-NADAF in 2002, we will be faced with an even greater challenge than we had at the beginning of the Agenda. We risk the prospect of a tragic confirmation that Africa's economic and financial situation has worsened in the decade that UN-NADAF has been in place.
Mr President,
Despite these negative and depressing statistics, my delegation believes that we as Africans are at a turning point, and the future of Africa looks much brighter. In this regard I wish to echo the Secretary General, who in his report on this item observes that "Africa has an important opportunity for a new beginning in the new millennium. Since independence, never have the momentum and conditions for change been better."
I share this optimism for a number of reasons.
We as Africans have started owning up to solutions for our own problems. We are ready to address the challenges we face.
There is a growing understanding of the particular nature of Africa's problems and challenges. The wide range of bilateral and multilateral initiatives bears testimony to the active interest in addressing the particular needs of our continent. Already Africa is grappling with its own proposals towards the establishment of a global partnership for the development of the continent. These proposals, by Africans for Africans, will hopefully be launched in the not too distant future.
Mr President
Africans are in the process of defining the broad priorities for our continent. We choose to call this process the African Renaissance. First, we have concluded that the African Renaissance means the establishment of democratic political systems, which will ensure the accomplishment of the goal that the people must govern.
Second, the Renaissance will make certain that these systems take into account African specifics so that, while being truly democratic and protecting human rights, these systems are nevertheless designed in ways which really ensure that political and peaceful means can be used to address the competing interests of different social groups in each country. Third, the Renaissance will establish institutions and procedures, which will enable the continent to deal collectively with questions of democracy, peace and stability. Fourth, achieving sustainable development that results in the continuous improvement of the standard of living and the quality of life of the masses of people. Fifth, qualitatively changing Africa's place in the global economy so that it is free of the yoke of the international debt burden and no longer a mere supplier of raw materials and an importer of manufactured goods.
Sixth, ensuring the full emancipation of women of Africa. Seven, successfully confronting the scourge of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Lastly, the Renaissance is about protecting the environment of our continent and ensuring the sustainable use of our natural resources.
Not to be surprised, these priorities are all included in the agenda of the UN-NADAF.
Mr President,
The final review of the UN-NADAF and the consideration of a possible successor arrangement would have to address a number of challenges. The first would be to make a thorough evaluation of all the initiatives. These would not only be within the UN system but also other bilateral, multilateral and regional initiatives related to Africa. This will, of course, also include initiatives emanating from our continent.
Another challenge will be to consider how this review process can be linked to the work of the Open ended ad hoc Working Group on the Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development. The High level segment of the substantive session of ECOSOC in 2001 must also feed into the review process.
Furthermore, consideration will have to be given to ways in which the Africa specific elements of the major UN conferences can be brought together with the other initiatives for and by Africa. As our Heads of State and Government said in the Millennium Summit held here in New York a few weeks ago, the problems of the New Millennium require comprehensive solutions. And we from Africa know this truth better than many.
Mr President
As hopeful as we are about the future, we also face recognition that there can be no sustainable development without peace and security. The immediate reminder for us is the senseless war raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This war consumes nine other countries; many of them are our neighbours. We watch helplessly as we see very precious resources, both human and material being wasted in this war. True to our efforts, the countries of Southern Africa under the leadership of President Chiluba of Zambia came together more than a year ago to agree on a peace plan known as the Lusaka Accord which we believed would help bring this war to an end. Sixteen months later, we still await the Security Council to play its mandated role for restoring peace and security in this region.
This is one reason why for us in Africa the Brahimi Report is fundamental and very important in laying the foundation for peace in Africa. If we loose the Brahimi Report to the disagreements that we have and which my delegation believes can be overcome, the biggest loosers will be those of us in Africa. Already, we have lost much and we cannot afford to loose even more.
Mr President,
One of the areas we will have to review when we next discuss UN-NADAF will be the contribution of regional solutions to the problems we face in Africa. We in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have seen the fruits of our regional integration and co-operation. SADC has over the years designed a number of spatial development projects, which bring together the efforts of more than one country. For example, South Africa and Mozambique have combined to provide the physical transport, communication and power infrastructure as the foundation for the development of services and manufacturing. This is what is known as the Maputo Corridor. The joint efforts by our two countries vastly improved the costing structure and competitiveness thereby attracting significant foreign direct investment to the area.
Another example is the Lebombo corridor which brings together three countries, Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa, working together to develop environmental friendly projects including attracting eco-tourism. Several neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique, joined to built a major road to transport goods to places between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. More projects are in the pipeline. Besides the normal economic advantages, these projects have deepened democracy and good neighbourliness while making development in our region more sustainable.
Mr President,
We in Africa are going through a difficult but very promising period as the Secretary- General so correctly pointed out in his report. We need to strengthen the partnership between the countries of the North and the countries of the South especially, those of us in Africa. The problems we face, cannot be addressed by Africans only. The HIV/Aids pandemic, malaria and other diseases require a global rather than a continental solution. While we are ready to do as much as we can, we hope those countries that have more to give especially our northern partners, will find it in their hearts and their budgets to assist. At the next review of UN-NADAF we hope the Secretary General will be able to report that there has been a change in the plight of Africa. With confidence, our leaders meeting at the OAU Summit in Algeria in 1999 declared this the African Century. We believe they must have known something that UN-NADAF may prove next time.
I thank you.
For more Information, please contact Dumisani Rasheleng Office No. (012) 351 0067 / 0128 Cell No. 083 709 8166