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Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Permanent Representatives,
Dear Colleagues from the Peacebuilding Commission Support Office,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure and privilege to be here at this important meeting to brief you on the Fourth United Nations Conference on LDCs and to exchange on ways in which synergies between this Conference and the Peacebuilding Commission process can be leveraged in order to better manage the transition from crisis to development in the countries on the Peacebuilding Commission agenda, all of which also happen to be LDCs.
I would like to start by thanking you for asking me to address this uniquely important meeting and for giving me the opportunity to exchange with you.
Let me also seize this opportunity to commend the Peacebuilding Commission for supporting the efforts by the six LDCs emerging from conflict or presenting a risk of falling into conflict to enter a path of lasting peace, which ultimately will help them secure inclusive and equitable economic growth and sustainable development.
Mr. Chairman,
The Fourth United Nations Conference on LDCs complements the efforts of the Peace Commission in supporting LDCs meet their special needs, address their peculiar vulnerabilities and fulfil their development aspirations. The convening of such an event was decided by the General Assembly Resolution 63/227. This resolution specifies four specific objectives of the Conference, which are as follows:
· “ Undertake a comprehensive appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Decade 2001-2010;
· Identify effective international and domestic policies as well as new and emerging challenges and opportunities and the means to address them;
· Reaffirm the global commitment to address the special needs of the least developed countries and to support the least developed countries to eradicate poverty and to integrate beneficially into the global economy; and
· Mobilize additional international support measures and action in favour of the least developed countries and, in this regard, formulate and adopt a renewed partnership between the least developed countries and their development partners.”
Our expectation is that an ambitious, focused, action and result-oriented Outcome, with concrete commitments and deliverables, will emerge from the Istanbul Conference. One key yardstick against which the “game-changer” and “value-added” nature of this Outcome will be gauged is through the degree of success in addressing different needs and vulnerabilities of specific categories within the LDCs group, including those of LDCs emerging from conflict or presenting the risk of falling into conflict.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Permanent Representatives,
I recall that I was asked to share my views on how the Conference can best highlight the needs of and challenges facing the LDCs that are on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission.
Mr. Chairman,
Prior to responding to this question, allow me to indicate that the preparatory process leading to the Fourth United Nations Conference on LDCs was designed in such way that the needs and challenges of all LDCs, including those that are emerging from conflict or presenting a risk of falling into conflict, are reflected in the outcomes of this process.
We are gratified by the degree of participation and engagement of LDCs, including those that are within the purview of the Peacebuilding Commission, in the preparatory process of the Conference.
A majority of LDCs on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission contributed to the national and regional reviews of the Brussels Programme of Action. The same holds for the global reviews during which a large spectrum of issues of foremost importance to the development of LDCs were discussed. All these processes resulted in forward-looking outcomes, which have informed the draft Outcome Document that is currently being discussed.
The participation and engagement of these countries go beyond the intergovernmental track. They have also been involved in the other three tracks that have underpinned the preparatory process, namely the Parliamentarian, Civil Society and Private Sector.
Mr. Chairman,
As far as LDC priorities are concerned, all these processes suggest that the enhancement of productive capacities in LDCs figures high in the list of LDC pressing needs and challenges because of its bearing on other development priorities identified by LDCs.
The productive capacities refer to the ability of a country to produce efficiently and competitively high-value added goods and services. Productive capacity-building efforts take the form of improved physical infrastructure, including power generation, transport and ICT, and other enabling conditions for development as well as adequate financial, technological and human capital.
LDCs, including those on which the Peacebuilding Commission points its spotlight, indicate that building their productive capacities will contribute to improving their supply response and export capacity, increasing their benefits from participating to international trade, generating meaningful well-paid jobs and making significant inroads towards social development and peace building.
Another priority identified by LDCs is agriculture and food security. The modernization of the agriculture sector across this group of countries holds much promise for achieving food security, for generating meaningful decent jobs and incomes for the youth in rural areas, slowing down the new trend of massive exodus from rural to urban areas and for embarking in a successful industrialization process.
Another key priority that features prominently in the Brussels Programme of Action and in new document in negotiations is governance. Essential ingredients of domestic governance include the building of strong institutions, the promotion of a capable and developmental state, the promotion of the rule of law, reform of judicial systems, transparency and accountability, the respect of human rights and the fight against corruption and unconstitutional changes of power. These elements of governance resonate more strongly in countries on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission.
A governance-related priority identified by LDCs, including those emerging from conflict or presenting the risk of falling in conflict, is also the sustainable management of land, natural resources, water, marine and coastal resources.
The identification of all these priorities mirrors the fact that peacebuilding endeavours require both a short and long-term engagement. While it is important to meet the immediate needs of countries emerging from conflict or presenting the risk of falling into conflict, long-term needs require equal attention as well. This is to say that an appropriate balance between short-term and longer-term considerations, including capacity building, governance, agriculture and food security, human resource development and good stewardship of the environment which have all been identified as priorities by LDCs and their development partners in their current negotiations on the upcoming Outcome Document.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Permanent Representatives,
That said, allow me to share my thoughts as to how best the Conference can highlight the needs of and challenges facing LDCs that are on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission.
The Istanbul Conference will feature high-level interactive thematic debates and special events, which are likely to result in deliverables and commitments in favour of LDCs. Some of these events, particularly the high-level interactive thematic debate on “reducing vulnerability, responding to emerging challenges, and enhancing food security in LDCs” and the special event on “Delivering for Development in Conflict-affected LDCs” are of a particular importance to LDCs under the purview of the Peacebuilding Commission.
Our view is that there is room, besides these two specific events, for further reflecting the needs and challenges of the LDCs on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission.
Although the list of high-list interactive thematic debates has been closed, there is still some scope for member states to come with suggestions as regards special events. We would like to invite you to use this window of opportunity to further bringing to the fore the needs and challenges before countries emerging from conflicts or presenting the risk of falling into conflict.
Mr. Chairman,
My last remark before concluding will touch on the question of how the six countries on the Peacebuilding Commission agenda can fully capitalize on the opportunities offered by the Conference.
There is a consensus that the rehabilitation of physical and institutional foundations and transformation from a war economy to a developing economy involve economic social and political aspects. The priorities identified by LDCs attest to this. LDCs and their development partners are expected to make commitments on each priority. These commitments will form an essential part of the new global partnership framework to be adopted in Istanbul.
Ensuring that the Peacebuilding Commission’s integrated Strategic Frameworks are also informed by the Istanbul Outcome Document will be an important step toward enabling countries emerging from conflict and presenting the risk of falling into conflict to fully reap the benefits of the Istanbul process.
As indicated earlier, peacebuilding challenges and the tasks at hand are multidimensional and inter-related, hence the need for comprehensive and integrated approaches to peacebuilding.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Permanent Representatives
The LDCs that are on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission can also fully capitalize on the opportunities offered by the Conference if the making of recovery and reconstruction is defined and led by these countries; in sum, if these LDCs own the process.
Country’s ownership should also be translated through their continued participation to engagement in the Istanbul Conference and well beyond.
I thank you for your kind attention and look forward to having productive interactive discussions with you.
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