New York, 30 September 2002

Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Under-Secretary General,

For the Venezuelan Delegation it is an honour to address this Second Committee during its general debate on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Allow me, first of all, to congratulate you and renew the commitments of support and total cooperation of the Group of 77 and China to the Chair, as well as the other members of the Bureau, in order to insure the success of our deliberations. Likewise, I would like to thank the Under-Secretary General, Mr. Nitin Desai, on behalf of the G-77 and China, for his eloquent, inspiring and visionary Statement.

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to start with the same question as the Under-Secretary General: In what historical moment do we find ourselves? We are at the end of a special year. Special? Yes, we can categorize it as special. Because this has been the year of compromises in order to ensure a new era. This century and the new millennium started with a very prestigious compromise known as the Millennium Development Goals laying out specific short-term objectives to take up the struggle against poverty in the world. Immediately afterwards, we intensively negotiated with our partners of the developed world two special Summits at level of Heads of State and Government: Monterrey and Johannesburg. A very special year, because the two agreements reached, each one with its virtues and shortcomings, make us feel the hope of the transformation within the economical order. There are possibilities of intensifying the international cooperation and to transform the international economic order, by advancing with the compromises that were adopted and if there is no opposition in this General Assembly to facilitate the natural evolution towards the construction of fairer conditions and more equitable relations. We are conscious of the economic difficulties of the developed countries, especially at this particular moment. However, we should look for new and imaginative ways to channel resources and technologies towards development. This is the first step to create better living conditions that would prevent political and military conflicts, terrorism, radical manifestations, the exasperation of civil society, the slow evolution towards the downfall of the institutions, and the anti-development of the nations of the developing world.

The Ministers of Foreign Affaires of the G-77 met on September 19 and expressed their deep concern about the international economic situation. The present world economic situation continues to be unfavourable for all countries. Europe, United States and Japan, among others, have seen affects of this situation. However, if it problematical for them how difficult would it be for us, the developing countries? What great difficulties for those that are the weakest, the least developed countries, what difficulties for the middle-income countries that depend on the export of manufactured goods, agricultural products, and commodities facing tough tariff restrictions and whose prices are deepening the crisis. Unfortunately, there is no favourable international economic environment. The Ministerial meeting of the Group of 24 in Washington D.C., in which I had the honour to participate as a speaker last Friday, highlighted the Minister’s deep concern about the world economic situation and the worsening of the indicators since the last meeting in April. The challenge ahead of us is monumental. We have to succeed, otherwise we run the risk that the present disparities become permanent and that the credibility of the multilateral systems be questioned.

In this regard, we call upon the developed countries to adopt timely and appropriate macroeconomic policies and measures, to increase economic growth and to ensure greater global stability. We also urge for the renewal of political will and spirit for an international alliance for development. We urge for the creation of an enabling international economic environment and the adoption of effective measures to support the efforts of developing countries in achieving sustained economic growth, sustainable development, and stronger democratic systems. We reaffirm the fundamental role of national governments in each country’s development process.

Globalisation has added a new dimension to these problems. It is true, that this phenomenon has created opportunities, but it has also brought about a series of problems derived from the non-equitable distribution of its benefits. If favourable conditions are not created, if we do not act immediately, we will be creating conditions that would deepen and what is worst, perpetuate the problems of the developing world. This is why, Mr. Chairman, we are willing to undertake every effort to tangible and concrete results that will guide us on the path of development on an equal footing and in the spirit of solidarity.

Thus, the Group of 77 and China call for the establishment of an equitable international economic order that will permit the adoption of measures to ensure the participation and benefits of developing countries in globalisation, in particular, through their full and effective participation in all decision making processes for the resolution of the world’s economic programmes.

Trade is one of the most important resources to promote development on the basis of an international trade system that is universal, predictable, transparent, opened, rule-based, non discriminatory and equitable; together with meaningful trade liberalization, we wish to reiterate the fundamental and essential importance of placing the needs and interests of developing countries at the centre of the WTO Agenda and of facilitating the accession of developing countries on fair and reasonable terms, taking into account the particularities of each country.

The multilateral trade system enshrined on the WTO has facilitated economic growth and development in the last 50 years. In spite of the stagnation of the global economy, it is important to maintain the process of reform and liberalization of trade policy in a just manner, in order to insure that the system plays a determining role in the promotion of development and economic growth and guarantees that the fruits of the multilateral trade system are harvested by all, in particular, developing countries, and has human beings at its core.

We emphasize the importance of improved and predictable access to the markets for products of export interest for developing countries through the reduction of tariffs and the elimination of tariff peaks and escalations, as well as trade distorting protectionist practices, non tariff barriers and agricultural subsidies. We also express concern for the negative impact of anti-dumping and countervailing measures and reiterate that they should not be used as protectionist tools. In this context, we note with concern that, in spite of the expectations created at the Doha Ministerial Conference, little progress has been achieved to date at the trade negotiations in Geneva.

The International Conference on Financing for Development was the result of decades of insistence on the part of developing countries searching for an rapprochement between the Bretton Wood Institutions and the United Nations and an integrated discussion of development as a central element of the global agenda, leaving behind years of separate debates regarding issues, such as trade, debt and ODA, to mention only a few. The fact that it was held at all constitutes a milestone in the international debate of development. Monterrey is a set of transcending commitments, in particular as it related to the reform of the international financial architecture. Its implementation and development has to crystallize increasingly. The international financial institutions, in particular the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have begun take part in this process. The meeting last Saturday of the Development Committee of both institutions concentrated its debate on the implementation of the agreements reached at the Summit for Financing for Development. Monterrey is the start of a realistic process to expedite the flow of financial resources for development through mechanisms such as Official Development Assistance, Foreign Direct Investment and new formulae that should be explored, such as the allocation of Special Drawing Rights. Monterrey should translate as the necessity to increase the efficiency of the financing mechanisms for sustainable development. Hence, it is linked to the agreements of Johannesburg. The Group of 77 and China are committed to implement the agreements reached in Monterrey.

The Johannesburg Summit is the result of the concern of the international community with the non-compliance of the agreements reached in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. At the Johannesburg Summit, we committed ourselves to a Plan of Implementation that contains concrete targets and actions on the part of the international community to achieve the full and due implementation of Agenda 21 towards a development for the peoples of the earth that does not compromise the future of generations to come and that facilitates the eradication of poverty. The adoption of the Plan of Action is a watershed in the efforts to achieve sustainable development, as it underlines the need to strengthen international cooperation for the eradication of poverty, the need for a change in patterns of production and consumption and the integrated management of natural resources and reaffirms the vision agreed upon in Agenda 21 ten years ago.

The General Assembly has a particularly important task in the decisions for the follow-up of the implementation of the outcomes of WSSD, in curing the programme of work for the CSD for the next ten years. The primary focus of the summit, as decided by the international community, was the implementation of its outcome and, for us, it continues to be so. In other words that the commitments reached are translated into action as a reflection of the political will of States. In this regard, we urge the international community to implement the outcomes of the Summit in a balanced manner.

The Group of 77 and China is pleased to know that, once again, the international community has reaffirmed the importance of the Principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibility as proof of its continuing relevance and validity in the discussions regarding sustainable development. The establishment of the World Solidarity Fund as a new instrument to contribute to the eradication of poverty and the promotion of human and social development in developing countries, the modalities of which we must define at this General Assembly; the recognition of the Global Environment Facility as a financial mechanism for the Convention against Desertification and the replenishment of the GEF are tangible examples which require political will and concrete follow-up actions for their due implementation. Likewise, we welcome the agreements reached in Johannesburg to negotiate, within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international regime on the just and equitable sharing of the benefits arising form the utilization of genetic resources.

For the Group of 77 and China the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) represents a significant achievement for such an important region of the developing world that will require all the cooperation and support from the international community. The adoption of NEPAD is one of the most important initiatives of our times, as it is a development plan centred on the human being and based on democratic principles that creates an instrument for the promotion of sustainable development in Africa. The Group of 77 and China welcomes the support expressed by the G-8 and the recent declaration adopted at the General Assembly High Level Session.

The Group of 77 and China welcomes with satisfaction the establishment by the General Assembly of the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing States and Small Island Developing States and, in this regard, calls upon the international community to fully implement the LDC programme of action for 2001-2010 and the Brussels Declaration adopted by the Third United Nations Conference on LDCs in May of 2001.

In 1994, the United Nations adopted the Barbados Plan of Action for SIDS. In 2004 Mauritius will host the Conference entrusted with reviewing the application of this Plan. The Group of 77 and China recognize the especial needs of SIDS in the context of sustainable development. In this respect, the Group supports the decision to carry out a full and comprehensive review of the implementation of the Plan for the sustainable development of SIDS in 2004 as agreed in the Johannesburg Plan for Action.

The Information Society is evolving at a hallucinating pace, in which the accelerated convergence between telecommunications, multimedia and information and communication technologies generates new products and services, as well as new ways of carrying out business and trade operations. At the same time, as the markets open for competition, foreign investments and participation, commercial social and professional opportunities proliferate. Nevertheless, the Group of 77 and China express its concern over the ever-widening digital divide.

Thus, the First World Summit of the Information Society, which will be held in Geneva in 2003 and later, in Tunisia in 2005 represents a unique opportunity to examine this program, as it will take on a wide variety of issues relating to the Information Society, leading to a common vision and a better comprehension of the transformation of society. It is expected that the Summit will adopt a Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action to facilitate the effective development of the Information Society and help to bridge the digital divide.

Within this framework for international action, this session of the General Assembly has before it a great challenge: to carry out the due follow-up and full implementation of each and every one of the commitments made by the United Nations in the economic and social spheres. Many are the expectations and many are the hopes of developing countries. We must honour these commitments responsibly. Otherwise, what we have achieved so far will pale before the negative consequences of the non-fulfilment of commitments, not only at the national and regional levels, but also within this house, which has harboured so many hopes from its very conception and which today must translate into concrete actions the commitments made. We have to maintain the very spirit of its creation and the ideals of visionaries of peace, security and the economic and social development of our peoples. Upon our shoulders rests the responsibility that multilateral diplomacy be recognized as a fundamental tool of economic, social and environmental development and that it prevails as undisputed evidence of international solidarity and cooperation in search of a better future.

This is the historical moment in which we find ourselves!

Thank you Mr. Chairman.