Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
(In the name of Allah,
the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful)
Your Majesty,
Mr. President,
Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Mr. Secretary General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalamu Alaikum.
We are deeply,
honored by the gracious inauguration of the Conference by His Majesty King
Albert II (and his opening statement). The remarks of the other leaders,
including Secretary General Kofi Annan have been very focused proposing
concrete areas of action. Their call for global solidarity and joint action is
a source of inspiration to us all. We are delighted that the European Union is
hosting this Conference at Brussels. We also thank the Government of Belgium
and the United Nations for the excellent arrangements for our Meeting.
I stand
here to speak on behalf of 600 million people of the 49 Least Developed
Countries, engaged in an on-going struggle to combat overcome poverty and
marginalization. For LDCs, this Conference is of singular importance. Here, they
will under take their most elaborate commitments for development. It is an
occasion when they expect their development partners also to make their boldest
commitments. This could be the dawn of a new: era of partnership of the most
underprivileged with the most well-endowed and privileged.
As we
look at the challenges facing the LDCs, we see that poverty remains pervasive,
opportunities for the poor and disadvantaged are minimum and the economic,
social and environmental difficulties are multiplying. The goals of poverty
eradication and social and economic development are as elusive as ever. Poverty
is a complex, multidimension problem and its eradication requires well,
orchestrated multilateral approach targeted at the poor who are not homogenous.
The
Programmes of Action for LDCs for the eighties and the nineties were
drawn up with the best of intentions. During these two decades, the LDCs have
tried their best to overcome the vicious cycle of poverty and underdevelopment.
Broad-based economic and financial reforms, wide ranging liberalization,
reorientation to market principles and openness in policies and practices were
introduced. These efforts, unfortunately were not matched by a commensurate
response from the development partners in terms of matching resources in
particular. Root and branch reforms are expensive from a social and political
point of view and in the absence of compensatory r financing their achievements became insignificant. This is the
lesson of history.
On
behalf of the LDCs Bangladesh has been raising issues of concern to LDCs in
multilateral fora. In particular at the United Nations and at the G8 Summit
meetings. We have underscored that it is only through joint action and
meaningful cooperation among the LDCs and their partners that; the continuing
marginalization of LDCs can be reversed.
The
LDCs now face new tests, such as HIV or AIDS, that were unknown till recently.
Arsenic poisoning of drinking water, threatens the lives of millions. We had
thought many diseases had been curbed or , even eliminated, but some come back
in new and more .menacing forms. Our advancement in science and technology
must, be used to combat these maladies to ensure a better life for all.
Challenges have also been
posed by international crime, terrorism and the cross border movement of
drugs-all of which are facilitated by the technology and communication boom. On
the subject of international cooperation to fight crime, I wish to highlight
our own concern. On August 15, 1975, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Muj,ibur Rahman, was brutally murdered by a group of armed miscreants.
Along with him,, the killers also murdered my mother, three brothers,
sisters-in-,law, my, ,uncles, their children; my cousin and many other close
relatives and associates. The killers have been tried by courts and the guilty
convicted. Some of those convicted are evading justice by seeking refuge
abroad. We must use all means at our command to prevent such convicted
criminals from, seeking refuge by crossing political
boundaries.
Mr.
President,
From
1975 to 1996 1 undertook a massive political movement for restoration of
democracy and I was successful. Now we are making relentless efforts for
economic emancipation through poverty, alleviation.
For about last five years, Bangladesh has been, implementing
pragmatic development and welfare adopting and, programmes for ensuring food,
clothing, education, medicare and shelter for the people according to the
spirit and objective of independence. One of our main objectives is to achieve
economic emancipation through poverty alleviation. Our programmes like Old-age
Allowance, Widow Allowance, Destitute Freedom Fighters' Allowance, Employment Generation Bank, Asrayon, Housing, Return
Home Project, Peace Abode, One House One Farm, Ideal village, Youth training,
VGF, VGD, Food for Works, Food for Education, free education for girls,
stipend, eradication of illiteracy and other socio-economic programmes have
created new avenue for development. The human poverty index which was a high
61.3% in 1981-83 period has come down to 34.8% in 1998-2000 period as a result
of our targeted poverty alleviation programmes. During our time, the literacy
rate has risen to 65.5 percent from 47 percent in 1996-97. The per capita
income has gone up to US $ 386 from US $ 280 in 1996-97. We have been able to
achieve economic growth above 5 percent for four consecutive years. Last year
the rate was nearly 6 percent. No other government, expect that of the Father
of the Nation, could achieve such a high growth rate. Following our pragmatic
programmes in the agriculture sector we have achieved self-sufficiency in food.
We have a surplus of 1.58 million metric tons of foodgrains now. The calorie
intake has increased and poverty decreased. Investment and export have also
increased. We have taken measures to convert our population into human
resources suitable for the 21st century. We have been giving massive
micro-credit and agriculture credit to the disadvantaged section of the
people. Under the different housing schemes of the government including
Asrayon, Housing, Return Home and Ideal Village 87,720 houses have been
allocated to the homeless people for which about 500 thousand persons have been
benefited. We have created confidence and dynamism in the people through
adoption of pragmatic policy, implementation of programmes and establishment of
the spirit of Liberation War in all spheres of life. The LDCs can consider
these programmes and experiences for the development of their countries. The
world today considers
Bangladesh as a country of high potential. We want to establish Bangladesh, as
a self-reliant, developed and-resourceful country before the Golden Jubilee of
our independence in 2021.
Although the
challenges faced by the LDCS are formidable, they are not insurmountable. Given
firm determination, an enabling environment, and sufficient political will and
commitment at the national and global levels, LDCs should be able to make
headway in not too distant a future. We need to build capacity of the LDCs,
both human and institutional to make the people in LDCs both the agents of
change and the beneficiaries of that change increased investment in human
development in the social sector, will surely contribute to this objective.
We believe that while challenges are immense, opportunities do exist for the
LDCs.
Trade opportunities for LDCs are
critical. Unfortunately, the products with distinct comparative advantage from
LDCs face tariff and non-tariff barriers in the world markets, creating
insurmountable hurdles. These should speedily come to an end. Recently, there
have been some laudable decisions to provide market access, including the EU's
Everything-but-Arms initiative. We hope that other major players will be soon
forthcoming with similar measures. The North American countries and Japan need
to harmonize their policy with Europe in this connection.
The LDCs have so far
remained entrapped in unbearable debt burden. Urgent steps are long overdue for
cancellation of all debts for LDCs. Immediate debt moratorium alone can
generate 4.5 billion US dollars a year, for investment in the economic and
social sectors.
Mr. President,
The LDCs will
remain dependent in the foreseeable future on external assistance to build up
firm institutional base and human capacity to attain self-sustaining growth.
Twenty-five billion dollars of additional resources can be made available for the development of LDCs by
simply reaching the agreed target of 0.2 percent of GNP as official development
assistance to these countries. This is a modest target and should be attained.
With increasing reliance on private capital flows for development, we want our
development partners to specifically encourage their private sectors to target
our countries as destination for FDI. This special effort would complement our
own efforts to attract such investment.
We, recognize that, as in other
countries, well functioning and transparent democracy is at the heart of development
of LDCs. The basic elements of good governance under democracy should include
promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, ensuring
gender equality and establishment of the rule of law. We also need to institute
good governance at the international level that would ensure transparency in
the financial, economic and trading systems making these sensitive to the needs
of LDCs in particular. We expect this conference to facilitate the initiation
of such a regime. In this respect the following issues are of particular
importance: (i) Market access for LDC exports; (ii) impact of globalisation and
the need for protecting LDC interests in order that they can perform at the
global market place; (iii) higher aid flows of appropriate quality; (iv)
regular and comprehensive monitoring of commitments made by all concerned with
LDC involvement in them.
The new programmes of Action to
be adopted in Brussels must succeed. We want an effective partnership between
the LDCs and their development partners, one that will involve the private
sector, the civil society organizations and other stakeholders.
Drawing lessons from the earlier
two LDC Programmes, we wish to place strong emphasis on effective mechanisms
for implementation and follow-up. The LDCs must ensure appropriate
national-level mechanisms for implementation. Simultaneously, there should also
be practical and workable arrangements for system-wide well-coordinated
follow-up at the UN as well as at other global and regional levels.
We are standing at the crossroads of the
future of development of LDCs. If we take the right course, this could be the
start of a new and purposeful journey to end injustice, inequity stagnancy,
deprivation and the ever-growing marginalization of the LDCs. The last two
Programmes of Action had unfortunately been missed opportunities.
We must not allow that top happen again. Let us resolve to make a difference this time around, in,
the new millennium. We can not afford to fail.
I thank you Mr. President
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