STATEMANT BY

H.E. Mr. ABDERAHMAN M. CHALGHAM

Secretary of the General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation

In the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

At The Third UN Conference on LDCs

(Brussels - May 15 2001, PM Session)

(Check Against Delivery)

Mr. Chairman,

This is the third UN Conference on LDCs. My country has attended the first two held in the past 20 years and we are very pleased to participate this time to underline our solidarity with the LDCs and to express our commitment to the principles and objectives of the UN charger calling for international cooperation to solve the world's economic, social and cultural problems. We are also there to express our adherence to the Universal Declaration on Human rights, reminding us of the right of each and everyone to an adequate standard or living allowing the enjoyment of good health and well-being for every individual and his family.

Mr. Chairman,

This Conference is convened 2 decades after the first UN Conference on LDCs and 10 years after the adoption of the Programme of Action for the 90s calling for the creation of macroeconomic framework allowing for the long term development of LDCs and their human resources and infrastructure. Arrangements were made to facilitate the programme implementation regionally, nationally and internationally. LDCS have taken lots of measures in the past decade to implement the programme. But unfortunately any objective analysis will show the truth that the LDCs have not been able to achieve the expected results in the economic, social and developmental fields and millions of their nationals suffer from poverty, hunger and endemic diseases. Lining conditions make it impossible to find work or to get education or shelter.

Mr. Chairman,

The worsening economic and social situation in the LDCs has many reasons: There are protectionist barriers blocking their exports, the scarcity of financial and technical assistance in addition to what is called globalization. The plight of LDCs calls for more efforts by the international community, which needs to devote more resources to help LDCs in fighting poverty, hunger and diseases. This is note just ethically correct; it is indeed our human and humanitarian responsibility. We all live in one world, it is hard to imagine the developing countries drowning on their own. Everybody will drown if nothing is done.

Mr. Chairman,

While trying to understand the reasons for the worsening plight of LDCs politically, economically and socially we have to admit that the plunder of their natural resources and the exploitation of their peoples for several centuries is one of the main causes and this is a very well known fact that nobody can deny. States responsible for these practices should ask for forgiveness from the people they caused backwardness to, those responsible are duty bound to give compensation for all the harm done, they have to show the political will to cooperate sincerely in order to find the right solutions, for the under-development of LDCs. This is the ideal forum to set the ball rolling.

Mr. Chairman,

We all agree that any development in the LDCs should be achieved by the nationals of those countries-Despite the difficult economic climate and its negative impact, there are signs showing that LDCS HAVE done their best in difficult circumstances and worked hard to achieve overall sustainable development. Now, we are meeting to lend a helping hand to them, we have to agree that whatever we decide should be implemented. We should not allow passive participation or the more expression of compassion. In LDCS food, shelter, health care and work are scarce, compassion and good feelings are note enough.

R. Chairman,

The programme of action presented contains several measures meant to improve the situation In LDCs before the end of this decade. Despite the commitments we will make, true political will, constructive cooperation and genuine solidarity in addition to mutual respect are the basic ingredients of success in the implementation of the programme. We in the Jamahyria believe that the work plan will be implemented successfully allowing the acceleration of development in LDCs when some will stop trying to impose specific models and concepts for the economy and for government. We believe that trying to reduce absolute poverty by half by 2015 is hard to achieve as long as the promised ODA, which has been decided and agreed upon, is not delivered. We also have to give our support to food security. In this context, we have to think about solving the water problem, soil fertilization, pest elimination have to be dealt with.

We have to diversify water sources including the creation of seawater desalination plants. These are priorities of paramount importance allowing us to reach the set objectives. In order to help LDCs achieve sustainable development, financial institutions have to stop imposing their stringent conditions every time they lend money or give economic assistance to them. Developed countries have to refrain from blocking LDCs export into their markets. They also have to cancel arbitrary laws and measures imposed on some LDCs including some unilateral decisions and laws applied to them.

Mr. Chairman,

The greatest wealth that LDCs have are their men, women and children and therefore developing their human resources would be of paramount importance in the success of the programme of action because human beings have to be the centre of attention of development.

This can only be achieved with a radical solution to external. We also have to fight the diseases that plaque millions of people in LDCs. In order to make a real progress in this field medicines have to be available to patients. Medicines should no be a source of profit for pharmaceutical companies, especially medicines for the treatment of AIDS. In this context let me point out that the funds available to fight this deadly, scourge are meaningless in comparison with the billions of dollar spent by some developed countries on arms of mass destruction or even in comparison with what is spent by the wealthy on perfumes or on pet foods.

Mr. Chairman,

Even if my country needs all its resources to achieve rates of development offering well-being for our people. Nevertheless we have giver a fair share of our wealth to help developing countries since the beginning of the AL-FATEH Revolution September 1St, 1969. We have helped LDCS in particular; we have given loans and grants in addition to interest free credit. We have helped most African countries and some Asian and Latin-American States. We have built lots of schools and hospitals; we have extended technical assistance and made joint investments through bilateral and multilateral channels. We have made joint ventures in most production sectors, and in the financial and banking sectors. We have created 17 ventures in agriculture and animal husbandry, 4 in the mining sector, 14 in various other fields’ suhs as fishing or woodwork.

These institutions have set up several projects in LDCS and in African countries in particular. Here are some examples:

• 70 petrol stations out of 134, which will be completed within 3 years,

• Between now and 2003 an oil refinery worth US Dollars 200 million in the Republic of Guinea to supply several West African countries with the oil they need,

• 2 Airports will be built and 13 wells dug in Niger,

• 100 hectares of land will be reclaimed for agriculture and many electric generators will be installed in Chad Roads have been built,

• A cement factory will be set up in Mali,

• Electric light and water will be brought to many villages in The Democratic Congo,

• Libya is financing an agricultural project in Gambia worth 11 million US Dollars,

• We have invested 65 to 85% of the capital in 7 banks created in various African countries,

• We have contributed 265 million US Dollars to The African satellite project.

Mr. Chairman,

As we believe that these is no sustainable development as long as we have note eradicated lethal discuses we have launched a South-South health care programme during the G77 meeting held in Havana-Cuba last year. The programme will be implemented with the cooperation of several G77 countries.

In order to eradicate AIDS which threatens millions of Africans, Brother Muammar KHDHAFI, Leader of the Revolution has announced the creation of the African research Centre for the control held in Abuja-Nigeria. The Leader has declared that the Great Jamahirya will foot most of the bill; the rest will be paid by the brotherly African countries and benevolent agencies.
By presenting quickly what we have done in African where 2/3 of LDCS are to be found, we wanted to underline that this is not compassion on our behalf, but our duty towards African brothers. We intend to continue applying this policy in total conviction.

Mr. Chairman,

Peace, Security and Stability are prerequisites for economic and social development. Because we believe in this principle, my country has done its best to put an end to conflicts between some African countries. We have succeeded in achieving national reconciliation in most cases and energies were turned to good use in production and constructive development.
As we believe in the Great Jamahiriya that integration is one of the best ways to stem backwardness and underdevelopment, my country had the honor of launching the initiative of uniting African countries around to pool their resources and to implement a comprehensive development plan leading to progress and prosperity for the nationals of the community. We are also striving to create an African Area made up of all African States. A second African summit was held in Syrte last March and it set up the African Union (United States of Africa) to give momentum to sustainable development in Africa, to raise the standard of living, to eradicate diseases and to improve health for all.

Mr. Chairman,

In my own name and on behalf of my delegation, I would like to seize this opportunity, before concluding? To thank you for the excellent way in which you chaired our meetings. I would also like to thank the Belgian Government and people for hosting this conference and for creating the right conditions for its success.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. God bless you all.

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