STATEMENT
BY
THE MINISTER OF TRADE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF SAMOA
HONOURABLE HANS JOACHIM KEIL
AT THE THIRD UNITED NATIONS
CONFERENCE FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
May 15 – PM Session
(Check Against Delivery)
Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairperson, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:
At the dawn of the new millennium, we are gathered once again to consider the situation of 49 countries, mine included, that have not been able to keep pace with development affordable to the rest of our global community.
The past decade has shown that development remains elusive for a significant number of LDCs, with economies in decline, worsening social conditions and continued marginalisation from the mainstream of the world economy.
While one country graduated out in the past decade, one other has been added to the grouping.
Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
It is more than being fortuitous that we meet here in Brussels. It is the capital of the European Union, an indispensable force behind the drive to improve the situation of LDCs.
But Brussels also hosts the Secretariat of the ACP Group of states with more than 50 percent of its membership being LDCs.
In the context of ACP-EU arrangements, I am pleased to say that my country has now ratified the new comprehensive development cooperation partnership agreement between the European communities and ACP group members.
Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
Over the past years we have been building consensus, leading toward a growing understanding of an integral diagnosis, that deals with the entirety of problems faced by LDCs and not just a few symptoms of their predicament.
We concur that the way forward to the resolution of our situation is one of a true compact of both domestic and external actions that complement and reinforce one another. In that way only, can we achieve any development targets that we pledge to meet.
Mr.
Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
My country stands at the threshold of graduation from its LDC status; at least we have received forewarning of that. We have reached such a milestone through efforts that have been both painful and rewarding.
The basis of such efforts includes a well-structured strategy plan, assembled with broad based civil society participation and where possible and required, with the support of our development partners. This planned approach has also afforded us the opportunity to review our strengths and weaknesses as well as trade offs to be made.
Mr.
Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
While we have made significant progress, there are still a number of barriers that are an imminent threat to the full realization of our targets. Much of these are attributed to the peculiar vulnerabilities that we face as an island LDC.
The benefits accruing as a
consequence of our LDC status will therefore continue to be crucial in the
years ahead as we consolidate our efforts towards sustainable development, if
we are to avoid the reversibility of graduation.
Mr.
Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
Island LDCs, most of which are
members of the ACP Group of States, represent a significant constituency
amongst the LDCs. All of the 4 countries on the borderline of graduation are
island LDCs; yet there has been a glaring absence of a forum in this Conference
to discuss our unique situation and the particular problems that we face as a
result of our smallness, economic and environmental vulnerability and
geographical isolation.
Samoa, as well as all other small
island developing states is already feeling the adverse effects of global
warming and climate change. We are driven to protect our already fragile
coastlines against sea level rise; we are compelled to put in place measures to
safeguard our people against the ever-frequent occurrence of devastating
cyclones and unusual flooding. There is an ever-pressing need to ensure that we
secure potable water for our populations.
Mr.
Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
For these compelling reasons,
Samoa endorses the move within the United Nations to slow down the pace of
graduation until there is security in progress towards sustainable development.
Mr.
Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
While abject poverty has not yet
found roots in Pacific island LDCs as it has elsewhere, its eradication remains
a priority challenge for us all.
It is a problem of development and
countries like Samoa are faced with the onus of ensuring equitable access to
basic needs such as potable water and quality services in health and education
for our fast growing populations. We are geographically displaced and isolated
with regard to market access for our products.
While geographical isolation has
the potential of being bridged by the advances of information and
communications technology, these are in infancy stages of development in
countries such as ours. As well, the prohibitive costs of telecommunications
means that we will, for some time, remain on the `scrambled' side of the
digital divide.
We remain firm in our solidarity
to urge for the development of information and communications technology, which
is a prerequisite to overcoming our isolation, and in part, our vulnerability.
We would also call for consideration for the provision of technical advice on
how we, as LDCs, can become more attractive partners for global information
technology investment.
Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
We realize that our limited capacities
to trade are a major constraint to our ability to export. In our view, exports
are essential for economic growth and poverty reduction as well as attracting
foreign investment.
While we acknowledge having supply
constraints, we know that the removal of trade barriers would be vital to
export and investment promotion. These include technical regulations, labor and
health standards which, as a Least Developed Country, we can ill afford to
meet.
We have not harnessed the benefits
of globalization because of fundamental constraints that exclude us. A vital
step in this direction requires joining the World Trade Organization; yet the
requirements of accession are complex and demanding and beyond our capacities.
We therefore join the call to fast track the WTO accession procedures for LDCs
and for support in our efforts towards the establishment of regional trading
arrangements.
Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
Considering that tourism is one of
the most promising avenues for integrating LDCs into the globalizing economy,
we would urge for the inclusion of the recommendations from the Canary Islands
Declaration on Tourism in the Draft Programme of Action under Commitment 4.
Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
The prime objective of global
cooperation towards improving the situation of LDCs is poverty eradication and
its achievement requires external financing and debt relief. We accept that
overseas development assistance can only be a supplement to our domestic
efforts, but it is still an essential contribution that would ensure that our
realistic strategies do not fail for the lack of external financing.
Samoa is appreciative of the
consolidated support of all its development partners; however this is not only
a matter of ODA volume. The quality and effectiveness of aid are important. Our
working relationship with our development partners has matured over time. The
once one-sided conditionality has been superseded by genuine partnership,
ownership and reciprocal accountability, to ensure that ODA is suitably adapted
to meet our articulated needs and priorities.
To enhance effectiveness and
efficiency of aid utilization, Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairperson, we have engaged
in consultations with our development partners to consider harmonized
procedures, resources pooling and responsiveness to our drive for aid
coordination. This would certainly enable us to concentrate on our priorities
rather than attempting to comply with often complex and diverse procedures. .
Mr.
Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
There is political commitment on
the part of my government to ensure that we utilize all opportunities, which
help us meet the challenges of development. The early eighties marked our
initial trek through the often-resisted path of economic reform. We persevered
over the years and Samoa now has a growing private sector with a major role in
development as well as an efficient public sector.
We have also created a positive
investment climate albeit; resulting foreign direct investment has been less
than expected. We also made a concerted effort to adhere to the principles of
good governance. With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that we made
choices that were right for our country.
Considerable investments have been
made in human resources development, with emphasis on vocational education, as
well as developing of policies for economic growth that maximizes employment
creation. We have had moderate success in agricultural diversification with
emphasis on value added products.
Similarly we are in the process of
refining our response mechanisms to shocks from nature as well as from the
global economic and financial system.
I wish to emphasize that capacity
building remains absolutely essential requirement for countries like Samoa, for
it will give us the ability to determine our priorities as well as make
effective and efficient policy choices.
Mr.
Chairman/Madam Chairperson,
One of the expected outcomes of
this Conference is a Programme of Action that ideally, would embrace an
integrated and long-term approach to the development of LDCs. It is our sincere
hope that it will not be another compromise document of little operational
value soon to be forgotten. Its ultimate test of success lies in improved
living conditions for the poor.
For both the national and the
global plan of action, it is crucial to ensure that an independent monitoring
mechanism is established. This must be strongly supported so that it can
function effectively.
Finally Mr. Chairman/Madam
Chairperson, we have all come with the expectation that this Conference would
be a results-commitment oriented one. We must have the collective resolve to
work together to ensure definite departures from the ranks of LDCs in the
future.
Thank you Mr. Chairman/Madam
Chairperson.
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