Statement by Amb. J.Enkhsaikhan,
Permanent Representative of Mongolia
in the general
debate in the Second Committee
New York October 1, 2001
Mr. Chairman,
Allow me at the outset to
join the previous speakers in congratulating you and other members of the Bureau
on your well-deserved election. This session has a special significance as a
number of important events such as the International Conference on Financing for
Development and the World Summit on Sustainable Development are to be held in
the near future and this Committee is called upon to play an important role in
their successful preparation and outcome. I am confident that under your most
able leadership, Mr. Chairman, the Committee will fulfill its objectives.
My delegation wishes to associate itself with the
statement delivered by the Chairman of the Group of 77. Bearing in mind the long
list of speakers, I wish to make brief remarks on four issues.
1.
Implementation of the Millennium Declaration
The
world is beginning the new century faced by numerous and profound challenges.
The process of globalization, that has a tremendous positive potential, has also
been associated with deeply disturbing and socially destructive processes as
unsustainable pattern of consumption, and, increasingly, with a huge economic
instability. Never before, at times of such abundant wealth, has social
inequality and exclusion reached such levels.
In the face of these global
challenges our leaders reaffirmed in the Millennium Declaration their common
vision for a better future. They pledged to halve the number of the world's
people suffering from hunger and poverty, to reduce child mortality, to halt and
reverse the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemics and other diseases, improve the
living conditions of at least 100 million people in the slum areas of the
cities, etc. Whether these concrete time-bound goals will pass beyond mere
rhetoric and deliver real improvements in the life of the world's people in the
coming years depends to a great extent on the coordinated efforts of the
international community and UN bodies.
In this regard, my delegation
welcomes an integrated and comprehensive approach outlined by the
Secretary-General in the Road map for implementation of the Millennium
Declaration. We hope that the Road map will serve as a guidance for concrete and
coordinated efforts of UN bodies towards achieving the objectives set in the
Millennium Declaration and bring new as well as existing programs at both
national and international levels under a broad umbrella of implementing the
Declaration.
Nationally, the Mongolian
Government has adopted the Good Governance for Human Security Programme as a
means of meeting the goals set in the Millennium Declaration. It includes
several components such as economic transition, equity and social policy,
environment and sustainable development and sound governance. Currently poverty
rate in Mongolia stands at 36 percent, affecting in some urban areas nearly 45
percent of the population, and equity and poverty reduction are the most
important and integral part of the Programme. The strategies adopted by the
Government to alleviate poverty include accelerating per capita income, reducing
inequality in distribution of income and productive assets, creating productive
employment and placing more responsibility on local government institutions, the
civil society and local communities in rural areas. One of the important aspects
of this strategy is to make available more financial resources for poor people
through innovative microfinance initiatives. Success of the MicroStart program,
implemented in cooperation with a number of developmental partners, has given a
significant impetus to these efforts. The Government of Mongolia stands resolved
to fully implement the Good Governance for Human Security Programme in close
cooperation with its bilateral and multilateral development partners.
2.Financing for
Development
Mr. Chairman,
The comprehensive nature of the
objectives put forward in the Millennium Declaration highlighted even more
vividly the necessity of ensuring adequate financial resources for achieving the
developmental objectives.
Official Development Assistance
(ODA) globally has been declining at an alarming rate. A perception of aid
dependence among the poorest and growing scepticism generally of effectiveness
of aid in promoting development and reducing poverty have been among the major
behind-the-scene factors that led to decline in ODA. It has to be stated that
more effective use of ODA is essential in overcoming the current donor fatigue
and in promoting political support for increase of ODA levels by the governments
and general public in donor countries.
ODA still remains an essential
source of funding for many developing countries, especially for the most
vulnerable among them, such as the Least Developed, Landlocked and Small Island
Developing countries, and particularly in the areas of social development. They
can scarcely be replaced by private financial flows.
Hence, the upcoming
International Conference on Financing for Development faces heightened
expectations that rise from ambitious objectives set in the Millennium
Declaration. The FfD offers a unique opportunity to re-instate the role the ODA
in sustainable development and highlight in a comprehensive manner its major
contribution to achieving economic growth, social progress and equity, and in
the protection of the environment. These goals stand at the core of the
commitments made by States at several world conferences held during the last
decade and should prevail over any short-term considerations.
The FfD should deliver new ways
of strengthening international monetary, financial, and trading systems to
enable them to fully support developmental efforts. The preparatory process and
the conference itself should address all aspects of development and development
financing, especially concerning the most vulnerable such as the Least
Developed, Landlocked and Small Island Developing countries.
3. International trade:
special needs of landlocked developing countries
Investment, trade and ODA
constitute major contributing factors of enhanced growth and development. The
landlocked developing countries face multiple challenges in all these areas,
especially in the area of international trade.
The Chairman of the Group of 77
in his statement highlighted the necessity of enhancing trade opportunities for
development and the necessity to restore confidence in the multilateral trading
system. The landlocked developing countries depend heavily on export-based
sectors for their economic and social growth. Thus, it is important that the
interests of the LLDCs are taken in to account and special consideration is
given to their circumstances at the new round of trade negotiations, if and when
they are to commence.
My delegation welcomes the fact
that the Road Map on implementation of the Millennium Declaration highlights the
special circumstances of the landlocked developing countries and their special
needs.
It is
especially significant in light of the fact that the Fifth Meeting of
Governmental Experts from Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and
Representatives of Donor Countries and Financial and Developmental Institutions
held this year recommended to convene in 2003 an International Ministerial
Meeting on transit transport cooperation. The meeting is expected to contribute
to achieving the objective set out in the Road map. We express the hope that the
United Nations, and particularly UNCTAD and UNDP, will continue to render their
valuable support to the efforts of the landlocked and transit developing
countries to enhance and facilitate their transit transportation, which is vital
for accelerating their trade and development. The relevant office of the UNCTAD
needs to be strengthened if preparations for the International Ministerial
Meeting are to be carried out successfully.
Taking this opportunity, my
delegation wishes to commend the continued assistance by the UNCTAD in promoting
transit transport cooperation between landlocked and transit countries. In case
of Mongolia, with the assistance of the UNCTAD and SU TCDC, two rounds of
negotiations have been held with its neighbors, China and Russia, and
preparations for the third meeting are under way. Successful conclusion of the
agreement would enhance and facilitate transit trade not only in the subregion,
but within wider Northeast Asia, and ought to bring down excessively high
transit transportation costs and raise efficiency. My delegation strongly
believes that continued support by the UNCTAD and SU TCDC is of vital importance
to bringing the negotiations to a successful conclusion and thus to promoting
trade within and beyond Northeast Asia.
4. Protecting our common
environment
Mr. Chairman,
For a country such as Mongolia,
susceptible to natural disasters, with much of the economy dependent on
environment, implementation of the objective of the Rio Summit has a special
significance.
According to the recent data,
average temperature in Mongolia increased by 1.56 Celsius during the last 60
years, which is more than 3 to 5 fold of the global average increase. This
increase led to more frequent reoccurrence of draught and overall increase in
dryness. Due to global warming and human induced factors, over-grazing, land
deterioration and desertification are increasingly threatening economic and
social structures of the country. 78.4 percent of pastures, that constitutes a
backbone of Mongolia’s major economic sector – animal husbandry, have been
affected by degradation of some degree.
Mongolia attaches great
importance to addressing these challenges. Mongolia has launched its sustainable
development agenda for 21st century and its implementation is underway. Mongolia
was the forth country in Asia to adopt its National Plan of Action of Combating
Desertification. However, the country faces tremendous difficulties in its
implementation due to financial and human resource constraints.
Mr. Chairman,
Given the particular importance
of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), my delegation
welcomes the progress achieved in its resumed session in Bonn.
My delegation also wishes to
underline the necessity of continued efforts to combat desertification. Bearing
in mind the overarching role played by the Global Environment Facility (GEF),
governments have the responsibility to ensure the adequate replenishment of the
Facility as well as to identify ways and means to improve access to its
resources. Furthermore, consideration of the scope of GEF's programme
activities, particularly with regard to land degradation, and desertification is
to be welcomed.
The World
Summit on Sustainable Development should undertake a comprehensive and critical
look at the achievements and shortfalls in the implementation of Agenda-21.
While States have agreed that funding for the implementation of Agenda 21 and
other international commitments towards sustainable development should mainly
come from countries' own public and private sources, they have also reaffirmed
time and again the need to mobilise and provide new and additional, adequate and
predictable financial resources to meet the targets of poverty reduction,
protection of the environment and economic growth. Beyond financial concerns,
the outcomes of the Summit should have special political impact on strengthening
international consensus on sustainable development in the future and, in
particular, on its environmental aspects.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to assure you of my delegations
full support and cooperation as we embark on the major task of implementing the
Millennium Declaration.