Statement by Dr. Arjun Karki, International Coordinator of LDC Watch at the Ministerial Meeting in United Nations Headquarters, New York
26 September 2011

Mr. Chairman Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Nepal Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Mr. President of General Assembly Mr Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Secretary General of the United Nations H.E. Mr Ban Ki Moon, Under Secretary General of the United Nations H.E. Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra, Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Turkey H.E. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Davutoglu, honorable minister, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mr. Chairman,
I feel honoured to speak at this august meeting on behalf of the LDC Watch, a global civil society alliance We highly appreciate the encouraging efforts put forward by the LDC governments under the leadership of the Government of Nepal, UN OHRLLS under the leadership of H.E. Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra and the Turkish Government under the dynamic leadership of H.E. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Davutoglu as the host of UN LDC IV Conference, to develop comprehensive commitments in the form of IPoA for LDCs sustainable development for the decade of 2011 to 2020.

In this very important ministerial meeting, we would like to remind ourselves that the LDCs, many of which are also categorized as LLDCs and SIDS, are the unique groups of countries having inherently distinct structural deficiencies, which are further aggravated by interconnected external shocks of global financial crisis, climate crisis, debt crisis, food price volatility, energy crisis and unequal trade terms, among others. As we know, LDCs are recognized by highest population growth rates, lowest ranks in human development index with lowest per capita income and high vulnerability to external shocks. Despite their continuous fight against poverty, hunger and malnutrition, they are still the weakest and most vulnerable countries of the world. It reminds me the statement made by the Rt. Honourable Prime Minister of Nepal Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai and Chair of the LDC Global Co-ordination Bureau at the 66th Session of UN GA that ‘inequality between the affluent and the poor states is the highest now than any other periods in the past’, which sufficiently illustrates that lip services and symbolic supports are not enough for doing away the global problems. Hence, we need to walk the talks for achieving prosperity, equality, peace, justice and human rights for all in the LDCs.

Mr. Chairman, Hon. Ministers, and Excellencies,

The LDCs are the most off track achieving the Internationally Agreed Development Goals (IADGs) including the MDGs. The world is spending about 1.5 trillion US $ annually for enhancing military might whereas more than 2 billion people, almost half of them in the LDCs, are forced to confront abject poverty and denial of fundamental human rights. Hence, the need of the hour is the instantaneous implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action both on the part of LDC governments and their development partners including the international community for eradicating poverty, ensuring food security, strengthening democracy and rule of law, respect for human rights, gender equality, justice, peace and security which are the building blocks for achieving sustainable development in the LDCs. We also need to urge the bi-lateral institutions and inter-governmental agencies to streamline their development strategies in line with the Istanbul Programme of Action.

Mr. Chairman, Hon. Ministers, and Excellencies,

Our major concern at this time is the immediate, effective and comprehensive implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action. We must learn from our failures in the past and become more vigilant, ambitious and forward looking now onwards. We congratulate all of us for the commitment that we made to effectively implement the Istanbul Programme of Action and facilitate graduating at least half of the LDCs by the end of the programme period. However, we are equally worried that if we do not kick-start actions now, there are high chances that we will not be able to succeed achieving graduation of half of the LDCs by 2020. Therefore, we urge to implement the Istanbul Programme of Action in its full spirit as a Global Campaign against Poverty and Vulnerability. For this, a genuine partnership and mutual engagement among development partners, parliamentarians, civil society and LDC member states is highly imperative.
We echo the Turkish Prime Minister’s concern which re-iterated this afternoon by minister Davutoglu on urgently addressing the problems of poverty and famine in Horn of Africa, where as stated by Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in this meeting, more than 13 million people are in dire need of emergency assistance. Tragedies and crises like these are absolute ‘reminders’ for us to urgently focus on the commitments made in the IPoA and act in war-footing.
The imminent Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF4) in Busan, Korea later this year will avail us a unique opportunity for shaping effective international aid architecture to help the poverty trodden people of the LDCs. With only four years remaining before the MDG target date of 2015, this is one of the last remaining opportunities to develop implementable blueprint for working together in true partnership for enhancing productive capacity and meeting the target of graduation of half of the LDCs by 2020. Let me reverberate the argument put forward by civil society groups across the globe who had gathered in Istanbul during LDC IV Conference 'NO MDGs without LDCs'.

Mr. Chairman, Hon. Ministers, and Excellencies,

We should take full advantage of HLF4 and strategically streamline the propositions of ‘aid’ laid out in the IPoA in order to comprehend not only 'aid effectiveness' but also 'development effectiveness'. We emphasize for quality aid that fully harmonizes the Accra Agenda for Action and Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness. In this regard, we call upon development partners to align the allocation of aid providing increased, targeted, predictable and sustainable financial support along with the fulfillment of all the past ODA commitments to LDCs’ priorities with particular focus on developing resilience and enhancing productive capacity in order to achieve sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth leading to sustainable development.

Mr. Chairman, LDCs need to expand productive resources base, build technological capabilities and create production linkages in order to help themselves to produce a greater range of goods and services that enables their beneficial integration into the global economy. In the meantime, we must not forget addressing comprehensively the interconnected problems of the LDCs arising from debt crisis that is additionally posing as a serious stumbling block for their sustainable development. In order to mobilize domestic resources for financing IPoA thereby enhancing productive capacity, we propose you, the honourable ministers, to work together for cancelling all LDC debts.

Mr. Chairman,

HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis are bitter realities in the LDCs. Also a vast majority of the LDC population is continuously suffering from water and energy poverty. Such situations are exerting tremendous impacts on the sustainable development in the LDCs and posing challenges for achieving IPoA goals. It is now widely accepted that access to essential medicines and basic health care facilities, potable water and energy for all is central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Therefore, we urge the global community to act with good will and full cooperation for solving the global problems and achieving holistic development for all.

We also call for materializing 2012 as the ‘International Year of Sustainable Energy for All’. We fully understand the commitment of the UN Secretary General proposing universal access to energy as one of the central issues of the Rio+20 Summit. We believe, access to renewable energy will open vast opportunities for people to use all of the wonders that modern technology has to offer; to allow people to communicate easily, to encourage children to read, to have hospitals benefit from modern health service with safe and reliable equipment, and many more.

The forthcoming CoP17 of UNFCCC and United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Summit) would be crucial addressing the problems for achieving sustainable development by effectively mitigating GHG emissions and reducing impacts of climate change that escalates melting of snow and glacial lake outburst floods, desertification and sea level rise that affect the LDCs most disproportionately and unequally.

We need to carry out the implementation of the IPoA as a Global Campaign against poverty, vulnerability and environmental degradation. We urge the LDC member states, the development partners and international community to engage constantly towards the strategic and visionary agenda which has been set forth in the Istanbul Programme of Action. We also urge to urgently take necessary steps for mainstreaming IPoA into the strategies of the UN agencies and UN bodies.

Mr. Chairman, IPOA requires tremendous capacity, institutional mechanism and political mobilization to materialize IPoA, therefore, we call for significant capacity enhancement of OHRLLS to provide leadership and effective coordination for the implementation of IPoA globally. If implemented carefully and effectively, we believe that the IPoA would be instrumental for making LDCs history. It will be the missed opportunity for the entire humanity if we failed to act appropriately now.
I thank you all for your kind attention and genuine partnership!