Germany Excerpts from the Statement of Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, at the High-Level Meeting of the ECOSOC of the UN, Bretton Woods Institutions and World Trade Organization, New York, April 14, 2003

This year’s high-level meeting of the Economic and Social Council of the of United Nations, the Bretton Woods Institutions and the World Trade Organization is all the more important at this time when their joint mission and our common vision – of fostering sustainable human development and peace for all – must be put back at the top of the international agenda.

At a time like this, the original task for which the United Nations was founded, namely to save mankind from the scourge of war, is more important than ever. How is it possible that billions of US dollars can easily be mobilized for war whereas for the fight against the biggest enemy, poverty, millions are not given. We should make a campaign: everybody knew Security Council Resolution 1441 and everybody wanted to have it implemented. I demand that UN Resolution 55/2 will be implemented with the same international vigor. In this resolution the UN General Assembly agreed to halve poverty in the whole world by 2015.(*)

The international community can now focus on bringing humanitarian assistance to the needy population. Our international efforts must now, of course, be focused on relief for the people of Iraq and later on the reconstruction and development. In order to establish a stable, democratic and peaceful order in Iraq, what is needed now is a resolution of the Security Council to give the UN a clear mandate for the reconstruction process. I fully endorse the Secretary-General’s approach to the matter.

At the economic level, we are concerned by the impact of the war in Iraq on the world economy. The most recent figures suggest that, again, the developing countries will suffer most from the further decline of economic growth rates as just forecast by the IMF and from low levels of foreign investment. The Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) in particular will face even more difficulties in implementing the ambitious programs they have developed in order to benefit from substantial debt relief. On the political level, we have to channel all our efforts now into a return to the prevention of war. The world needs to prevent war. It does not need so called “preemptive wars”. They are against international laws. We are, however, currently in danger of entering a new arms race. Already, we have seen a rise in world-wide arms expenditure, from US$761 billion in 2000 to US$839 billion in 2002.

If there is a just war to be fought, it is the war on poverty and hunger, illness and disease, illiteracy and environmental degradation, exclusion and injustice. This battle against want and fear is what the Development Agenda of the Millennium Summit, the Monterrey Consensus and the Johannesburg Action Plan intended. And I urge the world to find its way back to the good start we made on the new millennium, when we set our compass clearly on a development course. Let me put it this way: After all the debate on the UN Security Council Resolution 1441 regarding the disarmament of Iraq, we should now concentrate all our efforts on, and provide the necessary financial means to implement, resolution 55/2, i.e. the Millennium Declaration, which enjoys broad legitimation by all member states of the UN.


Multilateral partnership

The German government is firmly committed to the principles of multilateralism, the peaceful resolution of conflicts and enhanced development efforts. Sustainable development and international solidarity are high on the government’s agenda following its re-election in autumn last year.

In line with the EU commitment at Monterrey to significantly increase official development assistance (ODA), we have been able to increase our development budget for 2003. This is a first step towards delivering our national contribution to the joint EU commitment made in Barcelona and Monterrey. Other Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries have also announced ODA increases and have started to realize them. We will do our utmost to ensure that the EU will continue to play a positive role in this context. If all DAC members live up to their commitments, we would, according to the latest DAC estimates, have a 30% increase in overall ODA in 2006. In combination with good progress in our joint efforts to enhance aid effectiveness, particularly with regard to the harmonization of donor procedures and untying of assistance, this should help the international community a good deal to get “on track” with a view to the MDGs.

In the spirit of Monterrey on a new partnership, increased external financing of development is important. Furthermore it is important to take steps on a national level. Good domestic governance is key to development.

We therefore endorse the enhanced efforts of many developing countries to improve governance. The NEPAD [New Partnership for Africa’s Development] initiative, which has our support, focuses specifically on governance and is very promising. Bilateral and multilateral efforts are, of course, assisting with these endeavors.

German development co-operation has now developed specific strengths in supporting democratic and good governance and public sector reform, as this is now one of our top sectors of bilateral
co-operation. And I welcome the fact that the UNDP, for instance, now invests an important amount of its funds into fostering democratic governance.

In the spirit of partnership and joint action, the German government is also actively approaching the business community. Our public-private partnership scheme encourages concerted action between official development co-operation and private companies. We further support the exchange of good practices through the Global Compact Learning Forum.


Good global governance: an economic “security council”?

Good domestic governance has to be matched by good global governance, i.e. inclusive and transparent international rules and procedures. The German government has been supportive [of strengthening] the developing countries say in international negotiations. We will continue to campaign for a comprehensive approach that will greater involve the developing countries in the decision-making process within the international financial institutions. Still our prospective is: a UN Security Council for Economic Policy. Try to get International Financial Institutions, UN, WTO to fulfill the same principles in the practice of their responsibilities. With a special emphasis on international trade relations, we are working for further reforms that will promote a fair and inclusive international system.

It is for this reason that we are contributing to the Doha Development Fund for trade-related technical assistance. I have always said, in concert with others, that we need to make the Doha round into a development round that genuinely reflects developing countries’ interests and lives up to their expectations.

I would like to make a special plea for rapidly solving the problem under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, thus giving developing countries access to vital medicines – as had been promised in Doha in November 2001.

Ladies and gentlemen, with a view to world trade and beyond, I have a hope: that in the years to come, Doha should be remembered not as the headquarters of allied forces in war, but rather as the birthplace of a true development round. The world’s attention is on us; at the end of the day our children and grandchildren will judge us on whether we shaped world affairs in a responsible manner and whether we have contributed to a more just world order. Today this means primarily returning to the principles of the Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus and the Johannesburg Plan of Action.

The full address can be found at: www.germany-info.org/UN/archive/ speeches/2003/sp_04_03.html

(*) Resolution 1441 of the UN Security Council (8 Nov., 2002) stated the United Nations position on the disarmament of Iraq. Resolution 55/2 of the UN General Assembly (8 Sept., 2000) is the Millennium Declaration.

Note: In SDR 7:1 (Dec. 2002, Mar. 2003] we focused on the challenge of HIV/AIDS. The governments of Africa here state their commitment.

Mozambique Heads of State and Government of the African Union: Second ordinary session, Maputo, Mozambique, 10-12 July, 2003 Maputo declaration on hiv/aids, tuberculosis, malaria and other related infectious diseases

We, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union,…devoted a special session to review and debate the current status of the HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), Malaria and Other Related Infectious Diseases (ORID) in our continent. We held a Video Conference with relevant experts and international agencies concerned with the prevention and fight against these diseases, to exchange views and discuss further concrete actions which should be taken to curtail their spread in our countries;

We remain deeply concerned about the continuing spread of HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and ORID, despite the efforts that member states have exerted to operationalise the commitments made at the Abuja Summits on Roll Back Malaria (April 2000) and on HIV/AIDS, TB and ORID (April 2001);

We commend the role being played by the African Union (AU), in collaboration with UNAIDS and its co-sponsoring UN Agencies,…

We have analysed the progress achieved so far in prevention and fight against HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and ORID, which are the major causes of morbidity and mortality and constrain the socio-economic development of our region, accentuating poverty, disrupting family and social fabric and putting millions of our people in despair. We acknowledge the successes achieved in some sub-regions in reducing HIV incidence. We note that this was possible because of political commitment, resource mobilization, collective social action and a high level of awareness among our citizens in face of these threats. We urge that these positive steps and measures be intensified in all our states to achieve greater success against these diseases;

We note that the majority of those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS in our continent are women, children and young people; especially the poor who have limited access to effective care and support. This reflects their vulnerability particularly in societies marked by gender inequality, where the burden of care for the sick and for the children orphaned by AIDS falls overwhelmingly on women. In this connection, we recognise the need to redouble efforts in giving particular attention to women and young people’s participation and access to information, life skills and services;

We also recognise the inclusion of the HIV/AIDS as a cross-cutting issue in the New Partnership of Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and the establishment of other initiatives such as AIDS Watch Africa (AWA), the Commission for HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA) and the Millennium Development Goals, all of which represent milestones of progress in the fight against HIV/ AIDS. We acknowledge the progress made in some of our countries in mainstreaming HIV/ AIDS into relevant development frameworks such as Poverty Reduction Strategies Papers (PRSPs). We urge that these efforts be sustained, strengthened and extended to all countries;

We note that many Member States have mobilized internal resources and taken bold leadership steps to confront HIV/AIDS and other health challenges. We also acknowledge the response by the international community to the efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and ORID. The establishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), provided a renewed impetus to the programmes and interventions that Member States designed to combat these diseases. However considering the gravity of the impact of these diseases which have together already been declared an emergency, we note that in a relatively short period of time the GFATM has made significant financial commitments to concrete programs to fight these diseases in Africa and disbursements are already underway. However, we underscore the need for major new and sustainable financing (3 billion US dollars by the end of 2004) for the Fund from donor nations. These will ensure that resources made available to fight the diseases rise to a new and more realistic level given the scale of the epidemics;

We recognize that health systems in our region need to be strengthened, adequately equipped and financed to provide quality and effective care against diseases and particularly against HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and ORID in view of their devastating effects on society;

We reaffirm our commitment to achieving the goals we set concerning health sector financing in our states and recommit ourselves to meet the target of 15% of national budget to be allocated to health. We reiterate our readiness to mobilize more internal resources for this struggle, in partnership with the private sector, civil society and all other stakeholders. We are convinced that the scaling up of health interventions for HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and ORID prevention, care treatment and support can significantly contribute to the overall reduction of morbidity and mortality and to the improvement of the quality of life of those infected and affected by these diseases;

We warmly welcome the recent announcement by President George W. Bush of the United States of America, to provide US dollar 15 billion within the next five years for the combating of HIV/AIDS in Africa. We express the hope that the funds will be released in due time to enable the realization of the set goals and objectives. We call on the US government to appropriate 3 billion US dollars in 2004, some of which should be allocated to the Global Fund;

We are aware that provision of quality care, support and treatment to HIV/AIDS patients are important aspects of prevention and control, and require coordination and harmonization of policies, strategies and programs to obtain maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness. We are convinced that HIV/AIDS care, support and treatment are essential components of prevention and control and can help address the stigma and discrimination associated with this disease and thus significantly contribute to the reduction of its spread and to the survival of those infected and affected.

We recognise the urgent need to alleviate the impact of the HIV/AIDS on the lives of orphans and their long-term development prospects. In this regard, appropriate policies including legal and programmatic frameworks, as well as essential services for the most vulnerable children, should be adopted and applied at all levels. The challenge is to keep parents alive through effective treatment and prevention as a first vital step;

WE, THEREFORE, SOLEMNLY:

1. REAFFIRM the commitments enshrined in the Abuja Declaration [s] REITERATE our commitment to intensify and consolidate efforts…
   
   
2. URGE the international community to honour their pledges by disbursing the funds needed to fully execute the programs for prevention, care, support and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and ORID, especially through the Global Fund, the World Bank Multi-country AIDS Programmes and other initiatives, including removing conditionalities associated with debt relief and others that contribute to constraining health sector spending;
   
   
3. ALSO URGE the Global Fund and recipients of its funding, to work together to develop simpler and expeditious mechanisms to ensure that these large additional financial flows are quickly and easily available to institutions in Africa that can utilize them effectively in the fight against the diseases. We further urge the Global Fund, UNAIDS family and the recipient countries to work together to ensure the realization of our common objectives;
   
   
4. EXPRESS OUR DETERMINATION to ensure that all opportunities for scaling up treatment for HIV/AIDS are pursued energetically and creatively, and in this connection, seek diverse and effective partnerships with international donors, civil society, business sector and people living with HIV/AIDS, in order to extend effective care, support and treatment to the maximum number of people, particularly women, orphaned children and others made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, in conformity with the principles of equal access and gender equity;
   
   
5. COMMIT OURSELVES to promote partnerships with the private sector and relevant UN Specialised Agencies, pharmaceutical companies and other partners to increase local and regional capacity for production and distribution of affordable generic pharmaceuticals for the management of HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and ORID – the diseases with the highest impact on Africa’s socioeconomic development;
   
   
6. RESOLVE to continue to support the implementation of the Plan of Action for the AU Decade for African Traditional Medicine (2000- 2010), especially research in the area of treatment for HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and ORID;…
   

“WE BELIEVE THAT HIV/AIDS, TB, MALARIA AND ORID CAN, MUST AND WILL BE DEFEATED!”

AFRICAN UNION • UNION AFRICAINE • UNIÃO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: 517 700
Cables: OAU, ADDIS ABABA

The full text of this and other declarations can be found at: www.africa-union.org