Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Plenary Debate on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)

September 16, 2002
New York

Mr. President.

Thank you for your initiative in bringing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development before this Assembly.

NEPAD has been brought before the General Assembly because it has the potential to mark a global turning point. A turning point in the relationship among African states and of developed nations with Africa. Above all, NEPAD has the potential to mark a turning point of hope for the people of Africa, one that could bring an end to generations of social and economic decline.

NEPAD was created by Africans for Africans. It sets out unique African responses to deep rooted and continent wide challenges. But all member states have a role to play in ensuring that the NEPAD vision becomes a reality.

Indeed, all member states can draw inspiration from that vision: from its recognition that peace, security, democracy, good governance, human rights, and sound economic management are conditions for sustainable development; from its identification of the promotion of the role of women as one of two principal long-term objectives; from its frank acknowledgement that the spread of diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, stand to undermine the gains being made in human development; and, from the personal and specific commitment of progressive African leaders to hold each other accountable for delivering on the NEPAD vision of hope.

Canada looks upon this debate as instrumental to making NEPAD a centrepiece of the UN agenda and we are committed to doing our part.

In June it was my great privilege to chair the G8 Summit, where Africa and NEPAD were the centrepiece of our agenda. Indeed, we were joined by several of the visionary African leaders who created NEPAD and who are with us here today. The G8 Leaders adopted an ambitious Africa Action Plan in support of NEPAD. We identified resources to deliver on the Action Plan. We put in place a follow-up process to ensure effective action. And I know that my successor as G8 Chair, President Chirac, shares my commitment to Africa.

Taken together, NEPAD and the G8 Africa Action Plan stand to transform the relationship between G8 governments and those in Africa that deliver on implementing NEPAD.

Mr. President.

The time for talk has passed. We have a plan for a new partnership. Now there must be action.

For African nations, this means giving life to NEPAD. African countries that implement NEPAD in all of its aspects, including good governance, will enjoy enhanced assistance from the developed world.

For G8 partners, this means giving effect to the specific commitments contained in the Africa Action Plan. We must also ensure that all of our policies and actions reinforce those commitments, including the positions we take in the Doha trade negotiations.

For the developed world as a whole, implementing NEPAD, means making development assistance more effective and doing more to ensure that we are open to business with Africa.

For business worldwide, this means re-evaluating commercial opportunities in Africa as the new economic conditions take hold that NEPAD seeks to create, to revisit the stereotype, all too deeply rooted, that investing money in Africa doesn't pay.

Mr President.

For Canada, the process of implementing the G8 Africa Action Plan began the very day in June that it was agreed. We announced that, within our fiscal framework, Canada was committing $6 billion in new and existing resources over five years to support African development. We intend to double our development assistance from current levels by 2010, at least half of that increase will be earmarked for Africa. We have reaffirmed or commitment to untie Canadian aid.

We announced that, as of January 1st 2003, Canada will eliminate tariffs and quotas on almost all products from the Least Developed Countries.

Agricultural subsidies in rich nations remain a fundamental obstacle to African development. The annual level of all Official Development Assistance from developed countries amounts to some $50 billion. Subsidies by these same countries for their domestic agriculture exceed $350 billion annually. These huge supports put a strain on treasuries, depress prices and effectively shut out producers from developing countries. Canada calls on developed nations to make the elimination of such subsidies a top priority.

Mr. President,

NEPAD is about coming to terms with the fact that the continued marginalization of Africa from the globalization process and the social exclusion of the vast majority of its peoples is profoundly contrary to the global interest.

Helping Africa get on it feet is in our interest from the perspective of our common humanity. From the perspective of creating a more prosperous world with new markets. And it is profoundly in our self-interest from the point of view of our own security. We have seen right here in New York the tragic consequences that can result from failed states in far away places.

Simply put...we can't afford not to address these issues. This is the time to act. NEPAD is the blueprint. The rest is simply a matter of political will.

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