EU Presidency Statement - Globalisation and Interdependence and ICT for Development

STATEMENT BY THE UNITED KINGDOM ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ON AGENDA ITEM 54: GLOBALISATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE AND AGENDA ITEM 49: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT, SECOND COMMITTEE OF THE SIXTIETH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, New York

Mr President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey and Croatia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, align themselves with this statement.

The EU believes that the work of this committee should reflect the Summit's significant agreements in the area of development as well as their implementation. In the area of globalisation and interdependence the challenge before us is to create the conditions that would enable all people in all countries to benefit from globalisation, and increase the potential that we achieve internationally agreed development goals including the Millennium Development Goals.

At the Summit we reviewed our progress so far. We were encouraged by reductions in poverty in some countries in the recent past. However, we remained concerned with the slow and uneven progress towards poverty eradication and the realisation of other development goals in some regions. We underlined the need for urgent action on all sides, including more ambitious national development strategies and efforts backed by increased international support. So what next?

As we said in our statement last year, and reiterated at the Summit, we all know that poverty is no longer inevitable. But, we will not make substantial progress unless we do more to ensure that all benefit equally from the benefits of globalisation. We must take actions to address the inequalities we observe. Actions, that improve global and local policy environments, create stronger more transparent institutions and improve the integration of all countries into the global economy. Actions that require sophisticated approaches, that recognise the primacy of country ownership, include rigorous social and political analysis and allow for differences between countries. Clearly, this broad, interconnected agenda contains issues that will be the focus of others in this committee - for example trade, environment or employment - and in other places, such as human rights and security. Here the EU will address the issues under items 49 and 54 - institutional development, science and technology, information communication and technology, corruption and migration.

Globalisation and Interdependence

The EU warmly welcomes the Secretary General's report on building institutions for achieving the development goals and integrating the global economy. The report underscores the centrality of institutions. Institutions matter. They not only determine the functioning of markets but social outcomes and developmental goals as well.

As the report emphasises, the development of institutions to meet the demands of globalisation is not a case of 'one-size-fits-all'. Institutions are a function of their social and historical context. Effective institutions have evolved through a political process of bargaining between the state and organised groups in society. This means that institutions imposed from above without the involvement of all stakeholders will not be sustainable. To meet the changing demands of the national, regional and global environment, institutions need to be accountable and inclusive.

As the report states, to build institutions for achieving sustained economic growth that will respond to the needs of society as a whole, including the poor, is a major challenge, especially for developing countries. Governments must play a critical role in the development of effective public institutions but the task can still look daunting. One lesson from history gives cause for optimism: the number of institutions required to achieve growth is much smaller than those required to sustain growth. Countries must develop the institutions specific to their needs and circumstances.

Mr President,

Science and Technology for Development and Information and Communication Technologies for development

It has become increasingly clear that developing countries need to be able to participate fully as partners in the process of globalisation. With this in mind we very much welcome the high profile given this year to the issue of investment in science and technology, as well as in and information and communication technologies. Development of both areas can clearly be a major contributor to productivity and growth and both will have a key role to play if internationally agreed development goals are to be realised, particularly in Africa.

Creating the right enabling environment for investment is essential. Now it is important to implement the commitments in the Millennium Review Summit outcomes and to do so in a way that responds to locally identified and owned priorities for investment in science and technology. A multi-stakeholder approach, including the private sector and civil society will be necessary.

We must put the potential of information and communication technologies at the service of development, including areas such as health, agriculture and sustainable development. Enhanced access to information and communication can support more democratic and transparent governance. We must also build effective information societies by implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society as part of the coordinated follow-up to UN Summits, and as a way to achieve internationally agreed development goals.

Earlier this year we particularly welcomed the importance accorded to science and technology in the Secretary General's report "in Larger Freedom" and in the report of the Commission for Africa. At their recent meeting in Senegal, African Ministers of Science and Technology gave a clear signal, through their endorsement of the Consolidated Plan for Action for Science and Technology, of their intention to reinvigorate African investment in science and technology. We agree with their conclusion that such investment must be driven by local priorities and needs and the importance of capturing this more effectively in poverty reduction strategies and national strategic planning and budgeting. This is essential if the world is to change a situation where, as an example, 90% of all medical research is geared to health problems affecting less than 10% of the world population.

Corruption

We welcome the acknowledgement in the Secretary General's report of 25 July 2005 that corruption poses a severe threat to sustainable development. Good governance, including but not limited to transparent and accountable public financial management systems, equitable and efficient tax systems, and stable and predictable public investment climates must continue to be the underlying aim of the fight against corruption. This will depend upon the mobilisation and effective use of both domestic and external resources and should be reflected in the full integration of the MDGs into country-owned plans and poverty reduction strategies. The coming into force on 14 December 2005 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the first global instrument for tackling corruption and facilitating asset recovery is a very positive step. But, further practical actions are required, including in the area of monitoring the convention, and more countries need to ratify the Convention. In this regard, we look forward to the first Conference of the States Parties in the following twelve months and hope that a sufficient number of states are able to ratify the Convention in good time to ensure that the Conference is successful.

Migration

Mr President,

Finally, let me turn to migration and development, an issue that will preoccupy many in the United Nations for the coming year. The EU is pleased to see Migration featuring high on the global agenda. Globalisation continues to change the face of migration. The upcoming year offers a great opportunity to explore the multidimensional aspects of an age old phenomenon in order to identify appropriate ways and means of maximising its development benefits and minimising its negative impacts. We thank the Secretary General for his comprehensive report on the organisation of the General Assembly High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development, and look forward to finalising the organisational arrangements and participating in the Dialogue. EU Member States also followed the work of the Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) closely, and look forward to examining and debating the report and its recommendations as we prepare for the High Level Dialogue.

The EU acknowledges the important connection between international migration and development, the impact of migration on development and vice versa. Acknowledging the different root causes of migration, we need to deal with these issues in a co-ordinated and coherent manner, with a view to addressing the challenges and opportunities that migration presents to countries of origin, destination and transit, a distinction that we recognise is increasingly difficult to make. It remains a key EU approach to work in partnership with source and transit countries of migration. We must ensure that if people migrate, they do it out of choice, and not because they are unable to benefit from safety, security and sustainable livelihoods in their own country. Furthermore, we must improve the management of migratory flows to the benefit of all countries and individuals concerned. We recognise that international migration brings benefits as well as challenges to the global community. We further recognise the need to enhance international co-operation and partnership on migration issues to ensure that the movement of people across borders is managed in a more effective, coherent and humane manner. We look forward to the important discussions to be held during the upcoming high level dialogue.

The European Commission published a Communication on Migration and Development in September 2005, which contains a number of recommendations for concrete action. The EU attaches particular importance to agreeing approaches that will optimise the benefits of migration for all partners. Specifically, the EU is keen to work with others on promoting safer, easier and cheaper remittance transfers and to enhancing their developmental impact. In this regard we welcome the resolution on remittances. The EU is also keen to see an emphasis on supporting diaspora communities as agents of development in their home countries.

It is hoped that the Dialogue will lead to enhanced co-operation for the benefit of both countries and migrants. The EU believes that states should promote balanced dialogue between partners at all levels and increase regional co-operation on migration issues. The concerns of states are different, and there needs to be an understanding that both sending and receiving countries face challenges, which can be mitigated through co-operation.

We hope that the focus on migration will lead to strengthened protection for refugees and displaced people, as well as measures to combat illegal migration, smuggling and trafficking in human beings. A specific concern of many sending countries is the loss of skilled workers and to this end, the EU recognises that the impact of skills losses in vulnerable sectors and countries are areas which must be addressed, including through development cooperation and codes of good practice. In so doing, we recall the co-responsibility of origin countries and destination countries to make the option of remaining in one's country a viable one.

We reaffirm our commitment to ensure respect for and protection of the human rights of migrants, migrant workers and members of their families. If well managed, migration has the potential to make a significant contribution to development.


*Croatia continues to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process

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• EU Presidency Statement - Explanation of Vote: Globalization and its impact on Human Rights (23/11/2005)
• EU Presidency Statement - 2nd Committee General Debate (3/10/2005)
• EU Commission adopts major package of measures in the field of immigration and asylum (1/9/2005)
• Speech by Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner - Human rights, Security and Development in a Globalised World (8/7/2005)