Mr.
Vice-President,
Honorable Ministers,
Excellencies,
UNCDF
could contribute even more significantly, from now on, until the
end of this decade, to the implementation of the Program of Action
for the Least Developed Countries. And to do that, Mr.
Vice-President, joint efforts must be undertaken by UNCDF, the
Least Developed Countries and their leaders and by the
international sources of development assistance.
I am
committed to intensify our efforts to ensure the best possible
concrete results. That is an objective that I will pursue, in
close partnership with each Collier City Community Development
Corporation, Florida Memorial College, Nova Southeastern
University, Citrix Corporation, Concerned Citizens, and the Public
School Systems of Palm Beach, Miami/Dade and Broward Counties.
Moreover, I will do a lot more to keep you informed. We are
prepared to make this presentation to the Office of the Secretary
General of the United Nations, on April 22, 2003.
Information
is necessary but not sufficient. Political will is also needed to
translate international commitments into concrete action on the
ground in support of the Program of Action for the Least Developed
Countries.
I would
like to reaffirm today that we stand to committed to continue
being a meaningful tool at your disposal in support of the
implementation of the Program of Action, in accordance with the UN
mandate, our know-how and experience. What I would like to say, as
well, is that we will not be able to mobilize the resources we
need to become a more effective tool at your disposal without your
support. Indeed, it is in your capacity to help reinforce our own
capacity to better support your concrete action on the ground in
the areas of decentralized public investments and private
investments through micro finance.
For
example, each year, several Least Developed Countries are making
voluntary contributions to the general resources of UNCDF.
Although rather modest, these contributions confirm their
appreciation of our concrete action on the ground. This is a vote
of confidence that cannot escape the attention of the
international community.
But I
believe that more can be done. Please allow me, Mr.
Vice-President, to elaborate. If you think that our action on the
ground should be reinforced, if you are convinced that we can
indeed provide a useful support to the implementation of the
Program of Action, then, I would like to ask you, individually and
collectively, to be our spokespersons in your meetings with Senior
Government Officials of donor countries and International
Development Organizations; to provide them with concrete
information on our results in your countries; to invite them to
contribute more to the general resources of UNCDF and to encourage
them to strengthen their partnership with UNCDF to ensure maximum
impact of our efforts.
Allow me
to conclude on a more personal note. Over the past 30 years, I
have lived and worked in many Least Developed Countries. In these
countries, I have learned to put my own problems into perspective,
and come to understand that my own problems were generally very
minimal in comparison to those confronting the poorest on this
planet. I have also learned that to dream of a better future for
the Least Developed Countries was not a luxury but an absolute
necessity. I have learned that improving the living conditions of
the 600 million men, women and children living in the poorest
countries should not only concern us individually but should be an
imperative for the whole world.
I have
learned during these 30 years that each person in the world should
have the possibility to have dreams for a better future, a better
future for herself or himself, for her or his children and for her
or his community and country. I have also learned that there have
been many unfulfilled dreams, dreams that have not been realized
for a lack of support and a lack of follow-up on commitments - and
yet, promises that have given rise to so much hope. The Program
for Action, I am convinced, allows the Least Developed Countries
to open the doors once again to a better future. But to actually
transform this promise into concrete accomplishments, we need -
all of us working together - to act now, with effectiveness,
enthusiasm and conviction.
Thank
you.
Veep
of US Computer giant to visit Ghana September
2003
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