Mr. President,

I am pleased to address this session of the General Assembly on behalf of the Group of 77 and China as the Assembly reflects on implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). We have indeed had a number of opportunities this year, and we have others to come, to reflect on the situation and challenges of the African Continent.  Sadly, the Secretary-General Reports for this issue reminds us that our "attention reflects the fact that most African countries remain off-track with respect to achieving the Millennium Development Goals".  

Mr. President,

The Group of 77 and China thanks the Secretary-General for his report for this session entitled "New Partnership for Africa's Development: sixth consolidated progress report on implementation and international support".  The Group also thanks him for the report he made available for the High Level meeting in September and the recommendations of the MDG Africa Steering Group.  These reports and recommendations all remind us that Africa knows where it wants to go; what is required to take it there; and has begun to take significant steps in the right direction.  Indeed, the Secretary-General reminds us that "the New Partnership for Africa's Development is both a vision and a policy framework for Africa in the twenty-first century."

Mr. President,

The Secretary-General's Report before the Assembly lines up the actions taken by African countries and organizations and the response of the international community, including the United Nations system, to support Africa's Development.

The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Honourable Baldwin Spencer, in his address on behalf of the Group of 77 and China to the High Level Meeting on Africa's Development Needs on 22 September 2008, summarized the situation as follows:
        
"The development needs and the challenges confronting the African continent are well known, deep-seated and fundamental.  The international community has focused on these needs and challenges in a number of international conferences and summits including the Millennium Development Conference, the Financing for Development Conference, the World summit on sustainable Development and the 2005 World Summit.

"There have also been a number of plurilateral and bilateral initiatives directed to Africa; Africa itself has undertaken many initiatives to further its development.  We have recognized that addressing Africa's development needs and challenges requires internal action and very significant international cooperation and facilitation in the form of resources, technology and a supporting international environment.  We have committed ourselves in declarations, resolutions and plan of action to stand with Africa in the struggle to meet these needs and overcome the challenges".

The Prime Minister proceeded to ask six questions of the international community in terms of delivery on its commitment to Africa.  

All the information available indicates a large gap between promise and delivery by us as an international community.  That gap persisted when the global economy was in one of its longest and strongest periods of economic growth.  The Group of 77 and China can only urge that the current crises, in particular the financial and economic crises with the central initial impact in the developed countries, will not divert attention from the long, deep and persistent plight of Africa.

The Group urges us to remain conscious that the other crises - the food crisis, the energy crises and the climate change crisis - are having some of their worse impacts in Africa.  The global financial and economic crises themselves will also have profound adverse impact on African development. Poor African countries, with their high dependence on agricultural commodity exports, including cotton, are among the most adversely impacted by the failure of the global trade negotiations and the continued application of massive subsidies by developed countries.

Mr. President,

The G-77 and China shares the view in the summary of the Secretary-General's report that turning the vision - the New Partnership for Africa's Development - into concrete action "requires firm resolution and clear leadership from both African countries and the international development partners".  The Group recalls its call, through its Chairman to the High Level Meeting on Africa's Development needs, for "urgency, certainty and comprehensiveness in our response to Africa's Development needs," and it expressed hope that "by the 65th Session of the General Assembly there will be a strong mechanism in place to monitor our commitments to support and assist Africa".

Mr. President,

The Group of 77 and China is convinced that what this Assembly does in the 63rd Session will have a profound impact not only on the success of Africa's vision, but its development prospects for a very long time.

Let us find the resolve and do the right thing.

I thank you.