STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY ANGELICA ROCHA, SECOND SECRETARY IN THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, INTRODUCING THE DRAFT RESOLUTION ENTITLED "SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT", AT THE FIFTY-SECOND SESSION OF THE COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (New York, 21 February 2014)

Thank you, Madame. Chairperson.

1. The draft resolution is a follow-up to the progress which continues to be made on the social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Therefore, it reflects the recent developments and initiatives related to Africa's economy growth, in particular the development of Agenda 2063 as the African Union long-term strategy emphasizing industrialization, youth employment, improved natural resource governance and the reduction of inequalities, as well as the Implementation of the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) adopted by the African Union, under which impressive progress has been recorded in the conception of many critical infrastructure projects on the continent.

2. The Draft resolution highlights the challenges Africa faces regarding levels of unemployment, overwhelming poverty and rising inequality, as well as the gaps in the progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It also highlights ways of improving the effectiveness of the work of United Nations bodies, while preserving the social dimensions of NEPAD.

3. While stressing the priorities of the African states including those related to the external debt problems, technology transfer, commitments of official development assistance, and a greater international cooperation, it highlights this year the urgent need to reduce the costs of sending remittances through official channels. it emphasizes also on the responsibilities of both African states and their development partners and the international community.

4. While recognizing the need for Africa's development partners to align their efforts more specifically towards supporting the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, it takes note of the decision taken by the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government declaring the year 2014 to be the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa.

5. I would like to highlight some of the paragraphs, which I believe that they constitute the core of the draft resolution this year:

6. The draft resolution expresses deep concern that illicit financial flows that undermine national development efforts in Africa. It encourages African countries to take measures to tackle these challenges and invites development partners to continue to assist African countries in this regard.

7. The draft resolution reiterates placing people at the centre of Government development action, in consistency with CSOCD priority theme this year "EMPOWEMENT OF PEOPLE". Therefore, it recognizes that investments in people are essential to enhancing agricultural productivity and performance, and thereby key to growth and poverty reduction through increasing decent job creation and employability opportunities, especially for women and youth; improved food security and nutrition and for building resilience.

8. It highlights the issues of the exploitation of natural resources, industrialization as a critical engine of economic and social development, and the importance of taking measures to promote the dynamic diversification of African economies in order to transform lives and create opportunities for more and better jobs.

9. It encourages African countries to intensify their efforts to strengthen national statistical capacity and urges donors and the international and regional statistical community to support African countries in strengthening statistical capacity in support of development.

10. It also takes note of the decision by the General Assembly to strengthen the mandate of the Special Adviser on Africa in order to enable it to effectively fulfill its mandate to meet the special needs of Africa.

11. And finally, it stresses that addressing Africa's special development needs should be given due attention in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda.

12. Madame Chairperson, allow me to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all delegations for their constructive engagement during the negotiations and for their flexibility, which helped us to reach a compromised text that accommodates the concerns.

I thank you, Madame Chairperson.