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Monday, June 19, 2000
Excellencies Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegations and Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to welcome you here in Cairo at the opening of the Tenth Summit of the G 15 that coincides with the tenth anniversary of establishing our youthful group. It comprises developing countries of emerging economies in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribean. The peoples of the Group aspire to establish a comprehensive development that would change the image of life in their own countries as well as in all countries of the South that strive to find its path towards a more equitable world and a more stable order. In May 1998, Egypt had the pleasure to host the Eighth Summit of the G 15, and so has it the same pleasure today to host the Tenth Summit that comes up on the threshold of the 21 st Century with all hopes and aspirations it bears for a better morrow to upgrade the living standard for our peoples and enhance our solidarity in the face of international challenges. Thus, it is our duty to exert concerted efforts and unite our stances to invest available opportunities, resulting from globalization and liberalization process. Consequently, we would be able to overcome all difficulties and negative aspects involved in the context of our belief that we all should serve issues of peace and stability and realize cooperation for the sake of development. I would like to seize such an opportunity to express my sincere congratulations for the presidents elected since the Ninth Summit of the G-15 that has been held in Montego Bay; Jamaica, in February 1999. I would like to mention in particular the presidents of Algeria, Argentine, chile, Indonesia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Peru. To them all, I would like to express my sincere congratulations and best wishes to succeed in serving their friendly and sisterly countries. I am confidence that their contribution to activating the role of G-15 will always continue and grow for the welfare of our nations and all other developing nations. Our group was born at a time when optimism was a dominant feature in the international relations. By the end of the Cold War, a new hope was born to alleviate tension and hostility among countries, and to augment expectations for a true and real cooperation among nations. Thus, in the aftermath of the lean Eighties during which developing countries had suffered from severe impact of poverty, acute indebtedness, drought, desertification; besides other financial crises and natural disasters, a promising beam of hope has emerged to compensate those developing countries for their suffering. This would involve opportunities of technological development and open markets to be allowed for them; thus leading to the enhancement of the value and quality of production in our countries. There was a universal belief in the imminent rise of a new world order, that could be so modeled as to confront the challenges of a world dominated by the spirit of cooperation, integration and consolidation. Unfortunatly however, we were surprised to see focal areas of tension and regional conflicts persist in different parts of the world, north and south. Hence this calls us to cooporate with the other members of the international community to contribute to the peaceful settlement of conflicts according to the provisions of the United Nations' Charter. This would enable us to mobilize and channel those human and financial resources drained in such disputes, to comprehensive development efforts, to raise the living standards of all peoples of the developing countries in different parts of the world. Since the early 90s we all witnessed the growing phenomenon of interdependence and international solidarity that has, undoubtedly, affected not only commerce, finance, investment and production but also all areas of human activities. It was our belief that globalization should improve living standards and realize development objectivies of the peoples of the world especialy those of the developing countries that have been for long centuries deprived from opportunities of achieving progress and reaping its fruit. This year, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the G-15, hope is looming that the states of the South can overcome challenges they are facing and take advantage of opportunities made available by this phenomenon. In spite of the optimism concomitant with the talk about the crystalizing world economic order, we should not overlook the fact that the imbalance of world economy is rather growing than diminishing. Furthermore, we still witness a growing instability in the world capital markets, although the states affected by such crisis since 1997, have started to recover in recent years. This raises concern over the currently prevailing pattern of the world economic relations which show a decline in average growth rates in the developing countries from 6 per cent to 2 per cent in 1998. Persistence of the current trends of the world economy does not help realize humanity's sublime target: growth and prosperity and observance of the socio-economic conditions afflicting the great majority of human kind i.e peoples of the developing countries that account for four fifths of the world population. It is essential, therfore, to activate human economic, social and cultural rights of man, particularly his right to development in order to work together with the rest of our international partners to build a new world economic order, in the full sense of the word; a world characterized with equity and based on the rules of justice, democracy and belief in the oneness of man's destiny. Dear Brothers and Friends, Last April, Havana witnessed the convening of the first summit of the South, perfectly and efficiently chaired by brother Obasango, President of sisterly Nigeria. The convening of such a conference was an important event which had a great impact on the whole world amidst interacting and escalating international events. This situation has necessitated an action by leaders of the South so as to define the framework of their orientations amidst the tumult of these interwined events surging at the beginning of the 21st Century. This summit has yielded significant results represented in its adopted declaration and programme of action, that I urge to be taken into consideration in our deliberations. The Summit of the South in Havana, the Economic COMESA Conference earlier held in Cairo last February, featuring a major African gathering attended by businessmen as well as our summit today in Cairo represent significant events and fresh tributaries for joint action and coordinated consolidated stances that would help our developing countries realize comprehensive socio-economic development with the beginning of a new century. This would enable us to bridge the gap that separates us from the industrialized countries in the field of information technology and other areas of advanced technology providing advantages in the sectors of education training, industry, agriculture and services to be used in realizing goals of development and prosperity. The recent world economic changes require reviving North-South dialogue on the basis of joint responsibility, close interests, interdependence and consideration for the aspirations, rights and priorities of developing countries, beside their determination to play an effective role in structuring the new world economic order with the beginning of the Third Millennium. This aims to reach a common vision of the concept and requirements of development in this century. Following the convening of the first South Summit this year, the proposed North-South summit scheduled for 2003 to discuss subjects related to international economic cooperation will, no doubt, be a major building block for reviving such dialogue on bases of equivalence and justice, provided it be so well-prepared as to guarantee rewarding results. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, At this hisorical turning-point, we should emphasize the important and pivotal role of the United Nations. We sincerely wish that this role should lead to the effective participation on the part of the developing countries and on equal footing with the developed nations, in drawing up equitable and fair bases for the world economic order. This should reflect a priority for the right to development that should be taken into consideration in international relations as one of man's economic, social and cultural rights in parallel with his political and civil rights. Moreover, we believe it is necessary to mirror this trend in carrying out prior agreements concluded in various international and regional conferences held in the Nineties and the early 2000. In addition, we assert that democracy should be the prevailing feature of international relations in general and the process of decision-making in international organizations and institutions in particular with the full participation of developing countries. We should all abide by these basic principles at the stage of preparations for the Millennium summit of the United Nations next autumn. This summit aims at laying down bases and guiding rules for international cooperation among South countries on one hand and between the countries of the South and the North on the other, at this significant juncture of world history. We are fully confident that we would work together hand in-hand to realize this goal, motivated by our belief of the unity of our interests and goals, and our keenness to protect our peoples' rights to be an integral part of the process of development and international progress and revival. This would ensure that equilibrium between different international groupings will not be adversely affected and the trust in the conviction by South and North countries alike in the unity of their prospects and destiny, will not be shaken. In addition, it would also ensure that the world would not be once again drifted away into conceptions or practices that disunite rather than unite, keep apart rather than bring to "ether and deepen disparities among nations without any interest-based or moral justification. We are fully aware that the challenges facing us are not easy and our path is not strewn with roses. Meanwhile ,we realize that the accumulations and illusions of the past are still extant and adversely affect some people's vision of their personal interests in the absence of a comprehensive progress the fruits of which all peoples on earth should fairly and equally reap. However, this should neither affects our firm stance and just demands nor shake our belief that right visions; based on a sincere wish to achieve comprehensive and balanced human awakening to spread security umbrella to all the peoples on earth without exception, ensure legitimacy and stability of the new world order and protect it against risks of turmoils, imbalance and weaknesses which had caused the collapse of previous regimes that fell into oblivion and passed away due to lack of justice and equality among people. I have no doubt that we will devote our next meetings within the framework of this conference to achieve our common objectives and serve the issue of human progress in all places through objective and meaningful dialogue and sincere readiness by all parties to channel all energies and efforts to serve human march in these historic and decisive moments. May Allah's Peace and Mercy be upon you |
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