Your Excellencies Presidents,
Your Highness Prime Ministers,
Heads and Members of Delegations,
I would like to welcome you in Egypt that hosts, with pleasure, the first D-8 Summit in
the new millennium. We hope this Summit will further highlight our clear way towards
cooperation in the interest of our countries and peoples as well as those of the friendly
countries and peoples. It is further hoped this summit will contribute to the development
and cooperation among all countries of the world.
At the outset, I would like to express my deep thanks and appreciation for the preceding
chairman of our Group, Her Highness, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the Republic of
Bangladesh for her wise leadership and the achievements made over two years by herself,
together with officials of her government to firmly entrench our youthful,group.
Your Excellencies, Highness and Majesties,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is our first summit in 2001, the year declared by the United Nations as ?the Year of
Inter-Civilizations Dialogue. This makes it incumbent on our group to take the intiative
of voicing its concepts and determining its contributions.
The Group should also express its aspiration in this context in order to bring about
rapprochment between the peoples and nations of the world. Nowadays, the world is more
than ever in a dire need for true, comprehensive and serious interaction between its
civilizations and peoples that addresses various challenges facing humanity in political,
economic, cultural, social and environmental fields. This will require an equitable
approach based on balanced interests and the search for potential benefits to various
countries and peoples of the world. This approach should be based on joint responsibility
rather than pursuit for power and maximizing individual gains even at the expense of
others.
I am sure that you agree with me that globalization , which implies the integration of the
world into one whole unit in the face of many vital issues, has brought about many
opportunities as well as many challenges.
In view of the accelerating flow of individuals, ideas, commodities and services
concomitant with globalization, today, more than ever, there looks most liable to come
true the dream of rapprochment between human groups, increasing opportunities of welfare
based on mutual benefits and interests across our planet with the least amount of
artificial barriers.
However, to give full rein to the automatic mechanisms of the globalization phenomenon is
not necessarily the optimal approach to make use of opportunities provided thereby. Given
the logic of supermacy of the most powerful, this approach would most often lead to
unrestrained dominance by its least rational, balanced or humane components over others
that indeed constitute the essence of what humanity is aspireatims or most important
needs.
Against the positive opportunities provided by globalization, including the tremendous
advonces in technology especially information technology, increasing capital flows and
open markets, there arose negative aspects of those opportunities that raise much concern.
these are in the sustained problems of poverty, ignorance, debts, outbreaks of diseases
and epidemics that threaten the whole nations, let alone the growing marginlization of
developing communities, depriving them from reaping the fruits of globalization.
Concomitant with this is the widening gap between them and the more fortunate communities.
These are inseparable faces of one and the same coin, that must be accepted and addressed
as such, namely globalization as it now exists.
Although, we all agree that globalization is a reality rather than an option, that trend
thet should be taken thereby depends on how we react to its shortcomings and weaknesses in
response to the aspirations of our developing countries for maxmizing the benefits to be
gained from the positive aspects and alleivating down to the lowest possible limit the
suffering caused by negative aspects of globalization.
Within this context, the world community is called to agree on a new forward-looking
agenda to address its expactations from globalization and face risks involved by giving
top priority to the settlement of existing problems. Moreover as developing countries, we
have to effectively share in formulating this agenda and seriously and surely put forth
our vision. In so doing, our approach should be one of positive, balanced and
comprehensive dialogue based on converging interests, rather than clash and confrontation
that yield no benefit to any specific party.
On top of the challenges to be addressed by the new agenda there comes poverty. Although,
this is one of the oldest human phenomenon, the developments of the past century,
especially those of the last decade, have brought it to such levels that are hardly
acceptable politically, economically and even morally.
Indeed, the ideas, principles and plans agreed upon in the Copenhagen Summit on Social
Development followed by the Food Summit in Rome and finally United Nations Millennium
Summit in New York may be regarded a good starting-point for this approach within the
framework of our plans to bring down poverty and hunger to half by the year 2015. However,
unless these plans yield tangible results, then the credibility of world community will
lie in jeopardy. Therefore, I believe that there is a pressing need to consider ways and
means of implementing resolutions taken and activating international efforts geared to
urgently and methodologically combat poverty.
This should be effected through active moves in concert with the international financing
institutions and the United Nations and its specialized agencies and putting forth
specific proposals so that our group can share in formulating, developing and implementing
them. Next in the order of importance, there comes the challenge related to the
equiteletral liberalization of trade. Open markets in today's world are basically
accessible for the products of advanced countries, while, our exports as well as those of
the rest of the developing countries are faced everyday with new protectionist measures,
overt or convert, that impede their access to the advanced countries, markets, limiting
their chances to make use of the world trade order.
Therefore, efforts geared to develop a fair world trade order must be given special
attention, with a view to redressing existing imbalances, which causes such order, by
virtue of circumstances involving its rise and evolution, tilt against the interests of
developing economcis and their producers. Here, the starting point may be the complete
honest implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements. Thus, the developing countries may
begin to reap such positive fruits that may offset the share, so far incured by them, of
the burdens of these agreements. However this step must be followed by others. That put
the development component at the heart of the efforts to regulate and the liberalize world
trade. This would give credibility to the existing order and encourage all parties to
abide by and protect, as a means of safeguarding tangible benefits gained there from.
Added to this is the challenge of attracting international investments and capital
attraction. Undoubltedly, globalization has led to a huge expansion in cross-border flows
of capitals and investments; a promising phenomenon that should be encouraged.
However, a close scrutiny of occurrences taking place over the past two decades indicates
that a large percentage of flows were in the form of hot capital and short-term finance.
Speculation-and-rapid-profit-oriented, most of these flows were not geared towards
increasing production, creating job opportunities nor adding up to the capabilities of
host countries. On the contrary, the largest portion of the cross-border and long-term
production investments have headed to advanced countries besides a limited number of
developing countries whereas most developing countries had virtually no share of such
vital and significant type of investments.
In the light of the limited capacity of global investment and capital market to meet the
needs of many developing countries to finance development, we today welcome efforts
already exerted towards the convention of a high-level international conference on
financing development, due to be held in the coming year. This will be an opportunity for
us to conduct, for the first time, an effective dialogue and a genuine cooperation in this
field involoing donor states and institutions and developing countries; with the
participation of the international economic and financial institutions on top of which are
the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. Bringing
together all parties of world dialogue in this respect, we can together start work, as
advanced and developing countries alike, on drawing up necessary instruments to increase
the flux of productive investments to developing countries and open new markets so as to
absorb their products.
Related to this is the importance of forestalling the impending onslaughts of the new
threat that has hit the new economic order. This is represented in the financial blasts,
triggered by the least causes; undermining achievements already made over long years of
exertion and hard work. Moreover, these blasts have behind a wreckage of facilities that
have been, up to yesterday, successful and lucrative; leading to an abrupt regression in
living standards and growth rates.
Hence, comes the need to enhance the ability of the international fiancial system to
confront financial crises, without having to impose constraints to the ability of the
developing countreis to attract capital needed for development. Moreover, necessary
measures should be taken to boost the capability of all developing countries to cope with
such crises and contain their consequences with the least damage.
I would like to seize the opportunity of our meeting today to call, together with
yourselves, upon the international community and the advanced countries in particular, to
intensify efforts to confront these three challenges: poverty, trade, and finance, over
the coming period, in order to attain the aspired equilibrium in world economic order and
enhance the ability of the developing countries to integrate into it and cope with its
shortfalls through an intergrated system. In fact, what alleviates the consequences of
these shortfalls is a common sense of joint responsibility for confronting them on the
part of all countries, foremost of which are the advanced countres.
Your Excellencies and Highness,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This Summit comes up under such circumstances that are much different from those of our
previous summit in Daka.
At that time, present were the implications of economic troubles that had hit some
developing countries in Asia and elsewhere, hanging out over our work, raising many
questions not only on the success already achieved by these countries but also on the
chances available to developing countries, in general, to break up the circle of
backawardness and break into prospects of progress.
Although, we were confident of the ability of these countries to overcome their crisis
relying on their own efforts and capabilities that had initially helped them achieve their
great economic revival, we congratulate them once again for the dynamism and vitality they
have asserted to the world as well their proven ability to confront challenges and coope
with variables. However, the end of this crisis does not mean that our countries have
attained their aspriations or that challenges and difficulties have vanished once and for
all.
Although our conditions in general are now more stable, yet we all still face, in varying
degrees, unfavourable economic conditions, calling for further efforts necessary to
effectively address the challenge of development and progress.
The unfavourable global economic conditions, which are basically related to the phenomena
associated with globalization, still represent the main challenge to our efforts.
Nevertheless, we do undertake our share of responsibility, on the national level by
strengthening productive structures and financial systems, maintaining social justice and
ensuring sustainable and comprehensive development in all fields, or through our
cooperation as developing countries with the object of curbing our dependence on the
advanced economies and diversifying our foreign economic relations.
To day our group is about to complete its fourth year of age. In spite of this brief life
upon of the group, it has been fraught with such perseverent and hard work, that fills us
with pride and hope.
Our group has the right to be proud of the acheivement already made over the past four
years since its first summit in Istanbul. These included the establishment of a strong
base represented in an effective rather than rigid institutional framework. Achievements
also included identifying areas and sowing seeds of cooperation through well defined and
tangible steps and a series of technical and ministerial meetings held during the Turkish
and Bengladeshi terms of chairmanship. It is these great steps that prompt us to look
forward to further achievements in the way of translating these goals in to tangible
projects and programms of cooperation that serve the interests of our peoples and pose as
a model of cooperation among developing countries.
To this end, I would like to put forward in the following my conception of some guidelines
for the work of the Group in the coming period, where Egypt will have the honour to chair
the Group, hoping that these will gain your support. On top of the priority areas, there
comes that of trade. Despite close cultural and historical bonds among our countries, our
intertrade stands at less than 3.5 percent of our total foreign trade, which poses as a
visible challenge.
Sucessful handling of this challenge will yield substantial gains for us in the way of
mutual utilization of our markets with their purchasing power, as well as maintenance of
more balanced commercial relations, thus making them less vulnerable to economic
volatility that afflicts traditional markets.
Undoubtedly, we are called upon to redouble our efforts to promote trade through
developing its infrastructure including information and services and strengthening the
mechanisms of dialouge between private sectors representitives in our countries; an item
that topped our priorities upon estabilishing this forum.
In this context, I would like to express my happiness for establishing the D-8 Forum of
Chambers of commerce, and Industry, and Businessme's Associations. No doubt, this Forum
will contribute to activating the role of the private sector and creating momentum to make
it one of the basic pillars of cooperation among our countries.
Hence, I call upon you to set together, as governments and private sectors, a common goal
in the field of trade to serve as guidelines for our work and movement in the coming
period, ie.; to redouble our intertrade to gross trade ratio from about 3.5 percent to 7
percent over the coming five years. Athough some people might view it ambitious, this goal
would not be too difficult to attain should concerted efforts be exerted and trust and
strong determination be applied towards this end.
Moving to information and telecommunication technology, the increasing importance of this
area in any serious progress-and-cooperation-oriented programme cannot be disputed.
It is true that, acquiring and upgrading such technologies and applications are a major
tool for progress, while their availability represents a basic underpinning of cooperation
through facilitating the flow of information.
Therefore, I intend to give double attention to this area especially cooperation in
software industry. It is also proposed to consider possibilities of cooperation in the
field of manufacturing relevant basic technologies and components, relying on the advances
made by some of our countries in this respect as well as the capabilities severally and
jointly possessed by our countries.
No less important is cooperation in taking tangible steps yielding immediate returns to
citizens in their day-to-day life, such as cooperation in boosting our industrial
capabilities, giving due attention to the social dimension of development through creating
job opportunities, protecting environment and combating poverty and other important areas
that may enhance our peoples' sense of peace and stability and provide welfare and
advancement.
Your Excellencies and Highnesses,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am not attempting here to reach an agreement on an integrated work programme but rather
to open a serious dialogue between ourselves to discuss the best means to strength
cooperation and consolidate development efforts among our countries.
This is not means to exclude other existing areas of cooperation, but rather to provide
grounds on which we hope to build on, based on achievements already made and on our
solidarity and joint keenness on success.
Under our action programme for realizing our great aspirations, we have many tasks to
perform. I am fully confident that our determination to achieve progress and cooperation
is not short of the work that remains to be performed and the hope that we cherich.
Allow me to welcome you once again in Cairo and express my hope that our work, with the
help of God, will be crowned with success for the welfare of our peoples and humanity at
large. May God guide us all to the right path.
May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon you.
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