YouSaid · the spoken record

Bingu Wa Mutharika,

lines on the record: 95
first: 2004-09-24
most recent: 2010-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I wish to focus my address on Malawi’s efforts to meet the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Malawi believes that the MDGs are the tools for enhancing growth and development and for improving the livelihood of people in the poor countries of the world. I am pleased to state that my country is making steady progress in the implementation of the MDGs. We have adopted the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy as a home- grown overarching national policy for creating new wealth, for achieving sustainable economic growth and development and for combating the poverty that still engulfs many of our people.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I am happy to have this opportunity to address the General Assembly at its sixty-second session. I convey my congratulations Mr. Kerim on his election as President of the Assembly at this session. The Malawi Government would like to assure him of our support in carrying out his duties as President. I also take this opportunity to thank our hosts, President George W. Bush and the Government and the people of the United States of America, for the hospitality accorded to me and my delegation since our arrival in the state of New York. I commend the previous President of the Assembly, Her Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, for the sterling leadership, direction and guidance she gave in steering the Assembly at its sixty- first session.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“148) To me, such larger freedom means the freedom of every nation to belong to the United Nations, the freedom from oppression of one nation by another, and freedom for every nation to contribute to the global partnership for development. These are the freedoms of the United Nations that should be cherished and upheld. I therefore appeal to the Security Council to reconsider the fact that Taiwan should be granted observer status in the United Nations and its specialized agencies, pending a full review of its membership. I am convinced that continued denial of Taiwan’s participation in the community of nations poses a moral and legal challenge to the United Nations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Many of those present will agree that since the end of the cold war, and with the advent of globalization, Taiwan has quietly contributed to the work of the United Nations and its specialized agencies in various areas, including technology, medicine, research, industry and international trade. That contribution becomes increasingly important, especially within the principle of universality, equity and justice. Let me conclude by drawing attention to the report entitled “In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all”, by Mr. Kofi Annan, who stated: “The right to choose how they are ruled, and who rules them, must be the birthright of all people, and its universal achievement must be a central objective of an Organization devoted to the cause of larger freedom.” (A/59/2005, para.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Before I end my statement, I need to mention two important issues. First, through a global partnership, Malawi has reached the completion point of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. I and the people of Malawi are truly grateful that our multilateral debts have been cancelled by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. We thank the [G-8 countries for spearheading the Initiative and for their commitment to it. We believe that this is a true example of global partnership in development. The second issue that is germane to global partnership is for me to reiterate my plea for the readmission of the Republic of China – Taiwan — as a Member of the United Nations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We have recognized that the economic stratification of our country is such that the greater percentage of the people live in rural areas in squalid conditions. We seek donor support to boldly take development to rural areas through promoting rural growth centres. Lastly, Malawi seeks international partnership in HIV/AIDS prevention and management. We recognize that our country on its own, without the full support of the international community, cannot successfully wage the battle against HIV/AIDS. I am happy to say that during the past two years Malawi has made tremendous progress in AIDS awareness campaigns, the supply of anti-retroviral drugs and voluntary testing. 3 06-52988 This is Malawi’s agenda for implementing a global partnership for development. I am submitting this agenda to the United Nations for support.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“More importantly, Malawi seeks global partnership in opening up access to the Indian Ocean through the existing Shire-Zambezi waterway, which is navigable all the way from an inland port in Malawi to the port of Chinde, in Mozambique, on the Indian Ocean, only 238 kilometres away. This waterway would benefit Malawi and other southern African countries, especially Mozambique, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi and Zimbabwe. Fourthly, Malawi has selected energy as another area of international partnership. We believe that it is imperative for our country to develop adequate and reliable energy for agriculture, irrigation, transport, industry and all other areas of economic transformation. Fifthly, Malawi would welcome international partnership in promoting integrated rural development aimed at eradicating poverty among the rural communities.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Secondly, we need international partnership in irrigation and water development. This would reduce our country’s dependence on rain-fed agriculture. We aim at having small-, medium- and large-scale irrigation schemes and the construction of multi- purpose dams throughout the country. This will enable Malawi to produce enough food even when rains fail. Thirdly, we consider transport and communications infrastructure to be essential for growth and development and, indeed, a good candidate for international partnership. We are convinced that through well developed road networks we will not only improve movement of goods and services from rural areas to the urban centres, but also enhance domestic and international trade.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“These are agriculture and food security, irrigation and water development, transport and communications infrastructure, energy, integrated rural development and the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS. We believe that, when fully implemented, these sectors will, together, pull our people out of poverty. We have given the highest priority to agriculture and food security because this sector is a mainstay of our economy and we intend to make Malawi a hunger- free nation. We are assisting smallholder and peasant farmers to increase their productivity in food and cash crops by providing cheap fertilizers and high-quality farm inputs. This will provide food security as well as expand agro-processing industries, and it will mean adding value to our products. We seek international support in this area.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I believe that global peace, security and stability cannot be assured if the greater section of humanity lives in abject poverty. It is our hope that those who have will learn to share with those who do not have. In order to present to the Assembly the need for a global partnership framework as a way to achieve a faster and sustainable rate of economic growth, let me use my own country as an example. In Malawi we have determined priorities to fast track socio-economic growth for the people. We are cognizant that in a poor nation like ours everything becomes a priority, but we have agreed on a set of “priorities within priorities” that we want to implement in the next five years.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The theme of this year’s session, “Implementing a global partnership for development,” is very pertinent, because during the 2005 session we renewed the mandate of the United Nations to meet the challenges of the millennium, such as eradicating global poverty and injustice, and the promotion of democracy, human rights, peace, security and stability in Member nations. We asserted that these are essential ingredients for sustainable economic and social development and that they are interlinked and mutually reinforcing in the quest for the betterment and well- being of humanity as a whole. I believe that in the search for global partnership for development the greatest challenge that the United Nations faces is to eradicate the poverty that engulfs the majority of humanity.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“During his tenure of office the United Nations faced daunting challenges, including the fight against famine, hunger and natural disasters in many parts of the world; civil wars in Africa and conflicts in the Middle East and the Gulf region; international terrorism; and the fight against HIV/AIDS. It is therefore with great pleasure that, on behalf of the people of Malawi, and on my own behalf, I honour and pay tribute to Mr. Kofi Annan for his sterling service to the United Nations. I trust that he 06-52988 2 will continue to be of service to humanity in other capacities.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Malawi wishes President Filip Vujanovic and the people of the Republic of Montenegro continued peace and prosperity as they chart the way forward and take their place in the United Nations. At the end of this year we bid farewell to Mr. Kofi Annan, who has served as Secretary-General for two consecutive terms. I am happy to join previous speakers in paying tribute to Mr. Annan for the dynamic leadership he has provided to the United Nations during his tenure of office. Mr. Annan had many achievements, but perhaps one of the greatest was his ability to remain calm and well focused under great pressure.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I take this opportunity, Madam President, to warmly congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. My delegation welcomes your leadership and assures you of our unwavering support as you carry out your duties. We are confident that under your able leadership the reform programmes of the United Nations will be advanced. I also take this opportunity to thank your predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for the leadership he provided in steering the affairs of the sixtieth session. My delegation noted with satisfaction the service he rendered, and also noted that under his presidency positive advances were made towards the reform of the United Nations. Malawi welcomes the admission of the Republic of Montenegro as the 192nd Member of the United Nations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Why is Taiwan being discriminated against in the United Nations? 4 Unless those questions are honestly answered, observers will conclude that the United Nations is applying a double standard. The Government of Malawi believes that the United Nations should use the same standard to grant membership to the Republic of China. I therefore appeal to the United Nations, through you, Mr. President, to extend membership to the Taiwanese people in the same way as it has done for countries of Eastern Europe and South-East Asia. That would enable the dynamic and resourceful people of Taiwan to play their rightful role in global affairs, industrialization, trade and development. I believe that the admission of the Republic of China (Taiwan) into the United Nations would also bring credibility to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Czechoslovakia broke up into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and each of those States was admitted into the United Nations. In South- East Asia, Singapore pulled out of the Federation of Malaya and became a Member of the United Nations. Later, East Timor broke away from Indonesia and was also admitted as a Member. Those were political decisions. The Government of Malawi is therefore puzzled that the Republic of China (Taiwan), which took a similar political decision, is denied membership in the United Nations. How can the United Nations stand for equity and justice when it is denying membership to more than 23 million people who contribute significantly to global trade and development? How can the United Nations justify its denial of membership to Taiwan when, in fact, the countries listed above were admitted?”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Malawi believes that the United Nations was founded on the principle of inclusivity in its membership. That is why we in Malawi call for the admission of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as a Member of the United Nations. That request is made on the premise that, following the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and in the Soviet Union, the new States that emerged therefrom expressed their desire to become sovereign and independent Members of the United Nations. They were granted membership. That was a political decision. In the same way, when the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia broke up into the separate States of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Slovenia, each State was admitted into the United Nations. That also was a political decision.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“With a view to a medium- to long-term solution, we have adopted concrete policies aimed at reducing our dependence on rain-fed agriculture. We have established a full ministry responsible for water development and irrigation. We look forward to technical assistance from those countries that have expertise in the area of irrigation. Turning to the subject of United Nations reform, I wish to bring to the attention of the General Assembly an important aspect of reform of the Organization, concerning the determination of eligibility for United Nations membership. As members are aware, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the right of all the world’s peoples to belong to the United Nations and that no country should be denied membership in the Organization.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I am grateful for the pledges of relief food assistance made by our cooperating partners such as the World Food Programme, the British Government, the European Union, the Japanese Government, the United States Government, the Belgian Government and the Norwegian Government. We are also grateful to the Secretary-General for the special appeal he has made for Southern Africa. I am pleased to announce that the people of Malawi are also doing something to feed themselves. We have made provision in our budget to buy food for our people. We have also established a Feed-the-Nation Fund, through which people in Malawi from all walks of life are making voluntary donations to purchase food for the poorest of the poor. The response has been overwhelming.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The Fund has enabled Malawi to introduce free anti-retroviral treatment programme for those infected by HIV/AIDS. In terms of agriculture and food security, Malawi has not fared well this year. My country is facing severe food shortages owing to the drought that we have had since January this year. As a result of a very poor harvest, we shall require approximately 270,000 metric tons to feed some 4.2 million people who will be in need of food until the next harvest season, sometime in April or May next year. I therefore appeal to the world community to help us to obtain more food sources for our people.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We expect that by this time next 3 year, we will have been able to treat more than 80,000 people. I therefore welcome the call at the High-level Plenary Meeting to provide, as a priority, assistance for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in African countries on a grant basis. I also welcome the emphasis placed on the need to encourage pharmaceutical companies to make anti-retroviral drugs affordable and accessible in Africa. My Government appeals for more funding to enable us to adopt a holistic approach that takes into account the medical, economic, political and social impacts of HIV/AIDS on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. I take this opportunity to commend all countries that continue to make contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I therefore earnestly believe that the role of the United Nations in Africa can be enhanced by encouraging Africa’s representation in the Security Council. In that regard, Africa’s call for the expansion of the Security Council should be supported by the international community. The HIV/AIDS pandemic poses serious social and economic challenges to Africa. However, the General Assembly may be interested to know that Malawi is one of the few success stories in managing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The people of Malawi have welcomed the provision of voluntary counselling and of free anti-retroviral drugs. For instance, since the middle of last year, we have established more than 30 anti-retroviral clinics throughout the country and have treated many people.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In the African perspective, development efforts have also been heavily undermined by the prevalence of conflicts and political instability in many parts of the continent. Realizing this, we in Africa have taken bold and far-reaching initiatives to promote peace and security on the continent. For instance, my own country, Malawi, has participated in peacekeeping activities in Liberia, the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I commend the role played by the United Nations Security Council and the G-8 in supporting the African Union’s initiatives in conflict resolution and management. I also wish to draw the attention of this Assembly to the fact that peacekeeping in Africa constitutes the bulk of the Security Council’s work.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Another challenge for Malawi is that my country finds it hard to be integrated into the global trading system, partly due to the lack of products that meet high quality standards, but also due to an unfair and inequitable global trading system. We therefore join the appeal for the speedy completion of the World Trade Organization Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations in order to assist poor countries, such as Malawi, to benefit from global trade. Furthermore, there is need to provide immediate duty-free and quota-free market access for all exports from the least developed countries, including the elimination of all non-tariff barriers, such as trade distorting subsidies and domestic support, especially in agriculture, by developed countries.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“However, my country is facing severe constraints in implementing the MDGs because we are allocating a significant amount of limited resources to servicing external debt and for managing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, at the cost of the social and economic transformation necessary to fight poverty. Malawi, therefore, supports the proposal to find comprehensive and durable solutions to the external debt problem. In this regard, we welcome the recent proposal by the G-8 to cancel 100 per cent of outstanding debt owed by 18 countries, including 14 from Africa. I would like to appeal to all creditors to follow this noble example, because debt cancellation has the potential to assist the poor countries in achieving the MDGs and, hence, attaining national economic recovery and economic transformation.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We have also instituted effective reforms of the private sector, and through dialogue the business community is now responding positively to economic and social reforms. In many of these reforms, I can say that we have made a good beginning. It is for this reason that my Government welcomed the establishment of the African Peer Review Mechanism under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) of the African Union. Our accession to the African Peer Review Mechanism is a manifestation of our desire to adopt policies and practices that emphasize accountability and transparency in public sector management. Malawi has made efforts to implement the Millennium Development Goals. Our report, entitled “Malawi and the Millennium Development Goals: challenges and achievements”, has been circulated.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We still face extreme poverty, food shortages, hunger and malnutrition. HIV/AIDS continues to claim more lives. Malaria is still killing millions each year. Over and above these problems, we face mounting domestic and external debt, an unfair and inequitable global trading system and the prevalence of conflicts and political instability. We therefore feel that for any United Nations reforms to be meaningful, we need assistance in the areas of good governance. In Malawi, we are promoting good governance by pursuing sound macro-economic policies, reduction in public expenditure, bench-marking the activities and performance of the civil service and fighting corruption at all levels.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“President, let me assure you that Malawi appreciates the role played by the international community and the United Nations in the efforts to eradicate poverty and promote development and prosperity for all. The just-ended High-level Plenary Meeting is one such initiative that offers great hopes for the way forward. However, previous experience has taught us that a lot is generally said and promised within the United Nations, but little or nothing is delivered. It is my earnest hope that the outcome of this session will not turn out to be another talk show. Malawi faces serious problems in instituting an effective system of political and economic governance. 2 My country continues to face critical challenges in determining our political agenda, which in turn affect our development efforts.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The proposals aim at enabling the United Nations to provide the required leadership in the implementation of the global development agenda and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). My country, Malawi, has followed closely the debate on the report. I feel that, from the diverse opinions that have been expressed, a consensus is emerging on the need to implement United Nations reforms and make the Organization respond more effectively to the challenge of change. Let me, however, express the view that, in addition to the reform of the Security Council, there are other equally important reforms of the United Nations that are critical to the realization of the global development agenda. I will turn to these later. For the moment, it is critical that we remain focused so that all elements of the reform receive our undivided attention. Mr.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I wish at the outset to congratulate you on your election as President of the sixtieth session of the United Nations General Assembly and also for the excellent manner in which you and your Bureau are steering the work of this session. I would like to assure you of my delegation’s full support. I further commend His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, our Secretary-General, for the dynamic and sterling leadership of the United Nations. The theme of this session is germane to the proposals for reform of the Organization. There is the imperative of taking stock of its strengths and weaknesses so that we can create a better future. Within the context of this theme, the Secretary-General, through his report entitled “In larger freedom”, has made important proposals that will make the United Nations more effective and credible.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Africa and the international community must find quick and lasting solutions to the crisis in the Darfur region. I would like to conclude my statement by assuring the General Assembly that my Government fully endorses the proposals to reform the United Nations. We share the belief that a more representative 30 and democratic United Nations will enhance the efficiency and credibility of this global Organization. It will also enhance the efforts towards a just and more equitable sharing of global prosperity. May God bless the United Nations.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“One can hardly emphasize enough that, without global peace, there cannot be global prosperity. In that regard, I would like to welcome the efforts made by the Secretary-General, jointly with the Security Council, in taking a number of decisive steps towards conflict prevention, resolution and management around the globe. Turning to the specific issues of peace in Africa, I am concerned that sub-Saharan Africa has been and continues to be one of the most unstable and conflict- prone regions of the globe. The region also happens to be home to most of the worldís poorest people, who are living below the international poverty line. The conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, in particular, is yet another sad chapter in the history of sub-Saharan Africa and one that the African people can ill afford.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“HIV/AIDS is a political crisis because it threatens democratic institutions by killing politicians and others who are the voice of the people. Therefore, in order to deal with this pandemic, we have learned the imperative of adopting a holistic approach. It is for that reason that we appeal to the United Nations to collectively raise new awareness, new assumptions and new solutions. To that end, the United Nations ought to redesign its policy in providing support, care, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, alongside the provision of adequate, nutritious food and a proper diet. Before concluding my statement, I wish to raise another concern I have concerning the efforts towards sustainable growth and the development of the world. This relates to the need for world peace.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a human tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Experience in dealing with this disaster in my country has taught us that HIV/AIDS is a medical crisis, an economic crisis, a social crisis and a political crisis. It is a medical crisis because no cure has yet been found for HIV/AIDS. It is an economic crisis because it is depleting financial and human resources for development while also devastating our national capacities for good governance. HIV/AIDS is a social crisis because of the stigma that makes the affected unable to be integrated into normal day-to-day relations as well as in the work places. HIV/AIDS has also created a large number of orphans that need to be cared for.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It is for that reason that Malawi has acceded to NEPADís African Peer Review Mechanism in a bid to put in place internationally accepted political and economic good governance. Our accession to the African Peer Review Mechanism is also a demonstration of our confidence in the NEPAD programme as a tool to enhance Africaís effective participation in global prosperity. Let me now turn to a global challenge that threatens all development efforts. This is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to pound incessantly upon the African economies, destroying the capacity of many countries to achieve sustainable economic development. Because it affects the most productive segment of our labour force, we are losing more qualified and experienced personnel much faster than we can train new ones.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We believe that the preconditions for the HIPC Initiative are unrealistic. Surely, less stringent conditionalities would have enabled more countries to succeed. That notwithstanding, Malawi welcomes the measures by some bilateral donors to respond to the external debt crisis. In particular, I must mention the Government of Japan, which, a few weeks ago, cancelled a debt Malawi owed it, amounting to $256 million. I take this opportunity to thank Japan most sincerely for that gesture. We hope that other industrialized countries will follow this example. I referred earlier to the need for adequate donor support to sustain national initiatives. In that regard, I believe that the New Partnership for Africaís Development (NEPAD) provides a framework for sharing the responsibility for economic development between Africa and the rich countries.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Our concern is that, in spite of numerous initiatives aimed at finding a durable solution to the debt problem, the world is nowhere near that solution. My Government is still allocating a significant amount of our resources to debt-servicing at the expense of investment in infrastructure, production and income 29 generation. Such diversion of resources has led, among other things, to the deepening of poverty and a lack of significant macroeconomic growth. However, Malawi, like other eligible African countries, had welcomed arrangements for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative. But the conditions for reaching the decision and completion points are so arduous that only a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa have managed to reach the completion stage.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Among those are the United Kingdomís decision to significantly increase its aid and technical assistance to Africa; the reaffirmation of strong support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development; the decision by the United States Government to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act from 2008 to 2015; and the European Union's 'Everything But Arms' initiative, which seeks to enhance opportunities for increased access for African exports into the European market. Those initiatives are, indeed, encouraging, and my Government fully appreciates them. I wish, however, to appeal for those noble promises and commitments to be matched by action. We need proof that actions speak louder than words. The management of foreign debt is another positive way in which global prosperity can be shared.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The challenge for industrialized countries is therefore to share with the poor countries the prosperity that comes about through globalization, by assisting us to stand on our own and to develop appropriate technologies for transforming our agricultural raw materials, minerals and other natural resources into wealth. In Malawi, we believe that a partner who walks with you side-by-side down the road is better than one whom you have to carry on your shoulders. We want to walk with the industrialized nations; we do not want to be carried on their shoulders. Some positive efforts that Malawi welcomes towards global equity include the various initiatives taken by the Group of Eight countries aimed at addressing some of the concerns to which I have just referred.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We have put in place measures for the reform of the public sector, the agricultural sector and the private sector. We are also determined to improve good governance by stamping out corruption. To that end, we have adopted a zero-tolerance stance with regard to corruption. I am therefore happy to have signed, yesterday, the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Malawi is cognizant of the fact that our national vision must be fully supported by the international community. That is why Malawi joins the call for better market access and lower tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in industrialized countries. Malawi would therefore like to stress the need to advance the dialogue in the Doha development agenda. For their part, the industrialized nations need to seriously address the major concerns of the poor economies.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Malawi - as in the case of most African countries - is richly endowed with a wide range of agricultural primary commodities, good soil and water resources that can enable us to develop viable agro- processing and manufacturing industries. The critical issue for us in Malawi, therefore, is the creation of new wealth as the basis for poverty reduction. In order to do that, we must encourage significant domestic savings, as well as inflows of resources, especially foreign direct investment. We in Malawi estimate that in order to alleviate poverty, we need to achieve an annual growth rate of at least 6 per cent over the next decade. In order to achieve that, we are determined to create conditions for sustainable macroeconomic growth through fundamental policy reforms to improve economic and political governance.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“This can be achieved by transforming the abundant agricultural commodities, raw materials and minerals into goods that can be traded globally. It is only by creating new wealth in rural areas that we can effectively eradicate poverty. Our major strategy is to gain a share in global prosperity by transforming Malawi from being an importing and consuming country to being a predominantly producing and exporting country. In other words, we must begin to position our economy to take full advantage of global trade. This will be achieved through intensive industrial research and the application of science and technology to the specific conditions in my country.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“I am aware that several attempts have been made by the international community to alleviate poverty - and the goal is still being pursued - but the results so far have been dismal. During the past 30 years, for example, the number of least developed countries has risen from 25 to 49. This means that globally, economic growth is in reverse gear. Among the questions we are asking with regard to the sharing of global prosperity is this: why 28 are the industrialized countries more prosperous, while in Africa and the rest of the developing countries poverty is increasing? In other words, why has globalization failed to achieve a more equitable distribution of global prosperity? In Malawi we have discovered that we need to seriously transform our economic structures in order to begin to provide and produce new wealth.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Julian Robert Hunte, for guiding the work of the fifty-eighth session with admirable skill and pragmatism. We also salute Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary- General of the United Nations, for the dynamic leadership skills that he continues to display in steering the affairs of the Organization. I have entitled my statement 'Sharing global prosperity'. I have done so in order to underscore the fact that one of the most daunting challenges facing the international community today is to achieve a balance in economic transformation and growth between the rich and the poor countries so as to eradicate poverty among the latter. In looking at the future of the United Nations, we need to take stock of the response to world poverty.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“I am delighted to be participating, for the first time, in the deliberations of the General Assembly as head of State and Government of the Republic of Malawi. I should like to begin by joining others who have spoken before me in congratulating Mr. Jean Ping on his assumption of the high office of President of the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session. I have no doubt that his election will provide an opportunity to increase global awareness of the enormous challenges that Africa and other less developed regions of the world are facing. I hope that, through him, the opportunity for the poor countries to fully participate in world economic prosperity will be enhanced. I also wish to avail myself of this opportunity to pay tribute to his predecessor, Mr.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)