BEING POOR IS NEITHEIR A DISGRACE NOR A PRIDE

General Mathieu KEREKOU, President of the Republic of Benin, host country of the 12 th Ministerial Conference of LDCs opened this day Monday, august 5th 2002, the Working Sessions of the last meeting of the Least Developed Countries before the important Summit in Johannesburg on Sustainable Development. The occasion has been seized to sharlder responsibilities in front of poverty phenomenon.

A bipolar world whereby on one side, hunger illiteracy, malaria, HIV-AIDS are the fate of populations whereas on the other side, some other people boast of science and new technology progress followed by an unprecedented growth in wealth. There is a serious remark made by the President of the Republic of Benin at the opening ceremony of the 12 th Ministerial Conference of LDCs in Cotonou on Monday, August 5 th 2002. With reference to the june 2002 United Nations conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Benin President sounds the alarm by warning specially the representatives of the LDCs on the risks of an increase in the number of deprived which could reach 113 million in 15 years time if the current trend of poverty is maintained. President Mathieu Kérékou recalled that this high population growth the number of deprived in the world has been steady up to now. Therefore from 32 in 1981, the number of LDCS increased to 42 in 1990 and to 49 in 2001 not taking into account, the overwhelming number of countries <<knocking at the door>> of this unpriviledged group, he emphasized
Responsibility.
These are the objective reasons why Benin Head of State wonders on the nature of the new economic order of the world and on the effective resolution of developed countries and development institutions to eradicate poverty and promote authentic and sustainable development for all continents. If he had not concluded that this problem is structural, President Kérékou has however stated that being poor is not a disgrace even if he added that it is neither an honour to be among the LDCs.
By making a self criticism, President Kérékou showed the part of responsibility to be born by the poor in the hardship they face. He highlighted, in substance the necessity to acknowledge that the problems which plague and check LDCs development are : <<political instability, lack of democracy, corruption, bad governance, lack of patriotism and real goodwill to resolutely work to come out of poverty>>.

According to the Benin head of State, as long as such plagues would be on ground, it would be a mistake to believe that there will be changes through international round tables no matter the significant resolutions or formulated promises and adopted programmes.
Goodwill
In order to highlight the necessity and the opportunity of an awareness raising within the LDCs to combat poverty, the Benin Head of State, recalling the previous international meetings which have among other concerns raised the case of the LDCs, noticed that the international community has become aware of the serious condition of poverty that the LDCs are experiencing and a goodwill of changing such things.
He therefore welcome the initiative of Mr kofi Annan who has created United Nations Bureau in charge of LDCs and appointed Mr CHOWDHURY, a well informed citizen of a member State of the LDCs group, Bangladesh.