Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies, and
Distinguished participants,

I t is a special pleasure for me to participate in the 12th Ministerial Meeting of the least Developed countries.

I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the Government of the Republic of Benin and the people of this beautiful country for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to me upon my arrival here. I would also like to thank the Government of Benin, in its capacity as global chairperson of the LDC coordinating bureau, in the organization of this important meeting and for making excellent arrangements.

To the world outside, Benin is well known for its healthy democratic system, its freedom of expression especially freedom of press. Its social indicators have improved considerably. In the education sector, for example, Benin’s combined primary, secondary and tertiary enrolment rates have risen above the sub- Saharan average. It is this kind of the progress that encourages us and that demands international recognition and support. I would like to express my express my warmest felicitations to the government of Benin for the example it gives in the struggle against poverty and meeting the challenges of development.

The Government of Benin deserves our very high appreciation for hosting this Ministerial Meeting in their capital .As the first level meeting after the adoption of the Brussels Programme of Action in May 2000, it is expected that it will be a landmark Ministerial meeting and will certainly be sending a loud clear message to the international community of its resolve in the implementation of the Brussels POA.

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

One year has past since the Brussels Programme of Action was adopted. It is time for the LDCs and its development partners including the United Nations system organizations to enhance its implementation.

The well-articulated, focused and action-oriented Programme of Action (POA) provides a real opportunity for the LDCs to promote sustained economic growth and sustainable development and their beneficial integration into the world economy. As you know, the Brussels POA for the decade 2001-2010 differs from the earlier programmes of 1981 and 1990 in terms of its objectives, orientation, scope and follow-up arrangements .It provides a strong global partnership to accelerate sustained economic growth and sustainable development in these country, as well as a framework for putting an end to marginalization Poverty eradication, gender equality, employment, governance, capacity building, sustainable development, special problems of landlocked and small island developing countries and the challenges faced by the LDCs affected by conflict are singled out in the POA as cross-cutting priority issues .The objectives of the POA is to achieve substantial progress towards meeting the millennium Development goals of reducing extreme poverty by half by 2015 and promoting sustainable development.

Learning from the previous experiences and lessons of the last two programmes pf action devoted to LDCs, the Brussels POA underscores the importance of “an efficient and highly visible follow-up mechanism” for overseeing the implementation, coordination, review and monitoring of the programme. Upon the recommendation of the secretary-General for such a mechanism, the United Nations General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session (56/227 of 24 December 2001) established the office of the High Representative for the Least Development Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and small Island Developing States (OHRLLS). The Office of the High Representative (OHRLLS) is located at UN Headquarters in New York.

I assumed the office of the High Representative formally in April 2002.Since then the office
Has been engaged in setting its direction and getting organized for the assigned tasks. In carrying out the mandate of the General Assembly, the Office will be working within the following framework:

· It will focus on country level implementation – both by the LDCs and donors countries- to see to it that they are implementing their commitments made n the POA. The Office will work closely with UNDG partners, including in popular UNDP, to ensure full support of the Resident Coordinator system to the LDCs. The UNDAF and PRSP processes in DLCs, as applicable, need to incorporate implementation of the -POA.
· It will work with all the relevant entities of the UN family, in particular the Funds and Programmes, Regional Commissions, Specialized Agencies, and Bowies, to ensure that these entities mainstream the Brussels POA in their activities and in their activities and in their intergovernmental processes as well as establish appropriate focal points for review and follow-up as caller for in the POA and General Assembly resolution 56/227.
· It will be working with other multilateral organizations, particularly the regional organizations like the African Union (AU), the SAARC, the south Pacific Forum and regional development banks, as well as the sub-regional organizations like the SADC, ECOWAS, ASEAN, CARICOM and others, as these organizations have LDCs as their constituents. It is important that they focus on the development efforts of these countries and, in particular, on the implementation of the Brussels POA. Recent adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) by the African Union provides an immense opportunity for reinforcing and complementing the development efforts in 34 LDCs.
· It will work closely with civil society and private sector, both national and global, so that they are brought in as full development partners of the LDCs. It will promote linkages with civil society including NGOs involved in development efforts of LDCS as well as with the private sector, academia and foundations, in an attempt to forge closer cooperation to respond more capably to LDCs

One of the very first activities of my office and of particular importance has been the first Medium Term plan of the Office of the High Representative presented on 21 June 2002 to the General Assembly’s committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC). According to the Plan covering 2002 to 2005 as approved by the Brussels POA is vested in the OFFICE OF THE high representative. About three week ago, I gave an oral report to the general segment of Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the General Assembly on the review and coordination of the implementation of the programme of the action for the least developed countries for the decade 2001-2010. The ECOSOC, on 26 July 2002, unanimously adopted a resolution coordinated by Benin for measures to strengthen the implementation of the POA.

The United Nations system as a hole is committed to providing all necessary support as a priority to the LDCs. In this context, I would like to inform you the decision taken by the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Program at its 2002 annual session to mainstream the Program of Action within the program of work of United Nations Development Program as well as in its managed fund activities, in particular the activities of the United Nations Capital Development Fund. The UNICEF also took decision at the 2002 annual session of its Executive Board to mainstream the Brussels POA within its work program. More UN system entities are expected to take similar decisions in the coming months.

The global campaign has already been launched to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) and I would like to inform you also that it is already incorporated the needs of LCDs as one of the targets.

Some immediate measures are required to build u the new gained momentum. I would like to call on the DLCs to give special attention in the following areas:

· The LDCs should foremost integrate the Brussels POA into their national development program. In witch country a high-level LDC focal point should be established to monitor the country level implementation and to work closely with the UN Resident Coordinator to facilitate reporting the progress to the United Nations.
· As called for in paragraph 100 of the Brussels POA, the LDCs need to consider setting up national arrangements- referred to as national forum in the programme. This national set-up would provide a platform for regular and systematic follow-up monitoring of the progress in the implementation of the commitments by individual LDCs and their development partners through a broad-based and inclusive dialogue. The forum may include policymakers, private sector, NGOs/civil society, academics, foundation and media.
· Each LDCs, t the country level, with the support of its development partners should promote implementation of the actions contained in the POA by translating them into specific measures within their national development framework and poverty eradication strategy, including, where thy exist, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), common country assessment (CCA), and the united Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), and should guide the effective implementation on the basis of a broad-based inclusive dialogue.
· NGOs and civil society need to play an important role as development partners the least developed counties. Private sector so needs o engage in providing effective support to LDCs development objectives. Efforts should be made o enhance their involvement in the implementation of the POA.

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I concluding, I would like to state tat the United Nations places to issue the United Nations places to issue of LDCs high on its international agenda. For the successful implementation of the Brussels POA, the Unites Nations specifically stress the importance of country level implementation particularly by the LDCs, for implementing their commitment made in the Programme. At the same time the commitments of their development partners are very critical too in improving the development prospects on the LDCs.

I would like to urge the international community to make a difference in the lives of the 600 million people living I 49 least developed countries. Concerted effort b all parties to carry out effectively the Brussels commitments in he seven specific areas would make that difference. Let us express the much needed solidarity and make that happen.

Thank you very much.