FSM joins UN Development Conference in MexicoPALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): March 22, 2002 - President Leo A. Falcam and his delegation are in Mexico this week to participate in the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development from March 18 to 22, 2002. The conference is the United Nations first highest-level meeting of financial policy makers to set an agenda on national, international and systemic issues relating to financing for global development. The aim of this Conference is to ensure that financing and development objectives and priorities of developing states, detailed in the September 2000 UN Millennium Summit Declaration, be considered as part of the global agenda for financing and development. For the Pacific Island Nations, this Conference provides an opportunity for the Small Island Developing States to share their financing and development experiences with donor countries and to secure international responses to fundamental issues that may impact the economic, social, and political development in the Pacific. The FSM joins other developing countries to call for a meaningful reform of existing international finance and development institutions to ensure that recipient countries have a greater stake in the development and implementation of measures undertaken by these institutions. As the fifth speaker in this morning's Heads of Government Plenary Session, President Falcam underscored the difficulties faced by most of the Pacific Islands in the rapid onset of globalization, "coming from a small island developing state, too often we find that we are not adequately represented in global economic discussions that will impact our daily lives, and that we are often not considered for loans and projects due to our small economy." He encouraged the assembly to work together for an effective solution to the pressing issues, and strive to fulfill UN Secretary General Kofi Annan earlier expression, make the twenty-first century, "the century of development for all." In the efforts to achieve development for all, President Falcam said, "let us not neglect the special circumstances of the smallest and most vulnerable members of the world economic family-entities such as the Federated States of Micronesia and other small island nations." The President urged the Assembly to consider the following elements as the basis to affect decisions and/or plans for the betterment of implementing policies:
President Falcam said the most important task before the assembly is to "change the mindset of these organizations and agencies. "Different circumstances require different approaches, as we are all too well aware in Micronesia, that models originally designed for projects in the mountains of South America or the deserts of Central Asia will not be most effective when applied to the FSM." Development issues addressed at the conference include:
The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, as well as representatives of civil society and the business sector are among those countries participating in the Conference. Over 54 heads of government or state and 300 finance, trade, foreign and other ministers are in Monterrey for this important UN Conference. President Falcam and his delegation will leave soon after the end of the conference on March 22. Included in the President's delegation are: UN Ambassador Masao Nakayama; Secretary John Ehsa; Secretary Sebastian Anefal; Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary, Jane Jane Chigiyal; Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary, Carl D. Apis; Economist Steven George and Sgt. Wensper Raymond. |