Friday, September 23 2005 14:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: Warning that developing countries by themselves cannot eradicate poverty and disease, India has called for increased resource flow, greater market access, reduction in agricultural subsidies in the developed nations and 'substantial' debt relief to enable them to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Expressing disappointment that the just concluded summit of the world leaders failed to give clear direction to Doha round of trade negotiations, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh asked the developing nations to prepare themselves for the struggle that lies ahead as details are negotiated.

The developing countries, he stressed, have to safeguard their position on such issues as agriculture, subsidies, market access and tariffs.

"Special and differential treatment must remain an integral component in the final outcome of negotiations in all areas, particularly agriculture, non agricultural market access and services," he told the ministerial level meeting of G-77 group of developing countries held yesterday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.

Increase in the level of Official Development Assistance, enhanced resource flow to developing countries through innovative sources of financing and realization of development dimensions in trade negotiations would be crucial, he said.

Recognizing that developing countries had much greater expectation from the summit in the area of development, Singh said they should still build on the Outcome Document adopted by it in addressing 'gigantic' challenges facing them in areas of employment, rising energy costs, protection of environment and addressing communicable disease.

"We hope that implementation of agreements contained in the Outcome Document will lead to creation of a more favourable international economic environment that would be more supportive of our development effort," he added.

Stressing the need to equip the United Nations to meet the challenges of development and security, Singh called for democratization of financial, monetary and trade institutions.

"Democratic deficit in the governance of Bretton Wood institutions needs to be addressed to enhance legitimacy, transparency, accountability and ownership of the decision making process," he added.

Since Monterrey, Singh pointed out, progress has been and limited to, and distracted by, peripheral issues, which are not central to the enhancement of 'voice' and participation of developing countries in decision-making.

Referring to globalization, Singh said while it reinforced interdependence of nations, making it fairer and equitable is posing a major challenge.

Speaking about role of science and technology in the development, he pointed out that revolution in information communication technologies offers the most promising tool to face the challenges of globalization.

But "it is ironic that the shirking world as a result of technology and communications should be accompanied by evolution of controls that restrict the movement of people of the developing world," he said.

This, Singh said, also applies to intellectual property right regimes, which are often used as tools to restrict, control and deny technologies rather than facilitate their transfer to developing countries.