Development cooperation in peril: building new capacities, preventing crises.

• Position: United Nations Development Programme Administrator James Gustave Speth speech - Transcript

I would like to make the case for international cooperation for development in the poorer countries and for the countries in transition. I do not mean more of the same "foreign aid" of the past. Rather, my points will be that we need a new and more comprehensive framework for development cooperation and that within this new framework we need more official development assistance (ODA), not less, whatever the current mood might he. And the mood is certainly not positive now.

I would like to take on this subject by confronting two myths, both widely held. The first is that the developing world is doing pretty well, and that things are basically on track. The second myth is related: that to the extent some countries are not in good shape, and some obviously are not, "it's their own fault". These countries should get their policies straight--including opening up to the remarkable world market--and enjoy the ride, the argument goes.

Indeed, it is true that there have been remarkable successes in human development. Average life expectancy in the developing world has increased by over one third in the last 30 years. More than 70 per cent of the population in developing countries now has some access to health services. Primary school enrolment has increased to over 80 per cent.

The economic performance of some countries has been remarkable as well. The World Bank has proclaimed the "East Asian miracle", and indeed it may be that. The eight high-performing East Asian economies registered average per capita income growth of about 5.5 per cent per year between 1965 and 1990.

But the world is still a big place--complicated, unfair and diverse. Desperation and devastation are still the lot of most people. Some 1.5 billion people live in poverty in UNDP's 173 programme countries. The conditions of life for twice that number are deplorable, with 13-18 million people--mostly children--dying from hunger and poverty-related causes each year. Tomorrow, as on any given day, about 67,000 babies will be born into families earning less than $7 a week. That's almost 25 million people born into a prison of absolute poverty each year. It's hard to imagine, but over a billion people live in households too poor to obtain the food necessary for normal work.

Worst off are the 47 countries we call least developed. With 10 per cent of the world's people. they have 0.1 per cent of the world's income. For over two decades, their per capita income, on average, has declined...