King Mohammed deplores developed nations' failure to live up to commitments to increase assistance to development
Morocco-Regional, Politics, 10/17/2001

Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Tuesday deplored the developed nations' failure to live up to their commitments to allot 0.7 percent of their GDP to international assistance.

This came in a message, read out on behalf of the king by employment, vocational training, social development and solidarity minister, Abbas El Fassi, at the opening session of the 4th international Forum on Urban Poverty.

"We deem it necessary that your encounter send a clear message to the international community to question the usefulness of adopting new recommendations at a time there is no follow up to the major international commitments geared towards alleviating poverty and extending assistance to development," the king said.

He cited, in this connection, "the failure of developed nations to live up to their commitments to allot 0.7 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to international assistance, their maintaining of protectionist measures on services and on products for which developing nations are competitive, the adoption by developed countries of a fearful standpoint in matters of indebtedness, which soaks resources desperately needed by developing countries to achieve human development in addition to a weak flow in foreign investments."

The sovereign, who stressed the need for a south-south cooperation, called the international community to adopt a new approach, honor commitments made, and abide by the principle of acting solidarity, justice, partnership, interdependence and shared responsibility.

"We have to bear in mind that in the absence of tangible results at the level of improving the living standards of the poor, the credibility of commitments and the chances of success of the urban development programs will be marred, triggering fears that the consequences entailed by the failure of such programs and poor financial means, would generate and exacerbate tension spots and violence. Likewise, the sacrifice-bearing capacity of a poor population will get eroded and their anger will grow at the widening gap between them and the rich of their countries or of the countries of the north," the sovereign said.

King Mohammed VI also warned against "unbridled globalization" that may worsen an already chronic social deficit.

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