CONCLUDING REMARKS AT THE SEMINAR ON "SOUTH AFRICA'S SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS: FUTURE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM IN HELPING ADDRESS THEM", WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA

MAY 24, 1992

...Our seminar was a good seminar. It was indeed, as stated in one of its objectives, a real forum for a dialogue on socio-economic problems in South Africa. Ideas and propositions were discussed, freely, without any constraint, except perhaps the time guillotine of our moderators. Let us, therefore, rejoice for that achievement, and recognize the value of dialogue. For us in the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid, this Seminar has demonstrated the Committee's continuing relevance to the changing situation in South Africa. The Special Committee has also shown clearly that it is capable of serving, and continue to serve, as the focal point of United Nations system's relationship with South Africa before, during and after the establishment of an interim government in the country prior to the establishment of a democratic non-racial government in South Africa.

We are, therefore, gratified that this Seminar achieved one of its major objectives, namely providing useful points of reference in the design of the future assistance of the United Nations system to South Africa. I have tried to extract from what I could sense from the Seminar's proceedings, the most important issues around which there was a large degree of agreement. In addition, I have tried to attract various themes which seem important in their own right, in the context of the debate on development policy. While the following enumeration does try to encapsulate major issues discussed, it does not claim to be an exhaustive list. With these qualifications, therefore, it seems to me that in your discussions, the following points of reference emerged:

1. It is extremely important, from a political viewpoint, to address urgently and adequately the socio-economic needs of the disadvantaged population, and with resources commensurate with the seriousness of the situation. A particular group which will constitute an important challenge for a new government is constituted by the "marginalized youth" which has to be given reasons for hope in a new South Africa.
2. Education, health, housing and job creation are among the top priority areas for action in the social and economic sectors. These are areas where the human and social impact of apartheid has been particularly devastating, and which may in some cases require determined action and programmes over a large number of years to show significant results. While the issue of resources is important, it is not the only one. There is also the costly fragmentation of the state apparatus, inappropriate delivery system, mismatch of the goods or services to the needs of the population.
3. The economic and social sectors of South Africa require a profound restructuring and policy re-direction, if sustained growth and genuine development are to come about and benefit the whole population.
4. Actions to promote the interest of disadvantaged communities and channel their grievances have emerged over the recent years and promoted participatory development under the initiative of grassroots organizations. These organizations play an important role in sectors like education, health, housing and are also active in local, regional or national negotiating fora. They are vehicles of popular expression and need to be consulted in matters which are intended to be of benefit to them.
5. More generally, there is the need for a comprehensive national programme of redress, with strong elements of affirmative action, to tackle the glaring socio-economic imbalances created by apartheid. There is, particularly, a need to promote the empowerment of blacks through human resource development, in encouraging entrepreneurship and skills in management and administration.
6. To meet socio-economic priorities, and promote sustained development strategy which would promote simultaneously growth and redistribution. In particular, the industrial sector needs to be re-oriented and strengthened along new patterns of specializations. All the effort of restructuring and policy formulation has to be done in consultation with the civic organizations which have a close interest in the policies being defined. Conversely, the ongoing restructuring by the present authorities, including privatization, is unilateral and entrenches privileges on the basis of the capacity to pay.
7. A new development strategy has to be an integrated one and should address the three levels of competition and challenges for the country: national, subregional and regional, and global. A better integration in the international trading and financial system has economic, financial and technological implications to be worked out carefully.
8. The future technical cooperation between South Africa and the United Nations system would be more demanding than in other cases on the issue of coordination of United Nations activities, and the need to deal also with grassroots organizations, rather than only with a centralized government.
9. Similarly, questions of coordination are also raised for the South Africans. These are areas where the need for assistance have been expressed, namely technical advice, human resources development, institutional capacity-building, relief operations, programmes and projects affecting structures, and policy formulation, for instance in such areas as industrial development, technological innovation, investment codes and sub-regional economic cooperation and integration.
10. The issue of the mobilization of resources is an important one, although it is recognized that the first step in South Africa is to mobilize existing domestic resources which are not fully utilized. In meeting the huge priority needs of its population and in the context of a strong economic growth, South Africa would certainly require significant external finance.
11. The participants have recognized the value of the seminar and are of the view that the dialogue should continue in a follow-up meeting on specific issues arising out of our discussions at this Seminar. It was agreed that a follow-up meeting would require concerted preparations also in South Africa.

Since this meeting was intended to be an initial discussion, it was designed to play more the role of a catalyst to the preparations for the planning of future technical assistance of the United Nations, rather than that of a planning meeting proper. It is, therefore, all the more satisfactory that so many interesting and useful elements could emerge from the discussions.

I believe that after this seminar, the United Nations side will be better prepared to address the political and operational questions of its future involvement in South Africa. In this context, the United Nations agencies have received a lot of information, analysis and cautionary notes. In turn, I feel that our South African friends have begun to know the United Nations system better, or at least, have sufficient material to reflect upon the identities and activities of their future partners. All in all, I believe that this seminar will have better prepared all of us to the future challenges of a new South Africa.

The present situation in South Africa might be rapidly changing and may raise abrupt and difficult challenges. We must all be ready to show high flexibility in front of the demands of the day. I have, for example, listened with great interest to the remarks of some of you about the problems of working with a transitional government. I do appreciate the difficulties of working in a situation where all the parametres are not clearcut and clean, particularly with changing institutions. One of the key challenges of a new government will be its credibility and the credibility of the whole process of peaceful change. In these circumstances, we will have to assist such a new government, since we do not dare think of an alternative where the country will be consumed by violence. The proceedings of the seminar are particularly useful to understand these problems of credibility.