UN General Assembly
1993

economic game with other continents on a level ground. We wish, therefore, to underscore the need for the international community to seize the opportunity created by the positive changes taking place on the continent and give Africa real support so that the gains made for economic and democratic reform will be sustainable. At the same time, African countries should continue to strengthen their regional integration efforts within the regional bodies already established, such as the Preferential Trade Area for the Eastern and Southern African Countries (PTA), the Inter-Governmental Authority for Drought and Development (IGADD) in the Horn of Africa, and the ongoing efforts to revive East African cooperation. Our experience in Kenya in implementing structural adjustment programmes is that the reforms have inherent negative short-term effects, particularly on the poor and the other vulnerable members of society. These include the fall in their purchasing power owing to the liberalization of prices, job losses through a reduction of manpower in the public sector, and the reduction of government expenditure on such essential social services as health, education and