UN General Assembly
2002

We strongly feel that the international community should pay more attention to the development needs of the least developed countries. Donors and creditors should be able to do much more in the areas of trade, debt and aid. We believe that free and fair trade is a vehicle for growth and development, and that thus we are required to make greater efforts to ensure that multilateral trading caters to the urgent and special needs of the least developed countries. In this regard, we are encouraged by Canada's unilateral decision to lift tariffs on African exports to Canada and to abolish subsidies on agricultural products. It is our hope that other developed countries will follow the example set by Canada. With regard to debt, we believe that, unless the massive debts owed by the least developed countries are completely cancelled, those countries will remain strangled by interest and loan principal payments. Aid can be another engine for development and growth and, in this respect, the donors must honour the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product