STATEMENTS BY THE AMBASSADOR

                   H.E. BOWLER STATEMENT AT MEDICAL WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 
        MARCH 2, 2012



Distinguished colleagues and friends
What I am going to say today will definitely not take us to heaven but has the chances from saving us from hell by your actions if it touches you. 

As a government, we are doing all we can every second of the day. I assure you all hands on deck but this is no ordinary battle, it is a world war to save our mothers, our sisters in Malawi, in Africa and the developing world.

I am not a doctor, a nurse or even claim I know anything about medicine. When I was writing my speech this morning, I wrote pre-delivery inspection “PDI” and my assistant said: Ambassador, do you mean pre-natal care?

But what I know is that people like you make a real difference.

And that is why, I would like to begin by expressing my profound appreciation to the Medical Women’s International Association-----, American Medical Women’s Association, and -------the National Council of Women----- for inviting me here today to speak on this important occasion. I am humbled by all your presence here today. I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Mini Murthy of the New York Medical College and ----- Mary Singletary of the National Council of Women USA for their unwavering commitment to uplifting the quality of life for the mothers and children of Malawi.
Who is this person? What is a birth centre?
This person I am talking about today looks like your own mothers and sisters but very poor, very fragile, very weak, deprived of education because she is a girl.
Chances of been sexually violated are high. She may be as young as 13 but probably will never see her 49th birthday.
She has no more tears left as she has used them in probably burying her husband and some of her children and relatives.
She is responsible for the whole family, the main breadwinner, even during her pregnancy. Malnutrition has sunk in and this too is affecting her unborn baby.
Now the birthing centre. This is a simple room with a clean floor maybe a bench, that’s it!!
It has a placenta pit outside yet this simple facility has the potential of increasing life expectancy compared to giving birth in a hut filled with smoke, food, other siblings in the room and definitely no trained assistants.

Imagine for a moment, lying alone, scared and in the dark…in pain and unsure of what is happening to your body.  The nearest health center is over 10 miles away and there is no way to get there except by foot or bicycle.  This is a real scenario faced by women in Malawi and the developing world every day.  So in a moment that should bring them their biggest joy, they turn to a local traditional birth attendant, whose only training is often her own experience giving birth in the village.  With no candle or paraffin for light, the darkness adds to the complications.  The birth attendant doesn’t recognize symptoms of obstructed labor, hemorrhage or understand the need to deliver anywhere except on the cold floor of the mud hut.

As days pass and the women reaches a critical point in her potential survival, it is all too evident that it has become too late for her unborn child.  The gravity of the situation can no longer be ignored and slowly arrangements are made to transport the critically ill woman to the clinic on a bicycle ambulance, a mere cot with 4 wheels that bounces behind the bicycle on potholed trails for hours.  Upon arrival it is not only too late for her unborn baby, but sadly too late for her as well.

This reality happens all too often in Malawi and throughout the developing world as a lack of skilled medical personnel, compounded with a critical shortage of medicine and supplies threatens this very life giving miracle.
No woman should die in giving birth.

I myself have had the deepest honor of witnessing the birth of my son here in the US. Whilst there were some complications, pre-natal observation ensured that appropriate action was taken in time and I am grateful and proud that our family will celebrate my son’s 9th birthday in two months. 
On a sad note, I must take a moment to reflect and acknowledge that this story could have been vastly different had it taken place in rural Malawi.  There is a high chance that the family would be visiting a grave well before this child’s 9th birthday, had they been born alive at all. 

Malawi is blessed with some of the world’s greatest natural wonders.  There are breathtaking mountain ranges, lush forests, wildlife, a landscape fringed with palm trees and a magnificent lake which resembles a great ocean. Yet amidst this beauty lies a darker reality. Whilst I could recite volumes of information about Malawi being recognized as one of the most valuable jewels in the African crown and one of the top two safest destinations on the continent of Africa including growth rates of over 7.6% and one of the few countries that food secure with a democratically elected government and a nation of achievers, the somber fact remains that more than 40% of the population lives below the poverty line.

However, children in Malawi today face a better chance of survival then they did just 6 years ago. For example, the infant mortality rate has decreased to 66 per 1000 live births in 2010. “and we’re celebrating this achievement”. During the same period the under 5 mortality rate declined to 100 per 1000 live births, from 133 per 1000 live births. These statistics however are still unacceptable. No woman or child in today's world should die as a result of giving birth or being born.

One of the causes contributing to these mortality rates is a lack of skilled birth attendants. With a population of 14 Million and with only 2,500 midwives and approximately 16 Obstetricians in the country, it is estimated that only 54% of women give birth with a skilled attendant.  

Sadly, these statistics put Malawi as one of the riskiest places on earth to bear a child. And this lack of a trained medical personnel is further compound by the brain drain caused by the recruitment of our precious human resources by developed countries already capable of training their own workforce. 
We are grateful for the dedicated doctors and nurses who work tirelessly in Malawi utilizing their skills and talents to try and reduce the burden on their patients. Most of these are volunteers.
Many of the maternal deaths are a result of infections, obstructed labor, excessive bleeding, and abortion induced complications.

It is frustrating that many of these deaths could largely be avoided if only mothers could reach health centers in due time, instead of arriving too late. They are often delayed by slow decision making as a result of a lack of basic knowledge regarding prenatal care, vast distances to health centers, and a lack of transportation.  The trip to the health center will consist of either a long walk or a ride on the back of a bicycle, which I am sure all of you can imagine, is horrific when in active labor.  

Further compounding these issues are the lack of basic medicines, lifesaving equipment, or medical staff on call when they do finally arrive.  These are some of the reasons our mothers our sisters, and our daughters are dying. 

Maternity units in cities in Malawi are bursting at the seams, with pregnant women spilling over onto the floors and corridors with all beds occupied, often with two women in a single bed.  Some of these women remain in labor for days. They experience so much pain with no available medication to relieve this pain that they often turn to local traditional medicine and herbs which can cause further damage to their weakened bodies and their babies.  Due to space restrictions they are often forced to stay alone and deliver without the support of a loved one.  
Imagine a situation where out of 1000 births, 8 mothers will die, and yet in another country like Sweden only 1 woman out of more than 17,000 will have even a pregnancy related compilation.  The overwhelming question is how did it get so bad?

Whilst these scenarios described are not meant for shock effect, it is the reality on the ground at present. By having one doctor per 50,000 people and one nurse per 17,000 people, by having so few birthing centers, limited or no access to medication and prenatal care, this grave situation will sadly and undoubtedly continue. Children will continue to be born under the gravest situation, malnourished with the chances of seeing their first birthday remaining as it is now at 72 per 1000 live births.

Providing basic necessities and access to even minimally skilled care can make a huge impact on these figures.  That is why I wish to single out and applaud the role that Dr. Mini Murthy and her students at New York Medical College play in providing these necessities for the women of Malawi. At present they are producing packages called Mama Kits which include basic but fundamental supplies to help women have a clean and safe delivery. 

Can you imagine not delivering your baby in a health center because you cannot afford a new razor blade to cut the umbilical cord?  Or worse yet, can you imagine a health center using a razor blade to do an epi/sio/tomy without any pain relief.  These are the decisions faced every day by the women in rural Africa.  These mama kits provide women with a clean surface to deliver on, sterile gloves, a scalpel, gauze, a warm blanket and clothing for the baby and other items to give the mom and baby a fighting chance.

At present there is hope being built around a campaign that is moving forward to encourage women to attend prenatal care and return to delivery their babies in a clinic.  By giving the women a mama kit at her prenatal visit serves the dual purpose of encouraging her to come for prenatal care and gives her all the supplies the rural clinician would need so that she may return to deliver her baby in a safe environment.

I am pleased to report that through small donations and community participations, we will open a 6 room maternity and health clinic is Ndongo Village later this month.  This health center, situated on the border of Mozambique and Malawi will serve over 35,000 people.  It will provide basic health care and maternity services along with other services like HIV counseling and testing, TB treatment, and well child care and vaccinations.  All of this will be provided by 2 medical personnel and the task before them is monumental.  
However, after travelling 20+ kilometers for years to access health care and seeing countless children die, the community asked for assistance and fully participated in the preparation and building of this clinic where they now see hope for a brighter future in its brick walls and iron roof. This initiative is simply complementing the great work the government is doing throughout the country and it is through these kinds of discussions that this birth centre has even come about. 

But our work has not stopped with this clinic. Dr. Murthy and her students have continuously collected medical supplies to not only make hundreds of “mama kits” for the clinic but to also gather essential supplies that will ensure that the clinic has the basics from gloves to sutures and everything in between.  They have also gone a step further and begun raising money to build a maternity waiting home, which will allow women to stay near a larger district hospital prior to the start of their labor to ensure they are close by when it is time to deliver, especially for women who have had previous complications.  

These maternity waiting homes have been championed by the First Lady of Malawi Madame Callista Mutharika through her Safe Motherhood Foundation.  Through her initiatives, great results are being realized.  Women are being educated on the value of prenatal care “PDI” and services are being provided in remote locations.  Young women are being trained in large numbers to become midwives.  These young women, identified from rural villages, will return to their homes after the training to provide much needed medical care and become leaders in their communities and champions for women’s health and rights.

A lack of information amongst mothers and a high rate of illiteracy is a major factor to the problems faced by expectant mothers. If mothers are well informed this will reduce the rate of birth complications and the maternal and infant mortality rates in the future. 
A simple thing such as educating expectant mothers about techniques like Kangaroo Care, which substitutes for incubators in a country where only a few exist, in the long run can make the difference between life and death. 

The Callista Mutharika Safe Motherhood Foundation also educates village chiefs and employs health surveillance assistants to identify expectant mothers and encourage them to break the tradition of home birth and deliver in a maternity clinic instead.

Whilst as a government we remain challenged by so many overwhelming factors on the road to progress, including the AIDS pandemic, famine, drought and malaria, strides are being made daily and resources are being invested to try and stem the overwhelming statistics.  But the government has many competing priorities and results often take years to become visible. Yet for every challenge there is and must be a solution. 

In Malawi, so little can go a long way. For as little as $20,000, a Health Clinic with access to clean water can be built. We have done it. 
The cost to construct a maternity waiting home is $29,000 and for $4,000 a resuscitator for a newborn baby can be purchased. When comparing a figure like the $10 billion per year spent on lipstick in the US and the $17 billion spent on pet food annually in the United States and Europe, the cost of a clinic is but a drop in a very large ocean. For this reason, we remain eternally grateful to all of our partners who have dedicated enormous efforts to reduce the suffering of women.
Our vision and ultimate goal for the women of Malawi to be healthy, well educated, and empowered in all spheres of life will be achieved when we secure the health of all expectant mothers and consequently the future potential of their unborn children. By raising women’s health status, you raise the health status of her whole family and the nation.  

I will be failing in my personal duty if I did not express my appreciation as well as my admiration for all of you in the health sector for the valuable role you play every day and the contributions you make towards society.  I know I would not be here today if it was not for someone like you many years ago who helped bring me into the world.

Once again, I thank the organizers of this event, the Medical Women’s International Association ----, American Medical Women’s Association-----, and the National Council of Women USA ------  for allowing me the honor of being here today and I thank all of you here for taking the time to hear me speak on these pressing issues regarding the health and lives of Malawian women and children. 

                     

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  H.E. BOWLER STATEMENT AT THE MISSION OF IRELAND 
      MARCH 1ST, 2012

Honorable Minister Ms. Kathleen Lynch T. D. Ambassador Ann Anderson,
Distinguished Ambassadors, 
Executive Director of UNICEF, Mr. Anthony Lake, My Fellow Malawian Mrs. Grace Malindi.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased to be here today and wish to acknowledge the assistance and role IRELAND and UNICEF are playing in Malawi.

It is not by design that my presentation will cite them but it is unavoidable due to the great work they do on the ground.

Today, Ireland is giving €6Million to Malawi, of that, a million will be given to UNICEF in SCALING UP NUTRITION.

I am also privileged to be sitting down with the Honourable Minister and Mr. Anthony Lake, the Chair of the lead group on the scaling up nutrition movement where Malawi was the first country to lunch the SUN, 1000 special days movement focusing on nutrition of women before pregnancy and lactation and children less than 2 years of age.

Today’s presentation is on the role of rural women in nutrition. I thought I’ll take the opportunity to research the definition of a rural woman and from my observation, all accounts fail to capture the importance of this extraordinary human being that without a doubt forms the most important component in food security particularly in the developing world.

The rural women of Malawi are very central in improving nutrition as in many other countries. It is a miracle that with a baby on her back, a bag of commodities on her head, a handful of firewood and a small hoe in hand, this extraordinary person is contributing significantly in a very meaningful way to the development of her community and country.
She is not only in most cases the breadwinner of the family but the critical caregiver to all facets of life.

The Malawi rural woman is:


    •    The major food producer as she makes up 70% of all farmers. This means that the agriculture-based economy of Malawi survives through her input.
    •    She is the caretaker of backyard gardens which are an important source of vegetables and fruits that are crucial for nutrition.
    •    She prepares meals for the family and is central in preparation of food in community-based child care centres, and the school-feeding program.
    •    She carries out income generating activities most of which is spent on food and other vital utilities for the family. 
However, this focus on the productive role of rural women does not present a complete and real picture of the reality on the ground.


The role of a rural woman in Malawi remains much challenged in a country where nutrition disorders continue to be a crisis.

Despite all her best intentions in the challenge of improving nutrition, she may not even know her age; she probably buried her husband and was herself orphaned. She has survived her 1st birthday where the infant mortality is 72 for every 1,000. She reached her 5th birthday when the under-5 mortality was 100 for every 1,000. She has survived giving birth herself with a mortality rate of 807 for every 100,000 births. She probably has a 26% chance that she was a child labourer and a 50% chance that she was married before the age of 18. After succeeding in such a mine field of life, there is a high probability she won’t reach her 49th birthday and if she will, she’ll then be burdened with grand-children and still remain the main breadwinner.
This is the context in which OUR extraordinary rural woman lives.


In response to the challenges facing the rural women and the malnutrition crisis, the Government of Malawi has allocated a higher budget allotment to agriculture with full knowledge that this critical role is entrusted to the small- holder farmers who the majority are the women and the youth. Most notably, the Government of Malawi has developed the National Nutrition Policy and Strategy Plan (NNPSP) with a budget of $350 Million as the guiding document for all nutrition stakeholders in championing government priorities on nutrition. Additionally, Malawi has a gender policy as well as the Farm Input Subsidy Program which is firmly established as a pillar of agriculture policy. This singular program has transformed Malawi and is the brainchild of His Excellency the President, Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika.

Malawi also subscribes to international conventions and agreements such as the Beijing Platform of Action, CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) and regional commitments such as the Abuja declaration, and the SADC 50-50 participation of women in


development. These major frameworks guide the national response to securing food and nutrition security.
It is important to highlight the SCALING UP OF NUTRITION (SUN) which is working quite well in Malawi and Malawi is recognised as one of the “early riser” countries. This programme focuses on scaling up nutrition practices for 1000 days – from conception to 2 years of age.
The rural women of Malawi are participating in projects like Strengthening Livelihoods through Food and Nutrition Security in Vulnerable Communities whose overall goal is to promote and strengthen cookery demonstrations and nutritional education for vulnerable communities through Nutrition Rehabilitation Units (NRUs).
The rural women are also benefiting from UNICEF’s social cash transfer programmes that alleviate and complement the rural women’s greatest challenge of keeping her family healthy which was introduced in 2006.
This programme addresses the poorest households while increasing school attendance in order to stop the cycle of poverty for future generations. The tangible results have


already shown a higher school attendance of the girl child, and reduced vulnerability.
I am pleased that the UNICEF Executive Director Mr. Anthony Lake has seen this project first-hand when visiting Malawi.
Rural women are also benefiting from IRISH AID through its Malawi Country Programme strategy that ensures households are better nourished, food secure and less vulnerable to poverty.
Another successful program which rural women are actively participating in is the World Food Program P4P, PURCHASE FOR PROGRESS that uses the WFP to procure excess production of maize. ----- From the extra income, the rural women have been able to buy nutritional food to diversify the family diet as well as cloth their families and send their children to school.
Whilst rural women have embraced these policies at household and community level thanks to governmental and donor programmes,

challenges still remain in this very important sector. Examples of these challenges are:
•How to access financing as well as receive adequate resources:
Banking the poor always remains a critical challenge when we try to employ conventional ways of doing business. Most of these women do not have a birth certificate, any bank account and very little documentation.
•Education:
Educating rural women needs to translate into "empowerment". Projects that give women the necessary tools and knowledge to suit their abilities are more likely to yield greater long-term gains for women’s status and those directly associated with her.
•Effects of global warming:
Both drought and flooding, which are caused by global warming, affect the rural population. Women often are forced to invest in the least expensive, and thus the most vulnerable land, often in flood plains that can wash away in an instant.

and in these cases; these women do not get compensated. Such phenomena have devastating effects on rural women.
Farmers clubs with the assistance of Civil society and NGOs as well as donor partners like the UN family, Irish aid, DFID, USAID and even the Brazilian government to mention a few are addressing some of the above mentioned challenges by training the women to understand the importance of: sustainable farming, crop rotation, environmental awareness, water management, harvesting, rural irrigation, diversification in crop production, conservation agriculture, and rehabilitation of degraded land. Therefore, there is a direct link to the overall success of the women which ultimately enhance the role of women in nutrition through these partnerships. However, more efforts need to be employed to address these challenges.

Whilst all efforts are being made on the ground to diversify our agriculture base and address the various challenges, the truth of the matter is most of the energy is concentrated in our staple diet of maize. In that alone, most developing nations are challenged to maintain the right micro- nutrients in our diets. That is why it is not only about producing food but producing nutritional rich food.

Villages have learnt how to fortify their diets thanks to creative farming and the use of different types of pulses, and fish farming.

However, the critical challenge remains for very poor and vulnerable women, particularly pregnant women, where good nutrition is critical for both the mother and the unborn child. Life altering medical conditions, both physical and mental, can arise when proper nutrients are not available to the developing baby. The cycle of inadequate nutrition can perpetuate itself to the next generation.
While the topic, the role of rural women in improving nutrition is uplifting, --- the reality on the ground remains a challenge.

The Government of Malawi has a nutrition policy budget of $350M, however, implementing and raising this money remains problematic.

I would like to conclude on a positive note: Like all women, rural women triumph even if it is on a small scale each day with hope and promise. As to date, the calorie intake has improved from 680 to 2,000 calories per person per day. Malnutrition has declined; stunting has declined from 49% to 41%. Breastfeeding has increased from 53% to 71%, consumption of iodine salt has increased from 47% to 97% and women spent 90% of their total income to support their families as opposed to men who spend only 30%.

Throughout Malawi, Africa and the developing world, studies have shown that moderate malnutrition can be overcome for as little as $3.6Billion. This is an insignificant amount of money compared to the $16B spent annually on lipstick in the US, or $10B spent annually on ice cream in Europe and the $17B spent annually on pet foods in the US and Europe combined.
If left unaddressed, the damages are incalculable through the loss of life, productivity as well as caring for the fragile youth population. The rural women will continue playing the important role in improving nutrition and the rural women will remain the most reliable hope for Africa and Malawi.


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Meeting of the AHWG – 16 February 2012






May I call to order the first substantive meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group to further study and strengthen the smooth transition process for the countries graduating from the LDC category.


As members are aware this ad hoc working group has been established in accordance with the General Assembly resolution 66/213 and a decision 66/553 on 22nd of December 2011.


May I congratulate a fellow LDC country, Zambia for winning the African Cup of Nations. This is a symbolic win for all us, all LDCs. Even with our challenges, we can be victorious and graduate.


May I invite Ambassador Grauls to begin our session today with the introductory remarks.




I have now the honour of introducing the Distinguished Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Botswana to the UN, H.E. Mr. Charles T. Ntwaagae.(Ntw-wa-ge)
Keeping in mind the crucial importance of the development process of LDCs, Botswana’s participation is key in providing the UN Member States with clearer understanding of what is at stake for graduating countries. Since Botswana was the 1st country to graduate out of the LDC group in 1994, Ambassador’s Ntwaagae’s (Nt-wa-ge ) presentation will undoubtedly enrich the meeting with a wealth of knowledge and experience that will benefit this process tremendously. Without further delay, it is now my pleasure to invite the Ambassador of Botswana to make his presentation.




(Ambassador Ntwaagae makes his presentation).


Thank you, Ambassador for your insightful presentation.




Thematic presentations and interactive discussions


I now have the pleasure of introducing our distinguished experts who will further examine today’s topic by helping us taking stock of the current situation regarding LDC-specific international support measures as well as existing smooth transition measures. Our experts will also identify gaps and consider the LDCs’ concerns related to the phase-out of those measures. After each presentation the floor will be opened for an exchange of views on the possible approaches that could be developed to address such gaps and concerns. 
Without further delay, allow me to kindly remind our experts to please keep their presentation to the stipulated maximum of 10 minutes each, so as to allow ample time to delegations to ask questions, raise their concerns, and comment on the presentations. 
Each expert will have an opportunity to respond to the questions raised, comments made and offer brief concluding remarks.


The first presentation is that of Ms. Annet Blank, Head of the Unit for Least-Developed Countries and Africa at the World Trade Organisation in Geneva. Ms. Blank has worked at the WTO, previously the GATT, since 1988. In her current position she is responsible for policy issues, as well as training, related to the concerns and interests of LDCs and Africa, within the mandate of the WTO.  As such she was active in shaping WTO's substantive contributions at the Fourth UN LDC Conference. She also contributed to the LDC-specific outcomes of the WTO Ministerial meeting held in December last year. Moreover, she has contributed to the design and evolution of the Integrated Framework for LDCs, now the Enhanced Integrated Framework for LDCs. A lawyer by education, the main thread in her professional life is made up of linkages between development and trade. Welcome to New York, Ms. Blank, and thank you for coming all the way from Geneva to join our work today.
It is now my pleasure to invite Ms. Blank to make her presentation on special measures for LDCs and implications of graduation in the area of trade.


(Ms. Blank makes her presentation).


Thank you, Ms. Blank, for your insightful presentation.  The floor is now open for questions and comments.


Last but not least, our third expert, Mr. Ta-ff-ere Tes-fa-chew , is the new Director of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes, in UNCTAD, Geneva. Mr. Tes-fa-chew previously held the position of Chief in the Office of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD since September 2005. In that capacity he was in charge of the organization's Strategy and Policy Coordination Unit and served as its spokesperson.  Prior to that role Mr. Tes-fa-chew headed UNCTAD’s Investment Policy Review Section, and also was the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD.  He has published on a wide range of topics, including investment and enterprise development, technology transfer, innovation, industrial policy, and terms of trade. – Welcome to New York, Mr. Tes-fa-chew, and we thank you for joining the Ad Hoc Working Group today.


I would like to invite our panelist to present to our audience the existing smooth transition measures.  You have the floor, Mr. Tes-fa-chew.


(Mr. Tesfachew makes his presentation).


Thank you, Mr. Tesfachew, for your thought-provoking presentation which has broadly covered the elaboration of smooth transition strategies.  The floor is open for questions and comments.


Q&A / interactive debate (CLOSE SESSION)
*************
Concluding remarks


On behalf of my fellow co-chair, the Permanent Representative of Belgium and on my own behalf, I would like to thank our panelists who graciously accepted to join us today: Ambassador Ntwaagae (Nt-wa-ge) from Botswana, Ms. Barreto from Cape Verde as well as the 3 experts who have traveled to New York Ms. Blank from WTO, Mr. Vos from DESA, and Mr. Tes-fa-chew from UNCTAD. Special thank you to Ambassador Cheick Sidi Diarra and his team of OHRLLS for a wonderful job as the secretariat of our Working Group, as well as DESA for the indispensable technical back-stopping.


We thank you for your substantive contributions to our working group. Your presentations have focused on the agenda of the day, which was to take stock of the existing LDC specific measures, of general implications to graduation and of existing smooth transition measures. These have enriched the meeting with a wealth of information, knowledge and experience.


The Ad Hoc Working Group’s mandate is to review the existing smooth transition process, identify existing gaps, to analyze the potential impacts of graduation, to assess the challenges faced by the LDCs and development partners in negotiating and implementing smooth transition measures and to ultimately provide concrete recommendations on ways to improve the transition process so that it is a smooth one.


Because of the significance of what is at stake in our mandate, we would like to reiterate the vital role of this working group and the effective participation of all stakeholders. Today’s meeting has confirmed that smooth transition measures for soon-to-be graduated countries, are crucial. Graduation should not only be an objective, it should also be an aspiration to sustainable success and a step forward in the development process of an LDC. 
This session has been privy to learn from the experience of Botswana that graduation has given that country an opportunity to play a vital role in the global economy, as well as opening up new prospects for investors, private financing, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).  
There is a need to come up with strengthened and sustainable incentives and support measures for graduated countries to further enhance their development process. Our panelists have effectively highlighted how critical it is to reassure the LDCs of the positive benefits of graduation as well as affirm the principle that success depends on the graduated country itself and its cooperation with development partners. 
Furthermore, today’s meeting has reaffirmed that it is vital and necessary to engage all stakeholders in this process, by reinforcing that the graduated country  takes ownership and leadership in the transition process on the one hand and on the other, for the development partners and international organizations to consider strong support measures for LDCs that have graduated complemented by country specific transition measures. This would greatly increase the confidence and acceptance that should be associated with graduation.


The recommendations that have emerged from today’s session will feed into the forthcoming substantive sessions.


At the next substantive session on Friday, March 16, the CDP will present a briefing on strengthening smooth transition provisions for graduating countries. 


Lastly, as co-chairs we would like to thank you for the continued support and input. We encourage you to forward suggestions on how to further improve the transition process and provide incentives for graduation.
The meeting is now adjourned