Ladies and gentlemen,

Technology spurs development. The craft of developing new tools – and making effective use of these tools – has been a key to human progress for centuries.

My mission as Minister of International Development is to make use of all effective tools in our efforts to eliminate poverty. This means that we must make better use of technology as an integral part of the development agenda. "Making new technologies work for human development" is therefore a very appropriate theme for this year’s Human Development Report.

I would like to thank UNDP’s Nordic Office for organizing the launching of the report, which is one of the most renowned and important reports of its kind.

The UNDP Human Development Report 2001 will help me and my colleagues in governments all over the world to rededicate ourselves to our mission.

Norway number one

The Norwegian media have during the past few days focused its attention on Norway’s ranking as number one in the Human Development Index of this report. I agree with the Administrator of UNDP when he says that the Norwegian success is a result of deliberate long-term political decisions, and could not be attributed to economic growth alone.

Mass education, investment in health systems available to all and deliberate policies to promote social justice and reduce disparities have been keys to the progress made by Norwegian society. However, while more of us in the North enjoy a better standard of living than ever before, many others remain desperately poor. This is in brief also the dual message of this year’s Human Development Report.

Two weeks ago I visited Mozambique, which is ranked as number 157 of the 162 countries on the Human Development Index. The stark contrast between Norway and Mozambique is a clear reminder that as one of the world’s richest countries, we have a special responsibility to help diminish the disparities in the world.

Poverty eradication is the key

Poverty elimination – which has always been so important in the development of Norwegian society - is no less important on the global scene. Poverty elimination is a goal in itself because it goes to the heart of our efforts to meet basic human needs and to promote social justice. But the efforts to halve world poverty by 2015 – as we have agreed – is also the key to sustainable development, to conflict prevention, to population policies, to health, education, human rights, and most other global challenges.

Technology cannot do the job alone. Development requires a massive investment in human resources, starting with children and basic education. It proceeds through high priority areas such as secondary education and general capacity-building, not least for young girls and women.

In development cooperation today, we are searching for a new partnership between the public and private sector that will promote sustainable development. The broad participation and involvement of civil society, including NGOs, is essential in today’s development approaches. But the role of a well-functioning, well-educated public sector in monitoring laws and regulations remains a cornerstone in efforts to attract external resources for the purpose of development.

Technology and human development

What are the perspectives of countries like Mozambique on new technologies such as biotechnology and genetic engineering? What is the potential of such technologies, and what are the risks? Let me mention some important aspects:

Firstly, let me say a few words about a problem that is today at the top of our list of development challenges: the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Prevention must remain the mainstay of our response to the spread of AIDS. A massive effort to prevent the further spread of the virus, through political leadership and willingness to address sensitive issues related to sexual relations, inclusiveness towards vulnerable groups, the mobilization of religious groups, trade unions, employers, youth, women’s organizations and NGOs – as has been done in Uganda, Norway and other countries – will be necessary. As a gradual roll-out of care and treatment through national health systems, supported by external resources, becomes available even to the poor, this will also stimulate preventive efforts.

As new drugs and vaccines make breakthroughs in health care, we must deal with the structural and systematic barriers to them. We welcome the recent progress made in making AIDS-related drugs more affordable.

The pharmaceutical industry must be held morally responsible for making drugs affordable. But this alone is not enough. Even inexpensive drugs must be paid for. Drugs must be delivered and administered. Patients must receive treatment and care. Even in situations where drugs are free or inexpensive and easy to administer, they still need to be administered within a public health system that is able to reach even the poorest of the poor in ways that safeguard the rights both of individual patients and of society as a whole. A new infusion of additional resources is clearly necessary.

At the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS two weeks ago the Norwegian government pledged an additional NOK 1 billion (approximately USD 110 million) over the next five years to international efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We attach particular importance to strengthening health systems in developing countries in cooperation with the WHO, and to reaching the poorest and hardest hit. How much will be channelled through existing mechanisms, and how much through the new fund, will be decided when we know more about the fund.

Biotechnology

In agriculture, biotechnology can be used to address hunger, control livestock diseases and reduce malnutrition through new crop varieties. Genetically modified crops constitute a sensitive issue in many parts of the world. It is also a difficult issue to resolve in the international community. Health and environmental safety are important concerns for all of us. Insufficient rules and regulations in this area, often combined with little capacity to enforce them, pose serious problems for developing countries. Again, the need for capacity in national public sectors is of paramount importance.

Investment in research and education is high on our own political agenda. Such investment is critical for developing countries wanting to take part in the sweeping technological changes. The problem of brain drain has no easy solution, but must be addressed. The report seems to suggest that only the presence of a certain critical mass of highly qualified people can effectively solve the problem of brain drain.

This report challenges those resistant to the use of biotechnology in development. However, it will not solve all problems. Some farmers may in fact be better served by traditional improvements of local crop varieties. Lost genetic material caused by "genetic pollution" represents a danger. Food security will only partly be improved.

I could go on, but let me conclude by stating the obvious: there is no such thing as a simple solution to the challenges posed to the developing countries by biotechnology.

International conventions must be further developed and harmonized to accommodate the interests of the developing countries. Our role will be to assist in securing the active participation of these countries in developing an international framework. Additional support has to be provided with a view to securing competence and capacity to handle risk management at the national level.

Closing remarks

The UNDP Human Development report has made a contribution towards a clearer understanding of what it takes to make new technology work for human development. This is an important contribution indeed.

Thank you for your attention.