Closing Statement delivered
by The Minster of Trade and Economy, H.E. Dr. Nasser Saidi, at the NGO
Conference for southern Lebanon, September 28, 2000 Ladies and Gentlemen, Although, the Lebanese Government appreciates and
recognizes the importance of the efforts undertaken for the success of this
conference, given the crucial role that local and international NGO’s can play
in the reconstruction of southern Lebanon, I would like to seize this
opportunity to stress that the postponement of the Donors’ Conference that was
scheduled in October is not to the benefit of Lebanon or the international
community. Indeed, this conference is an essential complementary
to the Donor’s Conference that was scheduled to take place in October, yet it
cannot be a substitute for it, particularly that NGO’s fields of intervention
are limited to social mobilization, vocational training, capacity building,
agricultural development, micro enterprise and income generating activities.
Thus infrastructure projects and de-mining programs have to be undertaken by
the government. In this context, I would like to
stress the fact that any delay in meeting the development needs of the newly
liberated territories would threaten our hard-won stability in Lebanon, and
would have serious implications on the social, economic and political stability
of the Middle East. In this respect, the Lebanese Government is undertaking
efforts to seek means of cooperation and assistance for southern Lebanon on a
bilateral basis, for meeting the urgent needs of the liberated areas cannot be
postponed for another Donor’s conference.
Ladies and Gentlemen, The liberation of Southern Lebanon has been the only
positive development and achievement of years of so-far sterile attempts at
achieving a peaceful settlement in the region. The Lebanese Government is
determined to build on this achievement, in order to realize a national
objective, independently of small interests, and political agendas, whether
local or international, and the deployment of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL,
quickly following removal of Israeli border violations is live testimony of
this commitment. However, it is also within
the international community’s reach to help us achieve that goal towards
sustained economic, social and political stability in the region. The donors’
conference, that was scheduled in October, and was unfortunately postponed, was
supposed to be one major step forward. The coming period is of strategic choice
for all of us, so let us all take the right decisions for the benefit of
Lebanon and the whole region. Therefore, I would like to seize
this opportunity to invite all NGOs local and international, to cooperate with
the Lebanese Government to face the challenges of the liberation, and to
coordinate efforts in order to maximize the assistance to be provided to our
people in the South. Thank you. |