New York -- The World Health Organization has pledged to intensify its efforts to ensure the success of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the new vision for Africa's future initiated by several African Presidents and subsequently adopted as the continent's main development framework at summit of African Heads of State in July 2001.

Addressing delegates at an informal session of the UN General Assembly Tuesday in New York, Dr Samba noted that crafting partnerships among African countries and between them and the international community was the core of NEPAD. He said, "No one agency or organization can do it all alone. As the lead agency in the health sector for world development, WHO will continue to work with Member States, UNICEF, UNDP and other partners to create conditions for economic recovery and sustainable development in Africa."

Dr Samba told the delegates that NEPAD was already making a difference in Africa considering that the leaders of its initiating countries - Senegal, South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria and Egypt - were elected presidents.

He recalled WHO's involvement in the formulation of the health component of NEPAD and reiterated WHO's intention to assist in fostering real growth and development in Africa, using health as an entry point.

Speaking on the occasion, South African President, Thabo Mbeki, acknowledged the significant contribution of WHO to the development of the NEPAD initiative and called on WHO and other UN agencies as well as entities active in the health sector to ensure that their activities were coordinated in order to achieve maximum impact.

Earlier, presenting NEPAD to a day-long special session of the UN General Assembly convened to discuss the new African initiative, UN Secretary General Kofi Anan, called on the international community to support NEPAD programmes and projects.

The new focus on partnership and the NEPAD principles of political and economic good governance was highlighted by several African Heads of State and delegations of several other countries and organizations:

" We , as African leaders, have adopted the African Peer Review Mechanism. We have no illusions that it will be easy applying it but we are determined to succeed." President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal

"I would like to emphasize here that the African Peer Review mechanism under NEPAD marks a revolutionary innovation in Africa. It is essentially a system of self-assessment, based on a standard and internationally accepted codes and best practices, which aims at increased accountability and transparency of our governments. It is our decision as African leaders to be accountable to our peoples. We are not afraid to set very high standards for ourselves as our people expect this of us." President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.

"As Africans, today we stand in front of the peoples of the world to make the pledge that we will honour the commitment we have made to ourselves and the world - that we will act firmly to extricate Africa out of the long night of misery." President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa

"We as Africans will ensure that good political and economic governance becomes the norm, through the determined promotion of plural democracy, accountability and transparency, and respect for the rule of law and human rights." Hon. Lilian Patel, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Malawi.

"NEPAD represent s a strategy for addressing peace and security, democratic and accountable governance, poverty eradication and the observance of the rule of law." President Festus Mogae of Botswana.

"What we put before you today through NEPAD is an integrated African vision of the problems and questions of the continent. It is a comprehensive strategy is a comprehensive strategy to address those problems and questions. It is backed by a firm political will and conscious realization of the responsibilities of the African peoples and their leadership for the achievement of desired goals." Mr Ahmed Maher El Sayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt

"In the opinion of the European Union, the African Peer Review Mechanism will be central in making these NEPAD principles become a reality. Good governance cannot be imported from outside. It is the will and ability of individual African countries that will carry the day." Dr Per Stig Moller, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark on behalf of the European Union.

World Health Organization Office at the United Nations 
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Contact: Mr Sam Ajibola (212) 963-4388 
Ms Dorothy Davis (212) 963-3952 
Ms Celinda Verano (212) 963-6000