Closing Session

Closing Speech by Mr. Omar Halim

Executive Director NAM CSSTC

Co-Chair

Experts Group Meeting on NAM Reform: 

Privatisation and Public-Private Partnership for NAM Member Countries

16-18 December 2002

Distinguished participants, Ladies and Gentlemen.

First of all, I would like to thank  the Acting Director of Institut Perkhidmatan Awam, Brunei Darussalam for collaborating with NAM-CSSTC in the implementation of NAM  project, in this case the Experts Group Meeting on NAM Reform: Privatization and Public-Private Partnership. We hope such collaboration can be continued in the years to come.

Since I am making a closing speech, I would like to talk about the establishment of NAM CSSTC a few years back. At the 11^th Summit of NAM in Cartagena in 1995, it was decided that NAM CSSTC should be established as it was recognized that the centre's activity can be a vital and effective mechanism for promoting and accelerating development in the developing countries.

NAM CSSTC has a mission to assist developing and non developing countries. It is the objective of NAM CSSTC  to enhance the collective self-reliance of NAM member countries in attaining socio-economic development and capacity to become equal partners in international relations. We are trying to gain their life bases in the international community. We are not to make big contributions but we  are trying in the best way we can.

What we see as the development of this world has indicated that there are big 'gaps' or differences  between the developed and the developing countries. The differences are in the economic power, political, military and power of technology .

We need to show concern about providing the solutions to this gap. I am not going to give a detail explanation of the gap between them but we must act on them. It is time for us to confront  that  we are weak, disorganized and poor and no capacity. What we are trying to do is to see how effective we actually can be in improving our standard and how we can catch up the developed countries.  

NAM-CSSTC has decided to carry out a project of this type by bringing in experts from NAM member countries to attain the objectives of both NAM member and non-member countries through sharing of their experiences, in this case,  in the the areas of privatisation and public-private partnership as options for economic reform. The output of this experts group meeting is going to be important. The findings will be communicated to the governing council which will meet in NAM-Summit in Kuala Lumpur next year.

We hope that the participants have gained new insights and ideas on the 'know-hows' of economic reform from this experts group meeting. We also hope that each and everyone of us here has the opportunity to meet one another and develop  networking as a mechanism for strengthening cooperation among developing countries.

Until we meet again, thank you very much.