Mr. Chairman,
Mr. President,
Distinguished Representatives,

On behalf of the delegation of the People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), I would like, first all, to express thanks to the Secretariat of IFAD and the Italian government for their sincere efforts directed at the success of this meeting.

Mr. Chairman,

One of the key issues in attaining the target of the UN Millennium Development Goals (UNMDGs) is to reduce poverty by the speedy rural development on a worldwide scale.

IFAD increased greater awareness among its member states for poverty reduction in rural areas and positively inspired rural development by approving the new loan project of worth up to US$ 560 million last year.

Especially, deep attention and positive cooperation shown by the IFAD and its member states created an enabling environment for the successful 6th Replenishment of IFAD's Resources aimed at US$560 million and resulted in attainment of 90% of targeted funding.

IFAD, still showing no satisfaction of this, contributed greatly to the poverty reduction through a variety of interventions such as relief effort for the heavy-debtor countries and implementation of UN Convention on Combat Desertification while applying efficient approaches of utilizing its minimized administration budget and concentrating its assistance to the priority sectors and areas.

Mr. Chairman,

The worldwide effort to facilitate rural development and poverty reduction puts in demand to raise higher sense of responsibility and greater role of each member state.

In our country, under the wise leadership of the Respected Kim Jong Il, nationwide effort is made to effect a leap-forward in potato farming and extensively develop double cropping with seed revolution as a key in agriculture.

As part of efforts to strengthen material and technical foundations in rural areas, lands of the whole country are being realigned in a standardized way and large-scale gravity-fed waterway projects are conducted in full swing.

Efforts are also applied to constantly improve management approaches for the rural economy as required by changed situation and various measures are taken to decisively increase the agricultural output by giving the farmers greater incentives for production.

IFAD projects are making differences in the DPRK and this contributes to improving the farmer's life in targeted areas leading to increased agricultural output as a whole.

On this occasion, I, in the name of the DPKR delegation, express thanks to IFAD and other international organizations as well as donor countries who are providing sincere assistance to the agricultural sector in the DPRK.

Mr. Chairman,

Humankind still faces a grave disparity between the rich and the poor due to the negative impact of globalization, decreased grain output caused by abnormal climate change and natural disasters, all sorts of wards and disputes, heavy debt and spread of diseases, unilateral pursuit of its own interests in the international economic and trade relations; all these still remain great obstacles to the world effort to alleviate poverty.

The DPRK delegation would like to refer to some issues arising in attainting the UNMDGs for poverty reduction all over the world.

First, we consider it important for each member state to develop proper agricultural policy and rural development strategy in keeping with its actual conditions and increase government investment in these areas.

Under the circumstances where the majority of the poor are populated in the rural areas, it is considered advisable to direct primary attention to the increase in farmer's income in these areas and concentrates international development assistance to such areas.

What we consider important next is to increase the agricultural productivity worldwide and ensure enabling social and economic conditions for poverty reduction.

To this end, fair international economic relations should be established based on equality and mutual benefits. Developed countries, in particular, should take measures to reduce by a large or eliminate their agricultural subsidies to ensure sufficient flow of agricultural products of developing countries into the international market.

We also regard it necessary for each member state to keep in close touch with IFAD as it plays an important role in rural poverty reduction.

IFAD and its member states should further strengthen their mutual cooperation in efforts to seek effective development approaches to eliminating the root of rural poverty, allowing for specific conditions of individual countries.

The DPRK delegation recognizes and supports the administrative budget for 2005 submitted to the meeting by Mr. President which fully represent the demands of all member states and imply more efficient vitalization of cooperation.

The DPRK Government will, in the future, too, continue to direct great efforts to developing agriculture and rural areas and make every possible effort to further expand and develop cooperative relations with IFAD.

Finally, I expect that all participants will show sincere efforts to bring this meeting to a successful end.

Thank you.