Twelfth Session Of The United National Conference On Trade And Development (UNCTAD X11), 20 - 25 April 2008, Accra, Ghana
1. The Twelfth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XII) which was held on the 20 - 25th April 2008 was attended by the SACU Executive Secretary, Ms Tswelopele Moremi and the SACU Secretariat Deputy director Trade Negotiations, Mr. Rolf Otto. The UNCTAD Conference is an annual meeting attended by Heads of States, Heads of Civil Service Organisations, the Private Sector and Civil Society. The Conference primary aim is to discuss and resolve development and trade related issues.
2. Against the backdrop of surging food prices and global economic uncertainties, UNCTAD XII ended its week-long ministerial meeting on Friday 25 April 2008 with the adoption of comprehensive conclusions aimed at reinforcing international efforts to extend gains from globalization to the millions currently being left behind.
3. UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi hailed the Accra Accord and its accompanying political declaration for embodying the shared commitment of the developing and developed world "to work towards making globalization a powerful means to achieve poverty eradication". Quoting Ghanaian President John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, whose country hosted the conference, Dr. Supachai referred to a new mood of "development solidarity" around the objective of narrowing gaps between countries and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which include halving extreme poverty by 2015.
4. Speaking at the end of the twelfth ministerial session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Dr. Supachai also vowed to strengthen the organization`s work on commodities, including agriculture, in the face of the crisis provoked by surging prices for basic food items. He said the organization had an important role to play in promoting policies that bolster agricultural sectors in developing countries. These include increased aid, investment and technology transfers. It could also highlight market distortions and back policies that lead to higher incomes for small producers. This was part of a UN-wide drive to cope with the short, medium and long-term aspects of the food crisis, Dr. Supachai said.
5. The Accra Accord and declaration were adopted by consensus by UNCTAD`s 193 member states, reflecting the views of the organization`s developing and developed countries, which meet every four years at ministerial level. The conference conclusions address pressing economic, trade and development issues as well as set UNCTAD`s four-year work programme. The conclusions highlighted the challenges facing many developing countries as they strive to integrate successfully into the international economic and financial system and set out a detailed agenda for progress in economic and social development spanning areas ranging from commodities, trade and debt to investment and new technologies.
6. While welcoming the strong economic growth rates that global trade and investment flows have brought many in the developing world, UNCTAD XII cautioned that these advances have not been shared by all and have been accompanied by new difficulties, most notably the current crises in food prices and financial markets, as well as growing income inequalities.
7. Moreover, it called for UNCTAD`s role to be strengthened, including through work on the trade and development aspects of such key emerging issues as climate change, energy security and international migration. Reflecting concern about the development risks posed by surging food prices, particularly for the world`s poorest, the conference conclusions asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to reinforce UNCTAD`s commodities work and put it under the direct responsibility of Dr. Supachai.
8. Earlier in the week, Mr. Ban announced the creation of a UN system-wide task force to address the food crisis. The most immediate tasks for UN agencies such as the World Food Programme and UNICEF is to provide emergency relief. UNCTAD`s contribution will primarily be in medium and long-term measure to avoid the recurrence of such crises by bolstering the agriculture sectors of developing countries and rebuilding their capacity to supply their own and international markets.
9. The Accra Accord emphasized the urgency of meeting the needs of least developed countries, many of which are in Africa, the host continent of UNCTAD XII. "Nearly half of all (African) countries have not been lifted sufficiently by the recent economic recovery, although they have made efforts to face the challenges of globalization. Their growth rate did not increase in the period 2000-2006 as compared with 1995-2000, or else it remained below 3 per cent," the Accord said.
10. To this end, UNCTAD XII underscored the importance of diversifying economies away from dependence on one or two commodities, building the capacity to produce a wide range of goods, ensuring access to basic services and strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks and institutions. The Accord also said that the policies should be tailored to needs of individual countries, while at the same time respecting international law, stating that "there is no one precise model for improved, growth-enhancing governance and institutions".
11. At the same time, the conference stressed the immense potential created by growing trade and investment links within the developing world, spurred by the emergence of dynamic developing economies, such as China, India and Brazil. It called for such ties to be encouraged and reinforced, particularly through regional integration and the reduction of barriers to such South-South trade. These include practical matters, such as export finance and transport infrastructure, which traditionally have been geared much more towards North-South trade.
12. At a time of economic slowdown in developed countries, UNCTAD XII signalled the increasingly prominent role that developing countries can play in fostering global economic stability.
13. In addition to negotiations on the final Accra Accord, UNCTAD XII featured a host of lively roundtable debates, cultural events and participants ranging from heads of government to non-governmental organizations and African artists.
14. Among the highlights were the World Investment Forum, which brought together government, corporate leaders and international experts to consider how to enhance the impact of foreign direct investment on economic development and poverty reduction. Attendees were cautiously upbeat about the near-term prospects for international investment flows and their contribution to the development process.
15. The conference also included the first UNCTAD Women in Business Award, part of a wider drive to emphasize the role played by women in economic development, and the launch of a multi-agency report on the Creative Economy, which offers the potential for developing countries to tap unused creative resources. A Creative Africa initiative showcased the continent´s cultural and artistic talents.
Source: UNCTAD website.