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Africa: UNCTAD IX Official Statement
Any links to other sites in this file from 1996 are not clickable,
given the difficulty in maintaining up-to-date links in old files.
However, we hope they may still provide leads for your research.
Africa: UNCTAD IX Official Statement
Date Distributed (ymd): 960626
Last year South Africa accepted the four year presidency of
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD), and agreed to host its IX international meeting. The
conference was held in Midrand, South Africa from 27 April-10
May 1996.
The Official "Midrand Declaration" agreed at the end of the
conference follows below. The longer 35-page policy statement
agreed by member states entitled "A Partnership for Growth and
Development" is available on-line at
http://www.unicc.org/unctad/en/special/u9final.htm
(note: "htm," not "html").
A statement by African NGOs at a parallel conference preceding
the meeting follows in the next posting.
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MIDRAND DECLARATION
We, the member States of the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), gathered at Midrand, South
Africa, for the ninth session of the Conference agree and
state:
UNCTAD IX was characterized by frank assessments of UNCTAD's
functioning made during the round tables of Heads of State,
Multilateral Agencies and Ministers. This inspired member
States to build a more effective organization capable of
implementing its mandate in a changing world.
In 1992, UNCTAD VIII heralded The Spirit of Cartagena, a
partnership for development. This was a clear recognition of
the need for a new approach to assisting development. Four
years later, it is clear that further vigorous initiatives are
necessary to translate that spirit into reality.
Since Cartagena, the United Nations has held important global
conferences on major economic and social themes. These have
identified changes and challenges in the global economy, and
highlighted the need for reform of the United Nations system.
In addition, the creation of the World Trade Organization
(WTO) has strengthened the rules-based trading system and
furthered the process of liberalization, opening new
opportunities for sustainable development and growth.
UNCTAD IX has responded to these changes and challenges by
initiating important reforms designed to give new and real
meaning to the partnership for development.
Globalization
Our economies continue to be unified by flows of trade,
finance, information and technological change. This increased
interdependence is a powerful impetus to liberalization of
these flows. Competitive pressure on all economies has
increased, and market forces play a pivotal role. The rules-
based system of the WTO will facilitate positive integration
of countries into the global trading system if the commitment
to this objective is strengthened.
However, we must recognize that countries enter this system
from very different starting points. Accordingly, the impact
of globalization and liberalization is uneven. There are
notable developing country successes where domestic reforms
have provided increased dynamism to international trade and
investment. Yet there remain problems of access to markets,
capital and technology, and many grapple with the
institutional transformation necessary for meaningful
integration into the world economy.
The least developed countries (LDCs), particularly those in
Africa, and other developing countries remain constrained by
weak supply capabilities and are unable to benefit from trade.
Marginalization, both among and within countries, has been
exacerbated. Too many people continue to live in dire
poverty. As we near a new millennium this is an intolerable
situation.
It is in the interest of all countries that a mutually
beneficial multilateral trading system continues to develop.
This requires the recognition of differential impacts on
countries and the solidarity necessary to ensure that all will
benefit - a true partnership for development.
Partnerships
The partnership for development must be based upon a clear
definition of roles, the establishment of common objectives
and development of joint action. In practical terms this
means:
(i) Strengthening intergovernmental cooperation between
developed and developing countries;
(ii) Cooperation between developing countries should be
enhanced with special attention to LDCs;
(iii) More effective coordination and complementarity of
multilateral institutions;
(iv) The mobilization of human and material resources towards
development through dialogue and common action between
Governments and civil society;
(v)Partnerships between the public and private sector to
achieve higher growth rates and greater development.
UNCTAD's work
UNCTAD's mandate remains relevant as the focal point for
dealing with trade and related issues of development. It must
build upon its comparative advantage and offer support
appropriate to the needs of developing countries to ensure
that they participate in the world economy on a more equitable
basis.
UNCTAD's policy research and analytical work must illuminate
the changes in the global economy as they relate to trade,
investment, technology, services and development. Such work
must facilitate policy formulation within member States as
they strive for development. It must lead to constructive
policy dialogue among member States to enhance benefits of
trade. It must respond to different and changing
developmental needs in the ongoing process of integration in
the global economy.
Policy formulation assistance requires appropriate technical
support and co-operation in order to achieve concrete results.
It is essential that special attention is paid to creating an
overall enabling environment at a policy and institutional
level for the LDCs.
In enhancing technical cooperation, UNCTAD will strengthen its
cooperation and coordination with WTO and other multilateral
institutions. Developing countries themselves are
increasingly contributing to technical cooperation.
Member States must also be supported as they build transparent
and accountable governance and administration in all sectors
of society. This enhances trade and investment.
Institutional reform of UNCTAD
The comprehensive United Nations reform process is designed to
refocus and reinvigorate international cooperation for peace
and development. UNCTAD IX and the Secretary-General of
UNCTAD have made a significant contribution to this process
through the comprehensive changes that have been adopted.
These changes support the more focused work of UNCTAD through
streamlining the intergovernmental machinery, improving the
method and quality of expert input and focusing and
integrating the secretariat's working methods. The results of
these changes must be outputs that respond to the needs and
demands of the member States.
In a rapidly changing environment it is essential to maintain
the relevance of an organization's work. This can only be
done through improved accountability based on assessment,
review and transparency of operation. The UNCTAD Trade and
Development Board must perform this oversight role.
To build on the political commitment of member States to the
process initiated at this Conference and ensure its
implementation, the President of UNCTAD IX should consider
convening a special high-level review meeting two years prior
to UNCTAD X.
Partnership initiatives
The Secretary-General of UNCTAD will convene a meeting with
actors in development to advise him on how to enhance the
participation of civil society in UNCTAD to build a lasting
partnership for development between non-governmental actors
and UNCTAD.
South Africa, as President of UNCTAD IX, in consultation with
its regional partners and the Secretary-General of UNCTAD,
will host a workshop on the partnership between the public and
private sectors in mobilizing resources for development. The
focus will be on the role of this partnership for LDCs and how
other developing countries can work together with LDCs. South
Africa will request the Asian Group and the Latin American and
Caribbean Group to share their experience in this regard. It
is appropriate that such a workshop take place in Africa,
where the majority of LDCs are located.
South Africa to Thailand
At no time in world history has the destiny of all its many
different peoples been so intertwined. This must lead to
solidarity in action to eradicate poverty. It has been
correctly stated in this Conference that no one can do for us
what we will not do for ourselves. Our challenge is to ensure
that all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the
right to development as an integral part of fundamental human
rights, are promoted and protected.
Starting in South Africa - a country which chose a path of
rejuvenation and hope - UNCTAD will traverse four years to
Thailand - a country where significant progress has been
achieved. When we reflect back on this path in the year 2000,
may it be in the knowledge that our solidarity has improved
the lives of people.
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This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary
objective is to widen the policy debate in the United States
around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa, by
concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and
individuals. APIC is affiliated with the Washington Office on
Africa (WOA), a not-for-profit church, trade union and civil
rights group supported organization that works with Congress
on Africa-related legislation.
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