Trade and Development Board sets stage for 20-25 April conference
UNCTAD´s governing body appointed this morning a Preparatory Committee for the UNCTAD XII conference scheduled for 20-25 April in Accra, Ghana. The open-ended committee, which is comprised of the organization´s 151 member States, is expected to meet for the first time on 15 October. The aim is for it to finish its work by mid-March, said Board President Petko Draganov of Bulgaria.
The theme of UNCTAD´s twelfth quadrennial conference is "addressing the opportunities and challenges of globalization for development." Priorities for the organization´s work will be set at the gathering, based on trends in trade and the world economy. Rapidly expanding commerce between the world´s developing countries (known as "South-South" trade), their energy supplies and energy costs, climate change, and the need to improve roads, ports and other infrastructure and to expand the productive abilities of developing countries´ economies are expected to be discussed at the global meeting.
UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpadki said the work of the Preparatory Committee over the next six months will be to ensure that UNCTAD and member States address the most pressing issues of the day and are able to promote steps to ensure that the current beneficial economic environment continues, and to ensure that it is more inclusive of all people and countries. "UNCTAD´s next four years are now in your hands, really," he said. "And as I said yesterday, there is no reason not to be ambitious in our goals."
Joe Badoe-Ansah, Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President´s Special Initiatives of Ghana, told the meeting that Ghana was fully committed to hosting a successful conference and that preparations were well-advanced and are expected to be completed on schedule. The Board then watched a short video presentation on Ghana.
The Board also adopted this morning the draft provisional agenda for UNCTAD XII. The draft calls for the conference to discuss four sub-themes: 1) enhancing coherence at all levels for sustainable economic development and poverty reduction in global policy making, including the contribution of regional approaches; 2) key trade and development issues and the new realities in the geography of world trade; 3) enhancing the enabling environment at all levels to strengthen productive capacity, trade and investment: mobilizing resources and harnessing knowledge for development; and 4) strengthening UNCTAD: enhancing its development role, impact and institutional effectiveness.
The 54th annual session of the Trade and Development Board, which opened Monday, will continue through 11 October.
