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Who We Are ?. UNCTAD promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy E nsuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development.
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WhoWeAre? • UNCTAD promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy • Ensuringthat domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development
It functions as a forum for intergovernmental deliberations, supported by discussions with experts and exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus building • It undertakes research, policy analysis and data collection for the debates of government representatives and experts.
It provides technical assistance tailored to the specific requirements of developing countries, with special attention to the needs of the least developed countries and of economies in transition • UNCTAD cooperates with other organizations and donor countries in the delivery of technical assistance
In performing its functions, the secretariat works together with member Governmentsand interacts with organizations of the United Nations system and regional commissions, as well as with governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, including trade and industry associations, research institutes and universities worldwide
WhatWe Do? MainGoals • To work as a laboratory of ideas and to provide on-the-ground assistance to help developing countries raise living standards through trade, investment, finance and technology • To help developing countries benefit from the globalized economy
Activities GlobalizationandDevelopmentStrategies • Identify broad trends and prospects in the world economy, such as the recent rise in "South-South" trade • Identify solutions to the economic development challenges of African countries
Analyse the effects on least developed countries of international aid and of other efforts to promote development • Help with the restructuring of developing-country debt
Activities Trade in GoodsandServices • Assist developing countries in all aspects of their trade negotiations • Analyse the impact of competition laws and policies on development • Encourage the inclusion of environmental issues, such as climate change and preservation of biodiversity, in trade and development policies
Activities Commodities • Examine the factors influencing commodity markets • Help developing country efforts to achieve sustainable commodity exports • Help commodity-dependent countries diversify their economies
Activities InvestmentandEnterpriseDevelopment • Analyse trends in foreign direct investment and their impacts on development • Help countries participate in international investment agreements • Advise governments on their investment policies through investment policy reviews, guides, and training
Help with the creation and nurturing of small and medium-sized enterprises • Help countries establish and observe international standards for accounting
Activities Trade Logistics and Human Resource Development • Cooperation in Transit transport systems for landlocked and transit developing countries • Research in Maritime and Sustainable Transport • Build training networks and organize training in all areas of international trade, in particular forleast developed countries
Geneva, 1964Inresponsetodevelopingcountry (LeastDevelopedCountry, LDC) anxiety at theirworseningposition in worldtrade, theUnited Nations General Assemblyvotedfor a 'oneoff' conference. Theseearlydiscussionspavedthewayfornew IMF facilitiestoprovidefinanceforshortfalls in commodityearnings, andfortheGeneralisedPreferenceSchemeswhichincreasedaccesstoNorthernmarketsformanufacturedimportsfromthe South. At Geneva, theIdcsweresuccessful in theirproposalfortheconferencewithitsSecretariattobecome a permanent organ of the UN, withmeetingseveryfouryears.
New Delhi, 1968The New Delhi Conference, held in February and March 1968, was a forum that allowed developing countries to reach agreement on basic principles of their development policies. While the first conference was held in Geneva in 1964, the second conference in New Delhi was an opportunity for schemes to be finally approved. The conference provided a major impetus in persuading the North to follow up UNCTAD I resolutions, in establishing generalised preferences. The target for private and official flows to LDCs was raised to 1% of the North's GNP, but the developed countries failed to commit themselves to achieving the target by a specific date. This has proven a continuing point of debate at UNCTAD conferences. The conference also led to the International Sugar Agreement, which seeks to stabilise world sugar prices.
Santiago, 1972TheSantiagoConference, April 15, 1972, wasthethirdoccasion on whichthedevelopingcountrieshaveconfrontedtherichwiththeneedtousetradeandaidmeasuresmoreeffectivelytoimprovelivingstandards in thedevelopingworld. Discussioncentred on theinternationalmonetarysystem, andspecifically on theSouth'sproposalthat a higherproportion of newspecialdrawingrights (SDRs) should be allocatedtoLDCs as a form of aid (thesocalled 'link'). InSantiago, substantialdisagreementsarosewithintheGroup of 77 (G77) despitepreconferencemeetings. Therewasdisagreementbothoverthe SDR proposalandbetweenthosewithin G77 whowantedfundamentalchangessuch as a change in thevotingallocations in theSouth'sfavour at the IMF, andthose (mainlythe Latin Americancountries) whowantedmuchmilderreforms. ThisinternaldissentseriouslyweakenedtheGroup'snegotiatingposition, andledto a final agreedmotionwhichrecommendedthatthe IMF shouldexaminethe link andthatfurtherresearch be conductedinto general reforms. Thisavoidedfirmcommitmentstoact on the 'link' or general reform, andthemotionwaspassedbyconference.
Belgrade, 1983The sixth UN conference on trade and development in Belgrade, 6–30 June 1983 was held against the background of earlier UNCTADs which have substantially failed to resolve many of the disagreements between the developed and developing countries, and of a world economy in its worst recession since the early 1930s. The key issues of the time were finance and adjustment, commodity price stabilisation and trade.
