CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT GOT INTO THE BUSINESS OF DRAFTING AND STATEMENTS FROM MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS.

11:37 PM May 2, 1996

CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT GOT INTO THE BUSINESS OF DRAFTING AND STATEMENTS FROM MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS.
A committee of the Whole (COW) of the conference, chaired by Amb. William Roissier of Switzerland split itself into three drafting groups to tackle the various sections of the pre-conference negotiating text that emerged out of the Geneva process of the Trade and Development Board.

A drafting group, headed by Amb. Kesavapani of Singapore is tackling the sections of the document dealing with the cluster of issues on trade and globalization; another headed by Tanzania's Amb. Ali Mchumo is dealing with the parts dealing with investment and enterprise development and technology; a third headed by Norway's Amb. Bjorn Skogmo is tackling the portions dealing with UNCTAD's contribution to sustainable development (the work programme relating to the cluster of issues on trade and development issues).

Meanwhile, both in the plenary and ministerial round-tables, and in informal contacts and discussions with others, the United States, Britain and Canada are pushing to eliminate UNCTAD playing any role or part, even in terms of the UNCTAD-VIII and its Cartagena Declaration and Partnership for Development, whether of analysis, discussion and efforts to build a consensus, on any issue likely to come up or being brought up in the WTO.

While in informal papers given at key capitals, the US has been pushing to eliminate any such mandate and work programme, Canada promoted in the round-table on Wednesday and Thursday, the re-classification of countries and the redirection of resources in such a manner that none would be left for such activities.

The NGO Conference newsletter, "Trade Away", titled its short report on the canadian proposal under the heading "How Canada Carves Up the World".

Some Northern NGOs wondered where Canada listed "Quebec" in its classification or re-classification.

The ministers of the Least Developed Countries in a Declaration adopted here outlined their concerns and views on the effects of the globalisation and liberalisation on their fragile economies and the high costs to them of the Uruguay Round, atleast in the short-term -- in the erosion of their preference (GSP, Lome Convention and such others). The Declaration emphasized the need for international support to enable these countries to benefit from the opportunities from globalization and noted with deep concern that the bilateral donors had failed to honour their commitments on aid to LDCs. The LDC Ministers also called for a safety net for these countries and for new initiatives for full cancellation of all official bilateral and multilateral debt of the LDCs.

Meanwhile, while UNCTAD secretariat has a new initiative for greater involvement of NGOs, small and medium enterprises and TNCs in the operational activities of UNCTAD through its proposed 'Development Senate', the NGOs present here have adopted a cautious attitude. While in principle welcoming the efforts of the UNCTAD Secretary-General to involve 'civil society', the NGOs here complain about the lack of access for them at the Conference, and their concern that the NGO here, or in the future Development Senate, would not be involved in the policy-making and policy setting processes of UNCTAD.

At an encounter of senior UNCTAD officials with NGOs, the officials encountered some sharp criticism that while business, including major corporations are to be involved in 'advisory capacity at the Development Senate, the other social partners, including organisations of workers and farmers would not be.

The response of the officials, suggesting that the workers have a voice in the ILO incensed some of the NGOs, including several from the host country, South Africa, who pointed out that if the workers organisation were not to be represented at the Development Senate because they were in the ILO, the employers too should be excluded on the same ground.