4:53 AM Dec 18, 1995

UNCTAD MACHINERY TO BE STREAMLINED

Geneva 16 Dec (Chakravarthi Raghavan) -- A streamlining of the intergovernmental machinery of UN Conference on Trade and Development has been recommended by the Trade and Development which undertook a review of the functioning of the organization since UNCTAD-VIII held at Cartagena in 1992.

The recommendations of the Board, adopted Friday at end of a week-long special session, is to go before the Ninth Session of the Conference to be held in South Africa from 27 April to 11 May, 1996.

The final decision on restructuring is to be determined in the light of decisions taken on the substantive programmes at UNCTAD-IX.

The Board is to meet in a special session in February/March year to prepare for substantive questions on the agenda of UNCTAD-IX. There will be an Executive Session on 17 February to kick off the substantive preparations, with a Committee of the Whole of the Board meeting from 20-23 February, 4-8 and 18-21 March. A final executive session is set for 22 March.

Among other things, the recommendations call for a single annual session of the Board, with a possible high-level segment to deal with interdependence and global economic issues, fewer subordinate bodies, with shorter sessions but greater delegated authority.

Besides the single annual Board session, to meet for ten working days, there would also be three one-day executive sessions to deal with policy, management and institutional matters and urgent questions.

The subordinate bodies, Commissions, are to perform integrated policy work on a whole range of UNCTAD programmes in their respective areas of competence, with sessions not to exceed five days, but with greater delegation of decision-making on matters of substance. The Commissions could convene expert meetings, for no more than three days, on technical issues.

The recommendations adopted by consensus at the end of a week-long negotiations at the special session of the Board, was based on a draft paper put forward by the Board President, Amb. William Rossier of Switzerland.

While the recommendations reaffirmed UNCTAD's role, within UN, in the whole range of trade and development and the general validity of the direction taken, the future direction of UNCTAD appears to depend on the substantive decisions at UNCTAD-IX, and how these will be carried out in practice by the restructuring and combining of programs under fewer subordinate bodies, Commissions of the Board, and the possible restructuring of the secretariat to service and direct these programs.

At the final plenary Friday evening, India's Dilip Sinha (speaking for the Asian group) and Alaa Youssef of Egypt (for the African group) underlined that they had joined the consensus in a spirit of compromise and hoped that their flexibility would be reciprocated by other regional groups.

Sinha, in addition, added that the discussions at the annual regular session of the Board should take into account the annual UNCTAD Trade and Development Report (TDR).

The TDR over the years has provided an alternative macro-economic policy analysis and overview of development issues, which the major industrial nations and the dominant orthodox neo-liberal ideologues ensconced in the institutions controlled by the North (IMF, World Bank, OECD, EU Commission etc) have been finding uncomfortable, particularly when and their own attempts to project an optimistic outlook to show their policies are working have constantly been disproved.

In its recommendation, the Board said as the principal organ of the UN General Assembly in the field of trade and development, UNCTAD provides the "most appropriate focal point" within the UN proper, "for the integrated treatment of development and inter-related issues in key areas including trade, finance, investment, services, technology and sustainable development, in the interest of all countries, particularly the developing countries."

In the four years since UNCTAD-VIII, the implementation of the Cartagena Commitment had confirmed the general validity of the direction taken, but there was "scope to revitalize and remodel" the UNCTAD intergovernmental machinery "to make it more responsive to the needs of a rapidly changing world economy".

UNCTAD's fundamental mandate was comprehensive and allowed for such revitalization.

But in view of the resource constraints, it was essential to establish clear priorities and to construct the intergovernmental machinery around them. Consequently for the efficient and transparent conduct of business, the Board recommended guidelines for the restructuring of the intergovernmental machinery:

These call for greater coherence and simplicity in the structures, functions and reporting lines, with clearly defined roles and functions assigned to each body, with a clear distinction between policy decision-making and expert technical work.

The UNCTAD work programme should be strengthened through improved transparency and supervision of the budget and programme of work and technical cooperation activities, with measures taken to ensure effective followup and evaluation of actions agreed upon. The guidelines also call for greater attention to the handling of cross-sectoral issues with implications across UNCTAD's work programmes, including within the secretariat.

Other guidelines include:

* better use of expert meetings of shorter durations on technical issues, technical matters to be discussed at expert level and reported to the parent body for transmission to the Board;

* better regulation of calendar of meetings to reduce overall number of meetings, avoiding simultaneous and back-to-back meetings -- with more time for adequate preparation and coordination by delegates;

* enhancing the cooperation and participation of NGOs and the business/private sector, to adapt UNCTAD gradually to more market-oriented global economy;

* special consideration, including the financing, for improving participation of developing county experts.

The UNCTAD Secretary-General is also encouraged to strengthen cooperation and coordination with other international organizations working in related areas such as WTO and ITC.

The Board said for improving the efficient functioning of the machinery, an existing work programme could be moved from one body to another, or by retaining an existing body but modifying its programme.