UNCTAD (UNITED NATIONS

CONFERENCE ON TRADE
AND DEVELOPMENT) 1964

PRESENTED BY:
RAJAT SRIVASTAVA

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 Organisation of UNCTAD

 It is established as a permanent organ of General Assembly of the

United Nation.
 It has a permanent organ called “Trade and Development Board” as
the main executive body.
 The plenary session of the Conference meets twice annually which is
composed of 55 members, elected by the conference from among its
members on the basis of equitable geographical distribution.

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 Trade and
Development Board

The Committee on
The Committee on The Committee on The Committee on Invisible Items and
Commodities Manufactures Shipping Financing related to
Trade

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 Main functions of UNCTAD

 To promote international trade all over the world-between developed

and developing countries with different socio-economic system.

 To formulate principles and policies on international trade and related

problems of economic development.

 To make proposal for putting the said principles and policies into
effect.

 To review and facilitate the co-ordination of activities of the other

institutions within the U.N. system in the field of international trade.

 To be available as a centre for harmonious trade and related

documents in the development policies of governments.

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 THE FUNCTIONING

WTO
WTO
UNCTAD
UNCTAD
 No links with the UN machinery
 No links with the UN machinery
 Permanent governmental bodies  Intergovernmental machinery linked
 Intergovernmental machinery linked
toPermanent governmental bodies

monitor the implementation of to UN General Assembly.
to monitor the
the trade rules implementation of to UN General Assembly.
the trade rules Secretariat
Secretariatpart
partofofthe
theUN
UNSecretariat

 Secretariat
 Negotiating governmental bodies (part of same budget)
 Negotiating governmental bodies (part of same budget)
 Development-oriented and
 Development-oriented and
 Neutral Secretariat independent secretariat
 Neutral Secretariat independent secretariat
 Political role (“soft law”)
Accession Political role (“soft law”)
Accessionhas
hastotobe
benegotiated
 
 negotiated Automatic
Automaticmembership

 membership

 Limited
Limitedrole
roleofofnon-governmental
non-governmental
 Wide participation of non-
stakeholders  Wide participation of non-
stakeholders governmental stakeholders
governmental stakeholders

5
 THE IDEAS ON DEVELOPMENT

UNCTAD
UNCTAD
WTO
WTO  Trade isisone ofofthe instruments
 Trade one the
leading to development…instruments
leading to development…
 Same trade disciplines for all
 Same trade disciplines for all
but…
but…
 …but no automatic links between
 …butliberalisation,
trade no automaticpoverty
links between
trade liberalisation,
reduction, and poverty
development
 …Special treatment for reduction, and development
 …Special treatment
developing countries for
developing countries  Multidimensional links between
 Multidimensional
trade and links
development between
 The “Doha Development trade and development
 The “Doha
Round” Development
launched in 2001
Round” launched in 2001  Special and differential treatment
 Special and differential treatment
is key for all developing countries
 Trade liberalisation and is key for all developing countries
 Trade liberalisation
implementation of andrules
trade
implementation
lead to of trade rules
development  No “one size-fits-all” development
lead to development  No “one size-fits-all” development
models
models

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OVERVIEW OF MAIN ACTIVITIES
 Trade and commodities

 Commodity diversification and development: Promotes the diversification of production and

trade structures. Helps Governments to formulate and implement diversification policies and
encourages enterprises to adapt their business strategies and become more competitive in the
world market.

 Competition and consumer policies: Provides analysis and capacity building in competition
and consumer protection laws and policies in developing countries. Publishes regular updates of
a Model Law on Competition.

 Trade Negotiations and Commercial Diplomacy : Assists developing countries in all aspects of
their trade negotiations.

 Trade Analysis and Information System (TRAINS): Comprehensive computer-based

information system on trade control measures that uses UNCTAD’s database. The CD-ROM
version includes 119 countries.

 Trade and environment: Assesses the trade and development impact of environmental
requirements and relevant multilateral agreements and provides capacity-building activities to
help developing countries participate in and derive benefits from international negotiations on
these matters.

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Cont….
 Investment and enterprise development
 International investment and technology arrangements: Helps developing
countries to participate more actively in international investment rule making at the
bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. These arrangements include the
organization of capacity-building seminars and regional symposia and the preparation
of a series of issues papers.

 Investment Policy Reviews: Intended to familiarize Governments and the private

sector with the investment environment and policies of a given country. Reviews have
been carried out in a number of countries, including Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Mauritius, Peru, Uganda and Uzbekistan.

 Investment guides and capacity building for the LDCs: Some of the countries
involved are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique and Uganda.

 Empretec: Promotes entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium-

sized enterprises. Empretec programmes have been initiated in 27 countries,
assisting more than 70,000 entrepreneurs through local market-driven business
support centers.

 Macroeconomic policies, debt and development financing

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Cont…
 Technology and Logistics

 ASYCUDA programme: Integrated customs system that speeds up customs

clearance procedures and helps Governments to reform and modernize their customs
procedures and management. Installed in over 80 countries, ASYCUDA has become
the internationally accepted standard for customs automation.

 ACIS programme: Computerized cargo tracking system installed in 20 developing

countries of Africa and Asia.

 E-Tourism Initiative: Linking sustainable tourism and Information and

communication technologies (ICTs) for development, UNCTAD has developed this
Initiative to help developing countries' destinations to become more autonomous by
taking charge of their own tourism promotion by using ICT tools.

 Technology: Services the UN Commission on Science and Technology for

Development and administers the Science and Technology for Development
Network; carries out case studies on best practices in transfer of technology;
undertakes Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Reviews for interested
countries, as well as capacity-building activities.

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Cont…
 Africa, least developing developed countries, landlocked developing
countries & small island States

 Africa: Provides analytical work aimed at increasing the understanding of problems

faced by African countries in their development efforts, and facilitating a better
integration of Africa into the world economy. Particular emphasis is placed on
supporting the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

 Least developed countries (LDCs): Provides analytical work and technical assistance
aimed at enabling relevant States to make the best possible use of LDC status in the
framework of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the
Decade 2001-2010, and to better understand the policy-related issues that are specially
relevant to LDCs

 Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs): Provides analytical work and technical

assistance to LLDCs in support of the implementation of the 2003 Almaty Programme of
Action, which deals with the special needs of LLDCs within a new global framework for
transit transport cooperation for landlocked and transit developing countries.

 Small island developing States (SIDS): Provides analytical work and technical
assistance to SIDS in support of the implementation of the 2005 Mauritius Strategy for
the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States, with particular emphasis on issues of
economic vulnerability and specialization.

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UNCTAD I 1964 GENEVA

 To adopt a new international division of

labour and make the external sector
conductive to the developing countries.
 To improve invisible trade of developing
countries through development of shipping,
tourism, etc.
 Each developed countries contributes 1% of
their income to the developing countries.

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UNCTAD II 1968 NEW DELHI

 To reappraise the economic situation and its

implenting the recommendation of unctad I.
 Problems and measures of economic
integration and trade and development
among developing countries.
 Special measures for economic and social
upliftment of the last developed among the
developing nations.

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UNCTAD III 1972 SANTIAGO

 Changes in shipping freight (i.e. 1/3 of total

deficit in the balance of payment of L.D.C’s
was due to high shipping freights.
 Promotion to world trade
 New structure of world shipping in which the
merchant marine of developing countries
play an increasing and substantial role.

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UNCTAD IV 1976 NAIROBI

 Helping the poor countries by the developed

countries.
 Some kind of taxes may be disposed by the
advanced nations to raise funds.

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UNCTAD V 1979 MANILA

 150 member countries were participated in

this conference.
 No concrete resolution were passed but
having some future consideration on
monetary reforms.

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UNCTAD 1983 BELGRADE

 Attainment of new international economic

order.
 Monetary issues such as adequacy of fund
resources, conditionality etc were discussed.
 Developed countries insisted on
Liberalizations of trade policies by the
developing nations

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UNCTAD VII 1987 GENEVA

 The developed countries express their desire

to provide debt relief to the poor countries.

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UNCTAD VIII 1992 COLOMBIA

 170 member countries agreed on board

features of revitalising UNCTAD and to make
it more effective in dealing with development
related issues.
 It has agreed to create Trade and
Development Board (TDB).
 Establishment of five ad hoc (created for a
particular purpose only) group to support the
committee & TDB.
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UNCTAD IX 1996 MIDRAND

 UNCTAD IX met at Midrand in South Africa in

1996 in which it discussed issues pertaining
to WTO, sustainable development and debt
relief to developing nations.

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UNCTAD X 2000 BANGKOK(THAILAND)

 the effective integration of all countries in the international trading

system;
 improving supply capabilities;
 overcoming the debt problem;
 strengthening the commitment to social development;
 ensuring women´s political, economic and social participation;
 generating adequate financial flows for development;
 undertaking institutional reforms;
 reducing financial volatility;
 focusing on central problems of acute poverty and growing
inequality within and among nations; and,
 supporting knowledge-based development as a necessary
element for effective participation of developing countries in the
world economy.

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UNCTAD XI 2004 SAU PAULO, BRAZIL

 the effective integration of all countries in the

international trading system;
 improving supply capabilities;
 overcoming the debt problem;
 strengthening the commitment to social development;
 ensuring women´s political, economic and social
participation;
 generating adequate financial flows for development;
 undertaking institutional reforms;
 reducing financial volatility;
 focusing on central problems of acute poverty and
growing inequality within and among nations

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Unctad XII 2008 ACCRA, GHANA

 Food prices increases

 Diversification and value added
 Increasing the level of investment in technology and
infrastructure
 Equitable distribution of rents:
 Harnessing development gains from windfall incomes
 Human resource development:
 Ensuring a stable macroeconomic framework
 Food safety and health standards
 Food safety and health standards

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NIEO (NEW INTERNATIONAL
ECONOMIC ORDER)
 At the Sixth Special Sessions of the United Nations
General in 1975, a declaration was made for the
establishment of a NIEO.
 NIEO is based on “equity, sovereign equality,
common interest and cooperation among all States,
irrespective of their social and economic systems.
 NIEO aims at a development of the global economy
as a whole, with the set up of inter-related policies
and performance targets of the international
community at large.

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TENETS OF NIEO
 Developing countries must be entitled to regulate and control the
activities of multinational corporations operating within their territory.

 They must be free to nationalize or expropriate foreign property on

conditions favourable to them.

 They must be free to set up associations of primary commodities

producers similar to the OPEC; all other States must recognize this
right and refrain from taking economic, military, or political
measures calculated to restrict it.

 International trade should be based on the need to ensure stable,

equitable, and remunerative prices for raw materials, generalized
non-reciprocal and non-discriminatory tariff preferences, as well as
transfer of technology to developing countries; and should provide
economic and technical assistance without any strings attached.

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OBJECTIVES OF NIEO

 NIEO aims at social justice among the trading

countries of the world.
 It suggests more equitable allocation of world’s
resources through increased flow of aid from the
rich & poor in the world at large.
 Its aim is to provide poor nations increased
participation an have their say in the decision
making process in international affairs.
 It intends to deal with the major problems of the
South, such as balance of payment disequilibrium,
debt crisis, exchange scarcity etc.

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ADVANTAGES OF UNCTAD

 Training material is disseminated more efficiently.

 The programme provides universities and accounting institutions
in developing countries with access to material and training in a
cost-effective way.
 The programme allows students and professionals to learn on
their own time, in their own place, at their own pace.
 Study materials and lessons are accessible in PDF format for
online study. Participants can learn independently or with offline
instructional support.
 The programme can reach remote locations in instances where
the instructor cannot travel. This way, course participants, policy
makers and company managers can be reached in developing
countries.

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 SOME NUMBERS

 UNCTAD secretariat: 400 staff

 Annual Regular budget: US $ 57 million
 Extra-budgetary funds: US$ 35 million (2005)
 No field offices

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 Main UNCTAD publications

Annual analytical reports:

- Trade and Development Report
- World Investment Report
- LDCs Report
- Information Economy Report
- Report on Africa

…. and many other publications

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 QUESTIONS??????

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 THANK YOU

05/OCT/2010 UNCTAD