Introduction

In the present era of mutual understanding and International Cooperation the staggering poverty of millions of people inhabiting world’s developing countries had aroused the conscience of the whole world. The proof of this is the birth and growth of many International financial organisations and other International bodies under the United Nations Organisation.

In July 1962, the Cairo conference of the developing countries on the problems of economic development passed the “Cairo Declaration on Developing Countries” calling for the convening of the United Nations Conference on trade and Development i.e. UNCTAD. The United Nations Economic and social council agreed to convene such a conference-the first UNCTAD- and passed resolution on August 3, 1962, which was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly. The historic decision of the United Nations General Assembly to name 1960-69 as a “development decade” was a further recognition of the deep world-wrote concern with the urgent necessity of raising the luring standards of the people of the developing countries. UNCTAD was established as a permanent organ of the U.N. General Assembly.

Function

The main purpose of creating the UNCTAD was to promote speedy development of the underdeveloped countries (UDC’s) by solving the problems of the sluggish expansion of their export trade deficits in the external BOB and excessive burden of foreign debt.

The principal functions of UNCTAD are-

• To promote International trade especially with a view to accelerating the economic development of UDC’s particularly trade between the countries with different economic and social organisation.

• To make proposals for putting the said principles and policies into effect.

• To formulate the principles and policies of International trade and related problems of economic development.

• To review and facilitate the coordination of activities of other institutions within the United Nations System in the field of International trade and related problems of economic development.

• To be available as a centre for harmonising the trade related development policies of governments and regional economic grouping.

UNCTAD I

The first UNCTAD which was held in Geneva in 1964 and was attended by delegates from 120 countries. The important principles laid down and accepted by the conference were-

• Economic development and social progress should be the common concern of the whole International

Community.

• National and International economic policies should be directed towards the attainment of consistency with the needs and interest of the developing countries in particular and the world as a whole in general.

• Developed countries should extend new preferential concessions both tariff and non-tariff to developing countries. They should reduce restrictions on trade that hinder the trade of the UDC’s and should extend the market for the products of developing countries.

• Assistance and aid from the developing countries should not be subject to political consideration. The first UNCTAD succeeded in solving the interest in developed countries regarding the problems of the developing countries but even then actual performance was not very encouraging.

UNCTAD II

The second meeting of UNCTAD took place in 1968 after the four years of first meeting which was held in 1964.

The objectives of this meeting were-

• To reevaluate the economic conditions and implications for implementation of the recommendations of UNCTAD I.

• Initiating negotiations which would ensure real progress in International cooperation for development.

In UNCTAD II developed countries realised that the reduced export earnings of developing countries would reduce their external purchasing power and importing capacity thereby reducing the export earning of developed countries. The final resolution therefore, stressed the need of an early establishment of a mutually acceptable generalised, non-reciprocal and non discriminatory countries known as generalised system of preference (GSP).

UNCTAD III

The third UNCTAD was held in Santiago in Chile (South America) in 1972 and 99 developing countries forming a group of 77 attended the conference. The only achievement of UNCTAD III was the unanimous decision to adopt special measures for the development of 25 least developed countries designated by the U.N. the “hard core” countries.

UNCTAD IV 

The fourth UNCTAD was held at Nairobi, Kenya in 1976 and was attended by more than 170 representatives from 153 countries the major results were-

• It was agreed that the integrated commodity programme should ensure stable conditions for commodity trade and development.

• It was recommended to participants at the multilateral trade negotiations in Geneva that barriers to the improvement of export trade from the development countries should be lifted or reduced.

• The world Bank and regional development institutions were invited to consider facilities which would provide export credit refinancing for the developing countries.

UNCTAD V

The fifth UNCTAD was held in Manila, Philippines in 1979 attended by about 150 representatives from members counties and International Organisations.

The results of the conference were-

• On debt problems of the developing counties the industrial countries opposed the proposal for the establishment of an Internal Debt Commission as they agreed that the existing machinery of creditor groups could be improved.

• The countries agreed on the desirability of accelerating negotiations on individual commodities.

• The resolution called for continued resistance to protectionist pressures and urge to industrial countries to reduce or eliminate quantitative restrictions on imports and to improve market access.

UNCTAD VI

The sixth UNCTAD was held in Belgrade in 1983. The main issues of the conference were-

• To lower the walls of protectionism and to expand the GSP on the part of the developed countries.

• Developing countries raised the issue of their worsening terms of made and accumulated debt.

UNCTAD VII

The seventh UNCTAD was held in Geneva in 1987. It was attended by 150 countries and International agencies. A package of proposals to solve the problem of debt of the developing countries arrest of growing trend of protectionism in International trade and improvement of economic and social conditions of LDC’s was adopted.

UNCTAD VIII

The eighth UNCTAD was held in Cartagen de Indias, Columbia in 1992 attended by 170 member countries and International Organisations. The new structure of UNCTAD was envisaged in which the conference meets every four years, the trade and development board (TDB) meets twice a year in regular session, and executive committee of the board which comprises the permanent representatives in Geneva to UNCTAD to meet periodically, special committee and groups on problems of developing countries.

UNCTAD IX

The ninth UNCTAD was held in Midrand Gauteng Province, Republic of South Africa in 1996. It was attended by representatives of 138 member states. Discussions on Globalisation, International trade as an instrument for development in the post-Uruguay round world, enterprise development and future work of UNCTAD in accordance with its mandate.

UNCTAD X

The tenth UNCTAD was held in Bangkok Thailand in 2000. In worked out the developmental strategies in an increasingly interdependent world and how to make globalisation an effective instrument for development. In the context of opportunities created by technological revolution the opening of markets and globalisation, the paramount objectives of UNCTAD have been the promotion of growth and sustainable development, the guest for equity and participation by all, trandating breedly agreed concepts into effective action and effective cooperation and coordination in dealing with global interdependence and development.

UNCTAD XI

The eleventh UNCTAD was held in SAO PAULO in June 2004. The member states of UNCTAD reached a consensus and a declaration was made called the “spirit of Sao Paulo” Negotiations on globalisation continued along with global system of trade preferences (GSTP). The declaration focussed on Integrated treatment of trade and development on the road of its 12th session in 2008.

Reference

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