January 21, 2004
The Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) XI is holding “hearings” with representatives from Member States, civil society and the private sector on 16 January and 23 February 2004. The one-day hearings are designed as vehicle for civil society and the private sector to provide input in advance of UNCTAD XI, which will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in June 2004. The UNCTAD XI Conference is UNCTAD’s highest policy-making body, and meets every four years at the ministerial level to address emerging issues in trade and development and to review the organization’s mandate
Civil Society and private sector organizations with observer status with UNCTAD and those accredited to the Conference and its preparatory process are permitted to attend the hearings. The proceedings of the hearings are to be finalized into a summary report that will be submitted to the UNCTAD XI Conference in Brazil in June.
CIEL participated in the first hearing that took place, on 16 January in Geneva, Switzerland. In a prepared statement,
CIEL attorney Stephen Porter reviewed our concerns regarding investment, the recent trend towards bilateral trade and investment agreements, and the environmental aspects of the draft text for UNCTAD XI.
Prior to the hearing, CIEL signed on to a statement from a number of groups with a presence in Geneva that was delivered to the Preparatory Committee on 17 November 2003. The statement spearheaded by Third World Network, supported UNCTAD’s work in general but at the same time outlined various concerns, including concerns with the mechanisms for civil society participation in the UNCTAD XI process.
What is UNCTAD?: Established in 1964, UNCTAD “aims at the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy. UNCTAD is the focal point within the United Nations for the integrated treatment of trade and development and the interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable development.” To learn more about UNCTAD, and about the hearings involving civil society, please see their website.