One of the final documents of the conference, ending today in São Paulo, proclaims that member countries of the World Trade Organization have the responsibility to answer to development matters in their commercial negotiations. The text also pressures the United Nations system to pursue the goal of poverty reduction in half, by 2015.
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According to Argentine ambassador Alfredo Chiaradia, who currently presides the committee of members of the Global System for Trade Preferences Among Developing Countries, the third round of negotiations is not going to be limited to reduction of tariffs. He also added that the debate might advance beyond goods trade and include the service sector.
The country candidacy was presented yesterday by the country Ministry of Trade secretary, Slaheddine Makhlouf. According to the Tunisian ambassador in Brazilian capital Brasília, Hassine Bouzid, the next conference, in 2008, should be organized in an African nation.
This information was provided to ANBA by ambassador Naela Gabr, country permanent representative in Geneva. She also pointed out the importance of the G-20 for developing countries, which for the first time managed to have an influence on the World Trade Organization (WTO).
According to the president, an important step has already been taken with the signing of a free trade agreement with the Andean Community. In a speech to the participants of the Civil Society Forum, he defended "a new, complementary relationship" between the developing countries.
The Brazilian president especially wants modifications in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for calculations on public spending. The changes would allow allocation of more resources toward investments. "It is a good fight," he said. UN secretary general Kofi Annan added that it is necessary to think of "creative" ways to finance development.
At the opening of the 11th Unctad in São Paulo, the Brazilian president criticized the "erroneous recipes" that have underestimated the role of public investments over the last years, and said that commerce, in itself, will not bring development. The secretary general of the UN, Kofi Annan, criticized the "incoherence" of developed nations who preach formulas, but do not follow them.
The special envoy from the Kingdom of Bahrain, sheikh Salman Bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, stated that cooperation and partnership is the best route for developing countries to grow. Yesterday (14), the Moroccan minister of Foreign Trade called the representatives of other countries present at the Unctad to find solutions for poor countries to solve their debts. Apart from these two, another representative from Arab countries, the Kuwaiti minister of Industry and Trade, spoke on the first day of debat
According to the Brazilian president, his idea is to found an organ for formulation of policies for funding development. He suggested the institution be named after the economist Celso Furtado, to whom prestige was given today at the 11th Unctad.
Alexandre Rocha São Paulo – Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations (UN), said this morning (14), at the opening of the 11th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) in São Paulo, Brazil, that developing nations must take advantage of trade opportunities presented among themselves. "The new round of multilateral talks that
São Paulo mayor Marta Suplicy participated in the opening ceremony for the UN conference. Governor Geraldo Alckmin said the city and state of São Paulo are fertile soil for the debate of ideas.
Geovana Pagel São Paulo – Negotiations referring to the free trade accord between the Mercosur and the European Union did not finish on Sunday (13), as had been hoped, because the blocs did not manage to reach an accord. Foreign relations minister Celso Amorim stated that talks about the matter will be maintained for another
Ministers from the group met yesterday in São Paulo. Today, representatives from Brazil and India, two members of the entity, will meet with authorities from the United States, Australia and the European Union. “We will try to guarantee a good spectacle,” joked Celso Amorim, Brazilian chancellor, who believes in advancements in negotiations regarding agricultural protectionism.
