UNCTAD celebrates 50th anniversary
By Anna Bernardo
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) commemorated its 50th anniversary with a week of public celebration events on 16-20 June 2014 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Fifty years ago, UNCTAD convened its first historic meeting in 1964 in Geneva, “to address inequalities in a global trading system that left newly independent nations and those of the global south at a disadvantage to the rich, industrialized countries”.
It was within this first UNCTAD session that a group of developing countries gathered and issued their Declaration of 77 Countries on 15 June 1964, and thus gave birth to the G77. UNCTAD and the G77 were thus linked at birth.
The 50th year celebrations began on 16 June. At the opening session, the impact of UNCTAD, its present contribution to trade and development, and the way forward were discussed. UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi in his statement said that that the world we live in is more complex, with global problems needing global solutions. Like predecessors in UNCTAD I, he asked whether the structures of global economic governance are really fit for purpose, and also questioned how we can build a truly multilateral system that effectively provides global public goods.
Kituyi also relayed an essential message in his speech when he mentioned that “the establishment of UNCTAD signalled an important move beyond the principles that regulated the Bretton Woods institutions and the GATT, when it was agreed that: “Economic development and social progress should be the common concern of the whole international community, and should, by increasing economic prosperity and well-being, help strengthen peaceful relations and cooperation among nations.” Since then, the entire United Nations family has built on this vision”.
A new book, UNCTAD at 50: A Short History, authored by Oxford University economic historian Prof. John Toye, was presented at the opening session. The session was also honoured with the presence of three UNCTAD veterans representing three continents who were present during the early days of UNCTAD.
A round table discussion on the challenges ahead, named in honour of UNCTAD’s founding Secretary-General, Raúl Prebisch, followed. Speakers included development experts Jose Antonio Ocampo, former UN Undersecretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Jayati Ghosh, Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Jan Pronk, former Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD. They called for the need for a strong UNCTAD to address development challenges.
On 17 June, the 28th Special Session of the Trade and Development Board (TDB) of UNCTAD was held. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed UNCTAD’s contribution to the UN’s development work as “vital”. He also held that UNCTAD has a vital role to play in helping to deliver the post-2015 agenda. In order to achieve sustainable development, he called to strengthen multilateral cooperation and global partnerships. The Vice President of the Swiss Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga, and Member States of UNCTAD also addressed the special session of the TDB.
On 18 June, the Third Geneva Dialogue explored trade as a means of implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Various stakeholders actively participated in the event including Member States, international organizations, and representatives of civil society.
Also on June 18, the G77 and China held a high-level anniversary event, including the launch of the Gamani Corea Forum, in honour of Gamani Corea, former UNCTAD Secretary-General and also former Chair of the Board of the South Centre, who died last year.
On 18-19 June, UNCTAD’s annual Public Symposium discussed Macroeconomic Dimensions of Inequality and From Best Policy Practices to Global Transformation. At the latter roundtable, South Centre Executive Director Martin Khor was a speaker. Former UNCTAD Secretary-Generals Supachai Panitchpakdi and Rubens Ricupero also spoke during these debates.
The last day of UNCTAD’s celebratory week, on 20 June, featured a number of special events, including on cutting the cost of remittances and a round table discussion on prospects for small island developing states.
In the words of UNCTAD Secretary-General Kituyi, these events were held “with the constructive aim of leveraging our successes and learning from our missteps, so that we can together chart a course for a worthwhile and fruitful future.”
Anna Bernardo is Editorial Assistant of the South Centre.
