The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is an inter-agency programme of the United Nations mandated to promote and develop constructive relations between the United Nations and civil society organizations.
UNCTAD XII, the 12th ministerial meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is convening in Accra, Ghana, from 20-25 April 2008. The Conference will set the organization’s mandate and work priorities for the next four years and discuss key trade and development issues under the overall theme "Addressing the opportunities and challenges of globalization for development."
In setting the context for meeting, UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi warned that "the economic and financial turmoil of recent months has given urgent new meaning to the words ’globalization’ and ’interdependence.’ Concern about the short- and long-term impact has spread far beyond stock markets and is increasingly global. The current crisis speaks volumes about the need for multilateral monitoring and intermediation in both the trade and financial arenas, since they are closely intertwined. Simply put, global stability and security require global action."
UNCTAD has a unique mandate to examine in an integrated way global trade and financial issues from a development perspective. As the Doha trade negotiations remain stalled and the current financial crisis unravels amidst fears of a global food crisis, the stakes are high for the government representatives of 193 nations and the several hundred participants from international organisations and civil society that are expected to attend the meeting. UNCTAD has developed a dynamic website for the Conference, including live webcasts of some of the key events, as well as a link to the Civil Society Forum for UNCTAD XII. This Online Focus page will also provide regular updates and features on the Conference.
Background and civil society participation
UNCTAD XII will also address four sub-themes:
• Enhancing coherence at all levels for sustainable economic development and poverty reduction in global policy making, including the contribution of regional approaches.
• Key trade and development issues and the new realities in the geography of the world economy.
• Enhancing the enabling environment at all levels to strengthen productive capacity, trade and investment: mobilizing resources and harnessing knowledge for development.
• Strengthening UNCTAD; enhancing its development role, impact, and institutional effectiveness.
The official programme for UNCTAD XII has now been released as well as the Pre-Conference negotiating text.
Since its inception, UNCTAD has recognized that civil society has an increasingly important role to play in efforts to achieve sustainable human development and alleviate poverty. Accordingly, UNCTAD seeks and needs partnerships with development actors to enrich its analysis, research and consensus-building and operational work. Recent UNCTAD conferences have called for further collaboration between UNCTAD and civil society in areas relating to international trade. Civil society organizations made extensive contributions to UNCTAD X (Bangkok, 2000) and UNCTAD XI (São Paulo, 2004).
As such, hearings with Member States and civil society were organized as part of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for UNCTAD XII on 28 January and 3 March 2008. Hearings were also held on 2 October 2007 during the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board.
NGO Contribututions to Hearings on 28 January
Accreditation procedures for NGOs/CSOs which do not have observer status with UNCTAD
Indicative calendar of PrepCom meetings and other pre-events for UNCTAD XII
Consolidated list of the CSO Geneva-based Steering Committee/Group for UNCTAD XII
Globalization and inclusive development, Note by the UNCTAD Secretariat (TD/B/54/7)
Report of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD to UNCTAD XII
For additional information regarding UNCTAD XI preparations, please visit the following links:
UNCTAD XII: Official website (http://www.unctadxii.org/en)
UNCTAD XII: Civil Society Website
(http://www.unctadxii.org/en/Civil-Society-Outreach/)
Civil Society Outreach Unit Intergovernmental Affairs and Outreach Service UNCTAD Palais des Nations 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Fax: +41 22 917 00 56 E-mail: cso@unctad.org
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