CNUCED: confirmation de son mandat sur la finance et le développement

After heated debates about the future role of UNCTAD, delegates gathered in Doha last week agreed to let it continue its excellent work on the issues of trade and development in the view of the current crisis, also in relation to the areas of finance, investment, social protection, green economy and other.

The 13th session of the UN Conference on Trade in Development, concluded last week in Doha, reaffirmed and strengthened the organisation’s mandate. In its new shape, the organisation will not only continue its work on the wide spectrum of issues related to trade, finance, investment and development, but also deepen its work on issues such as social protection and green economy.

The session generated heated debates about UNCTAD’s mandate. After what seemed to be an effort from some of the leading economies to limit the organisation’s role and scope of work, developing countries and civil society, including trade unions, took a strong stand in support of UNCTAD. “This has been a process, and this is an outcome that strengthens UNCTAD,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi at the closing session. UNCTAD has been the only fully representative and legitimate forum for policy analysis and consensus building around the issues of trade and development, providing important support to developing countries – and the only one to have seen the financial crisis coming.

“UNCTAD should continue to provide analytical and technical support in the evolving concept of social protection floors within its mandate for developing countries, particularly those that are emerging from political crisis and conflicts, especially in Africa and LDCs,” states the Doha Mandate, one of the conference’s outcome documents.

UNCTAD will also “In collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), WTO and other relevant organizations, continue its work on the impact of trade on employment and inclusive and sustainable development, with special focus on the poor and youth”.

Trade unions welcome the new UNCTAD mandate as well as its progressive language, referring to rights to development and rights to decent work.

The ITUC delegation to UNCTAD took an active part in shaping the event. Delegates held a number of meetings with governmental representatives and spoke at panels and hosted events on social protection and policy space for development. ITUC Deputy General Secretary Wellington Chibebe, who headed the delegation, spoke at UNCTAD’s General Debate, conveying trade union messages to the governmental delegates attending the forum.