STATEMENT BY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO UNCTAD IX HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT
Press Release
SG/SM/5972
STATEMENT BY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO UNCTAD IX HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT
19960429 MIDRAND, 27 April -- Following is the text of Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's statement at the conclusion this evening of the high-level segment of the ninth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD IX):I was supposed to read a prepared text at the conclusion of this debate, but I will do something else which is more dangerous. I will try to present a summary of the two round tables -- the round table which was held at the level of the heads of State and the round table which was held at the level of the leaders dealing with the problem of development.
Point one: That globalization and unification of the markets are a new reality, and this is an irreversible reality.
Point two: There is a real apprehension that globalization without international control may create more disequilibrium, more discrimination, within Member States and among Member States. And this creates a feeling of insecurity and a feeling of frustration at the level of the poor within the Member States and at the level of the poor Member States.
Point three: That there is a consensus that certain rules, certain guidelines, ought to be adopted by the multilateral system and by the different international organizations -- playing a role of coordination, a role of protection.
And these points can be divided into five other points.
One: To pay attention to the social and political dimensions of globalization.
Two: To obtain the participation of the new actors -- the grass roots organizations, the non-governmental organizations, the unions and businesses.
Three: That we must encourage regionalism among the developing countries, knowing that regionalism will be a transition.
Four: That we need strong international organizations and we need a strong multilateral system. But this depends not on the system as such; it depends on the political will of the Member States.
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And finally, I believe -- and this is very important -- in the importance of moral values. We have not paid enough attention in all our discussions to moral values. And here, you have expressed this by saying that the logic of competition has to be balanced by the logic of solidarity. It has been expressed that there is a need to resolve the contradiction between efficiency and equity. For me, these are moral values. So moral values are in a certain way the key to the solution of globalization and liberalization and of the problems of tomorrow.
Once more, I want to thank everybody. I want to thank the Government of South Africa which has offered us its hospitality. I want to thank the heads of State who participated in the first round table, I want to thank the leaders in the field of cooperation who participated in the second round table. As you have mentioned, there is no peace without cooperation and there is no cooperation without peace. Thank you for your attention, and I wish all of you a good UNCTAD IX.
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