UNCTAD IX OPENS ON 27 APRIL; ELECTS ALEC ERWIN OF SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT
Press Release
TAD/1818
UNCTAD IX OPENS ON 27 APRIL; ELECTS ALEC ERWIN OF SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT
19960429 (Received from a UN Information Officer.)MIDRAND, South Africa, 27 April -- The willingness of South Africa to help build a new sense of purpose for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was stressed by that country's Minister of Trade and Industry, Alec Erwin, after his election, by acclamation, this morning, as President of the Conference's ninth session (UNCTAD IX).
He called for boldness and for the reassertion of faith in humanity's ability to improve its condition. Two years after millions of people had cast their first democratic votes in South Africa, important leaders of the world had come to that country to attend UNCTAD IX. In a few days, the Constitutional Assembly would conclude the constitutional writing process, a testimony to South African negotiating capacity. That tenacity had been recognized by the international community, particularly by the United Nations.
Two years ago, South Africans had stood on the edge of darkness of violence, hatred and division, he said. Through hard work, patience and determination, they had begun to build a new nation. But action, not just words, would help them. The deliberations of the Conference over the next two weeks would improve the lives of millions of men, women and children. Today's national day celebrations were more than just for South Africans; they were celebrations for mankind's future.
This morning's meeting was opened by Juan Manuel Santos, Minister of Trade of Colombia, which hosted UNCTAD VIII in 1992. He said there was no better place in the world than Africa to call on the international community to hear a proclamation against poverty, which had, unfortunately, become commonplace today. The neo-liberal model alone had not proved to be the most effective solution to the problems of the developing world. Poverty was the main factor causing political instability. While poverty existed, democracy would be just a caricature plagued by injustice. A new international economic order could not be a body without a soul.
- 2 - Press Release TAD/1818 29 April 1996
As had happened with land in the past, he said, today "he who has the knowledge has the power". That knowledge must be available to everybody. National and local governments could not tackle those problems alone; international institutions must be part of that process as well. The UNCTAD must make sure that globalization would benefit everyone.
The theme of the Conference, which opened this morning, is "promoting growth and sustainable development in a globalizing and liberalizing world economy". The Conference aims to maximize the benefits of globalization and liberalization while reducing the costs to the weaker economies. A major issue before the Conference is reform of UNCTAD itself, the only international organization that looks at trade from a development perspective. (For background information on the Conference, see Press Release TAD/1817 of 19 April.)
The inaugural ceremony of UNCTAD IX will be held at 3 p.m. today. President Nelson Mandela of South Africa and United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali will address the meeting. Following the ceremony, two round tables, one of heads of State and the other of heads of agencies, will discuss the following theme: "The excluded 2 billion: integrating people in the global economy".
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