BEIRUT TO HOST ASIAN COUNTRIES MINISTERIAL MEETING IN PREPARATION FOR UNCTAD X
Press Release
PI/1161
TAD/1890
BEIRUT TO HOST ASIAN COUNTRIES MINISTERIAL MEETING IN PREPARATION FOR UNCTAD X
19990803 BEIRUT, 2 August (UN Information Centre) -- Beirut will host, for the first time, a meeting of Asian member States of the "Group of 77" developing countries -- expected to convene at the level of Ministers of Trade, Development and Finance -- on 11-12 August at the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)-United Nations House, Riad Solh Square.The Ministerial Meeting will focus on preparations for the tenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD X). A large number of observers from international, regional and non-governmental organizations are expected to attend. The event will be preceded by a two-day meeting of senior officials on 9-10 August to discuss the substantive item of the provisional agenda for UNCTAD X -- that is "Development Strategies in an Increasing Interdependent World: Applying the Lessons of the Past to Make Globalization an Effective Instrument for the Development of all Countries and all People". The senior officials' meeting will also review the draft Bangkok Consensus and Plan of Action.
The report issued by the senior officials' meeting, and the positions of Asian States regarding the technical and substantive issues they wish to put forward for negotiations with the developed countries at UNCTAD X will be the focus of the Beirut Ministerial Meeting. Later, following its discussion by Asian ministers, the report will be considered by the Ministerial Meeting of the entire Group of 77 scheduled for 13 to 16 September in Marrakesh (Morocco).
Topics to be considered by the meeting include world economic interdependence and liberalization of world trade such as private capital flows and instability in the development process, debt problems, the international trading system, information technology, governance of the globalizing world economy, financial architecture, and the role of international organizations.
The Ministerial Meeting will be an opportunity for the host country, Lebanon, to demonstrate its vision regarding the key issues to be considered by the participants. The Meeting will be presided by Nasser Saidi, Lebanese Minister of Economics and Trade-Minister of Industry.
- 2 - Press Release PI/1161 TAD/1890 3 August 1999
Other regional groups of the Group of 77 will also convene over the next two months to discuss their positions in preparation for UNCTAD X. The Latin American and Caribbean Group will convene on 5 and 6 August in Santo Domingo while the African Group will meet from 6 to 10 September in Algiers.
* *** *