PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR HIGH-LEVEL EVENT ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT ELECTS THREE BUREAU MEMBERS, TWO CO-CHAIRMEN

Press Release
DEV/2231

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR HIGH-LEVEL EVENT ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT ELECTS THREE BUREAU MEMBERS, TWO CO-CHAIRMEN

As it continued its organizational session this afternoon, the Preparatory Committee for the High-Level International Intergovernmental Event on Financing for Development elected the three remaining members of its the Bureau and its two Co- Chairmen. The Committee also adopted its agenda and decided that its resumed organizational session would take place on 27 to 31 March, and its substantive session on 15 to 19 May.

The Preparatory Committee was established by the terms of General Assembly resolution 54/196. At its fifty-fourth session, the Assembly decided to convene in 2001, a high-level intergovernmental event with participation of political decision makers -- at least, at the ministerial level -- on financing for development, which would address national, international and systemic issues relating to financing for development in the context of globalization.

Following consultations within the Asian Group, the Committee elected, by acclamation, Hideaki Kobayashi (Japan), Shamshad Ahmad (Pakistan), and Asda Jayanama (Thailand) as its Bureau members. Also by acclamation, the Committee elected Asda Jayanama (Thailand) and Jorgen Bojer (Denmark) as its Co-Chairmen.

Addressing the Committee, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Nitin Desai, informed representatives about the consultations on participation in the preparatory process and the event itself for all relevant stakeholders, in particular the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. Consultations were also under way within the United Nations system. He said that the matter had been brought to the attention of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs and the United Nations Development Group. The Secretariat was also in contact with numerous official international organizations, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and regional development banks. The relevant report of the Secretary-General on the outcome of those consultations (document A/AC.257/1) would be introduced in detail at a later date.

Preparatory Committee for High-Level - 2 - Press Release DEV/2231 Event on Financing for Development 25 February 2000 2nd Meeting (PM)

The Acting President of the General Assembly, Arthur G.I. Mbanefo (Nigeria), and newly-elected Co-Chairman, Mr. Bojer (Denmark), also made statements.

The Preparatory Committee will resume its organizational session on 27 March.

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