Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee

For Third United Nations Conference

 On Least Developed Countries

4^th Meeting (AM)

UNCTAD AND EUROPEAN UNION BRIEF LDC PREPARATORY COMMITTEE

ON CONFERENCE PREPARATION

In preparation for the closure of its second session today, the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries this morning heard updates on the progress made in laying the groundwork for the Conference. 

The Executive Secretary of the Committee noted that the Conference was being prepared on three core tracks:  national country programmes of action; preparation of the global programme of action; and the Conference itself.

On the proposed agenda for the event, he said that there would be seven main thematic sessions -- Governance, Peace and Stability; Enhancing Productive Capacities: the Agricultural Sector and Food Security; Enhancing Productive Capacities: the Role of Health; International Trade, Commodities and Services/Tourism; Enhancing Productive Capacities: the Role of Investment and Enterprise Development; Infrastructure Development; and Financing Growth and Development.  Three round tables -- Energy; Education; and Transport -- would also be held.  A great deal of work was being undertaken for each event, he said, citing the countries and organizations that had taken the lead in preparations.

Emphasis was being placed on determining a fairly narrow range of deliverable objectives for each event, he continued.  For virtually all the basic thematic sessions and round tables there would be preparatory meetings prior to the Conference.  The parallel events to the Conference would include a high-level parliamentarian round table, business sector and young entrepreneurs' meetings and youth and women's forums.  Stressing the importance of non-governmental organization (NGO) participation, he said there would also be an NGO forum.

A representative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) gave a report on national country programmes, emphasizing, as he did so, the collective nature of the undertaking, and the participation of a broad range of actors.  A reflection of the enormous diversity of the problems facing the 48 least developed countries (LDCs) had been included in the national documents.  Common threads identified in the reports were investment in development infrastructure, good governance, financing for development and access to markets.

Some 42 national programmes of action had been received, of which 12 had been formally approved at the governmental level, he said.  Another 12 were currently being approved.  Senegal would join the list of LDCs later this month and had asked for help in preparing its national programme.

On organizational matters, the representatives of the host country for the Conference, Belgium, and of the European Commission said that the fact that the European Union had been given the responsibility for hosting the Conference was a new phenomenon, which presented new challenges to that regional organization.  As a host country, Belgium had specific responsibilities in that respect.  Information for participants was already available to the delegations.  

Welcome centres would provide maximum hospitality, and the matters of accommodations, media accreditation and transportation were being addressed.  A media campaign was being planned to increase the visibility of the event, and several parallel events were being organized.  Great importance was being attached to NGO participation.  Countries were invited to participate in the event at the highest possible level

Speaking on behalf of the International Steering Committee of the NGO Forum, a representative of Rural Reconstruction, Nepal, emphasized several issues of particular importance to the NGOs, including official development assistance, the debt crisis and market access.  Public goods needed public finance, he said.  That included public education, health care, adequate social protection and social integration.  A real and just solution to the debt crisis was both possible and urgent, and the Conference should call for the total cancellation of all LDC debt.  Developed countries must grant duty-free market access for all LDC exports without delay. 

He also said that LDCs must be responsible for their own development.  If donor countries and agencies dictated to LDCs on economic, social or political issues, it undermined the very objectives of the event and the United Nations commitments to participatory and people-centred development.  The Conference was about all countries and their responsibilities vis-à-vis LDCs.  The challenge for development partners was to understand how their actions affected LDCs and to take responsibility for changing their own policies to ensure they did not undermine development in LDCs.

In other business, the representative of Denmark announced that his Government would donate $500,000 to finance LDC participation in the April session of the Preparatory Committee.

In a discussion of organizational matters related to the Conference, the Committee's Chairman, Executive Secretary, and representatives of UNCTAD, the Conference host country, Belgium, and the European Commission responded to questions from representatives of Burkina Faso, Angola, Guinea, Benin, Haiti, Nepal, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi and Japan.

In particular, the Preparatory Committee was informed that it was desirable to ensure participation in the Conference at the highest possible level.  A number of Heads of State and Ministers would be attending the event, and it was up to each country to make such decisions.

Regarding NGO and civil society participation, the representative of Belgium explained that under the Conference Host Country agreement, which was being finalized now, NGOs with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and UNCTAD were being considered for participation in the Conference, and an ad

hoc list was being established now.  Coordination machinery was in place between the European Union, UNCTAD, NGOs and the Belgian Government to determine those issues.  Financial arrangements for NGO and LDC participation were being set up by European financial institutions.  

A representative of UNCTAD noted that the procedures for NGO participation had been set out in General Assembly resolution A/55/214.  She added that one of the draft texts before the Committee envisaged extending the deadline for NGO applications to participate in the Conference until 31 March.

Questions were also asked about the organization of round tables, preparatory meetings in various countries, dissemination of information about various events, presentation of national programmes of action and donor participation in the formulation of those programmes.

The Preparatory Committee will meet later this afternoon today to conclude its current session.

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