UNITED NATIONS AND MEXICO TO SIGN HOST COUNTRY AGREEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT

UNITED NATIONS AND MEXICO TO SIGN HOST COUNTRY AGREEMENT

ON INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Nitin Desai and Miguel Hakim Simon, Under-Secretary for Economic Relations and International Cooperation of Mexico, are expected to sign an official "Host Country Agreement" on Friday, 25 January, concerning the holding of the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, Mexico, from 18 to 22 March.  Also present at the signing will be Salvador De Lara, Director General for International Economic Negotiations of Mexico and Oscar de Rojas, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Secretariat for the International Conference on Financing for Development.

The Agreement, signed at the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations, defines the responsibilities of the Government of Mexico and the United Nations at the Conference.  Final preparations are now under way for this summit-level meeting that potentially has far-reaching ramifications in the world of global finance and development and affects both developed and developing countries.  Heads of State and government as well as finance ministers from around the world will gather at Monterrey under the auspices of the United Nations to endorse a global consensus on different aspects of financing for development.  Included in this unique process are the major “stakeholders” in development:  the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, the United Nations and its agencies, along with representatives of civil society -– non-governmental organizations and business entities.

The international Conference is directed towards mobilization of resources required to accelerate growth and achieve broad-based, sustainable development in developing countries and economies in transition.  As mandated by the United Nations General Assembly, the Conference aims to promote international cooperation in six key areas:  mobilizing economic resources within countries; increasing the flow of private international investment; opening access to markets; strengthening official development assistance; addressing developing country debt; and improving the coherence of global economic, financial and trade systems, and promoting participation of developing countries in international decision-making.

The Conference will be divided into a high-level official segment, a ministerial segment and a summit segment.  There will be four interactive multi-stakeholder round tables during the summit segment and eight during the

ministerial segment.  The first of the ministerial round tables on Tuesday, 19 March, will discuss “Partnerships in financing development” and the theme for Wednesday, 20 March, will be “Coherence for development”.  The heads of State and government at the summit round table on Friday, 22 March, will engage in the theme, “International Conference on Financing for Development: Looking Ahead”.

For further information, contact Tim Wall at (212) 963-5851.

* *** *