PRESS CONFERENCE BY HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ON WORLD TRADE TALKS IN HONG KONG

PRESS CONFERENCE BY HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

ON WORLD TRADE TALKS IN HONG KONG

The upcoming trade talks in Hong Kong would affect the fate of millions of people in the world’s most vulnerable countries, the Secretary-General’s High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Anwarul K. Chowdhury, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference today.

Stressing the need to seize the opportunity presented by the meeting of World Trade Organization in Hong Kong next week, he said it was important for the major trading powers to know that their deliberations had the potential to address the special needs of the world’s 50 least developed countries, 31 landlocked developing countries and 37 small island States.  That would be the essence of his message next week.

The least developed countries needed special attention, first in the form of duty-free market access for all their products, he explained.  They also needed special attention in terms of cotton production, which involved millions of families in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly the four cotton producers, Benin, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso.  While those countries produced nearly 1 million tons of cotton a year, they had no market for their product due to agricultural subsidies, limiting the already limited opportunity those countries had.

Free trade could only be free if it was fair, he added.  The 50 least developed countries needed capacity development.  In that regard, the European Union had done a wonderful job by opening the market for those countries in its “Everything but Arms” initiative.  With the opening of the market, capacity development was also needed.  He would make the argument that the share of least developed country trade in the world market was very low.  Giving them market access would, therefore, not affect the interests of the major powers.  The least developed countries needed special consideration, and the international community owed it to them.

Addressing the situation of landlocked developing countries, he noted that without access to the sea, those countries were double jeopardized, paying transport costs some 40 per cent higher than their neighbouring transit and coastal countries.  The landlocked countries faced specific constraints, such as the need to adapt cargo and transport services to administrative, legal, commercial and other conditions when passing through a third country.  Landlocked countries also needed a special deal in Hong Kong.

Turning to small island developing States, he said those countries were vulnerable not only because of socio-economic factors, but also for environmental reasons.  As the main producers of sugar and bananas, special opportunities must be included for them in the Hong Kong outcome.

Carrying the flag of the least developed, land locked and small island countries at the Hong Kong meeting, his message to the world’s trading partners next week would be not to forget the world’s vulnerable countries and the millions of poor they represented.

Asked whether communications technologies could assist the least developed countries, he said those countries, as well as the landlocked developing countries and small island States could benefit from the effects of technology in varying measures.  For the least developed countries, communications technology provided an opportunity to market their products.  A number of farms, for example, had opened up “e-trading” for handicrafts.  For landlocked countries, technology could be used to improve the customs and cumbersome border crossing procedures.  Remoteness was the problem for small island States, and enhancing connectivity would benefit them.  To meet those needs, the private sector was the best place to look for support.

Given the special needs of the least developed countries, was the decision of the International Monetary Fund to forego the loans of 40 countries a significant development? a correspondent asked.

The agreement by the Group of 8 most industrialized nations to cancel the debt of the 18 heavily indebted poor countries was a major advance, he said.  The other least developed countries should also be brought in under the agreement.

Responding to a question on the Law of the Sea Conference, he said the Almaty Programme of Action had, for the first time, come up with a major framework on collaboration between landlocked and transit countries.  The programme presented tremendous opportunities for the landlocked countries.

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For information media • not an official record