“We need to look at how best multilateralism can be advanced and strengthened rather than at theories that suggest a ‘doomsday’ scenario or the ‘dawn of an era of post-multilateralism”, said Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to UNO in Geneva.
He made these remarks following his election by acclamation as the Chairperson of the 10th Session of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Commission today. Addressing the opening session, he stated “UNCTAD is an innovative platform where both theories and practices are analysed and pathways and options identified, to help guide nations in their search for solutions to trade and development constraints and challenges”.
The newly elected Chairperson of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Commission stressed that Member States needed to look ahead and bring out aspects of Strategies, during the week-long deliberations in the Commission, that could help countries achieve progress in SDGs, with particular emphasis on making trade and development a critical enabler of the realization of the aspirations of people everywhere, for peace and prosperity.
In a message sent to the Commission, the Director-General of UNCTAD, Mr. Mukhisa Kituyi, stated that in these uncertain times “we cannot afford to let worries over international trade put the 2030 Agenda at risk”. He assured that UNCTAD would continue to do all it could to help countries put trade to work for their development, even as global prospects appear uncertain. The representatives of the Group of 77, the African Union and the Group of Caribbean and Latin American States made statements expressing the perspectives of the respective Groups.
The week-long meeting of Member States and other stakeholders of UNCTAD Trade and Development Commission provides an opportunity to discuss key trade and development issues related to building more resilient, sustainable and inclusive development. The Commission considers a broad range of reports from expert Groups including on Competition Law and Policy, Consumer Protection Law and Policy, Commodities and Development; Trade, Services and Development; Enhancing the Enabling Economic Environment at All Levels in Support of Inclusive and Sustainable Development, and the Promotion of Economic Integration and Cooperation. It also reviews progress made in promoting and strengthening the synergies between the three pillars of the work of UNCTAD, research & analysis, consensus building and technical cooperation, in the areas covered by this Commission. The current state of trade, multilateral cooperation and sustainable development is also under review.
