CONFÉRENCE DES NATIONS UNIES SUR
LE COMMERCE ET LE DÉVELOPPEMENT
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE
ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
DITC/MISC/2015/2
(15/63gd)
NOTIFICATION
Seventh United Nations Conference to Review All Aspects of the Set of Multilaterally
Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices
Geneva, 6–10 July 2015
The Seventh United Nations Conference to Review All Aspects of the Set of Multilaterally
Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices is
scheduled to be held from 6 to 10 July 2015. The Seventh Review Conference will mark the
thirty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles
and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices. The Conference will open on
Monday, 6 July 2015, at 10 a.m. in room XVIII of the Palais des Nations.
This ministerial meeting will be opened by the Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD and
provide an opportunity for ministers, heads of competition authorities and senior officials of
member States of UNCTAD to discuss competition issues at the national and international levels,
including enforcement cooperation, and to promote the use of competition law and policy as tools
for achieving economic growth and domestic and international competitiveness (see paragraph
104 of the Accra Accord, paragraph 10 of the Doha Manar and paragraph 50 of the Doha
Mandate). In this connection, the Conference will assess the experience gained to date in the
implementation of the Set and make recommendations for possible areas of improvement and
effective implementation.
Background documents and agenda
The provisional agenda, together with the secretariat’s annotations thereto, is contained in
document TD/RBP/CONF.8/1.
The Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Law and Policy, at its fourteenth
session, which took place from 8 to 10 July 2014, acted as the preparatory body for the
Conference. In line with the agreed conclusions adopted by the Intergovernmental Group of
Experts, as contained in document TD/B/C.I/CLP/34, the Conference will allow for high-level
discussions on the role of competition law and policy and fostering sustainable development and
inclusive growth, and will provide an opportunity to enhance international cooperation in this
area. The Conference will also review the voluntary peer reviews of competition law and policy in
Albania, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. In addition, the Conference will hold high-level
consultations on the following three issues:
(a)
(b)
(c)
Implementation of competition law and policy
Review of experiences gained in implementation of the Set, including voluntary peer
reviews
The role of competition policy in promoting economic development
-2In accordance with past practice, the Conference is expected to provide guidance to
UNCTAD on its future work programme in this area, including technical assistance and
capacity-building for developing countries and least developed countries, as well as for countries
with economies in transition.
Written contributions
In order to facilitate the deliberations and the informal exchange of experiences and best
practices on the issues to be discussed, member States and observers are requested to submit
written contributions to the secretariat by Wednesday, 23 June 2015, in order to allow
participants to prepare themselves for the consultations.
Participation
Registration should be completed online. To do so, please use the following link:
http://unctad.org/en/conferences/un-set/7th-review/Pages/home.aspx. Member States of UNCTAD
are requested to submit the credentials of their representatives and advisers to the secretariat by
Friday, 26 June 2015.
Specialized and related agencies, as well as interested bodies of the United Nations and
intergovernmental and directly concerned non-governmental organizations participating in the
activities of UNCTAD that wish to participate in the Conference as observers, are requested to
inform the secretariat by the same date of the names of their representatives.
To expedite the process of registration and issuance of security badges, copies of the letters
of credentials of representatives and registration forms of participants should be sent by fax to the
secretariat at the address below as early as possible, and no later than 29 June 2015.
A Conference website has been established (http://unctad.org/en/conferences/un-set/7threview/Pages/home.aspx), which will provide all relevant information on the substantive
discussions and reports, as well as the logistical aspects of the Conference.
Further information and contact details
Communications concerning representation should be sent to the secretariat,
Intergovernmental Support Service, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10;
fax: +41 22 917 0214; or e-mail: meetings@unctad.org.
Substantive and other inquiries should be addressed to the secretariat, Competition and
Consumer Policies Branch, fax: +41 22 917 0247; or e-mail: juan.luis.crucelegui@unctad.org,
elizabeth.gachuiri@unctad.org or jacqueline.bouvier@unctad.org.
(signed)
Mukhisa Kituyi
Secretary-General of UNCTAD
15 June 2015