United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 2010 PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM 10 -11May 2010 Palais des Nations - Geneva Responding to Global Crises: New Development Paths con - En colaboración In collaboration with tion avec En collabora Report of the Public Symposium United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 2010 PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM 10 -11May 2010 Palais des Nations - Geneva Responding to Global Crises: New Development Paths con - En colaboración In collaboration with tion avec En collabora Report of the Public Symposium NOTE Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Material in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, but acknowledgement is requested, together with a reference to the document number. A copy of the publication containing the quotation or reprint should be sent to the UNCTAD secretariat at: Palais des Nations, CH-1211, Geneva 10, Switzerland. UNCTAD/OSG/CIO/2010/2 Copyright © United Nations, 2010 All rights reserved i Foreword UNCTAD’s first Public Symposium took place in 2009 just after the meeting in London where the G-20 agreed on a number of coordinated measures to rescue the global economy. And yet, more than a year later, the world has little to show for a more inclusive approach to global governance. At the time of our second Public Symposium, some 53 million people in the Supachai Panitchpakdi developing world have fallen below the poverty Secretary-General, line, more than 100 million additional people UNCTAD are going hungry, and unemployment across the world has increased. These figures are not moving in the right direction, even though we are hearing a succession of optimistic commentators, journalists, economists and others pointing to the strength of the recovery. This year, the Public Symposium provided an opportunity for UNCTAD and its stakeholders to have a frank and dynamic discussion on the continuing effects of the global economic, food, energy and climate crises, on emerging threats and challenges, and on the need to identify alternative development strategies that can better support key development objectives. Deliberations at the Symposium reiterated UNCTAD’s contention that the recovery is geographically variable, remains weak, and is susceptible to threats from asset bubbles, fiscal contraction, a double-dip recession, and debt crises in several regions. This publication moves the 2010 UNCTAD Public Symposium agenda forward. It aims to provide an extended platform for engaging our multiple stakeholders on the most pressing issues on the global agenda today, particularly as we approach the United Nations High-Level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (the MDG Summit) being held in September 2010. In a world in which the global economy is changing rapidly and profoundly, this publication is a unique appraisal of ideas that draws upon observations from a great diversity of countries. The observations and interpretations will be of significant value for our stakeholders and those of us who are exploring the multiple dimensions of the recent crises. This publication identifies both contemporary and innovative ideas. For some, it will contain familiar material, but it may also offer new insights. For others, who have ii broad concerns for changing the way our economy works and who are committed to equitable and sustainable development, this compilation contains useful recent findings and examples of the ways in which some countries are addressing their development concerns. The economic crisis has caused major setbacks for the achievement of the MDGs. Prior to the crisis, the chances of achieving the goals were already deteriorating; now, after the crisis, it will be near to impossible to achieve all of the MDGs, without a change of course in policy. The world needs to begin charting New Development Paths. We need to act to support those countries – the poorest and the least developed – that have been innocent bystanders in the crisis. “Business as usual” cannot continue, and developing countries must learn to be masters of their own destiny. It is my hope that the MDG Summit, in September 2010, will present us with one of those rare opportunities when a new direction could be taken. We need deeper reform of the existing financial architecture, new modalities of cooperation, and a more active role for the State in terms of setting industrial and macroeconomic policy, of supporting investment in structural transformation, and of strengthening social protection. We live in an interdependent world in which the economy is not a zero-sum game, and therefore international cooperation must be supported by an effective multilateral system. I hope this publication will contribute to the change that we are all looking for and that the world clearly needs at this time. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all those who so enthusiastically participated at the Symposium, and to thank the many civil society networks and other international organizations that have joined us in this effort. Supachai Panitchpakdi Secretary-General, UNCTAD iii Message from the President of UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Board Today we live in a world where multi-faceted crises have emerged – crises related to climate change, energy, food, finance and the economy. The second UNCTAD Public Symposium took place at a fitting time, providing us with an opportunity to examine the interrelationships between these crises and the conclusions that can be drawn from them. More importantly, the Symposium discussed how best to move forward in the fight for a global response, and reaffirmed that combining all our efforts is crucial for real sustainable development. H:E. Jean Feyder, Ambassador of Luxembourg to the United Nations and President, UNCTAD Trade and Development Board Economic growth is needed to overcome the current financial and economic crisis. But whatever the prospects for growth are, the fact remains that the social cost of the crisis, in particular in terms of unemployment, is huge, and might take years to overcome. In order to prevent similar crises from happening in the future, there is also a need for robust regulation of the financial markets, but this is slow in coming. The financial and economic crisis has shown the necessity in the North for a dynamic State capable of saving key financial companies, relaunching the economy and regulating the market. In the South, too, the State has a major role to play in development, in the creation of productive capacities, in the financing of those productive capacities, and in the regulation of markets. All States must, at the same time, respect the basic rules of good governance: participation, transparency, justice, responsibility and efficiency. At the MDG Summit being held in September 2010 in New York, a major step forward could be achieved and the Millennium Project could be put on a more solid and sustainable basis if countries recognized the importance of productive capacity in the different economic sectors, including industry and agriculture. This needs to be achieved in such a way as to generate as much employment and income as possible. If new investment in productive capacities is key, then the creation of an adequate trade environment for these capacities must also not be forgotten. Productive capacity, often fragile to begin with, cannot develop if it has to iv face international competition right from the start. Such competition would nip this capacity in the bud, especially in the poorest countries. We must, therefore, give these countries a higher level of special and differential treatment, and we must protect budding capacity. We have seen, over the last 20 or 30 years, the liberalization of markets throughout the world, particularly in the poorest countries which today have the lowest tariffs. The result has been the loss of many industries and small farms, while deficits in food products have been rising fast. At UNCTAD, we recently examined the case of Haiti, during the run-up to the reconstruction conference held in late March. Haiti reduced its tariffs from 50 to 3 per cent, and it now has the most liberalized economy in the world. The result is that the country, which had always been self-sufficient in rice production, today produces no more than about 20 per cent of the rice it needs. Eighty per cent is imported from third countries, mainly from the United States, where rice production is heavily subsidized. Many rice producers in Haiti have thus lost any prospect of subsistence and survival. Last March, Bill Clinton told a United States Senate committee that this policy, which he supported when he was President of the United States, had ruined rice production in Haiti. The policy, he recognized, was a mistake. He concluded that we have to help Haiti to return to self-sufficiency in rice production. Bill Clinton’s message deserves serious consideration as regards Haiti and also many other developing countries. I wish to pay tribute to all the civil society participants at the Symposium, including those from trade unions, non-governmental organizations, universities and farmers’ organizations. Their contact with the real world and the real economy, their information, their experiences and their analysis constitute an indispensable and complementary contribution for the work of Governments and international organizations such as UNCTAD. Effective cooperation between Governments, international organizations and organized civil society is a prerequisite for reaching constructive and practical solutions to the myriad problems facing the world. I applaud UNCTAD for having organized this Symposium and for having made possible such a rich exchange of experiences, knowledge and ideas. This compilation is a collection of the secretariat’s summaries of the discussions and outcomes of the Symposium. It is a combination of our different strengths that I hope will create new insights and that will tremendously benefit all those involved in the debate on reforming the international economy in order to achieve more sustainable development. v Contents Foreword......................................................................................................ii Message from His Excellency Ambassador Jean Feyder..........................iv Introduction................................................................................................. 1 I. Plenary session 1..................................................................................... 1 A. Opening............................................................................................... 1 B. Round table: Responding to global crises: New development paths..................................................................... .2 II: Plenary session 2:................................................................................... 6 Rethinking global economic governance: Towards trade and financial reforms to support development III. Plenary session 3:................................................................................ 12 Alternative development strategies: Towards more inclusive and sustainable development paths IV. Plenary session 4:................................................................................ 17 Closing Summary of the breakout sessions.......................................................... 21 Breakout session 1: The global economic crisis and developing countries: Impact and response............................................................ 21 Breakout session 2: Innovative financing mechanisms (e.g. special drawing rights, new reserve systems and financial transaction taxes).................................................................................. 22 Breakout session 3: Is there development in trade agreements? A look at the Doha Development Agenda and free trade agreements............................................................................................ 23 Breakout session 4: Is there a role for the LDCs in reshaping global economic governance?.............................................................. 25 Breakout session 5: Improving food security in the face of climate change.................................................................................. 26 vi Breakout session 6: To green or not to green: Challenges and opportunities for development and decent work........................... 27 Breakout session 7: Responsible investment in agriculture: Sustainable and people-centred approaches....................................... 27 Breakout session 8: Too hot to handle? How to bridge the climate justice and global economic reform agendas?.................. 29 Annexes..................................................................................................... 31 Programme............................................................................................ 31 Breakout Sessions Programme............................................................. 34 List of participants..................................................................................... 37 vii Introduction UNCTAD’s second Public Symposium, organized in cooperation with the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) and other partners, took place in Geneva on 10 and 11 May 2010. The Symposium discussed the enduring effects of the global economic and financial crises with a view to exploring new development paths, anchored on the premise that responding to global crises relies on the advancement of new thinking and new approaches. The event brought together over 300 representatives from around the world, including top thinkers from civil society, the private sector, parliaments, United Nations agencies and other international organizations, to discuss and debate the most important interrelated challenges facing developing countries in the global economic and financial crises, and to explore and expand towards more inclusive and sustainable development paths. I. Plenary session 1 A. Opening Opening the Symposium, Mr. Jean Feyder (Luxembourg), President of the Trade and Development Board, said that the event should produce concrete, practical ideas for moving onto new development paths, drawing on lessons learned from the financial, food, energy and climate crises. In defining those paths, and in formulating a United Nations system-wide strategy for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it was important for the State to have a major role in development, financing, and productive capacitybuilding; the latter was especially vital for job and income generation. In his introductory remarks, the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, said that one year after the eruption of the financial crisis, the world had little to show for a more inclusive approach to global governance. The G-20 did not represent the peoples and countries of the entire world; a truly inclusive multilateralism must be based on the G-192, he said. Mr. Panitchpakdi went on to say that the United Nations was the sole institution with the legitimacy to represent the wishes and needs of a global community, and should therefore be more significantly involved in decisions about systemic reform of the global economy. The future stability of the international financial system, and the prosperity that such a system could help deliver, depended on the inclusion of all countries in the decisionmaking, monitoring and regulatory processes, he emphasized. 1 Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, delivers his opening remarks, next to Ambassador Jean Feyder, President of the Trade and Development Board. It would be near to impossible to achieve all the MDGs, he said, partly because they focused on financing temporary gaps, rather than on enabling the economic transformation needed for long-term sustainability. Moreover, the MDGs took a primarily sectoral view of development problems, rather than a comprehensive and integrated or holistic approach; this could lead to dysfunctional outcomes. Efforts to achieve the MDGs should be integrated within a broader economic development strategy, as focusing on specific MDG targets in a compartmentalized way was unlikely to be sustainable. B. Round table meeting: Responding to global crises: New development paths After the opening remarks, the Symposium moved to a round table meeting of eminent persons on the main themes. This was then followed by interactive debate and focused breakout sessions, to debate key aspects of new development paths. The round table was moderated by Mr. Jonathan Lynn, correspondent on world trade and chief correspondent for Reuters in Geneva. The panellists included Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi; Mr. Jean Feyder (Luxembourg), President of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board; Mr. David Nabarro, Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, United Nations HighLevel Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis; Mr. Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Office of the High 2 Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva; Ms. Makhotso Magdeline Sotyu, Chair, Parliament of South Africa; Mr. Rehman Sobhan, Chair, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh; and Ms. Anne Jellema, International Policy and Campaign Director, ActionAid International, South Africa. To the moderator’s first question, namely, was the worst of the crisis over, or was there a risk of a new crisis or a debt crisis, participants concurred that while some financial and statistical recovery was apparent, human recovery was not, despite the difficulty of estimating the full impact of the crisis on the poor. The banks were recovering financially, but despite having been rescued by the public sector, they were taking care of their own needs and not investing in the productive sectors. Participants said that speculation continued to be a cause for concern. At the same time, developing countries, which were on the receiving end of the crisis, were not getting the aid they needed in order to respond, and would have to learn to be the masters of their own destiny. Participating member states listen in during the first plenary session. Participants stated that at least Europe was getting a wake-up call, which would probably make it easier to implement stringent financial regulation, as the crisis had proved that the markets were wrong. One speaker suggested that the best solution would be to close the financial markets outright, as they were no longer helping to create wealth. An alternative, which had already been proposed by a major world leader, was to separate those parts of the market that had a social function from those that were purely casino-driven. 3 The response to the continuing crisis – which should draw on the lessons from it – should consider how the financial market could be better harnessed, and what systemic changes would be required to reduce potential future risks to that market. Participants went on to say that the financialization of food via commodity speculation, and increasing cross-border land deals, were drivers of major risks and vulnerability in developing countries. Curbing unregulated financial transactions, and promoting taxation on capital flight fuelled by the offshore economies, would provide better domestic resource mobilization and reduce unregulated risk-taking in the economy. Mr. Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, speaks during the round table portion of Plenary session 1. Several speakers also recommended automatic tax-information exchange, country-by-country financial reporting by multinationals, and global taxation – such as carbon taxes and financial transaction taxes – as this would promote sustainability in the global economy and free up resources for productive investment in countries with low income. Allowing special drawing rights (SDRs) to be used for cheaper borrowings in the financial market and conversion to hard currencies without building up more debt should also be considered, especially for the least developed countries (LDCs). Global monetary system reforms were also required to prevent currency speculation and trade distortion. In addition, it was emphasized that regional financial and monetary initiatives – such as the three pillars of the new financial architecture being developed in Latin America, which included a type of “regional SDR” known as the Sistema Unitario de Compensación Regional de Pagos (SUCRE) – were an essential complementary “bottom-up” avenue 4 to monetary reform, in which global SDRs could essentially fulfil the function of lender of last resort to support regional monetary frameworks. It was argued that effective regional monetary initiatives were essential to avoid a geopolitical development whereby the countries whose currencies formed the global SDR basket (the United States dollar, the euro, pound sterling and the yen) would have undue ascendency in global monetary reform discussions, with the associated risk of unbalanced outcomes. The recent build-up of massive reserves in developing countries reflected a lack of trust between countries, and should be addressed in tackling global imbalances. An early warning system was needed, but one with the “teeth” to make itself heeded. The response to the crisis should also include more structural changes, which, although destroying some jobs, would create other jobs elsewhere, contributing to a more sustainable type of growth. With regard to the food crisis, participants generally agreed that it had not yet really ended, as an estimated 1 billion people were hungry worldwide, despite last year’s near-record total cereal production. The food crisis, the financial crisis and the world economic contraction had made structural weaknesses apparent to a much larger group of decision-makers, who now recognized that more action was needed on infrastructure, information, and investment, in order to promote rural development, reduce mass unemployment and alleviate the burden on women in farming households. The future of food security depended on partnerships between smallholder farmers, governments, businesses and civil society, and also on country-led coordinated action, especially in rural areas. Developing nations would be the catalysts for better food security for all. Some positive steps – including the emergence of green initiatives in Africa – were being hindered by the realities of the need for more funds and more investment in agriculture, especially given the continually low productivity rates of sub-Saharan Africa, speakers said. Overall, about $44 billion annually needed to be invested in agriculture in developing countries in order to successfully relaunch agriculture – a tiny sum compared to defence spending. At the same time, there was sometimes a contradiction between investment in agricultural policies and efforts to combat climate change. However, producing more was not necessarily incompatible with the development of small-scale, family-run agricultural firms. Investment in agriculture should be diversified, with the paramount goal of delivering public goods that would ease the lives of rural farmers. It was, moreover, imperative to confront the problem of “land grab” – a phenomenon too often associated with investment in agriculture. 5 Participants recommended a non-linear approach to agriculture. Agricultural development strategies should include more than just the objective of growing more food; they should also promote increases in rural incomes, a reduction in rural poverty, and the creation of linkages with other productive sectors. Agricultural policies should focus on peri-urban agriculture and on protecting urban areas from agricultural price shocks and food insecurity, for example by creating smaller urban centres able to satisfy local demand, and “de-concentrating” food production to increase the resilience of urban areas to price volatility and fluctuating supply. On the related subject of climate change and its links to the concurrent financial, food and energy crises, several participants commented that the world was not behaving as though climate change were its greatest challenge, and would pay the price. Resource commitments on climatechange mitigation and adaptation had fallen far short of what developing countries needed. It was stated that those sums – about $30 billion by 2012 and $100 billion by 2020 – were minuscule compared to the $8 trillion used in industrialized countries in the space of 16 months to rescue their banks and as military spending. The United Nations should become the sole forum to guide the process, rather than the international financial institutions. Millennium Development Goal 8 – which deals, inter alia, with official development assistance (ODA), debt, technology transfer and trade – had failed its role, said several participants. Also, gender issues had been inadequately addressed by the MDGs. New development paths should address employment, poverty reduction, and investment in agriculture targeted towards smallholders. Participants called for an inclusive, more social-based growth model, one that sought to correct the knowledge divide between rich and poor. Democratization, they contended, was key to reconstructing the State; growth alone would not suffice. The round table set the scene for the plenaries that followed. II: Plenary session 2: Rethinking global economic governance: Towards trade and financial reforms to support development The second plenary session was moderated by Mr. Ram Etwareea, a journalist from Le Temps, Geneva. Introductions to the debate were delivered by panellists Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) and Ms. Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, and Chair, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, India. Prior to the floor being opened for debate, Mr. Pedro Páez, President, Ecuadorian Technical Commission for a New 6 Ms. Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics and Chairperson, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, India, and Mr. Heiner Flassbeck, Director of the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies at UNCTAD, during Plenary 2. Regional Financial Architecture and Former Minister of Economic Coordination of Ecuador, and Ms. Nuria Molina, Director, European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD), Belgium, were asked for their reactions to the initial thoughts put on the table. Participants discussed whether the existing global architecture of governance was appropriate, or whether more was required. It was noted that while global economic governance was not a new issue, in the current crisis it had acquired a much greater importance than before. The formation of a G-20 was a move in the right direction, it was said, however while the G-20 countries represented 65 per cent of the world’s population, this left the other 35 per cent with no voice. Participants thus called for a G-192, including all United Nations Member States. It was stated that the existing global governance system was outdated and biased towards the interests of developed countries. The basic problem of the current system of global governance had remained unchanged since the time that the system was constructed. When it was constructed, developed countries had structural surpluses and developing countries had deficits. Participants said that the current situation was fundamentally different. There were reverse capital flows, from developing to developed countries. The cost of funds had increased, and there were new sources of volatility. The liberalization of capital flows did not contribute to development, but rather created asset bubbles and overinvestment in some economies, while the high cost of sterilization negated some of the potential benefits of financial liberalization, participants elaborated. The crisis had shown that global imbalances could not go on forever, it was mentioned. 7 One speaker noted that the current system was, in some respects, a “dictatorship of finance”, which did not allow developing countries to run trade deficits, unlike, for example, developed countries in the eurozone. Developing countries hoarded foreign currency reserves in order to protect themselves against capital flight and market volatility at high opportunity costs. The surpluses were not invested in productive capacity. Developing countries, too, had to rethink their internal financial architectures, which were focused on export-led growth at the expense of wage-led, domesticconsumption-led growth. This was, in essence, a self-defeating strategy. Participants said that demand from the United States and Europe was unsustainable, therefore developing countries should rebalance their growth strategy with an emphasis on internal and regional demand. Developing countries should, furthermore, consider growth strategies that aimed at providing their billions of people with employment, decent salaries, opportunities to educate their children and a brighter future. Participants concurred that the widening gap between the capabilities of the North, with bailouts of their financial systems surpassing $1.5 trillion, and the much-reduced policy capabilities of the South, had to be urgently redressed. It was noted that there was a clear need to provide more policy space, especially to LDCs, which were unable to have the same type of policies that developed countries had. This was notoriously clear in the current crisis, where the North had adopted countercyclical policies while the South often could not. The crisis had opened up the opportunity to reform the system of global governance, according to some. The reform should have been along the lines of the original Bretton Woods concept and ideas, involving development, reconstruction, full employment, productive capacities and non-reciprocity, and not just the monetary and financial issues, as had been the case. The global economy needed greater macroeconomic coordination to mitigate global imbalances. In that respect, a global economic coordination council, along the lines proposed by various actors – such as the German Chancellor, Ms. Angela Merkel, or the Commission of Experts of the President of the General Assembly on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System (the “Stiglitz Commission”) – should be established. In addition, a macroeconomic advisory capacity (MAC) should be established, since the work of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was not enough and did not provide the kind of advice that developing countries needed. The MAC should put development at the centre of policymaking, rather than the IMF’s narrow focus on inflation and fiscal deficits. 8 It was stated that the moment there were data available indicating a possible recovery, financial actors went back to “business as usual”. This had created the sentiment of a lost “Bretton Woods moment” – a lost opportunity to implement reform policies. But in fact, the spirit of Bretton Woods had been lost earlier, at the end of the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971. For nearly four decades since, the liberalization of capital accounts and financial flows arising out of liberalization had caused damage to developing countries. Ms. Zharkin Kakimzhanova, Head of the WTO Unit at the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstanin Geneva, listens to the panel debate. Instilling the “Bretton Woods spirit” demanded greater coordination among countries, and more policy space for putting in place prudential regulation; in short, a better and more equitable financial system. To achieve this, the United Nations should focus on five core issues: (a) debt sustainability; (b) better tax cooperation; (c) the creation of a global economic coordination council, to achieve global rather than only G-20 leadership; (d) developing a macroeconomic advisory capacity (MAC) to deal with challenges and policy priorities; and (e) a global green new deal, which could provide incentives for climate change adaption and mitigation, and for adequate food production. The question remained whether the Bretton Woods institutions could be reformed in a meaningful way or not. Either the IMF or the World Bank could be reformed in accordance with the original Bretton Woods ideas whereby both creditors and debtors were represented, or developing countries should look for alternative arrangements. 9 New regional financial and monetary initiatives could be a way for governments to regain some lost policy space. In the case of Latin America, a group of countries was in the process of constructing a regional financial and monetary cooperation framework, which, it was suggested, would not result in tighter fiscal and monetary restrictions of the type associated with the eurozone experiment. The European monetary construction was said to be heavily influenced by neoclassical and monetarist theories, which reduced domestic sovereignty and policy space. Instead, new regional and monetary initiatives should serve a new concept of sovereignty geared to serving the democratic aspirations of people and aiming at opening new degrees of manoeuvrability in financial and macroeconomic terms. The new regional financial architecture under construction by a group of Latin American countries was composed of three pillars: (a) a regional development bank; (b) a common reserve fund; and (c) a regional settlements clearing system based on a new currency unit called the Sistema Unitario de Compensación Regional de Pagos (SUCRE). In contrast to the euro, the SUCRE would not replace national currencies, but rather coexist with them and support them. It would also enable a lessening of the use of hard currencies in intraregional trade. The three pillars taken together could thus help shield national economies from the vagaries of global financial markets, while enabling public policy to better direct finance towards supporting local productive investment initiatives and goals of full employment. Many developing countries, as well as some developed countries, were in debt distress. This time, the epicentre of the sovereign debt crisis was not in Asia, Africa or Latin America, but in advanced countries. The Bank for International Settlements had warned that the sovereign debt crisis was at “boiling point”. Some economists had warned that what was happening in Greece was only the tip of the iceberg, as debt/GDP ratios and other indicators in some major developed countries outside the eurozone were the same, if not worse, and that another stage of the global financial crisis was being entered. Comparing the debt problems of advanced countries with the debt problems of developing countries, in particular LDCs, was like comparing heavyweight and lightweight boxers: there were huge differences in their abilities to service debt, and their debt-tolerance levels varied tremendously. Some developing countries, though negatively affected, were relatively “resilient”, whereas others had been hit hard. A sad joke at a conference organized by the World Bank and the African Development Bank in April 10 2010 was that “everyone has suffered from the financial crisis, except for the debt managers.” According to an IMF and World Bank paper released in April 2010, among low-income countries, 11 were in debt distress (2 more than in 2009) and 16 were at high risk of debt distress; some small middle-income Caribbean countries were said to be on the verge of bankruptcy. It was noted that the future was equally gloomy, because when advanced economies started to put their fiscal houses in order and the effects of stimulus policies fizzled away, the negative impacts would be further spread to the developing countries via trade, remittances and other channels. Speakers noted that UNCTAD XII had mandated the secretariat to put forward policy recommendations in the area of debt and ODA. The outcome document from the June 2009 United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development, negotiated by all the United Nations Member States, had listed: (a) a debt moratorium, as a last resort in times of emergencies and catastrophes; (b) exploring, together with development partners, the feasibility of a more structured framework for international cooperation in the restructuring of sovereign debt; (c) in the intermediate period, working on a set of guidelines for promoting responsible sovereign lending and borrowing to introduce behavioural change and reduce reckless, irresponsible lending and borrowing, with the aim of reducing the occurrence of debt crises (UNCTAD started such a project in 2009); and (d) honouring commitments and pledges of ODA. The food crisis was ongoing, despite the fact that food prices had come down somewhat from the high prices recorded in 2008. In the two years since, the food crisis had been exacerbated by the financial crisis. Commodity market volatility had caused a 15 to 20 per cent rise in food prices. The financialization of food and commodity prices had turned them into vehicles for financial speculation, and prices no longer reflected conditions of supply and demand. For example, the largest production of grain in history was achieved last year, but grain prices remained high. Six large corporations/ organizations were said to control not only the grain market, but also voters and banks etc. This posed a challenge to global governance in agriculture. The United Nations had a role to play in regulation and control of commodities futures markets. It was stated that civil society, and especially non-governmental organizations (NGOs), had a role to play in any reform of global governance. 11 Participants also discussed the following issues: Fiscal consolidation: The recent call by the IMF and the World Bank for fiscal consolidation was premature. If fiscal support were to be reversed prematurely, the possibility of a double dip (a second recession) would increase. Any increase in capital for the IMF and the World Bank should not go to the old-style, conditionality-driven structural programmes, since they had built-in anti-developmental effects; Innovative finance mechanisms: Innovative finance mechanisms to be considered were the adoption of a financial transaction tax that could generate over $100 billion a year, which could be used for financing development and which would also curb financial volatility; The Doha Development Round negotiations: It was stated that there was “not much development” in the Doha Development Round negotiations, and even less in negotiations for free trade agreements. Overall, the current multilateral trading system was felt not to be well suited to the interests of developing countries; The role of LDCs in global governance: LDCs had to have a seat at the table where financial issues were discussed. Private aid had plummeted, and ODA was not meeting the goals of the Gleneagles Summit. Lack of financing of LDCs could worsen their problems; Diversification of LDCs’ economies: This demanded good macroeconomic policies and good institutions. The international community should expressly take into account the interests of LDCs and should provide them with access to finance, as they are excluded from international markets; The role of Africa on the world scene: This was mainly related to reform of the Security Council, the international financial institutions, and other global institutions. Powerful countries wanted to maintain the status quo, while Africa was trying to increase its negotiating power. III. Plenary session 3: Alternative development strategies: Towards more inclusive and sustainable development paths This session was moderated by Ms. Anne Jellema, International Policy and Campaign Director, ActionAid International, South Africa. The discussants included Mr. Richard Kozul-Wright of UNCTAD; Mr. Mouhamady Cissokho, President, Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, Senegal; Mr. Biraj Patnaik, Principal Adviser, Office of 12 the Commissioners to the Supreme Court, India; and Mr. Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary-General, CUTS International, India. Participants concurred that the recent waves of crises had highlighted the need to move away from the conventional wisdom premised on an unfaltering belief in unleashing free markets. Economic liberalization, with its combined elements of privatization, stabilization, rolling back the State, and trade openness, had come to dominate development thinking, underpinned by a sophisticated analytical framework and an identification of state intervention as the main impediment to sustained development. However, not only had liberalization failed to deliver on its promise, but it had also exacerbated the magnitude of the crises. Development could not be achieved by assuming that markets worked efficiently. Markets could fail, and had indeed failed, as the recent global economic and financial crises had shown. It was noted that economic growth in rich countries had historically originated not from unrestrained international free trade, but from consciously framed industrialization policies that had progressively shaped particular economic structures. The State played a critical role in supporting the industrialization process. Such policies created dynamic synergies that served the double purpose of bolstering the economy’s productive capacities and advancing the social agenda. The starting point for improving productive capacities would be to target sectors that have strong market potential with investments in human resources and in the required basic infrastructures. Implementing alternative development strategies would be difficult without reforming the international set-up, which would require a reconceptualization of international public goods, among other challenges. A “global new deal” was needed to tackle the interrelatedness of challenges transcending the jurisdiction of individual states. Only a big shift in the international economic architecture could produce a fairer and more inclusive and democratic world order. Proactive policies, particularly those geared to creating industrial capacity, were the key to sustainable development. There was a need for a “big push”, through large-scale investments, with an emphasis on public investment, and there was a call for integrated and comprehensive policy packages that would holistically tackle development constraints. Furthermore, the development agenda should be refocused on more inclusive national strategies, with a view to reducing inequalities within countries. This could be achieved through more progressive tax schemes and the extension of welfare provisions. This proactive approach called for an enabling framework at the international level that would not constraint “policy space” at the 13 domestic level. The issue of “policy coherence” also figured prominently; policies taken across sectors and at different levels should be mutually reinforcing. Participants elaborated on the structural constraints that hindered the ability to implement alternative development strategies in developing countries. Attention was brought to the “massive lack of finance”, especially in LDCs. In the face of stagnating aid flows, the rising debt burden, narrowing tax bases, Mr. Mouhamady Cissokho, President of Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA), addresses Public Symposium participants during Plenary 3. and price and exchange-rate volatility, there was a pressing need to mobilize new resources for development, both domestically and internationally. Some innovative tools were enumerated: blended schemes, such as combined grant and loan instruments; concessions, including build-operate-transfer (BOT) schemes; debt-for-equity and debt-for-environment swaps; a closer alignment of aid with domestic industrial policies, including through budget support and support to sectoral policies; and enhanced access to credit for small and medium-sized enterprises, including by strengthening banks’ risk assessment. Some speakers emphasized the need for increased focus on clean growth poles, arguing that they served the dual purpose of supporting industrialization and addressing the challenges associated with climate 14 change. It was stated that the Trade and Environment Review 2009/2010 had recommended that developing countries should focus on three promising poles: (a) energy efficiency; (b) sustainable agriculture, including organic agriculture; and (c) renewable energy technologies. These poles could generate positive spillover effects, but in order to be implemented, they would require economic incentives and the removal of perverse incentives, as well as leadership and political commitment, and human, business and technological capacities. It was also acknowledged, however, that there could be a trade-off between environmental sustainability and poverty eradication. Particular attention was paid to institutional and governance issues, where important lessons could be drawn from innovations at the national level. Many speakers depicted a reluctant State, detached from its citizens and their daily problems. Central to this state of affairs was the dependence of governments on aid, which rendered them accountable to Western donors and the Bretton Woods institutions. Monitoring and evaluation systems were designed by donors, leaving citizens in the dark as to the ways in which the ODA was spent and the results it achieved. The issue of accountability was raised vigorously by some participants from Africa, who pointed to the perceived failure of policymakers to implement policies that would respond to local needs, particularly in the food security area. It was acknowledged that there was a need to restore trust between governments and the people through enhanced multi-stakeholder involvement in policymaking, and also in monitoring the implementation of policies. The food security issue figured prominently. Despite the abundance of resources in terms of land, water and manpower, famine continued to threaten the lives of large population segments. Some civil society organizations had taken it upon themselves to pressure the state into action by advancing the right to food. This was the case of India, where the right to food had been translated into a legal entitlement, enforceable before the courts. Since then, the State had been investing heavily in ensuring the right to food, with a total budget of over $10 billion and a comprehensive programme involving over 2,000 civil society organizations. With reference to Africa, it was emphasized that the underlying causes of the recent food crisis had been the legacy of export-oriented development strategies, which had prompted a shift from producing staple foods for local needs to exporting cash crops, coupled with long-standing underinvestment in rural areas. There was a need to refocus on the production of staple foods and on food self-sufficiency, but this would 15 involve an exemption of food security–related policies from the ongoing trade negotiations. Attention was also drawn to public sector procurement initiatives. India had managed to reduce its exposure to the global food crisis, as the Government was the largest procurer of food and provider of subsidized food to the poor. Agricultural development was critical for improving food security conditions, kick-starting industrialization, and establishing relations of trust between the State and society. Mr. Biraj Patnaik, Principal Adviser in the Office of the Commissioners to the Supreme Court in India, addresses Public Symposium participants next to Mr. Richard Kozul-Wright of UNCTAD. Some speakers took issue with the notion of “alternative development strategies”, pointing out that this could only lock the debate into state versus markets terms. The focus should be on establishing “pragmatic policies” to allow for greater emphasis on “experimenting”. Yet others stressed moving towards a human rights–based approach to development, as a way of capturing the interlinkages between the competing social and economic policy issues. The long list of issues to be tackled raised the need for sequencing and prioritization. A strong case was made for prioritizing food security and food self-sufficiency, as these were matters of human dignity and identity, and were of paramount importance. Effective policies on food security would also contribute to restoring public trust in governments. Finally, it was 16 noted that, if people were involved in decision-making, this question would not matter: once you have mobilized people, you have prioritized issues, reflecting their needs. IV. Plenary session 4: Closing The closing plenary was chaired by Mr. Jean Feyder, President of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board. The keynote address was delivered by Ms. Mary Robinson, President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Following the closing address, Mr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Special Advisor on LDCs, UNCTAD, summarized the discussions of the Symposium. Concluding remarks were then made by Mr. Jean Feyder, and by Mr. Petko Draganov, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD. In opening her address, Ms. Robinson recalled the last 12 months, during which global trade had fallen sharply and the world had stood on the verge of a depression. She said that while a fragile recovery was under way, focus was still lacking on the “people at the centre of these crises”. The lack of progress by many countries in addressing persistent problems of inequality and social exclusion meant that the most vulnerable would continue to face poverty. As a result, many countries would not reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Accordingly, ways had to be found to hold governments to the commitments made to the MDGs, in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, and in the Accra Agenda for Action. Ms. Robinson emphasized the need to examine development policies that would respond to global economic turmoil, lack of food security, and climate change. There needed to be a much sharper focus on what really constitutes sustainable development, and there was a need to tackle inequality, end discrimination and exclusion, and strengthen meaningful participation by all stakeholders in development decision-making. Ms. Robinson stated that trade and investment policies needed to reflect an orientation towards empowering the poor, and that the work of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor pointed the way to empowerment through four pillars, namely, access to justice, labour rights, land rights, and business rights. Ms. Robinson drew attention to the importance of women and girls within development, and to the importance of women in the informal sector. Giving women’s agencies a voice in development was a key factor in enabling breakthroughs in all of the MDGs. However, there were too many examples of discrimination against women. Too many countries undervalued women in 17 society, despite women being such a force for beneficial change in society. Ms. Robinson stated that positive changes could ensue when women’s and girls’ rights were protected in society. Ms. Mary Robinson, President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Ireland, and UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Mr. Petko Draganov, at the closing plenary of the Public Symposium. Ms. Robinson stressed that accountability was critical to the achievement of development goals. Developed countries must deliver on their aid promises, and governments should be held accountable for creating and spending budgets that support development priorities. Holding all governments accountable would mean that the $20 billion pledged for supporting agriculture would materialize, and that foreign investment in Africa would be translated into real improvements at the level of people and households. In addition to investment, of key importance to development was an emphasis on policies to encourage the rule of law, which was crucial from an investment point of view. The notion of shared responsibilities was also a key factor in global development. This involved recognition that there were shared responsibilities across national boundaries, especially in the areas of trade and climate change. Bridging the climate and economic reform agendas was challenging. Nonetheless, there was a need to learn from the many success stories where local economies were growing in ways that were 18 based on sustainable agriculture and forestry and on the use of low-carbon technologies to expand energy provision for domestic and industrial use. Access to electricity could be said to be one of the missing MDGs, since 1.6 billion people worldwide had no access to electricity. The human rights principles of accountability, participation, nondiscrimination and transparency were the building blocks of lasting and people-centered development. Discussions throughout the final plenary were focused around the need for job creation, the need for countries to achieve food sovereignty, and the need to address unfair trade policies prioritizing consumers rather than producers. The importance of the distinction between the economic crisis and the food crisis was highlighted. It was observed that a new, increased interest in food and agricultural production was in evidence at UNCTAD, which could address the serious issue of food security and the right to food. The Symposium stressed the need to create a closer link between the development agenda and a rights-based approach in order to achieve the MDGs. Policies should prioritize the right to work, rather than being solely focused on the need to contain inflation. Massive capital flow speculation was a driver of vulnerability and should be regulated, while from the perspective of the real economy, production capacity should be enhanced. Funding could be strengthened towards meeting the enormous needs of developing countries, thereby creating employment, wealth and new prospects for trade. Job creation remained a serious challenge in developing countries, even after the implementation of trade liberalization policies that were intended to contribute positively to employment. The closing plenary summarized the Symposium with reference to the two principal elements of the meeting: the global crises and new development paths. It noted that the crisis was far from over, and that although the long-term implications of the crisis were still unknown, its immediate consequences were apparent. Among these, the Symposium noted that the MDGs would not be achieved, ODA flows were declining, banks were lending less to productive sectors, the food crisis would persist, commodity price volatility would resume, remittances were more resilient, protectionist tendencies were increasing, and no consensus had been found on global warming. As far as the response was concerned, the Symposium emphasized the importance of giving a voice to the G-192 in containing the crises. It deplored the fact that no reform of global economic governance had been achieved, and that the United Nations, as the most representative body to undertake a global governance debate, was sidelined. The role of 19 active civil society, especially NGOs, was emphasized in discussions about ways to bring about changes to the system. Some of the strongest messages from the Symposium were that the conventional development model had shown its inadequacy to ensure stability and growth, and that there was a need for alternative paths based on in-depth reforms. The importance of the United Nations as a prime multilateral platform was emphasized, while civil society organizations also had a major role to play. Elements of this new development path may include an enabling macroeconomic framework, an agriculture policy focused on assisting producers to secure their livelihoods, the promotion of wage-based processing activities, infrastructure-building with effective use of public–private partnerships, sustainable growth with access to clean technology, universal social protection, and the enhancement of South– South cooperation. Furthermore, in order to address global economic governance, the Symposium recommended making the multilateral system more effective and inclusive, changing the international financial architecture, and promoting international tax cooperation. Emphasis was also placed on a coordinated exchange rate management, the inclusion of productive capacities-building and rights-based issues in the MDGs, and the importance of a coherent architecture for climate change. 20 Summary of the breakout sessions Breakout session 1: The global economic crisis and developing countries: Impact and response Oxfam International presented the findings of its research on the global economic crisis. This research had involved 12 countries, 2,500 individuals, and studies by a range of universities and international organizations. According to the research, the crisis had affected poor people and people in developing countries worldwide with a depth and complexity and in a diversity of ways that made it impossible to make easy generalizations about the impacts of the crisis and about patterns of resilience and vulnerability. The research also showed that countries and households had been dealing with the economic crisis better than expected, with families supporting each other, sharing food, information and money, and keeping children in school. In view of the results of the research, the session explored the limits of resilience for families and nations, in the context of ongoing shocks. The findings on fiscal impacts in poor countries showed that budgets in 2010 were being cut on average by 0.2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP); two thirds of the countries for which social spending details were available were cutting budget allocations in one or more of the priority social sectors of education, health, agriculture and social protection; and education and social protection were being particularly badly affected, with average spending levels in 2010 lower even than those in 2008. Oxfam stated that the policy implications and lessons from the research showed that Governments should plan for crises before they occurred and should monitor their impacts; they should support local-level coping mechanisms and initiatives to support equality; and post-crisis, they should replenish resilience and ensure sustained support from donors and international financial institutions. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called on Governments to maintain, as a priority, the focus on social spending in essential services and agriculture, and proposed that this be done by increasing the fiscal space of Governments through taxation on natural resources and the financial sector. This taxation should be progressive, and not regressive. The International Labour Organization (ILO) noted that the top priority to get out of the crisis should be job creation through structural investment in social protection, agriculture, social security, health and education. 21 H.E. Matern Y. C. Lumbanga, Ambassador of United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations, moderates the session on “Is there development in trade agreements? A look at the Doha Development Agenda and free trade agreements”. Breakout session 2: Innovative financing mechanisms (e.g. special drawing rights, new reserve systems and financial transaction taxes) This session examined proposals for innovative finance. Many of the suggestions were for new taxes, such as a financial transaction tax (FTT), the financial activities tax (FAT) proposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and special drawing rights (SDRs) – reserve assets created without cost by IMF and distributed to member countries in proportion to their quotas. The session noted that an FTT could be a good source of funds and a disincentive to excessive financial speculation. An FTT could be applied to all financial transactions (including purchases of stocks, bonds, derivatives etc.) at a low rate, such as 0.05 per cent, and could be collected by Governments with the proceeds devoted to public goods, split between domestic and international funds. Concerns about FTT proposals included how it would affect developing-country markets and banks, its impact on Caribbean “tax haven” countries, and whether consumer transactions such as remittances would be exempted. On the subject of SDRs, it was pointed out that a general allocation worth $250 billion was made in April 2009 in response to a call from the G-20. 22 Countries could maintain SDRs as reserves bolstering their creditworthiness, freeing up other reserves for expenditures, or could convert them to cash at the cost of a small recurring interest fee. The reforms suggested for SDRs included targeted allocations which would go to countries on the basis of need rather than quota, or donations of rich countries’ “idle” SDRs to countries with greater need. At the session, Mr. Pedro Páez, former Ecuadorean Minister of Economic Coordination, offered a wide-ranging response which included calls for the use of SDRs at the regional level to strengthen new regional architectures, immediate bans on short selling, and limits on speculative positions on credit default swap (CDS) contracts, hedge funds etc. It was noted that the emergence of the “G-192 process” at last year’s United Nations conference on the financial crisis had succeeded in rupturing the traditional approaches both of IMF and of the United Nations. One of the early results had, in fact, been the call for the SDR allocation. Breakout session 3: Is there development in trade agreements? A look at the Doha Development Agenda and free trade agreements This session was led by the South Centre, by Third World Network and by 3D Trade–Human Rights–Equitable Economy. The objective of the session was to exchange views on whether the Doha Round and international trade agreements were leading to effective development outcomes, and to recommend strategies for the way forward. The session focused on the areas of non-agricultural market access (NAMA), services, implementation issues and human rights. It was noted that NAMA tariff cuts were higher than those in agriculture, and that developing countries had higher tariff cuts than developed countries due to the Swiss formula. It was stressed that the adoption of the Swiss formula was part of a broader package that contained other elements vital to ensuring that results in NAMA negotiations were respectful of the principles of special and differential treatment and of less than full reciprocity. It was stated that some countries had complicated the Round further by putting more issues on the table that were not originally in the Doha mandate. With regard to services, it was recognized that the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) had some ingredients conducive for development, such as recognizing least developed country (LDC) concerns, and the positive list approach. Conversely, the domestic regulation negotiations, which aimed to prescribe the way to regulate, did not conform to most developing-country interests and would in fact negate the developmental 23 content of GATS. The session cautioned that liberalization would not work if domestic services capacity was limited, and recommended monitoring and operationalizing article IV of GATS. With regard to issues of implementation, speakers noted the many outstanding issues from the former Round, while stressing the importance of local content requirements to create intra-industry linkages and/or domestic supplier networks. Such requirements could in fact attract foreign direct investment (FDI) as foreign manufacturers sought to “jump the fence”. Other issues highlighted were Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), antidumping, safeguards, and implementation of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreements. Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) were called upon to opt for an “early harvest” of the implementation issues. On human rights, cotton subsidies by developed countries were cited as the reason for the cotton sector in West and Central Africa slowly disappearing, threatening the livelihoods of almost 20 million cotton farmers and their families. Given that WTO negotiations and litigation had not engendered the required policy change, the way forward was to continue promoting a human rights approach to trade. Applied to trade agreements, this included assessing the distributional gains and losses from trade liberalization, and the development of a normative framework to judge the effects of trade rules and to ensure that the policy space offered in WTO was actually being used by WTO members. Mr. Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary-General of CUTS International, speaks at the breakout session titled “Improving food security in the face of climate change”. 24 Breakout session 4: Is there a role for the LDCs in reshaping global economic governance? The session was led by the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS International) in collaboration with UNCTAD. The session looked at the role that the least developed countries (LDCs) could and should play in the debates on the reform of global economic governance and in reshaping it to better reflect their own development needs and aspirations. The session identified two formidable challenges faced by LDCs in relation to global crises and global economic governance: (a) the lack of capacity and resources in LDCs to absorb the severe shocks emanating from failures of international policy and institutions, which could wipe out their scarce development gains; and (b) their marginalization in all the debates related to global economic governance reforms. While LDCs were the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of the crises, they remained the least represented in the forums and mechanisms responsible for dealing with them. Speakers highlighted the need to formally consider issues affecting LDCs and low-income countries by providing them with a seat in such forums as the G-20. They called for the impact of G-20 policies to be taken into consideration, including by emerging markets, and highlighted the need to consider the development impact on LDCs and low-income countries when deciding on or implementing global policies. With regard to issues related to climate change, speakers stressed the need to move beyond needs assessments to a more dynamic framework that would ensure technological transfer to LDCs in support of action on adaptation and mitigation. The discussion noted that the gap between aid commitments and aid disbursements was getting wider, and was tied up with security issues. Geographical allocation of aid had also resulted in the most needy getting less aid. It was pointed out that the free market philosophy favoured the strongest, who prospered while the weaker nations become worse-off. A call was made for a prioritized and concerted effort with a holistic approach, which would ensure that all issues affecting LDCs would be effectively addressed by the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (UNLDC IV). 25 Breakout session 5: Improving food security in the face of climate change This session, led by CUTS International, focused on the challenges that food security and climate change presented for developing countries. It was stated that the food crisis of 2007–2008 was not due to a lack of food, but to a lack of purchasing power on the part of the poor. The world food system – made up of actors dealing with food production and with national and international rules setting the framework for their actions – was not providing food for all. Speakers noted that climate change would impact on food security due to changes in agricultural productivity and extreme weather events. It was expected that there would be further pressure on food security due to increasing populations and changing food habits resulting from economic growth in developing countries. It was noted that trade policies could be critical in providing incentives and disincentives for investment in agriculture, and similarly, climate change policies could improve or distort trade flows and investments. Agriculture could contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and reducing emissions. Reformed land practices could lead to more production, and would be good for climate change adaptation and mitigation. However, substantial increases in agricultural production, productivity, and investment were needed. Furthermore, a systemic reform of global agricultural trade was needed to discipline the subsidization by developed countries. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed how focusing on enhancing soil fertility would be beneficial, and how African countries could not be asked to ensure food security by increasing their food imports, due to their large trade deficits, adverse terms of trade and limited foreign exchange reserves. Participants agreed that top priority should be given to food security and to promoting sustainable agriculture, and that policy coherence and coordinated processes across trade, food security and climate change were needed. In the concluding remarks, two main points from these discussions arose: firstly, that a large part of the action agenda related to these issues was national, and secondly, that the issues were complex and required in-depth discussions among all stakeholders. 26 Breakout session 6: To green or not to green: Challenges and opportunities for development and decent work It was stated that as the climate crisis was advancing, it was also providing an opportunity for the creation of green jobs, which would mitigate and reverse its effects. This new sector of the economy should not be allowed to develop structural deficiencies in terms of workers’ rights and women’s representation. These jobs, however, would not arrive automatically. The session identified the need for a major investment plan in green infrastructure, technology, human resources development, and production, in order to materialize decent green jobs and guarantee a just transition to a low-carbon economy, after full consultation with the social partners. More research on the impact of greening existing jobs and the creation of new green jobs was needed. The session referred to some of the research that had already been carried out in that area. It was thus pointed out that in Germany, the assessments showed that if the country invested in renewable sources, then by 2020, 12.7 per cent of the working population would be employed in such positions. If not, then the green private sector would account for 8.3 per cent of total jobs. Research in the United Kingdom showed that many jobs would be created there; however the GDP would be between 0.25 and 0.82 per cent lower per year. Nonetheless, this investment was necessary as the costs and consequences of climate change exceeded the costs of investing in it. The session concluded that in order to put the decent work and green jobs agendas forward, UNCTAD could provide regional platforms for developing decent green jobs, as well as best practices that would help countries to implement them. WTO could also contribute by eliminating tariffs on environmental products and by initiating an environmental dimension in the negotiations. Finally, the countries should provide incentives in the form of subsidies, tax breaks and other supportive measures for the rising green economy. Breakout session 7: Responsible investment in agriculture: Sustainable and peoplecentred approaches This session was moderated by 3D Trade–Human Rights–Equitable Economy and by the International Institute for Sustainable Development. The session heard that private investors, transnational corporations and governments had been leasing tracts of arable land in Africa and Asia to produce food and biofuels for export back home. These deals were often arranged in secrecy and without the participation of the local communities 27 who owned or used the land being negotiated. The consequence of this situation was that often, such agreements neither benefited local farmers nor contributed to domestic food security. To address some of the concerns that had arisen in that context, the World Bank, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and UNCTAD had formulated principles for responsible investment in agriculture. Similarly, the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food had proposed a set of principles based on international human rights law, alongside other international initiatives. The session noted that applying a human rights framework to investment in agriculture could help improve people’s livelihoods. The proposed guidelines were voluntary and did not protect the rights of small-scale farmers and others affected. While investors could rely on hard law and enforceable rights to protect their investments, local people’s land rights were often ignored or non-existent. Moreover, the World Bank (through the International Finance Mr. Boris Engelson from Partage International intervenes at the breakout session titled “Investing in Farmland: Sustainable and People-centered Approaches”. Corporation (IFC) and the Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS)) and the governments of developed countries were promoting foreign investment in agriculture and liberalization of domestic land markets, contradicting the principles. As a way forward, a moratorium should be considered for countries where large tracts of land are negotiated. The principles should be operationalized and model contracts and other tools should be established for Governments, based on the existing work carried out by IFAD and FAO. Development funding for agriculture should be tied explicitly to the principles, and impact assessments with regard to human rights and social and environmental standards should become mandatory before land deals are negotiated or 28 implemented. National policies to protect the land rights and other rights of local peoples must be ensured. Finally, Governments should play a predominant role in developing agriculture and should allocate public resources to the sector, rather than supporting export-oriented agricultural production. Breakout session 8: Too hot to handle? How to bridge the climate justice and global economic reform agendas? This session was led by UNCTAD and the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) and explored the political complexities and strategic opportunities presented in balancing a fair climate deal with the systemic economic reform agenda articulated at the United Nations since 2009. The urgent need to finance large investments to meet interrelated socioeconomic and climate threats provided the basis for a shared dialogue. The lead speaker noted that in light of the disappointing results of the Copenhagen Summit, there were three possible bargaining models for future climate talks: (a) A grand coalition by the G-192 (operating through the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)): An inclusive intergovernmental model that was disrupted in the build-up to Copenhagen. (b) A coalition of the willing (based on the Copenhagen Accord): A framework signed by a very small number of powerful countries which may also serve as an instrument by stronger countries to coerce weaker ones into agreement. (c) A “truly grand bargain”: The third scenario brought together reform of the international financial architecture and a climate change deal. It could be less politically costly than options a and b, while dramatically scaling up the capacity of the international community to mobilize the level of resources required for a fair climate deal. The third option was based primarily on the much more extensive and equitable use of special drawing rights, as had been discussed in the context of the United Nations global economic reform agenda since 2009. SDRs provided the possibility of issuing an international reserve currency that could act as a backup for increased emission of domestic currency to finance the “great leap” investments needed for transition to high-growth low-carbon development paths. An alternative perspective advocated the use of “global SDRs” to play the role of “lender of last resort” to back regional currencies (“regional SDRs”), which, among other things, could fulfil similar functions of providing liquidity for local investments in climate-change adaptation and mitigation. 29 Annexes Programme Monday, 10 May 2010 10:00–10:30 PLENARY I: OPENING Room XVIII Welcoming remarks by H.E. Ambassador Jean Feyder, President, UNCTAD Trade and Development Board Introductory remarks by Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD Followed by ROUND TABLE: 10:30–13:00 Theme: Responding to Global Crises: New Development Paths ModeratorMr. Jonathan Lynn, World Trade Correspondent and Chief Correspondent, Reuters News, Geneva PanelMr. David Nabarro, Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, United Nations High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis Mr. Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, OHCHR, Geneva Ms. Makhotso Magdeline Sotyu, Chairperson, Parliament of South Africa Mr. Rehman Sobhan, Chair, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh Ms. Anne Jellema, International Policy and Campaign Director, ActionAid International, South Africa Followed by INTERACTIVE DEBATE 14:00–15:30 BREAKOUT SESSIONS Room XXIIThe Global Economic Crisis and Developing Countries: Impact and Response Led by Oxfam International Room XXIII Innovative Financing Mechanisms (e.g. Special Drawing Rights, New Reserve Systems and Financial Transaction Taxes) Led by Third World Network and ActionAid International Room XXVII Is There Development in Trade Agreements? A Look at the Doha Development Agenda and Free Trade Agreements Led by South Centre, Third World Network and 3D -> Trade–Human Rights– Equitable Economy Room XVIII Is There a Role for the LDCs in Reshaping Global Economic Governance? Led by UNCTAD and CUTS International 15:45–18:00 PLENARY II: Room XVIII Theme: Rethinking Global Economic Governance: Towards Trade and Financial Reforms to Support Development Moderator Mr. Ram Etwareea, Journalist, Le Temps, Geneva Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) 31 Ms. Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, and Chair, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, India Mr. Pedro Páez, President, Ecuadorian Technical Commission for a New Regional Financial Architecture, and former Minister of Economic Coordination of Ecuador Ms. Nuria Molina, Director, European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD), Belgium Followed by INTERACTIVE DEBATE 32 Tuesday, 11 May 2010 10:00–13:00 PLENARY III: Room XVIII Theme: Alternative Development Strategies: Towards More Inclusive and Sustainable Development Paths ModeratorMs. Anne Jellema, International Policy and Campaign Director, ActionAid International, South Africa Mr. Richard Kozul-Wright, Officer-in-Charge, Economic Cooperation and Integration Among Developing Countries Unit, UNCTAD Mr. Mouhamady Cissokho, President, Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA), Senegal Mr. Biraj Patnaik, Principal Adviser, Office of the Commissioners to the Supreme Court (right to food cases), India Mr. Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary-General, CUTS International, India Followed by INTERACTIVE DEBATE 14:00–15:30 BREAKOUT SESSIONS Room XXII Improving Food Security in the Face of Climate Change Led by CUTS International Room XXIIITo Green or Not to Green: Challenges and Opportunities for Development and Decent Work Led by International Trade Union Confederation Room XXVIIResponsible Investment in Agriculture: Sustainable and People-centered Approaches Led by 3D -> Trade–Human Rights–Equitable Economy, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development Room XVIII Too Hot to Handle? How to Bridge the Climate Justice and Global Economic Reform Agendas? Led by UNCTAD and the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service 15:45–18:00 PLENARY IV: Room XVIII CLOSING Chaired by H.E. Ambassador Jean Feyder, President, UNCTAD Trade and Development Board Special Address: Ms. Mary Robinson, President, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Summary by Mr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Special Advisor on LDCs, UNCTAD Final comments from the floor Concluding remarks: Mr. Petko Draganov, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD H.E. Ambassador Jean Feyder, President, UNCTAD Trade and Development Board 33 Breakout Sessions Monday, 10 May 2010 14:00–15:30 Room XXII BREAKOUT SESSIONS The Global Economic Crisis and Developing Countries: Impact and Response Led by Oxfam International Moderator Esther Busser, Assistant Director, ITUC-CSI Geneva Office DiscussantsUma Amara, Senior Development Economist, ILO Institute Isabel Ortiz, Associate Director, and link to the “Recovery with a Human Face” network, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Richard King, Economic Justice Research, Oxfam, United Kingdom RapporteurIsabel M. Mazzei, Senior Policy Advisor, OXFAM International Room XXIII Innovative Financing Mechanisms (e.g. Special Drawing Rights, New Reserve Systems and Financial Transaction Taxes) Led by Third World Network and ActionAid International ModeratorSoren Ambrose, Development Finance Coordinator, ActionAid International DiscussantsBhumika Muchhala, Finance and Development Programme, Third World Network (TWN) Soren Ambrose, Development Finance Coordinator, ActionAid International RapporteurSoren Ambrose, Development Finance Coordinator, ActionAid International Room XXVII Is There Development in Trade Agreements? A Look at the Doha Development Agenda and Free Trade Agreements Led by South Centre, Third World Network and 3D -> Trade–Human Rights– Equitable Economy ModeratorH.E. Matern Y. C. Lumbanga, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva PresentationsPablo Obregón, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Argentina, byGeneva Sanya Reid Smith, Legal Advisor, Third World Network Violette Ruppanner, Director, 3D -> Trade–Human Rights–Equitable Economy Offah Obale, Programme Officer, South Centre Rapporteur Peter Lunenborg, South Centre Room XVIIIIs There a Role for the LDCs in Reshaping Global Economic Governance? Led by UNCTAD and CUTS International ModeratorDebapriya Bhattacharya, Special Adviser on LDCs, Office of the SecretaryGeneral, UNCTAD PresentationsH.E. Dr. Anthony Mothae Maruping, Ambassador of Lesotho to the by United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva Ahmed Abdel Latif, Intellectual Property and Technology Programme Manager, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) Dirk Willem te Velde, Director of Programmes, Overseas Development Institute, United Kingdom RapporteurDebapriya Bhattacharya, Special Adviser on LDCs, Office of the SecretaryGeneral, UNCTAD 34 Tuesday, 11 May 2010 14:00– 15:30 BREAKOUT SESSIONS Room XXIIImproving Food Security in the Face of Climate Change Led by CUTS International Moderator Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary-General, CUTS International PresentationsIsabel Mazzei, Senior Policy Advisor, OXFAM International, Geneva by Jonathan Hepburn, Agriculture Programme Officer, ICTSD Luisa Bernal, Trade and Development Specialist, and Massimiliano Riva, Trade and Capacity Development Specialist, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Geneva CommentsSamuel Gayi, Chief, Commodities Research and Analysis, Special Unit on Commodities, UNCTAD RapporteurPradeep S. Mehta / Atul Kaushik / Rashid Kaukab, CUTS International Room XXIIITo Green or Not to Green: Challenges and Opportunities for Development and Decent Work Led by International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Moderator Georgios Altintzis, ITUC-CSI Geneva Office DiscussantsSally Jeanrenaud, Green Economy Coalition Programme Director, International Institute for Environment and Development David Kucera, Senior Research Economist, Integration/Policy Coherence Group, International Labour Organization Rapporteur Esther Busser, Assistant Director, ITUC-CSI Geneva Office Room XXVIIResponsible Investment in Agriculture: Sustainable and People-centered Approaches Led by 3D -> Trade–Human Rights–Equitable Economy, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development ModeratorViolette Ruppanner, Director, 3D-> Trade–Human Rights–Equitable Economy DiscussantsMamadou Cissokho, Co-founder, Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs d’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA) Hafiz Mirza, Economic Affairs Officer, Investment Analysis Branch, Division on Investment and Enterprise, UNCTAD Carin Smaller, Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development RapporteurViolette Ruppanner, Director, 3D-> Trade - Human Rights - Equitable Economy Room XVIII T oo Hot to Handle? How to Bridge the Climate Justice and Global Economic Reform Agendas? Led by UNCTAD and the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service ModeratorHamish Jenkins, United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service DiscussantsMichael Clark, former Senior Adviser for Economic and Security Affairs to the President of the sixty-third United Nations General Assembly Soren Ambrose, Development Finance Coordinator, ActionAid International Richard Kozul-Wright, Officer-in-Charge, Economic Cooperation and Integration among Developing Countries Unit, UNCTAD RapporteurRichard Kozul-Wright, Officer-in-Charge, Economic Cooperation and Integration among Developing Countries Unit, UNCTAD 35 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS Member States Albania Mr. Pistoli Miranda, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Angola Mr. Almeida Luzitu, Delegate, Permanent Mission, Geneva Austria Ms. Brigette Lüth, Attaché, Permanent Mission, Geneva Bahrain Ms. Muna Radhi, Deupty Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission, Geneva Bangladesh Mr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Mr. Md. Ruhul Amin, Intern, Permanent Mission, Geneva Barbados Ms. Marion Vernese Williams, Ambassador, Permanent Mission, Geneva Ms. Corlita Babb-Schaefer, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Brazil Mr. Thiago Costa Dias, Trainee, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva Bulgaria Mr. Volodya Bojkov, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Burkina Faso Mr. Ambroise Balina, Economic Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Cambodia Mr. Sun Suon, Ambassador, Permanent Mission, Geneva Cameroon Ms. Sylvie Marie-Louise Eyeffa Ekomo, Head of Division, Ministry of Finance, Yaoundé China Mr. Chen Jianping, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Congo Mr. Lambert Bisseyou, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Côte d’Ivoire M. Kouadio Kouakou, Chargé d’affaires, Mission permanente, Genève M. Kobou Jérôme, Sous Directeur à la Direction générale de l’économie au Ministère de l’économie et des finances M. Gabriel Kohou, Conseiller économique, Mission permanente, Genève M. Animan Ettkan, Conseiller commercial, Mission permanente, Genève Mme Caroline Niangoran, Chargée d’études à la Direction des affaires économiques extérieures et de l’intégration M. Bamba N’Vadro, Premier secrétaire, Mission permanente, Genève M. Bamba Bakary Junior, Attaché, Mission permanente, Genève M. Kouakou Félix, Attaché, Mission permanente, Genève M. Adingra Yao Kouman, Attaché, Mission permanente, Genève M. Zagbayou Joel, Attaché, Mission permanente, Genève Czech Republic Ms. Andrea Petrankova, Third Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Dominican Republic Mr. Luis Manuel Piantini Munnigh, Ambassador, Permanent Mission, Geneva Sra. Magaly Bello de Kemper, Ministro Consejero, Misión Permanente, Ginebra 37 Ecuador Mr. Pedro Páez, President of the Ecuadorian Technical Commission for a New Regional Financial Architecture, and former Minister of Economic Coordination of Ecuador Mr. Carlos Santos, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva El Salvador Ms. Carmen Elena Castillo-Gallandat, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Finland Ms. Heli Niemi, First Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Ms. Reettasisko Pakkala, Intern, Permanent Mission, Geneva France Mme Louise Burdloff, Direction générale de la mondialisation, Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes M. Moncef Follain, Direction générale de la mondialisation, Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes Mme Delphine Lida, Conseillère (Affaires économiques et Développement), Mission permanente, Genève M. Etienne Polle, Stagiaire, Mission permanente, Genève Germany Mr. Wolfgang Rechenhofer, Counsellor, Economic Affairs, Permanent Mission, Geneva Greece Ms. Andriani Falconaki-Sotiropoulos, First Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Haiti Mr. Frantz Dorsainville, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Holy See Mr. Jean Tardieu, Permanent Mission, Geneva India Mr. Biraj Patnaik, Principal Advisor, Office of the Commissioners to the Supreme Court of India in the Right to Food Cases, New Delhi Mr. Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav, Third Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Indonesia Mr. Joannes Tandjung, Third Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Iraq Mr. Razaq Mashkoor, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Jordan Ms. Ghadeer El-Fayez, Advisor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Kazakhstan Ms. Zharkin Kakimzhanova, Head of WTO Unit, Permanent Mission, Geneva Lesotho Mr. Mothae Anthony Maruping, Ambassador Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission, Geneva Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Mr. Abdulmonem Burawi, Economic Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Luxembourg Mr. Jean Feyder, Ambassador Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission, Geneva Madagascar Mr. Julien Rakotomalala, Attaché, Permanent Mission, Geneva Malaysia Mr. Ismail Mohamad Bkri, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Mauritius Ms. Tanya Prayag-Gujadhur, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva 38 Mexico Ms. Judith Arrieta, Consejero, Permanent Mission, Geneva Ms. Yara Fosado, Consejero, Permanent Mission, Geneva Mr. Ismael Ortíz, Consejero, Permanent Mission, Geneva Mr. Victor Genina, Advisor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Ms. Miriam Romero, Permanent Mission, Geneva Morocco Mr. Omar Hilale, Ambassador, Permanent Mission, Geneva Mr. Anas Alami-Hamedane, First Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Nepal Mr. Ravi Bhattarai, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission, Geneva Mr. Dev Prasad Thapaliya, WTO Mission Intern, Permanent Mission, Geneva Nigeria Ms. Jola Orimolote, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Romania Ms. Octavia Cerchez, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Russian Federation Mr. Efim Stroev, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Senegal Mr. Mboup Ndiaga, First Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Serbia Mr. Uglješa Zvekić, Ambassador, Permanent Mission, Geneva Ms. Olivera Jocic, First Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva South Africa Mr. Johan van Wyk, Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Spain Mr. Ignacio de las Cuevas, Technical Assistant, ILO Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Immigration Ms. Myriam Herrero Couto, Intern, Permanent Mission, Geneva Sudan Mr. Mohamed Adam Ibrahim, Intern, Mission to WTO, Permanent Mission, Geneva Sweden Ms. Maria Nordwall Liungman, Senior Advisor, National Board of Trade, Stockholm Switzerland Mr. Alexandre Ghelew, Programme Officer, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Berne Tajikistan Mr. Nasimjon Hakimov, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Tajikistan, Geneva Timor-Leste Mr. Joaquim da Fonseca, Ambassador, Permanent Mission, Geneva Thailand Ms. Thararut Hanlumyuang, First Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Turkey Mr. Sezai Bayrakli, Ministry of Agriculture, Turkey Ms. Gulzade Kaplan, Ministry of Agriculture, Turkey Ms. Pervin Karahocagil, Ministry of Agriculture, Turkey Mr. Sabri Topbas, Ministry of Agriculture, Turkey Ms. Irem Akkaya, Head of Department, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Turkey Ms. Ozge Akpinar, Expert, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Turkey Mr. Emrah Karakilic, Economic Counsellor, Permanent Mission, Geneva Mr. Hüsnü Ada, Foreign Trade Expert, Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry for Foreign Trade, Ankara Ms. Serife Yildirim, Junior Foreign Trade Expert, Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry for Foreign Trade, Ankara Ukraine Ms. Nataliya Fedyora, Senior Economist, Permanent Mission, Geneva 39 United Arab Emirates Ms. Rita Sayah, Coordinator, Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to WTO, Geneva United Republic of Tanzania Mr. Matern Y. C. Lumbanga, Ambassador Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission, Geneva United States of America Mr. Jonathan Peccia, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Uzbekistan Mr. Badriddin Obidov, First Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Mr. Nodir Nurmatov, Third Secretary, Permanent Mission, Geneva Yemen Mr. Fadhl Al-Maghafi, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission, Geneva Zambia Ms. Lillian Bwalya, First Secretary (Trade), Permanent Mission, Geneva Observers Palestine Ms. Samah Atout, Second Secretary, Permanent Observer Mission, Geneva Ms. Deema Asfour, Third Secretary, Permanent Observer Mission, Geneva Intergovernmental and international organizations African Union Ms. Elisabeth Tankeu, Commissioner, Trade and Industry, Addis Ababa Mr. Festus Fajana, Expert, International Trade Negotiation, Addis Ababa Mr. Jacob Nyoyo, Special Assistant of the Commissioner, Addis Ababa Ms. Khadija R. Masri, Permanent Representative of the African Union in Geneva Mr. Faouzi Gsouma, Trade Officer, Geneva European Commission Mr. Andrea Mogni, RELEX Policy Analysis, Brussels European Union Ms. Iveta Pychova, Intern, Delegation of the European Union, Geneva International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Mr. Juan Simon, Project Manager, Geneva Organization of Islamic Countries Mr. Mojtaba Amiri Vahid, Deputy of Mission, Geneva Organisation internationale de la Francophonie M. Hervé Cronel, Conseiller spécial chargé de l’économie et du développement durable, Paris Mme Cécile Léqué, Conseiller (Affaires économiques et Développement), Genève Permanent Delegation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States Mr. Marwa J. Kisiri, Permanent Observer/Head of ACP Office, Geneva Mr. Alejandro Gómez, ACP/WTO Intern, Geneva Ms. Lessie Nava Dore, ACP/WTO Intern, Geneva South Centre Ms. Roshni Dave, Researcher, Geneva Ms. Aileen Kwa, Coordinator, Trade for Development Programme, Geneva Mr. Peter Lunenborg, Geneva Mr. Offah Obale, Programme Officer, Geneva Mr. Vicente Paolo Yu, Programme Coordinator, Global Governance for Development Programme Ms. Xuan Zhang, Associate Research Officer, Geneva Parliamentarians Inter-Parliamentary Union Mr. Serguei Tchelnokov, Programme Manager, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva Ms. Elisabete Azevedo, Programme Officer on Development Issues, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva 40 Parliament of the Republic of South Africa Ms. Makhotso Magdeline Sotyu, Chair, Committee on Safety and Security, Cape Town Ms. Shereen Banu Dawood, Content Advisor, Cape Town Parliament of the Republic of South Africa and African National Congress Mr. Sisa James Njikelana, Member of Parliament, Cape Town United Nations agencies, funds and programmes Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Mr. Josef Schmidhuber, Senior Economist, United Nations Liaison Office, Geneva International Labour Organization Ms. Uma Amara, Senior Development Economist, International Institute of Labour Studies, Geneva Ms. Valentina Beghini, Geneva Mr. Thomas Debrouwer, Consultant, Vernier, Geneva Mr. David Kucera, Senior Research Economist, Integration/Policy Coherence Group, Geneva Mr. Pierre Laliberté, Research Officer, Geneva Mr. Vital Nero, Geneva Mr. Ian Orton, Social Security Analyst, International Social Security Association, Geneva Mr. Aurelio Parisotto, Senior Economist, Policy Integration Department, Geneva Mr. Stephen Pursey, Geneva International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO Ms. Luisa Cassaro, Associate Corporate Communications Officer, Geneva Ms. Micaela Daniel, Chief, Communications and Events, Geneva Ms. Riefqah Jappie, Strategic Planning Advisor, Office of the Executive Director, Geneva Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Geneva United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Ms. Isabel Ortíz, Associate Director, Policy and Practice, New York United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General, New York United Nations Development Programme Ms. Cécile Molinier, Director, Geneva Ms. Emefa Attigah, Policy Analyst, Trade and Capacity Development, Geneva Ms. Luisa Bernal, Policy Specialist, Geneva Mr. David Luke, Senior Advisor, Geneva Mr. Massimiliano Riva, Policy Specialist, Geneva Ms. Hyun Young Song, Geneva United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Ms. Laura Altinger, Geneva Mr. Magdi Farahat, Principal Advisor on Trade, Geneva United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Mr. Luis Tiburcio, Director, Geneva Mme Cecilie Golden, Spécialiste de Programme du Secteur des Sciences sociales et humaines, Paris Mr. Favier Myriam, Geneva United Nations Environment Programme Ms. Anna Autio, Associate Legal Officer, Geneva United Nations Industrial Development Organization Mr. Jean-Marc Deroy, Director, and UNIDO representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva Mr. Gaelle Okio, Intern, Geneva United Nations Research Institute for Social Development Ms. Sarah Cook, Director, Geneva 41 United Nations Secretariat Mr. David Nabarro, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Food Security and Nutrition; Coordinator of the High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis; Senior United Nations System Coordinator for Avian and Pandemic Influenza, Geneva Mr. Michael Clark, Former Senior Advisor for Economic and Security Affairs to the President of the sixty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly World Intellectual Property Organization Mr. Victor Owade, Geneva World Trade Organization Ms. Beatriz Alvarez Castillo, Translator/Reviser, Geneva Mr. Hakim Ben Hammouda, Director, Geneva Ms. Janaina Borges, Geneva Ms. Stefania Gallo, Consultant, Information and External Relations Division, Geneva Mr. S.I.M. Nayyar, Counsellor, Development Division, Geneva Ms. María Pérez Esteve, Counsellor, Geneva Ms. Jennifer Schenk, Intern, Geneva Civil society, academia, media and private sector organizations 3D-> Trade–Human Rights–Equitable Economy Ms. Violette Ruppanner, Director, Geneva Ms. Katia Aeby González Hernández, Programme Officer, Geneva Mr. Claudio Brenni, Programme Assistant, Geneva Action Jeunesse pour le Développement M. Edmond Ernest Mampouya, Chargé de Mission, Brazzaville, Congo ActionAid International Mr. C. Soren Ambrose, Development Finance Coordinator, Nairobi Ms. Anne Jellema, International Policy and Campaign Policy Director, Rosenbank, South Africa African Commission of Health and Human Rights Promoters Ms. Ana Leurinda, Geneva African Peace Network Mr. Alex Adu Appiah, Executive Director, Accra Mr. Joseph Amoah, Project Officer, Accra Mr. Emmanuel Tei-Fio, Youth Cordinator, Accra Al-Hakim Foundation Mr. Abdul Amier Hashom, Main Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva Alliance for Freedom and Dignity Mr. Houssein El Ouariachi, Secretary, Barcelona, Spain Alliance Sud Ms. Isolda Agazzi, Trade Policy Officer, Lausanne, Switzerland Association congolaise d’education et de prévention contre les maladies et la drogue M. Philippe Sylvestre Boudzoumou, Chargé de programmes, Brazzaville Association Femmes et Actions pour le développement Ms. Camara Mariam Mansa, Preoisente, Conakry, Guinea Association for Women’s Rights in Development Ms. Alejandra Scampini Franco, Toronto, Canada Association pour l’Action sociale et le développement Ms. Monkam Siewe Claire, Représentant, UNECE Genève, Douala, Cameroon Birkbeck College Ms. Aikaterini (Catharine) Titi, London Business and Professional Women International Ms. Karin Kausch, Cully, Switzerland 42 Business and Investment Management Mr. Erik Bjertnes, Geneva Catholic Agency for Overseas Development Ms. Christina Weller, Economic Policy Analyst, London Centre for International Environmental Law Mr. Marcos Orellana, Director, Human Rights and Environment Programme, and Trade and Sustainable Development Programme, Washington, D.C. Centre for Sociocultural Development Mr. Alpha Grace, Executive Director, Neuchâtel, Switzerland Centre du Commerce international pour le Développement Mr. Biro Diawara, Representative, Geneva Centre Europe - Tiers Monde Mr. Florian Rochat, Representative, Geneva Centre for Policy Dialogue Mr. Rehman Sobhan, Chair, Dhaka Centre for Socio-economic Development Mr. Raymond Saner, Director, Geneva Ms. Lichia Saner-Yiu, President, Geneva Mr. Mario Filadoro, Geneva Centre for Trade Policy and Development Mr. Savior Mwambwa, Executive Director, Lusaka Centre indépendant de recherches et d’initiative pour le dialogue Mr. Alfred Gondo, Vernier, Switzerland CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation Ms. Renate Bloem, Past President of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO), and United Nations representative in Geneva, Veigy-Foncenex, France Collectif des femmes pour la protection de l’environnement et de l’enfant Ms. Dora Ngo Ndjeng Epse Sende, President, Douala, Cameroon Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Ms. Price Germaine, NGO Main Representative, New York Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations Ms. Yejin Kim, Geneva Ms. Beatriz Schulthess, Senior Associate, Advocacy, Finance and Administration, Geneva Consortium for Trade and Development Mr. Linu Mathew Philip, Executive Director and Fellow, New Delhi Coordination des ONG africaines des droites de l’homme Mr. Claude Citon, Research and documentation, Geneva Mr. Emmanuel Nduwayezu, Geneva Coordination nationale des organisations paysannes du Mali Mr. Ibrahima Coulibaly, President, Bamako CUTS Geneva Resource Centre Mr. Atul Kaushik, Director, Geneva Mr. Rashid Kaukab, Deputy Director, Geneva Mr. Julian Mukiibi, Research Officer, Geneva Ms. Josiane Rufener, Administrative Officer, Geneva CUTS International Mr. Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary-General, Jaipur, India Dominicans for Justice and Peace (Order of Preachers) Mr. Olivier Poquillon, Director, Geneva Ms. Claire Monnet, Geneva Mr. Guy Musy, Geneva Ms. Evelyn von Steffens, Geneva 43 Espace Afrique International M. Gerard-Claude Camara, Administrateur-Délégué, Genève European Network on Debt and Development Ms. Nuria Molina, Director, Brussels Fair Trade Advocacy Office Mr. Sergi Corbalan, Coordinator, Brussels Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Mr. Amit Mitra, Secretary-General, New Delhi Femmes Africa Solidarité Ms. Loraine Mfegue, Coordinator, Geneva Finnish United Nations Association Ms. Helena Laukko, Executive Director, Helsinki FOCSIV - Volontari nel Mondo Mr. Sergio Marelli, Secretary-General, Rome Fondation des oeuvres pour la solidarité et le bien-être social Mr. Tony Ndefru Frachaha, Training and Research Manager, Kinshasa Mr. Guillaume Okitotete Andjadjumi, Development and Studies Manager, Kinshasa Foundation for Gaia Ms. Vita de Waal, Executive Director, Southampton, United Kingdom Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Mr. Winfried Veit, Director of FES, Geneva Mr. Berron Gonzalo, Project Director, São Paulo, Brazil Mr. Nikolai Sonnenberg, Geneva Geneva Social Observatory Ms. Elena Iannaccone, Intern, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva Global Traders’ Conference Mr. Basant Raj Bhandari, Chief Consultant, Geneva Grain and Feed Trade Association Ms. June Arnold, Head of Policy, Geneva Gulf Research Centre Foundation Ms. Rachida Amsaghrou, Project Manager, Geneva Hagen Resources International Ms. Katherine Hagen, CEO, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva Ingénieurs du monde M. François Ullman, Président, Divonne, France M. Raymond Ullman, Directeur, Divonne, France Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement Mr. Slobodan Djajic, Professor, International Economics, Geneva Ms. Danielle Ecoffey, Director, Global Issues and NGO Programme, Geneva Ms. Krista Joosep, Student, Geneva Ms. Hao Li, Geneva Mr. Nathanael Ojong, Doctoral Student, Geneva Mr. Yorbana Seign-goura, Student, Geneva Institute of Economic Affairs Ms. Mary Odongo, Programme Officer, Trade Information Programme, Nairobi Ms. Miriam Walo Oiro Omolo, Trade Programme Officer, Nairobi Instituto de Relaciones Económicas Internacionales Mr. Umberto Mazzei, Director, Echenevex, France International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development Mr. Ahmed Abdel Latif, Geneva Mr. Christophe Bellmann, Programmes Director, Geneva Ms. Cecile de Gardelle, Dialogue Coordinator, Geneva Mr. Paolo Ghisu, Junior Programme Officer for Trade-supported Strategies for Development, Geneva Mr. Jonathan Hepburn, Agriculture Programme Officer, Geneva 44 Ms. Ingrid Jegou, Research Fellow, Geneva Mr. Ricardo Meléndez-Ortíz, Chief Executive, Geneva Ms. Adriana Verdier, Projects Manager, Chief Executive’s Office, Geneva International Corporate Governance Network Mr. André Baladi, Geneva International Federation of University Women Ms. Réka Fogarasi Musso, Geneva International Institute for Environment and Development Ms. Sally Jeanrenaud, Green Economy Coalition Programme Director, London International Institute for Sustainable Development Ms. Carin Smaller, Advisor, Geneva International Movement ATD Fourth World Ms. Megumi Furubayashi, Geneva International Trade Union Confederation Mr. Georgios Altintzis, Trade and Globalization Assistant, Brussels International Volunteering Organization for Women, Education, Development Ms. Maria d’Onofrio, Veyrier, Switzerland Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice Ms. MariaGrazia Caputo, Permanent Representative, Veyrier, Switzerland Mr. Giancarlo Caputo, Veyrier, Switzerland Ms. Ana Maria Matoso Rodrigues, Veyrier, Switzerland Ms. Valentina Neri, Veyrier, Switzerland Ms. Lorenza Pastore, Veyrier, Switzerland Ms. Francesca Scanziani, Veyrier, Switzerland Jawaharlal Nehru University Ms. Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics and Chair of the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, New Delhi Kanuri Development Association Mr. Babagana Abubakar, Vice-President, Maiduguri, Nigeria Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt Mr. Daniel Schwenger, Ingolstadt, Germany Le Temps Mr. Ram Etwareea, Journalist, Geneva Les Roches-Gruyère University of Applied Sciences Mr. Ian Jenkins, Director of Research, Bulle, Switzerland Ms. Ruth Rios-Morales, Deputy Director of Research, Bulle, Switzerland Lifeworth Consulting Mr. Jem Bendell, Chester, United Kingdom Medical Care Development International Ms. Joyce Jett, International Representative, Geneva and New York Mouvement des entreprises de France Ms. Catherine Minard, International Director, Paris The New School, Graduate Programme in International Affairs Mr. Barry Herman, Visiting Senior Fellow, New York Nova - Centre for Social Innovation Ms. Gisele Iecker de Almeida, Barcelona Consensus Coordinator, Barcelona, Spain Observatoire de la Finance M. Nelson Vera Buechel, Genève Organisation Camerounaise de promotion de la cooperation internationale Ms. Micheline Makou Djouma, Présidente, Geneva Mr. Olivier André-Marie, Geneva Ms. Mireille Marie-Claude Barbier, Geneva Mr. Denis Sapin, Geneva 45 Overseas Development Institute Mr. Dirk Willem te Velde, Director of Programmes, London Mr. Christian Kingombe, London Oxfam International Mr. Richard King, Policy Researcher, Oxford, United Kingdom Ms. Isabel Morales-Mazzei, Senior Policy Advisor, Geneva Partage International Mr. Luc Guillory, Saint-Etienne, France Quaker United Nations Office Ms. Caroline Dommen, Geneva Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative Ms. Mary Robinson, President, New York Mr. Scott Jerbi, Senior Special Advisor, Geneva Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l’Afrique de l’ouest M. Cheikh Mouhamady Cissokho, President d’honneur, Ouagadougou Reuters News Mr. Jonathan Lynn, World Trade Correspondent and Chief Correspondent, Geneva Rivkine Projects Engineering Mr. Jacques Rivkine, Private Consultant, Geneva Mr. Olivier Wege, Geneva Safe Observer International Ms. Garance Upham, General Secretary, Prevessin, France Mr. Jean-Jacques Monot, Treasurer, Prevessin, France Sanu - Training for Sustainable Development Ms. Patricia Recordon, Bassins, Switzerland Social Observatory Institute Mr. Alexandre Barbosa, Director, Brazil Sustainable Development Policy Institute Mr. Gulbaz Khan, Research Associate, Islamabad Third World Institute/Social Watch Mr. Robert Bissio, Executive Director, Montevideo Third World Network Ms. Bhumika Muchhala, Geneva Ms. Sanya Reid-Smith, Geneva Ms. Raksha Muchhala, Geneva Mr. Pradip Muchhala, Geneva Tunisian Mothers’ Organization Ms. Souade Beguelin-Amdouni, Geneva Ms. Saida Wolf, Geneva Union mondiale des organisations féminines catholiques Ms. Jocelyne Meyer de Stadelhofen, Cologny, Switzerland Ms. Zina Rassam, Geneva United Nations Foundation Ms. Dulce Benke, International Policy Consultant, Geneva Universal Peace Federation Mr. Alan Sillitoe, Web and IT Specialist, Chêne-Bourg, Geneva Università Cattolica di Milano Ms. Chiara Pierazzi, Researcher in Development Affairs, Geneva Université Paul Cézanne - CERIC Aix-en-Provence Mme Catherine Rosso, Marseille, France Village Suisse ONG Mr. Adalbert Nouga, Administrateur Fondateur, Grand-Lancy, Switzerland Ms. Amanah Ahmed, Membre, Grand-Lancy, Switzerland 46 Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Ms. Edith Ballantyne, Special Advisor on United Nations Matters, Geneva Ms. Jeanne Vickers, Member, Geneva World Association of Former United Nations Interns and Fellows Mr. Jose Fernando Ruiz, Permanent Representative, Gaillard, France World Circle of the Consensus Ms. Roswitha Grass, Committee Member, Geneva World Federation for Mental Health Ms. Myrna Lachenal, Lead representative to the United Nations in Geneva World Federation of Trade Unions Ms. Osiris Oviedo de la Torre, Permanent Representative, Geneva World Movement of Mothers Ms. Valerie Bichelmeier, United Nations representative, Collex, Switzerland World Vision International Mr. Philippe Guiton, Director, Geneva Worldwide Organization for Women Ms. Afton Beutler, Main Representative, United Nations, Geneva Ms. Ruth Kobia, Geneva Ms. Dania Samawi, Middle East Representative, Geneva Individual participants Ms. Juana Paola Bustamante, Geneva Mr. Juan Carlos Bossio Rotondo, Ornex, France Ms. Christina do Paco, Consultant, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva Ms. Eva Hanfstaengl, Consultant, Global Governance, Leipzig, Germany Ms. Gabriele Koehler, former UNCTAD staff member, Munich, Germany Ms. Marie-Thérèse Klein, Former WHO staff member, Geneva Ms. Anna Pizzolante, Switzerland Mr. Ataollah Shafii, Consultant, Geneva Participants from the Programme de formation en gestion de la politque économique Mr. Salim Abdelli, Banque de Développement Local, Algérie Mr. Zoheir Hadjou, Ministère des Finances, Algérie Mr. Belkacem Mabed, Banque d’Algérie, Algérie Mr. Camarou Bello, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Bénin Mr. Anoh Gnimassoun, BCEAO-Agence Bénin, Bénin Mr. Victor Dakissaga, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Burkina Faso Ms. Marie-Jeanne Kabore, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Burkina Faso Mr. Bernabé Ollo Kambou, Conseil Economique et Social, Burkina Faso Ms. Dévote Nimpagaritse, Vice-Ministère chargée de la Planification, Burundi Ms. Dionésie Nkurunziza, Ministère des Finances, Burundi Mr. Rostand Kouonang Njohou, Ministère de l’Economie, de la Planification et de l’Amgt. Terr., Cameroun Mr. Malaquias Gomes Lopes, Ministère des Finances, Cap-Vert Mr. Jean-Jackson Massengue, Ministère des Finances et du Budget, Centrafrique Mr. Bertrand Blaise Nzanga, Ministère de l’Environnement et de l’Ecologie, Centrafrique Mr. Sinclair Tendet, Ministère des Finances et du Budget, Centrafrique Mr. Saandi Islam Ali, Commissariat Général au Plan, Comores Mr. Ali Soule Mhadjiri, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Comores Ms. Frédéric Ngolele, Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et du Budget, Congo Ms. Florence Ossebi, Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et du Budget, Congo Mr. Benjamin Kakanda Selemani, Banque centrale, Democratic Republic of the Congo Mr. M’Boua Paul Michel Aka, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Côte d’Ivoire Mr. Bogui Adam Pierre Legret, ANADER, Côte d’Ivoire Mr. Klotioloma Silue, BCEAO-Agence Côte d’Ivoire, Côte d’Ivoire 47 Mr. Kekoura Beavogui, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Guinée Mr. Ibrahima Bongono, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Guinée Ms. Baïlo Diallo, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Guinée Mr. Moribape Pierre Olemou, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Guinée Mr. Lordis Bernard, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Haïti Mr. Pierre-Orel Dalexis, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Haïti Mr. Catex Stamar, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Haïti Mr. Saminirina Andriambelosoa, Banque centrale, Madagascar Mr. Onésime Randrianantenaina, Ministère des Finances et du Budget, Madagascar Mr. Boucadary Doumbia, Ministère de l’Economie, de l’Industrie et du Commerce, Mali Ms. Halima Kalali, Ministère Habitat, Urbanisme, Aménagement Espace, Maroc Mr. Mostafa Zouida, Ministère de la Santé, Maroc Mr. Yacoub Mohamed Ould Cheikh, Ministère des Affaires Eco. et du Développement, Mauritanie Ms. Tatiana Voloh, Academy for Education Development (USAID), Moldavie Mr. Oumarou Mahaman, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Niger Ms. Angélique Umubyeyi, CHF International, Rwanda Mr. Oumar Diop Diagne, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Sénégal Ms. Awa Ndiaye, Ministère des Collectivités Locales et Décentralisation, Sénégal Ms. Biféi Kombate, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Togo Mr. Komlan Kossi, Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, Togo Mr. Mohamed Sahbi Miled, Ministère des Finances, Tunisie Mr. Tuan Pham Anh, Ministère de l’Industrie et du Commerce, Viet Nam Panellists, chairpersons and moderators (Listed in chronological order) Mr. Jean Feyder, President, UNCTAD Trade and Development Board, Ambassador of Luxembourg to the United Nations, Geneva Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD Mr. Jonathan Lynn, World Trade Correspondent and Chief Correspondent, Reuters News, Geneva Mr. David Nabarro, Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, United Nations High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, Geneva Mr. Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, OHCHR, Geneva Ms. Makhotso Magdeline Sotyu, Chair, Parliament of South Africa Mr. Rehman Sobhan, Chair, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh Ms. Anne Jellema, International Policy and Campaign Director, ActionAid International, South Africa Mr. Ram Etwareea, Journalist, Le Temps, Geneva Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York Ms. Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, and Chair, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, India Mr. Pedro Páez, President, Ecuadorian Technical Commission for a New Regional Financial Architecture and Former Minister of Economic Coordination of Ecuador Ms. Nuria Molina, Director, European Network on Debt and Development, Belgium Mr. Richard Kozul-Wright, Officer-in-Charge, Economic Cooperation and Integration among Developing Countries Unit, UNCTAD Mr. Mouhamady Cissokho, President, Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, Senegal Mr. Biraj Patnaik, Principal Advisor, Office of the Commissioners to the Supreme Court (right to food cases), India Mr. Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary-General, CUTS International, India Ms. Mary Robinson, President, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, New York Mr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Special Advisor on LDCs, UNCTAD Mr. Petko Draganov, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD. 48