ISSUE: 4
Page 1 of 4
QUESTION OF: Establishing and implementing trade policies to help reduce poverty
CO-SUBMITTERS: Bahrain, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, South Africa, Uganda, UAE,
Zambia, Andorra, D.R. Congo, Russia
THE SPECIAL CONFERENCE,
Referring to the Charter of the United Nations’ preamble vowing “to employ
international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of
all peoples”,
Recalling the Millennium Development Goal to eradicate poverty by 2015,
Noting with deep concern that the United Nations’ report “The Global Partnership for
Development at a Critical Juncture” found serious gaps in the realization of MDG
commitments,
Declaring that the fluctuation of markets of raw materials produced in developing
countries, especially during an economic crisis, intensifies the difficulty of workers in
these countries to make a profit,
Deeply disturbed by the high tariffs imposed by developed countries on key products
from developing countries,
Alarmed by the fact that almost half the world, over three billion people, lives in
extreme poverty and on less than $2.50 a day,
Believing that open economies function more effectively in aggregate than closed
economies,
Congratulating the actions of Non-Governmental Organizations such as the
International Trade Centre which attempt to spur global trade as a form of eliminating
poverty,
Convinced that the eradication of poverty is a crucial step towards sustainable
development,
Bearing in mind that trade alone is not enough to eradicate poverty,
ISSUE: 4
Page 2 of 4
QUESTION OF: Establishing and implementing trade policies to help reduce poverty
CO-SUBMITTERS: Bahrain, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, South Africa, Uganda, UAE,
Zambia, Andorra, D.R. Congo, Russia
1. Expresses its satisfaction regarding initiatives such as the European Union’s
“Everything but Arms” plan, the United States’ “Caribbean Basin Initiative” and
the “African Growth and Opportunity Act” for their abilities to encourage
substantial new investments, trade, and job creation and trusting in the
continuity and consequent success of these;
2. Calls for a ceaseless drive to ensure that workers in developing countries receive
direct profits for their products and congratulates the Fair Trade Movement and
Alternative Trade Organizations for their efforts to guarantee this;
3. Recommends the cooperation between big business and governments in Member
States for the purpose of integrating poor sectors of the economy, such as
agriculture, into more developed sectors, such as the tourist industry;
4. Requests that developing countries move beyond connecting producers with
buyers through measures such as but not limited to:
a. adding value to their exports,
b. looking for new market opportunities,
c. defining marketing and branding strategies that will help them create new,
profitable business that produce sustainable jobs;
5. Supports the World Trade Organization efforts to promote global trade such as
but not limited to:
a. promoting liberalization of trade as an instrument to alleviate poverty,
b. building trade capacity in developing countries in providing:
i. human capacity such as trade lawyers, economists, or skilled negotiators,
ii. institutional capacity such as customs, national standards authorities, and
the delegation representing the country at the WTO,
iii. infrastructure such as roads, ports, and telecommunications,
c. instructing developing countries’ delegates on how their countries can gain
through the trading system;
ISSUE: 4
Page 3 of 4
QUESTION OF: Establishing and implementing trade policies to help reduce poverty
CO-SUBMITTERS: Bahrain, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, South Africa, Uganda, UAE,
Zambia, Andorra, D.R. Congo, Russia
6. Endorses initiatives that instigate developing countries to trade with each other
such as the South-South trade which now accounts for 50% of many poor states’
commerce and is increasingly replacing old trade links with former colonial
powers;
7. Proposes resuming meetings of the Doha Development Agenda as its serves the
crucial purpose of lowering trade barriers around the world allowing countries to
maximize global trade;
8. Deplores the fact that only 81 per cent of least developed country exports,
excluding armaments and oil, have acquired duty-free status in industrialized
country markets falling short of the 2005 commitment made by WTO Member
States in Hong Kong to allow 97 per cent of exports from the poorest countries
to enter rich-country markets without duties or quotas;
9. Suggests that developed countries reduce agricultural subsidies as these are still
very high in comparison to Official Development Assistance flows which
undermines prices and income opportunities for farmers in developing countries,
affecting food security, most alarmingly, in places where hunger is widespread;
10. Expresses its satisfaction with the fact that Aid for Trade commitments to
developing countries increased 35 per cent in real terms in 2008, to reach a
record level of almost $42 billion;
11. Strongly urges a serious commitment to Aid for Trade and sufficient resources
reach countries that are most in need of aid as only 25 per cent of resources
reach the least developed countries;
12. Affirms that for trade policies and foreign investment to be effective, Member
States must assure good governance and work for political stability and social
peace by introducing measures to fight corruption and increase transparency in
the economy;
ISSUE: 4
Page 4 of 4
QUESTION OF: Establishing and implementing trade policies to help reduce poverty
CO-SUBMITTERS: Bahrain, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, South Africa, Uganda, UAE,
Zambia, Andorra, D.R. Congo, Russia
13. Urges developed countries to maintain openness to trade with developing
countries, offering incentives for these countries to continue to open their
economies and build free markets, and preserving high-level dialogue on trade
and investment;
14. Decides to remain actively seized on this matter.