Page 350 - DECO503_INTERNATIONAL_TRADE_AND_FINANCE_ENGLISH

International Trade and Finance

Notes 30.1 The UNCTAD and Development

ORGANISATION
The UNCTAD is a permanent organ of the UN General Assembly with its headquarters at Geneva. It
has a Secretariat. UNCTAD VIII agreed upon a new organisational structure for the UNCTAD which
has been in operation since April 1992. It includes the following :
Conference : The (UNCTAD) Conference consisted of 188 members as on April 1996.
Secretariat : The UNCTAD is run by a secretariat under the Secretary-General who is elected by the
members. The organisational entities of the secretariat are the executive direction and management,
the administrative service and inter-governmental support services. Other organisational institutions
of the secretariat are detailed below.
Trade and Development Board : An executive body known as the Trade and Development Board
which meets twice a year in Regular Session and in Special Session as required. It takes policy decisions
when the Conference is not in session. It is composed of 55 members elected from among the Conference
Members on the basis of equitable geographical distribution.
Executive Committee : There is an Executive Committee of the Board which is composed of the
permanent representatives of member states deputed to the UNCTAD in Geneva. It meets periodically,
usually every month.
Standing Committees : The Board is assisted in its functions by four new standing committees relating
to commodities, poverty alleviation, economic co-operation among developing countries, and services.
These Committees make studies and prepare reports from time to time, especially for the Conference
to be held.
Special Committee : There is a Special Committee on Preferences.
Divisions : In response to the new orientation for working, resulting from UNCTAD IX, the UNCTAD
secretariat has been reorganised to make it more performance-driven and to improve its quality of
service. The secretariat now consists of four divisions (or groups) instead of nine previously. They
are : (1) Division on Globalisation and Development Strategies ((DGDS); (2) Division on International
Trade in Goods and Services and Commodities (DITGSC); (3) Division on Investment, Enterprise
Development and Technology (DIEDT); and (4) Division on Services Infrastructure for Development
and Trade Efficiency (DSIDTE). These divisions are responsible for helping the developing countries
reap the benefits of globalisation to attain sustainable development.
In addition, the Secretary-General of the UNCTAD has established an office of the Special Coordinator
for least developed, landlocked and island developing countries. Its aim is to prevent further
marginalism of least developed countries in the world economy and to solve their specific problems.
The various committees and divisions have fixed terms. The divisions can bring in national experts
so that their deliberations are enriched with national experience and empirical evidence. Non-
governmental experts are also invited to participate both in the divisions and in the public sessions of
the Board. They can also act in an advisory capacity to the Committees.
The Secretariat publishes an annual report based on the studies made by the Committees.
FUNCTIONS OF UNCTAD
The UNCTAD is expected to perform the following functions as laid down by the UN General
Assembly :
1. To promote international trade between countries with different socio-economic systems,
especially for accelerating the economic development of LDCs.
2. To formulate principles and policies of international trade and related problems of economic
development.
3. To make proposals for putting the said principles and policies into effect, and to take such steps
which may be relevant towards this end.
4. Generally, to review and facilitate the co-ordination of activities of other institutions within the
UN system in the field of international trade and related problems of economic development.

344 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY