Pakistan calls for strengthening Unctad

Pakistan has called for strengthening the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) to facilitate successful integration of developing countries in the global economy.
Unctad Created in 1964 has acted as a think tank of the poor, providing solutions and policy options for eradicating poverty and dealing with other challenges faced by developing countries.
Ambassador Masood Khan, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China at the second formal meeting of the Mid Term Review of Unctad XI.characterized UNCTAD as a knowledge-based organisation.
He said that Unctad provides development and policy-oriented research and analysis and a forum for consensus building from a development perspective. This pro-development organization, he added, was critical to the stability and sustainability of the international economic system.
Ambassador Khan recalled the accomplishments of Unctad, including the evolution of the 0.7% of GDP target for ODA and forecast of the Asian Financial Crisis, over its 42 years history.
The Permanent Representative warned against politicisation of Unctad emphasising that Unctad promoted intellectual pluralism and must be allowed to thrive in an atmosphere of intellectual integrity and independence. He called for the consensus building role of UNCTAD to be used to develop soft law that could promote rule making in WTO and the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs).
He said that the technical assistance provided by UNCTAD to developing countries must be based on the needs and demands of the countries at different levels of development.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary General of UNCTAD briefed the meeting on the activities of UNCTAD in the areas of research and analysis, consensus building and technical assistance to the developing countries.
The four days meeting will explore ways and means to enhance the efficiency of UNCTAD's work on matters pertaining to trade and developing the related areas of investment, finance and technology.