Trade and development discussed at UNCTAD conference in Ghana

President of the Republic Tarja Halonen participated in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XII) in Accra, Ghana on 20-23 April 2008. The conference focused on addressing the opportunities and challenges of globalization for development. More than 4 000 people, including representatives of governments, international organisations and NGO's, attended the conference. UNCTAD XII ended with adoption of the final document of the conference, the Accra Accord, on 25 April.

President Halonen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met at UNCTAD conference in Accra. Photo: Office of the President of the Republic.

On the first conference day, President Halonen discussed with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon topical international issues, such as the situations in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Cyprus and Kosovo. They also shared views on reforming UNCTAD, UN reform and the rise of global food prices. Both leaders noted that solving the food crisis requires urgent aid efforts as well as a long term focus on developing agricultural production and food processing.

Finland has responded to the World Food Programme (WFP) appeal by deciding to donate a total of EUR 12 million.

Food prices and climate change also topics of the meetings

Food prices were also a key topic in the President’s other bilateral meetings. These included meetings with President of Brazil Luis Inácio Lula da Silva and African leaders, such as President of Ghana John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, and President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma.

In the talks with President Lula, energy and climate change were also discussed. President Halonen emphasised that we must hold onto at the dynamics of the Bali Climate Conference in forthcoming negotiations. Both Presidents were also concerned about the situation in the least developed countries in Africa and they discussed about common efforts to help these countries.

President Halonen also met Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, in Accra, together with former Irish President and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson.

Leaders discussed African development

On Monday 21 April, President Halonen participated with other Heads of State in a high-level panel on development in Africa. The panel discussion focused on how Africa could enhance its integration into the global economy and benefit from trade. In her address, President Halonen stressed the importance of education and good governance in the promotion of African development.

President Halonen was also invited to the high-level session of the World Investment Forum, which was held in conjunction with UNCTAD XII in Accra. In addition, she participated in a roundtable on the social and gender dimensions of globalization and presented the key prize at the developing countries’ women’s business award ceremony. The first UNCTAD Women in Business Award went to a Jordanian medical services company. In the top three, there was also a Ugandan cleaning services company and a Ghanaian clothing entrepreneuer.

UNCTAD must be strengthened by reforming it and focusing on key areas

President Halonen was invited to Accra to hold a key note speech on the future role and reform process of UNCTAD. In 2005-2006, President Halonen was on UNCTAD's Panel of Eminent Persons, whose task was to seek ways to make the organization's activities more effective.

In her speech, Halonen underlined that UNCTAD should be strengthened by reforming it and focusing on its core competences such as investments, commodities, South-South trade and regional integration. UNCTAD has a good record in these areas and this knowledge and expertise should be given broadest use possible. Additionally, UNCTAD must give technical assistance to improve the trading opportunities of developing countries and in this work UNCTAD should cooperate more closely with the other UN agencies.

UNCTAD was established by the UN in 1964 to conduct research and analysis and serve as a discussion forum on international trade and development and to promote the integration of developing countries into the world economy. UNCTAD has a permanent secretariat in Geneva and its conferences are organised every four years. The next conference, UNCTAD XIII, will be organised in 2012 in Qatar.