17 December 2015 – Ambassador Cecilia B. Rebong, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and Chairperson of the Geneva Chapter of the Group of 77 and China (G77), led the Group in adopting its position paper that will be used as a basis for negotiations of the outcome document of the 14th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIV) that will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on July 17 to 22, 2016. The G77 and China position paper, together with other papers from other regional groups will form the basis of the zero draft for the Nairobi conference next year.
Ambassador Rebong presided over the G77 and China meeting and assured the adoption of the very comprehensive document, which details how the developing countries from what is known as the global South would like to deal with the current global development situation, which has become very relevant in light of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 goals and 169 targets. In her comprehensive remarks presenting the paper to the whole UNCTAD membership, Ambassador Rebong emphasized that “UNCTAD XIV has to bridge the development gaps and reform the global economic system so that all countries, and all people, could maximize their potential.”
She added that “UNCTAD XIV is an opportunity to discuss the difficult issues facing trade and development. It will be the global community’s chance to come up with new approaches to resolve all of the problems of the world in terms of trade and development in an innovative, integrated, and holistic manner, while taking into account the policy space of each country and its sovereign right to establish and implement policies for inclusive and sustainable development. The G77 and China position paper conveys these key messages.”
The first UNCTAD was held in Geneva in 1964. It was established with the avowed goal of achieving prosperity for all, especially for countries from the developing South. Its mission was to serve as a platform for the South to negotiate changes to the global economic order dominated by countries from the developed North and it would better support efforts of developing countries in pursuing stable and inclusive development paths. The fourteenth edition of the Conference that will be held in Nairobi in 2016 is expected to come to up with an agreement among UN member states that will chart the course on how to improve conditions for trade and development for the next four years. Negotiations will take place over the coming months between the G77 and China and its partners from the developed world on the specific issues that UNCTAD XIV will address.
For the Philippine Chairmanship of the Geneva Chapter of the Group, the adoption of the position paper is a milestone achievement, which will benefit the country since issues of importance to the nation are highlighted in the document. This would include general principles such as promoting economic development and social progress, rebalancing international economic relations to promote justice and equity, reviving multilateralism so it can better serve the community of nations, among others. These are just some of the general principles the Group is pushing for in the position paper aside from specific matters that would promote a global development landscape that is fair to developing countries from the South such as the Philippines. Aside from adopting this position paper, Ambassador Rebong also led the Group in negotiations with other UNCTAD members in adopting the theme and subthemes for UNCTAD XIV, which serves as the guide for outcome document of the conference.
Other major accomplishments for the Philippine chairmanship of the Group include the adoption of agreed conclusions on how to improve the development situation in Africa and Least Developed Countries during the 62nd Session of the Trade and Development Board held in September 2015 and the submission of a paper to the New York Chapter of the Group that contributed to the negotiations on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda that was the outcome of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last July 2016.
Ambassador Rebong took over as Chair of G77 and China on 01 January 2015 from Ambassador Malloum Bamanga Abbas of Chad and her term ends on 31 December 2015. END