His Excellency Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser highlights UNCTAD's achievements and unique relationship with the General Assembly

Doha-Qatar: 23 April, 2012 - His Excellency Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the United Nations General Assembly, addressed a special session on the second day of UNCTAD XIII. The President outlined the unique relationship that UNCTAD has shared with the UN General Assembly, since it established the conference 48 years ago.

The special session was moderated by His Excellency Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Qatar's Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, who was named President of the Conference during a special ceremony yesterday.

His Excellency Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser highlighted the suitability of Qatar as the host country for the conference given its commitment to sustainable development. He also expressed his personal commitment to the issue, engaging in international development policies during his time as a diplomat for Qatar. As President of the UN General Assembly, he identified sustainable development as one of the key pillars for the Assembly's work.

H.E. Al-Nasser also recognized the significance of UNCTAD for the General Assembly, as the convener of the first session 48 years ago. He said: "This history binds UNCTAD to the UN General Assembly, in a way that is unique to the UN's framework."

He added:  "We are here to reaffirm a shared commitment to UNCTAD; it must continue to support the countries that are most in need."

H.E. Al-Nasser highlighted several areas that need to be addressed during UNCTAD XIII. He asked: "What is required to reach the trade and development objectives of the Millennium Development Goals by the 2015 deadline? How can we renew our commitment to multilateral negotiations, such as those initiated by the Doha Round? What path should UNCTAD take in the future? How do we guide UNCTAD to reach its objectives?" 

Dr. Al-Kawari praised H.E. Al-Nasser for his "wise statement" that would "provide a basis for debate during UNCTAD XIII".

Dr. Al-Kawari then gave the floor to His Excellency Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD.

In his address, the Secretary-General praised Qatar for its "perfect" organization of the event.

He said: "I cannot thank the government of Qatar enough for the perfect organization of UNCTAD XIII." Offering his "deepest gratitude", he acknowledged "how hard it is to make it look easy".

Reflecting on the path to recovery of Asian countries following the financial crisis that hit the region in 1997, Dr. Supachai stressed the importance of the "independent analytical framework" that is provided by UNCTAD, which helps ensure that the right "medicine" can be given during times of financial crisis.

Dr. Al-Kawari thanked the Secretary-General for his speech, stating: "When he talks we must listen because of the depth of his experience."

About UNCTAD XIII
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will hold its thirteenth session (UNCTAD XIII) at the 'Qatar National Convention Centre' in Doha from 21 to 26 April, 2012. It represents the first time that UNCTAD has been held in the Arab region. UNCTAD XIII will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging debate and reflection on the state of the global economy and the major economic challenges facing developing countries, particularly in light of recent economic and social crises.

A series of events will precede and run in parallel with UNCTAD XIII. These include the Civil Society Forum (17 to 25 April) that will gather some 400 representatives of non-governmental organizations from around the world; the first Global Services Forum (19 April), which will unite actors from the economic sector as well as government officials; and the third World Investment Forum (20 to 22 April), which will be attended by political decision makers and high-level officials of global corporations, including Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of the Board of Nestlé.

The Conference program is available on line.

© Press Release 2012