May 01
At UNCTAD XIII recently held in Doha, a united front of the BRICS, the G77 and China, supported by intense NGO lobbying and a highly publicised letter from former senior UNCTAD staff (including several from the Caribbean), successfully resisted efforts by the Global North to retsrict the agency’s critical work linking trade, development and the global financial and economic crisis. Was it a victory for the South, or a draw?
In the context of the sustained efforts of the North, in the run-up to the Conference, to emasculate UNCTAD’s mandate; and taking into account the formidable political and economic resources at their disposal to divide the South, I share the view of those who judge it to be a ‘victory for the South’. It only goes to show that maintaining a firm, united position by the South is the only way to win even modest gains in global fora. Division is fatal. But more challenges to this unity lie ahead–in the Rio+20 Conference and the Climate Change negotiations.
Norman