International trade and development, G.A. res. 49/99, 49 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 128, U.N. Doc. A/49/49 (1994).


The General Assembly,

Reaffirming
the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in particular the Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries, the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade, the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s, the Cartagena Commitment, Agenda 21 and the various agreements that provide an overall policy framework for sustained economic growth and sustainable development in order to address the challenges of the 1990s,

Recalling its resolutions 1995 (XIX) of 30 December 1964, as amended, on the establishment of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as an organ of the General Assembly, 47/183 of 22 December 1992 on the eighth session of the Conference and 48/55 of 10 December 1993 on international trade and development,

Noting the progress made by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in the implementation of the outcome of its eighth session, in particular its contribution, within its mandate, to trade and development,

Emphasizing the importance of an open, rule-based, equitable, secure, non-discriminatory, transparent and predictable multilateral trading system,

Also emphasizing that a favourable and conducive international economic and financial environment and a positive investment climate are necessary for the economic recovery and growth of the world economy, in particular for the sustained economic growth and sustainable development of developing countries,

Welcoming the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations at the Ministerial Meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee, held at Marrakesh, Morocco, from 12 to 15 April 1994, and noting that the Uruguay Round agreements represent an historic achievement, which is expected to contribute to strengthening the world economy and to lead to more trade, investment, employment and income growth throughout the world and in particular to the promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development in developing countries,

Noting that the Uruguay Round agreements represent a substantial liberalization of international trade, the strengthening of multilateral rules and disciplines to ensure more stability and predictability in trade relations, the establishing of rules and disciplines in new areas and the founding of a new institutional framework in the form of the World Trade Organization, with an integrated dispute settlement mechanism which should avoid unilateral actions against international trade rules,

Recognizing that the developing countries have made a major contribution to the success of the Uruguay Round, in particular by accepting the challenges of trade liberalization reforms and measures, and stressing that there is a need for positive efforts designed to ensure that developing countries, and especially the least developed among them, secure a share in the growth in international trade commensurate with the needs of their economic development,

Also recognizing that subregional and regional economic integration processes, including those among developing countries, which have intensified in recent years, impart substantial dynamism to global trade and enhance trade and development possibilities for all countries, and stressing that in order to maintain the positive aspects of such integration arrangements and to assure the prevalence of their dynamic growth effects, Member States and groupings should strive to be outward oriented and supportive of the multilateral trading system,

Expressing concern that during the reform programme leading to greater liberalization of trade in agriculture, least developed countries and net food importing developing countries may experience negative effects in terms of the availability of adequate supplies of basic foodstuffs from external sources on reasonable terms and conditions, including short-term difficulties in financing normal levels of commercial imports of basic foodstuffs, and stressing, in this context, the importance of establishing appropriate mechanisms, as provided in paragraph 3 of the decision on measures concerning the possible negative effects of the reform programme on least developed and net food-importing developing countries of the Final Act of the Uruguay Round, and stressing also the need to keep under review the specific needs of the least developed countries and to continue to seek the adoption of positive measures that will facilitate the expansion of trading opportunities in favour of those countries,

Recognizing the importance of assisting, in particular, African countries and island developing countries so that they benefit fully from the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements,

Recognizing also that the full integration of countries with economies in transition into the multilateral trading system would have a positive impact on world trade and global economic growth and sustainable development, and stressing, in this context, the importance of promoting the trade of developing countries with economies in transition, as well as regional economic integration processes and cooperation among economies in transition and between them and developing countries,

Stressing the need to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, access to and the transfer of environmentally sound technology and the corresponding know-how, in particular to the developing countries, on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights, as well as the special needs of the developing countries for the implementation of Agenda 21,

Taking note with satisfaction of the decision on trade, environment and sustainable development adopted by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its second session, and, in this context, recognizing in the spirit of a new global partnership for sustainable development the need for a balanced and integrated approach to environment, trade and development issues,

Recognizing the significance of the establishment in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development of an ad hoc working group on trade, environment and development, thus encouraging the interaction of the Conference with other institutions with mandates in this area, in particular the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme,

1. Takes note of the reports of the Trade and Development Board on the second part and resumed second part of its fortieth session and the first part of its forty-first session, and calls upon all States to take appropriate action to implement the outcome of those sessions;

2. Emphasizes the importance of follow-up and monitoring of the implementation of the policies and measures contained in the Cartagena Commitment, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development at its eighth session, held at Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from 8 to 25 February 1992;

3. Stresses the urgent need for trade liberalization, including through substantial reduction of tariffs and other barriers to trade and the elimination of discriminatory treatment in international trade relations, and improved access to the markets of all countries, in particular those of the developed countries, in order to generate global economic growth and sustainable development for the benefit of all countries, in particular the developing countries;

4. Stresses also the importance of the urgent and full implementation of the agreements contained in the Final Act Embodying the Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations and the significance of the entering into force of the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization by 1 January 1995;

5. Emphasizes the importance of the full implementation of the provisions contained in the Final Act, which confers special and differential treatment for developing countries, including giving special attention to the situation of the least developed countries;

6. Emphasizes also the need for continued evaluation of the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements to ensure the expansion of world trade in order to promote sustained global economic growth and sustainable development;

7. Deplores any attempt to bypass or undermine multilaterally agreed measures of trade liberalization, through resort to unilateral actions, over and above those agreed to in the Uruguay Round, and reaffirms that environmental and social concerns should not be used for protectionist purposes;

8. Recognizes that, in order to promote sustained economic growth and sustainable development, environment and trade policies should be made mutually supportive, and in this context, takes note with satisfaction of the decision taken at the Ministerial Meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee to establish a Committee on Trade and Environment;

9. Emphasizes the importance of giving special attention to the least developed countries, with a view to enhancing their full participation in the multilateral trading system, and emphasizes the importance of commitments pertaining to special and differential measures to mitigate any adverse effects of the implementation of the Uruguay Round;

10. Emphasizes also that African countries should benefit fully from the results of the Uruguay Round, and stresses the need for technical assistance for African countries to enable them, inter alia, to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the Final Act, so that they can identify adaptive measures to enhance their competitiveness and facilitate their access to the markets of developed countries;

11. Requests preference-giving countries to consider improvements in their preferential schemes and invites the 1995 Policy Review on the Generalized System of Preferences to examine possible adaptations to the system, taking into account paragraphs 134 to 140 of the Cartagena Commitment;
12. Reaffirms the role of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as the appropriate focal point within the United Nations for the integrated treatment of development and interrelated issues in the areas of trade, finance, technology, investment, services and sustainable development, and requests the Conference to continue its role in the field of trade and environment, including policy analysis, conceptual work and consensus- building, with a view to ensuring transparency and coherence in making environmental and trade policies mutually supportive, taking into account the work done by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and other competent and regional economic institutions;

13. Stresses the need for the full integration of the economies in transition, as well as other countries, into the world economy, in particular through improved market access for their exports, including through, in accordance with multilateral trade rules, the reduction and elimination of discriminatory tariff and non-tariff measures, and the further liberalization of their trade regimes, including vis-a-vis developing countries, and also stresses, in this context, the usefulness of studies and technical assistance provided by the United Nations system regarding trade and trade-related problems that the economies in transition are encountering in their integration into the multilateral trading system;

14. Requests the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to focus and intensify its technical assistance in the light of the Uruguay Round agreements, with the aim of increasing the capacities of developing countries, especially the least developed countries, African countries and island developing countries, so that they may participate effectively in the international trading system;

15. Requests the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to make proposals for translating the commitments made at the Ministerial Meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee regarding the least developed countries and net food-importing countries into concrete action.

92nd plenary meeting
19 December 1994


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