The results of Manila

The proceedings at UNCTAD V and its results have come in for much harsh public criticism in the world. In view of its modest results it must be asked whether future world trade conferences cannot be rendered more effective.     

Aid policy of the industrial countries

Time and again, and in the more recent past during the UNCTAD Ill-Conference, the less developed countries (LDCs) have found fault with the industrial countries’ declining contribution towards the economic development of the Third World. The question is now whether the future will bring a change of this tendency which has shown itself for a number of years.     

Necessity of a new development policy

In the past two decades, several attempts have been made in the developed countries to outline and pursue a “new policy” for the less developed countries (LDCs). Today, the vision of this concept is no longer as vivid or hopeful as it seemed at the beginning. The meagre results achieved at the third UNCTAD have lent further weight to pessimistic predictions about the future of international cooperation as a major element in world affairs.     

Commodity price stabilization and the developing countries

Discussions on the development problems of commodity producing countries have been dominated by proposals for stabilizing world prices of commodities, in particular via the establishment of a “Common Fund” within the framework of UNCTAD’s Integrated Program for Commodities. Professor Ahmad argues that price instability is, however, merely a symptom of other, underlying problems, and outlines the implications of this for development policy.     

中国企业对外直接投资的内外动力源研究

联合国贸发会议(UNCTAD)发布的<2006年世界投资报告>指出:来自发展中国家和转型期经济体的外国直接投资(FDI)开始蓬勃兴起.2006年,发展中国家跨国公司对外直接投资额达到了创纪录的1200亿美元.其中,中国在吸收外资保持世界领先的同时,自身的对外直接投资也呈现出快速增长的态势,中国跨国公司的崛起已经引起全球注目.文章在分析中国对外直接投资概况的基础上.以全球视野对中国企业对外直接投资的内外动力源进行了研究,希望以此促进中国企业的对外直接投资.     

New ways of financing LDCs

The forthcoming third plenary meeting of UNCTAD in Santiago will primarily consider how the less developed countries (LDCs) can be integrated more effectively into the world economic system. To solve the problem of development of the so-called “Third World” it is considered essential to open up new financial resources for the LDCs.     

UNCTAD V and the prospects for the 1980s

Since the establishment of UNCTAD in 1964 as a permanent organisation for the promotion of the developing countries' trade and development interests, the substantive issues and problems have remained more or less the same. Dr. Ezenwe analyses the reasons why a yawning gap exists between expectations and results and suggests a change of strategy for UNCTAD V.     

Is there a new reforming spirit at international organisations?

When the G7 summit in Lyon discussed the reform of multilateral institutions, the spotlight fell unexpectedly on UNCTAD. The final communiqué stated that UNCTAD IX was a milestone on the road towards the renewal of the organisation. The outcome of the conference was also cited as proof of the effectiveness of G7 initiatives to reform international institutions. Finally, the communiqué went so far as to declare that the reform of UNCTAD was a point of reference (in other words, a model) for the reform of the entire economic and social apparatus of the United Nations. What progress did UNCTAD IX really bring? Is it appropriate to regard UNCTAD IX as a yardstick for the reform of other organisations?     

Divergent opinions on the common fund

UNCTAD’s Integrated Programme for Commodities (IPC) would come much closer to being realised, if the industrial and the developing countries could agree on creating the Common Fund. But the Fund remains in dispute. While the LCDs only want to discuss the details of its organisation, the industrialized western countries have still strong doubts on the benefits of commodity agreements. Can the negotiations within UNCTAD narrow the gap between the opposing views?     

Problems of a code of conduct

UNCTAD’s Main Committee for Technology is to meet in November 1975 to discuss once again the subject of a Code of Conduct to be observed in transferring technical knowledge. What chances are there for such a Code to be adopted?     

Questions of shipping policy

The states of the Third World will reassert their many known demands for improved integration in the international economic exchanges at UNCTAD V to be held in Manila in May and add new ones to their list of requests. It is clear from the first discussion papers prepared for the conference by the UNCTAD Secretariat that the sea-borne traffic will receive more attention in this catalogue of demands in future.     

两岸三地服务业国际竞争力比较分析

国际上常用的服务业国际竞争力主要评价指标包括MS(国际市场占有率)、TC(净出口指数)、RCA(显示性比较优势指数)和CA(显示性竞争优势指数)。文章根据联合国贸发会议的基础数据,分别计算、比较了两岸三地服务业的MS、TC、RCA和CA四类指数,并且分行业计算了两岸三地的RCA指数,进而分析了两岸三地服务业各自存在的问题。结论认为:从四类指数的计算结果看,香港在两岸三地中国际竞争力最强;内地服务业尤其是生产性服务业相对比较落后。文章最后探讨了两岸三地服务业的未来合作前景。     

The price of copper

This article may be of particular interest in view of the fact that UNCTAD has now for the first time set down a schedule for preparatory negotiations on raw materials. The resolution of UNCTAD IV on the treatment of the integrated action programme for raw materials is now to be realised. Negotiations on copper will take place in Geneva between Sept. 9 and Oct. 10, 1976.     

Participation in tripartite cooperation

The following article is an excerpt from a study written by the authors on behalf of the UNCTAD. It is based on the experiences of German enterprises which have been participating in cooperation projects with CMEA-states and developing countries.     

The fight over the global development agenda: How the west tries to marginalise UNCTAD

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has a long history of intellectual independence. This article details how Western countries tried to marginalise the organisation and its work — which is often critical of Western powers — during the 2012 UNCTAD conference. While developing countries were able to mobilise and partially beat back these attempts for now, the organisation’s ability to contribute to global macroeconomics remains under threat.     

What do the developing countries want?

By now the need for a code of conduct for technology transfer has been accepted by all groups of countries represented at the UN. Both the proposals of the Group of 77 and the counterproposals of the Western Industrial countries were submitted in early December 1975 to the first session of the UNCTAD Commission on Transfer of Technology and will become subject of international negotiations at UNCTAD IV at Nairobi in May 1976. There are chances that the Code could become reality before the end of 1977.     

中国创意产业发展模式研究——基于全球产业价值链的视角

中国庞大的创意商品出口额大多是通过OEM方式生产出口,即沿袭传统制造业的发展模式,利用丰富廉价的劳动力为跨国公司代工。作为全球创意空间中的制造车间,中国在全球产业价值链中处于低附加值、低利润的生产制造环节,既不能掌握出口产品的价格决定权,更无法控制产品的文化内涵。面对强势的西方文化及西方国家成熟的商业运作,政策导向需要在经济利益与精神价值之间寻找平衡点,以更开放、更容忍的姿态对待创意阶层特立独行的思想与行为,并制定长期性的产业发展策略以整合国内创意资源,从而摆脱对发达国家跨国公司的依赖,提升中国创意产业在全球价值链中的产业位势。     

External financing problems of LDCs

In INTERECONOMICS No. 3, 1972, Dr Erhard Eppler, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation, expressed the view that the developing countries at UNCTAD III would not be content with mere benevolent declarations by the developed nations; on the other hand he saw less chance that the western developed countries might offer more concessions that would be regarded as adequate by developing countries than had been the case at the two previous UNCTAD sessions.     

Outlets for developing countries in the German market

As one of the biggest trade partners of the developing countries the Federal Republic of Germany is of necessity one of the states to which these countries will address their trade-political demands at UNCTAD V. An analysis shows however that, as the classic competences for trade policy decisions have been largely transferred to the EC, the Federal Republic is left with very little scope for action.     

WTO城堡必须经受南方国家挑战——读陈安教授《关于WTO法治、立法、执法、守法与变法之法理思考》有感

陈安教授在其论文中不仅直指GATT/WTO这一体制"堡垒"存在的某些重大结构性的政策问题,同时也科学地剖析和总结了60年来发展中国家为在这个国际贸易治理机制中获得平权地位和应有权益所进行的长期努力。故此文"应当成为所有发展中国家领导人及决策者必读和必学的主题文件","也应当成为发展中国家政府各部门、各所大学、高等研究机构培训有关干部的必修课的一部分"。历史显示:南方国家在GATT/WTO中发起的挑战,虽初见成效,前景光明,但发达国家一直抵制对其进行重大变革。然而事实证明,通过独立自主的南南联合自强,展示榜样的实力,通过建立"具有南南特色的经济秩序"和相互关系,南南"轴心"能够有效地改善和挑战寓于WTO之中的不公现状,能够有效地向北方国家施加压力。陈教授的文章呼吁推动国际经济法和国际经济秩序的除旧布新,这是若干主要发展中国家义不容辞的责任。今年5月初在多哈召开的UNCTAD第十三届大会所呈现的南北对峙态势、双方最终的妥协以及新的"多哈授权"(DohaMandate)的达成,再次印证了陈教授的上述学术主张和法理思考。