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LDC Conference

The European Commission has adopted a Communication on the 3rd United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which will take place in Brussels from 14th-21st May 2001. The Commission's proposals, made at the initiative of Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Poul Nielson, include a stronger targeting of EU aid on the most needy countries, practical measures to help LDCs benefit from increased access to markets and a further extension of debt relief. Looking towards this important event, President Romano Prodi said: "Collective global solutions to global problems of under-development are needed now, more than ever. This UN conference is an appeal to fight unilateralism. It is an attack on protectionism and on short-term national calculations. It is a time to assess our relations with the poorest countries on this planet. It is a call on all developed countries to do more, to do better, and to think about the long-term global consequences of our policies."

Today's Communication from Commission sets out a contribution towards practical outcomes from this Conference, at a time when negotiators are discussing the Programme of Action - the text for adoption at the conference.

Announcing the Commission's input, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Poul Nielson, commented: "Our LDC partners have made it very clear to us that they expect more than charity. They want to be given opportunities. They ask for and deserve decency. We should never treat these very poor countries like sick patients, but like struggling societies with a will to develop under very adverse national and global conditions. For these reasons, Europe's offer to the LDCs goes far beyond development co-operation. We're offering a comprehensive response to the main restraints identified by the LDCs themselves."

Commenting on the package of proposals announced today, Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said: "LDCs have asked for export opportunities: we're giving duty- and quota-free access to EU markets for all LDC products except armaments. LDCs are facing huge internal institutional constraints in drawing benefit from international trade: Europe is offering capacity building, foregoing the use of anti-dumping instruments and flexibility for WTO accession for LDCs. The LDCs find it hard to compete on the world market: Europe offers strengthened support for regional integration processes of LDCs."


The Commission's practical proposals include:

• A strengthened focus on allocation of Community development co-operation to the poorest countries. Among and within countries, resources will increasingly be targeted to meet the needs of the neediest. Social sectors such as development and education will be given top priorities. It is important to make rapid progress towards this goal.
  
  
• Helping LDCs to benefit from unrestricted market access to the EU. To complement the path-breaking "Everything But Arms" initiative, the EC is helping countries seize the opportunities offered. Other aims include:
  
  
• strengthening LDC competitiveness
  
  
• promoting investment in LDCs
  
  
• building up institutional capacity to participate in multilateral trade negotiations
  
  
• helping LDCs meet sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards
  
  
• helping LDCs build a regional stepping-stone for their integration into the world economy.
  
  
• The EU will promote flexibility in the WTO in dealing with LDC applications for WTO membership, and will also advocate a multilateral agreement to suspend the use of anti-dumping instruments against LDCs.
  
  
• Fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The EC has strengthened its policy to address the increasing spread and impact of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Particular emphasis is given to the way in which these diseases affect the LDCs and the poorest populations. The EC is committing itself to use all development, trade and research instruments at its disposal to contribute to an effective global response. In concrete terms, the Commission is offering health sectors programmes, a global tiered pricing system, full use of TRIPS flexibility and better-targeted research initiatives.
  
  
• Further debt relief. The Community is already by far the biggest contributor to the enhanced HIPC (Highly Indebted Poor Countries) initiative. On top of that, the Commission today adopted a proposal to eliminate all debt owed by ACP least developed highly indebted poor countries on Special Loans, so that, on adoption, each ACP HIPC LDC reaching or having reached the decision point are invited to immediately suspend all payments on these loans. The cost of this new initiative is an estimated € 60 Million.

Background

In 1997 the UN General Assembly decided to convene the 3rd UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to reverse the deterioration in their socio-economic situation and to revitalize their growth and development. The EU has offered to host the Conference in Brussels from 14 to 20 May 2001 in the premises of the European Parliament. This will be the first time that the European Union hosts a major UN Conference.

Preparations for the Conference take place at country and regional level, as well as at the global level. The country meetings have led to the formulation of country-specific programmes of action for each LDC. The Commission participates actively in all the preparatory activities. Furthermore, EC delegations in LDCs are contributing to the formulation of country-specific programmes of action for each LDC as a basis for establishing the global programme of action to be adopted at the Conference. EC delegations in ACP countries are supporting financially the national preparation processes.

The Commission is also financing the bulk of the additional costs arising from holding the Conference in Brussels. This includes funding the organization of an NGO Forum. Accordingly, the Commission has allocated € 6 Million on the general budget for 2001 to fund these costs. On this basis, an agreement was signed with the UN for a subvention of € 4,5 Million to support the UN Conference secretariat in logistical, financial and administrative matters.

Negotiations on the Programme of Action are conducted in a Preparatory Committee holding its sessions at UN Headquarters in New York. The third session was concluded on 6 April 2001 and it is expected that this will lead to the adoption of the Programme of Action at the Conference, providing the framework for actions to fight LDC poverty.

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Búsqueda avanzada

• Commissioner Nielson's speech at the closing ceremony of the 3rd UN Conference on LDCs (20/5/2001)
• Market access to LDC's (20/5/2001)
• Commissioner Nielson's speech on the role of health at the 3rd UN Conference on LDCs (16/5/2001)
• los PMA (14/5/2001)
• LDC Conference (11/4/2001)
• LDC Conference (15/3/2001)
• EU Presidency Statement - Least developed countries (27/10/2000)
• EU Presidency Statement - The Third conference on LDCs (24/7/2000)