Statement on outcome of LDC Conference

"If the poor countries are to have a chance to be incorporated into the global economy, it is crucial that they become a part of the multilateral trade system where law and order, as opposed to power and strength, govern relations between the members. And it is the weakest countries that will be affected if we fail to bring about a new round of negotiations on international trade in November."

This is what Swedish Minister for Trade, Leif Pagrotsky, maintained on Sunday when he, as chairman, summarized the outcome of the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), hosted by the EU in Brussels this week.

The conference, which was held under the Swedish Presidency and the UN body UNCTAD, has discussed the least developed countries' situation and how they are to extricate themselves from poverty.

Minister for Trade, Pagrotsky, noted that the conference had shown that the international community's will to eradicate poverty is stronger than ever.

"The message from this conference is clear and unambiguous: it is time for us to go from words to action."

Leif Pagrotsky described the plan of action adopted by the conference as a good instrument for improving the lives of millions of impoverished children, women and men.

He said that the conference had established that trade is one of several necessary prerequisites for development. But the conference also stressed that a great deal more is needed: increased development cooperation, untied development assistance, decreased debt burdens and, not least, more reliable systems and stable conditions in the affected countries.

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