Delegates will consider how to spread the benefits of globalization more equitably so that no countries or peoples are left behind. This reflects the conference theme chosen by member States: addressing the opportunities and challenges of globalization for development.
UNCTAD XII will also permit decision-makers to tackle current and pressing issues such as energy security, migration and the emergence of developing countries as engines of economic growth. By working together to address such challenges, UNCTAD member States will seek to identify appropriate policy responses as well as specific measures and actions.
With Ghana as host, the conference offers an opportunity to put the spotlight on Africa’s role in the international economy and highlight matters of special concern to African countries. This is particularly needed given that too many people in Africa are not sharing in the gains of globalization.
Preparations in Ghana for the conference are in full swing. During the signing of the Host Country Agreement on 18 December, Joe Baidoe-Ansah, Ghana’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Private Sector Development, underlined his government’s commitment to a successful meeting that combines efficiency with a warm welcome. “UNCTAD XII will be the first major UN conference ever to have been held in Ghana, and indeed the whole of West Africa”, the minister said. The four-yearly ministerial conference is UNCTAD’s highest governing body.