Mission Statement
"Trade in Commodities for Development and Poverty Reduction"
The 12th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XII) adopted the Accra Accord which forms the basis for UNCTAD's work for the next 4 years. The agreed work programme on commodities, including institutional arrangements, marks both a continuation and a new departure, or revival, of work on commodities in UNCTAD.
To fulfil the mandate given to the Special Unit on Commodities, the Multi-year Expert Meeting (MEM) on Commodities and Development has been established.
The establishment of this Multi-year Expert Meeting on commodities and Development marks the first time in more than a decade that UNCTAD has had the intergovernmental machinery focusing exclusively on commodities. Between now and the next UNCTAD conference, UNCTAD XIII, in Qatar, the MEM on commodities and development will cover the full range of commodity issues contained in its terms of reference, as established by the Trade and Development Board [PDF] in September 2008.
In addition, the MEM will review the current market situation and outlook, including emerging developments and challenges in all commodity sectors. The first session of the MEM on Commodities and Development will take place in the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland from 6-7 April 2009.
Accra Accord
Provisions specifically related to commodities in the Accra Accord [PDF] are contained in paragraphs 91-93(a) (b) (c), 98, 183 and 208. These are detailed below.
Para 91. UNCTAD should continue to play a key role, with appropriate coordination with other international and regional actors, including with relevant international commodity bodies, to address the trade and development problems associated with the commodity economy, giving due attention to all commodity sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, metals and minerals and oil and gas. In this context, it should monitor developments and challenges in commodity markets and address links between international commodity trade and national development, particularly with regard to poverty reduction.
Para. 92. UNCTAD should enhance its efforts, under the three pillars of its work, to help commodity‐dependent developing countries to harness development gains from the current boom in commodity prices, as well as to deal with trade and development problems related to commodity dependence.
Para. 93(a). In this context, it should:
Assist commodity‐dependent developing countries, particularly small commodity producers, in their efforts to: develop national commodity strategies, including mainstream commodity policies into their national and regional development strategies; build supply‐side capacity and attain competitiveness; move up value chains and diversify commodity sectors; comply with public and private international trade standards; access commodity information and databases; take advantage of export opportunities for commodities in emerging markets; assist developing countries, upon request, in building human and institutional capacities; assist developing countries, on request, in promoting and improving transparency and accountability in the public, private and corporate sectors in order to enable the countries concerned to maximize the benefits that accrue to them from the extractive industries, taking into account, where appropriate, the implementation of relevant initiatives on extractive industries; establish effective marketing systems and support frameworks for small commodity producers, including economically viable safety‐net programmes; and develop commodity financing and risk management schemes (including commodity exchanges). In carrying out this work, UNCTAD should avoid duplication and therefore work in coordination with other relevant actors already active in this area;
Para. 93(b): Promote intergovernmental cooperation in the field of commodities and consensus‐building on ways of integrating commodity policies into national, regional and international development and poverty reduction strategies; trade‐related policies and instruments for resolving commodity problems; and investment and financial policies for accessing financial resources for commodity‐based development, including with respect to ODA, Aid for Trade and other possibilities.
Para. 93(c): Contribute to building effective multi‐stakeholder partnerships with a view to identifying innovative approaches to resolving commodity‐related problems.
Para. 98. UNCTAD’s work on energy-related issues should be addressed from the trade and development perspective, where relevant in the context of UNCTAD’s work on commodities, trade and environment, new and dynamic sectors, and services.
Para. 183. In view of the current challenges in commodities markets, the Secretary-General of the United Nations is urged to transform the existing Commodities Branch into an autonomous unit reporting directly to the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, within existing resources of the Commodities Branch of the Division of International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities, while retaining the Branch mandate and taking into account, without duplicating, the work of other relevant organizations. Through the guidance and leadership of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, this unit should contribute more effectively to developing countries’ efforts to formulate strategies and policies to respond to the challenges and opportunities of commodity markets.
Para. 208. The topics and the terms of reference for multi‐year expert meetings will be determined by the Trade and Development Board at its fifty‐fifth session. The multi‐year expert meetings will report annually to the commissions. Multi‐year expert meetings will last for up to four years, though not beyond the session of the Conference following their establishment. In this regard, the Trade and Development Board will establish a multi‐year expert meeting on commodities.