From 17-25 April civil society representatives held a comprehensive debate on the challenges and the opportunities of the current global economic and development situation.

 

As a result of some of these deliberations, the Civil Society Declaration, adopted on 19 April, was presented as input into the negotiations to determine the UNCTAD mandate for the next four years.

 

The Declaration calls for rethinking the macroeconomic policies that had led to the global financial and economic crisis, and for establishing partnerships at all levels for promoting sustainable development. The “development state” should play a key role here, the text notes, through introducing policies that promote sustainable growth, reduce poverty and increase equality.

 

The Declaration identifies UNCTAD as an organization of crucial importance in addressing the identified challenges, and calls for the strengthening of its mandate.