The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
UNCTAD15 Barbados press conference 05 October Afternoon
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6:03
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MP4
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34.6 MB
Building on the theme of the UNCTAD14 conference, which emphasized the need to move from decision to action, UNCTAD's 15th quadrennial conference, UNCTAD15, seeks a concrete decade of action in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. The conference is focused on reducing inequality and vulnerability by ensuring trade works for all and that development remains high on the global agenda. The theme, “From inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all”, is a clarion call to work to fix the fractures across the world in favour of prosperity for all. UNCTAD15 takes place online, hosted by Barbados, from 3 to 7 October, 2021.
Teleprompter
Good morning, good afternoon, good evening.
Welcome to today's press briefing from Barbados, where the 15 Ministerial session of the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development, also called ONTAD 15, opened yesterday.
This is the first opportunity since the global pandemic began for countries to come together to discuss how trade can work for all, to use technology for better productive systems to cut carbon emissions, put in place effective financing for development and a global debt system.
Barbados is also making history this week as it becomes the smallest nation and island state to even to ever host the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development.
From here you will provide we will provide you daily briefing on the conference debate and the state of the negotiations.
During our opening yesterday, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres opened Ontad 15 in Barbados together with Prime Minister Mia Amor Motley of Barbados, Secretary General of Ontad Rebecca Greensplan and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya.
The Secretary General of the United Nation in his speech proposed an urgent debt 4 point action plan that include first, pushing for an expansion of liquidity for countries in greatest need with substantial reallocation of special drawing rights to vulnerable countries that need them, including in middle income countries.
Second, suspending debt services into next year and also make it available to all countries that need it.
Third, a comprehensive strategy around reforming the international debt architecture, including debt restructuring or reduction, especially for middle income countries to help them avoid deadly cycle of debt waves.
4th, an effective debt relief bringing together the private and public sector for innovative financing tools and increase multilateral bank assistance.
He stressed that no country should face the choice of servicing its debt or servicing its people.
Prime Minister Motley of Barbados called to take into account the reality of developing countries and the developing world and of small island developing states, especially the exposure to climate crisis, the need for greater funding for adaptation and management of the debt.
The new Secretary General of UNGTAD, Rebecca Greenspan underlined the issue of the conference with address and the importance of the expected outcome especially especially issues of trade and logistics, closing the digital divide, ensuring that investment flows are maintained, reducing commodities dependence, having diversified in productive economic structures, addressing the concern of landlocked developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing state and supporting the UN Secretary General 4 point debt plan.
This was followed by a World Leader Summit where speakers were the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nation, Amina Muhammad, the President of the General Assembly Abdullah Shahid of the Maldive, the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, the Executive Director of the United Nation Environmental Programme, UNEP, Inger Henderson and the director general of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okon Iweala.
Throughout the dialogue, leaders underlined the need for action over climate, COVID-19 and the plight of the most vulnerable.
The UNSDG said that we need to ensure the power of trade delivers for all countries.
Today, we look forward to the continuation of dialogues with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, the United Nation **** Commissioner for Human Right and the Executive Director of Oxfam International.
They will they will address the issues of inequalities and reality of developing countries, many of which are commodity dependent and debate will focus on adapting productive system in public finance.
After which, the President of the Republic of Kenya, Oru Kenyatta, the President of Guyana, the Vice President of the Republic, the Executive Secretary of the United Nation Economic Commission for Africa, the Executive Director of the Joint United Nation Programme on HIV and AIDS, and the President of the Inter American Bank will discuss how to rebuild trust in the multilateral system and international corporation.
Amid the questions of many, especially a younger generation concerning international institution and their ability to reshape the current system and address and address current and future challenges.
We invite you to follow this debate today.
I remind you that the content is shared everyday and uploaded in the official ONTAD 15 website which we invite you to visit.
Throughout that site, you may register and address question to ask the speakers as these debate take place.
Thank you very much.
And the text media briefing will take.
The next media briefing will take place at 11:30 Barbados time which is 1730 Geneva time today.
See you then.