The General Assembly,
Reaffirming the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation,
in particular the Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development
of the Developing Countries, the International Development Strategy
for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade, the United Nations
New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, the Programme
of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s, the
Cartagena Commitment, Agenda 21 and the various agreements that
provide an overall policy framework for sustained economic growth
and sustainable development in order to address the challenges
of the 1990s,
Recalling its resolutions 1995 (XIX) of 30 December 1964,
as amended, on the establishment of the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development as an organ of the General Assembly,
47/183 of 22 December 1992 on the eighth session of the Conference
and 48/55 of 10 December 1993 on international trade and development,
Noting the progress made by the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development in the implementation of the outcome
of its eighth session, in particular its contribution, within
its mandate, to trade and development,
Emphasizing the importance of an open, rule-based, equitable,
secure, non-discriminatory, transparent and predictable multilateral
trading system,
Also emphasizing that a favourable and conducive international
economic and financial environment and a positive investment climate
are necessary for the economic recovery and growth of the world
economy, in particular for the sustained economic growth and sustainable
development of developing countries,
Welcoming the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round
of multilateral trade negotiations at the Ministerial Meeting
of the Trade Negotiations Committee, held at Marrakesh, Morocco,
from 12 to 15 April 1994, and noting that the Uruguay Round agreements
represent an historic achievement, which is expected to contribute
to strengthening the world economy and to lead to more trade,
investment, employment and income growth throughout the world
and in particular to the promotion of sustained economic growth
and sustainable development in developing countries,
Noting that the Uruguay Round agreements represent a substantial
liberalization of international trade, the strengthening of multilateral
rules and disciplines to ensure more stability and predictability
in trade relations, the establishing of rules and disciplines
in new areas and the founding of a new institutional framework
in the form of the World Trade Organization, with an integrated
dispute settlement mechanism which should avoid unilateral actions
against international trade rules,
Recognizing that the developing countries have made a major
contribution to the success of the Uruguay Round, in particular
by accepting the challenges of trade liberalization reforms and
measures, and stressing that there is a need for positive efforts
designed to ensure that developing countries, and especially the
least developed among them, secure a share in the growth in international
trade commensurate with the needs of their economic development,
Also recognizing that subregional and regional economic
integration processes, including those among developing countries,
which have intensified in recent years, impart substantial dynamism
to global trade and enhance trade and development possibilities
for all countries, and stressing that in order to maintain the
positive aspects of such integration arrangements and to assure
the prevalence of their dynamic growth effects, Member States
and groupings should strive to be outward oriented and supportive
of the multilateral trading system,
Expressing concern that during the reform programme leading
to greater liberalization of trade in agriculture, least developed
countries and net food importing developing countries may experience
negative effects in terms of the availability of adequate supplies
of basic foodstuffs from external sources on reasonable terms
and conditions, including short-term difficulties in financing
normal levels of commercial imports of basic foodstuffs, and stressing,
in this context, the importance of establishing appropriate mechanisms,
as provided in paragraph 3 of the decision on measures concerning
the possible negative effects of the reform programme on least
developed and net food-importing developing countries of the Final
Act of the Uruguay Round, and stressing also the need to keep
under review the specific needs of the least developed countries
and to continue to seek the adoption of positive measures that
will facilitate the expansion of trading opportunities in favour
of those countries,
Recognizing the importance of assisting, in particular,
African countries and island developing countries so that they
benefit fully from the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements,
Recognizing also that the full integration of countries
with economies in transition into the multilateral trading system
would have a positive impact on world trade and global economic
growth and sustainable development, and stressing, in this context,
the importance of promoting the trade of developing countries
with economies in transition, as well as regional economic integration
processes and cooperation among economies in transition and between
them and developing countries,
Stressing the need to promote, facilitate and finance,
as appropriate, access to and the transfer of environmentally
sound technology and the corresponding know-how, in particular
to the developing countries, on favourable terms, including on
concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking
into account the need to protect intellectual property rights,
as well as the special needs of the developing countries for the
implementation of Agenda 21,
Taking note with satisfaction of the decision on trade,
environment and sustainable development adopted by the Commission
on Sustainable Development at its second session, and, in this
context, recognizing in the spirit of a new global partnership
for sustainable development the need for a balanced and integrated
approach to environment, trade and development issues,
Recognizing the significance of the establishment in the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development of an ad hoc
working group on trade, environment and development, thus encouraging
the interaction of the Conference with other institutions with
mandates in this area, in particular the World Trade Organization
and the United Nations Environment Programme,
1. Takes note of the reports of the Trade and Development
Board on the second part and resumed second part of its fortieth
session and the first part of its forty-first session, and calls
upon all States to take appropriate action to implement the outcome
of those sessions;
2. Emphasizes the importance of follow-up and monitoring
of the implementation of the policies and measures contained in
the Cartagena Commitment, adopted by the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development at its eighth session, held at Cartagena
de Indias, Colombia, from 8 to 25 February 1992;
3. Stresses the urgent need for trade liberalization, including
through substantial reduction of tariffs and other barriers to
trade and the elimination of discriminatory treatment in international
trade relations, and improved access to the markets of all countries,
in particular those of the developed countries, in order to generate
global economic growth and sustainable development for the benefit
of all countries, in particular the developing countries;
4. Stresses also the importance of the urgent and full
implementation of the agreements contained in the Final Act Embodying
the Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations
and the significance of the entering into force of the Agreement
Establishing the World Trade Organization by 1 January 1995;
5. Emphasizes the importance of the full implementation
of the provisions contained in the Final Act, which confers special
and differential treatment for developing countries, including
giving special attention to the situation of the least developed
countries;
6. Emphasizes also the need for continued evaluation of
the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements to ensure the
expansion of world trade in order to promote sustained global
economic growth and sustainable development;
7. Deplores any attempt to bypass or undermine multilaterally
agreed measures of trade liberalization, through resort to unilateral
actions, over and above those agreed to in the Uruguay Round,
and reaffirms that environmental and social concerns should not
be used for protectionist purposes;
8. Recognizes that, in order to promote sustained economic
growth and sustainable development, environment and trade policies
should be made mutually supportive, and in this context, takes
note with satisfaction of the decision taken at the Ministerial
Meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee to establish a Committee
on Trade and Environment;
9. Emphasizes the importance of giving special attention
to the least developed countries, with a view to enhancing their
full participation in the multilateral trading system, and emphasizes
the importance of commitments pertaining to special and differential
measures to mitigate any adverse effects of the implementation
of the Uruguay Round;
10. Emphasizes also that African countries should benefit
fully from the results of the Uruguay Round, and stresses the
need for technical assistance for African countries to enable
them, inter alia, to evaluate the impact of the implementation
of the Final Act, so that they can identify adaptive measures
to enhance their competitiveness and facilitate their access to
the markets of developed countries;
11. Requests preference-giving countries to consider improvements
in their preferential schemes and invites the 1995 Policy Review
on the Generalized System of Preferences to examine possible adaptations
to the system, taking into account paragraphs 134 to 140 of the
Cartagena Commitment;
12. Reaffirms the role of the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development as the appropriate focal point within
the United Nations for the integrated treatment of development
and interrelated issues in the areas of trade, finance, technology,
investment, services and sustainable development, and requests
the Conference to continue its role in the field of trade and
environment, including policy analysis, conceptual work and consensus-
building, with a view to ensuring transparency and coherence in
making environmental and trade policies mutually supportive, taking
into account the work done by the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade and other competent and regional economic institutions;
13. Stresses the need for the full integration of the economies
in transition, as well as other countries, into the world economy,
in particular through improved market access for their exports,
including through, in accordance with multilateral trade rules,
the reduction and elimination of discriminatory tariff and non-tariff
measures, and the further liberalization of their trade regimes,
including vis-a-vis developing countries, and also stresses, in
this context, the usefulness of studies and technical assistance
provided by the United Nations system regarding trade and trade-related
problems that the economies in transition are encountering in
their integration into the multilateral trading system;
14. Requests the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development to focus and intensify its technical assistance in
the light of the Uruguay Round agreements, with the aim of increasing
the capacities of developing countries, especially the least developed
countries, African countries and island developing countries,
so that they may participate effectively in the international
trading system;
15. Requests the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development to make proposals for translating the commitments
made at the Ministerial Meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee
regarding the least developed countries and net food-importing
countries into concrete action.
92nd plenary meeting
19 December 1994