CONFERENCE DES NATIONS UNIES SUR UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE

LE COMMERCE ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT

TDO 330117(III)

(00/145eb)

NOTIFICATION

Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries

Brussels, 14-20 May 2001

The General Assembly its resolution 52/187 of December 1997, decided to convene the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries at a high level in the year 2000, and in its resolution 53/182 of 15 December 1998, it accepted the offer of the European Union to host the Conference. The Conference will be held in Brussels from 14 to 20 May 2001 in the European Parliament Building.

The mandate of the Conference, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 52/187, is as follows;

(i) To assess the results of the Programme of Action during the 1990s at the country level;

(ii) To review implementation of international support measures, particularly in the areas of official development assistance debt, investment and trade,

(iii) To consider the formulation and adoption of appropriate national and international policies and measures of the least developed countries and their progressive integration into the world economy.

Subsequently, the General Assembly, in paragraph 4 of its resolution 531182, requested the secretary-General of the Conference to organize the intergovernmental preparatory committee (in two pats) and the three expert-level preparatory meetings referred to in paragraph 1(b) of resolution 52/187. In paragraph 9 of the same resolution, it invited the Secretary-General of the Conference to make arrangements, on the basis of consultations with Member States to facilitate the involvement of civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, in the preparatory process and the Conference

The Conference will be opened on Monday, 14 May 2001, at the European Parliament building in Brussels. It will begin with an inaugural ceremony followed by a high level event on "The Challenge of Eradicating Poverty for Substantial Development: International Community Response".

Further to paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 53/132, the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Conference, at its third session held from 24 to 25 July 2000, mandated the secretariat, under the authority of the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee to formulate a draft programme of action for the least developed countries for review by the Preparatory Committee and eventual transmission to the Conference. It also approved the provisional agenda, the draft organization and structure of work and the provisional rules of procedure for the Conference. The draft organization and structure of work and the provisional agenda for the Conference, along with the annotations thereto prepared by the Conference secretariat, will be issued as document A/CONF.l91/1. The provisional rules of procedure for the Conference will be issued as document A/CONP.191/3. The draft Programme of Action will be reproduced as document A/CONF.191/L.1.

In connection with participation, the attention of Governments is drawn to rule 3 or the provisional rules of procedure on the submission of credentials, which states:

"The credentials of representatives and the names of alternate representatives and advisers shall be submitted to the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, who is the Secretary-General of the Conference, if possible not less than two weeks before the date fixed for the opening of the Conference. Any later change in the composition of delegations shall also be submitted to the Secretary-General of the Conference. The credentials shall be issued by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, or by the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva or by the Embassy at the venue of the Conference upon the explicit authorization of the Head of State or Government or the Minister for Foreign Affairs."

It would facilitate the task of the Conference secretariat if States could submit to the Secretary-General of the Conference in Geneva, by 27 April 2001 the credentials of their representatives and the names of alternate representatives and advisers who will participate in the Conference.

The specialized and related agencies, as well as interested organs of the United Nations, that wish to participate in the Conference are requested to inform the Secretary-General of the Conference, in Geneva by 27 April 2001, of the names of their representatives-

Intergovernmental bodies in consultative status with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with UNCTAD and the Economic and Social Council that wish to participate in the Conference as observers are requested to inform the Secretary-General of the Conference in Geneva, by 27 April 2001, of the names of their representatives

Until 6 May 2001 all communications concerning representation at be Conference should be sent to:

LDC III Conference - Credentials

UNCTAD (Attention: Mrs. Al-Rahal)

Palais des Nations (E. 8103)

CH - 1211 Geneva 10

Fax: (+41 22) 907 0056

As from 7 May 2001: communications should be addressed to:

Registration and Accreditation (LDC III)

The European Parliament

B-1040 Brussels

Fax: (32 2)284 69 24

A document (A/CON. l91/INF.l) providing information for participants at the Conference is attached to this notification.

Rubens Ricupero

Secretary-General

Third United Nations Conference

on the Least Developed Countries

5 February 2001

Documents:

A/CONF.191/IPC/INF.2

2 March 2001

English/French/Spanish

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

A/CONF.191/IPC/19

6 March 2001

English/French/Spanish

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AND ORGANIZATION OF WORK

Provisional agenda

A/CONF.191/INF.1

23 January 2001

English

INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS

A/CONF.191/INF.2

8 February 2001

English

THE STRUCTURE/FORMAT OF THE THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LDC III)

Brussels, 14-20 May 2001

An explanatory note