(Brussels, 14 May) “We are here to consider what kind of support” would be most useful to the people of the world’s 49 least developed countries (LDCs) “and to make sure that they get it”, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the opening session of a United Nations conference on the LDCs, hosted in Brussels by the European Union.

As representatives of more than 120 governments meet in the European Parliament Building, UN officials are projecting that agreement will be reached on measures that will improve the position of the LDCs in terms of aid, trade, debt relief and investment.

French President Jacques Chirac said at the inaugural sessions that a process must be put in place to ensure the cancellation of virtually all LDC debts and pledged that France will be more generous with aid and more concerned with its quality. He expressed confidence that the LDCs, now the world’s poorest countries, will soon be known as “the newly emerging countries”.

One important step in that direction was taken in advance of the Conference by the European Union, allowing immediate or phased-in duty-free and tariff-free access for all exports from LDCs, except for armaments.

But the “Everything but Arms” agreement is just a beginning, Secretary-General Kofi Annan told a meeting of about 300 representatives of non-governmental organizations, packed into a meeting hall close to the conference site. He urged other rich countries to make similar concessions, pointing out that the LDCs are more likely to attract investment if they are able to sell their products abroad.

Reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers to LDC products was also called for by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who urged “an effective partnership between LDCs and their development partners”.

Speaking at the opening session of the Conference, in addition to 17 heads of state and the chiefs of such multilateral institutions as the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, were a Vice-President of Cisco Systems -- a leading technology company

-- and the head of Oxfam International. Rubens Ricupero, the Conference Secretary-General and also the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), underscored that the Brussels meeting is designed to involve players from civil society and the private sector, as well as governments.

Released by the UN Department of Public Information

Contact: Tim Wall 32-2-280-6295