Minister Filatov at the UN Conference for Least Developed Countries: Emphasis on Trade

In her speech on 18th September, in New York, Minister Tarja Filatov underlined the importance of trade in attaining the Millennium Development Goals. According to her, it is necessary to support and expand productive capacities and improve the infrastructure of development countries, in order to reach economic growth and development.

The EU is striving to meet these challenges, e.g. by adopting the Strategy for Africa, said the Minister. The Strategy also contains an initiative for EU-Africa Partnership for Infrastructure.

Rilli Lappalainen, Secretary General for KEHYS ry., is taking part of the delegation as a representative for the NGOs. Lappalainen is happy with the aims of the EU to advance coherence between trade and development, but demands a larger perspective and stronger commitment.

According to Lappalainen, the situation of the developing countries should be viewed as a whole: “Decisions that affect development are also made in other policy sectors, for example within security policy.”Improvements in economy do not necessary lead to substantial change from a development point of view”.

Minister Filatov is in charge of the Finnish delegation representing the EU at the High Level Dialogue Conference organized in New York on 18-19 September. The situation of the least developed countries, as well as the achievement of the programme of action for improvement of the situation, approved of in 2001, are being reviewed at the conference.