Press briefing by United Nations conference on trade and development

Abstract

At a press briefing on September 19, 1996, Kamran Kousari, Chief of Policy Coordination and External Relations at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), discussed the findings of the 1996 Trade and Development Report. He emphasized that the export-oriented industrialization model successfully implemented by East Asian countries could be replicated by other developing nations if they adopt appropriate industrial and trade policies. The report proposed the establishment of an Information and Marketing Service within UNCTAD to assist developing countries in formulating strategies to avoid market oversaturation with labor-intensive products. Kousari highlighted that while such an export strategy is both feasible and necessary, developing countries must diversify their products and markets, upgrade their technological base, and explore South-South trade opportunities to prevent the kind of trade deterioration experienced with commodities in the 1970s and 1980s. The report addressed global economic issues such as deflation, slow growth, and high unemployment in industrialized countries, warning that these factors could hinder developing countries' export-oriented strategies and increase protectionist pressures.