CAIRO DECLARATION ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

CAIRO DECLARATION
ON ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Ministers and heads of delegations
of the States members of the Group of 77,

Having assembled at a High-level Meeting in Cairo from 18 to 23 August 1986 under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to evaluate the progress made in the implementation of the Caracas Programme of Action and to decide on the future course of action with the objective of giving impetus and greater dynamism to economic development through economic co-operation among developing countries members of the Group of 77;

Hereby adopt the following Declaration:

1. They solemnly reaffirmed their full and unwavering support and commitment to economic co-operation among developing countries and reiterated their adherence to the principles, objectives and framework for such co-operation inspired by the historic 1962 Cairo Conference on the Problems of Economic Development;

2. They stressed that, over the years, economic co-operation among developing countries has become a tangible reality that has evolved into innovative concepts based on the principle of collective self-reliance. These concepts were crystallized into precise objectives and translated into detailed programmes and projects in several sectors of economic co-operation;

3. Having reviewed the implementation of the Caracas Programme of Action, they reaffirmed the need to intensify economic co-operation among developing countries on a self-generating, self-sustaining and self-financing basis and agreed:

(a) To integrate in the national development plans and policies of the member countries, objectives and priorities of economic co-operation among developing countries and specific programmed and projects for promoting it;

(b) To establish a sector-by-sector scale of priorities, including inter-sectoral integration based on the criteria of mutuality of interest, economic benefits, viability and feasibility of projects and programmed;

(c) To encourage the participation of non-governmental entities;

(d) To encourage greater mobility of capital, human and scientific and technological resources across borders among developing countries, inter alla, through appropriate policies, procedures, rules and regulations;

(e) To give particular attention to promoting the pattern of production, consumption and trade to reflect the imperative of economic co-operation among developing countries;

(f) To engage without delay in negotiations for putting in place the necessary institutional and policy infrastructure in the related areas of money, finance, trade and industry to promote economic co-operation among developing countries, including specifically:

(i) Successful conclusion of the negotiations on the Global System of Trade Preferences among developing countries within the time frame already agreed upon;

(ii) Establishment of the necessary monetary and financial underpinning for expanded trade flows among developing countries, including trade between State trading organizations;

(iii) Strengthening the institutional framework in the field of commodities, including producers associations, the Council of Producers' Association and consultative groups, as appropriate, in order to improve the market conditions and to ensure increased earnings from primary commodities of export interest to them;

(iv) Joint projects for the utilization of natural resources and enhancement of productive capacities, including the establishment of joint ventures;

(v) Strengthening the flow of and access to information supportive of economic co-operation among developing countries by drawing upon and fully utilizing all existing networks within the United Nations system and regional organizations and through the establishment of the Multisectoral Information Network, as soon as possible;

4. They reaffirmed that determined efforts shall be made to utilize the full potential of regional and subregional groupings among developing countries;

5. They emphasized that research consultancy and training institutions in developing countries shall be increasingly involved in the identification, development and implementation of programmed and projects in economic co-operation among developing countries through appropriate networking and other devices;

6. They agreed to increase exchange of technologies and experiences in all fields with a view to intensifying economic co-operation among developing countries. Priority should be given to food and agriculture as well as to processing of agricultural and mineral resources. They emphasized the need to strengthen their technological capacities and, in this regard, to co-operate with those developing countries needing such support;

7. They re-emphasized that the dimension of economic co-operation among developing countries within operational activities of the United Nations system should be expanded through specific programmer and projects;

8. They reaffirmed their continued adherence to the principle of equity and mutuality of benefits, with due regard for a special treatment of the least developed countries;

9. In view of the critical economic situation in Africa, they agreed to promote their economic co-operation with the affected countries and to extend all possible support to them in the implementation of their rehabilitation and development programmed;

10. They also underlined the interrelationship between peace, security, development and economic co-operation among developing countries and accordingly stressed the importance of settling all disputes among developing countries by peaceful means;

11. They agreed to further encourage activities designed to bring the peoples of the developing countries closer through, inter alia, increasing their awareness of the mutual benefits and potentials of economic co-operation among developing countries and intensifying their involvement in the implementation of its programmer and projects.