In paragraph 89 of the Caracas Programme of Action (CPA), the Group of 77 established the Intergovernmental Follow-up and Coordination Committee (IFCC) on Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries (ECDC) to assure a global scheme of coordination for the effective implementation of ECDC. It is comprised of senior officials responsible for ECDC and the National Focal Points for South-South Cooperation. IFCC is entrusted with the task of examining the progress made in the implementation of ECDC, review periodically the programme and calendar of activities, agree on measures designed to give more impetus to those activities and recommend to the Annual Ministerial Meeting new policy guidelines, when so required. At the Eleventh Annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs, held in New York in September 1987, the Ministers decided that IFCC meetings should be held every two years as from 1989.

To date, ten meetings of IFCC have been held: IFCC-I in Manila, Philippines (23-28 August 1982); IFCC-II in Tunis, Tunisia (5-10 September 1983); IFCC-III in Cartagena, Colombia (3-10 September 1984); IFCC-IV in Jakarta, Indonesia (19-23 August 1985); IFCC-V in Cairo, Egypt (18-23 August 1986); IFCC-VI in Havana, Cuba (7-12 September 1987); IFCC-VII in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (31 July-5 August 1989); IFCC-VIII in Panama City, Panama (30 August-4 September 1993); IFCC-IX in Manila, Philippines (9-12 February 1996); and IFCC-X in Teheran, Islamic Republic of Iran (18-23 August 2001).

IFCC-XI originally was scheduled to take place in 2002, but was postponed. The Government of the Republic of Cuba accepted the request of the Chairman of the Group of 77 through the Executive Secretary of the Group of 77 to convene IFCC-XI in Havana, Cuba from 21 to 23 March 2005.

IFCC-XI will consider the follow-up and implementation by governments and relevant institutions of Chapter IV of the Havana Programme of Action related to South-South cooperation, adopted in the South Summit; and the agreements adopted at the High-Level Conference of South-South Cooperation that took place in Marrakech, Morocco, in December 2003. At the same time, this meeting will address follow-up actions by governments and relevant institutions on recommendations made by IFCC-X at the national, subregional, regional and inter-regional levels.

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A high level interactive dialogue will take place on 21 March 2005.

The Committee will address means and ways for strengthening South-South cooperation.

Sectoral reports and background documents on South-South Cooperation will be presented by various United Nations organizations for its consideration and further recommendations.

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The IFCC-XI will consider the follow-up and implementation by governments and relevant institutions of Chapter IV of the Havana Programme of Action related to South-South cooperation, adopted in the First South Summit held in Havana, Cuba, from 10 to 14 April 2000, and the Marrakech Framework of Implementation of South-South cooperation adopted by the High-level Conference on South-South Cooperation held in Marrakech, Morocco, from 16 to 19 December 2003.

The Committee is expected to adopt concrete actions and make recommendations on South-South cooperation for the consideration of the Second South Summit that will take place in Doha, State of Qatar from 12 to 16 June 2005.

A report on the follow-up and implementation of Chapter IV of the Havana Programme of Action related to South-South cooperation will be presented by the Chairman of the Group of 77 in New York.

The IFCC will adopt the conclusions and recommendations to be transmitted to the Second South Summit, as well as the report of the meeting to be presented to the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77, to take place in New York, in September 2005.

It is expected that IFCC-XI will decide on the venue and date of IFCC-XII which is scheduled to take place in 2007. Traditionally, the venue of IFCC meetings rotates among the three regions of the Group of 77. Member States are invited to announce their offer to host IFCC-XII at the meeting in Havana. IFCC-XII will be held in the African region in 2007.

A ceremony will take place on 23 March, 2005 marking the closure of IFCC-XI. A separate detailed programme will be circulated in due course.

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