Contributing Writers: Azad Ali, Tangerine Clarke,
George Alleyne, Nelson King, Vinette K. Pryce, Bert
Wilkinson, Lloyd Kam Williams
GENERAL INFORMATION (718) 260-2500
Caribbean L 10 ife, Feb. 22–28, 2019 BQ
By Branislav Gosovic
Branislav Gosovic worked
in UNCTAD, UNEP, UNECLAC,
World Commission
on Environment and Development,
South Commission,
and South Centre (1991-
2005), and is the author of
the recently-published book
‘The South Shaping the Global
Future, 6 Decades of the
South-North Development
Struggle in the UN.’
GENEVA, Feb. 18, 2019
(IPS) — Initially, in its
BAPA+40 follow-up, the
Group of 77 should address
— in its own circle and in a
comprehensive manner – the
challenges and opportunities
facing South-South cooperation.
The BAPA+40 Zero Draft
Outcome Document — to be
adopted at the upcoming conference
on the Buenos Aires
Plan of Action (BAPA+40) in
Argentina March 20-22– is
much like a conference report
intended to accommodate different
points of view.
It is neither a visionary
policy nor substantive actionoriented
agenda needed to
bolster South-South cooperation
(SSC) and give it greater
importance in the United
Nations system, which would
normally be expected from
a once-in-a-decade high-level
UN conference.
Having been drafted carefully
to take into account
views and sensitivities of the
developed countries, which
have not been overly enthusiastic
about South-South
cooperation, the document
could not give adequate
prominence to preferences
and position of developing
countries, the major interested
party and leading force
of that cooperation.
Initial comments on and
reactions to the Zero Draft
reflect continuing disagreements
and underlying policy
differences between the
South and the North regarding
the nature and objectives
of South-South cooperation.
Given – (a). the contents
and policy limitations of the
Draft Outcome Document,
which largely delimit the final
outcome of the Conference;
(b). the traditional misgivings
of the developed countries
about SSC and their efforts
to constrain its development;
(c). the political and institutional
obstacles that limit the
UN role and engagement of
its staff in promoting SSC;
and (d). the absence of a comprehensive,
up-to-date South
platform for SSC and the differences
that exist among the
South’s large and diverse constituency
— the Group of 77
would do well already now to
begin preparing for the period
following BAPA+40.
Initially, in its BAPA+40
follow-up, the G77 should
address — in its own circle
and in a comprehensive manner
— the challenges and
opportunities facing South-
South cooperation.
Taking into account the
outcome of the 2019 Buenos
Aires Conference and the lessons
learned during its preparatory
process, proceedings
and negotiations, a new effort
should be undertaken to
elaborate a G77 South-South
cooperation policy platform
and agenda for action.
In this context, it is
important to recall the G77
1981 Caracas Conference
on Economic Cooperation
among Developing Countries
(ECDC), which followed
the 1978 Buenos Aires Conference
on Technical Cooperation
among Developing
Countries (TCDC).
Both Conferences were
part and parcel of the Global
South’s New International
Economic Order (NIEO) initiatives
during that period.
The Caracas event had to be
organized outside the UN,
but it relied on logistical and
substantive support of the
UNCTAD Secretariat.
The goal was to carry on
with the process beyond what
had been possible to achieve
in Buenos Aires and in the
framework of the UN itself.
The Caracas Programme of
Action on Economic Cooperation
among Developing
Countries (A/36/333) was
adopted.
It broadened the concept
to incorporate “economic
cooperation among developing
countries” beyond
the politically and substantively
restricted “technical
assistance,” projects-centred
approach dealt with in Buenos
Aires (A/CONF.79/13/
Rev.1).
However, the concept of
ECDC could not properly be
institutionalized in the UN
framework due to the opposition
of the developed countries.
Indeed, in the institutional
reform sweep in the
1990s, driven and inspired
by these countries, even the
UNCTAD Unit on ECDC was
closed.
As part of its continuing
initiative in the UN, the
Group of 77 began to champion
a broader concept, namely
“South-South cooperation”,
elaborated in the 1990 Report
of the South Commission,
The Challenge to the South.
In 1994, G77, in its Ministerial
Declaration, urged the UN
to convene an international
conference on South-South
cooperation in 1996.
The resolution on South-
South cooperation adopted
subsequently by the UN General
Assembly, inter alia called
on the UN Secretary-General,
in preparing his report on
the state of South-South
cooperation, to keep “in view
the proposal to convene an
international conference on
South-South cooperation”.
This non-committal wording
reflected the lack of developed
countries’ support for
By Rev. Reginald Bachus,
Rev. Clinton Miller and Rev.
Dr. Kahli C. Mootoo
Each year, Black History
Month represents an important
time to honor the many leaders
who came before us and reflect
on what steps we must take
now to keep advancing the mission
of pursuing racial justice.
In New York City’s development
and construction industry,
where too many minority
workers and business owners
are still locked out of jobs and
contracts, moving toward racial
justice also means advancing
economic justice for men and
women of color.
The New York State Legislature
has a crucial role to play
in this discussion – and we now
have an exciting opportunity,
as both houses of the Legislature
are now led not only by
Democrats but by strong New
Yorkers of color. But lawmakers
will not be able to effectively
deliver more good jobs and
contracts for minority workers
and MWBEs without a clearer
action plan.
As part of its work to recognize
and advance the ideals
associated with Black History
Month, the Legislature must
commit to holding a public
hearing on the lack of diversity
in New York City’s development
and construction industry.
Holding such a hearing
should enable lawmakers to
create and implement a specific
legislative and policy plan
for expanding opportunities for
men and women of color across
the industry.
And while it is incumbent
upon our lawmakers to develop
a clear plan, we also know that
we, as clergy members of color
from communities across the
five boroughs, have an important
voice in this process. We
believe that the Legislature
must focus on several priorities
with regard to considering
new policies or legislation, as
well as reforming or rejecting
existing legislation or new
proposals that would obstruct
access to the industry for men
and women of color.
First, it needs to be understood
that New York City’s
minority workforce needs
greater access to the skills
training essential for advancement
in today’s development
and construction industry.
State lawmakers can start by
ramping up training budgets to
fund expanded workforce development
programs. They also
need to remove historic barriers
to employment and prevent
the erection of new barriers
that will block opportunity for
minority workers.
Second, the Legislature
must also move to increase
access for MWBE contractors
to participate in far more construction
projects across the
city. Right now, burdensome
costs and unnecessary regulations
are making it impossible
for these small businesses to
compete against larger, more
established firms.
Third, the Legislature
must reject a recently introduced
bill that would expand
OP-EDS
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Continued on Page 26
Continued on Page 18
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What after Buenos Aires Conference
on South-South Cooperation?
Time for state legislative
hearings on lack of diversity in
NY city’s construction industry
/schnepsmedia.com