A
3
developed country trade policy.
We did our best to resist a strong attempt by some regional members to shift the focus of the theme topic next year onto the question of "making the international economic environment more suppor- tive" of their restructuring efforts. We argued that the whole point of the "restructuring" theme topic was for the regional members to promote their own flexibility and adaptability, not to waste time evolving "wishful thinking" scenarios about what the rest of the world should be doing. Eventually, we achieved a compromise wording in the text of the relevant Commission decision, but it is inevitable that more time will be spent next year criticising developed country protectionism and the emergence of trade blocs; the UK delegation will need to be prepared.
Other Issues
8. A Malaysian offer to host next year's Session in Kuala Lumpur was accepted. After that the Session must return to Bangkok for at least one year, but the USSR have already posted their intention to host a session in one of their Central Asian capitals in the near future.
9.
The UK delegation spoke to briefs where such were provided. I attach copies of our two main interventions, made under Agenda Items 4 and 5.
10.
This year's Session saw an experiment in "free debate" in the plenary, resulting from suggestions made by the UK amongst others in the monthly Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives. The debate took place in closed session and without a rapporteur under Agenda Item 5 (the theme topic) and was a qualified success in that it provoked some comparatively frank and spontaneous contributions. The time allocated, however, was short. We might usefully support an expanded free debate along similar lines at next year's Session.
11.
There was a sense of boredom and anticlimax at this year's Session. As in previous years, we suggested in the plenary that the frequency of sessions might be reduced to once every two years. Kibria was absent when we spoke up but would doubtless have reacted like a scalded cat to this suggestion, as he sees the Session largely in terms of his own self-glorification. but some delegations who had hitherto pooh-poohed the idea of two-yearly sessions were this year privately more receptive to the idea, especially in view of the fact that the sectoral legislative committees now meet only every two years. A workable compromise might be to propose the holding of full Commission Sessions every two years, alternated with scaled-down ministerial meetings of only two or three days' duration. This would allow
REETRICTED
/ministers
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.