United Nations Mandate Source RegistryBeta Version
UN Secretariat MandatesUN System Mandates
United Nations (opens in new tab)
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Donate (opens in new tab)
  • A-Z Site Index (opens in new tab)
  • Contact (opens in new tab)
  • Copyright (opens in new tab)
  • FAQ (opens in new tab)
  • Fraud Alert (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy Notice (opens in new tab)
  • Terms of Use (opens in new tab)

Establishment of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as an Organ of the General Assembly

A/RES/1995(XIX)View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, published in 1964.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

iExtracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 topics
ConciliationEconomic DevelopmentElection of MembersInternational TradeOrganizational StructureSubsidiary BodiesVoting

What does this mandate say?

39 operative paragraphs

I

II

1
The members of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (hereinafter referred to as the Conference) shall be those States which are Members of the United Nations or members of the specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
2
The Conference shall be convened at intervals of not more than three years. The General Assembly shall determine the date and location of the sessions of the Conference, taking into account the recommendations of the Conference or of the Trade and Development Board established under paragraph 4 below.
3
The principal functions of the Conference shall be:
a
To promote international trade, especially with a view to accelerating economic development, particularly trade between countries at different stages of development, between developing countries and between countries with different systems of economic
4
A permanent organ of the Conference, the Trade and Development Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board), shall be established as part of the United Nations machinery in the economic field.
5
The Board shall consist of fifty-five members elected by the Conference from among its membership. In electing the members of the Board, the Conference shall have full regard for both equitable geographical distribution and the desirability of continuing representation for the principal trading States, and shall accordingly observe the following distribution of seats:
a
Twenty-two from the States listed in part A of the annex to the present resolution;
b
Eighteen from the States listed in part B of the annex;
c
Nine from the States listed in part C of the annex;
d
Six from the States listed in part D of the annex.
6
The lists of States contained in the annex shall be reviewed periodically by the Conference in the light of changes in membership of the Conference and other factors.
7
The members of the Board shall be elected at each regular session of the Conference. They shall hold office until the election of their successors.
8
Retiring members shall be eligible for re-election.
9
Each member of the Board shall have one representative with such alternate and advisers as may be required.
10
The Board shall invite any member of the Conference to participate, without vote, in its delibera-
11
The Board may make arrangements for representatives of the inter-governmental bodies referred to in paragraphs 18 and 19 below to participate, without vote, in its deliberations and in those of the subsidiary bodies and working groups established by it. Such participation may also be offered to non-governmental organizations concerned with matters of trade and of trade as related to development.
12
The Board shall adopt its own rules of procedure.
13
The Board shall meet as required in accordance with its rules. It shall normally meet twice in any particular year.
14
When the Conference is not in session, the Board shall carry out the functions that fall within the competence of the Conference.
15
In particular, the Board shall keep under review and take appropriate action within its competence for the implementation of the recommendations, declarations, resolutions and other decisions of the Conference and for ensuring the continuity of its work.
16
The Board may make or initiate studies and reports in the field of trade and related problems of development.
17
The Board may request the Secretary-General of the United Nations to prepare such reports, studies or other documents as it may deem appropriate.
18
The Board shall, as required, make arrangements to obtain reports from and establish links with intergovernmental bodies whose activities are relevant to its functions. In order to avoid duplication it shall avail itself, whenever possible, of the relevant reports made to the Economic and Social Council and other United Nations bodies.
19
The Board shall establish close and continuous links with the regional economic commissions of the United Nations and may establish such links with other relevant regional inter-governmental bodies.
20
In its relations with organs and agencies within the United Nations system, the Board shall act in conformity with the responsibilities of the Economic and Social Council under the Charter, particularly those of co-ordination, and with the relationship agreements with the agencies concerned.
21
The Board shall serve as a preparatory committee for future sessions of the Conference. To that end, it shall initiate the preparation of documents, including a provisional agenda, for consideration by the Conference, as well as make recommendations as to the appropriate date and place for its convening.
22
The Board shall report to the Conference and it shall also report annually on its activities to the General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council. The Council may transmit to the Assembly such comments on the reports as it may deem necessary.
23
The Board shall establish such subsidiary organs as may be necessary to the effective discharge of its functions. It shall establish, in particular, the following committees:
a
A committee on commodities which, inter alia, will carry out the functions which are now performed by the Commission on International Commodity Trade and the Interim Co-ordinating
24
Each State represented at the Conference shall have one vote. Decisions of the Conference on matters of substance shall be taken by a two-thirds majority of the representatives present and voting. Decisions of the Conference on matters of procedure shall be taken by a majority of the representatives present and voting. Decisions of the Board shall be taken by a simple majority of the representatives present and voting.
25
The procedures set forth in the present paragraph are designed to provide a process of conciliation to take place before voting and to provide an adequate basis for the adoption of recommendations with regard to proposals of a specific nature for action substantially affecting the economic or financial interests of particular countries.
a
Levels of conciliation
26
Arrangements shall be made, in accordance with Article 101 of the Charter, for the immediate establishment of an adequate, permanent and full-time secretariat within the United Nations Secretariat for the proper servicing of the Conference, the Board and its subsidiary bodies.
27
The secretariat shall be headed by the Secretary-General of the Conference, who shall be appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and confirmed by the General Assembly.
28
Adequate arrangements shall be made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations for close co-operation and co-ordination between the secretariat of the Conference and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, including the secretariats of the regional economic commissions and other appropriate
29
The expenses of the Conference, its subsidiary bodies and secretariat shall be borne by the regular budget of the United Nations, which shall include a separate budgetary provision for such expenses. In accordance with the practice followed by the United Nations in similar cases, arrangements shall be made for assessments on States not members of the United Nations which participate in the Conference.
30
The Conference will review, in the light of experience, the effectiveness and further evolution of institutional arrangements with a view to recommending such changes and improvements as might be necessary.
31
To this end the Conference will study all relevant subjects, including matters relating to the establishment of a comprehensive organization based on the entire membership of the United Nations system of organizations to deal with trade and with trade in relation to development.
32
The General Assembly expresses its intention to seek advice from the Conference before making changes in the fundamental provisions of the present resolution.

A.List of States indicated in paragraph 5 (a)

B.List of States indicated in paragraph 5 (b)

C.List of States indicated in paragraph 5 (c)

D.List of States indicated in paragraph 5 (d)

iParagraph content is machine-extracted from UN documents. For authoritative content, please refer to the official UN document.

Table of contents