Europe's position in world economic relations

Resolution 280 (1964)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 3rd and 4th November 1964 (9th, 10th and 11th Sittings) (see Doc. 1810 report of the Economic Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 4th November 1964 (11th Sitting).

The Assembly

Convinced that events in GATT and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNTAD) will have a decisive influence on the way in which world trade is organised, as well as on Europe's approach to development problems ;

Calling attention to the emergence on the stage of international economic relations of a new power relationship, which came to the fore at the UN Conference on Trade and Development and at the meeting of the International Monetary Fund ;

Believing that this new tendency offers an opportunity for starting a fruitful dialogue between developed and developing countries which must not be missed ;

Believing that a new relationship may also be discerned in the eagerness of East and West to increase trade ;

Convinced that it is essential not to let internal West European divergencies overshadow an evolution which in the long run may have a greater impact on the economic and political relationships in the world than the immediate solution of the European economic division ;

Wishing to emphasise the cardinal role which the Kennedy round could play in mitigating the consequences of the present European trade split, and that success at the Kennedy round would make Europe and North America more fit to meet their world responsibilities in trade and aid,

Expresses the opinion that :

a Parliaments and Governments of member countries must do everything in their power to assure success at the Kennedy round as it would mean that politically Europe and the West would be better placed from a position of achievement to conduct a constructive and realistic dialogue with the developing countries at the next UN Conference on Trade and Development in 1966, and on the Trade and Development Board ;

b GATT could play a decisive role in implementing by concrete measures the agreements in UNTAD to increase the trade of developing countries ;

c the dialogue between developed and developing nations ought to result in a plan for the developing countries calling for clearly stated advantages and obligations ;

d preparations for that dialogue should be undertaken by member countries in the Council of Europe and in OECD with a view to, in the first instance, working out a concerted European and, if possible, Atlantic policy for the debate in the UN General Assembly on the Final Act of the UN Conference on Trade and Development.