“Development-centred globalisation: Towards inclusive and sustainable growth and development” will be the theme next spring of the thirteenth United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD–XIII), they stated in a press release.

UNCTAD–XIII will take place from 21 to 26 April 2012 in Doha, Qatar.

“The recent financial and economic crisis and the danger of a global recession point to the necessity of a paradigm shift in the economic policies of development,” UNCTAD Deputy Secretary–General Petko Draganov said during an extended executive session of the organisation’s Trade and Development Board “Rethinking – with a view to reshaping – global economic governance in support of inclusive development is likely to be a necessary aspect of a development-led globalisation.”

He added, “All of us more or less agree that business as usual is no longer possible. It is time then to make the next step and practice what we preach – and that means change the way we think, the way we debate, and the way we deliver. UNCTAD–XIII provides us with that crucial chance.”

The Trade and Development Board also selected four sub-themes for UNCTAD XIII, including enhancing the enabling economic environment at all levels in support of inclusive and sustainable development; strengthening all forms of cooperation and partnerships for trade and development, including North–South, South–South and triangular cooperation; addressing persistent and emerging development challenges as related to their implications for trade and development and interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable development; and promoting investment, trade, entrepreneurship and related development policies to foster sustained economic growth for sustainable and inclusive development.”

UNCTAD’s quadrennial conferences not only serve as forums for discussing major trends in the global economy, especially those that affect developing countries, but also establish what their work will focus on for the following four years.

The last conference, UNCTAD–XII, was held in Accra, Ghana, in April 2008.