H. E. Mr. Luiz Inàcio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, opened the UNCTAD XI Conference on 14 June at the inaugural ceremony at the Anhembi Convention Centre in São Paulo, Brazil.

Opening statements were also made by H. E. Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand, H. E. Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and H. E. Mr. Julian Hunte.

The speakers reaffirmed their commitment to the conference's central theme of enhancing the coherence between the national and international spheres. Although globalization can be used as an instrument for development, it is not synonymous with development and requires adjustments to local needs through human management. Despite the increase in South-South trade, developing countries remain overwhelmingly dependent on developed-country markets. Efforts must therefore be geared towards the provision of assistance in South-South trade cooperation and integration to ensure continued gains by the South from these arrangements.