Economic globalization offers unprecedented opportunities for developing countries to make gains from international trade, including new and dynamic sectors. But it is hard to obtain and expand the gains without an enabling world trade system, coherent national and international policies and adequate financial support. Least Developed Countries are at particular disadvantage in fast moving markets.

In spite of daunting challenges, the 9% rate of growth of developing country trade has exceeded the world average by several points for the past 15 years. Many developing countries have entered dynamic and new sectors on their own and successfully managed to deepen penetration. Such new areas as information technology enabled services offer additional benefits.

UNCTAD´s mission is to help developing countries, including LDCs, to maximize gains from world trade for their development. Pursuing this mission, UNCTAD´s DITC is organizing 11 events at UNCTAD XI in Sao Paulo, 13-18 June 2004. This was preceded by a Trade Week in Rio de Janeiro, 7-12 June 2004. The purpose is to conduct dialogues among all interested parties on solving trade and development challenges.

The UN Millennium Declaration has time-bound targets for development gains and the current WTO negotiations in the Doha Work Programme are likely to give new impetus to international trade. But some of the key promises made at the previous Uruguay Round remain unfulfilled. Much remains to be done. UNCTAD is committed to help in transforming potential trade opportunities into concrete gains for people.