The Second United Nations Conference on Trade and Development will be held i New Delhi from the 1st February to the 25th March, 1968. It will mark another world-wide effort towards the formulation of a global strategy for development and international co-operation. About 1400 delegates representing 132 countries, who are members of UNCTAD will participate in the Conference. In addition, U.N. specialised agencies and other U.N. bodies are expected to send observers to attend it.

At the outset, the conference will take stock of the world economic situation and review the progress made on the recommendations of the first conference held in 1964. Steps to achieve a greater measure of agreement on nternational trade policies will be considered as also promlems of East-West trade and trade between countries having different economic and social systems. The impact of regional economic groupings will be among the other subjects to be discussed.

The problems of developing countries will recieve the attention they deserve. The question of tariff preferences for goods manufactured in developing countries has been specially raised by the developing countries. Some of the industrially advanced countries have already taken note of this and are expected to make appropriate offers. The flow of international public and private capital into countries which need it will figure as another important item on the agenda. Regional arrangements between developing countries will be among other items for discussion. In short, the trade problems of developing countries are expected to be specially dealt with at the New Delhi Conference.

The importance of the Conference for India is obvious, considering that ours is still in the crucial stages of a developing economy. The ties of international co-operation in Trade and commerce will be further strengthened as a result of the Conference. It is hoped that its deliberations will lead to increaseing world-wide prosperity of which the developing countries will recieve a progressively larger share.

India is proud to play host to this great international meeting and the P&T Department is happy to celebrate the occasion by issuing a special postage stamp to mark the inauguration of the Conference.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India