Latest Developments

The General Assembly, in its resolution 62/187 of 19 December 2007, decided that the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus will be held in Doha, Qatar, from 29 November to 2 December 2008.

In his letter of 10 January 2008 addressed to all States, the President of the General Assembly emphasized the importance of a successful outcome to the Review of the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus. The President proposed a work programme for the preparatory process for the Doha Review Conference.

The Facilitators of the preparatory process, Ambassador Abdelaziz of Egypt and Ambassador Løvald of Norway, in their letters of 25 January 2008 and 5 March 2008 addressed to all States, outlined the modalities of the review sessions. From 14 February to 20 May 2008, the General Assembly held six informal review sessions on the thematic areas of the Monterrey Consensus. In addition, UN regional commissions held regional consultations in preparation of the Doha Review Conference. These were followed by informal consultations on the contents of the outcome document (9 and 16 June 2008) and hearings of civil society and the business sector (18 June 2008).

All States and other relevant stakeholders are invited to provide substantive inputs to the preparatory process leading up to the Doha Conference.

The President of the General Assembly issued informal summaries of the review sessions and will present, by the end of July 2008, a draft outcome document of the Conference.

As an integral part of the preparatory process, the Economic and Social Council held, on 14 April 2008, its special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Interested non-governmental organizations, business sector entities and intergovernmental organizations that do not have a standing invitation from the General Assembly to participate as observers in all international conferences convened under the auspices of the General Assembly, or that are not in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, or that were not accredited to the Monterrey Conference or its follow-up process, as appropriate, are welcome to apply online to the General Assembly for accreditation. Registration of all participants in the Conference will be opened in September 2008.