UN General Assembly
1998

Our basic contention — and I do not think that it is too much to ask for — is that we should be able to increase our share in the global economy, be it through trade or through the mobilization of foreign direct investment. As small developing economies, we face the enormous challenge of building our export and institutional capacities to allow us to assume our place in this fiercely competitive global environment. If we are to attract investments, improve product quality, meet standards — in short, compete effectively and grasp the opportunities presented by the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements — then it is imperative that the international community recognize the need to grant us adequate transitional support. It is in this context that my delegation appeals to the European Union to accept the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of States’ request for an extension of trade preferences under a WTO waiver for a protracted period of time, within the framework of the successor agreement to the Lomé IV Convention. Genuine cooperation should take