“This paper attempts to reveal some of the key substantive and procedural issues that emerged in the Conference and it provides an insight into the role South Africa played. The paper proceeds as follows :Section two focuses on the historical and institutional context within which UNCTAD IX took place. This sets the scene for a deeper understanding of the broad trajectory of, and the processes underlying the conference debates. Section three briefly sketches the divergent approaches member countries adopted at the start of the Conference, as well as the areas of consensus that emerged at its conclusion. Section four examines the content of South Africa’s substantive participation and role in the Conference, while the final section concludes with some brief and preliminary reflections on the future implications of the Conference for South Africa.”
