OPENING CEREMONY AND DELEGATES.




Initials



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Background: WORLD COCOA PRODUCERS BEGAN A FIVE-DAY MEETING IN LAGOS, NIGERIA, YESTERDAY (MONDAY) TO MAP OUT NEW STRATEGIES FOR THE STABILITY ON THE WORLD MARKET. ALL SIX MEMBERS OF THE COCOA PRODUCERS' ALLIANCE -- BRAZIL, CAMEROUN, GHANA, IVORY COAST, NIGERIA AND TOGO -- WERE AT THE OPENING CEREMONY.

TOGO'S MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE, M. BOUKARI ???, WHO IS THE ALLIANCE'S CHAIRMAN, PRESIDED OVER THE EIGHTH MEETING OF THE ORGANISATION.

IN AN OPENING SPEECH, THE PERMANENT SECRETARY IN THE NIGERIAN FEDERAL MINISTRY OF TRADE, MALAN I. M. DAMCIDA, SAID THE TIME HAD COME WHEN COCOA PRODUCERS MUST DECIDE ON CONCRETE AND URGENT ACTIONS TO FORESTALL THE DELAYING TACTICS OF CONSUMER COUNTRIES.

HE RECALLED EFFORTS TO NEGOTIATE A COCOA AGREEMENT AT UNITED NATIONS LEVEL AND SAID: "THE TIME HAS COME FOR PRODUCERS TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS."
MR. DAMCIDA SAID PRESSURE SHOULD BE APPLIED ON THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD) TO CONVENE A NEGOTIATING CONFERENCE BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR SO THAT AT LEAST A DRAFT COCOA AGREEMENT COULD BE WORKED OUT BEFORE AUGUST.