Another split at U.N. meeting

Press, 16 May 1979, Page 9

Another split at U.N. meeting

NZPA-Reuter Manila A dispute over whether multi-national corporations should be forced to give! away business secrets blew! up yesterday in talks between rich and poor countries, according to delegates at a United Nations conference in Manila. The differences emerged soon after the start of private negotiations on how to narrow the gap between rich and poor nations. Third' World countries, who have taken nearly a week of the month-long United Nations Conference en Trade and Development to form a united front, confronted the developed countries yesterday with a demand ' that trans-national companies be forced to share their technology by law rather than voluntarily, delegates have reported. i If their demands were implemented, it would mean ithat some of the world’s I largest companies could be I forced to give Third World I countries their business

I secrets, such as the formulas i for pharmaceuticals, cosmetI ics, and soft drinks, the • delegates said. j The rich countries, agreeing to the idea of a code of conduct on what is referred to as the transfer of technology, have suggested that this should be done through voluntary advice and guidelines — not by binding legislation. The disclosure of the sp”t over the multi-nationals came on a day when the open plenary session of the conference witnessed a clash between communist and capitalist representatives over whether the way to development was through more or less private enterprise. The secretary-general of the International Chamber of Commerce (Mr Carl-Henrik Winqwist), advocating the solution of private enterprise and less Government interference, emphasised that it was business and not Governments that produced [wealth and controlled capital I and technology.