and,whereappropriate, tonegotiate newinternational commodity agreements or arrangements; (d)Tointensify international co-operation forthehorizontal andvertical diversification oftheeconomies ofdeveloping countries, aswellasforincreasing theirparticipation intheprocessing, marketing, transportation anddistribution oftheircommodities; (e)Toenhance international assistance directed toviablediversification programmes and,illthatrespect, tofacilitate anadequate expansion ofbilateral, multilateral, andprivate resource assistance, including private investment; (f)Tocomplement suchfinancial assistance withtechnical co-operation for theimplementation ofdiversification programmes; (g)Toimprove information flowstoaidinvestment decisions; (h)Toimprove exportearnings ofdeveloping countries through their increased participation inthediversification, processing, marketing, distribution andtransportation ofcommodities; (i)Toimprove andsustain therealincomeofdeveloping countries through increased exportearnings; (j)Toseektoliberalize trade,including improved marketaccessinprimary products andtheprocessed products thereof, bearing inmindtheneedsand interests ofdeveloping countries; -17- Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library(k)Toimprove thecompetitiveness of,andtoencourage research and development ontheproblems of,natural products competing withsynthetics and substitutes; (1)Toimprove market structures inthefieldofrawmaterials and commodities ofexportinterest todeveloping countries: (m)Topromote international foodtradepolicies thatincrease food production andconsumption indeveloping countries, promote anadequate supply of foodandstrengthen worldfoodsecurity. (b)Course ofaction ofthesecretariat 13.41 TheUNCTAD secretariat willcontribute to: (a)Theintergovernmental consultations andactions onindividual commodities, including theconclusion ofcommodity agreements orother arrangements, asappropriate; (b)Enhancing understanding oftheimpactoftechnology andenvironmental considerations onsupply anddemand ofagricultural andmineral commodities, including thosefacing competition fromsynthetics andsubstitutes; (c)Enhancing transparency inmarkets ofagricultural andmineral commodities, andcommodity basedproducts, through datacollection andprocessing; (d)Thecontinuous review oftheproblem ofcommodity export earnings shortfalls ofdeveloping countries arising fromexportearnings instability, as wellasofactions takenorrequired intheareaofcompensatory financing of export earnings shortfalls. 13.42 Inthelightoftheabove, theUNCTADsecretariat will: (a)Undertake regular surveys oftheworldcommodity situation andoutlook, interalia,analysing relationships between thecommodity sector andtheworld economy1 (b)Assess theresponsiveness ofcommodity production andtradetochanging economic conditions andtheimpact ofeconomic andfinancial constraints onthe commodity production andtradeofdeveloping countries; (c) (d) commodity sectorinAnalyse thetrends insupply anddemand forindividual commodities1 Assist informulating international, regional, subregional andnational policies andprogrammes conducive toenhancing theroleofthecommodity thedevelopment process; (e)Follow developments invarious compensatory financing schemes andassess theirimplications forthedevelopment ofdeveloping countries; (f)Undertake studies ondiversification, identifying specific constraints to diversification efforts andproposing m~asures fortheirelimination; -18- Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library(g)Analyse waysandmeansofexpanding financial resources andtechnical co-operation, especially forhumanresources development relating tothecommodity sector asawhole; (h)Elaborate developmental measures forcommodities, including their