CANCUN AND AFTER: FROM HOPE TO DESPAIR

This critical analysis examines the outcomes of the 1981 Cancun Summit on International Cooperation and Development and assesses the subsequent trajectory of North-South dialogue during the early 1980s. The article explores the high expectations surrounding the Cancun Summit and analyzes why these expectations largely went unfulfilled in the subsequent period. The research investigates the positions of key actors at Cancun, including developed countries, developing country representatives, and international organizations, and examines the negotiation dynamics that shaped summit outcomes. The study assesses specific issue areas addressed at Cancun, including energy, trade, finance, and food security, and analyzes the limited progress achieved in each area. The article examines the impact of changing global economic conditions, including recession in developed economies and debt crises in developing countries, on North-South cooperation prospects. The research also evaluates alternative approaches to global economic cooperation and identifies conditions necessary for revitalizing meaningful North-South dialogue. Furthermore, the analysis considers the implications of North-South relations for global economic governance and development prospects.

The Cancun Summit of 1981 represented a crucial moment in North-South relations, with this article providing a critical analysis of its outcomes and the subsequent decline of global economic dialogue during the early 1980s. The research begins by examining the historical context of the Cancun Summit, tracing the evolution of North-South dialogue from the New International Economic Order proposals through various United Nations conferences to the high-level meeting in Mexico. The analysis explores the specific agenda and expectations for the Cancun Summit, analyzing how different actor groups—including Western developed countries, Eastern bloc states, and various developing country coalitions—approached the negotiations. The article investigates the negotiation dynamics at Cancun, examining how fundamental differences on issues like global economic restructuring, resource transfers, and institutional reform prevented meaningful agreements. The study assesses the impact of changing global economic conditions, including the second oil shock, rising interest rates, debt accumulation in developing countries, and recession in developed economies, on the prospects for North-South cooperation. The research evaluates the aftermath of Cancun, analyzing how the failure to achieve substantive outcomes contributed to declining momentum in North-South dialogue and the shift toward more limited, issue-specific approaches to global economic cooperation. Based on the comprehensive assessment, the article analyzes both structural and conjunctural factors that undermined North-South cooperation and identifies potential pathways for revitalizing global development dialogue. The findings provide valuable insights into the challenges of global economic governance in periods of systemic stress and contribute to understanding the conditions necessary for meaningful international cooperation on development issues.