GENERAL PROGRAMS

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Title of Program

Description of Program

Eligibility

Fee

Contact Information

UNCTAD's Support to Developing Countries: Preparations for Future Multilateral Trade Negotiations

UNCTAD’s Commercial Diplomacy Course:

The course is designed to meet the need in developing countries for a wider, and deeper understanding of the issues addressed in international trade negotiations, at the multilateral, regional and bilateral levels. It is aimed at assisting them to identify and exploit trading opportunities, effectively defend their trading rights, fully conform to their trade obligations while executing development policy in the framework of these obligations and define and pursue their trade and development interests in trade negotiations.

Tel. : + 41 22 907 5686
Fax : + 41 22 907 0044

http://www.unctad.org/en/
posagen/index.htm

The Generalized System of Preferences and Other Trade Laws

Activities:

• National, regional and interregional seminars on operational aspects of the GSP and other trade laws regulating market access conditions in preference-giving countries;
• Advisory services regarding the utilization of GSP schemes, including support in setting up GSP focal points/networks
• Technical support in installing UNCTAD's TRade Analysis and INformation System (TRAINS)  at the GSP focal points.

UNCTAD, Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10

Tel. : + 41 22 907 4944
Fax : + 41 22 907 0044

E-mail : gsp@unctad.org

http://www.unctad.org/en/
techcop/trad0103.htm

To formulate and implement commodity diversification programmes and projects.

Activities:

• Seminars, workshops and expert group roundtables in low-income commodity dependent countries on the development of processing activities, involving the participation of the private and the public sectors. This provides a forum for: assessing the potential for processing in light of domestic and world market conditions; preparing project profiles and initiating feasibility studies; identifying investment partners; and arranging for follow-up.

Developing countries and economies in transition

Palais des Nations,
1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel: + 41 22 907 1234

http://www.unctad.org/en/
techcop/trad0105.htm

The Trade Efficiency Programme seeks to increase the international awareness and effective application of information technologies to trade, and to promote the use of models capable of reducing procedural costs in international trade.

Features of the Program:

• A trade facilitation centre, where participants in foreign trade transactions (e.g. Customs, foreign trade institutes, Chambers  of Commerce, freight forwarders, transport companies, banks, insurance companies) are grouped together under a single physical or virtual roof to provide all required services for trade transactions.
• A source of trade-related information which provides actual and potential traders with data about business and market     opportunities, potential clients and suppliers, trade regulations and requirements, etc.
•  A gateway to global networking. All Trade Points are being or will be interconnected in a worldwide electronic network and equipped with efficient telecommunications tools to link up with other global networks.

Palais des Nations,
1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel : + 41 22 907 1234

E-mail: asycuda@unctad.org

http://www.unctad.org/en/
techcop/trad0108.htm

HRD workshops:

• HRD managers,
• Course Developers,
• Course leaders;

Commodity trading:

• Futures and options market,
• Physical markets;

Trade policies:

• National trade policies,
• competition policies,
• Trade and the Environment;

Trade perspectives:

• Trade with EU Single Market countries.

In cooperation with ITC:

• Doing business in the PTA and with export oriented joint-ventures.

Developing countries and economies in transition

Palais des Nations,
1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel : + 41 22 907 1234

http://www.unctad.org/en/
techcop/trad0110.htm

• To assist in increasing awareness and understanding of the complex linkages between trade, environment and development;
• To contribute to building institutional capacity in developing countries and countries in transition to deal with the trade and environment interface, including through providing information and analysis to policy makers and the business sector; and
• To support the effective participation of developing countries in deliberations in the relevant international organizations and other fora.

Activities:

• Policy-oriented studies: a number of thematic studies as well as some 20 country-specific case studies are being undertaken.
• Workshops, seminars and training: policy-oriented studies are presented and discussed in a number of workshops/seminars on trade and environment.

Developing countries and economies in transition

Palais des Nations,
1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel : + 41 22 907 1234

http://www.unctad.org/en/
techcop/sust0101.htm

• National, subregional and regional seminars on the development of trade practices, trade liberalization programmes and national mechanisms for monitoring, follow-up and implementation of subregional and regional programmes and projects.
• Technical support, including advisory services, in the elaboration and implementation of programmes of trade expansion   among developing countries, including the formulation of commercial policy measures at the national, subregional, regional and interregional levels.
• Mobilization of assistance and support for designing and implementing intercountry initiatives, interregional activities and metworking of integration and cooperation schemes, as well as encouraging enterprises and other economic agents such as investors and professional and trade associations to participate actively in these initiatives and activities.
• Support for the Global System of Trade Preferences. The GSTP, which entered into force in 1989, provides for the exchange of trade concessions among its developing country members through tariff, para-tariff, and non-tariff measures.

Developing countries and economies in transition

Palais des Nations,
1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel : + 41 22 907 1234

http://www.unctad.org/en/
techcop/trad0111.htm