UNCTAD

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

INTRODUCTION
Established in 1964, UNCTAD promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues. It focuses on ensuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development

KEY FUNCTIONS
The organization works to fulfil this mandate by carrying out three key functions:
It functions as a forum for intergovernmental deliberation It undertakes research, policy analysis and data collection for the debates of government representatives and experts It provides technical assistance tailored to the specific requirements of developing countries, with special attention to the needs of the least developed countries and of economies in transition

History of UNCTAD
Growing concerns about the place of developing countries in international trade in the early 1960s The first United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was held in Geneva in 1964. The conference was institutionalized to meet every four years, with intergovernmental bodies meeting between sessions and a permanent secretariat providing the necessary substantive and logistical support.

Simultaneously, the developing countries established the Group of 77 to voice their concerns. (Today, the G77 has 131 members.)

Main Activities of UNCTAD

Trade and commodities Investment and enterprise development Macroeconomic policies, debt & development financing Technology and Logistics
Special program for least developed countries, Africa, landlocked developing countries & small island developing States

Trade and commodities

Commodity diversification and development: Promotes the diversification of production and trade structures. Helps Governments to formulate and implement diversification policies and encourages enterprises to adapt their business strategies and become more competitive in the world market.

Competition and consumer policies: Provides analysis and capacity building in competition and consumer protection laws and policies in developing countries. Publishes regular updates of a Model Law on Competition.
Trade Negotiations and Commercial Diplomacy : Assists developing countries in all aspects of their trade negotiations.

Trade and commodities cont

Trade Analysis and Information System (TRAINS): Comprehensive computer-based information system on trade control measures that uses UNCTADs database. The CD-ROM version includes 119 countries.
Trade and environment: Assesses the trade and development impact of environmental requirements and relevant multilateral agreements and provides capacity-building activities to help developing countries participate in and derive benefits from international negotiations on these matters.

Investment and Enterprise development

International investment and technology arrangements: Helps developing countries to participate more actively in international investment rule making at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. These arrangements include the organization of capacity-building seminars and regional symposia and the preparation of a series of issues papers. Investment Policy Reviews: Intended to familiarize Governments and the private sector with the investment environment and policies of a given country. Reviews have been carried out in a number of countries, including Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Peru, Uganda and Uzbekistan.

Cont
Investment guides and capacity building for the LDCs: Some of the countries involved are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique and Uganda.
EMPRETEC: Promotes entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Empretec programmes have been initiated in 27 countries, assisting more than 70,000 entrepreneurs through local market-driven business support centres.

Macroeconomic policies, debt and development financing

Policy analysis and research on issues concerning global economic interdependence, the international monetary and financial system, and macroeconomic and development policy challenges. Technical and advisory support to the G24 group of developing countries (the Intergovernmental Group of 24) in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; advisory services to developing countries for debt rescheduling negotiations under the Paris Club. DMFAS programme: Computer-based debt management and financial analysis system specially designed to help countries manage their external debt. Started in 1982, and now installed in 62 countries.

Technology and Logistics

ASYCUDA programme: Integrated customs system that speeds up customs clearance procedures and helps Governments to reform and modernize their customs procedures and management. Installed in over 80 countries, ASYCUDA has become the internationally accepted standard for customs automation. E-Tourism Initiative: Linking sustainable tourism and Information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development, UNCTAD has developed this Initiative to help developing countries' destinations to become more autonomous by taking charge of their own tourism promotion by using ICT tools. Technology: Services the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development and administers the Science and Technology for Development Network; carries out case studies on best practices in transfer of technology; undertakes Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Reviews for interested countries, as well as capacity-building activities

Technology and Logistics cont

TrainForTrade programme: Builds training networks and organizes training in all areas of international trade to enable developing countries to increase their competitiveness. Currently developing distance learning programmes focusing on the LDCs.

Transport and Trade Logistics: Helps developing countries face the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities arising from trade and cargo flows; activities include research and analytical work, support to the intergovernmental machinery and technical assistance in the fields of transport, trade facilitation, policy and legislation and customs automation.

Special Programs
Africa: Provides analytical work aimed at increasing the understanding of problems faced by African countries in their development efforts, and facilitating a better integration of Africa into the world economy. Particular emphasis is placed on supporting the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Least developed countries (LDCs): Provides analytical work and technical assistance aimed at enabling relevant States to make the best possible use of LDC status in the framework of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010, and to better understand the policy-related issues that are specially relevant to LDCs, notably with a view to developing productive capacities and reducing poverty in these countries.

Special Programs cont

Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs): Provides analytical work and technical assistance to LLDCs in support of the implementation of the 2003 Almaty Programme of Action, which deals with the special needs of LLDCs within a new global framework for transit transport cooperation for landlocked and transit developing countries. Small island developing States (SIDS): Provides analytical work and technical assistance to SIDS in support of the implementation of the 2005 Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, with particular emphasis on issues of economic vulnerability and specialization.

Organization Structure
The organization structure of UNCTAD consists of 1. Conference 2. Trade and Development Board 3. Commissions 4. Expert Meetings 5. Secretariat

The Conference
The highest decision-making body of UNCTAD is the quadrennial conference, at which member States make assessments of current trade and development issues, discuss policy options and formulate global policy responses. The conference also sets the organizations mandate and work priorities.
The conference is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly. The conferences serve an important political function: they allow intergovernmental consensus building regarding the state of the world economy and development policies, and they play a key role in identifying the role of the United Nations and UNCTAD in addressing economic development problems.

Inter-governmental Process
Trade and Development Board

Commission on Trade in Goods, services and Commodities

Commission on Investment, Technology and Related Financial Issues

Commission on Enterprise, Business Facilitation and Development

Commission on Science and Technology for Development

Expert Meetings

The Trade and Development Board

In four years between the meetings of conferences, UNCTADs work is guided by the Trade and Development Board. Board membership is open to all State members of UNCTAD, and accredited inertgovernmental and non-governmental organisations enjoy observer status The board meets in Geneva once a year in regular session and up to three times a year in executive sessions to deal with ad hoc policy and institutional issues.

The Commissions
The Trade and Development Board currently has three Commissions that meet once a year to address policy issues in specific areas and provide guidance for the work of the secretariat. These Commissions are :
The commission on Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities The commission on Investment, Technology and Related Financial Issues The commission on Enterprise, Business Facilitation and Development

The UNCTAD secretariat also services the commission on Science and Technology for Development(CSTD), which is a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic and Social Council

The Commissions cont

These commissions allow Governments to exchange views on policy issues in their respective ambits.

As in all of UNCTADs inter-governmental bodies, decisions of the Commissions are taken by the consensus, and thus agreed conclusions and recommendations reflect the collective political will of UNCTADs membership

Expert Meetings
The work of the commission is supported by discussions among specialized technical experts in specific fields. Up to 10 such Expert Meetings are convened by the Commissions every year. They allow the government representatives attending the Commissions to take the advantage of valuable technical input from academics, practitioners and the private sector

The Secretariat Structure

The UNCTAD Structure is headed by a Secretary-General. Subsequent to the departure of Mr. Ruben Ricupero(Brazil), who was the Secretary-General of UNCTAD until 14 September, 2004, the Officer-in-Charge of UNCTAD is Mr. Carlos Fortin(Chile)

How UNCTAD Works?

Commission Meetings Expert Meetings Monitoring of Inter-governmental activities Consensus Building

A TWO-TRACK PROCESS

Research and analytical studies

Human resource capacity-building

Institutional Capacity-building

Policy Analysis

UNCTAD Secretariat