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Beirut, 11 June 2003 (United Nations Information Service)--The
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in
cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission
for Western Asia (ESCWA) are organizing a training course on "Key
Issues on the International Economic Agenda" from 16 and 27 June
2003 at the United Nations House, Riad Solh Square, Beirut.
The course, which will start at 10:00 am on Monday 16 June 2003,
will focus on the links between trade, investment, and
development, especially in the context of multilateral world trade
negotiations. It aims to enhance the capacity of officials and
other individuals from the Western Asian countries to identify
issues, and the approaches adopted in their treatment, in the
current trade negotiations, in particular those with development
dimensions in UNCTAD ’s field of competence. It also aims to
increase awareness of the diverse policy and other conditions
necessary for attaining competitiveness and effective
participation in the current global economic environment.
The expected outcome of the course will be for the trainees to
have gained a better understanding of the main features and trends
that determine the international economic agenda from the point of
view of development; the interference between trade, investment,
and development issues and their implications for the formulation
and implementation of integrated development strategies with
respect to the globalization of the trading system; the use of
multidisciplinary approaches in tackling the various aspects of
trade and development issues, including monetary and exchange rate
policies, trade in agriculture and commodities, manufactures,
services, environment and the development of infrastructure; and
best practices in designing and implementing national, regional,
and international policies on trade and sustainable development.
The course is targeted for government officers, at the level of
directors or deputy-directors level, ideally from the ministries
of trade, industry or commerce, involved in the formulation and
implementation of national trade and development policies.
It is worth noting that in response to the UNCTAD tenth session
held in Bangkok (February 2003), the third Regional Training
Course on Key Issues on the International Economic Agenda is
organized in cooperation with ESCWA. At its tenth session, the
Conference adopted a plan of action, which enables officials and
other individuals from developing countries and some interested
countries with economies in transition to become better informed,
through regular training courses in cooperation with the United
Nations Staff College, of key issues on the international economic
agenda. These courses would draw on the expertise and policy
analysis work of the UNCTAD secretariat, with the support of an
advisory body to be established by the Trade and Development
Board.
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