Key Issues
As a result of a proposal made by the Secretary-General of UNCTAD at the first regular session of the Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) in April 2007, and of consultations among United Nations agencies and entities involved in trade-related assistance, an informal meeting on the establishment of a CEB thematic cluster on trade and productive capacity was held at UNCTAD on 20 April 2007. The following organizations attended the meeting: the United Nations Industrial Development Corporation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Trade Centre.
At the second regular session of the CEB in October 2007, the Chair noted that the High-level Committee on Programmes had agreed to recommend the approval of a CEB cluster on trade and productive capacity.
Purpose of the cluster:
It was agreed that the establishment of an inter-agency thematic cluster could play an important role in ensuring that the issues related to trade and productive sectors and their interface with the Millennium Development Goals are adequately taken into account in the delivering as one and United Nations-wide coherence process.
The cluster could also serve to strengthen the United Nations response to the Aid for Trade initiative and to facilitate the interface between the Enhanced Integrated Framework and the United Nations country assistance plans.
The presentation to member States of the United Nations CEB cluster on trade and productive capacity will take place during this event.
It was emphasized that the membership of the cluster should be open and flexible.
Current members of the cluster are:
- UNCTAD
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- International Trade Centre
- World Trade Organization
- United Nations Development Programme
- United Nations regional commissions
Quicklink: Press Release
Contact:
Ms. Manuela Tortora
Technical Cooperation Service
E-mail: manuela.tortora
unctad.org