Notification
[En anglais seulement]
Aid for Trade has become a major item in the international trade and development discourse, largely in response to concerns expressed by developing countries and countries with economies in transition about their capacity to implement trade agreements, especially WTO agreements, and undertake the necessary adjustments to increase the net development gains from emerging trade opportunities. These concerns arose as developing countries faced greater competition-related challenges owing to their lack of supply capacity and trade-related infrastructure deficits and deficiencies.
At the pre-event, the major United Nations agencies active in development cooperation and long-standing providers of trade-related technical assistance and capacity-building will discuss ways to sustain the momentum of moves to implement the Aid for Trade initiative and the supportive role to be played by the United Nations system in promoting development and helping to bring about a reduction in poverty, to which Member States committed themselves in the Millennium Declaration and the outcome of the 2005 World Summit.
The event should be of particular interest to government officials and representatives of the private sector dealing with trade agreements and negotiations.
States members of UNCTAD, specialized agencies, intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations wishing to attend the event are requested to inform the UNCTAD secretariat (e-mail: lucian.cernat
unctad.org) of the names of their representatives by 8 January 2008. Limited financing will be available for the representatives of a few countries.
For additional information, please contact Mr. Bonapas Onguglo, Chief, Office of the Director, Division on International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities; e-mail: bonapas.onguglounctad.org; fax: +41 (0)22 917 00 44, tel: +41 (0)22 917 54 96.
(signed)
Supachai Panitchpakdi
Secretary-General of UNCTAD
14 December 2007