The Multi-year Expert Meeting on Enterprise Development Policies and Capacity-Building in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) will be held from 19 to 21 January 2011, in room XXVI of the Palais des Nations, Geneva. It will start at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 19 January 2011.

Participation

UNCTAD member States are requested to nominate experts no later than 5 January 2011.

The nominees, who will participate in the meeting in their personal capacities, are expected to have proven expertise in the subject, and they may be selected from governmental and non governmental organizations, private entities or academia.

The meeting may be of particular interest to government officials and representatives of the private sector involved in entrepreneurship education and those involved in science, technology and innovation policies related to entrepreneurship education and capacity-building.

In addition, international and regional organizations are invited to nominate their participants.

Specialized agencies and intergovernmental bodies wishing to participate in the meeting, as well as non-governmental organizations in the general category and those in the special category wishing to participate as observers, are requested to inform the UNCTAD secretariat of the names of their representatives by 5 January 2011.

Financial assistance

Limited funds will be made available to finance the participation of a selected number of officially nominated experts from developing countries. Governments requiring funding are therefore invited to explicitly request financing in their letters of nomination. The decision as to which experts should receive financing will be based on the principle of equitable geographical representation, needs of beneficiaries and the expertise of the experts concerned, as well as the type and availability of funding in the trust fund for financing the participation of experts. Changes in nominated experts will be considered as new nominations.

Nominations with requests for financing should be received no later than 20 November 2010 and should be accompanied by the following information about the nominee:

• Curriculum vitae
• Mailing address
• Telephone and fax number
• E-mail address
• Nomination letter from the country´s permanent mission in Geneva

It should be noted in this connection that, once the list of experts to be financed has been finalized, all travel arrangements will be made in accordance with United Nations rules and regulations. The least costly fare will be authorized.

These experts are expected to prepare brief papers on issues they consider particularly important. The papers will be made available at the meeting in the form and language in which they are received.

Background documents and contributed papers

The provisional agenda for the meeting, together with the secretariat´s annotations thereto, is being circulated as document TD/B/C.II/MEM.1/8. In order to facilitate the discussion, the UNCTAD secretariat has prepared an issue note, which will be circulated as TD/B/C.II/MEM.1/9.

In addition, all experts are encouraged to prepare and submit brief papers related to one or several of the issues contained in the provisional agenda to the meeting, as well as those relating to their country´s experience on how to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship through education at all levels. These papers will be made available to the meeting in the form and language in which they are received.

Logistics

The meeting will take place at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Palais des Nations. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in the six official languages of the United Nations.

Upon arrival, participants are requested, before entering the Palais des Nations, to collect their badges at the United Nations Security Service, Pregny Gate entrance, 14 Avenue de la Paix. The Security Service is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Because of the security measures in force, participants are strongly advised to arrive before 9 a.m. in order to complete entry procedures in good time and proceed to the meeting in the E-Building (Bâtiment E) of the Palais. Participants are requested to carry a passport or similar national identity card with them. Taxis are not allowed to enter the grounds of the Palais des Nations and visitors will therefore be dropped off at the entrance gates. Furthermore, luggage may not be brought into the buildings unless the United Nations Security Service gives special clearance.

Further information and contact details

Nominations and related communications concerning representation at the meeting should be sent to the UNCTAD secretariat, Intergovernmental Support Service, Palais des Nations, CH- 1211 Geneva 10, fax: + 41(0) 22 917 0214; e-mail: meetings@unctad.org.

All other enquiries should be addressed to the coordinators in the substantive divisions, tel.: +41 (0)22 917 5869 or +41 (0) 22 917 1730, fax: +41 (0)22 917 0122 and e-mail: fulvia.farinelli@unctad.org (for enterprise development); or +41 (0) 22 917 5946, fax: +41 (0)22 917 0052 and e-mail: dimo.calovski@unctad.org (for science, technology and innovation).

(signed)

Supachai Panitchpakdi
Secretary-General of UNCTAD
2 November 2010