The Trade and Development Board, at its fifty-fifth session, approved the terms of reference for a Multi-year Expert Meeting on Transport and Trade Facilitation.

The multi-year expert meeting addresses, over four sessions, trade logistics issues in developing countries. The findings and recommendations of this expert meeting will be reported to the next session of the Trade and Development Commission to be held in 2012.

The expert meeting on challenges and policy options for transport and trade facilitation will be held from 7 to 9 December 2011 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, in room XXVI. It will commence at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 7 December 2011.

Participation

Member States of UNCTAD are requested to nominate experts in the areas of transport infrastructure and services, border-crossing issues, trade facilitation and logistics, and related information and communication technologies at an early date, and no later than
23 November 2011.

Experts who will participate in the meeting in a personal capacity are expected to have proven expertise in the subject and may be selected from government and non-governmental organizations, the private sector or academia. 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 23 November 2011.

Financial assistance

Depending on the availability of funding in the Trust Fund for Financing the Participation of Experts at the time, funds may be made available to finance the participation of a limited number of officially nominated experts from developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Governments requiring funding are therefore invited to clearly request financing in their letters of nomination. The decision as to which experts should receive financing will be based on (a) the principle of equitable geographical representation, (b) the needs of beneficiaries, in particular least developed countries and (c) the expertise of the experts concerned. Changes in nominated experts will be considered as new nominations.

Nominations with requests for financing should be received no later than 2 November 2011 and should be accompanied by the following information about the nominee:

• Curriculum vitae
• Mailing address
• Telephone and fax number
• E-mail address
• Name of a contact person from the Permanent Mission in Geneva

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, that is, the use of the least costly fare will be applied.

Background documents

The provisional agenda for the meeting, together with the secretariat´s annotations thereto, will be circulated as document TD/B/C.I/MEM.1/10. To facilitate the discussion, the UNCTAD secretariat has prepared a background note entitled "Challenges and Policy Options for Transport and Trade Facilitation", which will be circulated as TD/B/C.I/MEM.1/11.

Logistics

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 requested entrance gates. Furthermore, luggage may not be brought into the buildings unless the Security Service grants special clearance.

Nominations and enquiries

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 22 917 0214; e-mail: meetings@unctad.org.

All other enquiries concerning substantive issues should be addressed to the coordinators in the substantive division (contact Ms. Veronica Rivera Cruz tel: +4122 917 5572; fax: +4122 917 0050; e-mail: veronica.rivera-cruz@unctad.org).

(signed)

Supachai Panitchpakdi
Secretary-General of UNCTAD
7 October 2011