The Multi-year Expert Meeting on Enterprise Development Policies and Capacity-Building in Science, Technology and Innovation will be held from 16 to 18 January 2012, in room XXVI of the Palais des Nations, Geneva. It will commence at 10 a.m. on Monday, 16 January 2012.

Participation

UNCTAD member States are requested to nominate experts no later than 3 January 2012. Experts to participate in the meeting in their personal capacities are expected to have proven expertise in the subject and 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, experts from 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 3 January 2012.

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, in particular the least developed countries and countries with economies in transition. 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, the needs of beneficiaries and 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 9 December 2011.

The following information about the nominee should also be included:

• Curriculum vitae
• Mailing address
• Telephone and fax number
• E-mail address
• Nomination letter 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.

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.1/11. In order to facilitate the discussion, the UNCTAD secretariat has prepared an issue note, which will be circulated as TD/B/C.II/MEM.1/12.

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 in increasing the participation of small and medium-size enterprises in global value chains. 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.

For enterprise development:

tel.: +41 (0)22 917 5869 or +41 (0) 22 917 1730
fax: +41 (0)22 917 0122
e-mail: fulvia.farinelli@unctad.org

or

For science, technology and innovation:

tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 5946
fax: +41 (0)22 917 0052
e-mail: dimo.calovski@unctad.org

(signed)

Supachai Panitchpakdi
Secretary-General of UNCTAD
21 November 2011