Review of the technical cooperation activities of UNCTAD and their financing

1. Takes note of the technical cooperation activities carried out by the UNCTAD secretariat in cooperation with beneficiaries, development partners and other international organizations;
   
2. Takes note of the reports prepared by the secretariat for the Working Party on the Strategic Framework and the Programme Budget;
   
3. Reaffirms the role of the Working Party on the Strategic Framework and the Programme Budget as the main mechanism for consultations among member States on all issues regarding technical cooperation and for interactive debate among the secretariat, potential beneficiaries and donors;
   
4. Further takes note that the total delivery of the technical cooperation programmes and activities of UNCTAD has remained stable, but there is still important work to be done;
   
5. Welcomes the increase in contributions to UNCTAD technical cooperation activities, and reaffirms the importance of sustainability and predictability in UNCTAD technical cooperation activities;
   
6. Notes with interest the information regarding the new funding mechanisms, such as the multi-donor trust funds funding joint programmes at the country level, and their contribution to system-wide coherence, and invites donors in a position to do so to provide adequate resources to these mechanisms;
   
7. Expresses appreciation for the support provided by bilateral and multilateral donors and invites donors in a position to do so to make multi-year contributions to UNCTAD thematic trust funds in order to facilitate the planning and implementation of technical cooperation activities, and their predictability and efficiency;
   
8. Encourages all donors to use the compilation of requests prepared by the secretariat as a relevant tool to allocate their contributions according to the needs and priorities of beneficiary countries;
   
9. Encourages donors in a position to do so to contribute towards the revitalization of the Least Developed Countries Trust Fund, in order to enable UNCTAD to respond to the requests for technical assistance from least developed countries, including support provided for the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action;
   
10. Calls on the secretariat to continue to strengthen its contribution to the Enhanced Integrated Framework, including working with other agencies to mainstream trade in LDCs’ national development plans in accordance with paragraph 18 (e) of the Doha Mandate;
    
11. Requests the secretariat to continue its efforts to enhance coherence in the planning and implementation of technical cooperation programmes, including strengthening coordination with Geneva-based Permanent Missions and ensuring synergies with the UNCTAD research and analysis and consensus-building pillars, improving transparency of the utilization of resources and further enhancing interdivisional coordination and cooperation with the other relevant international organizations through synergies and complementarities;
    
12. Emphasizes the importance of results-based management in the delivery of technical assistance, including the utilization of standard United Nations performance indicators that measure impact, during planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and of carrying out technical assistance in an effective and transparent manner, contributing to the efficiency and effectiveness of UNCTAD’s work;
    
13. Emphasizes in this regard the need to continue the process of simplifying the structure of UNCTAD technical cooperation through the establishment of multi-year, multidonor thematic trust funds without compromising the scope, content and quality of the delivery of UNCTAD technical assistance and its capacity to deliver tailor-made assistance to the requests of beneficiaries;
    
14. Commends the secretariat on its activities in support of the United Nations system-wide reform and notes with appreciation UNCTAD’s lead role in the United Nations Inter-Agency Cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity and the effective contribution of the Cluster to the implementation of the Aid for Trade initiative.