The Preparatory Committee for UNCTAD XI decided for the first time to hold "Hearings with civil society and the private sector" as part of UNCTAD´s intergovernmental preparations for UNCTAD XI (São Paulo, Brazil, June 2004).
Two Hearings will be held on 16 January and 23 February 2004. They will take the form of an interactive debate and will provide an opportunity for dialogue and exchange of views among officials from UNCTAD´s member States, representatives of civil society, parliamentarians and the private sector on issues relevant to the sub-themes of the Conference:
| | Development strategies in a globalizing world economy; |
| | Building productive capacity and international competitiveness; |
| | Assuring development gains from trade; and |
| | Partnership for development. |
The Hearings will also provide an opportunity for civil society and the private sector to make concrete proposals on how to ensure the effective impact of UNCTAD XI. Speakers will make short interventions on any of the four subthemes of the Conference, and participants will also be able to share their views.
A detailed agenda for the Hearing will be posted on the website at a later stage. Interpretation into the six official languages of the United Nations will be available at both Hearings.
