BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6af806eda2ee3 DTSTART:20050725T220000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20050725T220000Z LOCATION:Geneva\, SUMMARY:Trade and Development Board\, 37th executive session (Africa) CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:UNCTAD´s annual report on activities in favour of Africa (TD/B /EX(37)/2) will be discussed at the thirty-seventh executive session of th e Trade and Development Board on 26 July 2005. The report presents a panor amic picture of what the organization does in support of African countries and the NEPAD process. These activities fall under two broad categories\, namely: policy research and analysis on Africa´s development challenges\ ; and advisory services and capacity building. a)Policy research and analy sisThe report entitled "\;Economic Development in Africa: Debt Sustain ability: Oasis or Mirage?"\; provides an in-depth analysis of the debt overhang and associated problems of African countries in achieving the Mi llennium Development Goals (MDGs). The analysis shows that\, despite progr ess in the HIPC Initiative\, many indebted African countries are unlikely to find themselves in a sustainable debt situation or achieve the MDGs. It therefore recommends a debt write-off for the poorest countries or the ap plication of an alternative set of debt sustainability criteria\, includin g human development indicators. b) Capacity building and advisory services In the area of international trade\, the second phase of the Joint Integra ted Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP)\, launched in February 2003 for 16 African countries\, continued in partnership with the ITC and WTO. Thi s programme is focused on enhancing the capacities of national task forces established to deal with the multilateral trading system in the beneficia ry countries. Other trade-related technical assistance activities include: support on trade negotiations\; assistance to countries in the process of accession to the WTO\; support for African\, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States in their negotiations with the EU on economic partnership agreement s (EPAs)\; assistance in trade in services and trade preferences\; and cap acity-building and support in connection with South-South trade and region al and global trade agreements. Activities have also been implemented in t he areas of the links between trade\, the environment and development\; co mpetition and consumer protection policies\; commodities\; and services de velopment\; Other areas of activity include: debt management\; internation al investment (including investment policy reviews)\; enterprise developme nt\; and trade facilitation\, including customs and multimodal transport. http&\;#58\;//www.jitap.org/news.htm"\; target="\;_blank\n\nVie w meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/trade-and-development- board-37th-executive-session-africa DTSTAMP:20261114T065957Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR