UNCTAD's long-running series of courses for government policymakers is currently being delivered in Muscat to officials from Western Asia.
The course was opened by Mr. Ahmed Omar, Director of the Diplomatic Institute of Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sixteen policymakers from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen are attending the course.
The course focuses on the links between trade, investment, finance, technology and development. It is designed to give policymakers a bird's-eye view of different economic policy issues, to draw attention to the connections between them, and to assist developing-country governments in fashioning appropriate policies that support and enhance development.
This is the twenty-fifth such course to be offered in Western Asia. An important development in the 12-year history of the regional course is the establishment of multi-year venues, and in line with this, Oman will host study sessions from 2012 to 2016.
The curriculum has been designed by UNCTAD, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. It will be complemented by case studies from Omani experts on innovation and its contribution to competitiveness, on the development and support of small- and medium-sized enterprises, and on customs and port reforms that support trade.
