UNCTAD S-G opens training course for transition economy countries in Belgrade

The 24th UNCTAD regional training course on key issues on the international economic agenda is being held at the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, co-hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Regional Integration of Serbia.

Twenty-four selected national policymakers of eleven countries with economies in transition are attending  --  from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine.  

This regional course is focusing on the links between trade, investment, finance and development, in the context of international trade negotiations.

The course syllabus draws on UNCTAD’s analytical work and the lessons learned from its technical cooperation activities, with inputs from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as well as national experts. 

The course was opened on 9 July by UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi and His Excellency Mr. Nebojša Ćirić, Minister for Economy and Regional Integration of Serbia, along with Professor Branislav Boričić, Dean of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade, and will run for 3 weeks to 27 July.

The Course on Key International Economic Issues is UNCTAD's flagship training programme tailored to the needs of national policy-makers at senior levels.  It is designed to give policy-makers from developing and transition economies a birds-eye view of different economic policy issues, but also to draw attention to the links between them. Indeed, the recognition of the interrelated nature of the issues covered by the course lies at the heart of UNCTAD's mandate and its work on trade and development.

 The training courses were mandated under paragraph 166 of the Bangkok Plan of Action adopted at the 10th UNCTAD Conference (UNCTAD X) in Thailand in 2000, and are therefore often referred to as Para 166 courses. The 22nd regional training course, for Latin America and the Caribbean, was held in Medillin, Columbia in August 2011.  The 23rd regional training course, for Asia and the Pacific, was held in Singapore in November 2011. 

Two more regional courses are to be held later this year: 

• the 21st regional training course, for Africa, in Rabat, Morocco, 27 August - 14 September 2012 (postponed from January 2011 because of events in Egypt)
• the 25th regional training course, for Western Asia, in Oman, 3 - 21 November 2012.

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