Switzerland has announced a US$ 1 million contribution to UNCTAD over the next three years for technical assistance projects on investment promotion. The contribution is part of a facility known as the "Quick Response Window" (QRW), which allows the UNCTAD secretariat to respond quickly to urgent requests from developing countries and economies in transition.
The current contribution was agreed to after an extensive evaluation in 2001 of UNCTAD technical cooperation activities supported to date by the QRW. The evaluation was positive as to the impact of the projects on investment promotion initiatives in beneficiary countries but recommended a further streamlining of project procedures. Projects funded under the facility, which as its name implies reduces the decision-making time to 10 calendar days, cover counselling, legal advice, training and workshops on investment-related matters.
Ongoing QRW-funded projects include the development of a regional investment promotion strategy for the Andean region, which is being executed in close cooperation with the Andean Community General Secretariat and national investment promotion agencies. A second project is helping the Government of Jordan develop a strategy to attract foreign investment in the mining sector and providing capacity-building to the Jordan Natural Resources Authority and the Jordanian Investment Board.
Switzerland is among the largest contributors to UNCTAD´s technical assistance work for developing countries and economies in transition.
Projects completed under the QRW facility in the period 1998-2001 include advisory work and training activities in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, India, Pakistan and Uganda.
