In response to ever-growing demands for capacity-building in the area of trade, environment and development, UNCTAD is launching a new training package, as part of its TrainforTrade 2000 programme.
This training package, which is being launched on the occasion of UNCTAD X, will enable representatives of Governments (ministries of trade, environment, industry, agriculture and foreign affairs), standardization bodies, chambers of commerce, business associations, environmental NGOs and academic institutions to:
- Increase their awareness of the international debate on trade and environment and relevant international agreements;
- Participate more actively in ongoing international discussions on trade and environment issues, such as in the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment;
- Contribute to the integration of trade and environment policies at the national level;
- Improve national coordination between the public and private sectors; and
- Strengthen national research capacities in this area and examine national strategies to take into account trade, environment and development linkages.
The trade and environment course will have six modules:
- trade, environment and development in the international context
- trade and environment and the multilateral trading system
- environmental policies and market access
- environmentally preferable products
- trade-related multilateral environmental agreements
- international standards for environmental management systems, particularly ISO 14001
The training course will first be delivered in the spring of 2000 in an English-speaking African country. Shortly thereafter the French version of the course will be offered in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali.
For each module, the training package will include:
- a background document
- an instructor’s guide
- a Powerpoint presentation
- a testing tool
The TFT 2000 approach -- which includes the training of trainers, a worldwide network of training institutes and distance-learning facilities -- will provide the basis for the dissemination of the packages.
