A research and training institute for Asian and other developing countries, and a railway cargo tracking system for Thailand, were jointly established in Bangkok this week by UNCTAD and the Thai government. The projects were launched at UNCTAD´s Mid-term Review meeting, which was convened to assess the organization´s progress and global economic events since UNCTAD X (Bangkok, February 2000).
At the Mid-term Review, the Government of Brazil announced its offer to host UNCTAD XI - the Geneva-based organization´s 11th quadrennial conference in 2004.
The International Institute for Trade and Development, the first of its kind in the world, was inaugurated on 1 May at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, where it will be housed. The Institute is a direct product of UNCTAD X, which called for a series of similar institutes worldwide to train developing countries in commercial diplomacy, globalization and liberalization, and international trade and investment facilitation. A digital library and seminar series were both launched today at the Institute, a non-profit Thai public organization that will cooperate closely with UNCTAD, the Thai government and other international organizations, under funding from Japan and other donors (www.itd.chula.ac.th).
The railway cargo tracking system for Thailand was created under a memorandum of understanding signed in Bangkok yesterday between UNCTAD and the Thai government. The system is part of UNCTAD´s Advance Cargo Information System (ACIS), a set of high-powered computer applications for tracking transport equipment and cargo (email: acis@unctad.org).
The joint project is part of a long-term commitment to make Thailand a regional transport hub by linking national railways throughout South-East Asia. It reflects UNCTAD´s belief that efficient transport sectors in developing countries can reduce the cost of transporting goods and thus produce economic benefits.
Wide-ranging ministerial debates were also held during the course of the Bangkok meeting, on globalization, the post-Doha agenda, and how developing countries can get the most out of their trade and trade negotiations. Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, incoming Director-General of the WTO and former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, told participants he hoped UNCTAD would play a major role in many post-Doha activities, particularly those involving technical capacity-building. Dr. Supachai served as President of UNCTAD X.
UNCTAD´s Trade and Development Report 2002, was also launched in Bangkok this week. It focuses on what developing countries can do to increase the value of their exports, and what China´s WTO accession will mean for world markets.
