Fifth meeting of the Advisory Group on the strengthening of UNCTAD training capacities and human resources development

Fifth meeting of the Advisory Group on the strengthening of UNCTAD training capacities and human resources development

26/11/2007

The event is organized by the New Technologies, Training and Capacity Building Branch through its three cross-divisional training and capacity-building programmes:
- TrainForTrade
- Virtual Institute on Trade and Development
- Course on Key International Economic Issues


UNCTAD opened the meeting with a presentation about “Report of the result of the 2006 meeting”.

The Advisory Group on the Strengthening of UNCTAD Training Capacities and Human Resources Development was set up in 2001 to advise the Secretary General of UNCTAD on the evolution of UNCTAD´s training and capacity building activities and to put forth proposals to enhance the work being carried out in this area.

- The Advisory Group on the Strengthening of UNCTAD Training Capacities and Human Resources Development was set up in 2001 to advise the Secretary General of UNCTAD on the evolution of UNCTAD´s training and capacity building activities and to put forth proposals to enhance the work being carried out in this area.
- This year, the Group members will focus on the role of international organizations in building and sharing knowledge for trade and development. They will examine some of the innovative approaches being developed by, or in cooperation with, international organizations and will discuss how successful they are or have been in addressing the knowledge needs of developing countries and for trade and development.

Moreover, different delegations or people who wants to learn about trade and development (teachers for example) , could access about many information the web, thanks to The UNCTAD Virtual Institute on Trade and Development:

http://vi.unctad.org:8080/unctadvi/secure/unHome.jsf

ITC (International Training Centre) of the ILO made a presentation about his activities. We could see that the participation on the training during the last years.
In the one hand, The Americas is the most people participant on the training session.

In the other hand, the purpose of ILO is to strengthening the capacity and knowledge for all different persons (members, employers, workers, judge, lawyers, teacher, government…).

After a few presentation about the “policy development program of the academy of the WIPO” by Gao Hang, Deputy dean and head of policy development program of the WIPO Worldwide Academy, Phil Rourke (CTPL) speak us about “The Ideas Business: Building sustainable think tanks.



Damien AFONSO

Meeting on the trade and development implications of tourism services for developing countries: UNCTAD XII pre-event

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT Meeting on the trade and development implications of tourism services for developing countries: UNCTAD XII pre-event

19 November 2007

Session I: Global tourism trends and their impacts on developing countries

IFTO

The International Federation of Tour Operators (IFTO) explain the new trend about tourism in the world.
The most important thing is the flexibility. Consumers want to travel when and where he decides. With the internet opportunities, they’re able to go on last minute, time and flexibility are correlated.
Tourist trend’s is to go out from Euro zone, and so we see the emergence of many new destinations to live new experiences.
Nowadays, people who travel doesn’t research an hostel with five stars but on the contrary many persons wants to discovered a new country and culture, comfort became a second desire.
Today, the main key of travel is “Delivery”. People want to be served quickly in a quality environment.

FDI in tourism

Tourism sector is growing, especially in Africa.
It permits to increase direct and indirect employment.
Tourism sector is in the top of the list of financial resources of developing countries.
FDI is an engine to growth especially in “newer” destination.
Attracting Tourism FDIs is frequently one of the policy priorities.
UNCTAD could help to understand importance of FDI and TNC in tourism.
UNCTAD goal is to provide informations and analysis to help policy-makers design policies that will most help their country. The UN organization makes different project in LDCs to developed tourism thanks to FDIs.
Tourism isn’t a globalised activity, is just in accommodation, bars and restaurant, cars rentail and leasing.
FDI is concentrated in developed countries but it is growing in developing countries.
Countries need to setting policies to attract tourism FDI.
And, logically, these politics need to be integrated into the overall policy framework.


Session II: Sustainable tourism development: An avenue for economic diversification and poverty reduction

M.Sahli, professor in New Zealand:

Despite of marginality in FDI, many LDCs have an important tourism specialization.
Tourism has a central impact on LDC for the incomes, jobs and exports.
It exists to different approaches on tourism:

- Traditional: like a macroeconomic objective, with three items: GDP indicator, employment and current account balance.

The main function of this traditional approach is to provide money to the country and to contribute to the State financing (capital goods, technical goods…).

- More recent: we include diversification, social and environmental development.

The main function of the more recent approach is to specify economy in relation to the other economic sectors.

Tourism sector contribute about many opportunities:
- An external demand brings on the host country. Goods and services isn’t exportable permit to the small producers to make profits.
- An increase of employment in intensive sector
- Promote the resources of the disadvantaged people (animal life, flora, culture…)
- A substitute to the International market which his difficult to access (external resources).
- Economic diversification with firm’s creation.
- An increase of infrastructures (transport, accommodation, telecommunication…)

Infrastructures investment benefit at all level in country’s economy.

To conclude,

Unfortunately, the tourism development could create negative situation because of pollution, noise…
To fight this negative points, we need to make a sustainable tourism with social justice, economic development, environment respect.
We need political action thanks to sustainable development (eco-tourism).

Damien AFONSO

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

General Assembly, 62nd Session,

23/10/2007

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Resolution A/C.3/62/L.XX

On the OP 6 and 8, Secretary adds the words “political” and “of”. Everybody agreed.

• Venezuela proposes to include the “root causes” of the refugees situations, as the High Commission during Excom in a preview resolution (14317) had adopted.

To Venezuela, it’s necessary to put more attention in the mandate of UNHCR, through the use of the prevention.

Venezuela wanted to highlight the root causes in order to prevent refugee’s movements.

In the same idea, Algeria urge to the Secretary to follow the Venezuela’s proposition which permit to fight the deep causes of the refugee’s situations.

Ethiopia also thinks that durable solution, like the roots causes, could be integrated.

On the contrary, Switzerland thinks that “root causes” doesn’t include in the UNHCR’s skills. UNHCR must only looks after the refugees.

Morocco recalls that “root causes” appear in the OP 23, so we don’t need to add it in the OP 9. Australia agrees with Morocco.

UNHCR explain mandate: “root causes” appear in the expression “international solution”. In this term, the root causes have been part of durable solutions, it’s a part of International responsibility.

Canada: We had concerns about the original version.

• Algeria asks flexibility about OP 18 and 23.

• France wants to integrate the deployment of a multidimensional force in Eastern Chad and CAR (Central African Republic).

But Algeria doesn’t want to name a specific region, beyond the humanitarian aspect.

For Algeria, the resolution must be universal and not only on a specific way.

Ethiopia recognizes the positive attitude of the France’s proposition but it must concern for all the African continent and not only CAR and Chad.

Mrs Chair asks to France to include his text on another resolution because its concern not only the UNHCR but also the other International organizations.

• In the OP 15, Algeria asks explication about the expression “other persons concern to UNHCR”, the delegation wants to know who’s part of it.

The Secretary answer: we speak about the persons stateless.

• The debate was important concerning the both OP 17 and 18.

To resume, Iran would like to add the same paragraph like in the preview report. Australia, Algeria, Ethiopia and Belarus wasn’t totally agree so the debate continued during one hour.

Finally, the proposition of Iran was almost completely include.

On another part, Algeria was furious when Secretary approves the paragraph 18 whereas he wants to continue the discussion. He recalls at the secretary that it’s the States who decide when the text is approved or not.

• About the Russia’s proposition, Ecuador, Mexico and Dominican Republic want to include the Mexico plan of action in the text, because of the European-Asian Programme is name. In the same idea, Algeria wants to include his regional program.

• Concerning OP 24, Ethiopia wants to change the text “traditional governmental donors, non-traditional donors”.

Secretary proposes “governmental donors and no-governmental donors”. Ethiopia agreed.

To conclude, Algeria mentions that his New-York delegation (Algeria in New-York) won’t agree with the term of the resolution.

That’s why Secretary asks all delegations to contact his New-York delegation to inform on the resolution behind the adoption in the Big Apple at the next week.

Damien Afonso

Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for UNCTAD XII

Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for UNCTAD XII

29/10/2007

Benin for LDC’s:

The challenges of the LDC’s are very different from the challenges of developing countries (most difficulties to LDC’s).

The LDC’s wants to participate actively to the debate. LDC’s group needs one more day to conclude their text about UNCTAD’s XII and excuse them for the delete.

Tchad:

Bring his support to the African group and recall about economic difficulties in Africa.

In the other part, he speaks about the news concerning the kidnapping of children on Chad by an NGO’s. He explain that this example don’t affect UNCTAD XII.

Then he wants to explore new ideas and step in the debate more usually.

Brazil (G77 and China):

He proposes that every group speak about Sub theme. Everybody agrees.

SUBTHEME I

Brazil explains in the detail the G77 position: UNCTAD must have a specific role in the area of economy to help mainly LDC’s.

The mandate of Accra could be in the same spirit that Sao Paulo consensus with the outcome of Accra. The new mandate must take into account of the debate on the climate change. About climate change, UNCTAD and the countries donors must support LDC’s to make policy.

He also speaks about Doha development round and encourages UNCTAD to help developing countries for trade.

SUBTHEME II

Benin:

In the last years, main liberal reform doesn’t manage to bring growth on LDC’s and developing countries.

These countries need support the “supply” in each economics’ area (to answer to the demand).

Iran:

Non members of WTO must be able to access at the different negotiations about trade.

Russia:

In recent years, economies in transition engage international flows on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) which represent an effective participation in the international trade and competitiveness. Russia encourage UNCTAD to continue the assistance through increase FDI’s.

SUBTHEME III

Benin:

Underscore the lack of workers which it prevent international competitiveness.

LDC’s depend on outputs through Official Development Assistance (ODA).

UNCTAD must permit to the LDC’s to attract more FDI’s, create jobs and opportunity with the focus on increase of GDP.

Iran:

UNCTAD must permit to the LDC’s and developping countries to have an access to the new technology (transfer of technology).

Chad:

Insist on the “organizational slack” to the LDC’s countries to set up FDI’s.

Of course, UNCTAD keep the technical capacity to explain how attract FDI’s but the countries must decide what they need to set up finally (independence)

SUBTHEME IV

Brazil:

Wants to strength the impact of UNCTAD. The organisation needs to be modernize to permit to strength effectiveness of the organisation.

Benin:

In the past, during the expert meetings or UNCTAD’s comissions, many countries went back on his country with one or several new ideas to set up directly on policy.

Nowadays, LDC’s would like again to benefit of his practise.

Canada:

It exist a central question: how UNCTAD can make difference to achieve his goal?

Damien Afonso