From 5 to 6 March 2007, the second COMPAL monitoring meeting covering the period 2006 took place in San Jose Costa Rica. All five beneficiary countries (Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Peru), UNCTAD staff as well as COMCO, SECO/COSUDE representing the donors took part in the meeting. The monitoring meeting consisted of one plenary and a set of bilateral meetings with individual countries. The bilateral meetings were  organized with the purpose of examining the progress made so far in the implementation of the national projects, in-depth discussions on some aspects of the progress reports presented (Informes Nacionales Anuales – INAs-) during the plenary as well as to review in details the individual work plans (Planes Operativos Annuales – POAs- ) proposed for 2007. The bilateral meetings were chaired by UNCTAD  while COMCO, COSUDE, the International Technical Programme Advisor (ITPA) as well as the COMPAL Programme Management Committee members (PMC ), Geneva led the questionings. Beneficiary countries were also given an opportunity to raise questions and make concluding remarks.

The monitoring meeting was followed by a dissemination workshop of the sectoral studies carried out under COMPAL and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) project on the distribution sector. The event was held on 7 March.

Under the Academic programme of COMPAL, a competition workshop was held from 8 to 15 March 2007. It was jointly organized with four Costa Rican Universities and the Council for training of judges (CONAMAJ) as a part of an agreement to develop academic courses concluded with those institutions. Swiss professors and UNCTAD staff made presentations and facilitated group exercises at the workshop.  More than 100 participants from the Costa Rican academia and the civil society as well as participants from other countries (Argentina) attended in that occasion

UNCTAD staff participating undertook the following tasks:

• Hassan Qaqaya, acting Head of the Competition and Consumer Policies (CCP) Branch opened the meetings on behalf of the Secretary General of UNCTAD. He chaired the monitoring meetings during 5 and 6 March 2007. At the dissemination event on 7 March, he delivered an opening statement where he briefed the audience on a joint research programme with IDRC. At the academic workshop, on 8 March, he opened the launching ceremony of the first academic programme and gave a lecture on UNCTAD train for trainers’ programme of the CCP Branch. He also guided two case studies presented in the workshop sessions held on 8 and 9 March. 
 
• Ana María Alvarez, COMPAL Programme Manager ensured the overall activities both in Geneva and in Costa Rica, planned for this multipurpose meeting. She presented the Global Annual Report (IGA) for 2006 at the monitoring meeting; the IGA contains results of the work, including both substantive and managerial aspects, carried out by UNCTAD in support of the COMPAL Programme and includes inputs from the Annual Reports presented by each beneficiary country. At the dissemination event, she also delivered a presentation on the new publication launched under the dissemination phase of the UNCTAD/IDRC Project on Trade and Competition Issues: Regional Experiences. Furthermore, she provided support as a facilitator on the discussion of case studies during the academic course,

• Pierre M. Horna, General Assistant to the COMPAL Programme Management Committee, provided support both in Geneva and in situ to the presentation of National Annual Reports 2006 and Plans of Action for 2007 by each beneficiary country during the annual monitoring meeting. He also delivered a presentation on the lessons of the sectoral studies carried out under COMPAL during 2005, 2006 and 2007 (in preparation) at the dissemination event. In addition, at the academic course, he was instrumental in facilitating the presentation of the two case studies presented during the academic course. Overall, he regularly monitors the implementation of COMPAL activities.

See more about the events in Costa Rica in the Extranet of the COMPAL Programme