Highlights of UNCTAD's main activities

This section provides a number of examples of UNCTAD´s activities in its diverse areas of work.

Trade and commodities

Commodity diversification and development: Promotes the diversification of production and trade structures. Helps Governments to formulate and implement diversification policies and encourages enterprises to adapt their business strategies and become more competitive in the world market.
Competition and consumer policies: Provides analysis and capacity building in competition and consumer protection laws and policies in developing countries. Publishes regular updates of a Model Law on Competition.
Commercial Diplomacy Programme: Assists developing countries in all aspects of their trade negotiations.
Trade Analysis and Information System (TRAINS): Comprehensive computer-based information system on trade control measures that uses UNCTAD’s database. The CD-ROM version includes 119 countries.
Trade and environment: Assesses the trade and development impact of environmental requirements and relevant multilateral agreements and provides capacity-building activities to help developing countries participate in and derive benefits from international negotiations on these matters.

Investment, technology and enterprise development

International investment and technology arrangements: Helps developing countries to participate more actively in international investment rule making at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. These arrangements include the organization of capacity-building seminars and regional symposia and the preparation of a series of issues papers.
Investment Policy Reviews: Intended to familiarize Governments and the private sector with the investment environment and policies of a given country. Reviews have been carried out in a number of countries, including Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Peru, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
Investment guides and capacity building for the LDCs: Some of the countries involved are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique and Uganda.
Technology: Services the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development and administers the Science and Technology for Development Network; carries out case studies on best practices in transfer of technology; undertakes Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Reviews for interested countries, as well as capacity-building activities.
Empretec: Promotes entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Empretec programmes have been initiated in 27 countries, assisting more than 70,000 entrepreneurs through local market-driven business support centres.

Macroeconomic policies, debt and development financing

Policy analysis and research on issues concerning global economic interdependence, the international monetary and financial system, and macroeconomic and development policy challenges.
Technical and advisory support to the G24 group of developing countries (the Intergovernmental Group of 24) in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; advisory services to developing countries for debt rescheduling negotiations under the Paris Club.
DMFAS programme: Computer-based debt management and financial analysis system specially designed to help countries manage their external debt. Started in 1982, and now installed in 62 countries.

Transport, customs and information technology

ASYCUDA programme: Integrated customs system that speeds up customs clearance procedures and helps Governments to reform and modernize their customs procedures and management. Installed in over 80 countries, ASYCUDA has become the internationally accepted standard for customs automation.
ACIS programme: Computerized cargo tracking system installed in 20 developing countries of Africa and Asia.
Global Trade Point Network (GTPNet): 150 centres around the world provide traders with trade-related information and services and assist in the introduction of e-business practices.
TrainForTrade programme: Builds training networks and organizes training in all areas of international trade to enable developing countries to increase their competitiveness. Currently developing distance learning programmes focusing on the LDCs.

Identifies the specific needs of these particularly vulnerable countries and tailors technical assistance to these needs.
Examines the links between development strategies and poverty reduction.
Coordinates assistance to LDCs in their negotiations for accession to the World Trade Organization, and in building greater capacity for future trade negotiations, along with capacity-building activities on trade and investment issues.

Last updated: 10 May 2004 21:11