Virtual national workshop on coherent strategies for developing productive capacities in Rwanda

Context

The socio-economic crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the development challenges facing Rwanda and other least developed countries (LDCs). There is an understanding that an effective response to the crisis will require building long-term resilience to current and future shocks through the development of productive capacities and transformation of the production and export structures of the economy. The Government of Rwanda recognises the importance of building productive capacities and has taken steps to integrate productive capacity development and transformation into its development strategies and programs. UNCTAD provides technical support to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MINICOM) on building productive capacities and has reinforced this support recently through the 12th Tranche UN Development Account project on “Coherent Strategies for Developing Productive Capacities in African LDCs.” The proposed workshop is one of the planned activities under this project.
The workshop seeks to provide a platform for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges to developing productive capacities in Rwanda in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also seeks to identify holistic and coherent strategies to build new productive capacities as well as better utilize existing capacities to enhance prospects of achieving Rwanda’s Vision 2050 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Expected outcomes
1. Enhanced capacities of the trade, industry and planning ministries to develop country-specific strategies for productive capacity development and structural economic transformation.
2. Enhanced capacities of government officials and practitioners to implement coherent productive capacities policies, with a view to improving their international competitiveness and integration into the world economy.

Organization and format
The event will be organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Rwanda, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The meeting will be in the form of a half-day virtual workshop (webinar) tentatively scheduled to take place on 6 May 2021, from 10:00 to 13:00 CAT (Kigali time).

Target audience
The workshop is for policymakers in the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Economic Development or Planning, Finance, and Agriculture. Other target local stakeholders include: representatives of the Private Sector, the Central Bank, Chambers of Commerce, and Development Partners.