Nicaraguan officials have visited Santiago, Chile, on an UNCTAD-organized study tour designed to strengthen Nicaragua’s capacity for policymaking in the services sector.
The tour took place from 30 September to 4 October.
It was carried out as part of an UNCTAD project entitled "Addressing the impact and implications of the global financial and economic crisis on developing countries through support to services sector development". The project seeks to assist developing countries in making their economies and their trade more resilient to external shocks, particularly via development of their services sectors.
The visit to Santiago was organized in close collaboration with the University of Chile's Institute of International Studies and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). It is hoped that it will enable Nicaraguan officials to strengthen their country's capacity to formulate services policies and promote institutional cooperation between organizations in charge of services issues.
This study tour forms part of UNCTAD's ongoing Services Policy Review of Nicaragua. The Review, once completed, will offer recommendations on improving Nicaragua's services in the areas of finance, tourism, telecommunications, and road transport. The aim is to maximize development gains from supply and trade in these services.
The week-long tour combined theoretical knowledge with sharing of experiences between the visiting Nicaraguan officials, Chilean government officials in charge of services policymaking and services negotiations, members of the private sector, academics, and representatives of ECLAC. The Chilean officials participating were from the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, the Tribunal for the Defence of Free Competition, PROCHILE, the Services Exporters' Coalition, the Chamber of Commerce of Chile, the National Tourism Service, and the National Customs Service.
The tour will help Nicaraguan officials as they review options for implementing the ultimate findings and recommendations of the Services Policy Review.
