Geneva, 16 October 2008 - Government officials and academics from ten West Asian countries will attend a workshop from 26 October-13 November on "Key Issues on the International Economic Agenda."
The course will be held in Bahrain and will feature training by UNCTAD in the use of multidisciplinary approaches on trade and development. It is jointly organized by UNCTAD and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA). The Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain will host the event.
Participants will explore the links between trade, investment and development; will review the implications of integrated development strategies; and will discuss national experiences with trade and development policies in the region. The syllabus draws on UNCTAD´s expertise in trade and development, particularly on financial flows and their impact on the management of the macroeconomy. The organization´s experts also will discuss national productive capacities, structural adjustment measures, trade in commodities, and the role of investment and technology. There will be presentations of the analytical work carried out by UNCTAD and UNESCWA.
The course is part of a series mandated by UNCTAD´s quadrennial conferences and intended to strengthen the understanding of trade policy officials from developing countries of key development issues. The Bahrain course will be the third focusing on Western Asia.
