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about us
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| Introduction As the pace of globalisation accelerates, enhanced trade and investment flows confront an increasing number of developing countries and countries with economies in transition with a diverse set of trade, environment and development challenges. It is now widely recognised that capacity building is urgently needed to assist decision-makers in successfully addressing the challenges, and fully capturing the benefits, of globalisation. Launched in March 2000, the UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development (CBTF) provides a unique and flexible framework to implement a coordinated and comprehensive set of highly participatory activities to respond to these capacity building needs (overview of the CBTF initiative). Through activities in five clusters - thematic research, country projects, training, policy dialogue and networking - the CBTF aims to help beneficiaries, in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to effectively address trade-environment-development issues at the national level and to participate effectively in related deliberations at the international level. Training raises awareness and broadens the information base on critical trade, environment and development issues. Thematic research and country projects, through a self-initiated learning by doing process, directly enhance the capacities of practitioners to assess and manage policy integration challenges in beneficiary countries. Policy dialogue and networking reinforce the learning process by allowing CBTF beneficiaries to exchange ideas, experiences and perspectives and to develop partnerships through which expertise is shared and transferred. Following a March 2000 briefing session attended by officials from more than 40 Geneva Missions, the CBTF Terms of Reference were established and the task force was officially launched. Meetings with representatives of potential donor countries were held in May and November 2000 inviting governments to collectively contribute to the funding of first year activities of the CBTF activities. To date (February 2001), contributions have been received from the Governments of Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom, enabling the establishment of the UNEP-administered trust fund that underpins the activities of the CBTF. However, additional financial contributions from other donors are sought to support a full and balanced offering of CBTF activities during 2001. A June 2000 briefing session was organised to solicit governments' input on proposed first year activities of the CBTF and to more deeply engage interested governments in future CBTF activities. Pursuant to this briefing, a 'Call for Proposals' from governments and national research institutions for activities to be undertaken by the CBTF was widely circulated and was issued to all Geneva Missions. Over 25 countries responded to the call for proposals with 40 proposed projects. Due to the extra-budgetary nature of the CBTF, its activities are launched in phases according to the timing and availability of financial resources contributed by donors. Evaluation of country proposals is now complete and projects selected for first round implementation are now underway. As additional funds are contributed, the scale and scope of CBTF implementation will increase, supporting a greater number of proposed projects in the future. A new CBTF call for proposals has been issued on 31 January 2001 inviting other interested national institutions in developing countries and countries with economies in transition to prepare and submit proposals for CBTF projects. And during the Spring of 2001, a special CBTF Programme for LDCs has been developed with plans for its implementation later in the year |
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| Mission Statement At the start of the new millennium, and in the context of future trade, environment and development discussions, many countries have expressed their desire that UNEP and UNCTAD should step-up their joint efforts to further strengthen country capacities to promote trade expansion and develop their economies in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. The UNEP and UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development (CBTF) was conceived as a response to expressed needs and requirements of Governments. The CBTF has been conceived to combine the unique strengths of UNEP to build capacities on environmental aspects of trade, and of UNCTAD to build capacities on the development aspects of trade. By enhancing synergies between UNEP and UNCTAD, and drawing on the two organisations' technical expertise and comparative advantages, the CBTF will more efficiently make resources available to a wider range of beneficiaries in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. With access to both organisations' global networks, and through cooperation with the WTO, interested Governments, intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the CBTF is able to launch and sustain a coordinated global programme of demand-driven activities, and make a long-term commitment to them. There is a need to ensure proper communication, coordination and collaboration between international organisations working in the trade-environment-development domain. The CBTF thus seeks to build synergies and enhance coordination between these organisations and to draw on the technical expertise of NGOs in an effort to foster capacity building for balanced integration of trade, environment and development policies. The overall purpose of the CBTF will be to strengthen the capacities of countries, particularly developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to effectively address trade-environment-development issues. To support this aim, the CBTF will help beneficiaries, at their request, to:
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| Partnerships with Countries Participating in CBTF Projects The CBTF will work closely with Governments and civil society, particularly those of developing countries, to assist them in their efforts to enhance their institutional and human capacities for integrating environmental considerations in development planning and decision-making. Efforts will also be made to ensure a balanced geographical distribution of beneficiaries. Special attention will be given to providing services to least developed countries, where the combined developmental and environmental challenges are greatest, and where limited financial, technical and human capacities are currently unavailable to address them. Partnerships with Donor Countries Supporting CBTF Activities Many developing countries and countries with economies in transition require, and have requested, financial and technical support to develop mutually supportive trade, environment and development policies and strategies that respond to the challenges they face in the globalising economy. Recognising the need for capacity building, a growing number of developed country governments seek to complement their own development assistance programs by establishing a partnership with the CBTF and its network of collaborating national institutions in beneficiary countries. As an entirely extra-budgetary initiative of UNEP and UNCTAD, the CBTF relies on contributions from donor governments in order to support its activities. Both UNEP and UNCTAD are pleased to acknowledge the financial contributions provided to the CBTF by the governments of Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. Their contributions are supporting first round implementation of CBTF projects in 2001. Consultations with Governments The CBTF will convene periodic meetings (monthly/or as agreed upon) for Governments' Permanent Representatives in Geneva and Nairobi. These meetings will provide a consultation forum between UNCTAD-UNEP and Governments on priority setting of activities for implementation, the development of the CBTF's detailed work programme, the preparation of terms of reference of studies and research, collaboration with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and policy dialogue topics and venues. The meetings are also intended to brief Geneva and Nairobi-based Officials on the overall status of implementation of CBTF activities.
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| Contact Us UNEP www.unep.ch/etu/ Economics and Trade Branch, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics United Nations Environment Programme 15, chemin des Anémones, CH-1219 Châtelaine-Geneva, Switzerland Hussein Abaza Chief, Economics and Trade branch, UNEP tel: +41 (0)22 917 8179 e-mail: hussein.abaza@unep.ch Asad Naqvi Focal point for CBTF at UNEP tel: +41 (0)22 917 8620 e-mail: asad.naqvi@unep.ch UNCTAD www.unctad.org/trade_env/ Trade, and Sustainable Development Section, Division of International Trade in Goods and Services and Commodities United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Ulrich Hoffmann Chief, Trade and Sustainable Development Section, UNCTAD tel: +41 (0)22 917 5780 e-mail: ulrich.hoffmann@unctad.org Nuria Castells Focal point for the CBTF at UNCTAD tel: +41 (0)22 917 1796 e-mail: nuria.castells@unctad.org Subscribe If you would like to subscribe to the regular news, mailings and web-updates concerning the CBTF, please click here. |
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