Mission Statement

Introduction
Mission Statement
Partnerships
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Terms of reference

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 organizations' 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 organizations' global networks, and through cooperation with the WTO, interested Governments, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (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 organizations working in the trade-environment-development domain. The CBTF thus seeks to build synergies and enhance coordination between these organizations 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:

• assess the environmental and developmental impacts of trade policies, as well as the trade and developmental implications of environmental policies with a view to maximizing the potential benefits;
• undertake comprehensive analyses of the relationships between trade, environment and development;
• develop and implement policy packages to promote integrated national trade, environment and development policies;
• explore approaches to address trade-environment-development issues at the domestic level with national stakeholders, and at regional and global levels with international experts, practitioners and negotiators;
• participate effectively in trade-environment-development deliberations;
• access information from, and build cooperation with, relevant organizations working in the trade-environment-development domain.

page last updated on 30 May, 2006 14:29