UNCTAD

The widening trade gap between the developed and

Introduction developing countries, the general dissatisfaction of
the developing countries with the GATT and the
need for a new organization for international
economics cooperation in the field of trade and aid,
designed to reduce the trade gap of developing
countries, encouraged the establishment of the
United Nations Conference on trade and
development(UNCTAD) in 1964 as a permanent
organ of the UN general Assembly.
 SOME NUMBERS

 UNCTAD secretariat: 400 staff

 Annual Regular budget: US $ 57 million
 Extra-budgetary funds: US$ 35 million (2005)
 No field offices
UNCTAD

Function The principal functions of UNCTAD are..

1) To promote international trade with a view
to accelerating economics development.
2) To formulate principles of and policies on
international trade and related problems of
economics development.
3) To negotiate multinational trade agreements.
4) To negotiate multinational trade
agreements.
UNCTAD

UNCTAD: 1964

History The context of North-South and East-West tensions

The link between trade and development
1st UNCTAD Ministerial Conference in Geneva;
•Permanent secretariat established Research on trade
and development issues
•Consensus-building through intergovernmental
machinery
•Technical cooperation on all the topics of UNCTAD
work
 UNCTAD

• Intergovernmental machinery linked to UN

Credentials General Assembly and ECOSOC
• Secretariat part of the UN Secretariat (part
of same budget)
• Development-oriented and independent
secretariat
• Political role (“soft law”)
• Automatic membership
• Wide participation of non-governmental
stakeholders
UNCTAD’s INTEGRATED VISION OF TRADE AND
DEVELOPMENT and THE SCOPE OF ITS WORK:
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS

SUPPLY-SIDE TRADE
TRADE POLICY
PRODUCTIVE AND SUPPORT
NEGOTIATION
CAPACITY SERVICES
POLICIES
POLICIES
 UNCTAD Intergovernmental machinery:
 The Ministerial Conference (every 4 years), reports to
the UN General Assembly and ECOSOC
 Executive body: the Trade and Development Board, one
high level annual session, reports to the UN General
Assembly and Ecosoc
 Three annual Commissions on:
Trade in goods and services, and commodities
Investment, technology and related financial issues
Enterprise, business facilitation and development
 Several Expert Meetings on specific issues