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Short Courses for Geneva-based Diplomats - 2026 series
The UNCTAD secretariat is pleased to announce another series of short courses in 2026 on key international economic issues for delegates from permanent missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva and the World Trade Organization.
The aim of the courses is to give delegates from permanent missions an opportunity to become better acquainted with topical issues and developments in the international economic agenda as they are reflected in the work of UNCTAD. More detailed information on the content of individual courses may be found below.
In the second semester, four courses will be provided at Palais des Nations - on 28 September, 3 November, 20 November and 15 December 2026. respectively.
The second semester in 2026 includes:
- Monday 28 September 2026, 10 a.m. (Room: Council Chamber) - The UNCTAD Borrowers’ Platform: Strengthening Capacity for Sovereign Debt Management
- Tuesday 3 November 2026, 10 a.m. (Room: Council Chamber) - UNCTAD on Voluntary Sustainability Standards and how they interrelate to Sustainable Production, International Trade, and Market Access
- Friday 20 November 2026, 10 a.m. (Room: Council Chamber) - UNCTAD Trade and Development Report 2026
- Tuesday 15 December 2026,10 a.m. (Room: Council Chamber) - Building an inclusive digital economy: E commerce, digital trade and global governance
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Monday 28 September 2026, 10 a.m. - The UNCTAD Borrowers’ Platform: Strengthening Capacity for Sovereign Debt Management
The Borrowers’ Platform has been recently launched by UNCTAD, an initiative that aims to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to navigate an increasingly complex sovereign debt landscape. By improving access to debt-related information, analytical tools, and practical resources, the Platform empowers borrowing countries to make informed financing decisions, enhance debt transparency, and engage more effectively in discussions with creditors and the international community.
At a time of elevated debt vulnerabilities, tighter global financial conditions, and growing uncertainty, many developing countries face significant challenges in securing financing that supports sustainable development, let alone paying debt in a sustainable manner. Access to timely, reliable, and borrower-focused information is essential to mitigate information asymmetries and enable countries to better articulate their priorities and interests in debt-related negotiations and policy discussions.
This short course will introduce delegates to the Borrowers’ Platform, its objectives, key tools, and practical applications. It will demonstrate how the Platform can support policymakers and Geneva-based delegates by providing evidence, knowledge, and tools that strengthen their participation in international discussions on debt and finance for development. By fostering greater transparency and enhancing countries' analytical and negotiating capacity, the Platform contributes to more balanced engagement between borrowers and creditors and supports sustainable and development-oriented financing solutions. The course is relevant to SDG 17, particularly in strengthening the means of implementation and promoting international cooperation for sustainable development.
At the end of this course, delegates will have gained knowledge of:
- The challenges facing developing countries in today's sovereign debt landscape and the importance of reducing information asymmetries.
- The objectives, structure, and main functionalities of the Borrowers’ Platform.
- How the Platform can be used to strengthen debt transparency, support evidence-based policymaking, and improve access to borrower-relevant information.
- How the Platform empowers borrowing countries to engage more effectively in debt-related dialogue and negotiations with creditors and other stakeholders.
- The role of the Platform in promoting sustainable financing and strengthening the voice of developing countries in the global financial architecture.
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Tuesday 3 November 2026, 10 a.m. - UNCTAD on Voluntary Sustainability Standards and how they interrelate to Sustainable Production, International Trade, and Market Access
This short course introduces Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) and their significant role in sustainable production, international trade, and market access. It explores how VSS are used to mitigate the environmental impacts of production and, in some cases, the social and economic impacts that influence long-term economic growth and sustainable development. By addressing environmental, economic, and social dimensions, VSS can contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the broader sustainable development agenda.
The course also examines the growing integration of VSS into trade policy, free trade agreements, public procurement, and sustainability due diligence frameworks, highlighting the challenges and opportunities they present for developing countries, as well as the supporting role of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS).
The course aims to deepen delegates' understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with VSS and their practical application. As tools to support sustainable development, VSS can improve market access and help producers and countries participate more effectively in sustainable global markets.
However, implementing VSS can generate additional costs for producers. At the same time, trade policies are increasingly incorporating VSS, and these standards are exerting greater influence on market access and trade flows.
At the end of this course, delegates will have gained knowledge of:
- Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) and their role as important market tools for demonstrating environmental and, to a lesser extent, social and economic sustainability performance.
- How VSS can enhance market access, competitiveness, export opportunities, and potentially generate price premiums for certified products.
- How VSS can contribute to the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- How governments are increasingly incorporating VSS into trade policy, free trade agreements, public procurement, and sustainability due diligence frameworks.
- The implementation challenges that are associated with VSS, including compliance costs, fair revenue distribution, and living income, and their implications for developing countries.
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This short course will examine recent developments in the global economic landscape and present the main findings of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Report 2026, which focuses on the growing importance of geoeconomics in shaping international trade and development. It will also review recent macroeconomic trends and the outlook for the world economy in 2027, with particular attention to the challenges faced by developing countries in a period of heightened global uncertainty.
The course will explore how increasing geoeconomic fragmentation is reshaping the development landscape by eroding the benefits of globalization and widening technological, strategic, and financial gaps between developed and developing economies. As strategic considerations increasingly shape economic policymaking, many developing countries face persistent constraints that limit their participation in higher value-added activities, including insufficient productive capacities, technological capabilities, and underdeveloped domestic financial systems.
The course will also provide an opportunity to discuss the policy implications of these developments and foster dialogue between Geneva-based delegates and UNCTAD on strategies to promote inclusive and sustainable development in an increasingly fragmented global economy.
At the end of this course, delegates will have gained knowledge of:
- Recent developments in the global economy and the macroeconomic outlook for 2027.
- The main findings and policy messages of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Report 2026.
- How geoeconomic fragmentation is affecting trade, investment, technology, and development prospects for developing countries.
- The structural challenges that limit developing countries' participation in higher value-added segments of the global economy.
- Policy options for strengthening resilience, productive capacities, and sustainable development in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
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Tuesday 15 December 2026, 10 a.m. - Building an inclusive digital economy: E commerce, digital trade and global governance
This short course will provide delegates with an overview of the opportunities, challenges, and recent policy debates shaping the digital economy and its implications for trade and sustainable development. It will explore the concept of an inclusive digital economy, examining how digitalization, e-commerce, and digital trade can contribute to economic growth, job creation, innovation, and broader participation in the global economy, while addressing persistent digital divides and inequalities.
In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ahead of the release of the Digital Economy Report 2027, the course will examine how digital technologies can support progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 on sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. It will also highlight UNCTAD's role in international digital policy processes, including the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process following its 20-year review and the implementation of the Global Digital Compact (GDC), both of which promote a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented digital future.
The course will also present UNCTAD's work on measuring the digital economy, e-commerce, and digital trade, emphasizing the importance of robust and internationally comparable data for evidence-based policymaking. It will conclude with an overview of recent developments in international digital trade governance following the latest WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), including discussions on e-commerce, the lapse of the multilateral moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, and the plurilateral Agreement on Electronic Commerce.
At the end of this course, delegates will have gained knowledge of:
- The key dimensions of an inclusive digital economy and their contribution to sustainable development.
- The role of e-commerce and digital trade in supporting economic diversification, competitiveness, and development, particularly in developing countries.
- The links between digital economy policies, the Sustainable Development Goals, the WSIS process, and the Global Digital Compact.
- The importance of measuring the digital economy and the role of internationally comparable data in supporting evidence-based policymaking.
- UNCTAD's work on measuring the digital economy, e-commerce, and digital trade, including its support for developing countries.
- Recent developments in international digital trade governance, including outcomes related to the WTO MC14, the Joint Statement Initiative on E-commerce, and the Agreement on Electronic Commerce.
- Emerging policy challenges and opportunities for developing countries in an evolving digital economy and digital trade landscape.
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Trade Preferences Outlook is a biannual publication of the UN Trade and Development which provides analysis on the state of the non-reciprocal trade preferences (NRTPs) offered to developing countries. NRTPs, such as the Generalized System of Preferences. By offering duty-free or duty-light access to advanced markets, these schemes have contributed to developing countries’ export expansion and integrating into global value chains. Recently, the stability and predictability of NRTPs have come under threat as preferential schemes expire, and economic fragmentation and protectionism undermine trade predictability.
This course will discuss the effects of global uncertainty and the increasing use of unilateral tariffs on NRTP beneficiary countries, especially for LDCs and other vulnerable economies. It will also discuss concrete policy options for shaping the future of NRTPs so that preference-receiving developing countries and LDCs can foster sustained and inclusive growth and economic diversification. The course is relevant to SDG 17 on strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.
At the end of this course, participants will have gained knowledge of:
- Historical evolution and current state of non-reciprocal trade preferences.
- The trade impacts of changes and uncertainty in preferential market access to preference-receiving developing countries, particularly LDCs.
- The factors that influence the impact of trade preferences on beneficiary countries.
- The ways to improve the existing non-reciprocal preferential market access.
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This session will give the opportunity to discuss about some of the recent changes in the global economic landscape and to present an update assessment regarding UNCTAD expectations about the evolution of the world economy in 2026 and after, taking into account the specific challenges faced by developing economies in this period of high uncertainties of all kinds.
As the global economy entered 2026 under the cloud of subdued growth expectations and heightened policy uncertainty in major markets, many developing countries seem increasingly vulnerable to the risks of a deteriorating external environment, onerous debt burdens and weakened domestic growth prospects. Ongoing shifts also include a more conservative spending structure (reduced official development assistance, lower social spending, higher defense spending) in the public finances of major economies. This is likely to further affect especially the most vulnerable groups of people and populations. This will also be an opportunity to discuss current policy challenges and further strengthen the dialogue between delegates and UNCTAD.
By the end of the course, delegates will have deepened their knowledge on:
- The current global macroeconomic landscape.
- Strategies to address trade-finance nexus, debt sustainability and fiscal challenges.
- Opportunities and challenges presented by the current economic landscape.
- Innovative financing mechanisms and how debt can be managed and addressed.
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Poverty remains one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere, is the first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 1), reflecting the central role of poverty eradication in achieving the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Progress on poverty reduction is foundational to advancing other SDGs and to ensuring dignity, rights, and shared prosperity for all.
Given the continued importance of this issue for Member States, and the urgency of accelerating poverty eradication as the world approaches 2030, there is a critical need to deepen understanding of the underlying causes of poverty, as well as the policies and tools required to address it effectively.
Delegates will gain a clear, policy-oriented understanding of how poverty is defined, measured, and experienced across developing regions, as well as the key economic, social, and institutional drivers shaping poverty outcomes. The course will equip delegates with practical insights into how policies can effectively contribute to poverty reduction in diverse contexts.
At the end of this course, delegates will have gained knowledge of:
- Concepts and measurement of poverty.
- Regional trends in poverty.
- Socioeconomic characteristics of people living in poverty.
- Key drivers and structural determinants of poverty.
- Linkages between poverty, inequality, and economic growth.
- Policies and tools for poverty reduction, illustrated through selected case studies.
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This short course introduces delegates to the key links between trade, gender, and development, with a focus on international trade and gender-responsive trade policies that support the 2030 Agenda-particularly SDGs 5, 8, 9, 10, and 17-and enhance societal resilience in times of crisis. Drawing on UNCTAD’s analytical work, empirical evidence, and policy examples, the course demonstrates how trade can both reduce and reinforce gender inequalities, and how policy tools can deliver more inclusive outcomes.
At the end of this course, delegates will have gained knowledge on:
- Why the economy is inherently gendered and why gender considerations are essential for sustainable development.
- The links between trade, gender, and development, and why there is no such thing as a gender-neutral economic policy.
- Identifying key gender gaps in trade—across employment, entrepreneurship, digital access, value chains, and access to productive resources—and their implications for growth and sustainable development.
- The overview of the roles of major international organizations and NGOs on trade and gender and understanding of UNCTAD’s distinct analytical and policy approach.
- Through their capacity to engage in negotiations and intergovernmental processes through a gender lens.
