About P166

UNCTAD's flagship course addresses the analytical and policy challenges that policy makers, Geneva-based delegates and other stakeholders from developing and transition economies face in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth and development. Managing these challenges helps their countries to integrate into the rapidly globalizing economy in ways that are beneficial for all countries. The course is based on UNCTAD's development perspective and focuses on the linkages between trade, finance, investment, technology, logistics and macroeconomic policies in the context of major economic trends and debates in multilateral fora. It emphasizes the various approaches that countries have taken to derive maximum development gains. The curriculum is complemented by the expertise of the various UN Regional Commissions and experts from multi-year venues.

"Paragraph 166" refers to paragraph 166 of the Bangkok Plan of Action, which was adopted at the 10th UNCTAD Conference in Thailand, 2000. The member States requested the Secretary-General to organize regular training courses for capital-based policy makers and academics to gain a better understanding of the interrelated issues in the areas of trade, investment, finance and technology; and how to participate and derive gains from trade and investment negotiations. The secretariat was also to establish the basis for a continuous and systematic form of capacity-building.

Today, regular courses are organized in the five developing regions: Africa; Asia & the Pacific; Eastern Europe; Latin America & the Caribbean; and Middle East & North Africa. Partners in each of these regions have been identified as multi-year venues.

The Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD in 2001 established an Advisory Body which now oversees the organization and management of these courses. The Advisory Body, the governance structure of this programme, is chaired by the current President of the TDB with the Secretary-General of UNCTAD. Member States are represented in the Advisory Body as follows: four from Group B, 9 from the Group of 77 and China, and 2 from Group D.

 Click to download P166 programme flyer