The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 to promote the integration of developing countries into the global economy. UNCTAD is now an authoritative think tank that aims to affect policy debates and opinions on development, ensuring that policies both domestic and international work well together to bring about continued development.UNCTAD works on three main
. goals: creating a forum for intergovernmental deliberations to achieve a consensus with expert opinions; analyzing and providing research, policy, and data for government representatives and their debates; and providing technical assistance to developing countries, paying extra attention to the nations and economies at a disadvantage or in transition. UNCTAD also works with other organizations and donors to deliver technical assistance. Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi of Thailand took office as the secretary-general on September 1, 2005. He works together with cooperating governments and organizations of the UN system and its regional commissions, as well as with governments and their institutions, non-governmental organizations, private sector interests, including trade/industry associations, and research institutes and universities across the globe.With four main divisions - Africa and Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes, Globalization and Development, International Trade and Commodities, and Investment and Enterprise, Technology and Logistics - UNCTAD contributes to the following programs: Assistance to the Palestinian People; ASYCUDA; Biotrade Initiative; Business Facilitation program; Climate Change; Commodities (Special Unit); Commodities: Sustainability Claims Portal; Competition and Consumer Policies; Creative Economy and Industries; Debt and Development Finance Branch; Debt Management - DMFAS Program; Development Dimensions of Intellectual Property Rights; Development of Africa; Dispute Settlement in International Trade, Investment and Intellectual Property; Economic Cooperation and Integration among Developing Countries; E-commerce and Development Report; E-Tourism Initiative; EMPRETEC; Gender and Trade; Generalized System of Preferences; Global Investment Prospects Assessment; Human Resource Development for Training and Capacity Building; ICT Analysis Section; InfoComm: Commodities Market Information; Information Economy Report; International Investment Agreements; International Investment Flows (World Investment Report); Investment and Enterprise; Investment Compass; Investment Instruments Online; Investment Policy Reviews; ISAR - Corporate Transparency - Accounting; Land-locked developing countries; Least Developed Countries; Measuring ICT for Development; Policy and Legislation; Review of Maritime Transport; Science and Technology for Development Network; Small Island Developing States; Technology and Innovation Report; Trade Analysis Branch; Trade and Development Report; Trade, Environment and Development; Trade Negotiations and Commercial Diplomacy; TrainForTrade; Training courses of the key issues on the international economic agenda; Transnational Corporations; Transport and Trade Logistics; Transport Newsletter; UNCTAD-ICC Investment Guides; UNCTAD-ICTSD Capacity Building Project on IPRs; UNCTAD at WSIS; Virtual InstituteFor more information, please see the below links. More reference links: http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=1529&lang=1 http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Startpage.asp?intItemID=2068&lang=1
