ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AND ORGANIZATION OF WORK
OF THE SESSION
Note by the UNCTAD secretariat
The provisional agenda for the fifty-fourth session of the Trade and Development Board is reproduced in section I below. The secretariat’s annotations, contained in section II, are intended to provide essential background information covering the provisional agenda items, together with a brief description of the relevant documentation.
A checklist of documents relating to all agenda items will be issued at the beginning of the session.
II. ANNOTATIONS TO THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA
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Item 8. Technical cooperation activities
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(b) Report on UNCTAD’s assistance to the Palestinian people
23. In line with UNCTAD’s 2006-2007 work programme, paragraph 167 of the Bangkok Plan of Action and paragraph 35 of São Paulo Consensus, the secretariat continues to intensify its activities to assist the Palestinian people to develop capacities for effective policy-making and management in the areas of development strategies and trade policy; trade facilitation and logistics; public finance modernization and reform; and enterprise, in In line with UNCTAD’s 2006-2007 work programme, paragraph 167 of the Bangkok Plan of Action and paragraph 35 of São Paulo Consensus, the secretariat continues to intensify its activities to assist the Palestinian people to develop capacities for effective policy-making and management in the areas of development strategies and trade policy; trade facilitation and logistics; public finance modernization and reform; and enterprise, investment and competition policy. The secretariat reports annually to the Trade and Development Board on its programme of technical assistance to the Palestinian people. The reports also include updates of Palestinian economic and trade performance and the findings of related policy analysis and research by the secretariat.
24. This year, the secretariat’s annual report will be presented to the Trade and Development Board for its consideration. In its first Chapter, the report reviews recent developments in the policy environment with direct bearing on the economy of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Chapter Two assesses the impact of the intensified crisis since October 2000 and its impact on poverty, production capacity and economic performance. It also examines the economic impact of the Palestinian Authority’s financial dilemma in light of the dwindling donor support, and suggests measures for expanded Palestinian fiscal policy space and relevant approaches to reforming public institutions. Chapter Three examines options for reducing the oPt’s isolation by re-routing Palestinian merchandise trade, which transits Israeli ports, through alternative regional maritime routes within the context of regional transit transport agreements. Chapter Four reviews UNCTAD technical assistance activities underway or completed since 2006, as well as resource shortfalls that have forced suspension of strategic technical cooperation projects scheduled for implementation in 2007.
25. In taking note of the report on UNCTAD’s assistance to the Palestinian people, and as in previous years, the Board may wish to draw the General Assembly’s attention to the deliberations under this item in its report on its fifty-fourth session, in accordance with General Assembly decision 47/445. The Board may also wish to consider the implications of the new extrabudgetary resource constraints affecting the implementation of technical cooperation projects extended by the secretariat to the Palestinian people.
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Documentation |
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Report on UNCTAD’s assistance to the Palestinian People |
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Document symbol: TD/B/54/1
Document Type: Agenda, Note, Report
Document Sources: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Subject: Assistance, Economic issues
Publication Date: 23/07/2007
Document Type: Agenda, Note, Report
Document Sources: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Subject: Assistance, Economic issues
Publication Date: 23/07/2007