UNCTAD builds on cooperation with Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics – UNCTAD press release

17 Oct 11 – UNCTAD builds on cooperation with Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

To strengthen Palestinian capacity in the area of economic modelling and policy analysis, UNCTAD will continue to train PCBS staff on its macroeconometric model of the Palestinian economy.

Following his first visit in August, Mr. Mohammad Qalalwa, Manager of Economic Analysis and Forecasts at the PCBS, will receive further training in Geneva from 17 October to 1 November by staff of UNCTAD's Assistance to the Palestinian People Unit.

The goal of the PCBS-UNCTAD cooperation is to house UNCTAD's macroeconometric model of the Palestinian economy at the PCBS headquarters to produce official Palestinian economic forecasts and conduct policy scenario analyses, and to build the Palestinian capacity in the area of economic modelling and policy analysis.

Towards achieving this goal, Mr. Qalalwa received training by APPU/UNCTAD in Geneva during the period 8-19 August 2011 and UNCTAD staff participated in a workshop held in Ramallah on 3 October 2011.

At this workshop, professionals from the PCBS and Palestinian economic ministries discussed the short and medium-term prospects of the Palestinian economy and relevant forecasting assumptions and scenarios. Further training workshops by UNCTAD staff are planned late 2011 and early 2012