CoboCards App FAQ & Wishes Feedback
Language: English Language
Sign up for free  Login

This flashcard is just one of a free flashcard set. See all flashcards!

All main topics / Naval Architecture / Marine Transport and Economics / 16 Shipping Abbreviations
14
UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues.

The organization's goals are to "maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis." (from official website). The creation of the conference was based on concerns of developing countries over the international market, multi-national corporations, and great disparity between developed nations and developing nations.

In the 1970s and 1980s, UNCTAD was closely associated with the idea of a New International Economic Order (NIEO).

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 in order to provide a forum where the developing countries could discuss the problems relating to their economic development. This was set up essentially because it was felt that the then existing institution like GATT and IMF were not properly organised to handle the peculiar problems of developing countries. With more than 170 193 members, UNCTAD presently is the only body where developed as well as the erstwhile centrally planned countries are members.

The primary objective of the UNTCAD is to formulate policies relating to all aspects of development including trade, aid, transport, finance and technology. The Conference ordinarily meets once in four years. The first conference took place in Geneva in 1964, second in New Delhi in 1968, the third in Santiago in 1972, fourth in Nairobi in 1976, the fifth in Manila in 1979, the sixth in Belgrade in 1983, the seventh in Geneva in 1987, the eighth in Cartagena(Colombia) in 1992 and the ninth at Johannesburg (South Africa)in 1996. The Conference has its permanent secretariat in Geneva.

One of the principal achievements of UNCTAD has been to conceive and implement the Generalised System of Preferences(GSP). It was argued in UNCTAD fora that in order to promote exports of manufacturers from developing countries, it would be necessary to offer special tariff concessions to such exports. Accepting this arguement, the developed countries formulated the GSP Scheme under which exports of manufacturers and semi-manufacturers and some agricultural items from the developing countries enter duty-free or at reduced rates in the developed countries. Since imports of such items from other developed countries are subject to the normal rates of duties, exports from the developing countries would be more competitive.

Currently, UNCTAD has 193 member States and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. UNCTAD has 400 staff members and an annual regular budget of approximately US$50 million and US$25 million of extrabudgetary technical assistance funds.
New comment
Flashcard info:
Author: andersson.j
Main topic: Naval Architecture
Topic: Marine Transport and Economics
School / Univ.: Chalmers
City: Gothenburg
Published: 15.10.2009

Cancel
Email

Password

Login    

Forgot password?
Deutsch  English