Virtual Institute members are invited to apply for admission into the next UNCTAD Course on Key Issues on the International Economic Agenda (http://p166.unctad.org) to be held in Lima, Peru, 18 June to 8 July.
The three-week course, originally targeted at high-level government officials, has recently benefited from the participation of Vi members, some of whom have also contributed as local resource persons.

The courses held in Beirut, Bangkok and Cairo counted with the expertise of Vi members Manoj Pant (Jawaharlal Nehru University, India), Francis Matambalya (University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania), Talib Awad (University of Jordan) and Mehdi Fakheri (School of International Relations, Iran). Many Vi associate members also participated. Feedback from participants indicates an appreciation for the opportunity given government officials and academics to interact and exchange perspectives on issues key to the development of their countries.

The course addresses the issue of economic development and how different external and internal factors (international financial system, trade, investment, transfer of technology, development of entrepreneurship, efficient trade support services, and information and communication technologies) can contribute to the attainment of national development goals of the country.

Deadline for applications is April 13. However, potential resource persons are asked to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the end of March.

Please see special instructions for Vi members below:

1. Participants - UNCTAD will cover local costs for all selected participants, such as accommodation and some meals and provide a sufficient subsistence allocation to cover other meals, as well as personal expenses. Participants themselves are responsible for their medical insurance, visa, and to cover the cost of their travel to and from Lima.

Candidates must be endorsed by their government through the diplomatic mission in Geneva. In general, each country has one seat on the course. However, we only offer places to candidates whom the selection committee at UNCTAD considers as qualified (for this reason we suggest that countries nominate more than one candidate). Therefore, more places than one may be available per country.

Follow the links below for more information on the course and on how to apply:

• Official notification
• Guidelines for applications
• Application form
• Training syllabus

2. Resource persons- As for participants, UNCTAD covers local expenses. In addition, it covers economy air travel to and from Lima. The resource persons are expected to contribute to presentations and discussions in the various modules. Their stay may vary: three weeks -- assuming that they will make presentations in at least three modules; two weeks (second and third week) -- contributing at least two presentations: one on investment and another one on a trade issue; or one week -- most likely the last week with at least one presentation on trade.
Resource persons do not need to be approved by the government - the decision is taken directly by UNCTAD. Those interested in participating as resource persons are invited to send us the titles of their presentations with one-paragraph descriptions of the content and points that they would like to make. We then transmit this information to the focal points in UNCTAD who are in charge of putting together the programmes of individual modules. They will assess whether the proposed presentation fits into the module, and may contact you to discuss further. Final decision on resource persons rests with the module sponsoring division.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact us at vi.unctad.org.