UNITAR has made available through its institutional website summaries of six e-discussions in English and in French on regional integration and trade in Sub-Saharan Africa organized jointly by United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Africa (UNDP RBA) and UNITAR from October to December 2011, as well as a case study on negotiation of financial transactions. The e-discussions and the case study are part of a programme of training and networking events organized under the partnership between UNDP RBA and UNITAR which aims to train African negotiators and decision-makers on key issues related to economic and social development. The e-discussion summaries share country experiences and good practices in the areas of trade and regional integration discussed by participants as well feedback and comments provided by the moderators. The case study includes responses written by course participants and feedback provided by instructors.

More than 1,000 African negotiators and officials from 47 countries directly benefited from the training and networking activities organized by UNITAR’s Public Finance Programme and UNDP RBA in 2011. The activities incorporate UNITAR’s innovative methodologies and long-standing experience in knowledge transfer and executive learning. In addition to face-to-face training and networking events, instructor-led e-learning courses and e-discussions have been organized to engage and train a wider audience of African officials.

This joint UNDP/UNITAR initiative will not only contribute to achieving sustainable growth and attaining the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the African region, but also provides a practical example of making use of existing synergies within the UN system with a view to “Deliver as One”.

The e-discussion summaries and case study are available online at http://www.unitar.org/tradeconference/knowledge-products (English) and http://www.unitar.org/tradeconference/fr/produits-de-la-connaissance-0 (French).

For more information about UNDP in Africa, visit: http://www.undp.org/africa/.

For more information about UNITAR’s other activities in the areas of public finance and trade, visit: http://www.unitar.org/pft/.