The UNCTAD TrainForTrade programme, in cooperation with Dublin Port Company (DPC) and with the support of Irish Aid, is organizing the second Train-the-Trainers Workshop for English-speaking Port Communities in Dublin, Ireland. 24 senior managers from the ports of Djibouti, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tanzania and the Maldives are participating in this workshop that will prepare them to implement training activities in their own port communities. The objectives of this Train-the-Trainers Workshop is to - train the senior managers on Modules 5 to 8 of the “Modern Port Management” course of the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Training Programme, and - to define the framework for the national replication of the training in the port communities of the beneficiary countries. This activity completes the training cycle started in Dublin in 2008, when the first Train-the-Trainers workshop on Module 1 to 4 of the “Modern Port Management” course was organized by UNCTAD and DPC.
Contact: Mark Assaf and Zannie Leong

The sixth Meeting of the Advisory Group on the strengthening of UNCTAD training capacities and human resources development, organized by the Knowledge Sharing, Training and Capacity Building Branch/UNCTAD, will be taking place on 23 June 2009 in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations. This year, the Group members will examine innovative electronic responses being adopted by international organizations, training institutions and research centres to build and share knowledge; the Group will discuss how successful they are in addressing developing countries' needs for knowledge on trade and development, and will draw lessons for UNCTAD's training and capacity-building programmes.
Contact: Evelyn Benvenisti and Dominique Chantrel

The delivery started on Tuesday 15 June 2008 in ERIT (Vientiane, Lao PDR). Mr Chantrel, TrainFortrade Distance Learning Expert co-delivered the training seminar with Mr Sieng, IT Expert, from Cambodia. Two Lao instructors, Mr Norasingh and Mr Thilavan also provided assistance during the delivery. The 16 participants (8 women and 8 men) came from the ministries of commerce, finance, tourism and ERIT itself. According to the TrainForTrade standards, the overall participation was evaluated as good. However the poor level of English of part of the audience called for an intensive intervention of the 2 local co-instructors which had to ensure, through a translation in Lao, that the key concepts were assimilated. The workshop ended with the final remarks of Dr. Somphauong Phirnphinith, Director General of ERIT, who also distributed the certificates to all the participants.
Contact: Xaysomphet Norasingh

From 15 to 20 June 2009, 29 senior port managers will be participating in the UNCTAD /TrainForTrade Modern Port Management course to be held in Tema. Mr. Mark Assaf, UNCTAD Project Officer, Mr. John Moore, Training and Research Manager from Dublin Port Company and five local instructors from Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) will be delivering Module 1 of the course. During the workshop, participants will have access to UNCTAD TrainForTrade learning platform and learn about recent evolution of trade and international transport, as well as the relationships between ports and shipping companies.
Contact: Mark Assaf and Zannie Leong

From 14 to 18 June 2009, 19 senior port specialists will be participating in Module 2 of the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade Modern Port Management course held in Male’. Mr. Hussain Naeem, Assistant Managing Director from Maldives Ports Limited and Mr. Joseph Hiney, Research Development Manager from Dublin Port Company will be delivering the second module for the course. Participants will be able to gain access to the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade learning platform and expand their knowledge on the roles of a port, running the port system, and identify how the framework is organized, both locally and nationally.
Contact: Mark Assaf and Zannie Leong

Este estudio fue preparado dando seguimiento a las intervenciones de asistencia técnica que la UNCTAD ha realizado desde 2007 en la región a objeto de ayudar a los países concernidos a fin de que estos se beneficien con el potencial del comercio electrónico, y proponer planes para el desarrollo de un marco legal armonizado para el comercio en Internet. El estudio se basa en la información proporcionada por los representantes de los países a lo largo de los talleres de capacitación organizados en 2007 y 2008, y en la reseña comparativa preparada bajo los resultados de los mismos.
Contacto: Cécile Barayre, Gonzalo Ayala

Del 3 al 5 de junio, 12 representantes de las comunidades portuarias de Guatemala, así como un representante de COCATRAM participaron en el Taller de Formación de Tutores para la Formación a Distancia. Esta actividad se realizó en el marco del Programa de Capacitación Portuaria TrainForTrade de la UNCTAD para la red de habla hispana. Los tutores formados en este taller tendrán un rol importante en la difusión del curso Gestión Moderna de Puertos en sus respectivas comunidades portuarias.
Contacto: Gonzalo Ayala

Del 8 al 11 de junio de 2009, funcionarios de las comunidades portuarias de Guatemala participan en la difusión del módulo 1 del curso "Gestión Moderna de Puertos". Este evento, organizado por el programa TrainForTrade de la UNCTAD en cooperación con la Comisión Portuaria Nacional de Guatemala y con el apoyo de la Autoridad Portuaria de Gijón, es parte del primer ciclo de formación del Programa de Capacitación Portuaria en Guatemala.
Contacto: Gonzalo Ayala

La CNUCED organise à Conakry une activité de "Préparation à l'analyse des besoins et des priorités en matière de facilitation des échanges" dans le cadre du projet AFD/CNUCED/CCI pour la Guinée. Une mission spécialisée se rend sur place du 18 au 22 mai afin de sensibiliser les différents acteurs à la facilitation des échanges et aux négociations en cours à l'OMC, et de préparer les parties concernées à la méthodologie d'analyse des besoins en vue de l'atelier d'auto-évaluation organisé par l'OMC sur la facilitation des échanges. Deux séminaires en lien avec ces deux objectifs seront organisés dans le cadre de cette mission, en étroite relation avec le Ministère du Commerce et de la Compétitivité: un séminaire d'information sur la facilitation des échanges, et un séminaire de préparation à la méthodologie de l'évaluation des besoins.
Contacts: Xavier Alphaize and Emilie Dairon

The 6th Regional Steering Committee for the TrainForTrade regional project for Cambodia and Lao PDR, took place in Siem Reap (Cambodia) on May 3, 2009. It was chaired by H.E. Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister and Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia. This meeting was attended by high level officials from the two countries, together with representatives from UNCTAD and France. The meeting reviewed the achievements of the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade in both countries and addressed the issue of local ownership, to ensure appropriate sustainability of actions, with the phasing out of international assistance, since the project is expected to end in October 2009. During the meeting the two countries also signed the Terms and Conditions of the TrainForTrade network, a document putting in place a privileged framework for further cooperation.
Contact: Sabrina Ielmoli and Sochivin Hang

From 4 to 8 May 2009, 25 port and operation managers will be participating in the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade Modern Port Management course held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Mr. Dunstan G. Mrutu, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors from Tanzania Ports Authority and Her Excellency, Ms. Anne Barrington, Ambassador of Ireland in Tanzania attended the opening ceremony and delivered keynote speeches. Senior officials from Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Mr. Mark Assaf, UNCTAD Project Officer and Mr. John Moore, Training and Research Manager from the Dublin Port Company will be delivering Module 1: "International Trade and Transport" of the course. During the workshop, participants will be able to develop knowledge about recent evolution of trade and international transport, as well as the relationships between ports and shipping companies; they will also have access the UNCTAD TrainForTrade learning platform. more >>>
Contact: Mark Assaf and Zannie Leong

From 3 to 7 May 2009, 20 port managers will be participating in the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade Modern Port Management course held in Male'. Mr. Hussain Naeem, Assistant Managing Director from Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) and Mr. Vincent Valentine, UNCTAD Economic Affairs Officer and Maritime and Port Expert, will be delivering Module 1 of the course. During the workshop, participants will have access to UNCTAD TrainForTrade learning platform and learn about recent evolution of trade and international transport, as well as the relationships between ports and shipping companies.
Contact: Mark Assaf and Zannie Leong

From 6 to 10 April 2009, 24 port managers participate in the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade Modern Port Management course held in Kuantan - the state capital of Pahang, the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia . Module 1 of the course is being delivered by senior officials from Kuantan Port Consortium (KPC), Kuantan Port Authority (KPA) and Mr. Vincent Valentine, UNCTAD Economic Affairs Officer and maritime and port expert. During the workshop, participants are able to access the UNCTAD TrainForTrade learning platform and develop the knowledge and skills to serve as trainers in their own port community.
Contact: Mark Assaf and Zannie Leong

Ten local instructors are trained at the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade train-the-trainer workshop which is taking place in Lao PDR. At the end of the workshop, they will able to deliver TrainForTrade courses in Lao language to the local beneficiaries, including in the provinces. The first week of the meeting (from 23 to 27 March 2009), takes place in the Economic Research Institute for Trade (ERIT) in Vientiane Capital, while the second week (from 30 March to 7 April 2009) will be organized in Napakuang, Vientiane province. The courses are co-delivered by the National Project Manager of the project, Mr. Xaysomphet Norasingh, together with Mr. Somchit Khammoungkhoune, UNCTAD national consultant.
Contact: Sabrina Ielmoli and Xaysomphet Norasingh

The 1st national workshop to train Angolan distance learning tutors will be delivered in the Ministry of Trade in Luanda where the project office is located. Participants will thus be able to supervise distance learning deliveries of TrainForTrade workshops under the project for Angola financed by the European Commission.
O primeiro seminário nacional para formar tutores sobre a formação à distância realizar-se-á no Ministério do Comércio em Luanda, local onde está baseado o escritório do projecto. Os participantes serão capazes de supervisionar as formações à distância no âmbito dos seminários do projecto TrainForTrade para Angola financiado pela Comissão Europeia.
Contact: Mark Assaf

The second National Steering Committee (Comité De Coordenação Nacional - CCN) of the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade project for Angola, financed by the European Commission, has been organized in the Ministry of Commerce in Luanda on 24 March 2009. Representatives of UNCTAD, the EU Delegation in Angola and Angolan Ministries have been participating in the session intended to present the project results and define the action plan for 2009.
Contact: Mark Assaf

Etude d'opportunité et atelier de restitution sur le tourisme durable au Bénin (mars 2009)
les premières activités réalisées dans le cadre du projet conjoint "Promotion du tourisme durable et communautaire" (Centre du Commerce International (CCI) / TrainForTrade) ont abouti à la finalisation d'une étude d'opportunité sur ce thème. Ce document a pour double objectif d'analyser le potentiel du secteur du tourisme durable et communautaire au Bénin en tant qu'instrument de réduction de la pauvreté, et de connaître les différents partenaires locaux et nationaux, ainsi que les grandes tendances du marché touristique dans chacune des trois zones géographiques identifiées par les autorités béninoises dans le cadre du projet. Un atelier de restitution a été organisé pour valider cette étude en tant qu'évaluation de la situation du secteur du tourisme durable et communautaire sur les trois sites. Il a réuni les 12 et 13 mars dernier à Possotomè (région du Mono) une quarantaine de participants du secteur du tourisme durable (autorités locales, nationales, opérateurs, société civile, etc.) qui ont défini le plan d'action à mettre en place pour la suite des activités.
Contact: Xavier Alphaize et Emilie Dairon

6th National Steering Committee, Lao PDR (27 February 2009)
The 6th and final meeting of the National Steering Committee (Lao PDR) took place on February 27, 2009 in the premises of the Trade Training Centre (ERIT) in Vientiane. It was chaired by HE Siaosavath Savengsuksa, Vice Minister, Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) and attended by 21 ministry officials and 4 donor representatives. The meeting examined the progress made during the past 12 months, reviewed the proposed action plan for 2009 and the conclusions and recommendations of the mid-term project evaluation and reviewed the training demands emanating from the steering committee members. It also included a discussion on which development partners, bilateral or multilateral, was best placed to meet the demands falling outside the project mandate and objectives. Finally, HE Siaosavath Savengsuksa warmly thanked UNCTAD and the French government for their continuous support all through the project life.
Contact: Xaysomphet Norasingh

Meeting with "Cités Unies France" in Paris (25 February 2009)
Within the framework of the technical assistance project carried out in Benin, in the field of tourism for sustainable development, the TrainForTrade programme gave a presentation on its experience to the country-group Benin of Cités Unies France in Paris. This meeting aimed at pooling experiences on decentralized cooperation projects in Benin developed and implemented by various operators.
Contact: Xavier Alphaize

Filming for the Modern Port Management course in Dublin, from 27-30 January 2009
Following the train-the-trainer workshop which took place in the port of Dublin from 22 September to 10 October 2008, some experts of the Dublin Port Community were filmed to develop online modules in the TrainForTrade distance learning format. This development was carried out by UNCTAD in the framework of the TrainForTrade programme in cooperation with Dublin Port Company and with the financial support of Irish Aid. The modules will be available shortly for the English-speaking port training community network on the TrainForTrade learning platform.
Contact: Mark Assaf