UNCTAD in action 

UNCTAD technical cooperation in support of SDGs

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One of the many ways by which UNCTAD contributes to implementing the 2030 Agenda and achieving the SDGs is through technical cooperation. UNCTAD’s technical cooperation projects are delivered at an interregional, regional and country level (see figure 1).

Figure 1 – Distribution of project expenditures by region, 2018

Source: UNCTAD (2019)

UNCTAD gears its technical cooperation towards contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. The UNCTAD Toolbox (UNCTAD, 2015) has been developed to better align technical cooperation with the SDGs.

The UNCTAD toolbox currently features 28 technical cooperation projects, categorized into four overarching themes. In 2018, 249 projects, accounting for US$43.7 million were undertaken (see table 1).

Table 1. UNCTAD technical cooperation, by theme and product
ClusterThemeProductSDGs
ATransforming economies, fostering sustainable development
VIIA1Investment policy reviews8, 17
IA2Services policy reviews8, 9
IA3Trade policy framework reviews17
XIVA4Science, technology and innovation policy reviews9
XIIIA5E-commerce and the digital economy8, 9, 17
VIIIA6Investment guides9, 17
IIA7Non-tariff measures8, 17
IA9Trade negotiations10
IIIA10Sustainable Trade and the Environment8, 17
VIIIA11Investment Promotion and Facilitation9, 17
AllA99Other
BTackling vulnerabilities, building resilience
XVIB1Support to graduation from least developed country status8
XIB2DMFAS - Debt Management and Financial Analysis System17
XVIIB4UNCTAD contribution to the Enhanced Integrated Framework9, 17
XVIIB5Market Access, Rules of Origin and Geographical Indications for the Least Developed Countries8, 10, 17
VB6Breaking the Chains of Commodity Dependence8, 9
XIIB9Sustainable and Resilient Transport8, 9
AllB99Other
CFostering economic efficiency, improving governance
IVC1Voluntary Peer Reviews of Competition and Consumer Protection Laws and Policies8, 10
VIIIC2Business Facilitation8, 16
XIIC3Trade Facilitation10, 16
XIIC4ASYCUDA Automated System for Customs Data9
XC5Statistics17
IXC7Corporate accounting and reporting12, 17
VIC8Investment and Public Health3, 9
VIIC9International Investment Agreements17
IVc10Competition and Consumer Protection Policies and Frameworks8, 10
AllC99Other
DEmpowering people, investing in their future
IID1Trade, Gender and Development 5, 8
IXD3Entrepreneurship Development4, 8
XIVD6TrainForTrade8, 9
AllD99Other
AllEOther
Source: UNCTAD (forthcoming)

UNCTAD technical cooperation expenditure has been mapped to the SDGs, allowing readers to understand how each theme contributes to each SDG. Activities are also cross-classified by region to see where technical cooperation expenditure by SDG has occurred (see tables 2 and 3).

Table 2. Technical cooperation expenditure by theme, product and SDG, 2018
ThemeProductMultiple134578910121314151617Total
US$ thousands
ATransforming economies, fostering sustainable development25031-10-402 506353273510944341279124 900
BTackling vulnerabilities, building resilience396117----322248---90-275 7406 941
CFostering economic efficiency, improving governance--286--171 98920 8941 162590--2641 6511 94028 793
DEmpowering people, investing in their future-14-175194-433604------691 489
EOthers1 610-------------01 610
2 257162286185194575 25022 0991 4355951091346051 7058 66043 733
Percentage
ATransforming economies, fostering sustainable development0.60.1-0.0-0.15.70.80.60.00.20.10.80.12.111.2
BTackling vulnerabilities, building resilience0.90.30.0---0.70.6---0.2-0.113.115.9
CFostering economic efficiency, improving governance--0.7--0.044.547.82.71.3--0.63.84.465.8
DEmpowering people, investing in their future0.00.03-0.40.4-1.01.4------0.23.4
EOthers3.7--------------3.7
5.20.40.70.40.40.112.050.53.31.40.20.31.43.919.8100.0
Source: UNCTAD (forthcoming)
Note: “Multiple” means that some technical cooperation cannot be mapped to a single SDG.
Table 3. Technical cooperation expenditure by region and SDG, 2018
RegionMultiple134578910121314151617Total
US$ thousands
Africa362-714048-1 8148 18646014251--9242 44114 575
Asia & Pacific-144-1246-6185 752664-90-2688057 802
Latin America & Caribbean------3293 4028981-44-1184304 493
Europe------342 3647----27442 476
North America-------38-------38
Interregional1 8951727933100572 4572 35781436957-6053694 94014 348
Total2 257162286185194575 25022 0991 4355951091346051 7058 66043 733
Percentage
Africa0.8-0.020.30.1-4.118.71.10.30.1--2.15.633.3
Asia & Pacific-0.3-0.030.1-1.413.20.20.0-0.2-0.61.817.8
Latin America & Caribbean------0.87.80.20.2-0.1-0.31.010.3
Europe------0.15.40.0----0.10.15.7
North America-------0.1-------0.1
Interregional4.30.040.60.10.20.15.65.41.90.80.1-1.40.811.332.8
Total5.20.40.70.40.40.112.050.53.31.40.20.31.43.919.8100.0
Source: UNCTAD (forthcoming)
Note: “Multiple” means that some technical cooperation cannot be mapped to a single SDG.
Table 4. Technical cooperation expenditure by theme, product and region, 2018
ThemeProductSDGsAfricaAsia & PacificLatin America
& Caribbean		EuropeNorth AmericaInter RegionalTotal
US$ thousands
ATransforming economies, fostering sustainable development8, 9, 10, 17938499151--3 3124 900
BTackling vulnerabilities, building resilience8, 9, 10, 172 00790546344-3 5236 941
CFostering economic efficiency, improving governance3, 8, 9, 10,
12, 16, 17		11 2546 2203 8422 432385 00628 793
DEmpowering people, investing in their future4, 5, 837717838--8971 489
EOther-----1 6101 610
Total14 5757 8024 4932 4763814 34843 733
Percentage
ATransforming economies, fostering sustainable development8, 9, 10, 172.11.10.3--7.611.2
BTackling vulnerabilities, building resilience8, 9, 10, 174.62.11.10.1-8.115.9
CFostering economic efficiency, improving governance3, 8, 9, 10,
12, 16, 17		25.714.28.85.60.111.465.8
DEmpowering people, investing in their future4, 5, 80.90.40.1--2.13.4
EOther-----3.73.7
Total33.317.810.35.70.132.8100.0
Source: UNCTAD (forthcoming)
Figure 2. Percentage distribution of project expenditures by SDG, 2018
(In percentage of total expenditure)

Source: UNCTAD (forthcoming).

This year’s edition of the SDG Pulse features three case studies, providing a more detailed overview of some of UNCTAD’s technical capacity projects. The products featured are: TrainForTrade, DMFAS and EMPRETEC training programme for entrepreneurs.1 Together these products account for approximately 14 per cent of total technical capacity expenditure in 2018. The case studies presented provide results-based management type statistics, illustrating both the activities of these programmes and their impacts in support of sustainable development.

Notes

  1. TrainForTrade and DMFAS map to product D6 and B2 of table 1. Empretec is part of product D3.

References

  • UNCTAD (forthcoming). Review of the technical cooperation activities of UNCTAD and their financing. Report by the Secretary-General of UNCTAD. Annex II: Statistical table.
  • UNCTAD (2015). UNCTAD Toolbox: Delivering results. UNCTAD/TC/2015/1/iPub. Available at https://unctad.org/en/Pages/TC/TC-Products-in-the-Toolbox.aspx (accessed 7 June 2019).
  • UNCTAD (2019). UNCTAD Annual Report 2018. UNCTAD/DOM/2019. Geneva.

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