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Mission
| Dispute settlement is
a central feature of the multilateral trade, investment and intellectual
property system. This is reflected in the establishment in recent
years of a number of dispute settlement bodies such as those of the
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID),
the World Trade Organization (WTO)
and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Developing countries are increasingly participating in cases brought
to the dispute settlement bodies of these organizations.
The Project's principal activity
will be the provision of training on dispute settlement in international
trade, investment and intellectual property for the benefit of government
officials, academics, attorneys and counsels of business associations
in developing countries - in particular the Least Developed Countries
(LDCs) - and countries with economies in transition.
In the development and
implementation of the Project
UNCTAD cooperates with the WTO, WIPO, ICSID, UNCITRAL and the
Advisory Centre on WTO Law.
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Objectives
| Developing countries - especially
the LDCs - and countries with economies in transition are increasingly seeking
assistance in building the requisite capacity to protect their national trade
policy objectives when disputes arise concerning commitments undertaken by their
trading and investment partners. They are aware that their limited skills and
knowledge of how to secure parties' compliance with trade, investment or
technology agreements can adversely affect their development policies and can
further marginalize them as potential beneficiaries of trade and investment
opportunities. |
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The programme will respond to this
need by strengthening the capacity of both public and private institutions
in this area. This concerted and comprehensive training programme on dispute
settlement, led by the United Nations, will contribute to:
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Enhancing the institutional
capacity of universities and research institutions to provide instruction
and promote research on dispute settlement;
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Promoting the rule of law by
improving the knowledge and level of critical awareness within national
institutions of the legal framework governing dispute settlement in
international economic and trade relations; and
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Promoting democracy in
developing countries by creating a better understanding of dispute
settlement in trade, investment and intellectual property.
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© UNCTAD 2002
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