UNITAR Public Finance and Trade Programme

PUBLIC FINANCE AND TRADE PROGRAMME

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-- Contact us at pft-elearning@unitar.org >>

About the Programme

UNITAR’s Public Finance and Trade Programme has nearly a decade of experience in developing and delivering technology-enhanced executive education designed to provide competitive advantage to finance and trade professionals in today’s global economy.

While traditional face-to-face training and networking activities continue, the programme has progressively introduced since 2003 new ICT-based methodologies, such as e-Learning, to offer quality and affordable training to a wider audience. To further enhance its outreach and effectiveness, the programme has established strategic partnerships with several international institutions working in relevant thematic areas, including other UN Agencies.

The programme, which is part of the Governance unit of UNITAR traces its roots from the Training Programme in the Legal Aspects of Debt and Financial Management, which commenced after a high level expert meeting held in Geneva in 1987. Today, the programme has established a global outreach and expertise to deliver quality executive education cost effectively.

Programme Areas:

The Programme's focus is on capacity developement of finance and trade officials in the following broad thematic areas:

Public Financial Management

Public Finance training activities strive to actively promote knowledge and understanding of financial governance, poverty reduction, debt management and prudent financial management among public officials and financial practitioners. A specific focus has been placed on the legal aspects of debt management and negotiation of financial transactions in order to assist Member States in addressing challenges relating to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as meeting their respective priorities in relation to Financing for Development.

International Trade

Through skills building and facilitating the cross-regional networking of officials and professionals in charge of trade-related issues, the Programme’s training activities contribute to bridging the knowledge gap and redressing some of the asymmetries between developed and developing countries in the role that they play in the multilateral trading system.

Intellectual Property

International debates on intellectual property (IP) are becoming increasingly focused on the need to integrate a “development dimension” into IP policy making. An ongoing process in this direction is the implementation of the “WIPO Development Agenda”. By providing flexible training and networking opportunities through new ICT-based methodologies such as e-Learning, the Programme supports countries in effectively using IP policy to achieve sustainable development goals.

Video testimonials:

Watch what our participants, partners, and course directors have to say about our online courses.

Participant comments:
Mr. Eric Joël Edouard Bekale-Etoughet, Permanent Mission of Gabon, Geneva, Switzerland

Partner comments:
Mr. John Hall, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris, France

Course Director comments:
Prof. Stuart Cohn, University of Florida, Florida, USA

In Focus

Officials from Four Continents Study and Debate Key Legal and Economic Issues of Climate Change in WTI/UNITAR e-Learning Course

May 2012, Geneva, Switzerland. The World Trade Institute (WTI, University of Bern) and UNITAR’s Public Finance and Trade Programme successfully conducted the e-Learning course on “Trade, Energy and Climate Change”. Eighteen senior and middle level officials and professionals from four continents participated in this five-week event. The main goal was to allow participants to gain a comprehensive insight of the legal and economic issues arising from the ongoing climate change debate. Read More

IDI and UNITAR partnership draws 101 Financial Auditors from 28 Countries

1 May 2012, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) launched on 16 April 2012 a joint e-Learning course on “Risk Based Approach to Financial Auditing” for a global audience of public sector auditors. This 5-week online course – now in its third week – brings together 101 financial auditors from 28 Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) around the world. (Photo: Fotolia) Read More

E-Learning course on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy: Understanding Societal Change - Open for Registration

Real progress of a society or nation goes beyond just the quantitative assessment of gross domestic product. Progress has different meanings across different societies, and what is important in one society may wary across societies. In today’s intertwined and globalized world, it is essential to undertake a holistic debate about these issues to improve the well-being of our societies. UNITAR is pleased to announce its e-Learning course on Knowledge and Policy: Understanding Societal Change, which was developed in collaboration with Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Read More

ABPCD and UNITAR work together to strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering capacity of Mozambique’s Central Bank

UNITAR and Agence de Coopération pour le Développement-Banques Populaires (ABPCD) have jointly delivered a new e-Learning course on “Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism.” A major beneficiary of this course was the Central Bank of Mozambique, who enrolled 24 officials. In total, 35 officials from primarily Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean took part in the course. With overwhelmingly positive feedback, this course has contributed towards helping developing countries like Mozambique in countering the problems caused by money laundering and financing of terrorism. Read More

UNITAR’s Public Finance and Trade Programme successfully trains over 1,000 African officials under the ongoing UNDP-UNITAR partnership initiative

January 2012 Geneva, Switzerland – In 2011, UNDP and UNITAR’s Public Finance and Trade Programme successfully trained over 1,000 African officials from 47 countries under the ongoing partnership between the United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Africa (UNDP RBA) and UNITAR. Activities focused on enhancing the ability of African officials to participate effectively in multilateral negotiations in the areas of financing for development and regional investment and integration. Read More