The 4th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries - Case Study Example

The 4th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) LCD-IV United Nation’s conference is held every ten years. It brings together government representativeness, business leaders and civil society representatives from all over the world. The conference’s aim is to focus on opportunities available for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the probable actions that can be taken in order to grow their economies. LDC’s comprise of 48 countries whose economies are the weakest, and this conference provides them with a great opportunity to achieve more prosperous, sustainable and stable economies. This year’s conference will provide the participants with an opportunity to assess the level of implementation of the Program of Action by both the LDCs and their development partners. Constraints and obstacles that have hindered growth of LDCs economies will also bee identified. The conference will also aim at affirming the global support already available to address the various problems faced by the LDCs (ITC, 2014). Planning The conference is a two days event, from 10th-13th of June. 2014. It will be held and presented in Istanbul Turkey, and the venue will be a complex that consists of Exhibition Centre and Lufti Kirdar Convention, the Istanbul Congress Centre and Harbiye Cultural Centre. Participants are asked to apply for their visas if applicable at the Turkish consular and diplomatic missions at no fee. They can also obtain a list of Turkish consular and diplomatic missions from http://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkish-representations.en.mfa. For participants from countries lacking Turkish diplomatic and missions, special visas will be made available upon their arrival. Participants are also advised to apply for the visas early enough and forward all the necessary documentation such as identity information, a duplicate of the invitation letter and copies of their passports (ITC, 2014). Upon arrival at the Ataturk international airport, the participants are advised to check in the reception desk set up there. There will also be passport control booths set up in the airport for all the participants. They should seek for taxi services for a 45-60 minutes drive to the conference premises. They are also expected to arrange for their accommodation. All participants are also required to register online and also pick up their badges from the 4th May 2011 at the Accreditation Centre in Harbiye Military Museum and Cultural centre. Collection hours are: 4-6 May 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 7-8 May 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. 9-10 May 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. 11-12 May 2 a.m. – 5 p.m. 13 May 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. LCD IV conference will provide Private Sector Track Participants with opportunities to broadcast their message to a global audience. All journalists who want to cover the conference are expected to seek accreditation with the conference organisers (ITC, 2014). For those seeking for interviews, they can seek for the assistance of the Global Compact Office if they desire to. They can be contacted through ldcmedia@unglobalcompact.org. Agenda of the The 4th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Monday, 9 June 09:00-11:00hrs: Ministerial meeting Tuesday, 10 June 18:00 hrs: Welcome Reception Wednesday, 11 June 09:00-10:00hrs: The Official Opening of the WEDF 2014 Conference 11:00-12:30hrs: A comprehensive assessment of the implementation of the Program of Action for the LDCs. 14:00-15:30hrs: Participants will share the best practices and lessons from their countries with an aim to identify constraints that LDCs face. 19:00hrs: Conference Dinner. Thursday, 12 June 09:00-10:30hrs: To identify opportunities and challenges LDCs face at both the national and international levels. 11:30-13:00hrs: Reaffirmation by all the countries to address issues facing LDCs as identified in summits and conferences organised by the UN. 19:00hrs: Conference Dinner. Friday, 13 June 09:00-10:30hrs: Mobilization of better terms of engagement in trade between LDCs and the development partners. 09:00-10:00hrs: Drafting a new partnership agreement to be adopted by both the LDCs and their development partners. 17:45-18:15hrs: Closing session The WEDF 2014 Programme Monday, 9 June 09:00-11:00hrs Ministerial meeting: The meeting will identify and exchange better practices in tourism that have resulted in national growth. The participants will also look into how to strengthen existing partnerships between the LDCs and the development partners. The meeting will be carried out in the Harbiye Cultural Centre starting. Tuesday, 10 June 18:00 hrs Welcome Reception. Wednesday, 11 June 09:00-10:00hrs The Official Opening of the WEDF 2014 Conference. 11:00-12:30hrs Plenary 1: To comprehensively assess the implementation by the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and their development partners of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for Decade 2001-2010 adopted in Brussels in 2001 (the Brussels ProgrammeBoth the LDCs and development partners are expected to review the Brussels Program. Data presented by both parties will enable the panel to determine whether the Brussels Programme is effective in enabling LDCs develop. The panel will check on the opportunities and challenges facing LDCs development. 14:00-15:30hrs Plenary 2: To share best practices and lessons learnt, and to identify obstacles and constraints encountered as well as actions needed to overcome them. Panellists will be required to come up with the appropriate and best actions to be taken in order to speed up development of LDCs. 16:00-17:30hrs Parallel Sessions i. How private sector growth can impact investment Panellists will discuss how trade support institutions and multinationals can increase tourism activities in LDCs. 19:00hrs Conference dinner. Thursday, 12 June 09:00-10:30hrs Plenary 3: To identify new challenges and opportunities for LDCs and the actions required at national and international levels to respond to them effectively The panel of participants should be able to bring forth actions that can be implemented to effectively tackle the identified challenges. 11:30-13:00hrs Plenary 4: To reaffirm the global commitment to address the special needs of the LDCs made at the major United Nations conferences and summits. LDCs face a number of problems that have resulted in shrinking and stagnation of their economies. Summits and conferences organised by UN have given these countries the platform to come up with ideas that can solve these problems. 14:30-16:00hrs Parallel sessions: ii. The impact of the private sector in developing technology to increase tourists activities in LDCs. LDCs have one of the highest mobile penetration rates. Innovators have come up with mobile technology enabling e-commerce establish in these economies. Panellist will be discussing on the modalities of establishing best practices in money transfer that have already been tested in developed economies. 16:00-17:30hrs iii. Barriers hindering growth of the private sector The government has been known to set up barriers that hinder expansion of the private sector in LDCs. The participants will be looking into innovative ways of turning these barriers into opportunities to enable trade expand. 19:00hrs Conference Dinner. Friday, 13 June 09:00-10:30hrs Plenary 5: To mobilize additional international support measures and action in favour of the LDCs and, in this regard. The participants will be drafting a proposal to be presented to individual development partners. The agreement will aim at increasing favourable measures to give more support to the LDCs. 09:00-10:00hrs Plenary 6: To formulate and adopt a renewed partnership between the LDCs and their development partners. The participants will come up with a better partnership agreement draft to be agreement b both parties. It will replace the current partnership that has already been deemed insufficient in addressing unique challenges facing LDCs. 11:30-13:00hrs Parallel sessions: iv. Better ways of engaging the private sector in marketing and branding LDCs as primes tourism destinations. The participants check into possible ways of engaging private sector to stimulate expansion of LDCs economies. Private sector has been identified to be effective in stimulating growth, in LDCs as they understand the business environment in these economies. 14:30-16:00hrs v. Better ways of supporting the already established technology incubators all over LDCs. With the penetration of mobile phone usage all over LDCs, previous conferences and summits organised by the UN came up with modalities to establish technology incubators in these countries. Participants of this year’s conference will come up with better ways to support these technology incubators so as to stimulate trade growth. 16:00-17:30hrs vi. The role of the private sector in Branding LDCs as tourism destination. Tourism has been identified as the fastest and most efficient way to stimulate LDCs economies. The participants will come up with better ways to brand these countries as tourism destinations. 17:45-18:15hrs Closing session The WEDF 2014: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) LDC-IV UN Conference WBS FIELDS WBS # Task Work Products Owners Est. Level of Effort Budget PLANNING       1.1 Plan and Supervise Roll-up Task Project Manager N/A 1.1.1 Create Plan WBS, Project Plan Project Manager 40 hrs $5,000 1.1.2 Make a Budget ITPR Project Manager 40 hrs $2,000 1.1.3 Prepare Disbursement Purchase Orders, Deliverable Product Acceptance Form CFO 40 hrs $80,000 1.1.4 Coordinate Activities Meeting Minutes Project Manager 8 hrs/week $6,000 1.2 Official dinner $40,000 1.2.1 Drive guests to the restaurant ITPR Project Manager 4 hrs/day $1,000 1.2.2 Coordinate seating arrangement WBS Project Manager 1 hr/day $1,000 1.2.3 Drive guests to respective hotels ITPR Project Manager 4 hrs/day $1,000 1.3 Organising Hotel accommodation for - 1.3.1 Secure hotel for the guests Project Plan Project Manager 12 hrs/night $10,000 1.4 Participants 1.4.1 Invitations WBS Project Manager - $5,000 1.4.2 Make lists of participants Meeting Minutes Project Manager - - 1.4.3 Receive RSVPs WBS Project Manager - - 1.4.4 Create name tags Purchase Orders, Deliverable Product Acceptance Form - $1,000 1.4.5 Review special needs WBS Project Manager 2 hrs/day - 1.5 Staff 1.5.1 Hire staff ITPR Project Manager 40hrs $20,000 1.6 Receive special needs 1.6.1 Invite speakers ITPR Project Manager - $1,000 1.6.2 Drive speakers from airport to conference room ITPR Project Manager 4 hrs/ day $1,000 1.6.3 Coordinate topics Meeting Minutes Project Manager 1 hr/ day - 1.6.4 Back up for no appearance Project Plan Project Manager - $1,000 1.6.5 Send thank you notes Project Plan Project Manager - $5,00 References International Trade Centre, (ITC). (2014). World Export Development Forum 2014. Retrieved on 2014, April 24from http://www.intracen.org/itc/events/world-export-development-forum/ Read More