Under the auspices of H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Bin Amer Al-Rawas, Omani Minister of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources, UNESCWA is organizing a “Regional Workshop on Trade and Environment Capacity Building” in cooperation with the League of Arab States (LAS) and the United Nations Environment Program / Regional Office for Western Asia (UNEP/ROWA). The three-day workshop in Muscat, Oman, is scheduled to begin on 25 March 2006 at the Faculty Club Hall in Sultan Qaboos University. It will be attended by representatives of ministries of trade and ministries of environment from the UNESCWA Member States as well as international and regional experts.

The workshop is one of many activities being conducted by UNESCWA in an effort to build national capacities in trade and environment issues in the region. It will provide practical training on major topics and priorities related to trade and environment negotiations and policy-making, with focus on increasing market access for exports and environmental sustainability. Special focus will be made on current trade and environment topics being negotiated in international trade agreements and selected trade-related multilateral environment agreements. Emphasis will also be placed on ways by which Member States can prepare for international negotiations and decision-making on trade and environment topics by drawing on sound analysis, impact assessment and policy coordination tools.