First Expert Group Meeting

15-17 November 2006, Vienna, Austria

The Expert Group Meeting (EGM) is among UNIDO Director-General’s highest priorities as a tool to improve dialogue and cooperation with GRULAC countries. The EGM for LAC countries is the first forum organized by UNIDO, where high-level representatives and formal technical cooperation authorities from Latin American countries came together to discuss the future of technical cooperation in the region.

The EGM, which were held in Vienna from 15 to 17 November 2006, represented UNIDO’s answer to the call for an enhanced presence of the Organization in the LAC countries. The main objective of the meeting was to develop a medium-term programmatic framework for the period 2006-2009, which takes into consideration UNIDO’s thematic focus. Furthermore, the meeting aimed at defining cooperation mechanisms and a viable funds mobilization strategy.

Participants from 19 countries and representatives of the technical branches of UNIDO had the opportunity to interact and present strategies and alternatives to enhance the technical cooperation in the region. UNIDO technical branches reported on:

• Key products and services available to the LAC region 
• Lessons learned from Technical Cooperation in the LAC region (success stories, constraints, mechanism of financing)
• Potentials and trends
• Potential sources of financing (international protocols, trust funds, IDF, etc.)

Participating countries

Argentina	Chile	Dominican Republic	Honduras	Paraguay
	Colombia	Ecuador	Mexico	Peru
Bolivia	Costa Rica	El Salvador	Nicaragua	Uruguay
Brazil	Cuba	Guatemala	Panama	Venezuela