Carlos Fortin, Deputy Secretary General and Officer-in-Charge of UNCTAD and Henry Roux-Alezais, President of the Institut de la Méditerranée, signed a Memorandum of Understanding Monday to explore how knowledge-based economies (KbEs) can be implemented as development tools in the Mediterranean region, especially in Morocco and Tunisia.

As the work of the Institut de la Méditerranée has shown, KbEs can generate growth and development without the need for the large-scale accumulation of capital. This growth is based on using the available stock of formal and tacit stock of knowledge, know-how and technology, producing new know-how and codifying and diffusing it throughout the whole economy, including to the grassroots.

Knowledge-based economies are an effective response to the challenges currently faced by developing countries, especially those whose savings rates and direct investment are not sufficient to stimulate sustainable economic development from capital accumulation.

This agreement will initiate new research between both organisations and activities aimed at establishing 'know-how societies and communities' in partner countries and in particular within the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. This agreement will also explore ways of promoting international cooperation in this field, especially in the codification of know-how.

The UNCTAD-UNDP Global Programme on Globalization, Liberalization and Sustainable Human Development will strengthen this partnership with its experience on the interactions and impact of KbEs on the strategic vectors of energy and water. It will also help partner countries strengthen their sustainable human development in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals.

This partnership will benefit both organisations through experience-sharing, the identification of common economic incentives to encourage the diffusion and application of know-how by public-private partnerships, and the creation of tools to promote tacit and formal know-how.

Photos
Please visit the photos page>>>

Press coverage of the event
La Provence 20 December 2004
La CNUCED s'engage avec Marseille
La Provence 21 December 2004
La Ville offre son aide aux Nations unies
La Marseillaise 21 December 2004
La CNUCED s'engage avec Marseille
Agence France Press 20 December 2004
Signature d'un partenariat entre l'Institut de la Méditerranée et la CNUCED

Links
Institut de la Méditerranée>>>

For more information please email nathalie.vialle@unctad.org.