Avasant President and Managing Partner addresses Global Services Forum organized by United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD)

Los Angeles, USA: April 19, 2012: Avasant President and Managing Partner, Dr. Pradeep K. Mukherji addresses Global Services Forum organized by United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD) in Qatar, Doha on April 19, 2012. UNCTAD organized Global Services Forum as one of the pre-events of ongoing UNCTAD XIII. The event was aimed at raising the profile of services and services trade in promoting inclusive and sustainable development. The theme of the Forum was “Services, trade, and inclusive and sustainable development.”

As the services sector has gained increasing importance over the last decade, contributing a growing share to GDP and employment in all countries. The event brought together high level policy makers (including ministers), trade negotiators, practitioners, private sectors, services associations and coalitions, academics as well as other interested organizations to deliberate on promoting inclusive and sustainable services sector development and trade. The participants discussed and debated the following:

(i) Multi-faceted contribution of services to economic growth, trade, employment creation and inclusive and sustainable development.
(ii) Strategies and policy measures to build services productive/export capacity and remove barriers to services export with particular focus on developing countries.
(iii) 21st century issues in the services sector, with focus on key sectors such as financial services, business, ICT services, education and infrastructure management.
(iv) Identify and share successful and innovative best fit policies, and lessons learnt that could be up-scaled and replicated.

Dr. Mukherji spoke on the potential of ICT services trade and how it can be lever for sustainable and inclusive growth. He highlighted that current global trade of more than USD 109 billion in ICT sector holds is contributing to significant level of job creation in developing countries. He stressed the fact that ICT investments lead to economic development, social upliftment and poverty reduction in emerging economies. He indicated that forecast suggest, over the next few decades with the growth of BRICS economy and changing demography in different geographies, the direction of trade flow and nature of services traded in ICT sector will undergo a shift. Given the importance and growth potential of services trade, he suggested the need to have a special cell within the UNCTAD, to promote the sector.
The participants discussed and made suggestions on capacity building and trade partnership that would promote services trade and enhance development of trade with emerging economies.

About Avasant

Avasant is recognized as a next-generation management consulting, research and event management firm, servicing global clients worldwide. Avasant’s clients include public, private, and non-profit organizations. Avasant’s expert and experienced team of management consultants, lawyers and technology consultants, average over 20 years of deep industry experience and have collectively conducted over 1,000+ engagements in over 40 countries.

As a Consulting firm, Avasant’s focus and proven leadership has been acknowledged in areas covering Strategic Sourcing, Technology Optimization and Services Globalization Consulting. According to the International Association of Outsourcers (IAOP), Avasant is ranked among the “World Best Outsourcing Advisors”. The Black Book of Outsourcing’s has ranked Avasant as the ‘Number 1 BPO Advisor’ and ‘Top 10 Full Service Advisor’.

For more information about Avasant, please visit http://www.avasant.com

About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Established in 1964, UNCTAD promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy. UNCTAD has progressively evolved into an authoritative knowledge-based institution whose work aims to help shape current policy debates and thinking on development, with a particular focus on ensuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development.

The organization works to fulfill this mandate by carrying out three key functions
• It functions as a forum for intergovernmental deliberations, supported by discussions with experts and exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus building.
• It undertakes research, policy analysis and data collection for the debates of government representatives and experts.
• It provides technical assistance tailored to the specific requirements of developing countries, with special attention to the needs of the least developed countries and of economies in transition. When appropriate, UNCTAD cooperates with other organizations and donor countries in the delivery of technical assistance.

For more information about UNCTAD, please visit http://www.unctad.org

Contact for more information

Avasant LLC

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Avasant is a next generation global management consulting firm assisting public and private sector organizations across the world. Avasant provides services in the areas of ICT & Enterprise Optimization, Sourcing Advisory and Globalization Consulting helping its clients achieve superior business outcomes. Our methods and practices have been refined over decades of experience spread across a talented team serving clients worldwide. Our consultants, advisors, and lawyers offer focused and customized advisory services by leveraging their deep expertise, impactful insights and adopting a practical approach.

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This release was published on openPR.