Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation (RPTC)

Overview of the RPTC (Section 22)

Mandate

The regular programme of technical cooperation, established by the General Assembly in its resolution 58 (I) in 1946, serves to support developing countries, least developed countries, countries with economies in transition, and countries emerging from conflict in their capacity development efforts. Subsequent resolutions expanded the RPTC mandate include focus on public administration (1952), human rights (1955) and regional advisory services (1971). These efforts are geared towards achieving internationally agreed development goals and the outcomes of United Nations conferences and summits, including the MDGs.

The programme’s broad objective is to support and advance processes aimed at developing the capacities of Governments, through both individuals and institutions, to formulate and implement policies for sustainable economic and social development. The sharing of experiences across countries and regions, South-South cooperation, and the building of knowledge networks to facilitate continued exchange and assistance and ensure sustainability, are increasingly being promoted through the programme. The mandate of the RPTC remains broad and was subject to review in the 2004 Lindores Report and 2006 Mandate Review commissioned by the General Assembly.

UN entities receiving funding from the RPTC in 2008-09

Global:

• Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
• Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
• Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
  

Regional:

• Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
• Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
• Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
• Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
  

What does ESCAP use RPTC for?

During the biennium 2010-2011, technical cooperation activities will contribute to the delivery of the ESCAP Programme of Work (2010-2011) by focusing on developing the technical, managerial and organizational capacities of developing member and associate member governments to plan and deliver more effective policies and programmes, particularly in support of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and outcomes of other Global Conferences. The RPTC budget is used exclusively for technical cooperation programmes based on requests from member states, needs and priorities of recipient countries (as reflected in the deliberations of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies as well as the mandated programme of work) and emerging needs in the region.