UNISTAR (United Nations International Short-Term Advisory Resources)-- "the project of the United Nations short-term senior expert" is another expert project under the UNDP framework. In order to meet with the increasingly strong requirements for short-term senior experts' voluntary service in common and private department of developing countries, UNDP established UNISTAR project. This project dispatched senior international experts to all parts of the world, especially to the developing countries to serve in short term and help them to solve difficult problems hindering the development of their enterprises. UNISTAR project has an international network containing all kinds of specialized talents and organizations that provide supports to UNISTAR. The main task of the experts is to meet with the special demand of the small and medium-sized enterprises of developing countries and various demands of Middle East Europe and British Commonwealth countries resulted from the newly booming market economy. The working fields of UNISTAR experts involve management, marketing, strategic planning of enterprise, designing for industrial production, finance and accounting, and etc.

The cooperation between China and UNISTAR started in 1997.

UNISTAR experts sent to China were sponsored by Italian and Japanese governments,

and the service fields involved technology of apparel design, jewellery making techniques, automotive manufacturing, automatic technology, finance, business and trade, etc.

· The unit applying for the project should apply to the CICETE directly after getting the approval of its superior department, filling in standard application forms for UNISTAR project and handing over to CICETE in triple. The forms should be as detailed as possible. There are electronic editions of UNISTAR application form. The units having E-mail box should send the application form of electronic edition to CICETE through E-mail wherewith other application forms.

· CICETE gives a written reply to project unit after auditing and approval, and attached with the letter of reply, CICETE will send a letter to UNISTAR general headquarters located at Bonn, Germany, handing over application forms and recommending the application.

· After auditing and approval, UNISTAR general headquarters report to relevant departments of Italian and Japanese government to get confirmation and approval.

· According to the concrete demand of project unit, two Italian nonprofit expert organizations or Japanese government will make use of the existing expert-base to identify the suitable expert candidates, and send its curriculum vitae to CICETE. The curriculum vitae will be delivered to project unit via CICETE. How long it would take depends on the concrete conditions.

· The project unit decides whether employ the candidates recommended by UNISTAR according to its practical need and replies to CICETE within two weeks.

· Once the expert candidates are selected, CICETE will send formal invitation to the experts for the purpose of visa-application.

· Before the expert come to China, the project unit should hand over work schedule to CICETE, and help expert reserve suitable accommodation and arrange the local traffic for him.

· After the expert arrives in China, the project unit should hand over to CICETE the working report and working pictures of the expert, fill in UNISTAR expert-evaluation form and submit to the general headquarters of UNISTAR via CICETE.