ENHANCING LDC PARTICIPATION IN THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM 10-14 October 2016 ROOM T5, WTO, Geneva Provisional Programme Day 1: Monday, 10 October 9:30 9:45 Opening 9:45 10:30 Setting the Scene Opening Remarks by Mr. Shishir Priyadarshi, Director, Development Division Remarks by Ms. Alicja Wielgus, Counsellor, Geneva-based Courses Unit, Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation 10:30-10:45 Coffee break 10:45-11:30 Session 1: Trade and Development This session will provide an introductory discussion on trade and development as well as the evolution of development issues in the GATT/WTO. Flexibilities accorded to developing countries, including LDCs since the creation of the GATT until the conclusion of the Uruguay Round will be reviewed. Mr. Taufiq Rahman, Development Division 11:30-12:30 Session 2: Participation of LDCs in World Trade This session will examine the trends in LDC trade over the last decade, in both merchandise and services. Ms. Barbara D'Andrea Adrian and Mr. Florian Eberth, Economic Research and Statistics Division 12:30-14:00 Photo session and lunch break 14:00-15:30 Session 3: Overview of LDC Issues at the WTO This session will provide an overview of the issues of importance to the LDCs at the WTO and of the respective milestones since the establishment of the WTO. It will discuss developments on LDC issues in the context of WTO's regular work as well as negotiations. Mr. Rainer Lanz, Development Division 15:30-15:45 Coffee break
- 2-15:45-17:30 Session 4: Special and Differential Treatment (S&D) This session will examine the progress made in the S&D work programme in the WTO, in particular developments pertinent to the LDCs. Mr. Syed Nayyar, Development Division Day 2: Tuesday, 11 October 9:30-10:30 Session 5: Assistance to LDCs on WTO Legal Issues ACWL This session will explain the assistance provided by the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL) to LDCs concerning any legal issues under the WTO-covered agreements. Mr. Niall Meagher and Mr. Christian Vidal-Leon, ACWL 10:30-11:30 Session 6: Duty-free and Quota-free Market Access for LDCs DFQF market access has been an important agenda for LDCs in the multilateral trade negotiations. A number of decisions have been taken to this effect. This session will examine the progress made in the implementation of DFQF market access for LDC products. Mr. Thomas Verbeet, Economic Research and Statistics Division 11:30-11:45 Coffee break 11:45-12:30 Session 7: Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs The Bali Ministerial Conference as well as the Nairobi Ministerial Conference agreed on a set of provisions on preferential rules of origin for LDCs. This session will review the decisions taken in this regard, and developments in according flexible rules of origin in favour of LDCs. Mr. Darlan Marti, Market Access Division 14:00-15:30 Session 8: Rules Negotiations and Fisheries Subsidies This session will provide a state of play of negotiations on rules and in particular, fisheries subsidies. Ms. Clarisse Morgan, Rules Division 15:30-15:45 Coffee break
- 3-15:45-17:30 Session 9: The Nairobi Decision on Agriculture One of the major achievements in the WTO has been the Nairobi Decision on Agriculture. The Decision on Agriculture comprises: a decision on Special and Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for developing country Members, a decision on Public Stockholding for food security purposes, and a decision on Export Competition. This session will review these decisions and their relevance to the LDCs. Mr. Cédric Pene, Agriculture and Commodities Division Day 3: Wednesday, 12 October 09:30-11:00 Session 10: Non-tariff Measures UNCTAD As tariffs have been on the decline, costs related to the compliance with non-tariff measures (NTMs) have become increasingly important in determining market access. In this session, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will provide an overview on its work on NTMs and discuss key policy issues for the LDCs. Ms. Denise Penello Rial, Trade Information Section, UNCTAD 11:00-11:15 Coffee break 11:15-12:30 Session 11: Non-tariff Measures ITC Firms in LDCs do not always have the information or the capacity to comply with the complex and changing requirements that NTMs represent. In this session, the International Trade Centre (ITC) will provide an overview on its work on NTMs to increase transparency and help countries better understand the non-tariff obstacles faced by their business sector. Mr. Mathieu Loridan, NTM Programme, ITC
- 4-14:00-15:30 Session 12: LDC Services Waiver The services waiver for LDCs was adopted in 2011 to allow WTO Members to grant preferential treatment to LDC services and service suppliers. In order to operationalize the 2011 Services Waiver Decision, WTO Members adopted two Decisions in this area, respectively at the Bali and Nairobi Conferences. This session will provide participants with the opportunity to take stock of the progress made in the operationalization of the LDC Services Waiver. Mr. Markus Jelitto and Ms. Evgeniia Zhuravleva, Trade in Services and Investment Division 15:30-15:45 Coffee break 15:45-17:30 Session 13: The Bali Decision on Trade Facilitation The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is the first and the only multilateral Agreement that has been adopted by WTO Members since the creation of the WTO in 1995. This Agreement has provided specific flexibilities for LDCs, tailored to their trade capacities. This session will present the Trade Facilitation Agreement, with a specific emphasis on the flexibilities (Section II of the Agreement) that have been accorded to developing countries and LDCs. Ms. Nora Neufeld, Market Access Division Day 4: Thursday, 13 October 09:30-11:00 Session 14: The WTO Agreement on the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) and the LDCs In recognition of their special requirements, economic, financial and administrative constraints, LDCs have been given flexibilities under the TRIPs Agreement. Some of these flexibilities have since then been extended by the Council for TRIPS. Decisions have also been taken to promote technology transfer in LDCs. This session will review the special flexibilities provided for LDCs in the TRIPS Agreement, as well as activities undertaken in favour of LDCs. Mr. Pierre Arhel, Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Competition Division 11:00-11:15 Coffee break
- 5-11:15-12:30 Session 15: Other Current Issues being considered in the WTO At the Nairobi Ministerial Conference, some Members expressed their wish to identify and discuss other issues for negotiation. Some of the issues that have been highlighted by Members include E-commerce and Micro, Small and Medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs). This session will provide an opportunity for participants to be updated on these issues, in particular the Work Programme on E-commerce. Ms. Zainab Mchumo, Council and Trade Negotiations Committee Division 14:00-15:15 Session 16: WTO Trade-Related Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Activities The WTO delivers trade-related technical assistance and capacity building (TRTA) activities and programmes to beneficiary countries, based on a biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan. The session will present the various TRTA activities and programmes delivered by the WTO. Mr. Maarten Smeets, Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation 15:15-16:15 Session 17: The Aid-for-Trade Initiative of the WTO and the LDCs The Aid-for-Trade Initiative was launched at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference to help developing countries, and particularly LDCs address supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure. Activities under the Aid-for-Trade Initiative are carried out on the basis of a biennial work programme. This session will provide an overview of the Aid-for-Trade Initiative. It will also discuss the current Aid-for-Trade Work Programme and the focus of the next Aid for Trade Review scheduled for 2017. Ms. Sainabou Taal and Mr. Théo Mbise, Development Division 16:15-16:30 Coffee break 16:30-17:30 Session 18: The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) The EIF is a programme that assists LDCs in mainstreaming trade into their national development strategies. It is a partnership, which involves 48 LDCs, 23 donors and eight agencies, including the WTO. This session will examine the status of the implementation of EIF activities in the LDCs. Mr. James Edwin, EIF Secretariat
- 6 - Day 5: Friday, 14 October 09:30-10:30 Session 19: The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) and the LDCs The STDF is a global partnership that supports developing countries in building their capacity to implement international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards as a means to improve their human, animal, and plant health status and ability to gain or maintain access to markets. This session will focus on the STDF's role in enhancing SPS coordination and relevant thematic work for LDCs; it would also present the STDF's funding mechanism, including how LDCs can benefit from STDF projects and project preparation grants. Ms. Roshan Khan, Agriculture and Commodities Division 10:30-11:30 Session 20: 2030 Development Agenda In September 2015, the United Nations Members States adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This session will examine how trade could contribute to achieving some SDGs, in particular in LDCs. Mr. Hans-Peter Werner, Development Division 11:30-11:45 Coffee break 11:45-12:30 Session 21: Paris Agreement on Climate Change: Trade-related Implications for LDCs The Paris Agreement on Climate Change concluded in December 2015, provided a framework for action on climate change. This session will discuss the trade-related implications of this Agreement for LDCs. Ms. Ludivine Tamiotti, Trade and Environment Division 14:00-16:00 Session 22: Case Studies Participants will be engaged in a practical exercise. In this regard, a topic will be provided from the S&D work being undertaken in the WTO. Development Division 16:00-16:15 Coffee break 16:15-16:45 Evaluation 16:45-17:15 Closing Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation Award of certificates by Mr. Shishir Priyadarshi, Director, Development Division