© International Trade Centre, International Trade Forum
- Issue 2/2004
The global trading system is redefining business. Being
competitive in today's interconnected economy means working within
the rules of the trading system, as well as responding to more
demanding markets. To meet the challenge, small firms in developing
countries need efficient, innovative business practices and a
proactive trade support infrastructure.
On balance, trade liberalization has improved the economic
situation for most countries, despite some setbacks. Completing the
current round of WTO negotiations would provide further gains,
especially to developing countries, but many don't see a
significant interest in the talks. Arguably, the limited number of
globally competitive goods and services they can offer means global
access talks are largely irrelevant. But this view is shortsighted,
as more business people in developing countries, and those who
support them, are recognizing.
To avoid being marginalized, developing countries need to
participate more effectively in the ongoing trade negotiations and,
at the same time, work to be more competitive at exports.
Rubens Ricupero, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), addressed ITC staff
in October 2003 about its contribution to the UNCTAD XI conference
to be held in São Paolo, Brazil in June 2004. Analysing the
stalemate in trade negotiations at Cancún, he said: "Only countries
with a supply capacity have an interest in participating in
multilateral trade talks. What can those who are unprepared to
export have to say? Countries need to be able to put forth products
for negotiation for which they have or could have a comparative
advantage.
"The current round of WTO negotiations are an opportunity to
sensitize policy-makers to building export capacity to compete in
the world economy," he continued.
In the area of trade and development, Mr. Ricupero outlined
three cross-cutting issues that countries can target to make a
difference in their economic and social situation: trade and
poverty; trade and gender; and trade and the creative industries.
UNCTAD XI will address these issues. Responding to Mr. Ricupero's
call, ITC supports these priorities at UNCTAD XI and beyond.
ITC's contribution to UNCTAD XI
ITC is participating in and leading events that explore how
countries, trade support institutions and firms can build business
competitiveness.
UNCTAD's Rio Trade Week - Rio de Janeiro
- Round Table on Export Competitive-ness - 7
June. ITC will contribute to this pre-conference
event, at which participants will share experiences and, where
possible, recommend issues for developing countries to consider in
their efforts to expand and diversify exports. ITC-led
events
- Business for Development - 8-9 June.
The initiative brings together business leaders and government
negotiators to shape effective national negotiating positions. This
meeting is primarily for Latin American and Caribbean countries;
ITC is organizing meetings for other regions throughout 2004.
- LatinPharma 2004 - 9-12 June.
LatinPharma helps create business opportunities for small and
medium-sized Latin American firms in the pharmaceutical and related
sectors. Organized with partners in Brazil, the event includes a
business matchmaking forum; information sessions with industry
experts; and a preparatory e-conference. For details, see the web
site(http://www.latinpharma.net/expo2004).
UNCTAD XI - São Paolo
- High-level Panel on Creative Industries and
Development - 13 June. Developing their creative
industries is a new way for developing countries to create wealth
through trade. J. Denis Bélisle, ITC's Executive Director, a
panellist for this session, will voice the export concerns of
visual artists.
- FAO Symposium on the Role of Agriculture in
Development - 13 June. ITC will present case studies
from its projects in agriculture, trade and development.
- High-level Round Table on Trade and Poverty - 14
June. ITC will highlight its activities to reduce
poverty through trade, with experiences from its Export-led Poverty
Reduction Programme. One example is a community tourism project in
the Brazilian state of Bahia.
- Round Table on Export and Investment Strategies to
Support Tourism Development - 14 June. ITC will
introduce a tourism strategy development template it is designing
with the World Tourism Organization and UNCTAD. Tourism is an
important service industry for many developing countries.
- High-level Interactive Round Table on Trade and
Gender - 15 June. ITC's experience shows that women
engaged in trade are improving their lives and those of their
employees, families and communities, and more needs to be done to
support them. ITC's Executive Director, a panellist for this
session, will advocate for trade policy-makers to take into account
their specific needs during this debate on policy issues
surrounding gender and trade.
- Biotrade Partnership Experiences - 15
June. ITC's Executive Director is a panellist in this
side event dealing with trade in biodiversity products.
- Investment Analysis Map Launch - 16
June. ITC and UNCTAD will launch their joint Trade
and Investment Analysis Map during the Annual Conference of the
World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies.
- Forum on Services Trade Liberaliza-tion - 17
June. For developing countries to participate more
fully in the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
negotiations, they need to assess their service sectors. The forum
will review effective ser-vice sectors in different economies, and
challenges for small service providers. ITC will demonstrate its
online tool, the GATS Consultation Kit, which facilitates private
sector inputs to the negotiations.
- JITAP: Capacity-building in Assuring Developmental
Gains from the Multilateral Trading System - 18 June.
This event will showcase the Joint ITC/UNCTAD/WTO Integrated
Technical Assistance Programme in Selected Least Developed and
Other African Countries (JITAP) as a practical, integrated response
to building and strengthening trade capacity in African countries.
ITC-led events
- Building Business Competitiveness - 17
June. The session focuses on promoting, supporting
and achieving trade competitiveness. It showcases governments,
trade support institutions and businesses that are working to
enhance competitiveness, with a view to applying successful ideas
in new export development strategies.
- ITC Competitiveness Tools Fair - 13-17
June. The fair features ITC tools and products to
improve competitiveness for countries, sectors and firms.
For more information about ITC's contribution to UNCTAD XI,
contact R. Badrinath, Director of ITC's Division of Trade Support
Services, at badrinath@intracen.org
Prema de Sousa, Associate Editor of Forum, prepared these
pages. Bruce Shepherd, ITC Senior Business Advisory Services
Officer, contributed to the listing on page 5.