UNCTADFIELD project on Improved T

1
UNCTAD/FIELD project on Improved TE Policy
Making and NegotiationLATIN AMERICA

• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• El Salvador
• Guatemala

• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Republica Dominicana

2
Preparations (planning phase)

• Completed
• Seminar in Costa Rica
• Selection core countries
• Pre-selection of other countries
• Lead government agencies in core countries
• National consultations in Costa Rica
• National consultations in Cuba
• Proposals for priority issues
• Draft concept papers

3
Preparations (planning phase)

• Further activities until November
• Consultations in Geneva workshop
• Consultations in the region
• Detailed work plan
• This presentation provides some background on
  Costa Rica seminar, relevant to the project
  

4
UNCTAD/Ministry of Foreign Trade workshop on
Post-Doha TE issues (San José, 1-3 July 2002)

• Funded through a contribution to UNCTAD from
  Finland
  
• Opportunity for brainstorming on
• Priorities for countries in the region
• Issues of common interest
• Technical assistance/capacity building programme
  (UNCTAD/FIELD)
  
• Kick-off project preparations

5
Country participants
6
Other participants/resource persons

• UNCTAD secretariat
• WTO secretariat
• Central American Council for Sustainable
  Development (CCAD)
  
• International Centre for Trade and Sustainable
  Development (ICTSD)
  
• Consultants

7
Tour de table, assessment of all participants

• All 8 countries want to participate
• CCAD and others engage all Central American
  countries
  
• Need for appropriate follow-up and the need to
  promote coordination and research.
  
• Different levels of preparedness. Training
  programmes to sensitise policy makers

8
Follow up activities, recommended by participants

• 10
• 8
• 5
• 4

• Capacity building, national workshops,
  brainstorming
  
• Exchange of information and coordination between
  Geneva and capitals
  
• Coordination on national positions in WTO and
  elsewhere
  
• Analysis (market access, TBT and SPS Agreements,
  MEAs)

9
Post-Doha Work Programme

• Paragraph 31
• Immediate negotiations
• Deadline January 2005

• Paragraph 32
• Possible negotiations in the future
• Report to 5th Ministerial Conf. (Sep 2003)
• Deadline to finalize report around June 2003
• Urgency

10
Preliminary priorities
11
Preliminary priorities
12
Market access

• Environmental requirements and market access
• Elimination or reduction of trade restrictions
  and distortions that could bring trade,
  environmental and developmental benefits

13
Countries relatively active in CTE

• Examples of proposals
• Cuba, the Dominican Republic (DR), El Salvador,
  Honduras and Nicaragua
  
• Subsidies
• Cuba, DR, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and
  Pakistan
  
• Domestic support programmes
• Cuba, DR, Honduras and Nicaragua
• Compulsory licensing
• TRIPS and the CBD