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ENVIRONMENT: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Technical assistance

WTO technical assistance on trade and the environment aims to help developing countries participate more effectively in the work of the Trade and Environment Committee and in the negotiations.

Regional seminars on trade and the environment    back to top

The WTO’s regional seminars on trade and the environment are for developing countries and economies in transition. They have been organized by the WTO Secretariat since 1998.

The immediate objective is to raise awareness on the linkages between trade, the environment and sustainable development, to promote greater dialogue between trade and environment policy makers and to make it easier for member governments within a region to share their experiences.

Beyond this, there is an overriding purpose. The regional workshops aim to strengthen members’ participation in the WTO’s work on trade and the environment. The WTO gives particular attention to the topics related to trade and the environment being negotiated in the Doha Round.

Therefore, all regional workshops include information for participants on both the regular work of the Trade and Environment Committee and on the different aspects of the negotiations that are related to trade and the environment. Programmes are tailored to the interests of each region and are designed to ensure the participants engage fully.

Other organizations also take part in the seminars so that participants can benefit from their expertise. Since 1999 the WTO Secretariat has invited experts from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Secretariats of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).
  

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Technical assistance activities in 2009

Four regional workshops on trade and environment will be organized for the regions of Africa (English and French speaking); the Arabian Gulf and the Middle East; and Asia-Pacific.
  

National workshops on trade and the environment    back to top

National workshops on trade and the environment are undertaken in response to requests from member governments. Programmes of these events are discussed with the beneficiary government and tailored to respond to specific needs.

In 2007, a national workshop was conducted in Gabon (20-21 June).
  

Side-events    back to top

The WTO Secretariat uses the opportunity of the Conference of the Parties of relevant MEAs to brief officials about current discussions in the trade policy area. This is aimed at increasing the coordination between the trade and environment communities.

In 2008 the Secretariat participated in a side event organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on Trade and Climate Change during the Bonn Climate Change Talks (9-12 June). It participated in the COP-14 of UNFCCC in Poznan (9-12 December), and, jointly with UNCTAD, a side event was organized on The Mutual Supportiveness of Trade, Development and Climate Change.
  

Trade policy courses and introductory courses    back to top

Along with all the other subjects covered by the WTO, trade and the environment is routinely included in the trade policy courses and introductory courses in Geneva, as well as in WTO trade policy courses held regionally around the world.

In 2008, regional trade policy courses were held in Benin, Jamaica and Singapore.

Technical assistance discussions in the CTE    back to top

The importance of technical assistance and capacity building in the field of trade and environment to developing countries, in particular the least-developed among them was recognized in paragraph 33 of the DDA. Under this item, Members and observer organizations are to report on trade and environment related technical assistance and capacity building in the CTE. Delegations, whether as donors or recipients, have been encouraged to exchange information on these activities. At the May 2007 CTE meeting, Norway presented a paper on the Norwegian Action Plan for Environment in Development Cooperation which highlights that most Norwegian development funds would be targeted to integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes. The following four areas are prioritized: biological diversity, water resources management, climate change and clean energy, and hazardous substances.