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TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE: TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME

Technical cooperation programme of the TBT Committee

In the discussion on technical cooperation at the Second Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement in 2000, the Committee recognized the importance of ensuring that solutions in this area were targeted at the specific priorities and needs identified by individual or groups of developing country Members.

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This would allow them to effectively implement as well as benefit from the Agreement. As such, it was decided that the programme would be demand driven. In addition, the Committee indicated the programme should take into account existing and proposed technical assistance activities, as well as seek ways to achieve more effective cooperation and coordination among donors to better target the needs identified by developing country Members.

Based on this, the Committee agreed that the programme would need to evolve on the basis of the following elements:

• design of a survey with the assistance of relevant international, regional and bilateral organisations to assist developing countries in needs identification;
• identification and prioritization by developing and least developed country Members of their specific needs in the TBT field;
• consideration of existing technical assistance activities by multilateral, regional and bilateral organizations with a view to the effective and efficient development of technical assistance programmes;
• enhancement of co-operation between donors; and
• reassessment of needs in light of agreed priorities, identification of technical assistance partners and financial considerations. (See G/TBT/9 for further details), (download in Word format, 31 pages; 167KB), corrigendum (download in Word format, 1 page; 28KB).