The
Director-General, Mr. Renato Ruggiero, will give the keynote address. Experts from the
private sector will give presentations on the following topics:- Introduction
of the trade transaction process;
- Physical
movement of consignments (transport and transit);
- Import
and export procedures and requirements, including customs and border crossing problems;
- Payments,
insurance and other financial requirements which affect cross-border movement of goods in
international trade; and
- Electronic
facilities and their importance for facilitating international trade.
A number of
intergovernmental organizations will explain their current work in trade
facilitation.
The Symposium
will conclude with an open exchange of views among participants on possible conclusions as
well as on future work on trade facilitation in various fora, including the WTO.
The Symposium
is an initiative of the WTO Council for Trade in Goods, which was instructed by the
Singapore Ministerial Conference "to undertake exploratory and analytical work,
drawing on the work of other relevant international organizations, on the simplification
of trade procedures in order to assess the scope for WTO rules in this area". |
