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10-11 May 2001
Background back
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WTO Members
have noted that a variety of technical assistance programmes are being
provided both bilaterally and through regional or multilateral
programmes. Capacity building and technical assistance can be
important elements for the successful implementation of trade
facilitation programs. Members also noted that technical cooperation
efforts of intergovernmental agencies, donor and recipient governments
could be improved through better coordination.
Objective
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The
workshop provided the opportunity for an exchange of views amongst
the relevant parties — donors, recipients, international organizations
— on the role of technical assistance and capacity building in trade
facilitation. The workshop allowed Members to take stock of the
nature and scope of past and current programmes, to ascertain areas of
expertise of the various providers of technical assistance, and to
develop a better understanding of the needs of recipients.
Program
structure back
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The workshop consisted of 4 Sessions:
Session 1
and Session 2 provided a platform for international
organizations and donor governments respectively to provide overviews
of their trade facilitation-related technical assistance activities
over the last three years. Such activities included assistance in
the modernization of trade (and in particular customs and
border-crossing) administration, implementation of multilateral
instruments such as WTO Agreements or the HS Convention; and
infrastructure projects.
Session 3
provided an opportunity for recipients of technical assistance to
share their experiences in trade facilitation-related reforms, assess
the importance of technical assistance, and inform Members on lessons
learnt in their own efforts of moving towards a more facilitative
environment for trade.
Speakers
representing both providers and recipients of technical assistance
should focus on the following points from their respective
perspectives:
-
outline
what their focus has been in trade facilitation projects (priority
list);
-
highlight
some projects;
-
in
case of land-locked countries, address measures taken to alleviate
transit- and transit-related problems;
-
summarize
the “lessons learnt,” i.e. experiences of what
strategies and measures have worked, what has not worked, and why;
-
comment
on the importance of maintenance and monitoring of programs after
implementation;
-
state
what they see as the biggest challenges in the coming years;
-
comment
on the question of coordination between bilateral donors and
international organizations.
The
presentations could be a starting-point for the creation of an
inventory of assistance provided in the area. Other Members providing
or receiving assistance (other than those making presentations) could
supplement this inventory with their own information.
Session
4 focused on the contribution that the private sector could
make to capacity building and technical assistance. The objective of
this session was to discuss examples of concrete cooperation of
business with customs administrations, and to explore opportunities
for future private sector-government partnership in the development
and execution of trade facilitation programmes.
Presentations
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Download
the presentations
made by the speakers at the four sessions of the Workshop
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