DÉVELOPPEMENT: SÉMINAIRE
Séminaire sur le traitement spécial et différencié en faveur des pays en développement
Organized under the auspices of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development
Programme
The objective of the seminar is to explore different facets of special and differential treatment, outside of a negotiating context, and outside of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) in order both to allow a frank exchange of views on the issue and to provide an input into the Committee's consideration of the question.
Participation is open to WTO Members and Observers and to Inter-Governmental Organizations with observer status in the CTD.
Welcome: Mr. A. Ouedraogo, Deputy Director-General
09:30-10:45
First Session: Overview of S&D
provisions and their objectives
The session would review the origins of special
and differential treatment, as well as the
various WTO provisions. How firm is the legal
basis ? To what extent are these simply
best endeavours?
Chair: Amb. A.C. Diallo
(Senegal), Chairperson of the Committee on Trade
and Development
Panelists: Mr. E. Kessie
(WTO), Mr. B. Gosovic (South Centre), Amb. R.
Smith (Jamaica)
Background material: Secretariat paper
for 1999 HLS on Trade and Development. E. Kessie,
Analysis of the Legal
Provisions relating to Special and Differential
Treatment under WTO Agreements (mimeo).
10:45-11:45
Second Session:GSP
and other forms of preferences and their future
The session would look at the importance of GSP
and other forms of preferences. What are its
limitations ? Who are the beneficiaries ? How
much value has the system been ? How does GSP
compare with other forms of preferences ? Is
there a tendency for preference systems to evolve
towards reciprocal trade agreements ?
Chair:Amb.
N. Benjelloun-Touimi (Morocco),
Panelists: Mr. B. Onguglo
(UNCTAD), Mrs. S. Page (ODI), Ms S. Rudder
(Barbados).
Background material:B.
Onguglo, Developing Countries
and Trade Preferences, in M. Rodriguez Mendoza, P.
Low and B. Kotschwar, Trade Rules in the
Making, Organization of American States
and Brookings Institution Press, Washington DC.
11:45-13:00
Third Session:Technical
Assistance as S&D
The session would look at technical assistance
needs, including training, trade facilitation and
infrastructure ? What is most effective ? How can
TA be best delivered ? What are the roles of
different agencies ? How can coordination be
improved ?
Chair: Mr. O. Genee
(Netherlands)
Panelists:
Mr. S. Delgado (WTO), Amb. E. Custodio
(Philippines), Mr. M.A. Mannan (Bangladesh).
Background material: WTO Programme for
Technical Cooperation, Note by the WTO
Secretariat (WT/COMTD/W/64 of 15
October 1999), Report on Technical
Cooperation and Training, Note by the WTO
Secretariat (WT/COMTD/W/62 of 6
May 1999).
13:00-14:30
Lunch break ./.
14:30-15:30
Fourth Session: Implementation of
S&D under key WTO Agreements
The session would cover the difficulties of
implementation by developing countries and
experience of application by trading partners
(for example, in agriculture, anti-dumping,
customs valuation, dispute settlement). What are
the problems and how can they be resolved ?
Chair: Amb. C.L. Guarda
(Chile)
Panelists:Mr.
C. Stevens (Institute of Development Studies),
Amb. F. Cuello Camilo (Dominican Republic), Amb. S. Narayanan (India)
Background material: Concerns Regarding
Special and Differential Treatment Provisions in
WTO Agreement and Decisions, Note by the WTO
Secretariat (WT/COMTD/W/66 of
15 February 2000.
15:30-16:30
Fifth Session: Impact of S&D
and developing country economic reforms
The session would cover the relationship between
S&D and reforms being undertaken by
developing countries, autonomously or to comply
with international obligations. To what extent do
S&D provisions contribute to or detract from
reform programmes?
Chair: Amb. K. Rana
(Kenya)
Panelists: Mr R. Sharer (IMF),
Mr B. Bora (UNCTAD), Amb. W. Corrales Leal
(Venezuela).
Background material: Special and
Differential Treatment and the Spaces for
Policies in WTO: Two Elements of the Development
Dimension in the Multilateral Trading System,
Proposal under Paragraphs 9 and 10 of the Geneva
Ministerial Declaration, Communication from
Venezuela (WT/GC/W/279 of 29 July
1999). M. Gibbs, Special and
Differential Treatment in the Context of
Globalization, note presented to the G15
Symposium on S&D Treatment in the WTO
Agreements, New Delhi, 10 December 1998.
16:30-17:30
Sixth Session: The Future of
Special and Differential Treatment The session
would cover various aspects of S&D, and its
future. Is there a case for the development of
economic indicators for the application of
S&D?
Chair: Amb. G. Raby
(Australia)
Panelists: Mr. C. Michalopoulos
(World Bank), Amb. A. Akram (Pakistan), Amb. D. Baichoo (Mauritius),
Amb.
R. Abbott (European Commission)
Background material:
C.
Michalopoulos, Trade and
Development in the GATT and WTO: The Role of
Special and Differential Treatment for Developing
Countries, mimeo.
17:30- 17:45
Closing Remarks: Amb. A.C. Diallo, Mr. A. Ouedraogo, Deputy Director-General