WTO Information Technology Symposium - 16 July 1999

A WTO Symposium on Information Technology on 16 July 1999 will bring together industry representatives and trade officials to discuss prospects and practical trade issues facing the most dynamic sector of world trade.

Annotated Agenda

Purpose:

1. Share information about the dynamism of IT and its future: recent R&D development, technology trends and anticipated products/services

2. Explain the role of IT in promoting economic growth and development and IT's expanding contribution to the infrastructure for a global information economy.

3. Highlight the value of the application of IT, drawing on examples from developed and developing countries:

- For business competitiveness for large and small business;
- For government, and
- Users.
Organizational matters:

The Director-General of the WTO, or the Director in Charge, will open the symposium with introductory remarks. The Symposium will be chaired by Mr. Heinz Opelz, Director, Market Access Division. There will be four issue-oriented panel sessions on the subjects outlined by participants.

Program:

Morning Session

9:00 Introduction: Director-General of the WTO or Director in Charge

9:15
I. Overview of the IT industry, technological advances/trends, innovative business applications

"International Trade in IT Products"

Mr. Patrick Low (WTO Secretariat)
Director, Economic Research and Analysis
WTO
Geneva, Switzerland

"The Philippine IT Plan: Prospects and Problems"

Mr. Claro Parlade
Senior Partner
Benitez Parlade Africa Herrera Parlade & Panga Law Offices
Makati City, Philippines

"Contribution of IT Industry to Economic Development – An Israeli Perspective"

Mr. Hanan Achsaf
President
Motorola Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel

"Production of Digital Telecommunications Systems in the Czech Republic"

Mr. Ivan Rícar
Director General
TTC TESLA TELECOMUNIKACE
Prague, Czech Republic

"Creation of New Industry by Digital Conversions"

Mr. Takashi Kubota
Director & Senior Chief Engineer
Corporate Technology, Digital Media
Hitachi, Ltd.

--followed by a general discussion

11:00
II. Contribution of IT to economic growth and development and the role of trade in the mutual reinforcement of global and national IT policies

"ICT Indicators Over the Period of the 90s".

Mr. Linnar Viik
Director of Product Development and Marketing
Levicom Broadband
Tallinn, Estonia

"The Effects of Trade Liberalization of IT Products in the Development of Software and Hi-Tech Industries: A Developing Country's Experience"

Mr. Alejandro Montalvo
President of Costa Rican Chamber of Software Developers
Costa Rica

"The Death of the Productivity Paradox: The Explosive Impact of IT on the US Economy".

Mr. Leslie Simon
Public Policy Scholar
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Washington, DC, USA

"The Multimedia Super Corridor Project - A Model for Fostering Economic Growth and Development Using IT"

Mr. Mohd. Salleh Hj. Masduki
Vice President
Flagship Coordination
Multimedia Development Corporation
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

"From an Off-line to an On-line Society"

Mr. Torbjörn Ihre
Director
Ericsson European Affairs Office
Brussels, Belgium

--followed by a general discussion

13:00-14:15 Lunch break

Afternoon Session

14:15
III. Practical problems encountered in IT trade (including the possibility of presenting case studies, e.g. import licensing) and the broader effects of NTMs

[title of presentation to be announced]

Mr. Dewang Mehta
Executive Director
NASSCOM
New Delhi, India

"Import Licensing for Information Technology Products"

Mr. David McGuire
Senior Manager, International Trade Team
Nortel Networks
Canada

"Trading Barriers and Proposed Solutions of IT Trade"

Mr. Miin Wu
President
Macronix International Co., Ltd.
Chinese Taipei

"Redundant Testing and Certification as Impediments to Economic Development"

Mr. William Maxwell
International Trade Policy Manager
Hewlett Packard Company
USA

"Suppliers' Declaration of Conformity, Certification & Standardisation"

Mr. Michel de Vecchis
Director, Standardization
Telecom Product Division – Cables & Components Sector Alcatel
France

--followed by a general discussion

16:00
IV. The implications of current approaches to standards making and conformity assessment (review developments in international standards and other relevant bodies).

"IEC and Information Technology"

Mr. Jack Sheldon
Technical Manager
International Electrotechnical Commission
Geneva, Switzerland

"Supplier Declarations of Conformity: A Case-study in Implementation".

Dr. James Galloway
Director, Technical and Regulatory of the Australian Electrical and Electronic
Manufacturers Association (AEEMA)
Australia

"Green Paper on Global Product Approval System for the Future"

Mr. Peter Deichmann
Technical Relations Manager EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
IBM,
Germany

"Electrical Safety and Information Technology Products"

Mr. Jean-Louis Robert
Régie de batiment
Government of Quebec
Direction de la normalization
and
Member of the Canadian Advisory Council on Electrical Safety
Canada

--followed by a general discussion

Morning Session
9:00	Introduction: Director-General of the WTO or Director in Charge
9:15	I. Overview of the IT industry, technological advances/trends, innovative business applications
	"International Trade in IT Products" Mr. Patrick Low (WTO Secretariat) Director, Economic Research and Analysis WTO Geneva, Switzerland "The Philippine IT Plan: Prospects and Problems" Mr. Claro Parlade Senior Partner Benitez Parlade Africa Herrera Parlade & Panga Law Offices Makati City, Philippines "Contribution of IT Industry to Economic Development – An Israeli Perspective" Mr. Hanan Achsaf President Motorola Israel Tel Aviv, Israel "Production of Digital Telecommunications Systems in the Czech Republic" Mr. Ivan Rícar Director General TTC TESLA TELECOMUNIKACE Prague, Czech Republic "Creation of New Industry by Digital Conversions" Mr. Takashi Kubota Director & Senior Chief Engineer Corporate Technology, Digital Media Hitachi, Ltd. --followed by a general discussion
11:00	II. Contribution of IT to economic growth and development and the role of trade in the mutual reinforcement of global and national IT policies
	"ICT Indicators Over the Period of the 90s". Mr. Linnar Viik Director of Product Development and Marketing Levicom Broadband Tallinn, Estonia "The Effects of Trade Liberalization of IT Products in the Development of Software and Hi-Tech Industries: A Developing Country's Experience" Mr. Alejandro Montalvo President of Costa Rican Chamber of Software Developers Costa Rica "The Death of the Productivity Paradox: The Explosive Impact of IT on the US Economy". Mr. Leslie Simon Public Policy Scholar Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Washington, DC, USA "The Multimedia Super Corridor Project - A Model for Fostering Economic Growth and Development Using IT" Mr. Mohd. Salleh Hj. Masduki Vice President Flagship Coordination Multimedia Development Corporation Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia "From an Off-line to an On-line Society" Mr. Torbjörn Ihre Director Ericsson European Affairs Office Brussels, Belgium --followed by a general discussion
13:00-14:15	Lunch break
Afternoon Session
14:15	III. Practical problems encountered in IT trade (including the possibility of presenting case studies, e.g. import licensing) and the broader effects of NTMs
	[title of presentation to be announced] Mr. Dewang Mehta Executive Director NASSCOM New Delhi, India "Import Licensing for Information Technology Products" Mr. David McGuire Senior Manager, International Trade Team Nortel Networks Canada "Trading Barriers and Proposed Solutions of IT Trade" Mr. Miin Wu President Macronix International Co., Ltd. Chinese Taipei "Redundant Testing and Certification as Impediments to Economic Development" Mr. William Maxwell International Trade Policy Manager Hewlett Packard Company USA "Suppliers' Declaration of Conformity, Certification & Standardisation" Mr. Michel de Vecchis Director, Standardization Telecom Product Division – Cables & Components Sector Alcatel France --followed by a general discussion
16:00	IV. The implications of current approaches to standards making and conformity assessment (review developments in international standards and other relevant bodies).
	"IEC and Information Technology" Mr. Jack Sheldon Technical Manager International Electrotechnical Commission Geneva, Switzerland "Supplier Declarations of Conformity: A Case-study in Implementation". Dr. James Galloway Director, Technical and Regulatory of the Australian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association (AEEMA) Australia "Green Paper on Global Product Approval System for the Future" Mr. Peter Deichmann Technical Relations Manager EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) IBM, Germany "Electrical Safety and Information Technology Products" Mr. Jean-Louis Robert Régie de batiment Government of Quebec Direction de la normalization and Member of the Canadian Advisory Council on Electrical Safety Canada --followed by a general discussion