AID FOR TRADE: MOBILIZING AID FOR TRADE
Fifth Global Review of Aid for Trade:
“Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth”
30 June — 2 July 2015
Geneva, WTO Headquarters
> Aid for Trade work programme 2014-2015
> Aid-for-Trade monitoring exercise, 2015
> Information note on Fifth Global Review
News
High trade costs act as a brake on the trade integration of many developing countries, and in particular least-developed countries. To release the brake and deliver the inclusive, sustainable growth envisioned by the emerging UN's Post-2015 Development Agenda, concerted action is needed. This year's Global Review analysed actions already undertaken by developing countries, regional communities and their development partners to reduce trade costs and survey the extent of the challenge remaining, and how it can be addressed in the context of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals.
One specific action that the trade and development community can take to address high trade costs is to ensure the timely implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). OECD figures suggest that support for trade facilitation is growing and more funding is becoming available. Many developing countries, however, remain concerned that they will not be able to access support to implement the TFA. The Review surveyed in detail lessons from past and on-going support for border and customs modernization efforts, with the aim of ensuring that support for the TFA is effective and sustained, including the support provided through the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility.
The 5th Global Review high-level meeting offered the opportunity to recommit the trade and development community to continued action by developing countries and their development partners to reduce trade costs and support other Aid-for-Trade objectives, so affirming the role of trade in the Sustainable Development Goals and Financing for Development.
Programme
Day 1: Plenary Sessions
30 June — Plenary Sessions |
|
| Time | Plenary Session — Room |
|---|---|
10.00-11.30 |
Plenary session 1: Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth (Room CR) |
11.30-13.00 |
Plenary session 2: Supporting Implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (Room CR) |
13.30-15.00 |
Plenary session 3: Effective Implementation of SPS Measures to Facilitate Safe Trade (Room W) |
15.00-16.30 |
Parallel plenary session 4: Reducing Trade Costs in Central America through Trade Facilitation(Room D) |
15.00-17.00 |
Parallel plenary session 5: The Role of Trade Facilitation in Supporting Africa's Regional Integration Agenda (Room CR) |
Parallel plenary session 6: Reducing Trade Costs in Asia and the Pacific (Room E) |
|
Parallel plenary session 7: Reducing Trade Costs for Islamic Development Bank Group Members (Room W) |
|
16.30- 18.00 |
Plenary session 8: Access to Cooperation for Small and Vulnerable Economies through the Aid-for-Trade Initiative (Room D) |
Day 1: Side Events
Day 2: Plenary Sessions
1st July — Plenary Sessions |
|
| Time | Session — Room |
|---|---|
9.15-10.00 |
Plenary session 9: WTO and Development: Looking Ahead to the Nairobi Ministerial Conference (Room CR) |
10.15-11.45 |
Plenary session 10: Reducing Trade Costs in South-South Trade (Room CR) |
11.45-13.00 |
Plenary session 11: Launch of the New EIF: Trade for LDC Development (Room CR) |
13.00-14.30 |
Plenary session 12: Electronic Commerce and the Aid-for-Trade Initiative (Room W) |
15.00-16.30 |
Plenary session 13: Reducing Trade Costs for LDCs' Merchandise Trade Development (Room CR) |
16.30-18.00 |
Plenary session 14: Reducing Trade Costs for LDCs' Services Trade Development (Room CR) |
Day 2: Side events
Day 3: Plenary Sessions
2 July — Plenary Sessions |
|
| Time | Session — Room |
|---|---|
9.00-10.30 |
Plenary session 15: Reducing Trade Costs in the Cotton Value Chain (Room D) |
10.30-12.00 |
Plenary session 16: Trade and Gender: Empowering Women through Inclusive Supply Chains (Room W) |
12.00-13.30 |
Plenary session 17: Reducing Trade Costs and the Aid-for-Trade Results Agenda: Lessons from Recent Evaluations and Impact Studies (Room W) |
15.00-18.00 |
Plenary session 18: Closing Plenary Session (Room CR) |
Day 3: Side events
2 July — Side events |
|
| Time, Meeting | Side event — Room |
|---|---|
9.00-10.30 |
Parallel side event 24: Managing Non-tariff Measures in Sustainable Development Strategies (Room E) |
Parallel side event 25: Transforming Border Bottlenecks into Global Gateways - OECD Tools to Support Trade Facilitation(Room S3) |
|
10.00-13.00 |
Parallel side event 26: Sequencing Reforms and Gearing up for Ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement(Room S1) |
11.00-13.00 |
Side event 27: Aid for Trade in Support of Sustainable Development Goals(Room E) |
12.00-13.30 |
Side event 28: Barriers Facing Women Traders in Africa: What are They and How could Aid for Trade Help in Removing Them?(Room S2) |
> Programme (pdf format)
> Practical Information
Publications
> Aid for Trade at a Glance 2015: Reducing trade costs for inclusive, sustainable growth
> Aid for Trade country profiles
> Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific: Thinking Forward About Trade Costs and the Digital Economy
> Reducing Trade Costs to Support Africa's Transformation: The Role of Aid for Trade
> Outcomes of the Regional Review Seminar on Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive Sustainable Growth
Press Conference (1 July)
Director-General Azevêdo and Amina Mohamed, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
