DEVELOPMENT:
SEMINAR
Seminar on Special and Differential Treatment for Developing Countries
Organized under the auspices of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development
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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