GATT/AIR/UNNUMBERED 18 MAY 1988
SUBJECT: SEMINAR/WORKSHOP ON THE INTEGRATED DATA BASE
1. THE GATT SECRETARIAT HAS ORGANIZED A WEEK-LONG SEMINAR/WORKSHOP FOR TECHNICAL EXPERTS FROM CAPITALS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE GATT INTEGRATED DATA BASE, TO BE HELD DURING THE WEEK BEGINNING 6 JUNE 1988 AT THE GATT HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA. ALL CONTRACTING PARTIES, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE INDICATED THEIR INTENTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DATA BASE OR ARE CONSIDERING PARTICIPATION, ARE INVITED TO SEND PARTICIPANTS TO THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP.
2. THE PURPOSE AND GOALS OF THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP. AS WELL AS OTHER DETAILS, ARE DESCRIBED IN THE PROGRAMME ANNEXED TO THIS AIRGRAM. THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP IS A KEY PART OF THE SECRETARIAT'S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE EFFORT IN CONNECTION WITH THE INTEGRATED DATA BASE, AND CONTRACTING PARTIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SEND ONE OR MORE TECHNICIANS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP.
3. THE ANNEXED PROGRAMME ALSO INDICATES THE BASIC DOCUMENTATION FOR THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP, WHICH IS BEING MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL DELEGATIONS IN GENEVA; COPIES MAY ALSO BE OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM THE GATT SECRETARIAT. OFFICIALS WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING ARE ENCOURAGED TO PREPARE FOR THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP IN ADVANCE BY BECOMING THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH THE CONTENTS OF THOSE DOCUMENTS.
4. CONTRACTING PARTIES ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM THE GATT SECRETARIAT BY
1 JUNE OF THE NAMES OF THE OFFICIALS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE CAPITALS WHO
WILL BE ATTENDING THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP (TELEPHONE 39.51.94, OR TELEX
NUMBER 27 787 GATT CH). IF ANY DELEGATES WHO ARE RESIDENT IN GENEVA PLAN TO ATTEND THE SEMINAR/WORKSHOP, THEIR NAMES SHOULD ALSO BE PROVIDED TO THE
SECRETARIAT.
A. DUNKEL
88-0743
ANNEX
GATT INTEGRATED DATA BASE
Programme for the seminar/workshop for technical experts
from national capitals
Time and place: The week beginning 6 June 1988, Room E of GATT
headquarters in the Centre William Rappard, Geneva.
Main Topic: The data requirements and the format of submissions for the
GATT Integrated Data Base.*
Basic documentation: GATT Secretariat documents IDB/W/1, IDB/W/2, IDB/W/3
and IDB/Q/1.
Languages: Simultaneous interpretation between English, French and
Spanish.
Purpose and goals:
(1) To give the GATT Secretariat staff an opportunity:
- to explain in detail to specialists from capitals what the Secretariat plans to do;
- to explain to specialists from capitals what they are expected to do;
- to answer questions and help specialists from capitals find solutions to problems.
(2) To give specialists from capitals an opportunity:
- to exchange information with one another and with the Secretariat based on experience in dealing with the kinds of problems that are involved in supplying the necessary import, tariff and QR data in the required format; participants from contracting parties which will be submitting these data to the Secretariat for the first time will have the opportunity to exchange views with participants who have experience in preparing and submitting such data;
- to put questions to the Secretariat staff members responsible for the technical development of the Integrated Data Base;
- to inform the Secretariat of the current status of procedures in their respective capitals, and to indicate what is needed in order to meet the April 1989 target for the first submission of data;
- to make suggestions to the Secretariat concerning possible modifications in the proposed data contents and/or format of the submissions (any suggestions made in this context would be referred to the Informal Advisory Group for approval).
- to make initial suggestions to the Secretariat concerning their likely output requirements (suggestions will be conveyed to the Informal Advisory group).
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*There are two basic aspects to the Integrated Data Base: the input (contents, and the format in which data are to be submitted) and the output (the nature of the information that will be available and the ways in which it will be provided - for example, on diskettes, on magnetic tape and so forth). Although this seminar/workshop will focus on the first aspect, there will be an introductory discussion of the second aspect on the last day of the seminar/workshop ./.
SCHEDULE
MONDAY 6 JUNE
10:00-10:30 Registration
10:30-11:00 Welcoming remarks by the Director-General and
Mr. M.G. Mathur, Deputy Director-General
11:00-13:00 General description of the IDB:
- Context of the decision taken by the Council
- Type of information to be included
- Overall volume of information to be stored in the IDB
- Computer facilities used by the Secretariat
- Staff involved in the exercise
- Time schedule for the setting up of the IDB
14:30-17:30 Overview of the project implementation
- Files to be prepared by the delegations
- Controls and conversions made by the Secretariat
- The data base design
- How the IDB information could be made available to users
- Possibilities for technical assistance by the Secretariat
18:00 Salle des Pas Perdus: GATT Secretariat cocktail party for
participants in the seminar/workshop
TUESDAY JUNE 7
09:30-13:00 Discussion of data base input
(see pp.4-24 of IDB/W/2)
14:30-17:30 Discussion continues
WEDNESDAY 8 JUNE
09:30-13:00 Discussion of formats for data submission
(see IDB/W/1)
Remainder of the afternoon is free for informal discussions among
participants and with Secretariat staff.
THURSDAY JUNE 9
09:30-13:00 Questions and answers concerning IDB/W/1 and
IDB/W/2 (pp.4-24)
14:30-17:30 Discussion of data base considerations
(see pp.25-39 of IDB/W/2)
FRIDAY JUNE 10
09:30-13:00 First discussion of output requirements and general review
of points covered during the seminar/workshop
Friday afternoon: provided that it is possible to observe the schedule outlined above, it will not be necessary to hold a formal session on Friday afternoon. However, participants are requested to keep the afternoon available in case it is not possible to complete the work by 13:00.