Asia Regional Dialogue on Trade in Services and Sustainable Development

28th February – 1st March 2006 • Co-organised with PIDS

Details
Documentation

Discuss this eventShare your views with other visitors, and read what they have to say

The purpose of the dialogue is to:

Bridge the information gaps among the countries in the region on trade in services and gather regional thinking on key issues relevant to WTO negotiations;
Examine the regional interests in the GATS negotiations on both horizontal issues and specific commitments; and
Enable stakeholders in Asia to better define and articulate their own services objectives and policies both domestically and in multilateral and regional trade negotiations.

The issues to be discussed will include: (a) a brief overview of the status of negotiations in the WTO, especially in the aftermath of the Hong Kong ministerial conference and the objectives, approaches and timelines agreed upon therein; (b) an evaluation of the requests and offers so far made under the GATS negotiations, and the prospects for the mandated revised requests and offers; (c) sectors and modes of supply of interest, from both a supply and a consumption perspective, within the region; (d) negotiations on disciplines on domestic regulation, and how this impacts on the export interests of developing countries (including, in particular, though not limited to, mode 4, as well as implications for regulatory authorities; (e) the negotiations on new GATS rules, especially on an emergency safeguards mechanism for services; and (f) strategic considerations for developing countries region post Hong Kong. The dialogue will bring together a group of 30-35 key stakeholders including international experts, developing country policy-makers, Geneva-based delegates, and people from academia and civil society.