Trade policy strategies and WTO accession

ASI hosted a training conference in 2000 to assist emerging economies in developing their trade policy within the WTO framework.  The conference focused on the practical organisation and management of trade policy within government, taking into account the constraints that apply – institutional, budgetary, political, economic and legal/constitutional – and recognising the need to build consensus and co-operation in cabinet, and among the wider citizenry.  The summit brought together senior policy-makers (such as ministers and senior civil servants), academics and representatives of donor agencies and other international institutions including the WTO.  Participants came from a range of transitional and developing countries including a number from former Soviet republics.

Specific sessions addressed the layers of multilateral, regional and bilateral trade arrangements across various sectors; trade preference regimes and their costs and benefits; and development of negotiating strategies.  Particular attention was paid to the reasons for the failure of the Seattle conference to launch a Millennium Round of negotiations – including those arising from the civil unrest outside the conference chamber as well as the failure to agree inside.  The scope for and constraints on a new Development Round were discussed in some depth.