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Capacity-Building Workshop on the WTO Trade Facilitation Negotiations
for WTO Members from Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasu |
12 - 13 June 2006, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova |
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PRESENTATIONS |
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DAY ONE, 12 JUNE 2006 |
08:30 - 09:00 |
Registration |
09:00-09:20 |
Introductory Remarks and Welcome
Host country representative
UNECE
Moderator: Mario Apostolov, Regional Adviser, UNECE |
09:20-10:00 |
Session 1: Setting the Framework: Trade Facilitation and WTO negotiations
Tom Butterly, UNECE Trade Facilitation
UN/CEFACT’s Integrated Model of Trade Facilitation Implementation comprising trade, transport, banking, insurance, telecommunication, etc. Role of Governments and business; specific perspective of transition economies, notably, landlocked. Defining the scope of trade facilitation: is it limited to Customs procedures, GATT articles V, VIII, and X, or is it broader?
Emilia Cainarean, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Moldova to WTO
Why renegotiate GATT articles V, VIII, and X?
Mario Apostolov, Regional Adviser, UNECE Trade Division
What is the essence of the new proposals for negotiation (WTO doc. TN/TF/W/43/Rev.5) ?
Maxence Orthlieb, UNCTAD Trade Facilitation
What will be the outcome of the negotiations? If a new WTO Agreement, what will be the format?
Mario Apostolov, Maxence Orthlieb, country representatives
What will be the obligations for the transition economies, WTO members, present at the seminar?
Questions & answers
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10:00-11:00 |
Session 2: Proposed measures for negotiation: Best practice examples
Tom Butterly, UNECE Trade Facilitation, Mario Apostolov, Regional Adviser, UNECE Trade Division
Transparency, publication of laws, procedures, documentary requirements, etc. (GATT article X). What kind of information needs to be published? Presentation of a possible solution. Is a single entry point an option? Could it be part of a Single Window system? Should advance rulings be published prior to their formal adoption?
The Single Window concept, standards for interoperability and options for implementation.
Article VIII (fees and formalities): should trade procedures and information flows be simplified and harmonized with international standards? Is it advisable to adopt a minimum standard data set? What are the standards and tools available?
Presentation by Czech Customs on the practical implication of the measures proposed in WTO in a post-transition European Union Member State
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11:00-11:15 |
Coffee break |
11:15-13:00 |
Session 2 (cont’d)
Tom Butterly, UNECE Trade Facilitation, Mario Apostolov, Regional Adviser, UNECE
Electronic documents
Development of aligned paper and electronic documents based on the United Nations Layout Key for Trade Documents (ISO 6422) and the UN/EDIFACT (ISO 9735)
Maxence Orthlieb, UNCTAD, Mario Apostolov, UNECE, country representatives
Transit (GATT article V): What is meant by “reasonable charges”, “unnecessary delays”, “most convenient route”, etc.? Is it advisable to provide national treatment to goods in transit? Should MFN be provided to all modes of transport? How to address the problems of landlocked countries?
A representative of Moldova and/or Kyrgyzstan
Special and Differential treatment
Discussion
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13:00-15:00 |
Lunch break |
15:00-16:30 |
Session 2 (cont’d)
Current situation in the countries, country presentations:
Ms. Asmat Abesadze, Consultant: Presentation of the Discussion Paper for this Workshop
Armenia
Georgia
Kyrgyzstan
Republic of Moldova
Non-WTO member countries
TACIS Project
Discussion
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16:30-18:00 |
Session 3: Harmonizing the countries’ positions in the WTO negotiations
Moderator: Representative of the Republic of Moldova
Country statements:
Armenia
Georgia
Kyrgyzstan
Republic of Moldova
Non-WTO member countries
General Discussion on the harmonization of the countries’ positions
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The expected outcome of this day’s sessions will be recommendations for harmonizing the positions of the countries vis-à-vis the WTO negotiations on Trade Facilitation. |
DAY TWP, 13 JUNE 2006 |
09:30-13:00 |
Session 4: Technical assistance: constraints and needs of the countries
Moderator: Representative of the Republic of Moldova to WTO
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09:30-09:50 |
Maxence Orthlieb, Trade Facilitation, UNCTAD
Implementation of possible binding rules likely to come out of the WTO negotiations on trade facilitation.
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09:50-10:40 |
What have the countries already accomplished?
Armenia
Georgia
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Non-WTO member
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10:40-12:30 |
For which measures the countries would need assistance from abroad?
Maxence Orthlieb
Armenia
Georgia
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Non-WTO member
Discussion
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12:30-13:00 |
What would be the cost of additional necessary measures? What would be the cost of required technical assistance?
Statements of participants
Discussion
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13:00-13:15 |
Capacity-building tools related to UNECE's standards on trade facilitation |
13:00-15:00 |
Lunch break |
15:00-16:30 |
Session 5 (cont'd)
Statements of participants
Discussion |
The expected outcome of this session will be a text for a proposal for technical assistance measures to the WTO members present at the meeting (to be submitted to the Governments of the countries) for consideration under the “Aid-for-Trade” framework, the WTO Negotiation Group on Trade Facilitation, various donors, etc. It may serve as a position paper of the countries in the negotiations on the new Agreement. |
16:30-18:00 |
Concluding panel Discussion on Policy, Priorities and Coordination |
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