International Trade Forum articles from January 2006

International Trade Forum archives from January 2006

A new trade democracy ... in the making.(From the Editor)
January 1, 2006... A new trade democracy? Perhaps not yet, bur signs of change are there. A short time ago, people saw trade policy as a matter for economists outlining trade scenarios, government officials negotiating behind closed doors or business lobbies...

Towards inclusive trade policy.(International Trade Commission )(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... A new balance of voices is emerging in advocacy for trade. In the area of trade policy, it ranges from small business coalitions to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), media, international agencies, academics, big business and more. All...

Humanizing globalization: we need to address the "double face" of globalization and work towards sustainable economic and social development for all people.(Towards Inclusive Trade Policy)
January 1, 2006... More and more people demand that we "humanize" globalization. In rich and poor countries, there is a widely-held perception that globalization has negative effects on some individuals. Increasingly, the public is of the view that we cannot...

Good governance opens new doors to advocacy: for a model of good governance in trade policy, "make it open, make it fair. And make it inclusive", says Michel Kostecki.(Towards Inclusive Trade Policy)
January 1, 2006... A question levelled at WTO Director-General, Pascal Lamy, during a 90-minute online "chat" in late February 2006 was: "In your view, what should be the role of the business community in order to bring the Doha round to a successful conclusion?"...

Uganda's services coalition finds strength in numbers: for very small service firms in Uganda, forming a coalition gave them a collective voice, resources and influence with trade negotiators.(Towards Inclusive Trade Policy)
January 1, 2006... Governments conduct negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), but in practice it is businesses that trade. In least developed countries (LDCs) like Uganda, it is small firms that trade the most. They have a fundamental...

Giving voice to the "silent majority": the challenge to building business advocacy is to develop business-government dialogue, but also to bring in small firms, the informal sector and other parts of society.(Towards Inclusive Trade Policy)
January 1, 2006... Report of "Business for Development" meeting, Hong Kong, China Government trade officials, business representatives and researchers at a "Business for Development" forum in December 2005 stressed the need for business to make its views...

The trade debate needs the voice of business: business can do more to build public understanding of the benefits of the multilateral trading system.(Towards Inclusive Trade Policy)
January 1, 2006... This is no time for disengagement or complacency. The period is one of great opportunity, with vast new markets opening and quantum leaps in technology. It is also one of grave risks, with the rise of trade protectionism and trade...

Multilateralism is better for business: the multilateral trading system is the surest way to build up the global production systems from which more countries and firms can benefit.(Towards Inclusive Trade Policy)
January 1, 2006... The aftermath of the World Trade Organization's Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, China is a good time to remind ourselves of why multilateral trade agreements serve the interests of today's global production system in a way that the...

How to get the best out of the WTO and how to avoid the pitfalls: new publications point the way: it's not all plain sailing, but the WTO system can be made to work for everyone, say four new books.(Managing the Challenges of WTO Participation: 45 Case Studies)(Lessons from Cambodia!s Entry into the World Trade Organization)(South Asian Positions in the WTO Doha Round: In Search of a True Development Agenda)(The WTO and Sustainable Development)(Book review)
January 1, 2006... Books on the WTO have been rolling off the presses around the globe this past year, the organization's tenth anniversary, as any Internet search will show. Some are critical, some anecdotal and some impenetrably analytical. Few provide the...

Trade talks: how ITC can help.(International Trade Centre )
January 1, 2006... ITC Programmes on Trade Talks While most of ITC's work focuses on helping nations improve their ability to supply goods and services that are competitive in world markets, these programmes are designed specifically to help countries...

New jobs for poor communities through trade.(Portraits of Trade Development)
January 1, 2006... There are some stories that tell good news. It is worth keeping this in mind in a world where bad news sells, fed by a steady diet of headline-grabbing slogans and superbly crafted but frequently hollow generalizations by the forces of...

Meet ITC's new leaders.(Stephen Browne and Patricia Francis joined International Trade Commission)
January 1, 2006... Patricia Francis, Executive Director An award-winning leader and business facilitator, Patricia R. Francis will head ITC from June 2006. Mrs Francis comes to ITC from the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), of which she has been...

Putting market access issues on the map: developing countries can use ITC's Market Access Map to analyse market access conditions for the Doha round of trade talks.(ITC News)
January 1, 2006... When it comes to keeping existing export markets and finding new ones, understanding market access conditions remains a key challenge for developing countries. The WTO Ministerial meeting in December 2005 renewed the pressure on countries...

ITC and Denmark help South-South cotton trade: ITC, with financial support from Denmark, is seeking to improve the competitiveness of African cotton exports, especially to Asia.(International Trade Commission)
January 1, 2006... Trade ministers meeting in Hong Kong, China last year urged the development community and WTO members to "further scale up its cotton-specific assistance [and] promote and support South--South cooperation, including transfer of technology". An...

Promoting services trade in Southern Africa: for the first time, service associations in southern Africa met to discuss the potential of regional trade for their exporters.(ITC News)
January 1, 2006... While service firms account for much of southern Africa's economic growth and new jobs, export strategies in the region have rarely focused on this "invisible" sector. Countries need to be more sensitive to the fact that trade in services...

ITC, EC and WTO explore partnership for Africa.(ITC News In Brief)
January 1, 2006... In February 2006, Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, visited ITC with Pascal Lamy, WTO's Director General. Together with senior staff, they reviewed ITC's experience with the European Commission--ITC Asia...

JITAP partners review cooperation programme: sixteen African countries relate their experiences during the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial meeting.(ITC News In Brief)(Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme )(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Partners of the Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP) of ITC, UNCTAD and WTO met at the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference (Hong Kong, China, December 2005). Recipient and donor countries reviewed this programme that helps African...

TPOs in global trade: opportunities and challenges: the challenges and opportunities of global trade will be the theme of the 6th World Conference of Trade Promotion Organizations, to be held in Dubai on 13-14 November 2006.(ITC News)(trade promotion organizations )
January 1, 2006... Leaders of trade promotion organizations (TPOs) and other trade support institutions will meet at an event co-hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and ITC. From Malta to Dubai The conference, the sixth of its kind, is...

Donors evaluate ITC: an external evaluation recommends steps to build on ITC's comparative advantage as a provider of trade-related technical assistance.(ITC News)(International Trade Centre)
January 1, 2006... Donors and beneficiaries welcomed the outcome of a two-year external evaluation of ITC at an informal meeting of its Joint Advisory Group in November 2005. Led by the Government of Denmark and supported by a group of donors, the evaluation...

Newsletters at ITC: new and improved: inside stories, training resources and the background to some hands-on projects.(ITC Information Products)
January 1, 2006... At regular intervals during the year, one or more ITC newsletters appear online, in print or both. They all focus on trade-related technical assistance (TRTA): sometimes, they are a news resource, reporting on TRTA project events, progress and...

Interational trade bulletins.(ITC Information Products)
January 1, 2006... ITC produces a variety of international trade bulletins which complement its books and technical papers. To subscribe, contact the relevant sections of ITC. * Market News Service Contact: pmaps@intracen.org http://www.p-maps.org...

New books and technical papers.(ITC Information Products)(Get Connected: E-applications in the textile and clothing sector)(Source-it--Global material sourcing for the clothing industry)(The Business Management System" A framework for international competitiveness)(Training and Consulting: Designing, developing and delivering training and consulting interventions)(ITC Incorporated Joint Venture Model Agreements)(Book review)
January 1, 2006... * Get Connected: E-applications in the textile and clothing sector 166 pages. Study focusing on how developing country producers could successfully apply new e-applications and secure post-quota exports in light of the changing nature of...