1

WTO Seminar on Technical Assistance and Capacity

BuildingRelated to the SPS

Agreement

5 November 2002

Rene Vossenaar

UNCTAD

2

UNCTAD Activities on standards and SPS measures

• Integrated Framework• Joint Integrated Technical Assistance

Programme (JITAP)• Assistance to developing countries in

participation in deriving benefits from globalization and participation in MTS

• Trade, Environment and Development• Science and Technology Initiative

3

STANDARDS AND TRADE

• Research

• Trade and development effects of standards

• Strengthening capacities to respond to environmental and health requirements, including SPS meausures

UNCTAD

4

Questions

• How can Governments and private sector in developing countries address constraints in responding to environmental and health requirements in external markets?

• How can developed countries take account of conditions and needs of developing countries in the development of standards?

• Bilateral and multilateral aid agencies?

• WTO issues?

5

Reports

• An overview paper• Regional scoping paper on South Asia

(Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka)

• Regional scoping paper on Central America (in particular Costa Rica)

• Regional scoping paper on Eastern Africa (Kenya, Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda)

• Scoping paper on organic agriculture (Costa Rica, India and Uganda)

6

Building Capacity for Improved Policy

Making and Negotiation on Key

Trade and Environment Issues

• Policy co-ordination on trade and environment issues of key concern

• Participating effectively in the WTO post-Doha work programme

• Developing and implementing practical initiatives in at least one specific area

• Promoting regional dialogues

UNCTAD

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Regional approach

• Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia)

• Central America/Caribbean (Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama)

• South-East Asia (Bangladesh Cambodia, China, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam)

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Focus

• Issues in WTO Doha work programme

• Issues emerging from earlier project

Priorities

• Implications of environmental requirements (para 32(i)) and SPS measures for market access

• Trading opportunities for environmentally preferable products (EPPs)

Agricultural sector

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UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on

Trade, Environment and Development

(CBTF) • Environmentally Preferable

Products (EPPs)t*d Framework– Policy Dialogue on Promoting

Production and Trading Opportunities for Organic Agricultural Products, Brussels, hosted by the ACP secretariat on 21 and 22 February 2002

– Back-to-back meeting with WTO regional Trade and Environment Seminar

• Biosafety– , Environment and Development

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WTO TA/CB Plan 2003

• Three regional meetings under UNCTAD/FIELD project

• Three CBTF meetings for Geneva-based delegations

• Two CBTF-meetings held back-to-back with WTO regional seminars on trade and environment, e.g. for Anglophone Caribbean Countries (Jamaica, November 2003)

WT/COMTD/W/104/Add.1 (Trade and Environment)

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Expert Meeting onEnvironmental Requirements

and International Trade 2-4 October 2002

• Environmental and health requirements (SPS measures)

• Food and fishery products• Chairman’s summary

(TD/B/COM.1/EM.19/L.1 • Commission on Trade (3-7 February

2003)

http://www.unctad.org/trade_env/test1/meetings/envreq.htm

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Expert Meeting onEnvironmental Requirements

and International Trade 2-4 October 2002

• Environmental and health requirements (SPS measures)

• Food and fishery products• Chairman’s summary

(TD/B/COM.1/EM.19/L.1 • Commission on Trade (3-7 February

2003)

http://www.unctad.org/trade_env/test1/meetings/envreq.htm

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• issues in international trade: biotechnology and trade, managing environmental and health risks, and standard setting.

• Seek close cooperation with the WTO (Agriculture and SPS), CBD (Biosafety Protocol), and FAO/WHO (Codex and its Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods derived from Biotechnology).

Science and Technology Diplomacy Initiative

http://www.unctad.org/stdev