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Session I - The Economics of Trade Facilitation
Chair: H.E. Antoine Manga Massina
This session set the stage by providing key findings of recent studies on the benefits and costs of implementing trade facilitation measures, for both the governments and the private sector. It also provided the opportunity to discuss concrete country experiences and lessons learned.
Lead speakers:
Ms. Evdokia Möisé, OECD, The costs and challenges of trade facilitation (French)
Ms. Anne-Marie Geourjon, IMF, The challenges of trade facilitation for the African economies (French)
Mr. Martin Abéga, GICAM, The views of the private sector (French)
Mr. Ibrahima Diagne, GAINDE 2000, Senegal, Lessons learned from Senegal’s experience with trade facilitation and South-South co-operation (French)
Session II - Devising Policy Responses: Needs Assessment, Capacity Gap Analysis and Implementation of Reforms
Chair: Mr. Frans Lammersen, OECD
This session examined existing tools for identifying developing country needs and priorities in trade facilitation and for assessing capacity gaps. It reviewed practical country experiences and lessons learned with assessing needs, priorities and capacity gaps and with steps taken for formulating coherent reforms.
Lead speakers:
Mr. Régis Brieu, ADETEF, Securing and simplifying the international logistics chain: strategies for reinforcing Customs capacity (French)
Mr. Thierry Piraux, WCO, Needs analysis in trade facilitation (French)
Mr. Norbert Belinga, Cameroon Customs, The experience of Cameroon (French)
Session III (Roundtable Discussion) – Implications for WTO Negotiations: Matching Commitments and Capacities
Chair: Mr. José María Rubiato, UNCTAD
This session offered the opportunity to discuss the implications of the previous discussions for the WTO negotiations and, in particular, how to ensure that future developing country commitments match their capacities.
Lead speakers:
Mr. Jonathan Claridge, DG Trade, European Commission, Maximising the Development Benefits of Trade Facilitation (Available in English or French)
Mr. Koffi Gnakadja, West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMAO) (French)
Mr. Eloi Laourou, Permanent Mission of Benin to the WTO, Implications for WTO Negotiations (French)
Session IV - Design and Delivery of Effective Assistance for Sustainable Capacity Building
Chair: Ms. Christina Rahlén, Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This session explored how partner countries can encourage bilateral donors, multilateral organisations and regional agencies to collaborate in order to ensure that technical assistance and capacity building (TA/CB) for trade facilitation be “precise, effective, and operational and reflects the trade facilitation needs and priorities of developing countries and LDCs” (as is called for by Annex E of the 2005 WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration). Participants were invited to examine how assistance provided to implement the results of the negotiations can help build sustainable capacities in the area of trade facilitation.
Lead speakers:
Ms. Caroline Lesser, OECD Secretariat, Lessons learnt from past TA/CB (French)
Mr. Evariste Munyampundu, Rwanda Revenue Authority, Applying the Paris Declaration’s Aid Effectiveness Principles to Trade Facilitation (French)
Mr. Mark Pearson, The COMESA Experience: Benefits and Challenges of Regional Approaches to TA/CB (English)
Session V - Funding and Co-ordinating TA/CB for Trade Facilitation
Chair: Mr. Malcolm McKinnon, SITPRO
This session examined in more detail how all relevant stakeholders can best fund and co-ordinate TA/CB for trade facilitation at the country, regional, donor headquarters’ and WTO levels, in view of enhancing synergies and transparency and ensuring efficient use of available resources (as is called for by a number of WTO proposals).
Lead speakers:
Mr. Evans Marowa, USAID Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub, Trade Facilitation Activities in the Southern African Development Community: involving the private sector (English)
Dr. Jeffrey Cochrane and Mr. Andy Cook, USAID West Africa Regional Programme, Co-ordination with Regional Economic Communities (English)
Mr. Michel Bua, Embassy of France in Yaoundé, Donor co-ordination (French)
Mr. Matthias Meyer, Praximundo, Donor Co-operation in Trade Facilitation (English)
Session VI - Reviewing Progress: Mutual Accountability for Results
Chair: Ms. Brigitte Cuendet, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
Regularly monitoring and reviewing the progress of domestic and regional reforms and donor support for the latter is essential for ensuring effective capacity building in the area of trade facilitation. Such a review mechanism will also be crucial in determining whether a developing country has acquired the capacity to enter WTO obligations after a certain period of time.
Lead speakers:
Ms. Fleurette Màlaka Miangozara, Ministry of Trade, Enterprise Promotion and Handicrafts, Burkina Faso, Monitoring Results of Capacity Building Programmes (French)
Mr. Yao Gbevope Adzigbey, Sub-Saharan African Transport Programme, World Bank (French and English)
Session VII - Summing Up and Ways Forward
Chair: Mr Anthony Kleitz, OECD
Questions for drawing out main themes discussed in the Forum
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