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UNESCWA to Discuss Trade Facilitation for National Negotiators and Present Case Study on Trade Facilitation in Lebanon

16
June
2006
Beirut

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) is organizing a regional seminar on “Trade Facilitation for National Negotiators” on 19-20 June 2006 at the UN House in Beirut.

This seminar falls within UNESCWA continuous efforts to assist Arab countries in following up the current multilateral negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The meeting also comes within the framework of the joint project for the United Nations five regional commissions to promote trade as engine for growth through knowledge management and information and telecommunication technologies.

This meeting, which will open at 9:30 am on Monday 19 June 2006, is intended to assist national negotiators from Arab countries in recognizing the various aspects of the negotiations in trade facilitation and the basic needs to achieve them within the national and international framework, including the role of trade facilitation in improving trade performance and economic growth. The desired outcome of this activity is to increase the participation of Arab countries in the current round of multilateral negotiations under the umbrella of WTO.

A number of issues will be covered relating to trade facilitation in WTO and the approaches to deal with the needs and priorities of developing countries in general, and the Arab countries in particular. A special attention will be given to technical assistance issues in addition to the technical needs to facilitate trade, namely in applying international standards. A case study on trade facilitation audit in Lebanon will be presented.

Participants in the meeting will be representatives from ministries of trade and finance, customs administrations, and other public administrations involved in trade facilitation in the Arab countries, in addition to representatives from relevant regional and international organizations. Experts from the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) will also participate in the meeting.