Past activities Component 1
2004 |
Dates |
Activity |
Location |
Related Documents |
| September – October |
Seminars on WTO agreements and Doha negotiations
In order to enhance awareness among Government officials, the business sector and civil society about the implications of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on the economy of the country and to assist the country in building the necessary capacity to address issues relating to its participation in the WTO, a series of back-to-back training seminars was organized in Islamabad. Karachi and Lahore . Each 3-day seminar provided the participants with information on Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, TRIPs, Dispute Settlement and the Doha Round. Although the audience in Islamabad was basically composed of Pakistani government officials, businesses representatives basically composed the audience in Karachi and Lahore . |
Islamabad , Karachi & Lahore , Pakistan |
Related documents |
| October |
Services Export Roadmap
With most of the approximately one hundred and fifty commercial service sectors consisting of small firms and weak associations, a special effort has to be made by the Government to boost trade in services. Realizing this need, the Ministry of Commerce of the Government of Pakistan launched initiatives to boost export in services. One of these initiatives, undertaken in cooperation with the EC Trade Related Technical Assistance Programme for Pakistan , is the formulation of a National Services Export Roadmap. The roadmap focuses on key strategic thrust areas with constituent instruments, which include recommended policy measures, actions and general measures. A participatory methodology was used in developing the draft roadmap. Policy
and programme recommendations were sought from the private sector, public officials, international and local experts, and other stakeholders in surveys, training sessions, personal interviews, desk research, and a symposium. |
N/A |
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| November |
Launch sectoral studies
The project has a provision for the preparation of sector studies, identifying the impacts of the WTO-agreements on the respective sector. The studies will focus on obligations and rights as well as threats and advantages for the sector in Pakistan . It will include some information and hands-on guidance on export opportunities and threats and, if appropriate, on import substitution. Following extensive consultations, the Ministry of Commerce identified the following sectors: footwear, automotive parts, sports goods, pharmaceuticals and furniture. A team of international experts and national experts will prepare the studies concerned, in close consultation with relevant sector associations. The main findings and recommendations will consequently be discussed and validated during roundtable meetings, planned from May 2006 onwards. |
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| November |
Conference on GATS in Trade in Services
Organized by the Government of Punjab, in partnership with UNDP, EPB and ITC, a conference on GATS was held on 14-15 November in Lahore . The themes of the conference included, inter alia, global trade in services and GATS, addressing trade constraints through coalitions, trade in services with reference to Pakistan and the services export strategy roadmap. The conference counted with overwhelming interest and close to 400 participants, originating from relevant government agencies, trade support institutions, services associations, and services firms, participated in the 2-day conference. |
Lahore , Pakistan |
Related documents |
| November |
Roundtable on strengthening public-private trade policy consultation mechanism
ITC kicked off a process of discussion and debate about the current public-private trade policy consultation mechanisms in Pakistan with a roundtable in Lahore on 26 November. The aim of the process is to see how trade policy consultation mechanisms might be strengthened. An international expert presented the main findings of a worldwide study into ‘other’ related practices worldwide, with a view to distract ideas that could work in the Pakistani context. A national expert presented a snapshot of current opinion on Pakistan ’s public-private trade policy consultation mechanisms, following a series of interviews with over 40 stakeholders in the public and private sectors. The roundtable was the first of a series of activities planned under this project component. Immediate next steps include the circulation of the roundtable conclusions to participants and other interested parties. A further meeting will be held in the first quarter of 2006 to discuss the conclusions, with a view to defining how consultation mechanisms can be most effectively strengthened. |
Lahore , Pakistan |
Related documents |
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