ARAB BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO EXAMINE WTO AGREEMENTS IN BEIRUT WORKSHOP

ORGANIZED BY ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA

Expert Group Meeting Will Follow

To Discuss Doha Ministerial Conference Results

BEIRUT, 27 May (UN Information Service) -- Under the patronage of Lebanese Minister of State Bsharah Merhej, and in cooperation with the General Union of Trade, Industry and Agriculture Chambers in the Arab States, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is organizing a workshop for the Arab business community on the agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 3-4 June 2002 at the United Nations House, Riad Solh Square, Beirut.  The workshop will be followed by an expert group meeting to be held on 5-6 June 2002 at the UN House under the patronage of Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Bassel Fleihan.

Scheduled to open at 10 a.m. on Monday, 3 June, the workshop is intended to familiarize the Arab business community with the WTO agreements and the related rules channelling and organizing the relations among the world countries; deliberate on major issues of concern to the Arab countries, in general, and the Arab business community, in particular, specifically those related to the ongoing negotiations within WTO; and formulate a unified position of the Arab business community to enhance its role in sustaining and protecting the economic and social interests of Arab societies.  The workshop is also intended to be a forum for harmonizing the response of Arab business community towards the impacts of the WTO agreements and to issue a declaration in this regard.

The views of the Arab private sector concerning the WTO agreements; the major concerns of the Arab business community such as agriculture, intellectual property rights and services; the Arab economic integration in light of the WTO agreements; and the post-Doha phase will be the four major areas the workshop’s deliberations will focus on.

Participants in the Workshop will be concerned officials from the economy and trade ministries in the Arab States, representatives from the WTO, the League of Arab States, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Trade Centre, as well as representatives of concerned Arab, regional and international organizations.

Expert Group Meeting

In order to discuss the Doha Agenda for Development, including the final declaration of the WTO Fourth Ministerial Conference; the relevant issues for the ESCWA member States such as agricultural trade, trade and investment; the technical assistance provided by ESCWA to its member States; and the preparations for future negotiations, an expert group meeting will be held on 5-6 June at the United Nations House, Riad Solh Square, Beirut.

The meeting, which will be opened by Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Bassel Fleihan at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 5 June, is an initiative based on ESCWA’s responsibilities, as a regional commission of the United Nations, as well as on the need for a substantive follow-up on issues related to the world trading system.

Participants in the ESCWA expert group meeting will be government officials responsible for trade affairs in the economy and trade ministries of ESCWA member States, high-level regional and international experts, representatives of regional economic organizations, business community representatives involved in the trade sectors in the ESCWA region, as well as representatives of regional and international organizations such as the WTO, League of Arab States, UNCTAD, WIPO, the Islamic Development Bank, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the Arab Planning Institute, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, the Arab Industrial and Mineral Organization, the Arab Monetary Fund, the Union of Arab Banks, and the General Union of Trade, Industry and Agriculture Chambers in the Arab States.

It is worth noting that the WTO Fourth Ministerial Conference was held in Doha (Qatar) on 9-14 November 2001.  It discussed many issues that were subject to conflict between the developed and developing countries such as those related to the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements, Agriculture, Trade and Environment and Trade and Investment, and culminated its sessions by a final declaration and the Doha Agenda for Development.

For more information:  www.escwa.org.lb

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