Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 7 • Number 18 • 21st May 2003

If Steering Committee Adopts Funding TOR

Do More

Download this issue

See also

SUPACHAI TO UNDERTAKE CONSULTATIONS ON GIS

At an informal heads of delegation meeting on 14 May, WTO Members agreed to a proposal put forward by WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpadki that he would undertake informal consultations on geographical indications (GIs) and in particular on the contentious question of whether the higher level of protection awarded to wines and spirits should be extended to other products (see BRIDGES Weekly, 7 May 2003). Supachai stressed that this way of initiating consultations would be "without prejudice to anyone’s position as to the status of this issue or to the results of my consultations" or "to any delegation’s position on the status of the possible approaches to any other issue". The issue of GI extensions, which had been raised as one of the ‘outstanding implementation issues’ at WTO Ministerial meeting in Doha, has effectively blocked progress on other implementation issues under Article 12(b) of the Ministerial Declaration. While the implementation issues had been put forward by developing country Members, the GI extension issue has also found strong backing from the EC and Switzerland who have been calling for negotiations on this issue, arguing that the Ministerial Declaration provided "a clear mandate to launch negotiations" on GI extensions (BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 6 December 2001).

ICTSD reporting.

.

The WTO Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries (IF) Steering Committee met on 16 May to adopt clarifications to the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Window II Funds of the Integrated Framework. These clarifications provided for a widening scope to fund technical assistance and capacity-building projects (excluding physical infrastructure) identified by LDCs as priorities in their diagnostic trade-integration studies. The studies — prepared for each LDC — identify the impediments to effective integration into the multilateral trading system and the global economy. Trade sources indicated that the adoption of the TORs was an important development in the IF process for LDCs, donors and agencies. The Integrated Framework Trust Fund (IFTF) provides a central point for the deposit of contributions to the IF. Financial resources pledged to the IFTF are managed by the Trust Fund under the authority of the Administrator of UNDP. Contributions can be pledged towards two windows operating simultaneously: Window I, a general fund, for un-earmarked contributions, or Window II for contributions allocated to specific and clearly identifiable programmes.

Composed of six LDC representatives, six core agencies (WTO, UNCTAD, ITC, World-Bank, IMF and UNDP) and donors, the Integrated Framework Steering Committee was established in 2001 to oversee the management of the IF. Presently chaired by Ambassador Iversen of Denmark, its responsibilities include setting policy guidelines, coordination, and providing oversight; and assessing progress of the IF. The terms of reference provide for the Steering Committee to meet as necessary but at least once a year. The Steering Committee has so far had nine meetings since its inception (including the one on 16 May). The next meeting is likely to take place after the Cancun Ministerial in October, but no date has been set.

ICTSD reporting.