ITC on the Road to Cancún 

ITC Helps Bring Business and Government Together

ITC's experience suggests that in many developing countries and transition economies business interests aren't well integrated in national trade negotiating positions. This may lead to governments agreeing to trade rules which do not serve well the interests of their business sector. For developing and transition economies to take advantage of the Doha Development Agenda, they need their business sectors to speak out. 

It's not easy to analyze market access barriers, influence international standards or track the impact of multilateral trade negotiations on exporters. It's also not possible without business and government working together. 

ITC and trade specialists worldwide are saying that business advocacy related to multilateral trade agreements is a "must" in all developing countries, not just developed ones. The challenge is to find advocacy approaches and models that each country can adapt for itself. 

Ministers at Doha reaffirmed their 'support for the valuable work of the International Trade Centre'. In the run-up to the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancún, this portal gives you access to ITC's programmes and tools that help the business and public sectors to better take advantage of the opportunities offered by trade negotiations.

Use this web site as a key reference point and benefit from ITC expertise on business advocacy for WTO negotiations. 

• View ITC's programmes that contribute to the fulfilment of the objectives of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.
• Access information from the ITC ‘Business for Cancún’ meetings and discover how business is integrating their views into government negotiations. 
• Browse the World Tr@de Net programmes and the International Trade Forum Magazine to find out how the ITC is playing an important role in technical cooperation and business advocacy.  
• Discover how ITC's Executive Forum is bringing together in Cancún 50 teams of business and government leaders from developing countries to discuss trade development.
• Examine how the Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP) is strengthening the capacity of selected African countries to integrate into the multilateral trading system.
• Find out the most recent developments of the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries, which aims at 'mainstreaming' trade and linking it to poverty reduction.

Please check daily for updates.

Summary of Comments Made by Participants of Regional Meetings

Executive Forum Cancún
6-9 September 2003

Press Releases

Press Kit - ITC at Cancún