Accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has direct and tangible implications for the business community. WTO agreements are shaping international and national trading environments in which enterprises are operating. ITC assists policy makers through the accession process by providing relevant information and building stakeholder confidence in their bid for WTO membership.
Information
A business community that has a solid understanding of the implications of WTO membership can more effectively act as a partner with government to negotiate appropriate terms of accession. ITC assists with this process by identifying and explaining the tangible benefits of WTO membership, and laying out what it means in practical terms.
It is essential for the business community to be engaged in a broad-based dialogue with trade negotiators throughout the WTO Accession process to ensure that they grasp the commercial implications of the anticipated changes in the policy environment. ITC assists the business community not only to understand the commercial implications of WTO accession but also to reap the benefits and cope with the challenges of WTO membership.
Only the close involvement of business into the definition of country strategies will ensure that WTO accession brings about new opportunities – beyond the challenges which accompany such a process – which enterprises will be able to grasp in order to grow, create employment and income and thus have a tangible impact on poverty reduction.
For further information, see our two-pager.
Data and Research
ITC provides the latest information on trade rules and their commercial implications. It also provides specific updates on countries going through the accession process. ITC provides up-to-date information on the latest in trade issues, including WTO accessions, in its Business Briefing.
Advisory Services
ITC provides information to the business community about the commercial implications of WTO accession, including explaining rules of the multilateral trading system in clear and concise language, providing regular updates on WTO negotiations, and online briefings of the latest trade news and views. Before and during the accession process, business is often unable to articulate its view to government negotiators. ITC provides mechanisms for discussions among the parties. It also assists enterprises, including SMEs, to articulate their interest and priorities to trade negotiators.
ITC shares the actual experience of recently acceded countries in seizing new opportunities and coping with challenges to enable the acceding country to take an informed position in the accession process.
ITC guides the stakeholders to develop coherence among trade policy and regulatory regimes for export development.
Training
ITC provides customised training on `Trade Policy for Business managers´ which focuses on commercial perspectives of integrating with the global economy. ITC also provides training in use of trade and tariff databases and their analysis to enable business managers to seek products and market diversification strategies.
Projects
- WTO Accession: Ethiopia
- WTO Accession: Laos
- WTO Accession: Pacific LDCs
- WTO Accession: LDCs in early phase of accession