The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) - An overview: Preliminary Assessment of Services Performance in Developing Countries

1
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
- An overview Preliminary Assessment of
Services Performance in Developing Countries

• UNCTAD
• Commercial Diplomacy Programme
• May 2002

2
Objective

• The Guidelines for Negotiations
• invite WTO members to carry out an assessment of
  trade-in-services before negotiating
• To do so both in overall terms and on a sectoral
  basis.
• This presentation will draw attention to key
  issues for such an assessment, with special
  emphasis on the challenges and concerns of
  developing countries and LDCs

3
Insights for This Assessment Were Gained From the
Following UNCTAD Expert Meetings

• Construction services
• Energy services
• Environmental services
• Health services
• Tourism services
• Air transport services

4
What May Developing Countries Seek from this
Assessment?

• Draw on lessons learned in the past
• Establish what is relevant for the new
  negotiations
• Identify conditions to maximize benefits
• Formulate development objectives in the expected
  outcome of the negotiations
• Address existing development asymmetries

5
Some Common Issues That Emerged From Service
Sectors Analysis

• Access to technology
• SMEs
• Licensing
• Anti-competitive practices
• Movement of persons
• Regional integration

6
Access to Technology

• Environmental, construction, energy services
• Government regulations
• Joint ventures
• Training of manpower
• Tourism
• Distribution Channels / Information networks
• Support infrastructure

7
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

• Present in all sectors
• Privatisation as a contributing factor
• Construction size handicap
• Governmental support

8
Licensing Requirements

• Construction, environmental, energy
• Transparency in qualification requirements
• Multiple regulations and standards

9
Anti-Competitive Practices

• Construction
• Permit system
• Tourism
• CRS/GDS networks

10
Movement of Persons

• All sectors
• Economic needs test
• Accreditation and recognition of qualifications
• Nationality, residency requirements

11
Importance of Regional Integration Among
Developing Countries

• Building global competitive strengths
• Better market access opportunities
• Harmonization of laws
• Regional policy on services
• Mutual recognition of qualifications
• Facilitated movement of persons

12
Some Sector-Specific Issues Developing
Countries Perspectives

• Health
• Tourism

13
Health Services

• Universal health care principles
• Forces influencing the market
• Emerging trade concerns

14
Tourism services

• The importance of tourism
• Sustainability challenges
• Key trade concerns

15
Conclusion

• The purpose of this presentation was to present a
  situation analysis of the GATS services sectors.
• Six cross-cutting issue were highlighted
• Two sectors were presented
• This analysis should serve as input for your
  pre-negotiation assessment.
• The next step will focus on how these topics can
  be reflected in the Post-Doha Work Programme.