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New WTO Trade Round to Offer Growth Opportunity to Developing Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand (31 July 2002) - The launch of the new trade round held in November 2001 in Doha, Qatar will offer significant opportunities for economic growth in developing countries in the Asia and Pacific region, according to Asian Development Bank Vice President Myoung-Ho Shin.

However, to benefit from the new trade round, developing countries should participate in the new trade round effectively and actively by strengthening their analytical and negotiating capacities, says Mr. Shin, who is leading a capacity-building conference which opened today.

The High-Level Meeting on the WTO (World Trade Organization) Trading System has been organized by ADB and brings together trade negotiators from 32 of ADB's developing member countries to assist them to better understand and implement WTO agreements.

A paper to be presented to the conference by ADB Assistant Chief Economist Jean-Pierre Verbiest stated that developing countries have encountered difficulties in implementing agreements of the Uruguay Round, in such areas as trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, and sanitary and phytosanitary standards. "While implementation issues are mainly attributable to lack of human and institutional capacities, they also reflect challenges facing developing countries in undertaking policy and regulatory reforms," the paper adds.

"Trade is a major engine for growth. The experiences of some developing economies in Asia have clearly demonstrated that open trade has helped them to achieve significant economic growth and poverty reduction," says Mr. Shin. Currently, 20 developing member countries of ADB have joined WTO and 12 are applying for membership.

The conference will discuss the key agenda in the Doha Development Round and the experience of the People's Republic of China and Taipei,China in implementing WTO accession requirements. The Doha Round promises to place development at the heart of trade negotiations and take full account of developing countries' interests and concerns.

The conference is ADB's first activity to support WTO training and capacity-building programs since the two organizations recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU aims to enhance cooperation between both institutions in the Asia and Pacific region and provide concerted efforts for trade-related aspects of capacity building. ADB will organize a series of intensive courses on trade and customs components of the WTO agreements.

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