DAY ONE: Tuesday, 2 June 201

8:45

Group Photograph

9:00

Opening Ceremony

Welcome Remarks by Mr. Davlatali Said, First Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Tajikistan

Remarks by Mrs. ZHAO Hong, Director General, Department for WTO Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, China

Opening Remarks by Mr. David Shark, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization

 

9:45

Session 1: Round Table Discussion on Central Asia and the WTO — Priorities, Challenges and Opportunities

As the WTO celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, Central Asia is injecting energy and dynamism to the organization and providing growth opportunities for the global economy.  Accessions of Afghanistan and Kazakhstan are on the threshold of conclusion.  Others are changing into speed gear to advance their accession negotiations.  Others are knocking on the door of WTO membership.  At the same time, Article XII Members from the region and their neighbours are exercising and deepening their membership.  The impact of their WTO membership is being felt in the work of the organisation and economic relationships in the region.  Central Asia is in the midst of experimenting with different forms of regional integration, which present both opportunities and challenges for the Multilateral Trading System. How can the WTO and its Members foster the deeper integration of Central Asia into the rules-based Multilateral Trading System?  How can the WTO improve its engagement with Central Asia for mutual benefit and win-win scenarios?  What are the core experiences and lessons from this region, over the past twenty years, on which the WTO should focus for its engagement with the region?  How can the WTO foster the deeper integration of Central Asia into the rules-based Multilateral Trading System and the global economy?  How can the WTO improve its engagement with Central Asia for mutual benefit and win-win scenarios? 

 Co-Moderators: 

H.E. Mr. Saidrahmon Nazriev, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Tajikistan

Mr. David Shark, Deputy Director General, WTO

Speakers (15 minutes):

"21st Century Silk Road: Trade Integration in Central Asia: Overview of Trade Policy Developments in Central Asia"
Mr. Saroj Kumar Jha, Regional Director for Central Asia, World Bank
> Presentation

"One Belt and One Road"
Mrs. ZHAO Hong, Director General, Department for WTO Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, China

"Eurasian Economic Integration"
Mr. Andrey Tochin, Director, Trade Policy Department, Eurasian Economic Commission
> Presentation

"WTO Accessions in Central Asia"
Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director, Accessions Division
> Presentation

 

11:15

Coffee Break

11.30

Commentators (15 minutes):

H.E. Mr Muzammel Shinwari, Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industries and Chief Negotiator for WTO Accession, Afghanistan

Mr. Yernar Bakenov, Director, Department of International Economic Integration, Ministry of National Economy, Republic of Kazakhstan
> Presentation

Mr. Alexei P. Kireyev, Senior Economist, International Monetary Fund
> Presentation

Open Discussion:  All participants

13:00

Lunch

 14:00

Session 2:  Transition from Accession to Membership –Maximising the Benefits of WTO Membership and Global Economic Integration

WTO accession is a tool for domestic reform, integration into the rules-based Multilateral Trading System and the global economy.  Accession negotiations have served, inter alia, to update the rules of the trading system and in several instances have provided a platform to foster pragmatic approaches to international cooperation between and amongst Members and/or Acceding Governments.  Yet, after the hard-won WTO membership, new Members realize that enjoyment of its benefits is not automatic.  Maximising the benefits of WTO membership requires implementation of obligations of membership; and, sustained domestic coordination, equivalent to efforts in concluding an accession.  Are their Post-Accession Models and Templates that Article XII Members can use?  This session will review and discuss different experiences and practices on the transition from accession to membership, based on surveys conducted by the Secretariat and presentations by Article XII Members.   

Moderator: 

Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director, Accessions Division, WTO

Speakers (15 minutes):

"Post-Accession: Concept, Institutional Framework and Support"   
Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Counsellor, Accessions Division, WTO
> Presentation

"Post-Accession Action Plan: Case of Tajikistan"
H.E. Mr. Saidrahmon Nazriev, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Tajikistan
> Presentation

"Post Accession: Looking Back 14 Years after Accession: Case of China" 
Ms. YUAN Yuan, Director, Trade Policy Review Division, Department for WTO Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, China
> speech
> Presentation

Open Discussion:  All participants

15:30

Coffee Break

15:45

Speakers (15 minutes):

"LDC Proposal on Post-Accession Work Programme"
Mr. Najib Hamim, Economic Attaché (WTO Affairs), Permanent Mission of Yemen to the WTO
> Presentation

"Post-Accession Challenges: A Perspective from an Non-Resident Member"
H.E. Mr. Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell, Minister for Public Enterprises, Government of Samoa  
> Presentation

"Post-Accession Challenges: A Perspective from a Geneva Mission"
Mr. Alisher Nazarov, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Tajikistan to the WTO 

Open Discussion:  All participants

17:00

End of Day One

DAY TWO — Wednesday, 3 June 2015

 09:00

Session 3: Post-Accession:  Participation in the Regular Work of the WTO — Perspectives of Article XII Members

The implementation of the WTO Agreements, including accession-specific obligations and commitments, is at the heart of the organization's work and thus of the WTO membership of Article XII Members.  Participation in regular work, which is overseen by the three Councils (Trade in Goods, Trade in Services and TRIPS) and their 15 subsidiary bodies, as well as other Committees, Working Parties and Groups reporting directly to the General Council, requires high level of internal coordination, both at levels of inter-ministerial and capital-Geneva.  New Members start their participation in regular work, with the submission of notifications upon accession.  However, to exercise full membership, new Members have to shift from negotiating engagements to membership engagement, based on concept of a balance of rights and obligations.  How should new Members seek to balance their rights and obligations?  This session will review different models, challenges and modes of participation in the regular work by Article XII Members.      

Moderator: 

Mr. David Shark, Deputy Director General, WTO

Speakers (15 minutes):

"Setting up the Internal Coordination Mechanism to participate in WTO regular work"
Mr. Bountheung Douangsavanh, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Lao PDR to the WTO
> Presentation

"Implementation of WTO Commitments and Notification Requirements"
Mr. Samson Uridia, Head, International Relations Department, Georgia Revenue Service (Tax and Customs Administration — SPS Border Control Agency), Ministry of Finance, Georgia
> Presentation

 

10:30

Coffee Break

11:00

Speakers (15 minutes):

"The Dispute Settlement Mechanism: Experience of an Article XII Member"
Mrs. Svitlana Zaitseva, Head of WTO Division, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Ukraine
> Presentation

"Participation in Accessions Negotiations: Perspective of an Article XII Member" 
Mr. LU Xiankun, Professor, Institute for WTO Studies, University of International Business and Economics, China

"EAEU and RTA Issues in the WTO" 
Ms Nazira Sultanova, Senior Expert of Representative Office of the Ministry of Economy on WTO Issues, Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the WTO

"GATT Articles XII and XXVIII: Experience of Ukraine"
Ambassador Valeriy Piatnyskyi, Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ukraine
> Presentation

Open Discussion:  All participants 

12:30

Lunch

13:30

Session 4:  Post-Accession — Deepening Domestic Reform through WTO Membership 

The accrual of benefits of WTO membership is inter-dependent with the implementation of accession obligations and commitments and sustained domestic reforms.  Domestic reforms associated with accession negotiation do not terminate the end of the domestic reform process but the start of another.  Accession negotiations provide governments with an instrument to support the fundamental priority of governments to improve welfare through competitiveness.  The objective is the "natural objective" of economies to be competitive in the global economy.  How can Article XII Members continue to utilise the WTO system, not only to sustain but deepen domestic reforms?  This session review various efforts and experiences by Article XII Members of using WTO mechanisms, through the regular work or negotiations, to sustain and deepen WTO-consistent domestic reforms.      

Moderator: 

Mr. Thiago Couto Carneiro, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the WTO

Speakers (15 minutes):

"WTO Trade Policy Reviews as an Instrument for Continuing WTO-Consistent Reform"
Ms Nazira Sultanova, Senior Expert, Representation of the Ministry of Economy on WTO Issues, Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the WTO

"Participation of Article XII Members (Recently Acceded Members, RAMs) in the DDA Negotiations"
Ms Hilda Ali Rashid Al-Hinai, Former Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Seychelles, Deputy Permanent Representative, Mission of the Sultanate of Oman to the WTO
> Presentation

"Macroeconomic Reforms Through WTO Membership"
Mr. Alexei P. Kireyev, Senior Economist, International Monetary Fund
> Presentation

Open Discussion:  All participants

 15:00

Coffee break

15:30

Speakers (15 minutes):

"WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: Implications for Central Asia"
Mrs. Virginia Cram-Martos, Director, Economic Cooperation and Trade Division, UN Economic Commission for Europe
> Presentation

"National Experience of the Trade Facilitation National Coordinating Committee"
Mr. Samson Uridia, Head, International Relations Department, Georgia Revenue Service (Tax and Customs Administration — SPS Border Control Agency), Ministry of Finance, Georgia

"Accession to the GPA: Experience of Ukraine"
Mrs. Svitlana Zaitseva, Head of WTO Division, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Ukraine
> Presentation

Open Discussion:  All participants

17:00 

End of Day Two

DAY THREE — Thursday, 4 June 2015

09:00

Session 5: Post Accession Technical Assistance and Capacity Building

The importance of technical assistance and capacity-building, during accession and post accession, cannot be over-stated for the realization of the benefits of WTO membership.  In addition to general capacity building, new Members require tailor-made technical assistance, designed to meet post accession specific needs, starting with the domestic ratification of the Accession Protocol, the implementation of WTO obligations and commitments, and capacity building for domestic stakeholders, including the civil society, private sector and universities to ensure continued ownership and support, domestic reforms buy-in and ownership.  This session will discuss both the demand and supply sides of technical assistance to explore a strategy for responding to specific post accession needs of Article XII Members.  In addition to the representatives of international and regional organisations, the representative of the local development partners are invited to share their menu of assistance programmes.

Moderator: 

Mr. LU Xiankun, Professor, Institute for WTO Studies, University of International Business and Economics, China

Speakers (10-15 minutes):

"Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Needs of Acceding LDCs"
Mr. Sangay Phuntsho, Regional Director, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bhutan

Ms. Hiba Elfadil Mohamed, Head of the Executive Office, National Secretariat for WTO Affairs, Accession Division, Ministry of Trade, Sudan
> Presentation

"Post Accession Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Needs of Tajikistan"
Mr. Kasimov Inoyatullo, Head, WTO Affairs Department, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Tajikistan
> Presentation

"Provision of Post Accession Technical Assistance and Capacity Building"
Mr. Maarten Smeets, Chief of Section, Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, WTO

Mr. C.C. Yu, Country Director, Asian Development Bank, Tajikistan Resident Mission

Mrs. Patricia Veevers-Carter, Country Manager for Tajikistan, World Bank  

Mr. Richard Jones, Head of the Regional office, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
> Presentation

Mr. Norimasa Shimomura, Country Director, United Nation Development Programme

Mr. Ezequiel Guicovsky Lizarraga, Senior Business Development Officer, International Trade Centre

Ms. Nathalie Barbancho, Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan

Mr. Ovidiu Mic, Second Secretary, Head of Operations Section, EU Delegation to Tajikistan

Mr. Jovan N. Jekic, USAID

Representative of GIZ

Representative of KFW

10:30

Coffee break

11:00

Open Discussion:  All participants

12:30

Lunch

13:30

Session 6: Round Table Discussion on Post Accession "Best Practices"

This closing session will conduct an exchange of views by all Round Table participants on the emerging best practices on post-accession, based on discussions from the previous sessions.  The outcomes of the discussion will be summarized in a document entitled "Dushanbe Post-Accession Best Practices".  This document, once finalised and adopted by the participants, will be submitted to the WTO Director-General, the Chairman of the General Council and the Sub-Committee on LDCs.

Moderator: 

Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director, Accessions Division, WTO

Reports from Sessions 2-5:

Session 2:  Mr. Najib Hamim, Economic Attaché (WTO Affairs), Permanent Mission of Yemen to the WTO

Session 3:  Mr. MAO Tianyu, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of China to the WTO

Session 4:  Mr. Thiago Couto Carneiro, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the WTO

Session 5:  Mr. LU Xiankun, Professor, Institute for WTO Studies, University of International Business and Economics, China

Open Discussion:  All participants

 15:30

Coffee break

16:00

Closing Session:

Remarks by Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director, Accessions Division, WTO

Closing Remarks by Mr. MAO Tianyu, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of China to the WTO

Closing Remarks by H.E. Mr Nematullo Hikmatullozoda, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Republic of Tajikistan

 

17:00

End of Day 3