Background information: Globalization and market-oriented economic reforms undertaken during the last two decades in both developed and developing countries (e.g. trade and price liberalization, deregulation - including of state-controlled monopolies such as utilities and network industries -, privatization, and reforms in foreign direct investment rules) need to be accompanied by the introduction and implementation of appropriate competition law and policy to ensure that anticompetitive practices do not unduly distort developing-country markets to the detriment of competitiveness and development.

Purpose: Despite significant progress by developing countries in adopting competition laws and policies, there is a relative knowledge gap regarding the specific impact of competition policy on these countries’ development. A major objective of the seminar will be to draw lessons from the experience of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as other regions on how competition can promote competitiveness and development. The seminar will address the following main issues:

• the role of competition policy in the promotion of competitiveness and development;
  
  
• the need for a development-oriented competition policy and its implications at the national, regional and international levels; and
  
  
• strategies for international cooperation in the field of competition law and policy.
  
  

Expected outcome: The seminar will provide a multi-stakeholder forum for an exchange of views between representatives from Latin American and other countries involved in competition issues, as well as experts and representatives from national, regional and international institutions.

The discussions are expected to increase participants’ awareness of competition law and policy, and facilitate informed decision making at the national level on developing and implementing national competition regimes tailored to the needs of individual countries.

The seminar will also highlight a number of issues that need to be investigated in order to define properly the role of a competition authority with respect to sectoral regulators; implement a consistent and uniform legal system for all sectors of the economy; and avoid overlapping legal frameworks. The seminar will place the current debate surrounding the role of competition policy in the wider context of pursuing effective development strategies in an increasingly globalized economy. It will investigate the prerequisites for development-oriented competition policy implementation (such as institutional design and implementation issues). The mechanism through which competition policy can contribute to improved economic performance (enterprise development, improved corporate governance, investment, productivity and export performance) will also be discussed.

The conclusions and recommendations of the seminar will be presented in the site parallel event (to be held on June 14, 2004) on Competition Policy for Development during UNCTAD XI.

Quick links: | Swiss Federal Competition Commission | Swiss SECO | Secretaria de Direito Econômico (SDTE) | Secretariat for Economic Monitoring (SEAE) | Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE) |