Several new initiatives are among the expected outcomes of some 11 special events organised at UNCTAD XI by the Division for International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities (DITC), on 13-18 June 2004 in Sao Paulo.

The chief focus of these events is on helping developing countries to maximize their gains from on-going trade liberalisation and multilateral trade negotiations. "Development needs pose a wide range of urgent and long run problems, the solution of which still lies ahead of us," UNCTAD Secretary General Rubens Ricupero warns. "All available international instruments should now be put at work to address them. We in UNCTAD are making all possible efforts for UNCTAD XI to play a constructive and decisive role in this endeavour," he adds.

The leading event on trade at UNCTAD XI is "Trade Day" on 16 June 2004. This comprises two interactive thematic sessions on "Assuring Development Gains from the International Trading System and Trade Negotiations" and "Policy Options and Strategies to Support Developing Countries&apo; Competitiveness in the Most Dynamic Sectors of International Trade".

Mr Ricupero will open proceedings with the session on development gains, to be chaired by Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorin. The keynote speakers are Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Dr. Leonel Fernández, President Elect of the Dominican Republic. Over 35 Ministers and Deputy Ministers have indicated their intention to address the meeting.

Attention will be drawn to the new trade geography emerging from the rising share of developing countries in world trade. That has the potential of not only increasing the size of the global trade pie but also improving the distribution of gains among countries and within developing nations. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background notes #4 and #5.)

The afternoon session will highlight fresh opportunities for developing countries to profit from dynamic and new trade sectors. In the fall of 2004, the UNCTAD secretariat plans to offer a unique mechanism called Sectoral Trade Reviews to help developing countries to gain from such sectors. UNCTAD is developing the mechanisms and is also helping to identify strategies and specific policies to consolidate and expand the gains. The session will also discuss UNCTAD&apo;s work on Trade and Development Benchmarks to better identify gains from trade (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background notes #6, #7 and #8.)

A notable achievement expected at UNCTAD XI is the formal launch by Ministers of a Third Round of Trade Negotiations under the auspices of the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP). Slated to begin in November 2004, the multilateral trade negotiations envisage preferential trade arrangements among forty-four developing countries. China and the Group of 77 will be invited to take part in the agreement on negotiations, which are expected to be concluded in two years.

These decisions are expected at a High Level Meeting of the GSTP Committee of Participants organised by UNCTAD on 16 June 2004 in Sao Paulo. The trade of GSTP members was estimated at US$ 2 trillion in 2000, or about 55 percent of the trade of all developing countries. The Committee of Participants administers the system with the technical support of the UNCTAD secretariat. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #9.)

A new UNCTAD study will be launched at UNCTAD XI that highlights the vital role of competition policy for development gains. It will be at the centre of a High Level Debate on 14 June 2004. The report is one of the few comprehensive collections of empirical studies written by competition experts from developing countries. It offers compelling arguments about the importance of competition policy for successful development, including enterprise growth, and increasing supply capacity and international competitiveness. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #10) A Forum on International Trade and Tourism on 15 June will examine the tourism sector from the trade and development perspectives of developing countries, including the opportunities and the way ahead for tourism in world trade. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #11.)

On 15 June 2004, a High-Level Panel on commodities, poverty alleviation and sustainable development will identify fresh approaches to making the commodities sector into an engine of growth and development. It will highlight the importance of commodities for many developing country economies and seek new insights into problems and opportunities. Brazil&apo;s Agriculture Minister Roberto Rodrigues will moderate the panel. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #12) Ugandan President Museveni will also be the keynote speaker at a High Level Panel on biodiversity and biotrade on 15 June 2004. The session will be opened by Brazil&apo;s Environment Minister, Marina Silva and UNCTAD Secretary General Rubens Ricupero. It will underline UNCTAD&apo;s successful BIOTRADE Initiative, which focuses on private sector involvement and pioneers partnerships to promote sustainable use of biodiversity through trade. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #13.) On 17 June 2004, a Forum will make an assessment of trade in services and development gains, and challenge some conventional beliefs from the perspective of trade and development. The goal is to assess the trade conditions under which development can be advanced and how trade in services might act as a catalyst of development.

The Forum will try to establish elements of methodology for assessing developmental gains from the services trade and identify the conditions needed to increase beneficial participation by developing countries in the world services trade. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #14.)

Reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development through international trade will be the focus of special Roundtable discussions on 17 June 2004. The key challenge for policy makers is to find ways of maximizing the positive impacts of trade on the core issues of development relating to the environment and poverty. Dr. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP will be the keynote speaker and a Ministerial Panel will highlight key issues and capacity building needs. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #15.)

A High Level Meeting on 18 June 2004, will highlight a unique technical assistance programme for institutional and other capacity building to maximize development gains form the world trade system. Discussions will be held at Ministerial level followed by an expert level segment to identify best practices and approaches. The Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP) is implemented jointly by the International Trade Centre (ITC), UNCTAD and the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is unique because it puts together the expertise of three key trade agencies to work with 16 African countries. It helps to build human, institutional, policymaking and entrepreneurial capacities for trade negotiations and export strategies. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #16.)

The controversial subject of GMOs in international trade will be the subject of high-level discussion on 18 June 2004. For developing countries, agro-biotechnology is particularly challenging because they must reconcile their interests as exporters of conventional agricultural products with those they may have as actual or potential producers, importers and exporters of GMOs. At the same time, they must comply with all their relevant multilateral trade obligations. (Please see UNCTAD XI DITC background note #17.)