SEMINAR ON TRADE IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS & SERVICES ON MAY 16 -
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INVESTMENT ON MAY 18-20
INDIA PROJECT OF GOI/UNCTAD TAKES
OFF
A Seminar on "Trade
Liberalisation in Environmental Goods and Services", organised
jointly by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, UNCTAD (United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development) and TERI (Tata Environmental
Research Institute) is scheduled to be held here on 16 May, 2003.
The Seminar, to be attended by a large number of experts in the
field from India and abroad, will focus on Trade Liberalisation
in the Environmental Goods & Services (EGS) Sector and Sustainable
Development; Trade Liberalisation in Environmental Goods in the
context of cleaner technologies, environmentally friendly products
and renewable energy equipment; and Liberalisation in Environmental
Services.
The one-day Seminar
is being held under the aegis of the Government of India/UNCTAD/DFID
project for India on "Globalisation and Trade Strategies". The
project had taken off some time ago with a National Seminar on
Regional Trade Arrangements (RTAs) in New Delhi and a meeting
of capital-based officials and trade representatives in Geneva
last month which saw the launching of a coalition building initiative
among developing countries on WTO-related issues.
The Seminar on
Trade Liberalisation in EGS will be followed by an International
Conference on Trade, Investment and Development scheduled to be
held in New Delhi on 18-20 May, 2003, which is expected to be
attended by representatives of 16 developing countries.
Liberalisation of
Trade in EGS has been a much-debated issue, especially in the
post-Doha scenario. The Doha Ministerial Declaration had said
that ongoing negotiations on trade liberalisation in EGS should
enhance mutual supportiveness in trade and environment, suggesting
a potential for "win-win" outcomes. Developed countries expect
greater access to emerging environmental markets for their export-oriented
EGS industries. Potential gains for developing countries include:
(a) easier access to environmentally sound technology and know-how;
(b) economic, environmental and developmental benefits resulting
from improved resource management and environmental conditions;
(c) new export opportunities in certain EGS sectors; and (d) enhanced
capacity to comply with environmental requirements in international
markets. Employment could also benefit, as developing countries
possess significant human capital in areas related to the provision
of certain EGS.
According to a paper
by UNCTAD on EGS in trade and sustainable development, trade liberalisation
in EGS has potential benefits for developing countries, such as
easier access to environmentally sound technology; more efficient
resource management and improved environmental conditions; enhanced
capacities to comply with environmental requirements in international
markets and new export opportunities in some sectors. Real sustainable
development gains from liberalisation will be influenced by factors
such as classifications; trade patterns and existing barriers
to trade; national policies; regulatory frameworks; the transfer
of technology and know-how; supply capacities; policy sequencing
and supplementary forms of international cooperation. National
policy coordination and capacity building are also of key importance,
the paper says.
