Small States in the Global Trading System
The Secretariat provides assistance to Commonwealth small states as part of its ongoing mandate to integrate these countries more fully into the multilateral trading system.
The main activity centred on the Work Programme on Small Economies in the dedicated session of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development. Specific areas of support included:
- establishment of the Commonwealth Intergovernmental Organisations Trade Expert Group;
- provision of analytical support in drafting various WTO proposals on concerns and interests of small economies;
- commissioning of a study that will result in the establishment of missions for Pacific Islands Forum and Eastern Caribbean states; and
- commissioning of a study on a proposed definition of 'small vulnerable economies' in the WTO.
A major breakthrough was the provisional acceptance of a position espoused by the Commonwealth Intergovernmental Organisations Trade Expert Group that regional organisations should be given regulatory responsibility for certain WTO agreements.
Small states have continued to benefit from the Secretariat's specialist newsletters such as Trade Hot Topics and Doha Development, read both by government officials and the private sector.
The Secretariat has provided valuable support to small states ambassadors in Geneva in developing key issues for a small economies workshop programme in the WTO, and facilitated various technical meetings involving both resident and non-resident ambassadors.
Download: Report on The International Workshop On Economic Vulnerability And Resilience Of Small States - PDF