Trade monitoring
Concluding remarks by the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body
This second Trade Policy Review of Sierra Leone has provided us with a good opportunity to better understand the country’s current trade and investment policies, as well as the challenges it faces. I would like to thank Deputy Minister Mansaray and the rest of the delegation from Sierra Leone, including Ambassador Yvette Stevens, for their constructive engagement throughout this exercise. I would also like to thank our discussant, Ambassador Sabine Böhlke-Möller from Namibia, for her insightful remarks, and all those Members who had participated in this review.
Preface
The Trade policy review mechanism (TPRM) was first established on a trial basis by the GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES in april 1989. The Mechanism became a permanent feature of the World Trade Organization under the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO in January 1995.
Aspectos de los derechos de propiedad intelectual relacionados con el comercio (ADPIC)
Durante el año 2010, el Consejo de los ADPIC examinó la legislación sobre propiedad intelectual de distintos países, la relación entre el Acuerdo sobre los ADPIC y el Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica, los ADPIC y la salud pública, la cooperación técnica y la creación de capacidad y varias otras cuestiones, además de las reseñadas en la sección relativa a las negociaciones (véase la página 21).
Commerce des services
En 2013, le Conseil du commerce des services a continué d’examiner les questions relatives aux services dans le domaine du commerce électronique. Il a également débattu de la mise en oeuvre effective de la dérogation concernant les services pour les PMA et de l’évolution récente du commerce des services et de leur réglementation. La transparence a été une autre question importante à l’ordre du jour ; à cet égard, les Membres ont examiné comment améliorer le respect des dispositions en matière de notification. L’inclusion des services dans la base de données du Portail intégré d’information commerciale (I-TIP) apportera une contribution supplémentaire à la transparence.
Actividades de divulgación para parlamentarios
En 2009 la Secretaría de la OMC comenzó a publicar un boletín mensual para mantener informados a los parlamentarios de lo que ocurre en la Organización. También organizó tres talleres regionales para parlamentarios en colaboración con asociaciones regionales de parlamentarios.
Concluding remarks by the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body
This fifth Trade Policy Review has offered a very useful opportunity for Members to deepen their understanding of the trade policies and practices of Nigeria, and to collectively appreciate the challenges it currently faces in sustaining and improving its economic prosperity. I would like to thank the Nigerian delegation, led by Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe, Trade Adviser of the Federal Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, our discussant Ambassador Yee Woan Tan of Singapore, and the more than 45 delegations that took the floor for their valuable contributions.
Regional trade agreements
In 2015, the WTO received 16 new notifications about regional trade agreements (RTAs), down from 22 in 2014. The notifications involved eight new RTAs. Half of the RTAs were between developed and developing partners, maintaining a recent trend. The Asia Pacific region made the highest number of notifications – six RTAs – while the Americas made notifications about three RTAs. At the Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, ministers called for a discussion of the systemic implications of RTAs for the multilateral trading system.
Entender la OMC
La Organización Mundial del Comercio puede verse desde distintas perspectivas. Es una Organización para la apertura del comercio. Es un foro para que los gobiernos negocien acuerdos comerciales. Es un lugar en el que pueden resolver sus diferencias comerciales. Administra un conjunto de normas comerciales. Ayuda a los países en desarrollo a crear capacidad comercial. Fundamentalmente, la OMC es un lugar al que los gobiernos Miembros acuden para tratar de resolver los problemas comerciales que tienen unos con otros.
Trade in goods
Over the course of four meetings in 2011, the Council for Trade in Goods considered waivers on tariff commitments – collective extensions regarding the on-going harmonization of tariff schedules, and some individual requests – and discussed a number of trade concerns raised by WTO members.
Globalization, offshoring and jobs
The labour market consequences of globalization in general, and offshoring in particular, have been hotly debated in recent public discussions and academia, in particular in industrialized countries. One of the reasons for this may be illustrated with reference to the World Investment Report 2004 (UNCTAD, 2004), which provides examples of recent offshoring cases in services industries in the United Kingdom, and the employment changes involved. Barclays Bank, for instance, is reported to have offshored 500 back-office staff to India. When such numbers are picked up in the media, there is a presumption that 500 jobs have been destroyed in the United Kingdom as a net effect of this offshoring. In fact, the calculation is, of course, more complicated.
Appendice – Figures et tableaux
La multiplication rapide des accords commerciaux préférentiels (ACPr) a été un élément majeur de la politique commerciale internationale au cours des dernières années. Les ACPr constituent une exception au principe général de la nation la plus favorisée (NPF) inscrit dans les Accords de l’OMC, en vertu duquel tous les Membres de l’OMC appliquent entre eux les mêmes droits de douane non discriminatoires. À l’exception de la Mongolie, tous les Membres de l’OMC sont parties à au moins un ACPr. L’intérêt pour la négociation d’ACPr semble s’être maintenu malgré la crise économique mondiale. En fait, la crise économique elle-même peut inciter les gouvernements à négocier de nouveaux ACPr, tant pour préserver l’ouverture des marchés alors que des pressions politiques s’exercent en faveur d’une réduction de l’accès aux marchés que pour instaurer plus d’ouverture. La prolifération des ACPr a suscité parallèlement d’abondantes recherches sur le sujet. Mais le présent rapport apporte des points de vue et des éclairages nouveaux sur ce domaine important de la politique commerciale.
Introduction
The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) was first established on a trial basis by the GATT contracting parties in April 1989. The Mechanism became a permanent feature of the World Trade Organization under the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO in January 1995.

