Trade monitoring
Coopération technique et formation
L’Institut de formation et de coopération technique (IFCT) a renforcé le contenu et la qualité des programmes d’assistance technique de l’OMC, ainsi que certains aspects essentiels comme par exemple la gestion axée sur les résultats et la stratégie d’apprentissage progressif. L’OMC a organisé 281 activités d’assistance technique en 2013. Malgré une baisse du nombre d’activités par rapport à 2012, le nombre de participants a augmenté grâce à l’utilisation croissante des outils d’apprentissage en ligne, l’accent étant mis de plus en plus sur les pays les moins avancés (PMA) et l’Afrique.
Aid for Trade
Aid for Trade financing maintained its upward trend, with the latest available figures – for 2013 – showing an increase in commitments of US$ 1.8 billion compared with the previous year. The Fifth Global Review of Aid for Trade was held on 30 June-2 July with the theme “Reducing trade costs for inclusive, sustainable growth”. In December the Tenth Ministerial Conference recognized the continued need for the WTO-led Aid for Trade initiative, with priority to be given to least-developed countries (LDCs).
World trade in 1997 and in the first half of 1998
Despite the turmoil in world capital markets, the global economy and trade expanded at an outstanding pace in 1997. Both GDP and trade growth were higher in 1997 than at any time in the 1990s. The increasing gap between trade and output growth rates in 1997, together with a further surge in foreign direct investment (FDI), indicate continued integration of national markets into the global economy. Increased integration inevitably means that disturbances in one country or region can have an impact elsewhere – a fact of which the world has become sharply aware in recent months, as financial crises and lower growth in Asia have affected economic conditions in other regions. These developments emphasize the need for careful and well-directed policies, based on adequate international cooperation. Among the policies that are important in reducing contagion and avoiding a downward spiral in the world economy are the maintenance of open markets for trade, the restoration of financial stability and the development of adequate regulatory frameworks in the financial sector.