LDCS and WTO Negotiations:
During Zambia's tenure as Coordinator of the WTO LDC Group in Geneva, RTFP provided financial and technical support both in Geneva and at capital level that contributed towards the countries working together and presenting a common position during the Hong Kong talks. A description of the process leading up to, and including the Hong Kong talks, is contained in a personal assessment written by the RTFP Programme Director: "Assisting the LDCs in WTO Trade Negotiations" 102 Kb
At the time of Zambia's Coordination role, work was carried out on Rules of Origin (see the LDC Proposal to WTO on Rules of Origin 203 Kb) as well as Duty Free Quota Free Market Access (14 Kb) and Aid for Trade (125 Kb).
An assessment of DFID's support to LDCs under RTFP is also available (230 KB).
Following the resumption of talks in 2007, RTFP is continuing to provide assistance to the group which has been coordinated by Lesotho since June 2007. As when Zambia was the coordinator of the group, RTFP is providing support to the Lesotho mission in Geneva through partial financing for staff seconded from the capital specifically to deal with LDCs issues as well as technical expertise from the RTFP Programme Director.
On 24 & 25 August the Geneva-based LDC group representatives will meet at a 'Retreat' to consider a proposal for support to a LDC Secretariat as well as to prepare the LDC position on the texts from the Chairmen of the Agriculture and the NAMA committees. RTFP will finance the meeting and the Programme Director will attend.
Other RTFP-financed support to the LDC group, will be partly carried out by UNCTAD under the "Mainstreaming LDCs in the Global Economy' (149 Kb) and will cover the following issues:
Duty-Free Quota-Free Market Access
Enhanced Integrated Framework
Trade Facilitation
Agriculture
Non-Agricultural Market Access
Trade in Services
In a recent development, RTFP financed a meeting of the Eastern and Southern Africa group of LDCs (with the addition of Yemen) on the subject of the Enhanced Integrated Framework in Livingstone, Zambia, on 16 & 17 July 2007. The meeting provided a useful forum for representatives of the multilateral organisations to come together with the countries (represented both by Geneva staff as well as personnel from the relevant ministries in their capitals) to discuss implementation issues.