UNDP jointly with the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization conducted a training course on “Trade in services negotiations for WTO accession” for more than 50 specialists from Uzbek government ministries and agencies. The training course was aimed to brief participants on preparing a list of specific commitments on trade in services and further negotiating access to the market of services in the process of WTO accession.

The course provided participants with a comprehensive overview of the law and economics of services trade. The course also addressed how to best prepare for - and conduct trade negotiations in services, making a special emphasis on the links between services negotiations and the domestic process of regulatory reform in key service sectors and the particularities of the WTO accession process.

To help participants better understand the negotiation process during WTO accession, trainers engaged participants in simulated negotiations on the distribution services trade, which includes commission agent services, wholesale and retail trade, and franchising.

The training was facilitated by international experts - Mr. Pierre Sauvé, Senior Trade Specialist in the Geneva office of the World Bank’s Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice, Mr. Martin Molinuevo, Senior Counsel within the World Bank Group’s Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice, and Ms. Ruosi Zhang, Counselor in the Trade in Services and Investment Division of the WTO Secretariat.

The participants of the training course are expected to be able to contribute to the implementation of the roadmap for Uzbekistan’s WTO accession in terms of preparing a list of specific commitments in services trade.

Since the founding of the WTO in 1995, 36 new Members have completed their accession processes, bringing the WTO membership to 164 countries and customs territories. Another 21 acceding governments, including Uzbekistan are currently in the process of pursuing their negotiations to join the WTO.

The UNDP trade development activities are carried out in accordance with the Action Strategy for Uzbekistan Development 2017-2021, with focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN Member States.

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UNDP’s ‘Aid for Trade’ project as a national component of the regional ‘Aid for Trade in Central Asia – Phase III’ project aims at increasing income generation, creating jobs and expanding exports.