Global Services Network Alert, April 23, 2004

Remarks by WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi. In his remarks at the opening of the World Trade Organization Trade Negotiations Committee Meeting on April 21, 2004, Dr. Supachai warned negotiators that "the coming days and weeks are critical." He said Ministers "are more determined than ever to succeed," and that "the onus is clearly on the negotiators in Geneva to turn this political will into concrete results." The remarks are available at: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news04_e/tnc_21apr04_e.htm

World Bank Services Negotiations Seminar. The World Bank organized a services negotiations seminar from April 19-23, 2004, aimed at assisting trade officials from a variety of developed and developing countries in understanding the principles and economics of services trade, the negotiating process, the regulation of services sectors, Mode 4 issues, and related topics. Course modules and background materials are available at: http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/macroeconomics/trade/services_trade.html.

Services Session Report to TNC. Report by the Chairman of the WTO Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services, to the Trade Negotiations Committee, April 14, 2004. http://docsonline.wto.org:80/DDFDocuments/t/tn/s/15.doc.

WTO Workshop on domestic regulation. The WTO organized a workshop on domestic regulation from March 29-30, 2004 to brief regulators, trade negotiators, and other relevant officials on the background and progress to date of work taking place in the WTO Working Party on Domestic Regulation (WPDR), as well as pertinent issues raised in negotiating proposals. Discussions at the Workshop were focused on technical and legal aspects of regulation. Copies of the presentations and speeches from the workshop are available at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/serv_e/workshop_march04_e/
workshop_programme_march04_e.htm.

WTO Public Symposium: "Multilateralism at a Crossroads." Public symposium to be held in Geneva from May 25-27, 2004. Additional background, as well as the draft program and registration information, are available on the WTO website at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dda_e/symp_devagenda_04_e.htm.

Logistics Services Paper. Paper submitted by a number of WTO members on further liberalizing the logistics and related services sectors. Paper argues that enhanced liberalization and provision of logistics services can assist in the further development of supply and distribution chains of goods and other services. www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/services/logistics_services_310304.pdf.

US-Dominican Republic FTA text available. The text of the US-Dominican Republic free trade agreement is now available on the USTR web site. Each chapter and annex is posted as a separate PDF file. Please go to: http://www.ustr.gov/new/fta/Dr/texts.htm.

"The Outsourcing Bogeyman," by Daniel W. Drezner, University of Chicago. Foreign Affairs, May-June 2004 edition. Article argues that outsourcing brings more benefits than costs to the US economy, and that if critics succeed in creating protectionist barriers, the consequences will be disastrous for both the US economy and US workers. The full text is available at: http://m1e.net/c?25820204-iPwBieVti8tHQ%40502670-Hc/k.RPSkLHUA.