Formulation of national policies in the context of existing regional trade agreements

The Trade and Development Commission,

1. Recognizes the continuing importance and role of multilateralism in promoting an open, inclusive, universal, equitable, rules-based and non-discriminatory trading system and that, in this regard, regional trade agreements should work as a complement to and not a substitute of the multilateral trading system;
    
2. Recognizes the rights and flexibility of countries to negotiate agreements, and to formulate and pursue the most appropriate mix of economic and social policies to achieve their development, in accordance with their international commitments;
    
3. Recognizes the work of UNCTAD in the areas of international trade in goods and services, commodities, transport and trade facilitation, and technology, including research on the impact of transfer of technology on trade and development and the importance of such work in strengthening the capacity of developing countries to address key development challenges;
    
4. Takes notes of the work of the expert meetings and encourages UNCTAD to strengthen the synergy among its three pillars;
    
5. Requests the secretariat to enhance its efforts in order to enrich the deliberations of the future sessions of this Commission, including by ensuring that the parliamentary documents address the trade development policies and the multilateral trading system, with the aim of broadening policy options for development and encouraging greater interactivity, and thus enhancing consensus building.