| Consultative
Task Force on Environmental Requirements and Market Access for Developing
Countries. |
|
| Objectives |
The Consultative Task Force (CTF) is an open-ended
multi-stakeholder forum of government, private sector and NGO representatives
that assists developing countries in analyzing key trends of environmental
requirements (ERs) in export markets and to exchange national experience
on pro-active approaches to meeting these ERs with a view to maintaining
market access, harnessing developmental gains and safeguarding social
welfare. CTF activities are not intended to “second-guess” the legitimacy
and objectives of environmental requirements, nor to develop guidelines
for good regulatory practice. Rather, CTF activities will analyze and
discuss ways of overcoming specific developing country challenges regarding
the development and implementation of, as well as adjustment to ERs. The
added value of the CTF is that it (i) links policy and capacity-constraints issues aimed at developing a more holistic and development-oriented approach on environmental requirements and market access; (ii) interfaces discussions in the WTO, notably on paragraph 32(i) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, with other debates at international and national level; (iii) includes in the analysis and discussion voluntary environmental requirements of the private sector and NGOs and thus provides a formal exchange mechanism between these stakeholders and governments; (iv) draws into the discussion stakeholders normally not involved in WTO debates; and (v) allows a regular exchange of information among agencies and initiatives that provide technical and capacity-building assistance in fields relevant to CTF discussions. |
| Background |
As countries seek to enhance environmental
protection and promote sustainable development, ERs are expected to become
more frequent, including in sectors of key export interest to developing
countries. While recognizing that governmental and non-governmental requirements
need to be differentiated, many voluntary requirements developed by the
private sector or NGOs are de facto mandatory and tend to be globalized
through international supply chains. They are largely outside WTO disciplines
on TBT measures, yet some of them may be the precursor of future regulation.
This contrasts with the lack of capacity in many developing countries
to raise awareness on new ERs in key export markets, gather and disseminate
much-needed information on them, and encourage effective public-private
partnerships to adjust to the new requirements in a developmentally beneficial
way. Also, there is not enough consistent and credible information on
the types of problems that exist in developing countries and the interplay
between policy and capacity-constraints issues is not well understood.
Furthermore, there is an insufficient exchange of information among international
organizations and other initiatives on their activities on ERs and market
access although a strategic partnership among them would be required. Background note on environmental requirements and market access for developing countries (TDTD/(XI)/BP/1) |
| Mandate: |
Following an Expert Meeting on Environmental
Requirements and International Trade on 2-4 October 2002, the UNCTAD Commission
on Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities, at its seventh session
in February 2003, recommended exploring “the possibility of creating a
consultative group on environmental requirements and international trade,
which should closely coordinate and collaborate with relevant work and
initiatives in other bodies and involve the private sector, as a project-based
activity” (document
TD/B/COM.1/L.26). |
| Thrust
of activities and modalities of CTF: |
The CTF will provide a forum for well-structured
and focused dialogue and networking on relevant issues at the interface
of ERs and market access for developing countries (this will include analysis,
policy dialogue, information exchange and supportive activities). Under
its umbrella, the CTF may consider launching some specific, well-defined
and time-limited project activities, whose results will aid the substantive
debate in the CTF. Initially, this would include work on (a) sector-specific
experience in the preparation, adoption and implementation of regulations
and standards and the related examination of possible trade implications
for developing countries; (b) the development of holistic, proactive strategies
in developing countries that effectively respond to ERs in key export
markets; (c) improved access to and dissemination of information on ERs,
including private-sector requirements. For more detail, see: Report of the Rio workshop |
|
CTF meetings: |
3-4 July 2006, Geneva, Switzerland Meeting |
| Document
download: |
Report
of the Rio workshop |
| Sector-focused
project activities: |
|
| Related
activities: |
Asian cluster
of UK-DFID II project |
| Donor
support: |
Dutch government |
| CTF
co-ordination: |
Ulrich Hoffmann,
ulrich.hoffmann@unctad.org
tel +41 (0)22 917 5780, fax +41 (0)22 917 0247 |