The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) and the Research Network on Governance, Economic Policy and Public Administration (GEPPA) have the pleasure of inviting you to a Trade Monday seminar on:
Aid for Trade:
A New Modality or Old Wine in New Bottles?
Monday, 6 November 2006, 13.00-15.30
Danish Institute of International Studies
Main Auditorium
Strandgade 71, Ground Floor
1401 Copenhagen K
Background
This seminar in the Trade Mondays series examines the evolution, recent visibility, and future potential of ‘Aid for Trade’ as a development assistance mechanism. The seminar is divided into two sessions. The first session provides a general overview of Aid for Trade and some reflections on specific experiences. The second session is a round-table discussion involving leading trade and development experts from academia, policy-making, and NGO environments, followed by an open discussion with the public.
Programme:
Session 1
13.00-13.30
Aid for Trade: Towards Greater Policy Coherence
Bernard Hoekman, The World Bank
13.30-13.50
Some Experiences with Danish Bilateral Assistance to Trade
Morten Elkjær, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
13.50-14.10
Coffee Break
Session 2
14.10-15.00
Round-Table Discussion
Bernard Hoekman, The World Bank
Michael Friis Jensen, Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) [moderator]
Morten Elkjær, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Morten Emil Hansen, Ibis
Trine Thygesen, DIIS and Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
15.00-15.30
Open Discussion
Abstracts of presentations:
Bernard Hoekman: “Aid for Trade: Towards Greater Policy Coherence”
In his presentation, Bernard Hoekman, one the leading experts on Aid for Trade, will cover its genesis and recent resurgence. He will place Aid for Trade in a broader perspective as regards both the development community (sectoral allocation of aid) and the trade community (links to special and differential treatment provisions in WTO; implementation problems for developing countries of the Uruguay Round). He will also discuss the importance of the WTO now having recognised that trade liberalisation alone is not enough. Finally, he will highlight some of the main challenges in making the aid for trade concept operational.
Morten Elkjær: “Some Experiences with Danish Bilateral Assistance to Trade”
How can donors address the call for more aid for trade in the present context of development co-operation? Denmark has supported trade expansion and promotion in a number of countries. What are so far some of the experiences of bilateral Danish support in Tanzania and other countries in areas such as trade negotiation capacity and export promotion support? What are some of the practical challenges with regard to alignment and donor harmonisation?
Guiding questions for discussion:
- How is Aid for Trade different from other forms of development assistance?
- How do Aid for Trade initiatives take into account the traditional problems of development assistance?
- Why is Aid for Trade currently at the top of the international agenda on trade and development?
- How does Aid for Trade fit into the negotiation game in the WTO?
- Can Aid for Trade gains substitute for trade gains? Can Aid for Trade promises be bound?
- Does Aid for Trade financing provide additional resources or is it competing with other sectors such as health and education?
- Is it realistic that Aid for Trade includes implementation costs and compensation for adjustments costs?
- How can Aid for Trade be made operational?
Practical Information
The seminar will be held in English.
Participation is free of charge, and registration is not required |
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