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- West Bank/Gaza, 06/05: Kafa Kids Get a New School
[pdf, English
/ Arabic]
- Egypt, 05/05: First Lady Laura Bush Meets Egypt's
Alam Simsim Muppets [html]
- West Bank/Gaza, 05/05: USAID Invests $6 Million
in Job Creation [pdf, English
/ Arabic]
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September 10-14, 2003: WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun
Cambodia Set to Join World Trading Body
The World Trade Organization (WTO)'s Fifth Ministerial Conference
in Cancun on September 10-14 will be a banner occasion for
the Asia and Near East region. Cambodia and Nepal are both
likely to be approved as new members to the WTO, making them
the first least-developed countries to join through the full
working party process. As chairman of the working party which
negotiated Nepal's application, Ambassador Pierre Louis Girard,
stated, "This is an important step in making the WTO
a more global organization with an appropriate representation
of the least developed countries."
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Main boulevard along the
Mekong River in Phnom Penh
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For many developing countries, increasing trade with other
countries is an important step towards reducing poverty and
encouraging economic growth. During the 1990s, developing
countries that were an active part of the world trading system
saw their per capita income increase by five percent. Those
that did not take an active role in the global system saw
their economies decline. As many found, there are many more
opportunities in global markets than at home. This is a powerful
argument for promoting trade and investment.
The Honorable Cham Prasidh, Minister of Commerce and Chief
Negotiator for Cambodia, made the same point during Cambodia's
negotiations: "In a time of harsh and fierce global competition,
the survival of our country depends on our ability to capture
the right opportunities and at the right time. We believe
the entry to the WTO is such a case."
USAID's Bureau for Asia and the Near East has worked with
many countries in the region to help them prepare their economies
to take advantage of trade and investment opportunities. In
Cambodia, USAID has worked with other U.S. Government agencies
on the Integrated Framework Activity, which is a program of
technical assistance designed to help countries participate
effectively in the WTO. Cambodia is a pilot country for the
Framework.
USAID located a local NGO partner that specialized in micro-enterprise
and small business development in Cambodia. Together, they
provided technical support to business associations of rice
millers and brick and tile manufacturers, among others. They
assisted small businesses and entrepreneurs in preparing themselves
to compete in regional markets. In addition, USAID supported
workshops, seminars and an economic newsletter to help businesses
and other interested organizations understand the implications
of WTO membership and gain some consensus on important issues.
These meetings were important forums for the private sector
to push the government to carry out reforms to make Cambodia
more attractive for investors.
The success of Cambodia and Nepal's applications and subsequent
participation in the world trading body will be important
to watch as other countries also consider membership.
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