USAID Workshop Helps Lao National Assembly Prepare for WTO Accession

Monday, February 09, 2009

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is sponsoring a workshop for the Lao National Assembly to help parliamentarians learn from the experiences of Cambodia and Vietnam in their joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) and their implementation of U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) commitments. 

The two-day workshop is part of the USAID-managed Laos BTA/WTO Project, which is funded by the U.S. Government through the U.S. Embassy in Laos and is supporting Laos’ WTO accession and BTA compliance. 

Speakers include the U.S. Ambassador to Laos, Ravic Huso, and the Chairman of the Economy, Planning and Finance Committee of the National Assembly Khamsing Sayakone.

Siphana Sok, the Director of the Resources and Partnerships Group at the Geneva-based International Trade Centre and the former Vice Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia, will discuss Cambodia’s challenges as a Least Developed Country acceding to the WTO and integrating into the global economy. 

Ngo Duc Manh, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, will address Vietnam’s experiences with WTO accession and U.S. BTA negotiations.

The series will include the U.S. perspective on the importance of BTA implementation and its role in advancing countries’ accession to the WTO. 

Dawn Shackleford, of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), will lead talks on the mechanics of WTO accession for Least Developed Countries and ways in which Laos can use the BTA as a stepping stone to WTO accession. 

Robert Fisher, the former Director of Mexican Affairs at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, discuss implementing liberalization initiatives and how Laos can galvanize its negotiation efforts through better coordination.

Approximately 25 National Assembly members and 15 officials from the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce are expected to attend the workshop which ends tomorrow.

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