Regional Integration: From Rhetoric To Action
Parallel session IV, World Export Development Forum (WEDF) 2015
20-21 October 2015 – Doha, Qatar
Overview
This session, as a part of the 15th World Export Development Forum (WEDF), focuses on gaining a better understanding of the benefits of regional integration to support trade development and ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth. It will provide an opportunity to panellist to debate about the key ingredients/elements that will enable successful achievement of regional integration.
Greater integration among Arab countries is considered to be one of the key solutions to solving challenges faced by the region to enable it achieve its economic development priorities. The challenges and economic development priorities of the Arab are similar to those faced by other regional groupings around the world.
This session explores how regional integration can move from theory to practice, using information on trade obstacles available through ITC surveys of businesses in the region, carried out under the Aid for Trade Initiative for Arab States. Results of the survey is presented in a new ITC publication “Making Regional Integration Work: Company Perspectives on Non-Tariff Measures in Arab States” which will be made available during this session.
Speakers
Mr. Lanre Akinola
Editor, Africa Business
Ms. Nagla Bahr
Managing Director, Credit Guarantee Company
Mr. Richard Sezibera
Secretary General, East African Community
Mr. Mohammed Al Twaijri
Assistant Secretary-General, League of Arab States
New Publication
Making regional integration work - Company perspectives on non-tariff measures in Arab States
Intraregional trade among Arab States is low compared with other regions.
This publication offers insights into the main challenges to trade, both within and beyond the region, and suggests how to address them. It shares the perspectives of exporters and importers, which were captured through business surveys conducted by ITC in Egypt, Morocco, the State of Palestine and Tunisia. The surveys are part of an ITC series of developing-country projects on non-tariff measures (NTMs). This is the first such publication to examine country surveys in a regional context.
Available in: English (Arabic and French version coming soon)
Publication date: 16 October 2015
About WEDF 2015
The World Export Development Forum (WEDF) is a unique global platform dedicated to supporting export-led development.
Opening up new trade and investment opportunities to encourage sustainable growth will be at the heart of this year’s World Export Development Forum (WEDF), which will be held in Doha, Qatar from 20-21 October.
The 15th edition of the International Trade Centre (ITC)’s flagship event will be hosted by the Ministry of Finance of the State of Qatar through the Qatar Development Bank (QDB) under the theme ‘Sustainable trade: Innovate, invest, internationalize’.
For more information visit WEDF 2015 website.