Salle XII, Palais des Nations, Geneva

Background
An enabling regulatory environment for growth is one that meets a society's specific development needs while, at the same time, remaining aligned with the rules, regulations, standards and best practice developed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international and regional organizations.

Purpose
The Symposium will explore the different levels of rulemaking governing the production and exchange of products and services and how to best use them in order to encourage economic growth. "Levels" refers to both the substance of rulemaking (as in the differences between standards, rules and regulations) and the geographic coverage (national, regional and international).

The Symposium is part of the follow-up to the September 2006 Workshop on "International Standards in the Multilateral Trading System" organized by the UNECE secretariat as part of the WTO Public Forum. Participants in the Workshop had called for further consultations on these matters in the context of WTO and at other international forums.

Topics for discussion
. How can developing countries and countries with economies in transition successfully adapt international standards to their own development needs?
. How can consistency between regional and international standards be promoted so as to minimize the strain on developing countries' producers entering the international markets?
. How can the regulatory framework for trade be improved in developing and transition economies via technical cooperation?

Audience
The Symposium will attract rule-makers, and specifically Members of Parliament, as well as government officials and their diplomatic representatives in Geneva. It will also draw on the expertise of the Geneva-based rulemaking and development institutions and international organizations. The business community and NGOs will also be invited to bring their expertise to the debate.

PROGRAMME / PRESENTATIONS

Chairperson:

His Excellency Mr. Georgi Avramchev Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the United Nations Office at Geneva

Session I - Different levels of rulemaking: Promoting consistency while meeting different needs

Rules and standards are drawn up simultaneously at different levels: nationally, regionally, and internationally. When managed successfully, this interaction allows the implementation at a local level of ground-breaking research incorporated in standards and can become an engine of growth and development. At the same time, the existence of different processes may lead to fragmentation and different sets of rules in different markets.

Speakers
Mr. Paolo Garonna, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNECE

Prof. Colin Kirkpatrick, Hallsworth Professor of Development Economics, Co-Director, Regulation Research Programme, Centre on Regulation and Competition, and Director, Impact Assessment Research Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

Mr. Kevin A. McKinley, Deputy Secretary-General, International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Mr. Bardo Gavazzoli Schettini, Corporate Policy Manager, Directorate Corporate, European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC)

Session II - Successfully implementing international standards: Agricultural produce

Implementing international agricultural quality standards can bring challenges and opportunities. For the importer, these standards reduce transaction costs and rejection rates. For the exporter, they open up markets and reduce risk, but they also form a complex web of obligations.

Speakers
Ms. Ulrike Bickelmann, Head of Inspection Service, Federal Bureau for Food and Agriculture, Germany, and Chairperson, Specialized Section on Standardization of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, UNECE

Mr. Tom Heilandt, Senior Food Standards Officer, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Ms. Hanlie Wessels, Assistant Director, Perishable Products and Flowers, Directorate Food Safety and Quality Assurance, National Department of Agriculture, South Africa

Session III - Towards a better regulatory environment in developing countries and countries with economies in transition
Technical assistance projects can help developing countries and countries with economies in transition successfully adapt their legislation, regulations and infrastructure to international standards. The private sector also has a pivotal role to play in the process. At the same time, the standard-setting process itself needs to become more inclusive and take into account the concerns of countries at different levels of development.

Speakers
Ms. Andreja Marusic, Secretary-Team Leader, Council for Regulatory Reform, Serbia

Dr. Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, Deputy Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to the United Nations and other organizations in Geneva

Mr. Eugeniu Osmochescu, Head, Regulatory Impact Analysis Secretariat, Jacobs and Associates, World Bank Competitiveness Enhancement Project Implementation Unit, Moldova

Mr. Roger Pocthier, Standards & Regulations Manager, Caterpillar

Mr. Tim Kelly, Head, Standardization Policy Division, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Session IV - Panel discussion: What are the needs of developing countries in the area of standards and regulations?

Speakers from different regions will present their needs in the area of regulatory reform and standardization

Brazil