WTO General Council Decision of July 31, 2004: Interpreting from Bangladesh Perspective

The present paper titled WTO General Council Decision of July 31, 2004: Interpreting from Bangladesh Perspective was prepared under the CPD’s Trade Policy Analysis (TPA) programme. The TPA programme of CPD was initiated in 1999 in response to a felt need to enhance Bangladesh’s capacity to more effectively deal with the emerging trade issues in the face of deregulation, liberalisation and globalisation. The successful completion of the Uruguay Round Agreement in 1994 and the establishment of the WTO in 1995 was expected to have crucial implications for the LDCs such as Bangladesh. In the 1990s Bangladesh economy was becoming increasingly open and trade related policy making and trade negotiations were assuming critical importance for Bangladesh’s future development. In view of the emerging challenges in the context of the ongoing process of globalisation, the objective of CPD’s Trade Policy Analysis programme is to monitor the impact of the evolving trading regime under the WTO on Bangladesh economy with a view to support trade related capacity building process in the country by strengthening CPD’s institutional capacity in the areas of (a) trade related research, (b) preparation of policy briefs, (c) organisation of dialogues, (d) organisation of workshop and training, (e) strengthening trade related documentation, and (f) trade related publication and networking. The present paper on WTO General Council Decision of July 31, 2004: Interpreting from Bangladesh Perspective has been prepared by Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Research Director of CPD and Dr. Ananya Raihan, Research Fellow of CPD. The paper looks at the salient features of July 31 text, identification of departure of it from the Cancun draft text (progression or regression) from an LDC perspective and to put forward some suggestions as regards issues which Bangladesh could pursue in the course of future negotiations in the run up to the Sixth Ministerial Meeting to be held in Hong Kong by the end of 2005.WTO-General Council, Bangladesh

China's Accession to the WTO: Consequences for Bangladesh's Export-Oriented RMG Sector

WTO, China, Bangladesh, RMG, Readymade Garments, Export

THE EU-EBA INITIATIVE: MARKET ACCESS IMPLICATIONS AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR BANGLADESH

GSP, Export, Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s Strategies for Post Cancun Negotiations

The paper provides insights into Bangladesh’s possible strategies regarding agriculture, market access and trade facilitation for future negotiations in the context of collapse of the WTO Ministerial Meeting held in Cancun in September, 2003. It also suggests that the Doha decision should be revisited and the identified issues will need to be addressed on an urgent basis.WTO-General Council, Bangladesh, Cancun

The New Japanese GSP Schemes for LDCs and Bangladesh’s Export Opportunities

GSP, Export, Bangladesh

Contribution of the RMG Sector to the Bangladesh Economy

RMG, Readymade Garment, Bangladesh

Impact of Iraq War on Bangladesh Economy

The paper is aimed at providing an early assessment of the anticipated consequences of Iraq war and its possible impacts on Bangladesh economy. Critical insights and fact-based information on possible changes in several areas including oil price, flow of remittance, volume of export and import, migration of labour force etc., and how these will reshape the country’s economic settings in the post-war era, have been presented in the paper.war, Iraq, Bangladesh

Interpreting Cancun: Experience and Lessons for Bangladesh

The paper is based on the Fifth WTO Ministerial Meeting held in Cancun, Mexico. It aims to reveal the importance of putting the process, outcome and future implications of the Cancun Ministerial under critical and careful scrutiny to draw the necessary insights and lessons related to major issues debated and discussed. The study critically shows how the state of play in the WTO is going to evolve in the post-Cancun era, and how Bangladesh should do her homework in this context.WTO-General Council, Cancun, Bangladesh