On the event of UNCTAD’s Multi-year Expert Meeting on Trade, Services and Development held from 1 to 2 May 2019 in the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, The D-8 Secretary-General Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari participated as a panelist at the event upon an invitation by UNCTAD. The visit also aimed at strengthening relations with Geneva based International Organizations and UN agencies.

The D-8 Secretary General addressed the fourth session of the UNCTAD’s Expert’s Meeting focusing on promoting the enhancing role of services in productive capacity through international cooperation. Panelists at the session; Mr. Lucian Cernat, Chief Economist in Directorate-General for Trade of European Commission; Mr. Alvaro Espinoza, Deputy Secretary-General of Latin American Integration Association; Ms. Trudi Hartzenberg, Executive Director in Trade Law Centre; and Ambassador Ku Shaari tackled the challenges for developing countries to enhance their productive capacity, and how international cooperation, including South–South cooperation, promote the services sector’s contribution to productive capacity development in developing countries and LDCs. In his remarks, Ambassador Ku Jaafar reviewed the position of the D-8 Member States regarding trade in services and the Organization’s work in this area. He stressed the importance of availing data and ways to analyze it, seeking paths to increase the presence of D-8 countries in the Global Value Chains in the services sector.

During the visit, Ambassador Ku Jaafar called on Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, Director General of the World Trade Organization WTO to discuss future cooperation in areas of promoting intra D-8 trade, including through the effective implementation of D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement, as well as trade in services and trade facilitation.

Executive Director of International Trade Centre ITC, Ms. Arancha González welcomed the D-8 Secretary General at ITC Headquarters where they discussed areas of future cooperation, with a special focus on economic diplomacy and ways to tap on ITC’s unmatched technical expertise in the area of e-commerce.

In his meeting with UNCTAD’s Secretary General, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, D-8 Secretary General expressed appreciation for the growing cooperation between the two organizations, and hope to enhance it in ways that would allow D-8 Member States greater benefit from UNCTAD’s technical expertise in areas of Investment and Trade. The two interlocuters discussed the preparations for the joint event on international investment policy reform to be held in September 2019 at the D-8 Headquarters in Istanbul.

Ambassador Ku Jaafar also called on the Executive Director of the South Centre, Dr. Carlos María Correa  in order to discuss potential areas of cooperation, with a focus on the new developments in areas of access to medicine and technology transfer.

At the end of his visit, the D-8 Secretary General hosted the Permanent Representatives of D-8 Member States at the WTO and the UN based in Geneva on a working luncheon where he briefed them about the organization’s new initiatives including those in cooperation with the private sector. He also updated them on the status of cooperation with the UN bodies and the WTO, and potential programs to be jointly organized with UNCTAD, ITC, WTO, and South Centre. The D-8 Geneva Permanent Representatives offered their full support for the D-8 initiatives and promised to lend a helping hand in any required follow-up with the Geneva based institutions.

Encl.: Presentation delivered by the D-8 Secretary-General at UNCTAD’s Multi-year Expert Meeting on Trade, Services and Development

Presentation delivered by the D-8 Secretary-General at UNCTAD’s Multi-year Expert Meeting on Trade, Services and Development

Presentation delivered by the D-8 Secretary-General at UNCTAD’s Multi-year Expert Meeting on Trade, Services and Development