TS4D26-2

The Asian Development Bank will host a regional conference on Trade in Services for Development (TS4D), co-organized by the WTO and World Bank. The 1.5 day conference will be followed by a 2.5 day training course on TS4D capacity building tools for selected officials from the region.

This regional conference will provide a space for discussing the role of services trade in inclusive development, exchange views on capacity building tools, and engage in discussions with selected Asian economies on their strategies for the modernisation of the services sector and the development of services trade. The conference will bring together government officials, practitioners, the private sector, and other stakeholders to share knowledge on critical issues in these areas.

The training program, part of the WTO-World Bank Trade in Services for Development (TS4D) initiative, will examine key trends in global services trade, familiarise participants with the tools developed under the TS4D initiative (e.g., Services Trade Competitiveness Diagnostic Dashboard, Services Trade Policy Database, Handbook on Good Regulatory Practices, Diagnostic and Reform Planning Tool) and facilitate discussions with participants on possible areas for technical assistance to help advance national development objectives through trade in services.