NAP19-1

Following key results 3 of the 2018-2019 TA plan (Academic institutions and other stakeholders are analysing WTO issues and reaching out to policy makers; and in line with recommendation 18 of the TRTA external evaluation on exploring approaches to building working and policy-oriented links with a wider range of academic centres) the WCP TEAM (ERSD-ITTC) evaluated that the best use of the remaining WCP funds to support the sustainability effort of the WTO chairs, is to organise an Outreach event (Pilar 3 of the WCP) through a WTO Chairs session on "Emergence and development of new south-south trade flows" (see attached) during the Annual meeting of the GTAP network (Advisory board, Conference,…). Bringing WTO Chairs together in the same WCP session into the worldwide top of the art network of Trade Policy modelling for policy making will improve their capacity to support policy making processes in their respective developing countries and support them in exploring and developing new partnerships to strengthen their sustainability. This is fully in line with the key result 3 of the 2018-2019 TA plan : Academic institutions and other stakeholders are analysing WTO issues and reaching out to policy makers; and in line with recommendation 18 of the TRTA external evaluation on exploring approaches to building working and policy-oriented links with a wider range of academic centres.
GTAP is a consortium that comprises WTO and is the largest worldwide network of researchers and policy-makers analysing international policy issues, it unites members from government agencies, international institutions, the private sector and academia. The vast majority of quantitative general equilibrium assessments of the multilateral trading system is done within the GTAP network. Main policy makers and Senior International organization officials (As the WTO) use figures and analysis generated within this framework to debate on benefits and challenges of the MTS. A better visibility of the Chairs into this network will reduce the Gap between developing countries and developed countries in term of academia supporting the policy process to better benefit from the MTS. This will contribute to support Academia in Developing countries in line with the needs expressed by Member States as a survey ITTC conducted in February 2019 in relation with Technical Assistance needs, highlighted that more than 97% of the responding Member States consider that Academic support is important and is within the top 10 priorities of their needs.