BGD20-1

Bangladesh has been identified as one of the LDCs that have met the graduation criteria for the first time in 2018. It is expected to graduate from LDC status by 2024. The loss of LDC preferences as well as LDC-specific S&D treatment in WTO Agreements has been identified as one of the major challenges of graduation.

The objectives of this Workshop are twofold: (i) to enhance the understanding and knowledge of participants of the impact on graduation on trade, in particular the participation of the Government in WTO; and (ii) to identify options and strategies for the Government to smoothly integrate into global economy following graduation.

The workshop will undertake an in-depth assessment of the implications on graduation vis-à-vis the implementation of WTO Agreements for a graduating LDC like Bangladesh. By the end of this workshop, the government will be better placed to handle the issues involved with graduation, especially the tasks that need to be accomplished to remain WTO-compliant in the post-graduation phase. The relevant stakeholders will be able to assess the trade prospects of the country in the post-graduation phase and possible steps that could be taken to maintain or enhance the country's exports. Issues of interest to graduating LDCs like Bangladesh in the context of MC12 will be discussed. The Government will also be able to identify its technical assistance and capacity building needs in the graduating process as well as on the post-graduation phase.