2. Trade, regional economic

5. Regional trade initiatives

Trade facilitation and regional integration

Preferences, South South trade, and regional and global trade agreements

The growing importance of trade integration and regional trade flows makes the provision of regional infrastructure urgent.

(b) Trade, regional cooperation and integration

The Regional Route to Global Free Trade

Subprogramme 5 Promoting trade and regional integration

Regional trade agreements and South South cooperation

Section 11 Trade and Regional Integration Division

A. Regional links in trade and investment

2. Trade, regional economic cooperation and integration

2. TRADE, REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND INTEGRATION

6. Intensified regional cooperation and trade require a strengthening of the regional infrastructure.

B. The trade investment nexus a regional analysis

Today some 50 per cent of world trade takes place within regional trade agreements.

Neither global multilateral trade arrangements nor regional economic and trade cooperation should be exclusive.

The development of regional trade and integration would require careful planning and regional coordination.

Status resolution will also have clear regional benefits, including for regional dialogue and trade.

South South and intra regional trade in particular would benefit from multilateral trade facilitation agreements.

Indeed, regional free trade agreements are gaining momentum worldwide.

The regional dimension of the Millennium Development Goals includes regional policies such as regional trade, infrastructure and legal instruments.

Regional trade associations provide expanded markets for domestic enterprises, and encourage interregional agreements to facilitate trade.

In the trade area, this implies regional and bilateral accords.

This regional initiative includes sectoral trade liberalization for renewable energy.

A. Regional links in trade and investment . 26 30 6

Subprogramme 2. Trade, regional economic cooperation and integration 26.7 0.4

The expansion of trade within regional groups fuelled economic growth.

(c) Conducting studies and making recommendations on issues of significant impact on regional cooperation and integration, including intra African trade, regional trade liberalization and payment arrangements

2. Assessment of the regional trade possibilities for the expansion of the trade sector of land locked

Malaysia had consistently opposed protectionism and supported trade liberalization, and therefore welcomed regional efforts to promote trade.

The opposite is true for regional groupings in Africa and in the Middle East where trade with the outside world is more important than intra regional trade.

They stressed the need for regional groupings such as the European Community, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) to remain open while seeking to expand intra regional trade.

As a result, regional trade and economic integration have been stifled.

B. The trade investment nexus a regional analysis . 31 35 8

There is considerable scope for encouraging regional trade in agricultural products.

The role of both regional and global trade is thus vital.

(b) Coordinating within regional networks to exchange information on licit and illicit trade. Consideration may be given to setting up databases on illegal trade in the regional networks.

As a result, growth in intra regional trade has outpaced overall trade growth, with intra Asian trade now accounting for more than half of the continent s total trade turnover.

Recent new generation WTO plus regional trade agreements covered not only trade in goods but also other regulatory areas.

In addition to global agreements on aid, debt and trade issues, regional and subregional trade and investment offer significant opportunities to regional and subregional integration processes and cooperation initiatives.

TABLE 15A.10. POST REQUIREMENTS Programme Trade, regional economic cooperation and integration

Trade and transport facilitation and development Trade facilitation and regional integration Private sector expectations from the WTO negotiations on trade facilitation Implementation of trade facilitation measures Conclusions and the way forward

Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization in 1997 and seeks to expand its participation in regional economic and trade regimes.

The project also supports the process of regional integration, including studies on agricultural trade issues and training in trade negotiations.