Swiss Trade Policy and Development

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• Swiss Trade Policy and Development
• ZIL / SFIAR Conference
• Zurich, May 2001
• presented by
• Dr. Hans Häfliger
• State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

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Outline

• Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
  (seco)
• Trade and Development
• Trade-related co-operation
• Further research needs

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State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco) -
Organization chart
Secretariat of the Directorate
Communication / Information
Central Services
Policy Development Special Assignments
Directorate of Labour
Economic Promotion Activities
Development and Transition O. Knapp
Labour Market
World Trade
Integration Office
WorkingConditions
Economic analysis
Multilateral Financial Institutions
Balance of Payments Operations Debt Relief
Relations with Countries
Project Financing
Investment Promotion
Trade Clean Technology Co-operation
Sectoral Politic Issues
Quality and Knowledge Management
Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the
International Organisations
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Directorate for Development and Transition

• Fields of intervention
• A) Macro-economic support (Improving frame
  conditions for growth)
• B) Infrastructure development(through mixed
  credits (South) or grants (East))
• C) Investment and private sector
  promotion(Mobilization of private capital)
• D) Trade-related technical co-operation(Support
  for better integration into the world trade
  system)

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Trade and Development

• Trade as driver of global growth
• Trade is important for Developing countries
• Exports from SSA countries grew only half
• Trade protection is still high
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) a vehicle for
  trade and growth

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Secos position

• High dependence of LDCs on ODA
• Mainstreaming trade in development
• Mainstreaming development issues in Swiss trade
  policy

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Trade-related technical co-operation (TRTC)

• TRTC - Goals
• Strengthen international rules through support of
  developing and transition countries in their
  efforts to negotiate and comply trade relevant
  rules in international agreements (e.g. WTO, Rio
  conventions, ILO)
• Strengthen sustainable growth by supporting
  developing and transition countries to benefit
  from integrating in the world trade system.

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TRTC intervention

• Trade Policystrengthening of trade policy
  formulation and implementation
• Trade Efficiency Reduction of transaction cost
  to strengthen competitiveness
• Market Access Improving market access to Swiss
  and European markets

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Financial distribution, per continent
TRTC Budget 2000
around CHF 30 mio, or 12 of the overall seco
budget
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TRTC projects

• Organic Coffee CertificationEthiopia
• Quality Assurance of SpicesEthiopia, Madagascar,
  Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Nepal, India,
  Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam
• for more information contact www.intracen.org

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Further Research Needs

• Management of high price volatility
• Institutional support for economic liberalization