Preface
Acronyms and abbreviations

1. MULTILATERALISM AND REGIONALISM: ENHANCING
   INTEGRATION OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES INTO THE
   MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM THROUGH
   REGIONALISM
   Introduction
   1. Situation in the ESCAP region
   2. Assessing the regional approach to liberalization:
      benefits and costs
   3. Moving regionalism forward
   4. Primacy of the multilateral trading system
   5. Conclusion
   
   
2. REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON TRADE LIBERALIZATION
   INITIATIVES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDS OF
   LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE ESCAP REGION
   Introduction
   1. Economic development of LDCs over the last decade
   2. Trade policy environment
   3. The importance of accession to WTO for LDCs in
      the ESCAP region
   4. Future trade liberalization initiatives and key
      LDC issues
   5. Integrated framework and the role of ESCAP in the
      provision of technical assistance
   
   
3. MARKET ACCESS ISSUES FOR DEVELOPING
   COUNTRIES IN THE ESCAP REGION IN FUTURE WTO
   TRADE NEGOTIATIONS
   Introduction
   1. Post-Uruguay Round market access barriers
   2. Non-tariff measures
   3. Domestic reforms
   4. Preferential arrangements
   5. Negotiation strategies for the next WTO round
   6. Conclusions
   
   
4. REVIEW OF PROGRESS ACHIEVED WITH REGARD TO
   PREPARATIONS FOR THE FOURTH WTO MINISTERIAL
   CONFERENCE, IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES AND
   BUILT-IN AGENDA
   1. Preparations by Governments for the Fourth WTO
      Ministerial Conference
   2. Work in WTO
   3. Status of WTO accessions
   4. Other issues
   
   
5. WTO NEGOTIATIONS ON AGRICULTURE AND
   DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN THE ESCAP REGION
   Introduction
   1. Development role of agriculture in the ESCAP
      region
   2. The WTO Agreement on Agriculture and
      concerns of developing countries
   3. Proposals of developing countries with a
      comparative advantage in agriculture
   4. Proposals of major industrialized countries
   5. Proposals to address food security, development
      and related issues
   6. The way forward for developing countries of the
      ESCAP region
   
   
6. SERVICES TRADE LIBERALIZATION: DEVELOPMENT
   DIMENSION AND ISSUES IN GATS 2000 NEGOTIATIONS
   Introduction
   1. Services sector – development dimension
   2. Structure and functioning of GATS and its
      liberalization commitments
   3. GATS 2000: issues and status
   4. Technical cooperation and capacity-building
   5. Concluding remarks
   Annexes
   1. Share of services in GDP of ESCAP members and
      associate members
   2. Architecture of the General Agreement on Trade
      in Services
   3. Summary of commitments
   
   
7. TRADE AND COMPETITION POLICY IN WTO
   1. Progress in the WTO Working Group on Inter-
      action between Trade and Competition Policy
   2. The Experience of the Republic of Korea
   3. Possibility and implications of a future round
      of negotiations
   
   
8. TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT: CHALLENGES OUT-
   WEIGHING THE OPPORTUNITIES
   Introduction
   1. Discussions of the Committee on Trade and
      Environment
   2. GATT/WTO provisions on environment and
      market access: implications for developing
      countries
   3. Promoting sustainable development by devising
      mutually sustainable trade and environmental
      policies
   4. Implications of environment-related issues in
      a future comprehensive round for developing
      countries of the ESCAP region
   5. Conclusions