The Third ARTNeT Consultative Meeting held in Macao, China on 1-2 November 2006 decided to consolidate the research efforts undertaken during the previous two years and to support follow-up studies on the thematic study on trade facilitation and the regional studies on agriculture and services trade liberalization. In addition, an exploratory regional study on trade and investment was approved, culminating with an expert group meeting on designing better and more coherent trade and investment policies in developing countries.

Previously, an updated ARTNeT research programme was approved during the Second ARTNeT Consultative Meeting held in Macao, China, on 6-7 October 2005. The Meeting decided to continue the thematic study on trade facilitation and to begin a new regional study on trade liberalization in services. Research during this period focused on trade facilitation beyond the negotiations, in particular:

• Trade facilitation and regional integration,
• Customs valuation and implementation of the related WTO agreement, and
• Trade facilitation and logistics services liberalization