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Trade Policy Review: Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali 2010
“Trade Policy Reviews” analyse the trade policies and practices of each member of the WTO. The reviews consist of three parts: an independent report by the WTO Secretariat a report by the government and the concluding remarks by the Chair of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body. The opening section - “key trade facts” - provides a visual overview of the WTO member’s major exports/imports main export destinations origins for its imports and other key data. This edition looks into the trade practices of Benin Burkina Faso and Mali.
Report by Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali
Benin is a West African country situated in the inter-tropical zone covering a total area of 114763 km2. It is bordered by Niger and Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the west and Nigeria to the east and has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It has a virtually unrelieved landscape rising from south to north and 70500 km2 of arable land only 15 per cent of which is farmed. As far as climate is concerned annual rainfall is relatively low (an average of 800 mm.). Benin has two major basins: the Niger River basin and the coastal basin.
Concluding Remarks by the Chairperson of The Trade Policy Review Body, H.E. Mr Bozkurt Aranat The Trade Policy Review of Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali 4 and 6 October 2010
This second joint Review of Benin Burkina Faso and Mali has allowed the TPRB to assess developments since 2004 in their trade and related policies and to enquire about future priorities. I would like to thank Minister Diallo and the three delegations for their hard work in preparing for the Review their written replies to the questions and their full and open participation in this meeting. I am also grateful to our discussant Ambassador Wasescha of Switzerland for his farsighted observations.
Expect the Unexpected? LDC GATS Commitments as Internationally Credible Policy Indicators? The Example of Mali
There is a stark contrast between the ambitious investment promotion efforts of many least developed countries (LDCs) and their often minimal commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Service (GATS). At a time of urgent need to address domestic infrastructure and investment gaps this situation cannot be a positive signal for investors (either domestic or foreign) and may be a missed opportunity to address services aspects of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). LDCs often lack internationally credible mechanisms for making commitments which contributes to their evident difficulty in attracting the more employment-generating types of investment that could bring greater opportunities for poverty alleviation. Considering that most LDCs under domestic laws have already opened a wide range of services sectors to foreign direct investment (FDI) there may be an opportunity to enhance the international consistency and credibility of LDC investment promotion efforts by making GATS commitments while preserving substantial "policy space" with regard to the actual status quo. While reforms to domestic regulations are undoubtedly of greater importance to attracting FDI GATS commitments including partial commitments can be used to publicize LDC investment priorities in services (such as attracting new businesses encouraging joint ventures and technology transfer etc.) and make them legally binding internationally. Offers to make new GATS commitments can further be used as "bargaining chips" in the current Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations. Mali has been selected as a case study due to the fact that trade and investment policies are clearly and consistently documented.