Workshop on Capacity Building on Environment, Trade, and Development

Rayburn House Office Building Room B-369, Independence Avenue and South Capital Street SW, Washington, D.C.

Featuring remarks by Congressman J.C. Watts, Jr. and Undersecretary of Commerce Grant D. Aldonas

As the world turns its attention towards the World Summit on Sustainable Development, scheduled to begin August 26 in Johannesburg, South Africa, policymakers everywhere are being challenged to enable the world’s poorest countries to benefit from the global economy. We cordially invite you to join us to discuss how best to meet this challenge through better defined and coordinated environment and trade-related technical assistance and capacity building.

The urgent need for capacity building for developing countries to address the challenges of sustainable development was highlighted last November at the Fourth WTO Ministerial, where delegates from 144 countries agreed on an agenda for a new round of WTO negotiations. Paragraph 33 of the Ministerial Declaration was exclusively devoted to the need for capacity building on the trade, environment, and development policy intersection. At the United Nations Conference on Financing for Development in March 2002, government leaders amplified this call for increased technical assistance. They also committed their governments to develop a coordinated program to eradicate poverty, attract international investment, promote trade, and improve the coherence and consistency of the international monetary, financial, and trading systems. While noting that each country has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development, leaders acknowledged that increased financing for development was critical to the future of the world’s poorest countries.

Upon his return from a ten-day tour of four African countries, U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill put a human face to this challenge when he said, "I saw signs of progress everywhere. Programs are working, aid is helping, and standards of living are improving. But there is a long way to go. The progress I saw deserves praise, but it just isn’t enough." In particular, Secretary O’Neill said that the support already provided by international organizations, governments, and the private sector must be held to a higher standard.

In the months before Johannesburg, there is a need to assess recent capacity building efforts on environment, trade, and development to identify gaps where improvements can be made to enhance the coordination of current activities. This event will provide a forum for identifying capacity building activities that can help countries effectively engage in trade and environment negotiations, assess the environmental and developmental implications of WTO agreements, and develop mutually supportive trade and environment policies. We will propose specific actions that can ensure better coordination and effectiveness of capacity building activities provided by governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.