Capacity building for enterprises, chiefly SMEs, and their supporting agencies, through improving the quality of products and services is an important activity of the secretariat.

As trade in services (and, in particular, information intensive services) increases, and as trade in both goods and services becomes itself more dependent on international information flows, telecommunications play an increasingly important role in the process of globalization of international trade.

Also, with the growth of trade in goods and services, the expansion of distribution networks globally implies increasing trade in distribution services.

Moreover, disciplines on subsidies could increase the participation of developing countries in global trade in services.

COMMISSION ON TRADE IN GOODS AND

TRADE IN SERVICES

Finally, the globalization of the economy and trade liberalization had led to increased flows of service providers.

Furthermore, those Trade Points having access to the Internet World Wide Web services, can fully participate in the GTPNet on line information services.

It also has significant consequences regarding the dynamics of multilateral trade negotiations, since it suggests that those countries which are ready to participate in the kind of global trade which information technologies now allow will give high priority to liberalizing trade in telecommunications services, as well as trade in the goods and services which allow the production of such services.

Globalize trade.

The value added in the global chain of supply of goods and services has made distribution services a key infrastructural service and a vehicle in international trade and competitiveness, as well as a sector by itself in the services trade negotiations in the WTO.

International trade in services

The global banking and financial services sector is the most sophisticated of all the trade efficiency sectors.

GTPNet currently features two UNCTAD maintained World Wide Web servers in Geneva and Melbourne.

The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides a unique multilateral legal framework for trade in services and for negotiations on their further liberalization.

For instance, before it started to operate its own server, Trade Point Harare used the Internet Incubator to upload not only Trade Point information, but also an entire searchable database on the GTPNet server.

Currently, the GTPNet is featuring two UNCTAD maintained World Wide Web servers in Geneva and Melbourne.

III. Trade in services 27 45

Globalization entailed the elimination of tariffs and obstacles to trade and the liberalization of investment and services in a bid to open up the world's economies.

Developing countries generally remained net importers of commercial services in 2003, and their services trade has been below global averages.

The Broken Legs of Global Trade

1994 General Agreement on Trade in Services Organization Multilateral Binding Adopted

(b) Improving trade supporting services facilitating trade and exports

Trade in services and development

INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN HEALTH SERVICES

Assessment of trade in services in the GATS negotiations

(a) Providing substantive servicing to the Commission, the Committee on Managing Globalization and the Subcommittee on Trade and Investment on issues relevant to trade and investment

quot Globalization discussions so far have mainly referred to trade in goods and services, and have tended to overlook technology, labour and migration flows.

COMMISSION ON TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES, AND COMMODITIES

(b) Improving trade supporting services facilitating trade and exports

Trading up Global Trade Talks

13 For the full text of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, see http www.wto.org english tratob_e serv.e gatsintr_e.htm.

MODES OF TRADE IN HEALTH SERVICES

Its policy research and analytical work must illuminate the changes in the global economy as they relate to trade, investment, technology, services and development.

For the period 2000 2003, trade in services represented 16 per cent of the total trade of developing countries, expanding at the same pace as their trade in goods.

Box 7 The Global Trade Point Network (GTPNet)

Preferences, South South trade, and regional and global trade agreements

Since this trade is channelled through distribution networks, growth in distribution services will continue to be a characteristic of the global economy.

Mr. Hamid Mamdouh, Director, Trade in Services, WTO

Target recipients will be traders and trade supporting service providers.

It has become of increasing importance that the name Trade Point is legally protected worldwide, together with the name and logo of the Global Trade Point Network (GTPNet) and the Electronic Trading Opportunities (ETOs).

Technical assistance was also provided from databases in trade in goods and services trade in services competition policies trade and environment and investment regimes.

The global trading system needs to be fair.

Commission on Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities

International trade in goods and services, and commodities