ISPRI WORKSHOP ON TRADE IN SERVICES
THE ROLE OF A NATIONAL COALITION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SERVICES SECTOR
Michelle Hustler – German International Development Agency (GIZ)
Services: The Growth Engine
‘Services constitute two-thirds of the world economy and the fastest growing
component of world trade. They are core drivers of economic growth,
employment and development in every part of the world.’
What are Coalitions?
A service coalition is an
organization of stakeholders
related to the services sector
who may have diverse subsectoral interests, but who
share common industry-wide
objectives – namely the
development of the service
industry.
Caribbean Coalition Background
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1997 – Caribbean Coalition idea
proposed at a CARICOM/UNDP
Regional Workshop on Trade in
Services
1999 – CEDA commissioned paper,
Towards a Caribbean Coalition of
Services Industries, by Henry Gill
2001 – COTED agrees to regional
services sector development plan which
includes the establishment of National
Coalitions
2002 – Barbados Coalition of Service
Industries launched
FULLY OPERATIONAL:
Barbados
Trinidad and Tobago
Saint Lucia Coalition
Jamaica
Antigua and Barbuda
Dominica
LAUNCHED:
Belize
Grenada
Guyana
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
CARICOM Objectives
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To provide the service providers with knowledge of export
opportunities;
To organize trade missions to identify and exploit market
opportunities;
To encourage service providers to engage in developing export
programmes and promotional activities through collaboration
locally, regionally, and internationally;
To promote the further development and competitiveness of the
services sector;
To ensure that the highest industry standards are met by all
service providers;
To educate the service providers on relevant aspects of the
CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), Free Trade of
the Americas (FTAA), the Economic Partnership Agreements(EPAs)
of the EU-ACP, the World Trade Organization's General
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and any other trade
agreements or developments that can affect trade in services;
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To educate service providers on relevant government
policies that can assist or hinder the export of services;
To represent the interests of the services sector,
including lobbying government and promoting fair
multi-lateral rules for trade in services;
To promote the organization of non-organized service
providers into associations;
To advise government on market conditions/trends with
a view to implement/relax policies to facilitate the
growth of local practitioners;
To encourage strategic alliances/partnerships with
regional and extra-regional counterparts;
To ensure that factors such as population, GDP, size of
country and educational resources are contemplated
during the implementation of any trade agreement.
Why Coalitions?
Coalitions and their Impact on Stakeholders:
Governments
•Collects information from private;
•Disseminates information to private sector;
•Serves as a ‘voice’ for the services;
•Captures services data;
•Plays a large role in organizing and strengthening the services sector;
•Encourages government to seek/adopt fair, multilateral rules for trade
in services – assists in the elaboration of informed trade policy decisions
•Raises the profile of the services sector;
•Serves as a vehicle for aligning with other international coalitions in
raising the profile of the domestic services sector internationally
Why Coalitions?
Coalitions and their Impact on Stakeholders:
Negotiators
•Offers a focal point for the collection and dissemination of information;
•Offers a platform via which private sector positions and developmental needs
regarding trade negotiations are more readily obtainable;
•Serves as a partner in hosting informational forums for the private sector
regarding trade related issues;
•Assists in the simplification of technical trade information to ensure a better
understanding at private sector level
Why Coalitions?
Coalitions and their Impact on Stakeholders:
Service Associations
•Assists in the establishment of new service associations and in the strengthening of existing associations
through administrative and developmental support;
•Encourages and enables service associations to implement export-focused services and offers training
regarding the same;
•Assists in the development of national sectoral strategies, involving the input from various related service
associations;
•Lobbies on behalf of service associations or services sectors to governments or other international agents;
•Facilitates the establishment of Mutual Recognition Agreements or address related market entry/access
issues;
•Establishes relationships and networks with other service associations across the region or internationally;
•Facilitates networking opportunities amongst association members;
•Offers service associations the opportunity to raise public awareness on the roles of the association and
the types of services being offered by its membership;
•Encourages services associations to adopt high, international standards
Why Coalitions?
Coalitions and their Impact on Stakeholders:
Private Sector Operators
•Raises the awareness of trade in services issues to private sector operators and draws to
their attention information that will affect their competitiveness;
•Simplifies technical trade material for its membership via web platforms, newsletters or
through workshops and other forums;
•Offers training and other support that will enhance the competitiveness of the private sector;
•Provides export opportunities and elaborates export promotion activities such as trade
missions;
•Provides market information;
•Assists in the formation of strategic alliances nationally and internationally;
•Offers networking opportunities both nationally and internationally;
•Assists its individual members in establishing credibility through alignment with the coalition
or via initiatives such as awards programmes
Why Coalitions?
Coalitions and their Impact on Stakeholders:
Public
A coalition:
•Raises the awareness of trade in services issues;
•Raises the profile of the services sector and ensures that the value and
contribution of the services sector is well understood
S
‘In 2009, services accounted for 67% of GDP worldwide and
commercial services exports totalled $3.78 trillion, or 24.3% of total
world exports.’
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Barbados, May, 2007
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Antigua, July, 2009
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Barbados, December, 2010
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http://c-nsc.org
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Raise awareness of the
importance of the services sector
at national/regional level
Development of export
promotion programme
Lobbying and Advocacy for the
development of the sector
Institutional strengthening for the
services sector (associations and
coalitions)
German International Development Agency
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Raise awareness on services
issues in the region through
the development and
maintenance of a CNSC
website, newsletter and
magazine
Offer technical support to
fledgling coalitions with
respect to best practices
Co-ordinate efforts of the
CNSC network
Global Services Coalition and Others
Informal, private sector led, international
forum:
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Australian Services Roundtable,
Barbados Services Coalition, Canadian
Services Coalition, European Services
Forum, CSI (US), Hong Kong Coalition
of Services Industries, Jamaican
Coalition of Services Industries, Japan
Services Network, NASSCOM, Taiwan
Coalition of Services Industries,
International Financial Services London
A Developed Services Sector is Exporting
A developed services sector is informed, organized, supported, contributory,
competitive and most of all, exporting efficiently and effectively.
SUMMARY
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EDUCATION or AWARENESS BUILDING – Raising the awareness of the importance of the
services sector, educating the private sector and the governments on trade in services issues
DEVELOPMENT - INSTITUTIONAL – Organizing the services sector through the establishment
of service associations, strengthening existing associations to serve as meaningful focal points
for the sector
DEVELOPMENT – SECTORAL – Increasing the capacity of service providers to export through
sector development initiatives, encouraging the adoption of the highest international standards
DEVELOPMENT – PRIVATE SECTOR – Equipping service providers with the skills to increase
their competitiveness nationally and internationally
LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY – Representing the interests of the services sector, promoting a
‘services-first’ approach by governments, encouraging the adoption of fair multilateral rules for
trade in services, contributing the negotiation processes, collection and dissemination of
information
EXPORT PROMOTION – Identifying export opportunities, organizing trade missions/shows,
encouraging associations to adopt export-focused programmes, facilitating trade initiatives
(inbound/outbound), networking initiatives
A Developed Services Sector is the Responsibility of Many
A national services coalition requires the support of many in the development
of the services sector.
Developing the Services Sector - Responsibilities
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Coalitions
Professional Associations
Government
Private Sector
Educational Institutions
Lending Institutions
Other BSOs
According to a 2007 International Labor Organization report,
more individuals are employed in the services sector than either
agriculture or industry
http://c-nsc.org
www.giz.de
michellehustler@gmail.com
ISPRI WORKSHOP ON TRADE IN SERVICES
THE ROLE OF A NATIONAL COALITION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SERVICES SECTOR
Michelle Hustler – German International Development Agency (GIZ)