National Workshop on State of Play of WTO New Initiatives

Vientiane, June 28-30, 2021. The Department of Foreign Trade Policy (DFTP) of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) convened a ‘National Workshop on the State of Play of WTO New Initiatives’ at the MoIC with support from the USAID Laos Business Environment Project and the World Trade Organization. The workshop was chaired by Mr. Santisouk Phounesavath, Deputy Director General of DFTP, and it included representatives from various government agencies and business associations across different sectors.

The purpose of the workshop was to build capacity and provide a better understanding of the latest developments related to WTO trade negotiations, particularly new WTO initiatives including: 1) E-Commerce; 2) Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises; 3) Investment Facilitation for Development); 4) Domestic Services Regulations; 5) Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastic Trade. This workshop will enhance the capacity of Lao PDR’s trade representatives to participate in the upcoming WTO 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), tentatively scheduled for late 2021, as well as future trade negotiations.

The USAID Laos Business Environment Project assists the Government of Laos to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises while strengthening the business environment in Laos.