Third Meeting – The Committee on International Trade Policies

Time: 8h00 – 12h00 Thursday, December 24th,  2010

Venue: International Conference Center, 11 Le Hong Phong, Hanoi

On December 24th, 2010, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) held the “Third Meeting – The Committee on International Trade Policies” in Hanoi. This event belongs to VCCI’s Program “Enterprises and International Trade Policies” in the framework of Project MUTRAP III (Multilateral Trade Assistance Project, Component III EU – Vietnam) sponsored by European Union.

The Committee on International Trade Policies (the Committee) is a unit under VCCI, served as a forum between State Agencies and the business community in order to enhance the participation of the business community into the process of negotiating and implementing international trade commitments.

Established since the end of 2009, the Committee has built up an operational mechanism and a working plan which focuses on specific, selective and necessary issues. In 2010, the Committee continued to complete its operational mechanism, carry out propaganda activities through the website www.trungtamwto.vn/www.wtocenter.vn, publishing newsletters “Enterprises and International Trade Policies”, drafting a handbook on international trade policy advocacy; conduct policy advocacy activities through three campaigns: i) Setting up a mechanism for the business community to participate into the process of negotiating and implementing international trade policies; ii) Should Vietnam join the Vienne Convention on Contracts for international sales of goods; iii) TPP negotiations – which strategies for Vietnam?

In the framework of the Committee action plan, the 3rd meeting of the Committee focused on: i) TPP negotiations and Vietnam Strategies? ii) Which mechanism for the business community to actually and effectively take part in the process of negotiating international trade commitments? Most participants said that to have the best TPP negotiating strategy, it is necessary to increase dialogue between the negotiating authorities and the business community in which opinions of each industry group must be paid attention. Therefore, it is necessary to create an effective mechanism for the business community to take part in the process of shaping policy and negotiating international trade commitments of the Government. 

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Government has been collecting opinions of the business community in almost international trade negotiations through unofficial channels.  Therefore, he highly supported the formation of an official mechanism that allows the business community to raise their voices in international trade negotiations to protect their benefits. However, even such a mechanism is created, Vietnamese enterprises need to improve their capacity to have effective recommendations to the Government, according to the economic specialist Pham Chi Lan.

The meeting also drew up the Committee action plan for the year 2011, in which continue 2010 activities with extension to some new issues, as well as carry out some other activities such as training courses and publishing reference books…

 

• Bao cao hoat dong .pdf

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