WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/COMTD/IF/24
15 April 1998
(98-1486)
Committee on Trade and Development
Integrated Framework for Trade-Related
Technical Assistance
EVALUATION OF TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
REQUIREMENTS PRESENTED BY BURKINA FASO
Integrated Responses from the World Bank, ITC,
UNCTAD, IMF, WTO, and UNDP1
BURKINA FASO
                                                     
1Published pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 5(e) of the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related
Technical Assistance (WT/LDC/HL/1/Rev.1).WT/COMTD/IF/24
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THE BURKINA ECONOMY:  DEVELOPMENTS IN 1997
The main objective of the Burkina authorities in  1997 was to attain real annual net growth in
GDP of 2 per cent per capita.  This objective is based on annual macroeconomic performance with
growth in real GDP of between 5 per cent and 6 per cent, inflation of 3 per cent and a current external
deficit, net of grants, of 11.8 per cent of GDP (objective up to June 1998).
The partial balance for the first quarter of 1997 indicates that economic trends thus far fit well
within this general framework.  The situation is partly linked to performance of the Burkina economy
during the previous year.
Growth in 1996 was an estimated 6.1 per cent.  The contributions of the different sectors of
the economy to this growth were 43 per cent by the tertiary sector, 39.7 per cent by the primary sector
and 17.3 per cent by the secondary sector.  The sectors have grown unequally:  7.3 per cent for the
primary sector, 2.3 per cent for the secondary and 5.7 for the tertiary.  The trend to lower inflation
continued in 1996, falling from 7.8 per cent in 1995 to 6.1 per cent in 1996, but is still short of the
target of 3 per cent.
With respect to this performance, the economic option for 1997 was to consolidate the gains
made.
What does this trend mean, particularly for foreign trade?With respect to the balance of payments, provisio nal data indicate that the deficit in the trade
balance has risen from CFAF 98 billion in 1995 to CFAF 133 billion in 1996.  This deterioration is
the result of the relatively significant increase in imports, which rose from CFAF 241 billion in 1995
to CFAF 286 billion in 1996, for growth of close to 17 per cent.  Exports saw only modest growth of
7 per cent.
The current balance has moved from a surplus of CFAF 4 billion in 1995 to a deficit of
CFAF 43 billion in 1996.  The decline is due, on the one hand, to the performance of the trade
balance, and to the drop in transfers with no counterpart, particularly private transfers, on the other.
The objectives for 1997 are to bring the deficit in the current balance (net of grants) down to
12 per cent of GDP.  Exports are expected to rise from 9 per cent to 10 per cent, particularly cotton,
which should increase from CFAF 46.1 billion in 1996 to CFAF 74.3 billion in 1997, while imports
will grow in the order of 5.5 per cent, chiefly on account of imports of construction materials and
equipment.
However, these forecasts could be widely off the mark if measures planned by the West
African Economic and Monetary Union concerning the dismantling of tariff restrictions are actually
applied.
Prospects for Burkina Faso's exports were not favourable in the first quarter of 1997.  The
cotton market has been in decline since the last quarter of 1996 owing to a drop in world demand.
Gold, which is one of the country's main commodities, has not performed favourably either.At times, its price has fallen below the floor of US$350 per ounce, which is the lowest level
since December 1993.  This decline in the price of gold is partly explained by the rise in the dollar,
which penalizes investors outside the United States, and partly by speculative sales caused by rumours
that European central banks would be selling gold as a prelude to the single currency.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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As to the country's other exports, those whose prices have not fallen have, at best, remained
stable.  This holds true for groundnuts and shea nuts.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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EVALUATION OF TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
REQUIREMENTS PRESENTED BY BURKINA FASO
A. TRADE  POLICY
Since the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994, Burkina Faso has benefited from an
improvement in the competitiveness of its export s, which grew faster than GDP.  The successive
agreements that Burkina reached with the Bretton Woods institutions have permitted it to boost
employment and growth within the country, although the economy remains relatively fragile.
The World Bank forecasts real growth in Burkina exports from 1997 to 2005 of between
4.6 per cent and 7.1 per cent, compared with growth in GDP of 4.1 per cent to 6.1 per cent.  This
indicates that the Burkina economy will use exports as the engine for growth.  Still, there has been no
specific initiative to broaden the export base, whose narrowness continues to be the main structuralimpediment to achieving overall economic growth objectives through exports.
Burkina Faso is essentially agricultural and one third of its domestic production is accounted
for by the agricultural sector, as against 40 per cent for services and 20 per cent for manufacturing.
Unfortunately, growth in the agricultural sector continues to be slightly negative (-0.9 per cent in
1995) despite the doubling of cotton exports, which rose from US$59 million in 1994 to
US$102 million in 1995.  Exports from the livestock subsector dropped over the same period from
US$57 million to US$49 million.  Exports contribute only 14 per cent of national production and are
not diversified, being limited to cotton and livestock, which account respectively for 33 per cent and
22 per cent of total exports.  Gold is the third-ranking export, but official export figures have fallensharply since 1990, from 3.5 tonnes to 1.5 tonnes.  It is expected that liberalization of the cotton and
gold sectors will reduce the distortions in those sectors and will benefit producers, leading to some
increase in production.
Non-traditional exports, such as fruits and vegetables, crafts and services are still not very
significant despite quite remarkable growth.
(a) What are the sectors that you believe have unexploited or underexploited export
potential?
Remote from international communication centres, Burkina Faso is a Saharan country with an
essentially rural population.  It lives off subsistence crop and livestock farming and from
income-earning crops (particularly cotton) and remittances from emigres.  Foreign trade is very
unbalanced, with the main exports being cotton, non-monetary gold, livestock, hides and skins, and
fruits and vegetables.
The sectors with unexploited or underexploited export potential are:- Livestock and by-products:
- animals and meat;
- poultry;- by-products (hoofs and horns, hides);
- Crops:
- oilseeds (groundnuts, sesame seeds);
- local produce;WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- Crafts;
- Tourism, motion pictures, etc.;
- Mining.
Some of the reasons why these sectors are unexploited or underexploited are:
- Lack of sufficient expertise in international marketing techniques by exporting
firms and trade-support institutions;
- weakness in purchasing power in the country and the subregion, which limits
outlets for national and subregional industries;
- the land-locked position of the country, which translates into fairly high import
costs, transfer fees that are sometimes exorbitant, and limited cargo capacity,
particularly in air transport.
(b) Could you please define your country's pers pective of the reasons for any changes in the
structure and direction of exports and imports?
In general, the structure and direction of trade flows have not undergone major changes.
However, in exports, livestock and meat have moved into second position after cotton.  This
change is linked to the devaluation of the currency (the CFA franc) in January 1994, which madeBurkina's livestock and meat competitive on coas tal markets, even compared with subsidized
European meat.
Non-monetary gold has dropped to third place owing to depletion of the mines and
uncontrolled exports.  However, a recovery can be expected when multinational mining companiesbegin to operate licences recently granted to them.
The country's main exports are cotton, livestock and meat, non-monetary gold, hides and
skins, and fruits and vegetables.
The main imports are food, petroleum products, construction materials, machinery and
equipment, vehicles, soft drinks, tobacco and beverages.
The country's main trading partners both for exports and imports are the European Union
(particularly France) and WAEMU (particularly Côte d'Ivoire).
(c) What have been the objectives of trade po licy in the most recent period, compared to,
say, two decades ago?
Until 1991, trade policy was basically protectionist.  The State intervened in the economy as a
player and the main builder of national wealth.
After 1991, in the wake of a structural adjustment programme, the State undertook sweeping
economic reforms, particularly liberalization of trade.  The goal is to turn the private sector into the
engine of economic growth.  The Government will act as regulator of the economy, tax collector and
builder of national infrastructure (roads, schools, health care facilities).
The following steps have been taken to promote the private sector:
- New investment code;WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- privatization programme to permit the Government to withdraw from competitive
sectors;
- restructuring of agencies that provide support for the private sector;
- establishment of a business promotion centre.
(d) What are the Ministries in charge of trade policy matters, including formulation,
implementation, enforcement and monitoring?  How is coordination made?  What are the
respective roles of the relevant Ministries (give particular attention to tariff policies and other
policies directly affecting exports and imports of goods and services)?
The Ministries are:
- The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts (MCIA), which is responsible for drawing
up the list of products whose imports and exports are controlled;
- the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance (MEF), which is responsible for
determining customs tariffs;
- the Ministry of Transport (MT), which prom otes exports of fruits and vegetables; and
- the Ministry of Regional Integration, which promotes intra-community trade.
They are coordinated through interministerial committees that deal with specific trade issues:- Import verification programme:  MCIA and MEF;- National Committee for Promotion of Fruit and Vegetable Exports:  MCIA and MT.
(e) How are the private sector and academic institutions associated with the formulation
and conduct of trade policy?
Officially there is no linkage between the private sector and universities, although they
cooperate informally in formulating and guiding trade policy.
(f) What are the institutions in your country th at can play a role in implementation of a
trade-related project at the local level?  State their respective roles.
The institutions are:
- The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts (MCIA), which is responsible for defining
and monitoring trade policy;
- the National Foreign Trade Office (ONAC) and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry
and Crafts (CCIA-B), which are responsible for implementing trade policy;
- the Burkina Council of Shippers, which is responsible for facilitating and
rationalizing commercial transportation;WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- the Business Promotion Centre, which is responsible for promoting investments by
small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and facilitating administrative
procedures relating to trade.
(g) What are the main laws and regulations de aling with trade policy - on exports and
imports?  Please provide a short description of each.
The main texts are:
- Ordinance No. 91-0069/PRES on the country's general import and export regime.
This text stipulates that the entry into national territory for commercial purposes
under any customs regime of non-prohibited merchandise of any origin and any
provenance is free.  However, out of concern to control the economy, imports ofcertain products may require special import authorizations (ASI) to be obtained in
advance from the competent services.  The ordinance also makes provision for special
export authorizations (ASE) and technical visas;
- Decree No. 92-332/PRES/PM/MFP/MICM establishing an import verification
programme;
- Interministerial Order No. 0 49/MFP/MICM implementing Decree
No. 332/PRES/PM/MFP/MICM of 19 November 1992 which created the import
verification programme.
These two texts stipulate that advance import declarations are required for imported
products whose FOB value is CFAF 500,000 or over.  For imports of
CFAF 1,500,000 and over, a preshipment inspection by the Société générale de
surveillance (SGS) is also required.
Other texts regulating administrative formalities include:- Notice to importers No. 92-79/MICM/S G/DGC/DCE of 5 December 1992, which
determines the list of products (ten) for which certificates of compliance must beobtained;
- Notice to importers and exporters No. 93-917/MCIM/SG/DGC of 29 December 1993,
banning exports of ivory to protect endangered species;
- Notice to importers and exporters No. AN III 073/FP/CAPRO/SG/DGCE/DEC/SRCE
of 23 August 1990, which gives a list of products subject to ASI (five) or ASE.
(h) What are the main instruments of trade policy - on exports and imports?  Please
elaborate (e.g. on import restrictions, the questions might be:  on what products are there any
import bans; on what products are there quantitative import restrictions; licensing
requirements etc.; what is the highest tariff rate  currently in use; are there any excise taxes,
other "domestic" taxes that are applied differenti ally to imported goods, or to goods of a type
that are principally imported?).
The main instruments are:
- Customs duties are the main instrument of Burkina Faso's import and export trade
policy;WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 8
- The policy to liberalize trade has consisted of reducing the number of products whose
import or export is controlled and of rationalizing and simplifying administrative
formalities.
What products are subject to import bans?
There are no products subject to import bans although some products are subject to
authorization:
- Advance import declaration (DPI) for certain products;- Special import authorization (ASI) or export authorization (ASE) for certain
products;
- National certificate of compliance (CNC);- Visas from the competent services for certain imports.
What are the licensing requirements?
There are no licensing requirements for international trade.  Instead there are equivalent
administrative procedures.
What is the highest tariff rate currently in use?
- The highest tariff rate in effect is 62.66 per cent.
- domestic taxes on imported products are:
- locally-manufactured tobacco:  13 per cent;- imported tobacco:  95 per cent;
- for other products, domestic taxes are the same for both imported and
locally-manufactured products.
(i) In case you are a WTO Member or are in the process of acceding, how is your country
preparing itself to comply  with the WTO Agreements?
Review of legislation and regulations to adapt them to WTO rules.  The operation is being
implemented by the External Trade Directorate.
Establishment of an inter-service working group to follow up on and coordinate activities
respecting WTO.  This group prepares lists of notifications and regulations for notification purposes.
It is composed of the following members:
- Ministries of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, Economic Affairs and Finance, Justice,
Transport and Tourism, Agriculture, Livestock, Environmental Affairs and Water,
Regional Integration, and External Affairs.
- Institutions :  ONAC, CCIA-B, CBC, ONATEL.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 9
(j) What is the state of familiarity with the WTO framework:
- among government and government-related agencies?
- in the private sector?
Government and parastatal institutions and the private sector are not fully familiar with the
WTO framework.
(k) What are your technical assistance require ments with regard to your compliance with
the WTO Agreements?
Training for actors involved in implementing the WTO Agreements (in other words, the trade
administration staff and particularly the members of the national unit responsible for the coordinationand follow-up of WTO activities) is necessary in the field of notifications.
(l) In which specific areas of the WTO Agreements do you have technical assistance needs
(e.g. market access, agriculture, rules (anti-dumpin g, subsidies, import licensing, rules of origin,
safeguards etc.), TBT and SPS, Services, TRIPS)?
Assistance in all areas of the WHO Agreements would be desirable since they are not well
known in Burkina.  However, the priority areas are market access, TBT, TRIPS, anti-dumping
services, safeguards and SPS.
(m) What is your assessment of your existing trade analysis and negotiating capacities, both
multilateral and bilateral, in areas alread y covered by the WTO Agreements and other
trade-related areas, e.g. competition policy and trade and environment?
Capacities are limited.
B. OBSTACLES TO TRADE EXPANSION
Obstacles to trade expansion are both structural and cyclical.
Supply constraints, including institutional bottlenecks
(a) What are the main bottlenecks inhibiting the development of sustained export capacity
of goods and services (e.g. customs facilitation, freight charges, quality management,
elimination of cumbersome legal and administrative procedures, paucity of human skills, access
at international prices to imported inputs, or inadequate telecommunication, port and transport
facilities etc.)?
- Land-locked countries may face addition al problems, such as having to ship
using costly or unreliable transport and ports systems.  In case this applies to
your country, please indicate such problems.  What kind of technical assistance
would help you work out these problems?
Bottlenecks inhibiting the development of sustained export capacity are as follows:
- Constraints of the institutions responsible for the support and promotion of foreign
trade;
- quality management;WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- the costs of inputs and transport;
- the fact that the country is landlocked;- scant adhesion to international conventions on transport;
- failure to apply subregional conventions and agreements on transport and highway
transit;
- poor application of the provisions of certain agreements (customs escort institution -
TRIE regimes);
- assistance to improve quality management, to train and sensitize interested parties and
to develop transportation infrastructure.
Institutional bottlenecks
(b) Are there any institutional bottlenecks, wh ich may impede the efficient conduct of your
country's trade policies?  Provide details.  For example, what are the problems perceived by the
different actors, e.g. exporters, producers, service providers (banks, insurance companies,
quality control, transporters, etc.), profession al associations and Ministries?  Are problems
mainly perceived in the area of:
(i) Human resources
- Organizational shortcomings of economic operators;
- lack of training;- unfamiliarity with texts and procedures on the part of certain economic operators;- random exports without orders or contracts.
(ii) Institutional management
- Cumbersome and slow administrative procedures;
- absence of a legal framework to provide security for economic operators and settle
litigation;
- insufficient coordination; complicated and costly marketing systems.
(iii) Financial and material resources
- On the financial level:
- absence or insufficiency of revolving funds;- slowness and high cost of intermediation;
- insufficient involvement of commercial banks and financial institutions.
- On the material level:WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- production and marketing mechanisms that are unadapted and insufficient, in
other words, inefficient (for example in the case of livestock and meat, the
absence of livestock vehicles, loading docks, feed troughs, vaccination
corridor etc.);
- insufficient storage and maintenance capacity;
- insufficient service roads;- poor infrastructure for the forwarding of merchandise;- vehicles that fail to conform to the requirements of transport and transit
conventions.
(iv) Communication
- Weak information and communication circuits;
- insufficient information on foreign markets, coupled with the absence of effective,
efficient, adequate and fully accessible market intelligence.
(c) What are the main bottlenecks to export diversification?
The main bottlenecks are:
- The narrow export base;
- the lack of information on foreign markets which leads exporters to take interest
only in traditional markets which are increasingly crowded;
- unawareness and poor mastery of export potential;
- high transport costs and limited freight capacity.
(d) If investment in the production of goods a nd services is inadequate, what are the main
reasons?  Please elaborate them (e.g. structural co nstraints, difficulties in attracting foreign
investment, limited enterprise development, fi nancing, lack of appropriate technology, etc.).
1. Reasons for inadequate investment in the production of goods and services.
Industry still plays a modest role in the economy of Burkina Faso.  Inadequate production of
manufactured goods can be explained by a number of factors, chiefly:
1.1 Structural constraints- The country is landlocked.  It must transport its goods by sea through coastal
countries in the subregion, which raises the costs.
- Industry is not sufficiently promoted.  The absence of a promotional structure able to
advise, train and educate people in techniques and methods for the creation,
conception and management of industrial projects is a handicap at present.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 12
A structure of this kind will soon make its appearance with the assistance of UNIDO.
1.2 Financing- Savings are low.  This explains the weak mobilization of financial resources.
Investments are generally based on external resources.
- Lack of appropriate financing structures.  Investment financing is selective and there
are no banks that truly specialize in investments in productive activities under
"appropriate" conditions.  Investments are made through commercial banks that do
not take account of the specific character of the secondary sector.
1.3 The costs of inputs and services
The costs of inputs and services are high owing to physical and social realities related
to the country's geography and history.  They have a major impact on the competitiveness and
growth of enterprises.
1.4 Technology
Production equipment is generally imported and is not always appropriate for
less-advanced countries, which have low levels of technological development and small
markets.  Such technology often turns out to be very costly.
In view of these bottlenecks, Burkina Faso is taking initiatives to promote the
productive sector.
(e) Is there a national policy to encourage export-related investment opportunities?  Please
elaborate.  What arrangements are in place fo r reviewing, drafting and negotiating contractual
arrangements with foreign investors?
National policy to promote investments is based on:
- The Investment Code.  Among the tools for promoting investments, the
Investment Code is a true fulcrum for incentives and encouragement.  The
enterprises accredited under the code benefit from privileges, and specific
advantages are granted to export-oriented businesses;
- investment promotion agreements.  Burkina has partnership policies with a
number of countries, whose objectives are to mutually promote and protectinvestments.
Under the framework of bilateral cooper ation, agreements are entered into to
increase trade volumes and attract foreign investors.  Burkina Faso is a founding member of
the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI).
(f) What are the main obstacles to the transfer, development and acquisition of technology?
Is there any national policy/strategy in this area?  Please elaborate.
The main obstacles are:
- Difficulties in absorbing technology transfers;WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- the expense and complexity of technology transfers, particularly turnkey
operations and operational plants;
- inappropriate or simply non-existent legal structures;- technology not adapted to local needs;- conscious or unconscious aping of technology since there is no autonomous
culture of technology;
- the costs of technical assistance, which are often exorbitant;- the absence or weakness of a true industrial cooperation policy.
National policy/strategy for the transfer and acquisition of technology
There is no policy or strategy in this field.  However, the texts of the Bangui Agreement on
the establishment of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) require the contractingparties (with regard to licensing industrial property rights) to register contra cts with the national OAPI
liaison body for examination and approval.  This control is intended to reduce foreign exchange
evasion and to eliminate abusive clauses that are often rampant in contracts of this kind.
(g) What are your technical assistance or oth er assistance needs with respect to supply
constraints?
Our technical assistance needs lie in the following fields:
- Improvement in quality management by establishing an independent
quality-control structure and providing human resource training;
- seeking out new markets, in other words, studies on markets and products of
interest to Burkina Faso;
- strengthening and upgrading of transportation and communications infrastructure.
Trade promotion and trade support services
(h) Do your enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises, experience difficulties in
expanding their exports?  What are these problems in the major export sectors?
SMEs have difficulties in developing their exports because:
- Their outputs are not competitive (cost of inputs, quality);- their production capacity is limited (scale of production);- the enterprises have no ambition to conquer foreign markets.  They are unwilling
to take the risk of seeking out new markets since they are unfamiliar with foreign
markets.
(i) What are the problems for your enterprises in obtaining reliable and up-to-date
information on export/import business opportunities?WT/COMTD/IF/24
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The main difficulties are:
- Access to new modern technologies, which is hampered either by the absence of
computer-based tools or by the inability of personnel (not qualified) to use that
technology to obtain market intelligence;
- the rapid changes in market intelligence mean that enterprises are unable to take
prompt advantage business opportunities.
(j) Can your enterprises offer products of in ternationally acceptable design, quality and
packaging to foreign buyers?  If not, what are the problems?
Yes and no, depending on the case, since quality and competitiveness (quality/price ratio)
present enormous difficulties.  Further, not enough information is available on export markets and
financing to improve quality is insufficient.
(k) What problems, other than in terms of trade policy, do you anticipate in developing the
export of services (e.g. computer software, tourism)?
The enterprises have little or no appropriate and effective logistical and information support.
(l) What are the technical/professional problems encountered by trade support institutions
(e.g. trade promotion council, chamber of commerce, exporters association, etc.) in yourcountry in providing their services to export/import enterprises?
The above-mentioned institutions lack professionalism in some cases, but are particularly
short on specialized human resources and logistical and financial means.  Further, their activities are
handicapped by the fact that they often do not have skilled workers, export techniques or the ability touse market intelligence.
(m) What problems and deficiencies are experi enced by enterprises in  their international
purchasing and inventory management?
The problems encountered by enterprises relate to:
- Banks (difficulties in access to credit);- transportation (very high costs, limited capacity);- foreign exchange (inability to manage conversion);- communications (information, language barriers).
(n) What are the present availability and arrangements for trade finance facilities (e.g.
export credit guarantees, etc.)?  Are there any perceived deficiencies in this area?
At present there are no financing facilities, particularly for exports.  Access to credit is
difficult for exporting firms.
(o) What are the main problems in the way of improving export/import management skills
of your business enterprises?  Do you have trai ning programmes in the country?  What are the
deficiencies?WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 15
The problems involve improving the qualifications of in-house personnel, since enterprises
are not interested in organized training sessions and firms that train their personnel do not have
training policies that are integrated with their business policies.
(p) Does your trade representation service actively promote your trade?  What are the
weaknesses?
No.  The weaknesses stem from the shortage of human, logistical and financial resources.
(q) Briefly describe your technical assistance needs in the area of trade promotion and
support services.
The priorities relate to training (specific and ongoing) to ensure appropriate intervention
methodologies, the formulation of an export promotion strategy, financing to strengthening
institutions and the provision of educational supports.
Market access
(r) What are your main market access problems?
The main market access problems are:
- Poor competitiveness of products (costs of inputs, quality, respect for standards);- lack of knowledge about markets;- failure to apply certain regulations and insufficient harmonization of subregional
policies;
- many formal and informal taxes (irregular taxes) on the tariff and non-tariff levels;- too many control posts.
(s) What specific problems or barriers, and in which countries, are most troublesome for
your exporters?
The specific problems have to do with:
- Foreign languages (particularly English);
- currencies (poor control over exchange rates, convertibility);
- transportation (high costs, limited capacity).
(t) Regional and subregional trading arrangemen t s  ( R T A s ) :   p l e a s e  l i s t  R T A s  t o  w h i c h
your country belongs.  Are you satisfied with th e performance with these RTAs?  Please state
the problems of each.  Do you have suggestions on how to solve these?
Burkina Faso is a member of WAEMU and ECOWAS and signatory to the Lomé
Convention.  The dissatisfaction stems from the fact that the Member States do not strictly respectthese regional trade arrangements.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 16
Burkina Faso does not make maximum use of the arrangements.  It does not have a structure
responsible for tapping these advantages to the benefit of economic operators.
(u) Are there any problems in utilizing the exis ting market access preferences, such as GSP,
GSTP?  Please state the nature of problems relating to each of these.
Burkina Faso does not make judicious use of the preference systems.  It does not have
specific structures responsible for informing and sensitizing economic operators to their existence.
(v) What are your technical assistance needs with respect to market access?
Technical assistance needs with respect to market access relate to:
- Training of trainers and economic operators on the different aspects of international
trade (price/quality, customs valuation, rules of origin);
- strengthening of trade-support structures;
- installation of computer-based tools to provide rapid access to market intelligence.
C. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Technical assistance is normally provided to developing and least-developed countries to
build or enhance their human resources and institutional capacities, provide market intelligence andtrade-related legal support, as well as improve their supply capabilities in order to make them more
active players in the field of multilateral trade.
(a) To the extent this kind of information is easily available, could you please briefly
describe what trade-related assistance you have received over the past five years from bilateraland multilateral sources and what projects/programmes are presently under consideration in
this area?
With respect to technical assistance, Burkina Faso has received aid from WTO in organizing
and holding seminars and workshops to provide information on and promote awareness of the WTOAgreements (1995, 1996, 1997).  The following projects are being implemented in MCIA:
- WTO/UNCTAD/ITC technical assistance programme;- Trade Point project directed by ONAC.
(b) Please summarize your technical assistance needs as well as other needs as reflected in
this check-list.  Please rank them in terms of priority.
The technical assistance needs in order of priority are:
- Trade-related assistance:
- formulation of an export promotion strategy;- development of products and markets, i.e. study of exportable products in
order to diversify the export base;
- studies of potential outlets for the diversification of growth markets.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 17
- Training-related assistance:
- establishment of a reference centre on MTS;- raining and specialization of the members of the national unit for
coordination and follow-up on WTO activities;
(i) training of trainers to establish national capability in MTS;(ii) information and sensitization of economic operators and
administrations regarding MTS through seminars and specific
workshops;
(iii) training for exporting firms;(iv) ongoing training on the WTO Agreements.
-  Assistance to strengthen trade-support structures:
- strengthening for ONAC, CCIA-B and CNP;- establishment of an independent quality control structure;- upgrading of transportation and storage infrastructure;- establishment of dry ports and facilities for breaking-out and distributing
merchandise.
(c) In light of the information you have been able to provide so far in response to the
questions in this check-list, what types of inform ation are, in your view, still missing or could be
improved upon?  In order to assist you in providing this missing information, would you need
technical assistance?
There is insufficient awareness of the mechanis ms of international trade on all levels (public
and private sectors) and training in this area is necessary.
(d) Does your country have the technological capacity and human resources to make use of
the new information/communication technology to ols such as CD-Rom, the Internet etc.?  What
assistance would you need to enable your country to use these tools in the context of training
and, more generally, in the context of trade development?
Burkina Faso does not have sufficient technological capacity.  However, it does have human
resources but they require further training in information technology to make better use of these tools.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 18
Integrated Responses by IMF, ITC, UNCTAD,
UNDP, World Bank and WTO
BURKINA FASO
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question A(k):
Technical assistance requirements as
regards compliance with WTO
Agreements
Training for the actors involved in
implementing the WTO Agreements
(i.e. the agents of the trade
administration and particularly themembers of the national unit
responsible for coordination and
follow-up on WTO activities) is
required in the field of notifications.ITC See the attached integrated project
(ITC/UNCTAD/WTO) "Monitoring
the WTO Agreements and Evaluation
of International Opportunities forBurkina Faso Enterprises" (I.P.).  The
project is intended to establish
national capacity to improve
knowledge of the trading system by
all the parties concerned and tofacilitate identification of export
opportunities by firms.
∗
UNCTAD Training of six trainers in analysis of
the implications of the WTO
Agreements and future topics for
negotiation (under the I.P.)
(ITC/UNCTAD/WTO).
WTO Participation by Burkina Faso
representatives in specializedseminars organized in 1998 and 1999
for French-speaking LACs.
A three-week training course in trade
policy will be organized in 1998 and
1999 for French-speaking LACs.
Also see activities under the I.P.
(ITC/UNCTAD/WTO).
                                                     
∗Financing to be requested.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 19
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question A(l):
Technical assistance needs as regards
specific WTO Agreements
Assistance in all fields of the
WTO Agreements is desirable since
they are not well known in Burkina
Faso.  However, the following fields are
priorities:  market access, TBT, TRIPS,services, anti-dumping, safeguards and
SPS.ITC See A(k).
UNCTAD A study is under way on the impact of
the WTO Agreements on individual
sectors.  It will be followed by
technical workshops to identify
recommendations.
A study is under way on the services
sector, including export potential
(CAPAS Programme).
WTO See A(k).WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 20
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question A(m):
Assessment of the existing trade
analysis and negotiating capacities
Capacities are limited. WTO Short trade policy courses will include
a segment devoted to simulations of
multilateral trade negotiations.
ITC/
UNCTAD/
UNDPSee A(k).
Also, the strengthening of institutions
that provide training in internationaltrade is planned under the I.P.
(ITC/UNCTAD/UNDP)
"Strengthening of capacity for trade
and development in Africa".
Five national workshops have also
been planned under the I.P.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 21
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question B(g):
Technical assistance needs as regards
supply constraints
Improvement of quality management by
establishing an independent
quality-control structure and providing
training for human resources.ITC See I.P.:  "Contribution to training for
managers and design of a work
programme in the field of quality".
Also, activities to promote the leather
sector are planned under a regional
project to improve quality and provide
assistance for marketing leather
goods.
World Bank Under the framework of the
programme to support trade
integration and multilateral regionalliberalization by WAEMU, the
World Bank will provide technical
assistance in the field of quality
control applied to domestic and
imported goods.
Search for new markets, i.e. studies onmarkets and products of interest to
Burkina Faso.ITC See I.P.:  "Advice on the
consolidation of national capacity to
develop products and markets".
Strengthening and upgrading oftransportation and communication
infrastructure.ITC  See I.P.: "Establishment of
coordinated economic and market
intelligence services".WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 22
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question B(q):
Technical assistance needs in the area of
trade promotion and support services
Priorities are training (specific and
ongoing) for personnel in order to
assure appropriate intervention
methodologies for designing an export
development strategy, financing forinstitution-building, and the provision
of educational supports.ITC See I.P.:  "Strengthening of national
training capacity in the multilateral
trading system" and "Design of export
development strategies".
ITC and the World Bank will
coordinate their activities in this area.
World Bank The project to support the private
sector has financed a diagnostic study
of the Burkina Foreign Trade Centre
and a restructuring plan will be
adopted by the Government.
ITC/UNCTADA study on export development
strategy will be undertaken, followed
by a national symposium (I.P.).WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 23
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question B(v):
Technical assistance as regards market
access
Training of trainers and economic
operators in different aspects of
international trade (price/quality,
customs valuation, rules of origin).ITC/
UNCTAD/
UNDPSee I.P.:  "Strengthening of national
training capacity".
Strengthening for institutions that
offer training in international trade isalso provided for in the I.P.
(ITC/UNCTAD/UNDP)
"Strengthening of capacity for trade
and development in Africa".
UNCTAD An advisory mission and a technical
workshop on preferential rules of
origin are planned.  (Supplementaryfinancing being sought.)
WTO See A(k).
Strengthening of trade-supportstructures.ITC See I.P.:  "Institutional assistance".
UNCTAD The SYDONIA system has been
installed.
An ECOWAS regional project to
strengthen customs administrations is
planned.
WTO See provisions under the I.P.
(ITC/UNCTAD/WTO).
World Bank Support for the Burkina Faso
Chamber of Commerce, Industry andCrafts (CCIA-B) and the National
Foreign Trade Office (ONAC) is
planned under the project to support
the private sector.
Installation of a computerizedinformation system to permit rapid
access to market intelligence.ITC See I.P.:  "Establishment of
coordinated economic and market
intelligence systems".  Also, the
TOPS database on business
opportunities for the membercountries of ECOWAS will be made
available to the Ministry of Trade.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 24
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question B(v) (cont'd): UNCTAD A mission on establishing a trade pole
took place in September 1996.  A
national coordinator has been
appointed.
WTO See C(d) below.
World Bank The Bank supports the network of
West African businesses and amission has pooled information on
trade and business opportunities.
Specific support is provided for the
Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce,Industry and Crafts (CCIA-B) under
the same project.
ITC/
UNCTAD/
WTOA reference service on the
international trading system will be
put in place (I.P.).
The TRAINS software programme
will continue to be provided.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 25
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question C(b):
Summary of technical assistance needs
according to priority
Trade-related assistance:
Design of an export promotion strategy. ITC See B(q).
Development of products and markets,
i.e. a study of exportable products inorder to diversify the export base.ITC See B(g).
Study of potential opportunities for
diversification of growth markets.ITC See B(g), B(v) and B(q).
Training assistance:
Establishment of a reference system on
MTS.WTO See I.P. (ITC/UNCTAD/WTO).
ITC/
UNCTAD/
WTOA training seminar for documentalists
is planned (I.P.).
Training and specialization for the
members of the national unit for
coordination and follow-up on WTO
activities:
- Training of trainers to establish
national capacity in the field of
MTS;
- information and sensitization of
economic operators andmanagers regarding MTS
through specific seminars and
workshops;
- training of exporting firms;
- ongoing training on the WTO
Agreements.ITC See A(m) and B(q).
WTO See I.P. (ITC/UNCTAD/WTO).
Assistance to strengthen trade support
structures:
Strengthening for ONAC, CCIA-B and
CNP.ITC See B(g) and B(v).
World Bank See B(v).
Establishment of an independent quality
control structure.ITC See B(g).WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 26
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question C(b) (cont'd):
World Bank See B(g).
Upgrading of transportation and storage
infrastructure.
Creation of dry ports and facilities for
the break-out and distribution of goods.2
                                                     
2The World Bank suggests that this be financed by the private sector.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 27
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question C(c):
Additional information
Knowledge of international trade
mechanisms is lacking on all levels
(public and private sectors).  Training is
necessary in this field.WTO See A(k), A(l) and A(m).WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 28
Technical assistance needs identified in
the questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question C(d):
Technology assistance needs in the area
of information technology, including
training of human resources
Burkina Faso does not have sufficient
technological capacity, although it does
have human resources.  However, they
need to learn more about informationtechnology to make better use of these
tools.ITC See B(g).
UNDP Under the regional project "Internet
Development in Africa"
(RAF/96/021), regional seminars will
be organized in which Burkina Faso
managers can participate.
WTO Under its participation in the I.P.
(ITC/UNCTAD/WTO), WTO has
provided the Ministry of Trade with a
computer and laser printer(November 1997).
WTO has also established the
necessary Internet connections at the
focal point and proposes to supply aCD-ROM on the results of the
Uruguay Round and another on the
multilateral trading system.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 29
BURKINA FASO
PROJECT DOCUMENT ON FOLLOW-UP AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WTO
AGREEMENTS - Version:  30.01.98
WTO World Trade OrganizationUNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentITC International Trade CentreTitle Follow-up on the WTO agreements and evaluation of international opportunities for
Burkina Faso enterprises
Duration 30 monthsProject site Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Sector Trade and development
Subsector Export promotionImplementing World Trade Organization
agencies United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
International Trade Centre
National Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts (MCIA)
counterpart National Foreign Trade Office (ONAC)agencies Burkina Faso Chamber of Co mmerce, Industry a nd Crafts (CCIA-B)
Foundation for the Promotion of En terprise and Employment (FPEE)
Estimated March 1998
starting date
Short This project is intended to establish national capabilities for better understanding of
description the trading system on the part of the government and enterprises of Burkina Faso and
to facilitate the identification of export opportunities stemming from implementation
of the Uruguay Round Agreements by the Member Countries of WTO.
Estimated total budget:  US$1,376,000
1998 1999 2000 Total
WTO 53,000 33,000 30,000 116,000
ITC 339,000 435,000 129,000 903,000
UNCTAD 144,000 182,000 31,000 357,000
Total 536,000 650,000 190,000 1,376,000WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 30
Approved by:
Government of
Burkina Faso (Signature)  ______________________ Date:________________________
Donor country (Signature)  ______________________ Date: ________________________
Donor country (Signature)  ______________________ Date: ________________________WTO (Signature)  ______________________ Date:_________________________UNCTAD (Signature)  ______________________ Date:________________________ITC (Signature)  ______________________ Date:________________________WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 31
Table of Contents
Page
I. CONTEXT...................................................................................................................... .....34
A. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBSECTOR .........................................................................................34
B. ADHESION OF BURKINA FASO TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND APPLICATION OF
THE URUGUAY ROUND AGREEMENTS ....................................................................................35
C. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................35
II. PROJECT JUST IFICATION............................................................................................36
A. PROBLEMS .............................................................................................................................36
B. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDS ............................................................................................38
C. EXPORT DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF BURKINA FASO ........................................................39
III. ONGOING TECHNI CAL ASSI STANCE ........................................................................41
IV. PROJECT OBJECTIV ES AND OUTP UTS ....................................................................42
A. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE ....................................................................................................42
B. PROJECT DIRECT OBJECTIVE ..................................................................................................42
C. OUPUTS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE FIRST OBJECTIVE ...............................................42
D. OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE SECOND OBJECTIVE .........................................52
E. OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE THIRD OBJECTIVE ............................................54
V. PROJECT INPUTS AND MANAGEM ENT ...................................................................64
A. PROJECT STRATEGY ...............................................................................................................64
B. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION .......................................................................65
C. CONTRIBUTIONS BY PROJECT PARTNERS ...............................................................................68
VI. PERFORMANCE CRITE RIA AND RI SKS ...................................................................77
A. SUCCESS CRITERIA ................................................................................................................77
B. RISKS ............................................................................................................................... ......81
VII. EVALUATION AND REPORTING.................................................................................81
VIII. SUSPENSION OR E ND OF THE A SSISTANCE ...........................................................81WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 32
Page
IX. BUDG ETS ..................................................................................................................... ......82
A. BUDGETARY ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BY WTO ..............................................................82
B. BUDGETARY ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BY UNCTAD ........................................................83
C. BUDGETARY ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BY ITC ................................................................84
X. WORK PLAN AND SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES (BY SEMESTER)…………….  85WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 33
ABBREVIATIONS
AMB Burkina Faso Leather Manufacturers Association
ASEFLB Burkina Faso Association of Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables
CBC Burkina Council of ShippersCCIA-BB Burkina Faso Chamber of  Commerce, Industry and Crafts
CICD International Design and Creativity Centre
CPE Business Promotion Centre
DCPE Framework Document on Economic Policy
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
EU European Union
FPEE Foundation for the Promotion of Enterprise and EmploymentITC International Trade Centre
MCIA Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts
MICA International African Cinema Market
MTS Multilateral trading system
OHADA Organization for Harmonization of Business LawONAC National Foreign Trade Office
SIAO Ouagadougou International Crafts Fair
SIMPEX Importers and Exporters Association
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
WTO World Trade OrganizationWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 34
I. CONTEXT
An integrated technical assistance programme in certain less-developed and other African
countries3 has been adopted by WTO, UNCTAD and ITC in order to assist African countries to better
integrate into the multilateral trading system in  the shape it has assumed since the Uruguay Round
Agreements were signed.  In the first stage, the programme envisages information and trainingactivities to develop national capacity in this area.  The objective of the second stage is to strengthen
the export capacity of the different countries, through integrated technical-assistance activities.  In
order to define those activities, a joint ITC/UNCTAD/WTO mission visited Burkina Faso on 29 and
30 July 1996 to identify needs.  It was followed by an ITC programming mission from 15 to
23 September 1996 to evaluate the needs identified and to determine the specific actions to be
undertaken in the second stage.
This document is the result of investigations and consultations with the Burkina authorities
and private sector enterprises and institutions.  It also takes account of the analysis of technical
assistance requirements carried out by the Government of Burkina Faso itself for the High-Level
Meeting on the Review of Technical Cooperation Am ong Developing Countries held in Geneva in
October 1997.  At that meeting, Burkina Faso was selected as one of the LAC prototypes.  Thedocument also includes the comments of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts (MCIA) on the
previous version of the draft, dated 16 December 1997.  The different consultations were intended to
identify the main problems in implementing the agr eements of the multilateral trading system (MTS)
and to evaluate the technical assistance requirements expressed by the different interested parties,
with a view to better integrating Burkina Faso into the world market and helping the country's
enterprises to take advantage of globalization of that market.
The document discusses the activities to be undertaken by ITC, UNCTAD and WTO under
the Integrated Programme.
A. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBSECTOR
Since the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994, Burkina Faso has benefitted from an
improvement in the competitiveness of its export s, which grew faster than GDP.  The successive
agreements that Burkina reached with the Bretton Woods institutions have permitted it to boost
employment and growth within the country, although the economy remains relatively fragile.
The World Bank forecasts real growth in Burkina exports from 1997 to 2005 of between
4.6 per cent and 7.1 per cent, compared with growth in GDP of 4.1 per cent to 6.1 per cent.  This
indicates that the Burkina economy will use exports as the engine for growth.  Still, with respect to
medium- and long-term export development, the framework document on economic policy 1996-1998
(DCPE) envisages only a few measures to liberalize exports still subject to restrictions, such as hides
and skins, and in increase in cotton production.  Although precise measures for the liberalization ofimports have been included in the 1996-1998 Summary and Schedule for Macroeconomic and
Structural Adjustment Policies, there has been no specific initiative to develop the export base whose
narrowness continues to be the main structural  impediment to achieving overall economic growth
objectives through exports.  The country's National Foreign Trade Office has noted the urgent need to
define an export promotion strategy and spearhead sectors.
Burkina Faso is essentially agricultural and one third of its domestic production is accounted
for by the agricultural sector, as against 40 per cent for services and 20 per cent for manufacturing.
Unfortunately, growth in the agricultural sector continues to be slightly negative (-0.9 per cent in
                                                     
3Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 35
1995) despite the doubling of cotton exports, which rose from US$59 million in 1994 to
US$102 million in 1995.  Exports from the livestock subsector dropped over the same period from
US$57 million to US$49 million.  Exports contribute only 14 per cent of national production and are
not diversified, being limited to cotton and livestock, which account respectively for 33 per cent and
22 per cent of total exports.  Gold is the third-ranking export, but official export figures have fallen
significantly since 1990, from 3.5 tonnes to 1.5 tonnes.  It is expected that liberalization of the cottonand gold sectors will reduce the distortions in those sectors and will benefit producers, leading to
some increase in production.
Non-traditional exports, such as fruits and vegetables and crafts and services, are still not very
significant despite quite remarkable growth.
B. ADHESION OF BURKINA FASO TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND APPLICATION OF
THE URUGUAY ROUND AGREEMENTS
Burkina Faso is one of the founding Members of WTO.  As one of the less-developed
countries (LACs), it benefits from the specia l measures established in the Uruguay Round
Agreements.  The country has only made two of the many notifications required under the Uruguay
Round Agreements, in particular the notification under the Textiles Agreement.
The Directorate-General of Customs has requested deferred application of the WTO customs
valuation method in order to implement the agreement over a five-year transitional period.
C. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
1. Focal point for implementing MTS
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (MCIA) is responsible for trade management
and promotion.  The focal point for monitoring implementation of the WTO Agreements is located in
the Ministry.  It is the Directorate-General of Trade, Foreign Trade Directorate, which has tworesource persons appointed to the Trade Cooperation Service.  These employees are relatively well
informed about the different aspects of implementin g the Agreements, since they have been involved
in this field from the time that Burkina Faso adhe red to WTO.  They have also participated in two
short information seminars on the Uruguay Round.  The focal point also has all the official
documentation relating to the Uruguay Round Agreements, particularly from WTO.  However, thesedocuments are not accessible to the public.  As yet, there is no formally-established information
system in the Foreign Trade Directorate, but there are plans to set up a documentation service in the
Directorate-General of Trade.  Computer tools, which at one time were used in the directorate for
statistical work and database management, are no longer available.
The institutional infrastructure that MCIA has attempted to establish to monitor and
coordinate implementation of the Agreements in Burkina Faso has not yet been completed.  A"working group" was set up in 1996 but has only met three times.  Its members are drawn from the
Ministries of Trade, Industry, Agriculture, Transport, Finance (Customs, Treasury and Taxes), Health,
External Affairs, Integration, Environment and Tourism, the Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce,
Industry and Crafts (CCIA-B), the National Foreign Trade Office (ONAC), Faso Fani, the National
Telecommunications Office (ONATEL), and the Professional Association of Banks (APB).  MCIAhas been attempting to broaden membership in the working group and to make it permanent.  It will
be necessary to solve the problems of its current limited representativeness and high mobility among
civil servants in general before the group can be properly established.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 36
2. Organizations that promote foreign trade and private sector development
The institutions involved in foreign trade pr omotion and assistance for exporting firms are:
- The National Foreign Trade Office (ONAC), which is undergoing restructuring and
awaiting the appointment of a director general.
- The Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (CCIA-B), which has
also been restructured and is in the proc ess of appointing its technical committees and
revamping its organization chart.
- The Business Promotion Centre (CPE), formerly the Single-Window Centre, which
has now become an institution that promotes investments in SMEs and facilitates
procedures.
- The Burkina Council of Shippers (CBC), which has not yet completed its
restructuring and appears to be intending to specialize in training activities.
The following institutions in the services sector may be mentioned:- The Burkina Faso National Tourism Office (ONTB);
- The Ouagadougou Pan-African Film Festival (FESPACO) and its International
African Television and Cinema Market (MICA).
There are also professional associations, some of which appear to be consolidating through
their own efforts or with the assistance of the Foundation for the Promotion of Enterprise andEmployment (FPEE), particularly:
- The Professional Association of Banks (APB);
- The Importers and Exporters Association (SIMPEX);
- The Burkina Faso Association of Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables (ASEFLB);- The Burkina Faso Leather Manufacturers Association (AMB), etc.
FPEE, which is just being established, is receiving support from the European Union.  It's
objective is to improve the effectiveness of its members:  The Association of Women Entrepreneurs
(Femmes Solidarité), APB, SIMPEX, etc.
II. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
The study of Burkina Faso's export sectors and the survey conducted during the mission to
identify and evaluate technical assistance requirements have pinpointed several distinctive features
with respect to Burkina Faso's integration in to the multilateral trading system and future
implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements.  The main problems and priority technical
assistance requirements are discussed below.
A. PROBLEMS
There are two main types of bottlenecks that constrain the development of Burkina Faso's
foreign trade.  Structural problems require in-depth  work, time, and significant resources in terms of
investments in infrastructure and human resources, while alleviation of short-term problems willrequire less spending, although the amounts are still relatively large.  The latter would require less
time to solve.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 37
1. Structural problems
- Lack of sufficient expertise in international trade techniques by exporting firms and
private sector institutions.
- Narrowness of the export base.  As mentioned earlier, Burkina Faso's foreign
exchange comes basically from two or three primary products:  cotton, livestock and
animal by-products, and gold.  As to services, the country exports labour, particularly
to Côte d'Ivoire.  Diversification of the export base is checked by the high cost of
inputs and low productivity of the workforce.  Labour is not sufficiently trained in the
textile sector, where Burkina Faso could have comparative advantages.
- Weak purchasing power in the country and the subregion, which limits outlets for
national and subregional industries.
- The land-locked situation of the country which translates into fairly high import costs,
transport costs that are sometime exorbitant and limited freight capacity, particularly
in air transport.
- The inadequacy of the fiscal treatment of exports.  Despite the theoretical exemption
from the VAT to which exports are entitled, it is not reimbursed on inputs,
particularly imported inputs.  The drawback system is still not operational.
- Port taxes are still too high, despite the reforms introduced.
2. Short-term problems
- Lack of familiarity with the rules of the multilateral trading system and opportunities
on international markets stemming from improved access, particularly in terms of
customs tariffs.
- Weakness of the institutions that support foreign trade in human, logistical and
financial aspects.
- Absence of a structure to coordinate application of the multilateral trading system and
to manage Burkina Faso's integration into the system.
- Lack of familiarity with the terms of trade for certain products and with contract
negotiating techniques.
- Inadequacy of the information system on international trade and absence of reliable
data on marketing conditions for products that the country could supply.
- Inadequate management of imported supplies, particularly those used in the
production of exportable products (agricultural inputs, equipment and spare parts forindustry, packaging, transport and insurance services, etc.).  The insufficiencies affect
the cost and quality of these inputs.
- Problems linked to management of the logistics of exports and imports.  Insufficient
freight capacity and shortcomings in the cold chain are stumbling blocks to thedevelopment of non-traditional agricultural exports (horticulture).WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 38
- Unavailability of suitable financing for foreign trade operations and inadequacy of
credit policy for the country's export requirements.
B. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDS
In view of the limited scope of the technical assistance project presented in this document,
only needs related to short-term difficulties and institutional obstacles linked to exporting arementioned below.  Structural difficulties will be de alt with, over the longer term, by development and
cooperation programmes with other appropriate partners, such as UNDP, the World Bank, the
European Union, and bilateral cooperation with different countries and development funds.  The
present project will benefit from interactions with such projects and programmes whenever possible.
1. On the institutional level
- Establishment and start-up within the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts of a
structure to coordinate application of the Uruguay Round Agreements and to manage
the country' integration into the multilateral trading system.
- Strengthening of ONAC, the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Promotion
Centre to enable them to provide better support for the business community and
exporting firms.
2. On the regulatory and business environment levels
- Harmonization of business regulations and legislation with the provisions of
international agreements, with particular attention to work under the framework of
the Organization for Harmonization of Business Law (OHADA).
- Facilitation for the establishment of private enterprises through simplification of
procedures, liberalization and relaxation of regulations.
- Promotion of partnerships among operators in the West African subregion and
between Burkina Faso and foreign entrepreneurs.
3. Market intelligence
- Establishment of reference services on the MTS.  Complete and up-to-date
documentation on the system.
- Improvement in understanding of the Uruguay Round Agreements and MTS rules.
Alleviation of the concerns of industrialists regarding the removal of protection forlocal industries.
- Establishment of useful and operati onal information circuits.  Introduction of
databanks on trade and transportation.  Facilitation of the dissemination of
information on business opportunities stemming from the Uruguay RoundAgreements.
4. Human resource development and training
- Training of trainers in the multilateral trading system.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 39
- Development of technical skills in internatio nal trade within enterprises, including the
export of crafts, services and cultural products.
- Training for quality managers in exporting firms and quality auditors on production
lines and in food storage techniques.
- Training for specialists in metrology, quality, standardization and certification.
- Sensitization of small producers to quality requirements and international standards.
5. Development of products and markets
- Study of exportable products in Burkina Faso with a view to diversification and
expansion of the export base.
- Study of potential outlets for the diversification of export markets.- Formulation of a national export strategy based on the government's general policy
statement.
- Design of sector strategies for spearhead sectors with comparative advantages.- Assistance for establishing quality management systems in enterprises and support
institutions.
- Facilitation of access to export financing.- Facilitation of meetings between exporters and importers, particularly through more
trade missions and subregional trade fairs.  Assistance for the Ouagadougou
International Crafts Fair (SIAO).
- Establishment and start up of an International Creativity and Design Centre (CICD)
to improve the competitiveness of crafts and spur the creativity of craftspeople fromAfrica, and particularly from Burkina Faso.
C. EXPORT DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF BURKINA FASO
1. Fresh and processed agricultural products
Burkina Faso is basically agricultural and has considerable natural resources.  The soil and
climate favour tropical crops and, when rainfall is normal, two foodgrain crops can be grown each
year.  Market gardening is carried out virtually year-round.  Fruit can be sold on European markets
out of season, which favours marketing.  The country has potential in the following crops:
- Mangoes;
- green beans;- other fruits and horticulture products;
- tinned vegetables;
- dried products;
- fruit juice and pulp.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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2. Oilseeds
Cotton seeds, groundnuts and shea nuts form a substantial base for the oilseed industry.  The
country's two industrial processing units have been privatized.  Devaluation of the currency and
liberalization of trade circuits, particularly the cotton manufacturing pipeline, have improved the
competitiveness of raw materials and finished products, although the high cost of inputs stillhandicaps this branch of the economy.  Shea butter is still exported in bulk, despite the efforts to
provide value added by one small cosmetics company,  which could have interesting potential.  The
main products in this subsector are:
- Food oils;
- shea butter;
- meal and animal feed.
3. Livestock and by-products
The devaluation of the CFAF in early 1994 has made Burkina Faso's livestock and meat
competitive, even against subsidized frozen meat from Europe imported by Côte d'Ivoire, the sector'smain outlet.  Hides and skins are traditional exports, whose local value added has not increased
significantly despite privatization of the industry:
- Cattle on the hoof and fresh meat;
- hides and skins.
4. Crafts
he crafts sector provides employment for large numbers of people in urban areas and
temporary work for rural workers during the dry season.  Nearly one third of non-agricultural labourworks in crafts (35 per cent women).  This sector has grown in importance with the opening of the
Ouagadougou International Crafts Fair (SIAO) ten years ago, which has become a commercially
important event.  The country's main crafts are:
- Leatherwork: tanning, pyrography, travel and hunting articles;
- wood:  ebony and kola wood sculptures, musical instruments and utilitarian articles;
- basketry:  baskets and hats;
- cotton thread and fabric: blankets, traditional clothing, woven goods, embroidery,
etc.;
- bronze:  this group of products has made Burkina Faso's reputation in the subregion
and beyond.
5. Services
Because the country is landlocked, its economy imports transport and insurance services.
Some estimates place cost of bringing in imports and shipping out exports as high as 35 per cent of
the basic price of merchandise.  Transit services by highway or rail from the ports of Abidjan,Cotonou and Lomé to Ougadougou and vice versa are offered both by companies in the neighbouring
countries and transporters and freight forwarders in Burkina.  Although presumptive data are
available, no study has estimated the exact costs of these services or their distribution.
Further, close to three million citizens are living abroad, particularly in Côte d'Ivoire, where
they constitute a large workforce, particularly in services, agriculture and industry.  Some emigre
entrepreneurs have been successful and their recent investments in Burkina Faso have vigorously
spurred commercial activities and job creation, particularly in construction projects and the hotelWT/COMTD/IF/24
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industry in the capital, Ouagadougou.  They have also taken over many enterprises, particularly public
corporations that have been privatized.
The expatriates have many abilities and extensive relations abroad that the country could tap
to develop its export capacity in services in competitive niches to be determined.
Also, the Burkina education system has been able to train young people in a wide variety of
fields, ranging from crop and livestock farming techniques, to dewatering, information sciences and
management.  There are probably more of these young graduates than the national economy can
absorb at present.  Their skills could also serve as the basis for developing exports of services in the
fields of consulting, rural engineering and livestock farming, business management and information
systems subcontracting.
Moreover, the stable political situation in the country and positive growth in its economy in
recent years offer a favourable environment for Ouagadougou to recapture its role as subregional hub
of West Africa.  Many conferences, seminars and technical meetings are held there, as well as an
impressive number of regional and subregional conferences and congresses.  Three international
events were held there in late 1996 and early 1997:  the SIAO in October, the France-AfricaConference in December, and FESPACO in early 1997.  In 1998, Burkina Faso is organizing the
African Nations Soccer Cup and the country's economy will profit from it considerably.
Last, Burkina Faso has considerable potential for cultural and discovery tourism.  Despite the
failure of several attempts to establish charter tourism, the destination sells relatively well and peoplein the profession believe that it is far from attaining optimum levels of operation.  The country's
comparative advantages are not well defined and it does not have a clear strategy for marketing itself
as a tourist destination.
Equally important is Burkina Faso's role in the promotion of African cinema.  Coupled with
the dynamism and success of Burkina film makers, the International African Cinema Market (MICA)
appears to be promising for the promotion of a sector in which the country has gained a comparative
advantage.  Burkina could position itself as a film exporter and an intermediary in trade in films and
television programmes in Africa.
Studies on the country's potential for exporting services and on target markets should be able
to determine windows of opportunity and devise suitable development strategies in the subsectors of:
- Transportation and transit;
- consulting services and business management;
- rural engineering;
- construction and related activities;- information systems subcontracting;
- cultural and discovery tourism;
- international and subregional congresses and meetings;
- cinema and television.
III. ONGOING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Burkina Faso benefits from support from many donors including UNDP, the World Bank, the
International Monetary Fund, France, Germany, Norway, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium,
Denmark, Japan, Switzerland, the European Union, the African Development Bank, the West African
Development Bank, OPEC, and a number of Arab de velopment funds.  Donors' round tables are held
every two years, coordinated by UNDP.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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A number of donors focus their support on promoting the private sector and enterprise,
particularly through improvement of the legal and investment environments.  In the field of foreign
trade promotion, nothing significant has been done since the end of the technical assistance projects
established by ITC and the introduction of SYDONIA in customs by UNCTAD.  ITC had one
technical assistance project in the Ministry of Trade and one in ONAC up to 1993, with financing
from UNDP and Denmark.  Since then, special interventions have recommended institutional reformsin the Chamber of Commerce and ONAC.  Under its fifth cycle of technical cooperation, UNDP has
left the field of foreign trade virtually untouched.  The sixth cycle has not been negotiated yet.
The World Bank has included institutional reform in a project to assist the private sector.  A
number of studies have been conducted which ha ve produced plans for restructuring ONAC, the
Chamber of Commerce and the Burkina Council of Shippers (CDC) that have not yet been carried
out.
A master plan for crafts designed with German technical assistance and implemented in
cooperation with GTZ has existed for several years.  The technical assistance includes a marketing
component.
French cooperation is active in assistance for private enterprises, particularly in facilitating
the privatization of public corporations.
United Nations Agencies, including UNCTAD, UNIDO, FAO and ITC, have provided
technical cooperation for the export sector at different times.
The present project will take account of the results of those technical cooperation projects and
ongoing technical assistance activities at the time it is carried out.
IV. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND OUTPUTS
A. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE
To facilitate the integration of Burkina Faso into the multilateral trading system governed by
the Uruguay Round Agreements.
B. PROJECT DIRECT OBJECTIVE
1. Establishment of national capacity to understand the multilateral trading system based on the
changes resulting from the Uruguay Round Agreements.
2. Assistance in adapting domestic legislation to the rules of the multilateral trading system and
support in seeking maximum advantage from the opportunities stemming from implementation of the
Uruguay Round Agreements.
3. Contribution to a better understanding of Burkina Faso's export markets and strengthening the
competitive position of its exporting firms.
C. OUPUTS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE FIRST OBJECTIVE
Establishment of national capacity to understand the multilateral trading system based on the
changes resulting from the Uruguay Round Agreements.
The first objective of this specific project for Burkina Faso is to assist the country in building
national capacity to manage the Uruguay Round Agreements.  The institutional aspect of thisWT/COMTD/IF/24
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management capacity is a priority for the Burkina administration and for parastatal organizations and
agencies that provide assistance for the private sector.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts intends to establish a structure to coordinate the
activities of the different national institutions  involved in implementing the Agreements.  The
members of this structure have not been appointed.  The way in which the structure will function andits precise duties have not been defined yet.
No decision has yet been made on whether the structure will be a "working group", a "unit" or
a "national committee".  Nonetheless, the Trade Cooperation Service of the Directorate of Foreign
Trade will act as secretariat for this inter-institutiona l structure.  The tasks of the structure will consist
of reviewing the country's laws and regulations to  bring them into line wi th Burkina's commitments
under WTO.  It will also be in charge of adjusting and improving management of Burkina Faso'sadhesion to the multilateral trading system, includin g the identification of trade opportunities created
by liberalization of world markets, and tapping those opportunities to the benefit of Burkina
enterprises.
1. Output 1.1  Institutional assistance
The following activities will be carried out under the project to assist in making the
inter-institutional structure operational:
- Design and adoption of terms of reference and internal regulations for the
inter-institutional structure;
- adjustment and adoption of appropriate strategies for making the most of the
transitional periods permitted under the Agreements;
- annual work plans of the inter-institutional structure;
- terms of reference of the structure's working groups for carrying out specific tasks;- participation in subregional coordination meetings of the inter-institutional structures
responsible for implementing the Uruguay Round Agreements in the WAEMU
countries.
In particular, WTO will:- Supply basic documentation on the WTO Agreements to be used as reference
materials by the structure in carrying out its future work;
- supply the relevant documents of the various WTO committees and working groups
directly related to the work of the institutional structure;
- include the institutional structure in WTO's mailing list of periodical publications.As part of this support, WTO will also provide technical advice on any issue faced by the
structure on legal and institutional issues within WTO's sphere of competence and on its ongoing
activities.
The project will also provide assistance on new information technologies.  WTO will furnish
the official focal point with documentation in the fo rm of the Final Act, its annexes, analytical and
reference documents, CD-ROMs, etc.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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UNCTAD will:
- Supply documentation to the Secretariat of the inter-institutional structure, including
recent reports prepared by the UNCTAD Secretariat and databases produced by it
(TRAINS, MAST, etc.);
- participate in subregional coordination meetings of the inter-institutional structures
responsible for implementing the Uruguay Round Agreements in WAEMU and
ECOWAS countries;
- facilitate the exchange of information among the different inter-institutional
structures;
- establish a national trade and transportation facilitation committee to support the
establishment of a Trade Point as envisaged under the project to implement trade
poles in the ECOWAS countries.  This project is financed by the European Union and
implemented by UNCTAD and ITC.
2. Output 1.2  Assistance for the customs administration
The customs administration benefits from technical support from the World Customs
Organization (WCO) in the form of training in techniques for calculating customs value.
WTO will also provide assistance with respect to:- Information for the customs administration on implementing the Agreements,
particularly as regards notifications and all the issues discussed in the context of theAgreement on Implementation of Article VII of GATT 1994;
- all matters relating to customs tariffs, particularly questions on the schedules of
concessions, the renegotiations under Article XXVIII, exemptions and issues linked
to the Understanding on the Interpretation of Article II:1(b) of GATT 1994;
- all legal matters relating to regional integration and free-trade areas.UNCTAD will assist in maintenance of the SYDONIA programme, version 3, recently
installed by the Community Information Centre (CIC) of ECOWAS.  It will also assist in setting up
high-level operational teams composed of customs of ficials and computer specialists to work with the
software, and will organize a study trip to the Customs Technical Centre in Lomé (Togo) for threecustoms officials from Burkina Faso.
3. Output 1.3  Building national training capacity in the multilateral trading system
National capacity for understanding the multilateral trading system and managing its
implications for the country will be built up by training trainers/presenters/experts in this area and
establishing a network for contacts and exchanges among these resource persons.  Installation of the
network should permit resource persons to keep each other abreast of new developments and to
provide mutual support in organizing training, information dissemination and advisory services
activities.  They will be the main support for different activities to be carried out under this project,such as the establishment of reference centres and training and advisory services for enterprises and
public institutions.  The national network of trainers/presenters/experts, which will be expanded as a
result of local training of trainers/presenters/generalists and specialists, will also form part of aWT/COMTD/IF/24
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broader network of resource persons with similar skills in the other countries covered by the
programme.
The expanded network will be supported and integrated into the network of trainers in
international trade and the multilateral trading system which ITC will establish under its general
programme to follow up on the WTO Agreements.  The trainers/presenters will also benefit fromexchanges of training materials (case exchange) established by ITC.
The training activities and establishment of national, regional and global networks will be
developed according to the following plan.
(a) Training of trainers.  Course in Geneva
A three-month training course will be organized by ITC, UNCTAD and WTO to familiarize a
limited number of trainers/presenters with the Uruguay Round Agreements and the multilateral
trading system so they can provide training in these areas.
Six trainers/presenters (two of whom will be accommodated by WTO, two by UNCTAD, and
two by ITC) will be selected from the candidates presented by the authorities under an exercise to
identify potential trainers which took place during the programming mission.  Precise terms and
conditions will be established for trainers/presenters from the private sector, which will govern their
availability and the transfer of knowledge to other interested parties.
The project will defray the costs of the trainers/presenters.  The lessons learned from a similar
programme for English-speaking countries under the programme (24 November 1997 to
12 December 1997 in Geneva) will be taken into account in organizing the course.  The course will
contain the following main elements.
Part I:  WTO
WTO's section of the training course will be  devoted to an in-depth examination of the
Agreements, instruments, legislative and implementation aspects, WTO operating modalities and an
introduction to WTO information technology - technical cooperation in electronic form based on theuse of a CD-ROM.
WTO will defray the costs of two of the participants selected by it, ITC and UNCTAD for
three weeks in Geneva, including transportation and expenses.
Part II:  UNCTAD
UNCTAD's training will deal with the policy side of developing the Agreements, particularly
national and regional strategies regarding new issues under the new trade framework, such as rules of
competition and investment policy, the course on trade diplomacy contained in the Trainfortrade
Programme, familiarization with use of the CD-ROM and the introduction of trade poles.
Part III:  ITC
ITC will provide specific training on the country level on evaluation of product potential and
market development and related requirements; market intelligence, its applications and use; services
to support foreign trade such as quality control, packaging, insurance and export financing;management of international purchasing and procurement.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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An evaluation and follow-up session will be held by WTO, UNCTAD and ITC at the end of
the course.  Also, after their training in Geneva, the trainers/presenters will design a joint plan of
action, including a list of training needs for generalist and specialized trainers and a programme to
disseminate technical information on the multilateral trading system in their countries.
Activities
- Selection of candidates for training from among the candidates identified during the
programming mission (trainers/presenters);
- announcement of the conditions governing participation by private-sector
trainers/presenters and agreement to those conditions by the candidates;
- participation in the training course for trainers/presenters;
- preparation of a plan of action by the trainers/presenters.
(b) Inventory of training needs to implement the Uruguay Round Agreements
Training needs for implementation of the WTO Agreements will be determined on an ad hoc
basis following the methods used by ITC and UNCTAD to identify training requirements linked to
international trade.
Additional trainers/presenters will be identified during preparation of the inventory, in
addition to the needs of national training institutions with respect to educational materials.
Activities
- Adoption of a method for identifying specific training requirements;
- survey on general and specialized training requirements;
- identification of potential trainers/presenters.
(c) National training of trainers
Identified potential trainers will benefit from a training course offered by the six trainers who
attended the course in Geneva, with the participation of resource persons from WTO, UNCTAD and
ITC. Beforehand, the six trainers will attend a refresher training session offered by resource persons
from WTO, UNCTAD and ITC on methods for the preparation of case studies and group presentation
and communication techniques.  National consultants will also be involved in this activity.  The
training course for generalist trainers will be organized at the end of year one of the project as acontribution to consolidating national capacity to manage and follow-up on the WTO Agreements.
Trainers/presenters/specialized experts will also be trained and linked up to the national
network, as mentioned earlier.  These resource persons will be selected by competent technical and
training institutions based on areas of special interest to the country, such as:
- Technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, quality control and
certification, and packaging for export;
- intellectual property, trade names;- customs valuation, rules of origin, preshipment inspection, import permits and export
systems;WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- regional integration;
- agriculture and textiles;- services;- diversification and development of export products;- rules of competition, anti-dumping, safeguards, subsidies, government trade, public
markets, etc.
The trainers/presenters/experts in these fields will participate in subregional training seminars
organized by ITC, UNCTAD and WTO, which will make for economies of scale and foster exchanges
among the participating countries.
Activities
- Design of the training programmes;
- refresher training session;
- training course for generalist trainers;
- subregional seminars for specialized trainers.
(d) Training institutions
The project will strengthen training institutions in international trade, international business
law and their capacity to teach the multilateral trading system.  Assistance will include course
supports for institutions selected during the survey on the training needs mentioned earlier.
Activities
- Provision of three types of course supports - printed materials, transparencies and
computer tools (if applicable), after consultation with the selected organizations;
- UNCTAD will adapt its course supports.
(e) Discussion forum
The trainers trained by WTO, UNCTAD and ITC and those trained nationally will be able to
join a discussion group established on the Internet in Geneva.  This forum will provide follow-up onthe training programme, answers to questions, exch anges of ideas, case studies, the educational
materials necessary for national training programmes and information on the multilateral trading
system.  A web site will be created, accessible through the home pages of ITC, UNCTAD and WTO.
The site will present the activities of the Integrat ed Programme in each of the countries covered and
will permit the six national trainers from each country participating in the programme to instantlycontact other resource persons, regional advisers posted in East and West Africa by the programme
executing organizations and the headquarters of the organizations in Geneva.  The web site, to which
only authorized users will have access (password protected), will also permit WTO, UNCTAD and
ITC to disseminate all the information necessary fo r implementing the programme (plan of activities,
descriptions of consultancies, etc.), and training and information materials.  It will also facilitate
almost instantaneous interaction among the organizations in Geneva and their partners in the countries
participating in the programme.  UNDP, the World Bank and IMF, as part of their joint work in
less-advanced countries, and programme donors will be given access to the forum and may contributeWT/COMTD/IF/24
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to the discussions.  The computer facilities installed by WTO in October-December 1997 in the
official Reference Centres in each of the countries covered by the programme will be used as relays
for participation in the forum.  Other computer posts may join through the Reference Centres for the
business and academic communities (see 1.4 below).
Activities
- Creation of a web site that can be accessed through the home pages of ITC,
UNCTAD and WTO;
- establishment of an electronic exchange network on the Internet (automatic e-mail
list);
- creation and introduction of a format for transmitting electronic messages to the
discussion forum site;
- organization of on-line access to the messages exchanged (stage one);
- organization of on-line discussions (stage two);
- site management:  channelling of questions and answers, clean-up, summaries, etc.
(f) Subregional exchanges
Subregional workshops will be organized twice during the project to permit generalist and
specialized national trainers to meet and discuss their experiences in order to draw on positive aspects
and the lessons learned.
One workshop will be organized in the West African subregion during the first half of 1999
and another will be held a few months before the end of the project (first half of 2000).  They will
bring together trainers and presenters from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana, the
Regional Adviser, and resource persons from ITC, UNCTAD and WTO.
Prior to these two activities and thanks to the Internet forum described earlier, case studies
will be exchanged as well as training materials (transparencies, presentation notes, etc.).  They will be
placed at the disposal of the participants in the workshops.
Activities
- Exchanges of case studies;- preparation of subregional workshops;- holding of subregional workshops to enable trainers and presenters to exchange ideas
on the multilateral trading system;
- exchange of information and experience regarding notifications.
(g) Participation in the ITC's case exchange and development and exchange of training materials
ITC is about to establish a centre for the exchange of training materials that will compile case
studies on trade development under the multilateral trading system.  The national networks of trainers
will be invited to submit case studies periodically (at least once a year) to the centre and will receiveWT/COMTD/IF/24
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assistance in editing them.  Once the quality is satisfactory, the cases will be circulated on a global
network (case exchange) so they can be used by trainers in other countries.  The project will assist
Burkina trainers in participating in this exchange through the discussion forum.
Activities
- Methodological advice;
- compilation of cases;
- dissemination through the global network;
- provision of the cases produced by the network.
4. Output 1.4  Establishment of Reference Centres on the multilateral trading system
A Reference Centre on the Uruguay Round Agreements and the multilateral trading system is
an access point to information and orientation on th e rules governing the international trade order and
business relations among countries and export and import firms.  A Reference Centre is typically
composed of documentary holdings, regula rly updated, and appropriate information and
communications tools.  The holdings are placed in a documentation centre or economic and marketintelligence site normally visited by the target users.  One or more resource persons at a Reference
Centre are responsible for explaining the Agreements and for offering guidance for users regarding
the information available.  These resource persons will be selected from among the trainers who took
the course in Geneva.  Two Reference Centres may be established, reflecting the different needs of
the different categories of users.
(a) Official Reference Centre
The Official Centre is intended for use by managers from the government agencies in charge
of preparing proposals regarding legal texts and regulations and notes and official positions on issuesunder negotiation.  The official Reference Centre is established at a focal point for management and
follow-up on the Uruguay Round Agreements.  It will include the texts of the Agreements and their
annexes, different publications and studies of interest, jurisprudence, positions of the Member States
on issues that have been or are being negotiated, etc.  It will be accessible to the members of the
inter-institutional structure and to government institutions and parliamentarians.  The members of theTrade Cooperation Centre of the Foreign Trade Directorate would be the resource persons responsible
for orienting users, particularly trainers/presenters who took the above-mentioned course in Geneva.
The Documentation Centre of the Directorate General of Trade would house the Centre and establish
a procedure for documentation conservation and management.
WTO provided the necessary equipment in October 1997 (Pentium computer, printer,
CD-ROM and modem) and the basic documentation including the texts of the Agreements on writtensupports and CD-ROM and reference works.  An e-mail address was set up and a short training course
provided for the operators of the Reference Centre.
Once the project gets under way, UNCTAD and ITC will complete installation of the official
Reference Centre, while simultaneously establishing another Reference Centre for the businesscommunity.
Activities
- Provision of documentation:  Final Act, annexes, studies and reference documents,
CD-ROM, etc. (UNCTAD, ITC) (already done in October 1997 by WTO);WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- provision of electronic equipment (computers, CD-ROM readers) (already done in
October 1997 by WTO);
- Internet connection (already done in October 1997);- connection to the discussion forum on MTS;- connection to ITC databases:  Juris, Qualidata, etc.;- additional documentation from ITC and UNCTAD;- training of Reference Centre documentalists (see (c) below).
(b) Reference Centre for the business community
A second Reference Centre will be set aside for use by businesses and trade development and
promotion institutions.  It will have the same basic information as the first centre:  Final Act, its
annexes and updates, details on notifications and studies of interest to businesses, apart from purelylegal analyses.  This second Reference Centre will be installed at ONAC, CCIA-B or the Business
Promotion Centre, depending on the results of the negotiations in that regard.  It will be accessible to
users on the basis of a consultation protocol to be specially established.  The Reference Centre for the
business community will also be open to teachers and students.  The documentary holdings and
electronic supports will be provided under the project, once efficiency criteria to be indicated laterhave been met.
Further, the Reference Centre could, if necessary, be incorporated into the future trade pole to
be established under the project by ECOWAS, financed by the EU and implemented by UNCTAD
and ITC.
Activities
- Provision of documentation:  Final Act, its annexes, studies and reference documents,
CD-ROM, etc. (UNCTAD, ITC);
- provision of electronic equipment (computers, CD-ROM readers);- Internet connection;- connection to GTP Net;
- connection to ITC databases:  Juris, Qualidata, Packdata, etc.;
- connection to the discussion forum on MTS;- training for a documentalist at ITC or a site in the subregion.
(c) Training seminar for Reference Centre documentalists
A subregional seminar will be organized for the heads of the documentation centres where the
Reference Centres are housed.  The training seminar will last for four days and will be given by anITC specialized consultant.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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Activities
- Selection of training candidates;
- holding of a subregional seminar.
5. Output 1.5  Knowledge and understanding of the multilateral trading system
(a) Information for the media and the public
WTO will provide the Government of Burkina Faso with "public information" pursuant to the
Agreements.  It will provide communiques and press kits prepared by its Information and Media
Division and videos on WTO.
It may also, in the extent possible, defray the expenses of a representative of the Burkina Faso
media to cover WTO Ministerial Conferences.
(b) General seminars
General and specific national seminars will be held to improve understanding of the Uruguay
Round Agreements by public and private institutions and enterprises.  The following activities will be
organized:
(i) An national seminar on WTO and the Uruguay Round Agreements.  This seminar has
already been given in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts in
April 1997.  Lasting for five days, it was targeted to:
- senior government managers interested professionally in the multilateral
trading system;
- members of the Economic and Social Council (CES);- members of the elected assembly (ADP) concerned with economic and trade
issues and international relations;
- managers from the Permanent Technical Secretariat of PAS;- leaders from the private sector;- eminent academicians;
- diplomats;
- other leading members of civil society and concerned public figures,
including representatives of the media.
(ii) Two two-day information seminars.  Thes e two seminars were also held in April
1997 in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso for public and private sector executives.
As general seminars, they were targeted to foreign trading enterprises and dealt with
the impact of the Uruguay Round Agreements on Burkina companies.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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(c) Specialized technical workshops
A series of specialized workshops (four or five) lasting from two to three days each will be
organized for persons interested in the different topics.  They will be led by national trainers trained
under the project, with support from WTO, UNCTAD a nd ITC specialists.  WTO will send five of its
experts to the training workshops on customs issues, technical barriers to trade, rules on competition,agricultural products and textiles.  The specialized technical workshops will deal with topics that are
specific to Burkina Faso, with the help of the results of the impact study mentioned in D.2 below and
data compiled for the matrix of products and markets to be prepared under activity E.1(a) to diversify
products and markets.
The specialized workshops will be organized with support of the generalist and specialist
trainers trained under the project and will chose from among the following topics:
- Technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, quality control and
certification, packaging for export;
- intellectual property, trade marks;- customs valuation, rules of origin, preshipment inspection, import licences, export
systems;
- agriculture, textiles;- services;- diversification of exports and development of export products (geared to products and
markets);
- rules on competition, anti-dumping, safeguards, subsidies, government trade, public
markets, etc.;
- international trade and transportation.
Activities
- Selection of the topics for the workshops;- organization of four or five specialized workshops.
D. OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE SECOND OBJECTIVE
Assistance in adapting domestic legislation to the rules of the multilateral trading system and
support in seeking maximum advantage from the opportunities stemming from implementation of the
Uruguay Round Agreements.
1. Output 2.1  Adaption of the legislative and regulatory framework for foreign trade
Adhesion to WTO requires that national texts and laws regulating the many sectors that touch
on foreign trade be adjusted to conform to the Uruguay Round Agreements.  The project will aid
Burkina Faso in adjusting its laws, regulations and procedures.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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WTO assistance will:
- Aid in establishing the notifications that the country should make under its accession
to WTO.  This assistance may take different forms, particularly the provision of a
specific manual on establishing the notifications required under the different
Agreements and a specific information mission to explain the technical elementsrelating to the notifications expected from the different Ministries concerned.
- Provide technical notices concerning the implementation of the Agreements, based, in
particular, on examples taken from countries with similar profiles.
- Send evaluation missions on problems relating to the revision or establishment of
national legislation that conforms to WTO requirements.
- Send missions to assist the national authorities in establishing legislation, proposing
models that could be adapted to specific conditions in Burkina Faso.
2. Output 2.2  Evaluation of the impact of the new multilateral trading system on Burkina Faso's
economy and foreign trade
A prospective study will be conducted on the likely effects of implementing the Uruguay
Round Agreements.  The study will take account of the conclusions of the study on the
competitiveness of the Burkina economy planned earlier and which should have been completed atthe end of 1996.  The study on the impact of the Uruguay Round Agreements will make it possible to
design concrete and specific contents for the training and information seminars mentioned above.  It
will be the starting point for designing a national foreign trade development strategy, in conjunction
with the products-markets matrix to be established (see E.1(a)).  The impact study will provide
concrete illustrations of the expected consequences of the decline of tariff preferences and improvedaccess to traditional and potential markets interested in the country's products.  The same study will
review conditions on those markets for importing products from Burkina Faso, including technical
barriers to trade and quality and competition considerations.  It will allow projections to be made for
the different subsectors and lay the groundwork for sectoral strategies.  It will also indicate guidelines
for actions to improve the competitiveness of exports in terms of quality and price.  It will beconducted with the assistance of a team of national experts who will be supported by international
experts from UNCTAD and ITC.
The results of the study will be presented and discussed at the national symposium on export
promotion envisaged under E.2(d).
Activities
- Preparation of the terms of reference for the study;- selection of national and international consultants (UNCTAD and ITC);
- conduct of the study.
3. Output 2.3  Improvement of foreign trade development strategies
UNCTAD will provide consulting services for:- An audit of the current framework of Burkina Faso's trade policy and identification of
pertinent constraints and requirements;WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- an analysis of the implications of the Uruguay Round for the country's trade
opportunities;
- definition of strategies to expand the country's trade:  economic openness,
macroeconomic policies (prices, appropriate exchange rate), business and investmentenvironment, policy for technology and innovation, and related economic regulations.
These activities should build on the inventory of laws and regulations governing business
drawn up by the University of Ouagadougou with Worl d Bank financing, in order to analyze how well
those laws and regulations conform to the international Agreements.  New provisions and proposals,
which should also take account of subregional treaties (WAEMU, OHADA, ECOWAS, etc.), should
contribute to the formulation of:
- Trade policies and strategies with the aim of making the country's business
environment more conducive;
- trade facilitation with special attention to the system for reimbursing the VAT on
exports and the drawback on customs duties and taxes applicable to exported
products.
E. OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE THIRD OBJECTIVE
Contribution to a better understanding of Burkina Faso's export markets and strengthening the
competitive position of its exporting firms.
1. Output 3.1  Identification of trade and export development potential in the context of
globalized markets
(a) Matrix of products and markets of interest to Burkina Faso
Parallel to the study of the impact of MTS on Burkina's foreign trade and economy (see D.2
output 2.2 above), a matrix of products and markets will be prepared to determine the potential for
diversifying the country's exports and markets in the context of market liberalization andglobalization.  The methodology recently developed by ITC to identify the dynamic forces and
comparative advantages of developing countries will be followed, using national statistics and mirror
statistics from the Comtrade database.
Activities
- Establishment of a technical team to prepare the products-markets matrix, chosen
from ONAC managers and selected professional associations;
- adoption of the terms of reference for the study;- methodological advice by an ITC international consultant;- production of the product-market matrix.
(b) Study on Burkina Faso's export potential
Based on the product-market matrix, a study on export potential will be conducted by ONAC
in cooperation with the Directorate-General of Trade, Ministries, representatives of professionalWT/COMTD/IF/24
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associations and interested enterprises.  Participation by the latter will depend on their contributing to
the cost of the study.  The study will analyze real  prospects for the competitiveness of production
sectors, product-by-product, and identify bottleneck s and technical and other obstacles that should be
addressed.
Activities
- Selection of the research team to conduct the study from among the staff of ONAC
and interested enterprises;
- adoption of the terms of reference for the study;- methodological advice by an ITC international consultant;- performance of the study on Burkina Faso's export potential.
(c) Studies of foreign markets of interest to Burkina Faso
The same matrix will be used to select a series of market studies to be based on documents or
field visits.  These studies, which will take the form of market monographs, will examine conditions
for imports of Burkina products on target markets, technical barriers to trade and quality and
competition considerations.  They will take particular account of improved access to markets
stemming from application of the Uruguay Round Agreements and will be conducted with supportfrom ITC.
Activities
- Methodological advice by ITC specialized consultants;
- performance of five market studies in the following subsectors:
- textiles;
- oilseeds, vegetable oils and by-products;
- crafts;
- fresh fruits and vegetables and horticulture products;- tinned goods and agri-food products.
(d) Study on the potential of exports of services
A second product-market matrix should be prepared on the basis of statistics to determine
which services are imported and exported by Burkina Faso.  Based on this matrix, a study of export
potential will be conducted by a team composed of experts from ONAC, CCIA-B, FESPACO andinterested Ministries.  The team will estimate development potential in the country for the following
services:
- Transportation and transit;
- business consulting and management;- rural engineering;
- construction and related activities;
- information systems subcontracting;
- cultural and discovery tourism;
- international and subregional congresses and meetings;- cinema and television.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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Interested enterprises may participate in this study based on a contribution to its cost.  The
study will make it possible to analyse real prospects for competitiveness in the services subsector and
to identify bottlenecks and technical and other obstacles that should be addressed to help develop
these activities.
Activities
- Selection of the team of researchers to conduct the prospective study;
- adoption of terms of reference for the study;
- methodological advice by specialized ITC consultants;
- performance of the study on Burkina Faso's potential for exporting services.
Under the Coordinated African Programme for Assistance in Services (CAPAS), UNCTAD
will help to develop national capacity for analysis and decision-making in the field of services policy.
The programme is also intended to obtain a better match between domestic reforms and the
liberalization process under the Agreements on Tr ade in Services.  CAPAS will conduct a study to
identify the potential for development and trade in services.  Under this programme, development and
promotion of exports of services are analysed.  Further, assistance will be provided for preparingnegotiations for the year 2000 under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.  The study will
benefit from a contribution under the CAPAS prog ramme and financial support from the present
project.
UNCTAD will also contribute assistance for:- Negotiations on services under WTO; sectoral negotiations under way; future global
negotiations under Article XIX:1 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services;
- compliance with Article 3 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services on
information points;
- formulation of action and sectoral development plans for services.
2. Output 3.2  Design of export development strategies
Three strategic lines will be proposed:- National export strategy including a diagnostic study and reform of institutional
mechanisms;
- subregional trade promotion strategy;- strategies for priority sectors.
(a) Export development strategy for Burkina Faso
Data compiled on potential supply and foreseeable demand on foreign markets will be used as
an aid in formulating a foreign trade development strategy as envisaged in the Government's general
policy statement.  The strategy will review the in stitutional mechanisms for export promotion and
sectors with comparative advantages, such as th ose identified under Outputs 2.2 and 3.1.  The study
will indicate an approach that will take account of better access to traditional and potential markets forBurkina's products and expected developments in exportable products.  The national strategy proposal
will include projections for the different subsectors, including services, which will serve as the basis
for sectoral strategy formulation.  It will also set forth guidelines for activities to boost exportWT/COMTD/IF/24
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competitiveness in terms of quality and price.  Extensive consultations will be held with technical
departments and interested professional associations.
Activities
- Selection of a team of national and international experts to design the strategy;
- adoption of the terms of reference for the study on strategy formulation;
- methodological advice by an ITC consultant;
- preparation of a national strategy to develop Burkina's exports.
(b) Sectoral strategies to develop priority exports
Sectoral strategies will be developed in cooperation with the professional associations which
will be assisted in establishing their own capacity to analyse and design strategies to promote their
products.  Sectoral strategies will be drawn up for five groups of products (four groups of
merchandise and one group of services).  Project fiches for developing the subsectors will be
proposed for exports of goods and services.
Activities
- Selection of teams of national and international experts to design sectoral strategies;
- adoption of the terms of reference for the studies;- methodological advice from ITC consultants and in-service training for counterpart
personnel;
- preparation of sector strategies for:
- exports of merchandise:
- textiles;
- oilseeds, vegetable oils and byproducts;- crafts
- fresh fruits and vegetables and horticulture products;
- tinned goods and agri-food products;
- exports of services:
- rural engineering, construction and related activities;
- cultural and discovery tourism, congresses and meetings;
- cinema and television;
- preparation of sectoral project fiches for the same subsectors.
(c) Strategy to develop Burkina Faso's subregional trade
With relation to the general and sectoral objectives for the development of Burkina exports, a
process and specific objectives will be proposed for the country's subregional trade, considering the
country's comparative advantages in the subregion and the dynamism that marks the nationaleconomy in comparison with its WAEMU and ECOWAS neighbours.  Particular consideration will
also be given to exports of services.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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Activities
- Selection of teams of national and international experts to design sectoral strategies to
develop subregional trade;
- adoption of the terms of reference for the studies;- methodological advice from an ITC consultant;- preparation of a subregional trade strategy.
(d) National symposium on the development of Burkina Faso exports
The proposed strategy will be examined at a national symposium on exports at which the
results of the study on the impact of the multilateral trading system agreements on the country's
economy and foreign trade will also be presented.
Activities
- Logistics of the symposium and technical and administrative preparation;
- contribution to technical leadership by ITC advisors.
3. Output 3.3  Establishment of coordinated economic and trade information services
Economic and trade information are particularly important among the basic tools for
competitiveness to be placed at the disposal of Burkina Faso's exporting firms.
(a)  Feasibility study on coordinated economic and trade information services
An evaluation of needs in the field of market intelligence will be performed and coordinated
information services will be proposed, listing the different producers and distributors of economic,
statistical and trade information on the national and subregional levels.  The goal is to obtain
economies of scale in investments, particularly in the production of information and use of data.  Theservices will be based on commercial operation of information, eventually involving private
enterprises.  It will obviously be impossible to ma ke the services totally self-supporting in the initial
stage.  However, the economic and trade information system could be combined with publicity
activities, the provision of Internet access and other communications services to be paid for by SME,
which would earn some income.  The study should  determine the conditions for optimizing operation
and the way in which producers, distributors and consumers of information can contribute to the
smooth functioning of these services.
Activities
- Adoption of the terms of reference for the feasibility study;
- establishment of the study team (ONAC, Chamber of Commerce, Business
Promotion Centre);
- methodological advice from an ITC consultant;
- development of surveys by the team;
- completion of the feasibility study with support from the ITC consultant.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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(b) Workshop on economic and trade information in Burkina Faso
Once the feasibility study is completed, a workshop will be organized on trade information in
Burkina Faso for producers, distributors and consumers of information.  Public administrations,
enterprises that produce and consume information, ONAC, the Chamber of Commerce, the Business
Promotion Centre, the Foundation for the Promotio n of Enterprise and Employment, professional
associations and other private information intermediaries will participate.
Activities
- Technical preparation;
- leadership of the workshop by the study team with support from an ITC consultant;
- adoption of rules for the operation of the trade information system.
(c) Strengthening of coordinated economic and trade information services
In addition, the project will facilitate implementation of the different components of the
system through the provision of data, organizati on of exchanges of data during an experimental
period, and connection to international databases.  The activities will stress the:
- ONAC component;
- CCIA-B component;
- Business Promotion Centre component;- Foundation for the Promotion of Ente rprise and Employment component.
Activities
- Technical advice on system components;
- provision of data;
- facilitation of connection to international databases (Internet).
4. Output 3.4  Adaption and production of the Guide to Trade Secrets
ITC has developed the generic version of a guide entitled "Trade Secrets -The Export Answer
Book" for use by exporting firms and enterprises that wish to become exporters.  It provides
indispensable information through answers to some 100 questions that are frequently asked by the
heads of exporting SMEs regarding the conduct and organization of their export activities.  The
answers are supplemented by references to additional sources of information in the country and
elsewhere in the world.
ITC will provide technical assistance to adapt the generic version to the specific context in
Burkina Faso, in partnership with a national counterpart organization that will cosponsor the
production of the adapted version.
Activities
(a) Advice on preparation of the Guide to Trade Secrets
A specialized consultant will undertake a mission to train the team of the national counterpart
organization which is responsible for adapting the guide in the country.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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(b) Production of the Guide to Trade Secrets
The customization will be carried out under ITC's technical guidance by a national contractor.
The counterpart organization will be responsible for the production process under the terms of the
arrangement made with ITC and will benefit from the proceeds of sales.  The counterpart organization
will draft an adapted version of the text.
(c) Distribution of the Guide to Trade Secrets
The guide will be distributed and sold under the terms of the arrangement between the
national counterpart organization and ITC.  Proceeds from sales will be retained by the counterpart
organization to cover the costs of preparing, printing, and updating later versions of the guide.
5. Output 3.5  Improved access to export financing
The project will help to facilitate access to export financing by Burkina enterprises by
providing a guide on how to approach banks, on the one hand, and conducting a study on export
financing in cooperation with national monetary and credit authorities, as well as WAEMU, CFA andBOAD, on the other.
Activities
(a) Adaption and production of a guide on "How to Approach Banks".
ITC has developed a prototype guide on how to approach banks for exporting firms from
developing countries, geared to their export fina ncing needs.  It reviews the financing instruments
normally available to exporting firms and the conditions that should prevail in approaching
commercial banks in order to establish an export credit record.  Under this project, a version of theguide, adapted to the CFA zone in general and to  Burkina Faso in particular, will be offered to
enterprises.
The guide will be translated from English and adapted to the national context.  To obtain
economies of scale, the prototype may be translated and adapted to local conditions in agreement withinterested organizations in Benin, Burinka Faso and Côte d'Ivoire in a regional version for the
CFA zone which reflects similarities in this monetary zone where credit regulations are identical.
A team of consultants from the interested countries will be selected under an arrangement
between ITC and the authorities of the countries covered by the ITC/UNCTAD/WTO Integrated
Programme of technical assistance to follow up on the Uruguay Round Agreements.  The team of
consultants, which will work with CFA, BOAD and WAEMU and with the commercial banks in thecountries under consideration, will be required to translate the ITC prototype from English,
introducing specific elements that will make it useful for enterprises in Benin, Burkina Faso and Côte
d'Ivoire.  It will also be useful for other countries in the CFA zone and the joint effort may form part
of the cooperation among the member countries of WAEMU.  Sponsorship and support are being
sought from WAEMU, particularly with respect to  linkage with the study mentioned in (b) below.
The project will defray the costs of translation, adaption, and distribution.  The guide will be
sold to enterprises by associations of exporters in the countries concerned.  Commercial banks may
also purchase copies to distribute to their clients.   The proceeds of sales will be used to consolidate
the resources of the organizations involved under a formula to be agreed upon by ITC and interestedauthorities.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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(b) Study on export financing
This study will review the arrangements and facilities available to exporting firms to gain
access to credit in the WAEMU countries in general and in the countries covered by the Integrated
Programme in particular:  Benin, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire.
An analysis will be performed of the financing requirements of exporting firms.  It will
review the conditions under which these enterprises ar e able or unable to gain access to export credit.
A summary will be prepared based on the match between needs and facilities available, containing
recommendations for the establishment on the regional or national levels of suitable mechanisms to
facilitate access by exporters to pre- and post-shipment credit, in order to consolidate their
competitiveness on international markets.  The study and its recommendations will consider all the
work being done in the subregion on this and related topics by the World Bank, the InternationalMonetary Fund and other bilateral and multilateral organizations.
The study will be performed by national consultants assisted by an ITC international
consultant.
(c) Subregional workshop on export financing
The conclusions and recommendations of the above-mentioned study will be presented and
discussed at a subregional workshop to be organized under the auspices of WAEMU for the leaders of
public and private sectors concerned with this matter.  The project will support three participants andwill contribute to the cost of organizing the workshop.
6. Output 3.6  Advice on consolidating national capacity to develop products and markets
As a result of earlier ITC assistance, some capacity exists in ONAC and CCIA-B in the field
of product and market development.  The project will help to strengthen cooperation between these
institutions and enterprises in the areas of market research and development/adaptation of exportable
products.  It will provide advice to interested professional associations to foster the growth of this
capacity.  Activities will include specialized consulta tions and in-service training to guide specialists
in this area.  Assistance will also be provided to complete the project being planned by SIAO on theestablishment of an International Design and Creativity Centre for the crafts sector.
(a) In-service training on developing products and marketsActivities
- Missions by specialized consultants based on demand by selected exporting firms in
the following sectors:
- textiles;- oilseeds, vegetable oils and by-products;- crafts;- fresh fruits and vegetables and horticulture products;
- tinned goods and agri-food products.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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(b) Feasibility study on an International Design and Creativity Centre for the crafts sector
Activities
- Adoption of the terms of reference for the feasibility study;
- establishment of the study team (SIAO, professional associations);
- preparation of the feasibility study by an ITC consultant.
7. Output 3.7  Contribution to the training of ma nagers and design of a work programme in the
field of quality
To establish quality management systems in enterprises and support institutions, the project
will help to set up a national bureau of standards to train managers and design a medium-term
programme of work.
(a) Orientation tour for trainers on quality management in companies
The purpose is to acquaint members of the national quality management structure with some
experiences of other developing countries in promoting the quality of their exportable products.  Two
managers from the Quality and Metrology Directorate and two company trainers in quality
management will participate.
Activities
- Logistical organization of the orientation tour by ITC's Quality Section;
- realization of the tour and follow-up.
(b) Establishment of information points on technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary
measures, and packaging for export
Burkina Faso has notified that the National Standardization Bureau is its information point as
planned in the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.  The Ministry of Agriculture has been
designated as the information point for MTS.  The Quality and Metrology Directorate and the
Ministry of Agriculture will be assisted in establishing the capacity to manage these information
points.  Equivalent capacity should make it possible to follow up on activities of interest to
Burkina Faso in other countries, to the benefit of Burkina's exporters.
Activities
- Advisory missions for the information points on technical barriers to trade, sanitary
and phytosanitary measures, and packaging for export.
(c) Establishment of a database on standards for Burkina Faso's exportable products
This activity will be carried out in the context of establishing the coordinated economic and
trade information services envisaged under Output 3.3.
Activities
- Subscription to ISO technical publications;
- subscription to ARSO technical publications;WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- subscription to ITC technical publications;
- documentation on quality issues under the MTS Agreements.
(d) National seminars on quality management of exportable products
Two national seminars on quality management and control of exportable products in
companies will be organized, one in Ouagadougou and one in Bobo Dioulasso.  They will include
exercises in quality audits and case studies on the advantages of quality controls in selected sectors
(food products, textiles) and will be targeted to technical-production and marketing managers.  These
activities will take account of ongoing operations to introduce quality circles with Japanese
cooperation.
Activities
- Logistics of the national seminars;- resource persons to lead the technical seminars, with support from ITC specialists and
national trainers.
8. Output 3.8  Facilitation of contacts between Burkina exporters and foreign partners
ONAC will be assisted in organizing two trade missions to facilitate contacts between
exporters and importers.  Exporters of non-traditional products will participate in these two missions,on the basis of a cost-sharing formula to be determined.
(a) Trade mission to selected WAEMU and ECOWAS countries
The first mission will have the goal of introducing Burkina products, particularly
manufactured goods, into subregional markets.  The products will be selected on the basis of the
matrix of products-markets prepared under (c)(i).  The mission will be supported by a travelling
exhibition of samples.
Activities
- Preparation of the trade mission to the subregion;
- realization of the trade mission.
(b) Trade mission to new markets
Another mission will be undertaken to new markets (Europe, North Africa and the Middle
East) for non-traditional products to be selected on the basis of the market studies performed
under (c)(i).  This trade mission will be synchronized with specialized trade events, to the extent
possible.
Activities
- Preparation of the trade mission;
- realization of the trade mission.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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V. PROJECT INPUTS AND MANAGEMENT
A. PROJECT STRATEGY
The project to establish national capacity and to tap the benefits of the multilateral trading
system is based on the following three main priorities:
- National capacity to understand the rules of the multilateral trading system and to
manage Burkina Faso's participation in WTO;
- strengthening of the main trade-support institutions and guidance for enterprises in
formulating and implementing sectoral and national strategies based on the country's
comparative advantages;
- support for selected enterprise-support institutions in introducing tools relating to the
multilateral trading system in order to provide them with appropriate capacity to
assist exporting firms.
The project will implement the above-mentioned priorities by:
- Establishing or supporting a national inter-institutional committee to deal with,
organize and coordinate matters relating to implementation and monitoring of the
WTO Agreements in the country.
- Establishing or strengthening a national network of trainers, experts and facilitators to
follow up on issues relating to the multilateral trading system.  Some 15 to
20 generalists and five to ten specialized trainers/facilitators will be trained to explain
and interpret the rules of the multilateral trading system.  They will be responsible for
improving the dissemination of information and advising the users of the multilateral
trading system.  To enhance their mastery of MTS issues, the resource persons in thenational network will be linked to simila r networks in the subregion and the world,
through an electronic discussion forum, and to a global network for exchanges of
training materials - the case exchange.
- Establishing Reference Centres that will provide information on the rules of
international trade and new opportunities for better access to export markets, and
direct institutional support for private sector organizations and enterprises.  The
Reference Centres will be strengthened by the presence of the resources persons from
the national network which, in turn, will support the inter-institutional committee.
- Providing assistance in formulating trade policies, adjusting national legislation to the
country's commitments as a Member of WTO, and the design of export strategies,including export financing plans.
For the business community, the project will assist exporters in the public and private sectors
and their support institutions in gaining access to basic tools for competitiveness, such as:
- The capacity to formulate and implement export development strategies, based on
appropriate identification in the medium and long terms of comparative advantages
and new potential and their strengths and weaknesses in competing on international
markets.WT/COMTD/IF/24
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- An effective economic and market intelligence system, including the Reference
Centres on multilateral trade and other specialized components, to furnish pertinent,
practical and useful information for good export management.
- Better quality management through training for resource persons to take charge of
quality control and standards and persons to operate the official information points ontechnical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and packaging and
labelling for export.
Apart from facilitating access to and mastery of tools for competitiveness, the project will
assist with international marketing activities to the benefit of exporting firms, such as:
- Identification of groups of products with long-term export potential and better
knowledge of trade prospects and market access conditions;
- definition of sectoral export strategies and marketing programmes for specific
company exports;  and
- establishment and maintenance of effective trade contacts on the regional and
international levels.
All project activities will be coordinated with other ongoing technical assistance projects in
the country by including the expectations of the private sector and government authorities as anintegral part of the project.  It will benefit from other initiatives being undertaken and will
complement them to reinforce their impact.
B. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION
1. Project Management by ITC, UNCTAD and WTO
(a) Management in the field
For the eight countries covered by the Integrated Programme, WTO, UNCTAD and ITC will
have two regional coordinators as principal technical advisors to manage projects in the two groups ofcountries.  These two experts will be posted, respectively, in:
- West Africa (for Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana);  and- East Africa (for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda);- project activities for Tunisia will be managed directly from Geneva by the services of
the three institutions.
The regional coordinator in each subregion will manage and coordinate the inputs of the
Geneva-based organizations, in close cooperation with the local UNDP field office.
Each regional coordinator will act as principal technical advisor, making a significant
technical contribution to project activities, particularly with respect to trade policy.  The coordinator
will also provide advice on strategy formulation and studies, participate in training activities and some
seminars and workshops as moderator, and provide technical support for consultants, based on his
qualifications and field experience.  The regional coordinator will be a member of the steeringcommittee mentioned in 2(a) below and will supervise subcontracts with the national "facilitators".
Resources are included in the Project budget (ITC budget heading 11.01) to partly cover the cost ofWT/COMTD/IF/24
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the regional coordinator and other coordination expenses, which are shared by other projects in the
region, under the regional coordinator's authority and responsibility.
(b) Project coordination in Geneva
Principal administrators and assistants will be appointed at ITC and UNCTAD to manage the
Integrated Programme.  The three Geneva-based institutions will hold regular coordination meetings
to ensure cohesion, complementarity and synergy of their respective technical cooperation
programmes.
2. Local management and implementation
(a) National Steering Committee
Project activities in Burkina Faso will be coordinated by a national steering committee to be
established as soon as the project is adopted and signed.  The Steering Committee will be placed
under the authority of a senior official at the Ministry of Commerce, Crafts and Tourism (MCAT), for
whom a replacement will also be designated.  The official will coordinate all WTO-related activities.The Steering Committee will be composed of:
- On behalf of the Government:
- the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts (MCIA);
- the National Foreign Trade Office (ONAC);
- On behalf of the private sector:
- the Burkina Faso Chamber of Comm erce, Industry and Crafts (CCIA-B);
- On behalf of the executing organizations (WTO, UNCTAD and ITC):
- the regional coordinator/principal technical advisor in charge of project
implementation;
- On behalf of the donor countries and partners in development:
- donor countries represented in the country;- UNDP;- World Bank;  and- other interested parties depending on need, to ensure maximum integration of
this project's activities with those of other ongoing technical assistanceprojects in the country.
(b) Local subcontracting in support of project activities
A subcontractor (private company or parastatal institution) will be engaged to take charge of
the administrative and logistical aspects of project activities.  It will act as liaison between the local
counterparts (government services, private sector institutions and enterprises) and the executingWT/COMTD/IF/24
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organizations (ITC, UNCTAD, WTO) and their regional coordinator.  Detailed terms of reference will
be prepared for the tasks of the local subcontractor.
(c) Focal points for technical implementation
The following organizations will be responsible for due implementation of activities,
including the coordination of inputs and resources to be made available by the counterparts.
- For objectives 1 and 2 (national capacity and adaption of trade regulations, laws and
procedures):  the focal point at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Crafts.
- For objective number 3 (enhancing Burkina Faso's export base):  ONAC and the
Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts will coordinate the preparation andimplementation of activities, in conjunction with other professional organizations.  A
liaison committee will be formed by the above-mentioned organizations to implement
and coordinate the activities under this objective.  More specifically, for the
management of market intelligence, a non-profit association will be formed as
indicated in the text of the Project document, to steer the system and establishadequate management protocols and methodologies.
The local subcontractor will liaise between th ese organizations and the regional coordinator.
3. Activities directed to exporting firms
Trainers from the private sector will be recruited for the training activities on a cost-sharing
basis.  Enterprise participation in trade missions and market studies will also be handled on a similar
basis.  At a later stage, market intelligence will be operated on a cost basis.
4. Coordination of project activities with other ongoing technical assistance projects
Project implementation will be coordinated with the activities of other ongoing technical
assistance projects being carried out by ITC, UNCTAD and WTO, as well as by other donors and
international organizations.  Details are described in the document.  Adaptations and adjustments willbe made as need arises.
The National Steering Committee in charge of coordination and follow-up in the field will
take initiatives and recommend appropriate measures to government authorities for integrating the
activities of this project with other ongoing projects being carried out by bilateral and international
organizations and enhancing synergies in order to optimize impact for the country.
5. Project implementation and sequencing of activities
The project document describes the activities to be undertaken to achieve the objectives.
Many of the activities are closely linked and their effectiveness depends on appropriate organization
of their sequencing.  The project document describes the linkage among these activities.  The order inwhich they are carried out will be fine-tuned later under the implementation plan to be prepared which
activities begin.
The activities that should follow a particular sequence are:
- Output 1.1 (institutional assistance) is the basis for many activities, although it will
also be adjusted as the other actions are carried out, as provided for under outputs 1.2
(assistance for the customs administration), 1.3 (national training capacity), 1.4WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 68
(Reference Centres) and 1.5 (knowledge and understanding of MTS).  The Reference
Centres (output 1.4) will play a prime role in sensitizing officials and the general
public to the main issues in strengthening negotiating capacity.  The Centres will be
strengthened at the same time as the national network of trainers and experts
(output 1.3), contributing to the success of project activities overall.
- Adaption of the legislative framework (out put 2.1) will be successful once output 2.3
(knowledge of trade policy) has been achieved.  The study on the impact of the WTO
Agreements on the domestic economy (output 2) will form the basis for the national
symposium (activity 3.2(d)) and provide data for the design of sectoral and national
export strategies (output 3.2).  A prerequisite condition for this last point is
simultaneous realization of output 3.1 (identification of export potential).  The
establishment of coordinated economic and trade information services (output 3.3)will be a prerequisite for effective operation of the trade pole envisaged elsewhere.
Both the market intelligence system and the trade pole will contribute to improving
access to business opportunities for exporters on foreign markets.
Furthermore, the consolidated implementation plan will provide detailed information on the
execution schedule and the human and financial resources to be mobilized under the project.  The
activities and the schedule may have to be adapted in the field to enhance their impact.  If so,
appropriate amendments will be made to the implementation plan, in close cooperation with
government authorities and the three executing organizations.
C. CONTRIBUTIONS BY PROJECT PARTNERS
1. Contribution of the executing organizations and the community of donor countries
The funding required to implement the project will be provided by donors through a special
common fund established in Geneva by the execut ing organizations.  This special common fund will
hold contributions earmarked to finance activities in a given country, based on the priorities of the
respective donors and the aggregate activities of the Integrated Programme, including the formulation
of future projects for other African countries.
The special common fund will be managed by a steering committee composed of all the
partners involved.
2. Government contributions
Apart from the human resources to be assigned to the project, the government will provide the
funds, on an annual basis, to cover the recurrent charges of the different activities.  Details on the
nature of the recurrent charges are given in the following table.  The authorities of each country willcover the recurrent charges, based on budget practices and the availability of resources.
Notwithstanding, the Government should alloca te sufficient resources to ensure normal
implementation of activities such as logistics, transportation, per diems for trainers and participation
by officials in missions inside and outside the country, which have not been budgeted in the project.
3. Private sector contributions
In most cases, the enterprises participating in the project should contribute to the cost.
Cost-sharing will be based on two principles:WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 69
- In the event that enterprises benefit directly from project activities, they will be asked
to contribute to the costs so that the benefits can be extended to as many enterprises
as possible;
- enterprises will pay part of the costs of project activities so they will feel a sense of
project ownership and expect high quality services from the executing organizationsand national counterparts.
The contributions by the project partners are summarized in the following table.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 70INPUTS BY PROJECT PARTNERS
Project elements WTO/UNCTAD/ITC GovernmentInstitutions and
enterprises
First objective
Establishment of national capacity to
understand the multilateral trading
system based on the changes resulting
from the Uruguay Round Agreements.
1.1 Institutional assistance WTO Documentation and consulting services at the official focal
point
UNCTAD Establishment of a national committee to facilitate trade and
transport (1 w/m)
UNCTAD/ITC Regional adviser
Official missionsDocumentationRecurrent charges
1.2 Assistance for the customs
administrationUNCTAD Customs expert (1 w/m)
Technical expert (1 w/m)Legal adviser (1 w/m)
Study TRIPS to Lomé (3)Recurrent charges
1.3 National training capacity in the
multilateral trading system
(a) Training of trainers:  Course
in GenevaWTO/ Accommodation of six participants from
UNCTAD/ Burkina Faso, including transportation and per diemsITC for three weekRecurrent charges
-  Counterpart personnel
(b) Inventory of training needs to
implement the Uruguay Round
AgreementsITC Regional adviser
National coordinator (0.5 w/m)
Methodology
UNCTAD Agency missionRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnelRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
(c) National training of trainers ITC Regional adviser
International consultants (4 x 025 w/m)
National consultants (2 w/m)Group training
UNCTAD Agency missionRecurrent charges
- Seminar logistics
- Counterpart personnelRecurrent charges
- Seminar 
logistics
- Counterpart 
personnel
(d) Training institutions WTO/UNCTAD/ITC Regional adviser
Educational materials and documentationRecurrent charges
(e) Discussion forum ITC Subcontracts
Agency missionRecurrent chargesWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 71Project elements WTO/UNCTAD/ITC GovernmentInstitutions and
enterprises
(f) Subregional exchanges ITC Regional adviser
Group trainingOfficial mission
UNCTAD Official missionRecurrent charges
(g) Participation in the case
exchangeITC Documentation Recurrent charges Recurrent charges
1.4 Establishment of Reference
Centres on the multilateral trading
system
(a) Official Reference Centre WTO Computerized information, documentation, 
Internet connection
UNCTAD/ITC Educational materials and documentationRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- LogisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Logistics
(b) Reference Centre for the
business communityITC/UNCTAD Regional adviser
Consultant international
Documentation and reference materialsComputer equipmentRecurrent charges
- Equipment
(c) Training seminar for
Reference CentredocumentalistsITC Group training
International consultant (0.25 w/m)Recurrent charges
- LogisticsRecurrent charges
- Logistics
1.5 Knowledge and understanding of
the multilateral trading system
(a) Public information WTO Documentation
National consultants (2 x 0.25 w/m)
(b) General seminars (p.m.) Seminars already organized in 1997 Recurrent charges Recurrent charges
(c) Specialized technical
workshopsWTO Five experts for workshops on customs matters,
technical barriers to trade, rules of competition,
agricultural products and textiles
UNCTAD Three resource persons for three of the eight seminars
ITC Regional adviser
Consultants/facilitators (1.5 w/m)National consultant (1.5 w/m)
DocumentationRecurrent charges
- Workshop logistics
- Counterpart personnelRecurrent charges
- Workshop 
logistics
- Counterpart 
personnel
Second objective
Assistance in adapting domesticlegislation to the rules of the multilateraltrading system and support in seekingmaximum advantage from the
opportunities stemming from
implementation of the Uruguay RoundAgreementsWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 72Project elements WTO/UNCTAD/ITC GovernmentInstitutions and
enterprises
2.1 Adaption of the legislative and
regulatory framework for foreigntradeWTO Evaluation mission to review or establish national legislation and
future actions to implement legislationDocumentation on notifications
Model legislationRecurrent charges
- Mission logistics- Counterpart personnel
UNCTAD Consulting services:
- Audit of the current trade policy framework:  
1 w/m- Definition of strategies to expand the country's foreign trade:  1 w/m
Total:  2 w/m
2.2 Study of the impact of the new
multilateral trading system on
Burkina Faso's economy and
foreign tradeUNCTAD Resource persons: 1 w/m for each person
Statistical analyses:  1 w/m for a national ITC 
consultant
ITC International consultant (0.75 w/m)
National consultant (1 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logistics
2.3 Improvement of foreign trade
development strategiesUNCTAD Consulting services:
- Audit of the existing trade policy framework (1 w/m)- Analysis of the implications of the Uruguay 
Round for trade opportunities (1 w/m)
- Definition of strategies to expand the country's foreign trade (1 w/m)
ITC International consultant (0.25 w/m)
National consultant (0.25 w/m)
Third objective
Better understanding of Burkina Faso'sexport markets and strengthening thecompetitive position of its exporting
firms
3.1 Identification of trade and export
development potential in the
context of globalized markets
(a) Matrix of products and
markets of interest to
Burkina FasoITC Regional adviser
Statistical analysesRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logisticsWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 73Project elements WTO/UNCTAD/ITC GovernmentInstitutions and
enterprises
(b) Study on Burkina Faso's
potential for exports ofgoodsITC Subregional coordinator
National consultant (2 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(c) Export market studies for five
groups of merchandiseITC Regional adviser
National consultants (8 w/m)
International consultants (3 w/m)Analysis and production of 
monographs on markets
Group trainingRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(d) Study on Burkina Faso's
potential for exports of
services UNCTAD International consultant (2 w/m)
ITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.5 w/m)National consultant (1 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
3.2 Design of export development
strategies
(a) Export development strategy
for Burkina FasoUNCTAD International consultant (0.75 w/m)
National consultant (1 w/m)
ITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.5 w/m)National consultant (1 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(b) Five sectoral strategies to
develop exports in prioritysectors (goods and services)ITC Regional adviser
International consultants (1.25 w/m)National consultants (1.25 w/m)
Group trainingRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(c) Strategy to develop Burkina
Faso's subregional tradeUNCTAD International consultant (0.5 w/m)
ITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.75 w/m)National consultant (1 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(d) National symposium on the
development of Burkina Faso'sexportsUNCTAD Resource person:  travel and per diems
ITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.25 w/m)
National consultants (1.25 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
3.3 Establishment of coordinated
economic and trade informationservicesWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 74Project elements WTO/UNCTAD/ITC GovernmentInstitutions and
enterprises
(a) Feasibility study on
coordinated economic andtrade information servicesITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.5 w/m)National consultant (1 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(b) National workshop on
economic and trade
informationUNCTAD Resource person:  travel and per diems
ITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.25 w/m)National consultant (0.25 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(c) Strengthening of coordinated
economic and tradeinformation servicesUNCTAD International consultant (1 w/m)
Documentation and database
ITC Regional adviser
National consultant  (3 w/m)Documentation and databasesRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
3.4 Adaption and publication of the
Guide to Trade Secrets
(a) Advice on preparation of guide ITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.5 w/m)
National consultant (0.5 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(b) Production of the guide ITC Subcontract
International consultant (0.5 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsCost sharing
(c) Distribution of the guide Documentation Receipts from sales of the
guide
3.5 Improved access to export financing
(a) Adaption and production of a
Guide on How to ApproachBanksITC International consultants (0.3 w/m)
National consultants (1 w/m)Subcontract (translation)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(b) Study on export financing ITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.3 w/m)
National consultants (1 w/m)Agency mission
UNCTAD International consultant (0.3 w/m)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logisticsWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 75Project elements WTO/UNCTAD/ITC GovernmentInstitutions and
enterprises
(c) Subregional workshop on
export financingITC Regional adviser
International consultants (0.3 w/m)National consultant (1 w/m)
Agency mission
Group training
UNCTAD Agency missionRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
3.6 Advice on consolidating national
capacity to develop products andmarketsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(a) In-service training on
developing products and
markets (seminars)ITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.25 w/m)
Official missionRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(b) Feasibility study on an
International Design andCreativity CentreITC International consultant (0.75 w/m) Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
3.7 Training of managers and design of
a work programme in the area of
qualityITC
(a) Orientation tour for trainers on
quality management in
companiesITC Regional adviser
International consultant (0.3 w/m)
Group training:  DSA and transport for four 
people for ten daysRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(b) Establishment of an
information point on technicalbarriers to trade, sanitary andphytosanitary measures, and
packaging for exportITC International consultant (0.5 w/m)
DocumentationEquipmentRecurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(c) Establishment of a database on
standards for Burkina Faso's
exportable productsITC Subcontract Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(d) National seminars on quality
management of exportableproducts and export packagingITC International consultant/facilitator
(3 x 0.25 w/m)Group training (contribution)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logisticsWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 76Project elements WTO/UNCTAD/ITC GovernmentInstitutions and
enterprises
3.8 Facilitation of contacts between
Burkina exporters and their foreigncounterparts
(a) Trade mission to selected
WAEMU and ECOWAScountriesITC Regional adviser
National consultant (1 w/m)Group training:  transport and DSA for two
representatives from institutions and eight
representatives from enterp rises (2/3rds of the costs)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
(b) Trade mission to new markets ITC Regional adviser
National consultant (1 w/m)
Group training:  transport and DSA  for tworepresentatives from institutions and eightrepresentatives from enterp rises (2/3rds of the costs)Recurrent charges
- Counterpart personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission 
logistics
PROJECT COORDINATION/ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Project elements WTO/UNCTAD/ITC Government Institutions and
enterprises
Coordination ITC Regional adviser
Administrative support:
     - evaluation   - subcontractingRecurrent charges
- Counterpart 
personnel
- Mission logisticsRecurrent chargesWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 77
VI. PERFORMANCE CRITERIA AND RISKS
A. SUCCESS CRITERIA
1. Objective 1:  Establishment of national capacity to understand the multilateral trading system
based on the changes resulting from the Uruguay Round Agreements
(a) Output 1.1:  Institutional assistance
The adoption of annual work plans and their implementation will indicate the success of the
assistance provided for the Interministerial Technical Committee.  Regular provision of information
and publications to public and private sector institutions by the focal point in the Ministry of Trade,
Industry and Crafts (MCIA) will be another indicator of success.  These institutions should provide
information to exporters and hold regular exchanges of views with them so that their interests are
reflected in the official position of Burkina Faso with respect to WTO trade negotiations.  The extentto which the country conforms to official WTO notifications will also be a yardstick for measuring
better understanding of the obligations stemming  from implementation of the WTO Agreements.
(b) Output 1.2:  Assistance for the customs administration
Adequate application of the WTO customs valu ation method instead of the Brussels method
by the end of the transitional period will be a success criterion for the assistance furnished under this
component.  The pertinency of the training and technical advice provided by WTO and UNCTAD for
Burkina Faso can also be measured through increased involvement of the national customs
administration in the working groups of the WTO Committee and its Subcommittee in the WorldCustoms Organization.
(c) Output 1.3:  Building national training capacity in the multilateral trading system
The effectiveness and success of project activities to establish effective national capacity to
monitor and implement the different commitments under the frame of WTO can be measured by:
- The existence and availability of a group of generalist and specialized
trainers/facilitators of the multilateral trading system who have benefitted from
training activities, either directly at WTO, UNCTAD and ITC or locally.  By the endof the project, training should have been provided for 15 to 20 selected
trainers/facilitators and five to ten specialized trainers/facilitators drawn from public
and private institutions and organizations concerned with implementation of the
WTO Agreements, who will have benefitted from this activity;
- the level of involvement of local resources and capacity in managing the country's
participation in implementing the WTO Agreements;
- the inclusion of subjects relating to the mu ltilateral trading system in the programmes
of institutions of higher education, such as the University of Burkina Faso.
The level achieved by the national network of trainers and specialists in evaluating needs,
sharing tasks and coordinating programmes can be verified through interviews.  The cumulative
participation by Burkina Faso trainers/facilitators in the discussion forum created under this
programme will be reflected in submission of at least one case study a year.
The annual project reports will discuss these activities and their impact.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 78
(d) Output 1.4:  Establishment of Reference Centres on the multilateral trading system
The establishment of two Reference Centres on the multilateral trading system can be verified
through the actual provision at the selected sites (MCIA and ONAC) of complete documentation on
written and electronic supports and the presence of the equipment needed to use them.
The efficiency of the resource persons in facilitating use of the Reference Centres can be
measured by the number of requests processed and user satisfaction, particularly with respect to the
promptness of the responses to their requests.  The annual reports of the institutions housing the
Reference Centres and the project progress reports will contain information on the functioning of the
Reference Centres.
(e) Output 1.5:  Knowledge and understandi ng of the multilateral trading system
Apart from the general seminars organized by the Burkina institutions involved in the project,
a series of specialized seminars will be offered for different users of the multilateral trading system.
The level and number of participants in these seminars will indicate how much importance is attached
to them by institutions and enterprises.  The annual reports, press clippings and interviews withparticipants will be a gauge of their success.
2. Objective 2:  Assistance in adapting national legislation to the rules of the multilateral trading
system and support in seeking maximum advantage from the opportunities stemming from the
Uruguay Round Agreements
(a) Output 2.1:  Adaption of the legislative and regulatory framework for foreign trade
Compliance by national legislation on trade with the provisions of the WTO Agreements,
leading to an improvement in the business environment, will be a yardstick for measuring projectperformance.  Further, the results should facilitate direct foreign investment, particularly
export-oriented investment.  Interviews with business people will be a criterion for evaluating
improvement in the business environment.
(b) Output 2.2:  Evaluation of  the impact of the new multilateral trading system on
Burkina Faso's economy and foreign trade
The pertinency of this study will be verified by the availability of a document presenting a
detailed analysis, conclusions and useful recomme ndations for the ensuing work to identify trade
opportunities and comparative advantages of export sectors.  The subsequent activities include a
national symposium and work of different kinds on export development strategies.
(c) Output 2.3:  Improvement of foreign trade development strategies
This output will take the form of a report analysing the situation and making detailed
recommendations regarding the macroeconomic framework applicable to Burkina Faso's foreign
trade.  The resulting improvement in the business environment in the country will be an indirectpositive result of the activities under this component.
Suitable linkage between trade policy and export development strategies will be a criterion for
verifying the impact of the activities carried out under the second objective.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 79
3. Objective 3:  Contribution to a better understanding of Burkina Faso's export markets and
strengthening the competitive position of its exporting firms
 The expected impact of the activities under this objective is to facilitate export promotion and
diversification for Burkina enterprises on the basis of the country's potential and the opportunities
available on international markets for goods and services resulting from implementation of the WTOAgreements.  To that end, the provision of information services, technical supports and facilities will
help enterprises to master export development activities.
(a) Output 3.1:  Identification of trade and export development potential in the context of
globalized markets
The output will be attained when:- A report containing the following is made available to the authorities and enterprises:
- the matrix of products and markets with export potential for Burkina Faso,
necessary for subsequent studies on potential;
- a study of that potential by sector, based on the matrix;- four sectoral studies (textiles, tinned foodstuffs and agri-food products,
vegetable oils, crafts) describing the nature of the target markets for thosesectors;
- a similar study on the potential of the services sector;
- the reports submitted are found to be clear and useful for preparing sectoral strategies
and business plans for exporting firms.
Furthermore, for the services sector, a better understanding of the General Agreement on
Trade in Services will be a complementary criterion for gauging the success of project activities.
(b) Output 3.2:  Design of export development strategies
Data on the potential supply of Burkina products and services with comparative export
advantages and on demand by target markets should serve to prepare appropriate strategies on the
national and sectoral levels.
Provision of these strategic reports to the authorities and enterprises and their usefulness
during the symposium to be organized will be indicato rs of the success of these activities.  Validation
of the strategies by the participants in the symposium will be a supplementary indicator.
(c) Output 3.3:  Establishment of coordinated economic and trade information services
The objective of the activities under this component is to make a trade information system
available to Burkina enterprises that responds to their export management needs.  The expectations of
firms in this regard will be spelled out in a study on the feasibility of a system of this kind.
The existence and effectiveness of the system will be reflected in constructive cooperation
among the different distributers/suppliers of trade information and the match between the needs of
enterprises  and the nature of the information supplied.  These elements will be confirmed through a
brief field survey conducted during project evaluation and in the regular project progress reports.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 80
Also, the use of the information on trade, techniques and regulations made available through
the Reference Centres, the information points on technical obstacles to trade and on sanitary and
phytosanitary measures, and other information facilities will be means to verify project performance.
Use of these facilities by public institutions, prof essional associations and enterprises is one indicator
of success.  Definition of a matrix of products/market for goods and services and the establishment ofsectoral export plans accompanied by specific support programmes for groups of spearhead products
made available to public and private institutions are major project outputs.  The extent to which the
recommendations made under the project are applied is an indicator of success in this area.
This objective makes specific contributions to quality through information for institutions and
enterprises.  Utilization of this technical info rmation by operators in their international trade
operations is a further criterion for verifying success in this field.
(d) Output 3.4:  Adaption and production of the Guide to Trade Secrets
The success of this output with businesses can be verified through a brief survey of users of
the guide to determine its releva nce for answering questions frequently asked by exporting firms in
general and in the Burkina context in particular.
Further, the number of Guides to Trade Secrets sold in the country is a supplementary
criterion for measuring the success of this output.
(e) Output 3.5:  Improved access to export financing
The success of the Guide on How to Approach Ba nks will also be verified by the number sold
in the country.  Its usefulness for exporting firms and financial institutions will be measured and
evaluated in the annual evaluation reports, on the one hand, and through interviews, on the other.
Adoption of the study on export financing schemes containing detailed and pertinent
recommendations on the steps to be taken on the national and/or regional levels will verify the success
of this output.
(f) Output 3.6:  Advice on consolidating national  capacity to develop products and markets
Greater effectiveness in national capacity in this field will be verified through the accrued
proficiency of the staff of ONAC and the Ch amber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts and
professional associations in techniques for preparing export strategies and boosting exports.  The
success of this output will be measured through interviews with the managers involved at the time of
the evaluation and through the regular project progress reports.
(g) Output 3.7:  Contribution to the training of ma nagers and design of a work programme in the
area of quality
This output will be measured by:- The existence of a work programme for the structure responsible for quality
promotion and control and the allocation of adequate funds by the Government or
partners in development for the work programme.  Progress reports and the
evaluation will establish achievements in this field.
- Better mastery by national managers of quality issues.  The national seminar on
quality management of exportable products will contribute to this training.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 81
- Accrued awareness by operators (producers and exporters) of the importance of
preventive measures and quality control in the pricing of exports.  These two factors
will be examined during project evaluation, through interviews with interested
parties.
- The existence and use of the database on standards and quality requirements made
available to economic operators in particular.  Project progress reports and the final
evaluation will indicate the success, impact and effectiveness of this output.
B. RISKS
The impact of this project and the performance anticipated as a result of the activities would
be affected if Burkina Faso's partners are not sufficiently committed, particularly with respect to theprovision of the counterpart financial and human resources necessary for the sustainability of certain
project outputs, such as the Reference Centres, information services, etc.  Improvement in the national
business environment would also be seriously hampered if human resources, particularly trainers to
provide national capacity to manage issues related to  the multilateral system and to adjust the national
legislative system, were to be unavailable in the medium term.
Insufficient sensitization and awareness by the business sector of the challenges and
opportunities arising from the multilateral trading system could reduce, and even seriously affect, the
implementation of sectoral strategies for export promotion and diversification.
VII. EVALUATION AND REPORTING
The project will be evaluated by the three executing agencies, in cooperation with the
Government of Burkina Faso and the local counterpart institutions.  The lessons learned will be used
in similar projects in other countries and for possible continuation of the technical assistance.
VIII. SUSPENSION OR END OF THE ASSISTANCE
The international organizations involved may su spend or end their assistance for the project,
thorough written notification, if they find that the smooth functioning of the project or achievement of
its objectives is jeopardized owing to unforeseen circumstances or major events.
In the same notification or in a subsequent one, the international organizations may indicate
the conditions under which they would be willing to resume their assistance for the project.  In that
event, assistance will remain suspended until the requirements are met and accepted by the
Government.WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 82
IX. BUDGETS
A. BUDGETARY ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BY WTO
1998 1999 2000 Total
Missions to follow-up on the training of trainers
programme5,000 5,000 5,000 15,000
Training of trainers 20,000 20,000
Facilitation of specialized seminars/actions to
implement legislation22,000 22,000 21,000 65,000
Documentation for specialized workshops 500 500 500 1,500
Educational documentation 2,000 2,000 1,000 5,000
Sundry expenses 3,500 3,500 2,500 9,500
Total 53,000 33,000 30,000 116,000WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 83B. BUDGETARY ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BY UNCTAD
B/L Item 1998 1999 2000 Total
m/m US$ m/m US$ m/m US$ m/m US$
11.01 Regional adviser, CTP
13.01 Administrative support
15.01 Project travel
16.01 Official travel ?
16.02 Evaluation 10,000 10,000 20,000
17.01 National consultants 1.00 1,900 1.00 2,000 2 3,900
18.01 International consultants 5.30 79,500 7.25 108,750  12.55 188,250
21.01 Subcontracting
32.01 Group training 22,300 22,500 10,500 55,300
33.01 National symposium 3,500 3,500
41.01 Expendable, incl. documentation 3,600 1,300 1,200 6,100
42.01 Equipment and non-expendable 15,000 15,000
51.01 Maintenance 3,500 3,500 7,000
52.01 Reporting 1,000 1,000 1,000 3,000
53.01 Miscellaneous and reserves 5,634 7,012 1,234 13,880
Subtotal 6.30 127,434 8.25 161,062 27,434 14.55 315,930
56.13 Operating cost 16,566 20,938 3,566 41,070
Total 6.30 144,000 8.25 182,000 31,000 14.55 357,000WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 84C. BUDGETARY ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BY ITC
B/L Item 1998 1999 2000 Total
m/t US$ m/t US$ m/t US$ m/t US$
11.01  Regional adviser, CTP 2.50 30,000 3.00 37,800 2.25 29,768  7.75 97,568
13.01  Administrative support 5.00 5,000 6.00 6,300 4.50 4,961 15.50 16,261
15.01  Project travel 23,870 21,590 11,810 57,270
16.01  Official travel 7,000 7,000 2,000 16,000
16.02  Evaluation 6,700 6,800 13,500
17.01  National consultants 13.00 24,700 16.75 33,500 1.50 3,150 31.25 61,350
18.01  International consultants 6.05 59,895 6.85 71,925 1.55 17,670 14.45 149,490
18.02  Travel by project consultants 52,700 53,100 9,000 114,800
21.01  Subcontracting 16,500 23,000 6,000  45,500
32.01  Group training 22,500 99,090 8,400 129,990
33.01  National symposium 2,500 2,500
41.01  Expendable, incl. documentation 11,700 7,700 4,200 23,600
42.01  Equipment and non-expendable 21,500 0 0 21,500
51.01  Maintenance 2,760 2,750 2,750 8,260
52.01  Reporting 1,900 2,100 2,300 6,300
53.01  Miscellaneous and reserves 13,275 16,601 5,350 35,226
 Subtotal 26.55 300,000 32.60 384,956 9.80 114,159 68.95 799,115
56.13   Operating cost 39,000 50,044 14,841 103,885
 Total 26.55 339,000 32.60  435,000 9.80 129,000 68.95 903,000WT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 85X. WORK PLAN AND SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES (BY SEMESTER)
Tasks 1998 1999 2000
II III IV I II III IV I II III
First objective
Establishment national capacity to understand the multilateral trading
system based on the changes resulting from the Uruguay Round
Agreements
1.1 Institutional assistance xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
1.2 Assistance for the customs administration xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
1.3 National training capacity in the multilateral trading system
(a) Training of trainers:  Geneva course(b) Inventory of training requirements(c) Training of trainers on the national level(d) Training institutions
(e) Discussion forum
(f) Exchange of experiences on the subregional level(g) Participation in the case exchangexxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
1.4 Establishment of Reference Centres on the multilateral trading
system
(a) Official Reference Centre
(b) Reference Centre for use by the business community(c) Training seminar for documentalistsDone 97
xxxxx
xxxxx
1.5 Knowledge and understanding of the multilateral trading
system
(a) Information for the media and the public
(b) General seminars(c) Specialized technical workshopsDone 97
Done 97
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 86Tasks 1998 1999 2000
II III IV I II III IV I II III
Second objective
Assistance in adapting domestic legislation to the rules of the
multilateral trading system and support in seeking maximumadvantage from the opportunities stemming from implementation
of the Uruguay Round Agreements.  Assistance in strengthening
Burkina Faso's export capacity
2.1 Adaption of the legislative and regulatory framework for
foreign trade
2.2 Evaluation of the impact of the new multilateral trading
system on Burkina Faso's economy and foreign trade
2.3 Improvement of foreign trade development strategiesxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 87Tasks 1998 1999 2000
II III IV I II III IV I II III
Third objective
Contribution to a better understanding of Burkina Faso's export markets
and strengthening the competitive position of its exporting firms
3.1 Identification of trade and export development potential in the
context of globalized markets(a) Matrix of products and markets of interest to Burkina
Faso
(b) Study of Burkina Faso's potential for exporting
products
(c) Study of foreign markets for five groups of
merchandise
(d) Study of Burkina Faso's potential for exporting
services
3.2 Design of export development strategies
(a) Strategy to develop Burkina Faso's exports(b) Six sectoral development strategies for priority export
sectors (goods and services)
(c) Strategy to develop Burkina Faso's subregional trade
(d) National symposium on the development of Burkina
Faso's exportsxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx
3.3 Establishment of coordinated economic and trade
information services
(a) Feasibility study on coordinated economic and
trade information services
(b) National workshop on economic and trade
information
(c) Establishment of coordinated economic and
trade information servicesxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxWT/COMTD/IF/24
Page 88Tasks 1998 1999 2000
II III IV I II III IV I II III
3.4 Adaption and publication of the Guide to Trade Secrets
3.5 Improved access to export financing
(a) Adaption and production of a Guide on How to
Approach the Banks
(b) Study on export financing(c) Subregional workshop on export financing
3.6 Consolidation of national capacity to develop products
and markets
(a) In-service training on the development of
products and markets
(b) Trade mission to selected WAEMU and
ECOWAS countries
3.7 Training for managers and design of a work programme
in the area of quality
(a) Orientation tour for quality trainers
(b) Implementation of information points on
technical barriers toxxxxx xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
__________