WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/CTE/W/209
5 June 2002
(02-3133)
Committee on Trade and Environment Original:  English
MEA INFORMATION SESSION ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,
CAPACITY BUILDING AND ENHANCING INFORMATION EXCHANGE
Input from the WTO, UNEP and MEA Secretariats
1. In preparation for the Information Session with multilateral environmental agreements
(MEAs) on 13 June 2002, the Secretariats of UNEP, selected intergovernmental organizations and the
WTO have prepared this Note, under their own responsibility, on trade-related technical assistance
and capacity building activities, as well as enha ncing cooperation and information exchange between
UNEP, MEAs and the WTO.  In addition to the WTO and UNEP, this Note contains input from:
– the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora;
– the Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal;
– the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
– the Convention on Biological Diversity;– the International Tropical Timber Organization;  and
– the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
2. The complete list of intergovernmental organizations invited to participate in the MEA
Information Session on 13 June 2002 and to contribute to this Note is contained in the Annex.
I. WTO
3. The WTO Secretariat continues to collaborate closely with the UNEP and MEA Secretariats,
as well as other international organizations dealing with trade and environment and trade anddevelopment issues, such as UNCTAD.  Since 1997, the CTE has held annual MEA Information
Sessions, where the UNEP and MEA Secretariats have  made presentations on various aspects of their
work related to trade.  These sessions have greatly contributed to stimulate a constructive, open and
informal dialogue between the WTO, trade and environment officials, and intergovernmental
organizations.  As an input to the MEA Information Session in June 2001, Members requested theSecretariat to prepare a factual paper, in cooperation with UNEP and the MEA Secretariats, on
compliance and dispute settlement provisions in the WTO and MEAs (WT/CTE/W/191).  This paper
built on the information on selected ME As in WT/CTE/W/160/Rev.1, entitled Matrix on Trade
Measures pursuant to Selected MEAs .
4. Regional seminars on trade and environment with Government representatives from trade and
environment Ministries have been organized by the WTO, with the cooperation, as well as
participation, of the Secretariats of UNEP, UNCTAD and MEAs.  The presence of these organisationsWT/CTE/W/209
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in WTO regional activities serves to highlight the links between trade, environment and sustainable
development, and contributes to enhancing national coordination between trade and environment
policymakers.  In the Preamble to the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Ministers welcomed the
continued cooperation of the WTO with UNEP and other international organizations, and further
encouraged efforts to promote cooperation between the WTO and international environmental anddevelopmental organizations, especially in the lead-up to the World Summit on Sustainable
Development.  In Paragraph 33 of the Doha Declaration, Ministers also recognized the importance of
technical assistance and capacity building in the field of trade and the environment to developing
countries, in particular the least-developed countries.
5. In keeping with the aim of fostering greater cooperation, the WTO Secretariat has already
held three regional seminars in 2002, to be followed by  four others later in the year.  In this context,
cooperation with UNEP, UNCTAD and MEAs is being strengthened.  The WTO Secretariat has alsobegun to organize side events at certain MEA meetings, such as the meetings of the Conference of the
Parties.  These events target developing country participants with the objective of increasing their
level of understanding of the links between WTO rules and work vis-à-vis specific trade-related
environmental issues.  The first such side event wa s held at the Second Session of the United Nations
Forum on Forests (UNFF2) in New York on 8 March 2002.  A side event was also organized at the
sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP6) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in
the Hague on 9 April 2002.  Preparations are being finalized to hold side events at the meeting of the
COP of the Montreal Protocol in October;  the ICCAT Commission meeting in October-November;
and COP12 of CITES in November.
II. UNEP
6. The UNEP Economics and Trade Branch (ETB) works closely with Governments, national,
regional and sub regional institutions — particularly of developing countries and those with
economies in transition — to help build capacity for integrating environmental objectives into macro-
economic policies, including trade policies.
7. The main objectives are to raise awareness and understanding of the linkages between trade,
environment and development, and enable countries to:  (i) assess the environmental and development
impacts of trade and trade liberalization;  (ii)  engage effectively in trade and environment
negotiations;  (iii) formulate and implement mutually supportive policies to meet national obligations
under multilateral trade and environment agreements, while also maximizing the net development
gains of trade liberalization;  and (iv) capture environment-related development opportunities offered
by trade and globalization.
8. To accomplish the above, UNEP undertakes national workshops, awareness-raising seminars,
training, policy dialogues, and country projects.  UNEP/ETB relies on a demand-driven programme of
capacity-building activities to support countries in their efforts to integrate environment, trade and
development policies, so as to achieve sustainable development.  A broad range of tools are applied in
processes that involve:  (i) extensive multi-stakeholder participation, including an initial needs
assessment;  (ii) empowerment of local experts and institutions to undertake policy analysis anddesign;  (iii) building capacity for integrated sector-specific assessment of the environmental, and
development impacts of trade liberalization and other related policies;  and (iv) design of integrated
policy responses to meet national trade, environment and development priorities and needs.
9. Over the past four years, UNEP has conducted eleven country-level integrated assessments of
the environmental and related development impacts of trade and trade liberalization. The sectorscovered were:  Agriculture (China, Ecuador and Ni geria);  Forest Management (Tanzania);  Mining
(Chile);  Fisheries (Bangladesh, Argentina, Senegal and Uganda);  Transportation (India);  and Water
management (Romania).  Based in large part on this experience, UNEP has also developed andWT/CTE/W/209
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published a number of assessment and policy development tools, such as the Environmental Impact
Assessment Training Resource Manual  and the Reference Manual on Integrated Assessment of
Trade-Related Policies .
10. UNEP has also established, with UNCTAD, the Capacity Building Task Force on Trade,
Environment and Development (CBTF), as a response to needs expressed by Governments.  TheCBTF combines the complementary expertise of UNEP and UNCTAD, and provides a framework to
implement a coordinated set of activities, such as thematic research, training, country projects and
policy dialogue.  CBTF projects are designed to  promote country ownership, broad stakeholder
participation and a learning-by-doing approach to capacity building.
11. UNEP has also made efforts to ensure that MEAs and the WTO agreements work together
more effectively and synergistically in pursuit of sustainable development.  A series of
MEA-WTO meetings, organized back-to-back with meetings of the WTO Committee on Trade andEnvironment, has built understanding, cooperation and potential synergies between the two regimes.
Collaborative capacity building activities between ME As and the WTO are being developed.  To this
end, a UNEP Workshop on Capacity Building on Environment. Trade and Development was held in
Geneva in March 2001 to identify joint UNEP-MEA-WTO capacity building activities.
12. In this context, UNEP proposes that Members consider the following initial elements for
discussion in the context of exploring procedures and mechanisms to enhance cooperation between
UNEP, MEAs and the WTO.  UNEP intends to build on these proposals in light of the discussions at
the MEA Information Session in the CTE on 13 June.  The main objective is to contribute effectively
and constructively to the Doha Agenda in order to ensure that the negotiations take into account
sustainable development.
• To enhance coordination between the UNEP-UNCTAD-MEA-WTO Secretariats on trade and
environment-related technical assistance and cap acity building activities, including through the
UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Forc e on Trade, Environment and Development
(CBTF), and the WTO Regional Seminars and Side Events at MEA meetings and COPs.
• To continue to organize UNEP expert workshops , in collaboration with the WTO, UNCTAD and
MEAs, on specific subjects of relevance to the Doha Agenda, back-to-back with meetings of the
Committee on Trade and Environment and its Special Sessions.  In this respect, based on theavailability of funding, UNEP intends to continue  to fund the participation of developing country
environmental negotiators.  The most recent back-to-back meetings include the Workshop on
Fisheries on 15 March 2002 (WT/CTE/W/205), and the Workshop on Technical Assistance and
Capacity Building on 19-20 March 2002 (WT/CTE/W/206).
• To establish a mechanism to ensure input fr om MEAs and UNEP into the ongoing negotiations
through, for example, expert consultations involving UNEP and MEAs in the context of the
Special Sessions of the CTE.  It is clear that, given the complexities of the WTO and MEA
regimes, information exchange be tween the two régimes is essential to building an understanding
of the issues involved.  For example, the advice and input of MEAs is crucial in determining
issues such as legitimate environmental objectives, the necessary tools to achieve them, as well as
what constitutes "multilateral" in the environmental context.
13. UNEP appreciates this opportunity to provide its preliminary input to the Committee on Trade
and Environment on how to enhance the two-way dialogue between the multilateral environmental
and trade systems.  UNEP looks forward to discussi ons at the MEA Information Sessions, as well as
the Special Sessions, on how to enhance capacity building activities and information exchange.WT/CTE/W/209
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III. CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF 
WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES)
14. In CITES, trade and economic issues are addressed in the context of the Strategic Vision
through 2005.  This Strategic Vision confirms the recognition by the Parties that sustainable wildlife
trade can make a major contribution to securing the broader and not incompatible objectives ofsustainable development and biodiversity conservation.  The work programme, therefore, aims to
eliminate the common misconception that CITES is a treaty that bans trade.  In this connection, all
capacity building activities increasingly reflect the socio-economic as well as biodiversity concerns of
CITES.
15. The CITES Secretariat provides assistance to developing countries and countries with
economies in transition through activities designed to increase the capacity of the Parties to
implement the Convention effectively and efficiently.  The Capacity Building Unit coordinates theorganization of workshops, seminars, training packages, dissemination of information to the public
and technical assistance, and oversees the funding and implementation of CITES projects.  The
Scientific Support Unit helps Parties to enhance the scientific basis for decision making in CITES
through support to the Animals and Plants Committees, management of the Review of Significant
Trade process, provision of guidance on determining whether trade is detrimental to the survival of aspecies, as well as the setting and monitoring of quotas, and further development of species
identification manuals.
16. The Legislation and Compliance Unit (through guidance materials, workshops, country visits,
etc.) advises Parties on the development of adequate national legislation to implement the Convention,
identifies possible violations of the Convention and assists Parties with their wildlife law enforcementefforts, monitors the submission of national annual reports on CITES trade, as well as biennial reports
on measures taken to enforce the Convention and liaises with Parties and other partners on trade and
economic issues.  The Convention Support Unit he lps Parties to better understand the Convention,
operates the web site, oversees the production and distribution of CITES documentation and provides
logistical support to the organization of CITES meetings.
17. The CITES Secretariat has participated in one WTO regional seminar on trade and
environment and has expressed interest in working with the WTO Secretariat and other partners to
jointly plan and implement similar seminars in the future.  In addition, it has welcomed the
WTO Secretariat's plans to organize a side event at the 12
th meeting of the Conference of the Parties
(Santiago, 3-15 November 2002).  Economic instruments and trade policy also will be the subject of
an important discussion paper at CoP12.
18. Current capacity building initiatives within CI TES work to enhance the knowledge and skills
of management, scientific and enforcement authorities to set and implement wildlife trade policies.
This includes the ability to determine which species can be safely traded and at what levels, to
monitor trade and to address instances of non-compliance with legal trade requirements.  CITES
hopes to tap the WTO experience with trade policy review, trade data analysis, economic incentives
and market access to further develop its technical assistance and capacity building programme.  It alsolooks forward to opening discussions with WTO on po ssible joint efforts to identify and/or develop
economic approaches for reducing illegal trade.
19. In the area of information exchange and enhanced cooperation, CITES wishes to move
beyond the verbal or written exchange of general information.  It would like to explore with the
WTO the kinds of substantive data that might be shared and concrete activities that could beundertaken jointly.  The ongoing Doha negotiations offer a major opportunity for enriching
collaboration between CITES and the WTO.  Both the environmental and trade regimes would benefit
from a two-way dialogue on Paragraphs 31, 32, 33 a nd 51 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.  AWT/CTE/W/209
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one-sided negotiation process diminishes the cooperation developed thus far and deprives the WTO of
the critical input that CITES could provide on the basis of its long experience with, and innovative
approaches to, international wildlife trade.
IV. BASEL CONVENTION ON TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENTS OF HAZARDOUS
WASTES AND THEIR DISPOSAL
20. The Basel Convention controls the transboundary movements of hazardous and other wastes
and, to this end, has in place a prior written advance notification system or regime.  The notification
system is one of the main pillars of the Convention.  Its implementation requires the involvement of
different stakeholders including customs and other enforcement officers.
21. The Secretariat of the Basel Convention is carrying out a project entitled “Pilot Project for the
Monitoring and Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes in the Asian Region.”
The project focuses on capacity building activities designed to enhance the collection, processing and
exchange of information between stakeholders concerning transboundary movements of hazardous
wastes covered by the Basel Convention.
22. It aims at matching the needs of all relevant authorities and institutions for:
• improved cooperation and communication among the national authorities of Parties concerning
the control of the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and the prevention of illegaltraffic;
• improved cooperation and communication between the Competent Authorities of the Parties to
the Convention concerning the control of the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes andthe prevention of illegal traffic;
• enhanced capacity, knowledge and experience in enforcing the regulatory regime of the Basel
Convention;  and
• establishment of cost-effective preventive mechanisms concerning illegal exports of hazardous
and other wastes, in comparison to the administ rative, legal and other costs involved in the
tracking and settlement of cases of illegal traffic, in particular in exporting countries.
23. It is expected that the pilot project will enhance cooperation and improve networking at the
national level between Environmental Enforcement Authorities, Customs, Port Authorities, and
testing laboratories.  At the international level,  the activities will improve cooperation between the
Parties, the World Customs Organization, Interp ol, the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the
Pacific, and the Secretariat of the Basel Conven tion in relation to the control of transboundary
movements of hazardous wastes and the prevention of illegal traffic.
24. The Basel Convention Regional Centres in the Asia/Pacific Region play a critical role in
supporting activities to enhance capacity building at the regional level and to promote effectivecooperation at the regional level.  It is also expected that this pilot project could be replicated in other
regions of the world.
V. UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)
25. The UNFCCC has no trade-related technical assistance activities.
26. The UNFCCC states that, in their actions to achieve the objective of the Convention and to
implement its provisions, the Parties shall be guided by a set of Principles. According to Article 3.5:WT/CTE/W/209
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"The Parties should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international
economic system that would lead to sust ainable economic growth and development in
all Parties, particularly developing country Parties, thus enabling them to better
address the problems of climate change. Measures taken to combat climate change,
including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiablediscrimination or a disguised rest riction on international trade".
27. There is no other reference to trade obligations set out in the UNFCCC;  this reference echoes
similar references in WTO agreements.
28. The Kyoto Protocol to the Convention on Climate Change (yet to be ratified) in Article 2 lists
some policies and measures for Annex I Parties for achieving quantified emission limitation and
reduction commitments, in order to promote sustainable development.  According to Article 2.3:
"The Parties included in Annex I shall strive to implement policies and measures
under this Article in such a way as to minimise adverse effects, including the adverse
effects of climate change, effects on international trade, and social, environmental
and economic impacts on other Parties, especially developing country Parties and in
particular those identified in Article 4, paragraphs 8 and 9, of the Convention, taking
into account Article 3 of the Convention. The Conference of the Parties serving as themeeting of the Parties to this Protocol may take further action, as appropriate, to
promote the implementation of the provisions of this paragraph."
29. The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties could be a forum for
enhancing further mutual supportiveness with WTO rules in the implementation of the Protocol.
30. The following elements are proposed for discussion in the context of exploring procedures
and mechanisms to enhance information exchange between MEAs and relevant WTO Committees.
The list is indicative and not exhaustive:
• Should the mechanism for exchange of information be limited to secretariats, as at present, or,
should it be expanded to include elected officers of MEAs?  This would depend on the type ofissues to be considered.  If the information to be exchanged is limited to provisions of
agreements or decisions, such information can be exchanged at the level of secretariats.  If,however, the scope of the information is extended to substantive issues (eg. principles, ways
to establish the linkage, relationship between is sues), a different mechanism may be needed.
• Is the current arrangement of MEAs responding to the CTE agenda sufficient to meet
emerging needs of the WTO Committees?  Should a collaborative partnership between the
institutions be considered, to secure coherence in approaches to implementation?
• Procedures and mechanisms related to compliance under the Kyoto Protocol will interpret
rules, in particular related to facilitation.  There are also provisions for dispute settlement.  It
is important to avoid potential conflict in the event of adjudication.  Would periodic
"workshops" of members of the judicial/quasi-judicial/implementation bodies to exchange
information and views help to promote mutual supportiveness of the regimes?
31. The Secretariat of the UNFCCC welcomes this constructive dialogue, and thanks the
Chairman of the CTE for the opportunity to present its preliminary views.WT/CTE/W/209
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VI. CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD)
32. The text of the Convention on Biological Diversity does not explicitly refer to trade measures.
Nor does the Convention generally prescribe specific measures.  The provisions of the Convention,
with a few exceptions, set goals.  Its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety makes specific reference to
trade agreements in its Preamble, but, in its operative text, does not explicitly refer to trade measuresor generally prescribe specific measures.  The specific measures required to implement the provisions
of the Convention and the Protocol are largely the prerogative of Parties.  In consequence, the CBD
Secretariat does not undertake technical assistance activities that are directly trade-related.
33. Both the Convention and the Protocol, however, do contain a number of provisions that are
widely understood to potentially require measures by Parties that could have consequences for trade.
These provisions were described in WT/CTE/W/149.  In consequence, a number of activities related
to technical assistance are carried out under the programmes of work on those provisions that requiremeasures by Parties with possible consequences for trade.  For instance, the programmes of work on
access and benefit sharing and on traditional knowledge provide for capacity building activities may
relate to measures that could have consequences for trade.  A similar observation applies to the Action
Plan for Capacity Building of the Intergov ernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol.
34. The fact that most biological diversity is found within developing countries has meant that
both the Convention and the Protocol contain an extensive array of provisions addressing the specific
needs of these countries, with a view to ensuring their full and effective participation in the process
and to facilitating implementation.  The Convention contains provisions addressing the transfer of
technology;  capacity-building;  financial su pport for implementing the Convention, as well as
participating in its decision making;  awareness raising;  scientific and technical cooperation;research and training;  and exchange of information.
35. The Protocol places a similar emphasis on ways and means of meeting the needs of
developing countries.  Key provisions in this respect are Article 22 on capacity building and
Article 28 on financial mechanism and resources.  Article 22 provides that Parties shall cooperate in
the development of human resources and institutional capacities in biosafety, taking the needs ofdeveloping country States for financial and technological resources fully into account.
36. The financial mechanism of the Convention has played an important role in addressing the
needs of developing countries and providing incentives to countries to join and implement the
Convention.  The mechanism is operated by the Gl obal Environmental Facility (GEF) and is funded
by contributions from States.  Since its inception, the GEF has approved biodiversity projects
amounting to over US$1.3 billion.  The Conference of the Parties undertook two reviews of the
effectiveness of the financial mechanism and, although welcoming the efforts made to date by theGEF, did recognize that further improvements are ne eded to improve the effectiveness of the financial
mechanism.  In this respect, the Conference of the Parties made a number of recommendations of a
procedural nature for the GEF.
37. Suggestions from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in regard to
further cooperation between MEAs and the WTO relate to, for example:
• developing systems of information sharing among Parties to the respective Conventions;
• increasing the understanding of the relationship between the relevant provision of the
TRIPS Agreement and the CBD;
• enhancing the sharing of technical knowledge and expertise between the organisations;  and
facilitating capacity building.WT/CTE/W/209
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VII. INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER AGREEMENT (ITTA)
38. The administers the provisions and operation of the International Tropical Timber Agreement,
1994, a developmental, intergovernmental, internat ional commodity agreement negotiated under the
auspices of UNCTAD, which seeks to promote intern ational trade in tropical timber, the sustainable
management of tropical forests, and the development of tropical forest industries through internationalcooperation, policy work and projects.  The overall work of the International Tropical Timber
Organization (ITTO) can be viewed as an attempt to integrate trade and environment in respect of
tropical forests and tropical timber, which has essentially been operationalized through the ITTO
Objective 2000 , through which Members reaffirm their commitment to moving towards achieving
exports of tropical timber and timber products from sustainably-managed sources.
39. ITTO has to deal with tropical timber and tropical forests in its producing developing tropical
Member countries, where most of the pressing constraints and challenges in promoting sustainableforest management within the overarching context of sustainable development are being encountered.
Addressing the gaps in tropical forest management, industry and trade through technical and other
forms of assistance and capacity building is, therefore, of central importance.  It is no coincidence that
enhancing the capacity of ITTO producing Members to attain the objectives of ITTA, 1994, including
ITTO Objective 2000  and to conserve and enhance other forest values in timber producing tropical
forests, has been expressly provided for in the agreement.  Promoting access to, and transfer of,
technologies and technical cooperation is also one of the objectives of ITTA, 1994.
40. In the context of this challenging setting, the ITTA, 1994 relies not on trade measures, but on
enabling conditions, as well as institutional and human capacity building to facilitate and assist
Members towards attaining its objectives.  ITTO policy work and project activities cover threeprincipal fields:  economic information and market intelligence;  reforestation and forest management;
and forest industry.  Among the most significant contributions of ITTO is its pioneering normative
work to develop guidelines covering aspects of sustainable tropical forest management;  criteria and
indicators for sustainable management of natural tropical forests;  and a framework for the
development of auditing systems.  Collectively, these tools have been instrumental in building
capacities for strengthening forest management in ITTO producing Member countries.
41. ITTO policy work is reinforced by its project activities implemented mainly in producing
Member countries.  This ensures that ITTO policy talk is substantiated by concrete action in the field.
To date, ITTO has provided grants worth some US$220 million to fund some 500 projects and
activities, of which 150 are currently under implementation.  These grants have been contributed by
donor consuming Member countries through the ITTO Special Account and the Bali Partnership
Fund, established to assist producing Member countries towards achieving the ITTO Objective 2000 .
42. Virtually all ITTO project activities are country-driven, with the implementing Member
countries initiating the formulation of proposals and subsequently having ownership of the projects in
accordance with ITTO rules and procedures.  This ITTO approach is aimed at addressing some of the
concerns related to technical assistance and capacity-building, particularly meeting beneficiary
national needs and priorities and minimising tied-aid and donor conditionalities.
43. ITTO policy work and project activities have helped enhance the capacity of Members to
work towards the attainment of the ITTO Objective 2000 , although progress is focused on policy and
legislative reform, and problems of full implementation are still encountered.  Tangible progress has
also been made in several specific areas, includin g training in the application of ITTO criteria and
indicators, reduced-impact logging, and the establishment of protected reserves.  Some 500 full-timeprofessionals are engaged in ITTO projects in the tropics, while forest, industry and conservation
workforces have benefited from training and participation in the projects and activities.  TheseWT/CTE/W/209
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ITTO projects are subject to monitoring and evaluation, including ex-post  evaluation to ensure their
full implementation and desired impact.
44. In the conduct of ITTO trade-related activities, emphasis has been placed on ensuring that the
activities are consistent with WTO rules and that duplication of efforts by the two organizations is
avoided.  Simultaneously, the desirability has been expressed that relevant issues and ITTO workshould be taken into account by WTO in its deliberations.  The need for strengthened cooperation
with the WTO has been further underlined in light of ITTO becoming the focal agency with regard to
the United Nations Forum on Forests' (UNFF) element on international trade and sustainable forest
management within the framework of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF).  Specifically,
ITTO has been mandated to provide information on ITTO trade and environment activities to the
WTO;  to participate in meetings of the WTO and the CTE;  and to monitor and report on
developments in the WTO, particularly in respect to the follow-up to the 2001 WTO Doha Ministerial
Conference.  ITTO has participated in a number of WTO meetings on trade and development as well
as trade and environment, as well as MEA Information Sessions in the CTE.  In an attempt to
strengthen cooperation and collaboration with the WTO, ITTO has submitted its request to be
admitted as observer in the CTE.  It is hoped that this request, which is pending, will be given
favourable consideration in due course.
45. On-going efforts by the WTO to reach out and disseminate information on its work through
regional seminars and side-events are extremely beneficial, particularly to developing countries which
require enhanced understanding and skills to deal with issues and procedures relating to the WTO.
Thus far, efforts to promote cooperation with the WTO have been initiated by ITTO.  In the spirit of
reciprocity, it is hoped that the WTO, on its part, will consider participating in sessions of theInternational Tropical Timber Council (ITTC);  or ganizing side-events in conjunction with these
ITTC Sessions;  and getting involved in some of the trade-related issues and activities of the ITTO.
46. In recent years, information exchange between MEAs and the WTO has been facilitated by
the use of websites, electronic mail and other Internet tools.  In view of its global coverage and cost-
effectiveness, the Internet should continue to  be the basis for enhancing MEA-WTO information
exchange.  Information sharing should lead to strengthening of cooperation, collaboration and
partnership between the WTO and MEAs through conc rete joint activities.  However, constraints of
time and resources will dictate that measures toward this end should be realistic, practical and taken
on a priority basis.  At the same time, possibilities to improve existing avenues for
WTO-MEA interaction, including MEA Information Sessions in the CTE and its Special Sessions,
should be explored continuously.
VIII.  UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA (UNCLOS)
47. The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), since the adoption of the
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982, has undertaken an ongoing programme of technical
assistance to States and international organizations in the field of oceans and the law of the sea.  The
programme focuses on the uniform and consistent application of the Convention by States and
international organizations;  assistance to States in the implementation of their obligations of due
publicity;  and support to implement the Convention effectively and derive optimal benefits from its
legal framework.  Such assistance is provided, inter alia , in the form of advisory services, training,
fellowships, studies and guidelines, reference collections and databases, and through visits to the
DOALOS web site.
48. Advisory services are extended to States on the harmonization of national laws and
regulations with the relevant provisions of UNCLOS;  on issues related to the ratification of the
Convention and the Agreement relating to Implemen tation of Part XI of the Convention;  and theWT/CTE/W/209
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uniform and consistent application of the Convention, including the impact of its entry into force on
the rights and obligations of States.
49. Capacity building activities of DOALOS are provided under its TRAIN-SEA-COAST
programme in the field of ocean and coastal management, which is designed to strengthen the
capabilities of national training institutions and to train national trainers.  The institutions and thetrainers then form a world wide network, which sh are training courses, personnel and material;  thus
generating a multiplier effect.
50. Other assistance activities of DOALOS include its Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Memorial
Fellowship Programme , which allows qualified Government officials to broaden their knowledge on
the law of the sea and marine affairs;  and ad hoc  briefings and contributions to training programmes
sponsored by national, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations in the field of oceans
and the law of the sea. Training activities are being developed, which involve the application of theprovisions of Article 76 of the Convention, dealing with the delineation of the limits of the continental
shelf of a coastal State beyond 200 nautical miles, to provide training to national officials assigned to
prepare the submission of their respective countries to the Commission on the Limits of the
Continental Shelf (CLCS).
51. DOALOS has carried out studies on, inter alia , State Practice Relating to the Law of the Sea
and Legislative History of Specific Articles of the Convention .  It has also issued guidelines on the
practical application of the Convention, such as the 1991 Guidelines for the Implementation of the
Marine Scientific Research Provisions in UNCLOS ;  the 1993 Study of the Relevant Provisions of the
Convention dealing with the Definition of the Continental Shelf ;  and the 2000 Handbook on the
Delineation of Maritime Boundaries , which addresses the process of maritime boundary delimitations.
These publications are aimed at assisting States and intergovernmental organizations in the uniform
and consistent application of the relevant provisions of the Convention, and are available through the
United Nations sales publication ( publications@un.org ).
52. DOALOS maintains an extensive reference collection dealing with ocean and law of the sea
matters and provides library services to end-users, as well as databases containing national legislationand delimitation treaties from almost all coastal countries of the world.  It also maintains a
geographical information system database on charts and/or lists of geographical coordinates and other
related information deposited by States Parties to the Convention on the limits of their maritime
zones.  These databases are used as tools for providing technical assistance to States in
adopting/adapting national legislation in conform ity with the Convention and in delineating national
maritime zones.
53. The Ocean and Law of the Sea web site of DOALOS, http://www.un.org/Depts/los , contains
expository reports and other items as well as legal materials and documents relating to oceans and the
law of the sea can be accessed electronically via the internet.
54. In addition, following the recent entry into force of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement, in
December 2001, States Parties are now required to cooperate, directly or through subregional,
regional or global organizations, to provide financial and technical assistance to developing Stateswith the aim of enabling them to:  (i) conser ve and manage straddling fish stocks and highly
migratory fish stocks;  (ii) develop their own fisheries for these stocks;  (iii) participate on high seas
fisheries;  (iv) facilitate their participation in subregional or regional fisheries management
organizations;  (v) establish new subregional or regional fisheries management organizations
arrangements or strengthen existing ones;  and (vi)  ) meet costs involved in any proceedings for the
settlement of disputes to which they may be parties.WT/CTE/W/209
Page 11
ANNEX
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Professor Willem Wijnstekers
Secretary General
CITES SecretariatInternational Environment HouseChemin des Anémones 15, Case postale 456CH-1219 Châtelaine, Switzerland
Tel:  (41 22) 917-8149
Fax:  (41 22) 797-3417E-mail:  Willem.Wijnstekers@unep.ch
http://www.cites.org
Mrs. Sachiko Kuwabara-Yamamoto
Executive Secretary
Basel Convention SecretariatInternational Environment HouseChemin des Anémones 151219 Châtelaine, SwitzerlandTel:  (41 22) 979-9213
Fax:  (41 22) 797-3454
E-mail:  Sachiko.Kuwabara@unep.ch
http://www.basel.int
Mr. Jim Willis
Director
UNEP Chemicals(Rotterdam (PIC) and Stockholm POPs Conventions)International Environment HouseChemin des Anémones 151219 Châtelaine, Switzerland
Tel:  (41 22) 917-8184
Fax:  (41 22) 797-3460E-mail:  Jwillis@unep.ch
http://www.chem.unep.ch
Mr. Mukul Sanwal
Special AdvisorUN Framework Convention on Climate ChangeMartin-Luther-King Strasse 8
53175 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: (49 228) 815 1421Fax: (49 228) 815 1994E-mail: Msanwal@unfccc.int
http://www.unfccc.org
Mr. Markus Lehmann
EconomistConvention on Biological Diversity Secretariat393 St-Jacques, Suite 300Montreal, Quebec,H2Y 1N9, Canada
Tel: (514) 287 7033
E-mail:  Markus.Lehmann@biodiv.org
http://www.biodiv.orgMr. Amha bin Buang
Assistant Director
Economic Information and Market IntelligenceInternational Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)International Organizations Center, 5
th Floor
Pacifico-Yokohama, 1-1-1
Minato-Mirai, Nishi-ku
YokohamaJapan 220-0012Tel:  (81 45) 223-1110Fax:  (81 45) 223-1111E-mail:  itto@itto.or.jp
http://www.itto.or.jp/Index.html
Mr. Jorge Illueca
Principle Forest and Environment Policy OfficerSecretariat of the UN Forum on ForestsDivision for Sustainable Development
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Room DC2-1270, United NationsNew York, N.Y. 10017, USATel:  (1 212) 963-3160Fax:  (1 212) 963-3463
E-mail:  Illueca@un.org
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/forests.htm
Mr. André Tahindro
Sr. Ocean Affairs & Law of the Sea OfficerDivision for Ocean Affairs & the Law of the Sea
Office of Legal Affairs
Secretariat of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and theUN Convention on the Law of the Sea2 United Nations Plaza,  DC.2 – 0432NY 10017, USATel.: (1 212) 963 3946
Fax: (1 212) 963 5847
E-mail: tahindro@un.org
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm
Mr. Hussein Abaza
Chief
Economics and Trade Unit
UNEPInternational Environment HouseChemin des Anémones 151219 Châtelaine, Switzerland
Tel:  (41 22) 917 8197
Fax:  (41 22) 917 8076E-mail:  Hussein.Abaza@unep.ch
http://www.unep.chWT/CTE/W/209
Page 12
UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE
Dr. Klaus Töpfer
Executive Director
UNEPP.O. Box 30552Nairobi, KenyaTel:  (254 2) 623 386
Fax:  (254 2) 624 275/217-119
E-mail:  Agnes.Atsiava@unep.org
http://www.unep.org/
Mr. Michael Graber
Executive Secretary
Ozone Secretariat of the Montreal Protocol
UNEP, P.O. Box 30552Nairobi, KenyaTel:  (254 2) 623 854Fax:  (254 2) 623 913E-mail: Michael.Graber@unep.org
http://www.unep.org/ozoneDr. Adolfo Ribeiro Lima
Executive Secretary
International Commission for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Secretariat
Calle Corazon de Maria No. 8 (6th fl.)
28002 Madrid, Spain
Tel:  (34 91) 416-5600
Fax:  (34 91) 415-2612E-mail:  papa.kebe@iccat.es
http://www.iccat.es
Mr. Esteban de Salas
Executive Secretary
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine 
Living Resources (CCAMLAR)
P.O. Box 213, North HobartTasmania 7002, AustraliaTel:  (61 3) 6231-0366
Fax:  (61 3) 6234-9965
E-mail:  ccamlr@ccamlr.org
http://www.ccamlr.org
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