Under the theme of improving the competitiveness of SMEs through enhancing productive capacity, the Commission will consider policies for technology development and focus on the interface between national competitiveness policies and international commitments. It will discuss the results of the recent Expert Meeting that reviewed a number of case studies of countries that had moved up the technology ladder, identifying best-practice policies behind their success and challenges posed by changes in the international context. The meeting will discuss the "do´s and don´ts" for SME support strategies in terms of international agreements, policy coherence in the post-Cancún period, and the impact of the Basel II accord on enterprise finance in developing countries. A briefing on Empretec, UNCTAD´s capacity-building programme promoting the creation of sustainable enterprises in developing countries, will be given by directors of Empretec centres in Africa.
Efficient transport and trade facilitation are keys to improving trade participation. The costs of transport and those related to compliance with trade control procedures have, in an increasing number of cases, become more significant barriers to market entry than tariff rates. Although some recent developments in international transport and trade facilitation, including security measures, present considerable trading opportunities and provide access to global markets, their adaptation poses significant challenges for many developing countries. The Commission will cover these and other challenges that policy makers face in efforts to increase the competitiveness of developing-country exports.
Taking stock of the first part of the World Summit on the Information Society (held in Geneva 10-12 December 2003), the Commission will consider recent developments in e-commerce and their implications for developing countries. It will focus on the need to develop and collect reliable and internationally comparable statistics and indicators for e-commerce so as to facilitate policy action, assessing and monitoring e-commerce developments at the national, regional and international levels.
