[FYI] WTO SYMPOSIUM

[Horns@t-online.de (Axel H. Horns)]

http://www.wto.org/wto/ddf/ep/D2/D2825e.doc

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PRESS RELEASE
PRESS/130
7 July 1999

 WTO SYMPOSIUM TO DISCUSS TRADE PROSPECTS AND ISSUES  FACING THE
 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

A WTO Symposium on Information Technology on 16 July 1999 will bring
together industry representatives and trade officials to discuss
prospects and practical trade issues facing the most dynamic sector of
world trade.

 The purpose of the IT Symposium is to share information about the
 dynamism of IT and its future; explain the role of IT in promoting
 economic growth and development; and highlight the value of the
 application of IT, drawing on examples from developed and developing
 countries.

 Speakers at the one-day Symposium include representatives from a
 variety of companies in the IT field such as Motorola, Hewlett
 Packard, IBM, Macronix, Alcatel, Hitachi, Ericsson, Nortel Networks,
 and Telsa Telecomunikace. Both developed and developing-country
 perspectives will be presented by industry representatives from
 countries across the globe, including Canada, Chinese Taipei, Costa
 Rica, Czech Republic, Estonia, European Communities, India, Israel,
 Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, and the United States. Speakers on
 international standards will include representatives from the
 International Electrotechnical Commission, the Australian Electrical
 and Electronic Manufacturers Association, and the Canadian Advisory
 Council on Electrical Safety.

 Director in Charge of the WTO, Mr. David Hartridge, will open the
 Symposium, which will be chaired by Mr. Heinz Opelz, Director of the
 Market Access Division of the WTO Secretariat.  WTO Chief Economist,
 Mr. Patrick Low will give an introductory presentation on
 international trade in IT products.

The Symposium, which will be held at the WTO headquarters in Geneva,
is divided into four panels dealing with the following subjects:

· Overview of the IT industry, technological advances/trends,
innovative business applications; · Contribution of IT to economic
growth and development and the role of trade in the mutual
reinforcement of global and national IT policies; · Practical problems
encountered in IT trade (including the possibility of presenting case
studies, e.g. import licensing) and the broader effects of non-tariff
measures; and · The implications of current approaches to standards
making and conformity assessment (review developments in international
standards and other relevant bodies).


 For registration information, please contact Ms. Jane Mackenzie of
 the WTO Secretariat, telephone no. 7395391, fax no. 7395770, or
 e-mail address itsymposium@wto.org. Journalists interested in
 attending the Symposium should contact the Information and Media
 Relations Division, tel. 7395007.

 The complete programme of the WTO Information Technology Symposium
 follows.

WTO Information Technology Symposium
16 July 1999

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