Arab Initiative on Trade, Human Development and Economic Governance

This programme is intended to enhance the capacities of Arab countries to promote their development concerns and priorities in ongoing and emerging multilateral and regional trade negotiations and subsequently play a more active role in shaping the global trading system. It also aims to help Arab countries formulate appropriate policy responses to the challenges of globalization taking fully into consideration their sustainable human development and poverty reduction goals.

The "immediate" objectives of the programme are:

1. Increased awareness by governments and civil society organizations in the Arab region of the potential national impact of global and regional economic integration through WTO accession and regional/bilateral trade agreements on human development and poverty reduction strategies;
2. Identification of pro-poor trade and industrial policies (including measures to address supply-side constraints) that would help Arab countries grasp the opportunities of globalization and regional integration and achieve the MDGs;
3. Enhanced trade negotiating capacities of Arab countries, with particular emphasis on countries seeking WTO membership and LDCs;
4. Strengthened common perspectives and positions among Arab governments in regional and global trade and economic governance fora and institutions;
5. Increased regional trade cooperation with a view to achieving regional economic integration;