 |
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| What motivated the establishment of the TF working group? |
Support Mexico’s participation
in the WTO trade facilitation
negotiations in a best
coordinated manner including, in
particular, defining the Mexican
interest’s positions to help
negotiators in the WTO Trade
Facilitation issues. |
| Do you have other national bodies dealing with WTO issues and/or with TF? |
Yes. It is the Intersecretarial
Group for Trade Facilitation (IGTF). |
|
Was the working group based
on a previously existing
multi-agency group/committee
(for e.g. trade and transport
facilitation
committee/organization?) |
No. |
| What is the current status of the working group (running, pilot phase, study) |
Running |
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| Has the working group been set up as an ad hoc group, or a legal entity/organization? |
A non-permanent [ad-hoc]
advisory and technical body to
help coordinate the position of
the Mexican delegations
attending the WTO negotiations
on trade facilitation. It is an
ad hoc group with ending
functions once be approved the
new WTO Trade Facilitation
Agreement. |
| What specific documents were necessary to institutionalise the group and which body and at which level made the decisions? |
Still is nor institutionalised
the Intersecretarial Group [the
IGTF is not yet
institutionalised |
|
What is the scope/mandate of
the working group? |
Its main goal is to coordinate
positions and support the
Mexican strategy in the WTO
Negotiation Group on Trade
Facilitation (NGTF), so as to
inform all intergovernmental
parties, including private
sector, about WTO negotiations
development on this issues. |
| Does the working group have terms of reference? |
No |
| Which is the coordinating agency |
The Ministry of Economy |
What is the structure of the group
(Chair/co-chair, sub-groups etc.)? |
Chair: the Direction General for
Multilateral and Regional
Negotiations (Dirección General
de Negociaciones Multilaterales
y regionales), depending of from
the Undersecretary for Foreign
Trade).
There are no co-chair or sub-groups. |
| Do you have a permanent technical secretariat? |
No, we do not have permanent
technical Secretariat. The DGMRN
serves only as the contact point
for coordinate WTO negotiations. |
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Who carries the costs of the
operations of the working group?
(one institution, co-sharing
with other institutions, or
external funding)? |
As it is an ad hoc
Intersecretarial Group, the
Ministry of Economy carries with
the costs of operations. On
other kind of costs (i.e.
copies, etc.) each participant
helps himself with your own
costs [Each participating agency
carries the costs of other
expenditures such as copies etc.
] |
|
What are the principal
costing items of the operations
of the working group? |
Rooms, Internet supplies,
electricity and copies of some
documents. |
| Do you have a formal budget for the operations of the working group? |
No |
| If yes, what major items are covered by it? |
-
- |
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| What are the objectives of the working group? |
To coordinate Mexican
negotiation positions in the WTO
trade facilitation issues. |
Does the working group have a
work plan? |
No |
| How do you monitor progress in implementing the work
plan? |
N.A. |
| How often, and in which form and to whom is the working group reporting? |
Each three or six months to the
Undersecretary for Foreign Trade
by notes and reports. |
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| What public or quasi-public agencies participate in the working group? |
-
Ministry of Economy
-
Ministry of Finance and
Public Credit that is in
charge of customs issues
through the SAT (Tax
Administration Services)
-
Ministry of Transport and
Telecommunications
-
The National Service of Agro
Alimentary Health, Safety,
and Quality (SENASICA-Servicio
Nacional de Sanidad,
Inocuidad y Calidad
Agroalimentaria-)
-
The Federal Regulatory
Improvement Commission (COFEMER).
|
| What private associations or entities participate? |
We keep the Commission of
Foreign Trade Business
Organizations (COECE) informed |
| What is the level of seniority of the participants? |
Director General or Director
Level and sometimes Deputy
Directors. |
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| Does the working group meet regularly? |
Yes, a week before the
negotiation meeting in Geneva,
the Intersecretarial Group
gathers to support with comments
and decisions the participation
of the Mexican delegation in
Geneva. |
| What is the level of participation in each of the meetings ? |
-
- |
| Do you use different meetings formats (such as focus groups, brainstorming, Citizen jury's etc?)? |
No, we have only one format. |
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| How do you keep all stakeholders informed of the working groups' meetings and new documents, upcoming events etc? |
Sending via e-mails the
information related WTO trade
facilitation negotiations or
meetings. |
| How does the group interace with other working groups / committees working on similar issues? |
We do not have any kind of
interface with other groups. |
| Do you undertake special information session for the general public or particular stakeholders? |
We do not have special
information sessions. |
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| What was the impact of the work of the group? |
Very positive because it helps
us to face in a coordinating
fashion all our interests and
needs on WTO trade facilitation
issues. |
| How does it benefit your countries' responsiveness to the WTO negotiation process? |
Very good, due that all
stakeholders do have
responsiveness to the WTO
negotiation process. |
|
Have there been concrete operational outcomes? |
Yes, we have been the first
Latin American Member to hold a
National Trade Facilitation
Seminar in Mexico City in
September 2007 (with experts
from WTO and WCO) [focusing on
trade facilitation technical
assistance needs and priorities
in the context of the WTO
negotiations] related needs and
priorities on WTO trade
facilitation issues. The seminar
gives us the map, picture or
diagnosis on our national
situation related WTO trade
facilitation issues. |
|
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| What are the crucial success factors? |
The early conduct of the for the
WTO National Trade Facilitation
Seminar (WTO TF Needs Assessment)
that give us the real picture of
Mexico situation related needs
and priorities on trade
facilitation issues.
All that served us of
convincement to the high level
decision makers in Mexican
Government. |
| What are the greatest obstacles? |
The lack of improved
understanding of the trade
facilitation proposed measures
and, more in general, on trade
facilitation issues. |
| What are the main lessons learned? |
Importance of the role of the
body in coordinating the Mexican
interest on WTO trade
facilitation issues.
A best knowledge of trade
facilitation issues and the need
to have technical assistance and
capacity building to have best
human resources on the issues. |
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| What are the plans for further development of the working group? |
Still we do not have plans on it,
but we are starting thinking in
such possibility in a future. |
|
Coordinator of the working
group:
Roberto Zapata Barradas
General Director for
Multilateral and Regional
Negotiations
rzapata@economia.gob.mx
Supporting coordination:
Roberto Corona Guzmán, Deputy
Director for Analysis of
Multilateral Trade Policy
Tel (52 55) 57299100 Ext: 15215
e-mail: rcguzman@economia.gob.mx |
