TPR Aims at Ensuring Transparency, Understanding the Actual Policies and Practices of WTO Member Countries
The meetings for the 2nd Trade Policy Reviews Mechanism (TPRM) will kick off on Monday, 26. 06.1437 H, corresponding to 04.04.2016 AD in Geneva, Switzerland, for three days. K.S.A. delegation includes representatives of 35 government bodies, headed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Saudi delegation is to be chaired by H.E. Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Shafi Al-Otaibi, the Kingdom`s Permanent representative to the World trade Organization (WTO).
The Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals, thus providing greater transparency and more comprehensive understanding of the actual policies and practices of the WTO member states.
The Trade Policy Reviews Mechanism (TPRM) for member countries is conducted on regular basis, while the interim period of the review varies, dependent on the country`s size and the proportion of its participation in WTO. Thus the Trade Policy Reviews for the four senior members would be conducted every two years, currently including, the United States of America, European Union, Canada and the Peoples` Republic of China, while the other sixteen member countries to be reviewed every four years, including Saudi Arabia, which joined the WTO in 2005 AD, while the remaining members to be reviewed every six years.
The principles of Trade Policy Reviews depend on two reports, one is WTO Secretariat Report, which is considered the base and logical sequence of the report`s structure, that consists of five chapters as follows:
1. The Economic Environment
2. Trade and Investment Regime
3. Analysis of Trade Policies Instruments
4. Trade Policy and Performance, based on Sectorial Policies
5. Summary for remarks, tables and annexes
The Secretariat Report also includes a summary of the principles, developments, growth and basic orientations related to trade, it refers as well to changes in Rules and regulations. In addition to the Secretarial Report, there is a Government Report, prepared by the member country under review. It does include a clarification of trade policies applied currently, besides stating the positive points not mentioned in the Secretarial Report.
Such reports aim at improving and ensuring the obligations and commitments of all Member States with the Rules & Regulations adopted under the multilateral agreements, as well as giving a real and true image on the economic indicators of the WTO Member States, also reviewing the trade environment and the investment opportunities.