WTO Public Forum Session: Services - A Staircase to Heaven?

All developed countries have one thing in common. They have a large services sector. Developed countries have a high GDP, a high Human Development Index and provide for a high standard of living for their citizens; in general. Developing countries therefore aim at boosting their services sector to climb-up the ladder of development. However, the way isn’t straightforward. Services are intangible in two ways. First, they can neither be touched nor felt. And second, services in developing countries take place in the informal sector to a large extent. This has huge implications for those working in the shadows.

This session aimed at turning the spotlight on these invisibles and try to clarify how the WTO agreement on services - written for the formal economy - could be improved to help those who might need it most. Speakers were Jan Bohanes (ACWL), Rashid Kaukab (IISD), Janhavi Dave (HomeNet International) and Sofia Scasserra (TNI).