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Global Services Forum "Services, trade, and inclusive and sustainable development" 19 April 2012, Doha, Qatar Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and gentlemen, It is a great pleasure for me to welcome all of you to this Global Services Forum, entitled "Services, trade, and inclusive and sustainable development". I would like to pay special tribute to Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, and his team, as well as partner organizations (particularly Talal Abu- Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) and the Commonwealth Secretariat) for taking this important initiative to bring us all together today for this Forum. Ladies and Gentlemen, It is worth recalling that this Forum is unique in nature and the first of this sort in the history of international cooperation and partnership. There is no comparable intergovernmental forum on services on a global scale that brings together as wide a range of stakeholders as this Forum has done. It is also significant that this Forum marks the very first major pre-Conference event that will pave the way for the official opening of UNCTAD XIII the day after tomorrow, which Qatar has the honour to host next week. This background and setting gives the Forum a special character that enables it to draw the attention of the international community to the development and trade potential of a services economy. The Forum also draws attention to associated policy, regulatory and institutional challenges in harnessing such potential for inclusive and sustainable development facing policy makers, regulators and businesses today. Ladies and Gentlemen, It goes without saying that the services sector has gained increased importance over the last decade, especially in the aftermath of the global financial and economic crisis. The sector is essential to greater efficiency and competitiveness in any economy, as services are essential inputs to many other products and economic components. Infrastructure and essential services, such as energy, education, health, water and housing are key enablers of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. While the services sector has matured in developed countries, it is a nascent sector for most developing countries. This is the case also with the Arab region where services account for just over 40 per cent of GDP. For relatively larger oil-exporting Gulf economies, including Qatar, the sector represents still only 30-50 per cent of the economy. Several developing countries have been successful in reaping sizable developmental benefits from services trade by exploiting areas such as the movement 1
of natural persons, outsourcing of ICT-enabled business services, construction and tourism. Among the Arab countries, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco rely on services for over 40 per cent of their total exports while a few countries have become important players in certain services, such as Egypt in transport and tourism, and Kuwait in communication services. Most Gulf countries, on account of their large oil exports, have a very low reliance on services exports (in the range of 3-10 per cent), which represents a challenge for our economies. However, we are also witnessing the emergence of world class service industries and firms in the region, such as in the areas of marine terminal operations and development, logistics, communication and financial services. As a vibrant service sector represents a formidable opportunity for economic diversification, employment creation and greater competitiveness, the sector is a “must” for any country wishing to attain incisive and sustained growth to build effective regulatory and institutional frameworks on services. Services also represent the future for youth and women in the Arab world. International and regional trade cooperation and integration also play a key role. Ladies and Gentlemen, We are here today in our capacities as governmental leaders, business leaders, regulators, practitioners, civil society and other stakeholders. We share a common stake in a healthy and prosperous services economy and trade. As such, we have the responsibility to promote economic and regulatory conditions necessary to make services economies and trade effective instruments for inclusive development and poverty eradication. Therefore, it is my hope that this Forum will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on challenges and opportunities facing the services industries, to engage in an exchange of experiences and lessons learned in our search for best practices, and to consider options for future actions and partnership in order to respond to the challenges posed upon these industries in the 21st century. One of the concrete outcomes of the Forum will be to expand our networks and partnerships among our governments, organizations and businesses, and place our cooperation on a lasting foothold. Therefore, building on this success, I would suggest institutionalizing the Global Services Forum so that we can all meet regularly. I strongly encourage the establishment of an Arab Coalition of Services Industries to increase production and exports of services in the region. As you may be aware, an effective and cooperative structure among services industries, firms, and national services associations in the region is yet to be fully developed, despite its vibrant services economy. Such a regional institutional framework will be useful not only in promoting our cooperation within and beyond the region but also in showcasing to the world the importance attached to services by the region. I wish you all a great success in your deliberations. 2
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English - unctad xiii

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