 |














|
|
|
ISTIA among International Statistical Bodies
ISTIA listed by the
International Statistical Institute (ISI)

ISTIA has been
listed by the International Statistical Institute (ISI) in
the ISI
Directory of Official Statistical Organizations, in
light of the importance of ISTIA work to capacity building
of official statistical measurement by governments of
trade-in-services.
|




 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
UNCTAD Statistics on Trade in Services 
|
|




|
ISTIA work
seeks to increase transparency of services trade-related
information for all WTO Member economies, especially developing
country and least-developed (LDC) economies. At present, such
level-of-detail is only possible between the U.S. and selected
countries; the U.S. government, through the Bureau of Economic
Analysis is presently collects the most detailed level of
service-related trade information, using statuatory business
reporting modalities modeled on best-practices of OECD as a part
of their Balance of Payments/National Accounts information
surveys submitted to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). |
|
ISTIA
avenue de-Budé 8
CH-1215 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +33 7 51 51 04 19
Email: info@servicestrade.org |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHAT IS ISTIA
ISTIA is a capacity building agency
for services trade statistics (trade-in-services data)
ISTIA helps governments improve services trade data collection
for better trade negotiations
ISTIA trains users of services trade
statistics how to use services trade data for
negotiations and analysis
ISTIA, the International Services Trade Information Agency is
an international agency, based in Geneva, with the mandate
of providing training and technical assistance on the topic of
services trade information, to developing countries, LCD,
economies-in-transition, being WTO Members, or acceding WTO
Members.
The Mandate of ISTIA Capacity Building Comprises: Services
Trade Information Capacity Building at the national
level for Developing Country WTO Members and Acceding Members to
the WTO. This comprises the provision of training to national
agencies empowered by their respective governments to collect
information, usually national accounts based statistics, on
services related trade. The objective of this training is to
allow statistical agencies to collect information that is more
rich in character, that provides greater depth and allows for
deeper interpretation by trade negotiators, government officials
and the private sector. WTO
Negotiator Training in the use of Services Trade
Information, especially for developing economies, least-developed
economies (LDCs) and economies in transition.
Services Trade Information
Co-ordination and Information-Sharing at the International Level
– This will comprise, inter alia, cooperation with
national statistical agencies, inter-governmental agencies,
national trade negotiation agencies and outside experts will be
sought, with a view towards providing a world-class solution to
the need for services trade information enhancement vis-ŕ-vis
technical assistance and capacity building
The Clients of ISTIA Capacity Building Comprise:
Services Trade Negotiators
from Developing and Least Developed Countries: Being persons
with a proven need for assistance in the area of services trade
information, most specifically statistical-related information
for their use in bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations.
Statisticians from in national
offices of Developing and Least Developed Countries:
who may seek guidance in exploring new means for collecting
services trade statistics in a manner which yields richer and
more useful services trade and FDI statistics. Policymakers
and Government Officials from Developing and Least Developed
Countries: Many of whom are interested in improving
services trade statistics for the purposes of major policymaking
decisions. The involvement of such persons is crucial; national
policy coherence in any capacity building efforts has been
correlated with long term sustainability and positive outcomes.
The Tools of ISTIA Capacity Building Comprise:
International and regional best
practices: Providing a synthesis of OECD, WTO, IMF,
and highperforming national statistical offices with longtime
experience in collection of services trade statistics.
Interdisciplinary Approach:
Making statistics seem easy to non-statistical persons,
and introducing the new services trade statistics policy
framework, including FDI to non-policymakers, being
statisticians. Building a competence base: For the
implementation of this process in many developing countries and
LDCs. Providing a forum: For
statisticians being official of national governments,
to exchange experiences and share advice, with other developing
country partners as well as developed country statistical
officials. |
|
ISTIA
focuses on BRICs in 2023-2024
ISTIA seeks project-work in
BRIC countries
The
theme for the 15th BRICS Summit was “BRICS and Africa:
Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable
Development and Inclusive Multilateralism”. This theme
informs South Africa’s five priorities for 2023: developing a
partnership towards an equitable just transition, including
managing the risks associated with climate change; transforming
education and skills development for the future; unlocking
opportunities through the African Continental Free Trade Area;
strengthening post-pandemic socioeconomic recovery and the
attainment of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development; and
strengthening multilateralism, including reform of global
governance institutions and strengthening the meaningful
participation of women in peace processes. The BRICS countries,
Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China, and South Africa,
convene for a BRICS Leaders’ Summit annually.
ISTIA has made note of the
ITC/UNCTAD-WTO's BRICS Trade in Services Report 2022.
ISTIA seeks to help the BRICS to enhance data-collection
modalities for services trade.
BROCHURE: ISTIA for BRICS |
|
ISTIA
attends the OECD Global Trade Forum 2023, 3 October 2023
ISTIA has been attending OECD meetings since 2006
Making
Digital Trade Work For All -
Paris,
France | 3 October 2023
The aim of this Global Forum on Trade is to promote an evidence-based
multistakeholder dialogue on how we can collectively make
digital trade work for all.

The digital transformation is changing how and what we trade.
This gives rise to new opportunities for firms of all sizes to
internationalise; for individuals, including women
entrepreneurs, to be more actively involved in trade
transactions; and for countries at all levels of development to
participate and benefit from trade. However, the benefits of
digitalisation for trade are not automatic. The digital
transformation also raises new challenges, such as growing
digital fragmentation, rising competitive pressures and
concentration of economic activities, supply chain disruptions,
and challenges in ensuring greater inclusiveness for all people.
|
|
ISTIA attended the
12th WTO Ministerial in Geneva in June 2022
ISTIA is an NGO in consultative status to the World Trade
Organisation, since 2016
 |
|
ISTIA and United Nations
ISTIA
in the UN Civil Society Network
|
Civil Society Network, comprising United Nations
entities and Civil Society and NGOs working towards
United Nations development agenda goals.
|
|
 |
|
ISTIA
is an NGO functioning in an intergovernmental capacity
providing services trade statistics capacity building. |
|
|
ISTIA is accredited
to the 11th WTO Ministerial in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 10-13
December 2017
ISTIA is an NGO in consultative status to the World Trade
Organisation, since 2016

ISTIA is an NGO in consultative status to the World Trade
Organisation, since 2016 |
|
AT
UNCTAD 14 PREPCOM
Statement of the
Ambassador Julian Braithwaite (UK), WTO Chair for Council on
Trade in Services
"Without good data,
the task in front of us becomes exponentially harder."
 |
"Conventional trade data (including in
the UK’s Office of National Statistics’ services exports
data) underestimates the importance of services because
it only captures the first two Modes of Supply
(cross-border supply and consumption abroad) but does
not include Modes 3 and 4.
We also face the
issue of services being embedded in goods for example
the design and engineering components of technology, the
marketing of a product or even the after-sale
maintenance which are rarely captured.
This is a
fundamental problem if we are to work towards achieving
the SDGs as good policymaking is dependent on being able
to fully understand the challenges facing us. Without
good data, the task in front of us becomes exponentially
harder." |
 |
Part of the opening session-statement delivered by
Ambassador Julian Braithwaite, Chair of the WTO Council
on Trade in Services, at the UNCTAD Multi-Year Expert
Meeting on Trade, Services and Development on 18 July
2017. |
|
|
ISTIA's participation at
the
UNCTAD Multi-Year
Expert Meeting on Services, Development and Trade,
(5th Session)
The Regulatory and Institutional Dimension
Geneva, 18-20
July 2017
.jpg) |
Between 18-20 July 2017, the Multi-year Expert Meeting
on Trade, Services and Development was held in
accordance with the decision of the Trade and
Development Board taken at its thirty-first special
session, held on 5 April 2017. The objective of the
multi-year expert meeting was to provide enhanced
understanding on the potential of the services economy
and trade, particularly infrastructure services, for
economic transformation, growth, poverty eradication and
job creation, and on the multidimensional importance of
these linkages as levers for achieving inclusive and
sustainable development. It aimed to provide tools for
participants to identify best-fit, coherent and
comprehensive services policy, regulatory and
institutional approaches to facilitate engagement in
trade negotiations and international cooperation at the
multilateral and regional levels so as to maximize the
development potential of services in national economies.
Participant List Programme |
|
|
ISTIA and the WTO
ISTIA is
Accredited to the World Trade Organization
On
19 July 2017, ISTIA was re-accredited to
the WTO. ISTIA's first application for
Accreditation to the World Trade
Organization was accepted on 17 July
2016. This accreditation was requested
in light of Art. V.2 of the Marrakesh
Agreement establishing the World
Trade Organization, whereby it was
stated that “The General Council may
make appropriate arrangements for
consultation and cooperation with
non-governmental organizations concerned
with matters related to those of the
WTO.” ISTIA further noted that in
2015, the General Council recognized
that Members recognized “the role
NGOs can play to increase the awareness
of the public in respect of WTO
activities” by creating a framework
for cooperation which would “improve
transparency and develop communication
with NGOs”. Relations between the
WTO and Civil Society were further
clarified in a Decision adopted
by the General Council on 18 July
1996. ISTIA
looks forward to providing services
statistics capacity building to WTO
Members, especially to developing
country Members , LDC (least developed
country) Members and LLDC (land locked
developing country) Members. |
|
|
|
ISTIA is honored to have
represented at the
.jpg) |
Preparatory meeting for UNCTAD XIV, Salle
XXVI, 26 May 2016
ISTIA intervention to UNCTAD 2nd Meeting on
Civil Society: describes the how ISTIA Work
addresses Sustainable
Development Goal no. 17: “Revitalize
the global partnership for sustainable
development”. As ISTIA addresses services
trade statistical capacity building,
ISTIA addresses SDG 17
"subgoal" 17.9: Capacity building:
Enhance international support for implementing
effective and targeted capacity-building in
developing countries to support national plans
to implement all the sustainable development
goals, including through North-South,
South-South and triangular cooperation, SDG
17 "subgoal" 17.10: Trade:
Promote a universal, rules-based, open,
non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral
trading system under the World Trade
Organization, including through the conclusion
of negotiations under its Doha Development
Agenda, and SDG 17
"subgoal" 17.9: Data, monitoring
and accountability as a systemic issue: By
2030, build on existing initiatives to develop
measurements of progress on sustainable
development that complement gross domestic
product, and support statistical
capacity-building in developing countries. |
|
|
ISTIA was honored to be accredited to the UNCTAD XVI
Ministerial in Nairobi, Kenya
|
|
ISTIA is accredited to attend UNCTAD 14 in
Nairobi, to discuss the contributions of ISTIA
work to Sustainable Development Goal 17, to “Revitalize
the global partnership for sustainable
development”.
ISTIA seeks to show support for Agenda
2030's United Nations Global Goals for
Sustainable Development which are to launch "FROM
DECISION TO ACTION". |
 |
|
|
|
ISTIA was proud to be invited to the
Civil Society
Meeting with the UNCTAD
Secretary-General in Geneva
On 3 October 2013, Dr.
Mukhisa Kituyi, the new Secretary-General
of UNCTAD, welcomed over 30
civil society leaders to
UNCTAD Geneva. ISTIA
was pleased to have been
invited to the first meeting
between Dr. Kituyi and civil
society representatives since
he took office in
September. This was an
opportunity for all civil
society leaders to exchange
views with the Secretary
General at the very start of
his term. At the
commencement of the meeting,
Dr. Kituyi praised the role
played by civil society
organizations in promoting
socially just economic
development, and said that
he wanted to see civil
society organizations
contributing to UNCTAD
meetings at the highest
level.
In his opening speech at the
meeting, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi
highlighted the "phenomenal"
expertise - particularly in
global trade and development
within Geneva-based
international and civil
society organizations. Dr.
Mukhisa Kituyi recalled that
as Minister of Trade of
Kenya, he formalized the
role of civil society
representatives in the
country's trade delegation,
so that involving civil
society in government trade
and development affairs was
"a duty and not a favour".
At the opening session of
this year's Trade and
Development Board he said: "Civil
society's hands-on
experience of development on
the ground, their effective
policy advocacy, and their
ability to galvanize action,
make them natural partners
of UNCTAD."
Read the full
address here
|
|
|
|
ISTIA is honored to represent as a delegation to the
Meeting of
the Group of Experts on National Accounts
UN Palais des Nations, Geneva,
Salle XI, 17-20 May 2016
.jpg) |
UN Economic
Commission for Europe
Special
Session for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central
Asia, South East Europe and other interested
countries
Expert
Group on National Accounts
Country experience with surveys,
data collection and compilation techniques, Global
Production Research Agenda, Exchange of economic
data and data sharing, Global accounts and
analytical use of SUT, Use of Statistical Units
in National Accounts
Link to the meeting
can be found here: Meeting
of the Group of Experts on National Accounts |
|
|
ISTIA was honored to be accredited to
the 10th WTO Ministerial in Nairobi, Kenya
 |
|
ISTIA is honored to be accredited to the
UNCTAD TRADE AND
DEVELOPMENT BOARD, Sixty-second session,
UN Palais des
Nations Room XXV Geneva, 14-25 September 2015
 |
UN
Conference on Trade and Development
Integrating the
Trade Dimension into United Nations Development
Assistance Frameworks
High-level
segment: Development strategies in a globalized
world Multilateral processes for managing
sovereign external debt, Role of women as
catalyst for trade and development,
Interdependence: Financialization and
macroeconomic fragility in the global economy,
Contribution of UNCTAD to the implementation of
the Programme of Action for the Least Developed
Countries for the Decade 2011–2020: Fourth
progress report, Economic development in Africa:
Unlocking the potential of Africa's services
trade for growth and development Evolution of
the international trading system and its trends
from a development perspective - The role of
small holder farmers in sustainable commodities
production and trade Investment for development:
Reforming the international investment regime
Preparatory process for the fourteenth session
of the Conference: Establishment of the
Preparatory Committee Approval of the
provisional agenda of the Conference UNCTAD
contributions to the implementation of and
follow-up to the outcomes of the major United
Nations conferences and summits in the economic
and social fields Technical cooperation
activities Review of the technical cooperation
activities of UNCTAD Report on UNCTAD assistance
to the Palestinian people Report of the Seventh
United Nations Conference to Review All Aspects
of the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable
Principles and Rules for the Control of
Restrictive Business Practices Follow-up to the
Joint Inspection Unit report and the agreed
conclusions of the twenty-sixth special session
of the Trade and Development Board. UNCTAD
Meeting page |
Programme of Meetings
14 September | 15
September | 16
September | 17
September | 18
September | 21
September |
22
September | 24
September | 25
September |Summary | Presentations
from the Meeting. | Participant
list |
|
|
ISTIA appreciated the
ICTSD-World Trade Institute
 |
New Horizons in Services Trade
Governance.
25 November 2014 to 26 November
2014. World Trade Organisation, Room S1. 0. 6
This conference addressed several issues
currently at the forefront of the rapidly
evolving role that services are playing in the
21st century world economy. In various panel
discussions, experts presented findings from
selected chapters of a forthcoming Research
Handbook on Services Trade to be published by
Edward Elgar. Organised by ICTSD and WTI.
The ICTSD-WTI Session can be viewed on Youtube. |
|
|
ISTIA appreciated the
ICTSD |
 |
TRADE
IN SERVICES AGREEMENT PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION
AND DISCUSSION
TISA: Trade in Services Agreement Public
Information Session and Discussion
30 April 2014,
Centre Varumbe, CCIG Centre Conference
International Geneva, Room A, 18:30 - 20.00
This Public Information Session provides a
forum for discussion outside the formal
negotiating environment. Speakers will
present an overview of the objectives and
main elements of the TISA negotiations, the
progress that has been made to date as well
as perspectives on new approaches to
services negotiations. - See more at:
http://ictsd.org/i/events/dialogues/187823/#sthash.VM9VCULK.dpuf
This Public Information Session provides a
forum for discussion outside the formal
negotiating environment. Speakers will
present an overview of the objectives and
main elements of the TISA negotiations, the
progress that has been made to date as well
as perspectives on new approaches to
services negotiations. - See more at:
http://ictsd.org/i/events/dialogues/187823/#sthash.VM9VCULK.dpuf
This
ICTSD forum provided discussion basis for
goverment officials from several TISA government
countries, speakers included trade Ambassadors
from Colombia, the United States, Australia,
Turkey and the European Union. Discussions
provided an overview of the objectives of the
TISA negotiations and described progress made to
date, also addressing some new approaches to
services negotiations.
The ICTSD Session can be viewed on Youtube. |
|
|
|
|
ISTIA is
proud to attend the the
Discussion Forum: "Why Trade
Matters in Development Strategies"
UN Palais des Nations, Geneva,
Room XXV, 27-29 November 2013
|
|
.jpg)
ISTIA
was proud to be invited to the
Civil Society Meeting with
the UNCTAD
Secretary-General in Geneva
On 3 October 2013,
Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, the new Secretary-General
of UNCTAD, welcomed over 30 civil society
leaders to UNCTAD Geneva. ISTIA
was pleased to have been invited to the first
meeting between Dr. Kituyi and civil society
representatives since he took office
in September. This was an opportunity for all
civil society leaders to exchange views with the
Secretary General at the very start of his
term. At the commencement of the meeting, Dr.
Kituyi praised the role played by civil society
organizations in promoting socially just
economic development, and said that he wanted to
see civil society organizations contributing to
UNCTAD meetings at the highest level.
In his opening
speech at the meeting, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi
highlighted the "phenomenal" expertise -
particularly in global trade and development
within Geneva-based international and civil
society organizations. Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi
recalled that as Minister of Trade of Kenya, he
formalized the role of civil society
representatives in the country's trade
delegation, so that involving civil society in
governmental trade and development affairs was a
"duty and not a favor". |
|
|
ISTIA is
proud to have observer-status at the
61st Plenary Session of the
Conference of European Statisticians
UN Economic Commission for Europe,
10-12 June 2013
|
|
ISTIA participation
at 8th WTO Ministerial
|
|
ISTIA and UN Expert Meetings

UN Multi-Year Expert Meeting on Services, Development
and Trade
(3rd Session)
The Regulatory and Institutional Dimension
Geneva, 17-19 March 2010
ISTIA is the the only international agency working in
the area of WTO-related Services Trade Statistics
Capacity Building. In
March 2010, ISTIA
was honored to be invited to participate to
attend the 3rd
Session of the UN Multi-Year Expert Group on Services,
Development and Trade, held in the UN Palais des
Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. The principal meeting
focus concerned services-related egulatory and
institutional frameworks of developing country
governments, especially African countries, least
developed countries (LDCs) and countries with special
needs, such as economies-in-transition. Discussions
focused on strengthening domestic services capacity,
increasing services efficiency and enhancing
competitiveness; also strengthening export capacity. A
special focus was placed on the Accra Accord.
Key
Issues | Notification | Agenda | Programme | Documents | Summary| Participant
list
Report of the Meeting | Overview | Programme
Timetable | UNCTAD
documents
Presentations [Audio] | Presentations [Text]
|Contributions [Text] |
|
ISTIA participation
at WTO Ministerial
|
|
ISTIA in the Gulf
ISTIA-GOIC MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

A Memorandum of Understanding has
been signed on Tuesday 6th of March 2007, in
Doha Qatar, between Gulf Organization for
Industrial Consulting (GOIC) and the
Geneva-based agency International Services Trade
Information Agency (ISTIA). Signing the MOU, was
H.E. Dr. Ahmed Khalil Al Mutawa, GOIC Secretary
General, and Ms. Jennifer M. Powell, ISTIA
Executive Director.
v
This is a strategic partnership
between GOIC and ISTIA. It is aimed at assisting
the GCC countries towards building capacity to
measure globalization data such as
trade-in-services crucial information for World
Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations as well as
foreign direct investment (FDI), operations of
FDI-related enterprises, cross-border
joint-ventures (JV), and transfers of technology
via FDI or strategic alliances. In the context
of a more global and integrated world economy,
such information is crucial for both GCC
governments, as well as the private sector.
Developing the capacity to gather
such information at the national level will give
the GCC countries the tools necessary to
successfully measure, understand and plan
strategically for requirements of a more global
and integrated world economy. GCC governments
require training so as to better-collect data
so that negotiators are best-prepared to
negotiate in the WTO under the General Agreement
on Trade in Services (GATS), as well as in other
bilateral trade and investment negotiations. In
addition to training governments how to collect
data, trade-negotiators, diplomats and other
high-level government officials could benefit
from training so as to 'bridge the gap' between
the new globalization data framework and their
decision-making activities.
In the new millennium, services
are instrumental components of industrial
activities; previously, services and industrial
business activities were viewed as distinct and
separate. The modern global economy views
services and industrial activity as symbiotic
and integrated for two principal reasons.
Firstly, because businesses require efficient
services sectors such as transportation and
communications for domestic or import/export
commercial operations. Secondly, modern business
models no longer view companies as strictly
services-only or industrial-only. In the 21st
century, many companies which used to be famous
for only selling goods, now also sell services
as separate products; one example of this is
Hewlett Packard, a former hardware-only firm
which now sells consulting, business integration
and other services as stand-alone products.
Services also make up a significant share of the
GDP for all countries in the world; developed
country GDP is usually 70-85% services-driven,
while developing country GDP figures are
generally 35-70% services-based.
Foreign direct investment (FDI)
is a part of the WTO GATS agreement, and in this
light, measurement of FDI on a basis which
allows sectoral and partner country
identification is of crucial importance.
Successful ISTIA collaboration seeks to
facilitate the public and private sectors of GCC
countries to operate in a manner most proactive
and strategic in relation to globalization
affairs. |
|
|
|
ISTIA and the OECD
ISTIA
at the OECD-WTO "Aid for Trade" Mini-Ministerial
6-7
November 2006 - Doha, Qatar
|
|
EXPERTISE FRANCE*
support for ISTIA
ISTIA
Technical Assistance
ISTIA
Capacity Building for Government of Vietnam
On the eve of the accession of Vietnam as the
150th WTO Member, ISTIA provided an intensive
week-long course on Services trade policy and
Services trade statistics to officials of the
Government of Vietnam. The course, which took
place the first week of October, introduced the
use of services trade statistics, foreign direct
investment (FDI) statistics and foreign
affiliate trade statistics. The
course also
addressed the country's new legal framework for
investment. Course
summary here.
ISTIA
gratefully acknowledges funding support from the
Government of France, Ministry
of Finance Employment and Industry (MINEFI),
*ADETEF
a été la l'organisation precursoire de EXPERTISE
FRANCE
ISTIA-FRANCE (ADETEF) Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) |
|
|
|
|
ISTIA and OECD
Conference
on Globalisation
and the Knowledge Economy

ISTIA participated in the Conference on
Globalisation and the Knowledge Economy on 9
October 2006. The conference convened experts
to discuss links between innovation, structural
change and productivity growth on the one hand,
and the intensification of cross-border economic
linkages, drivers and scope for public policy in
implementing a national innovation and growth
strategy in the global economy.
Organised jointly by the OECD Directorate for
Science, Technology and Industry (DSTI) and the
French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry |
|
|
ISTIA at WTO Ministerial
2005 WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference
ISTIA High-Level Expert-group Meeting
13-18
December 2005
|
|
ISTIA Seminars
ISTIA Presentation to Government of
Afghanistan

Presented at
the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the
United Nations and WTO, Geneva, Switzerland, October
2005 |
|
|
ISTIA and Switzerland
2006 ISTIA Legal Foundation
26 July 2006
ISTIA
Associated as a Legal Entity in the Republic and
Canton of Geneva
Geneva, 28 June 2006 - As WTO trade
negotiators work to complete the Doha Round of
WTO negotiations, a new international agency
arrives with the objective of empowering
developing countries in services trade
negotiations with better information through
statistical capacity building and negotiator
training.
ISTIA
registration, Canton-State of Geneva |
|
|
ISTIA Foundation
ISTIA "Launch" as New International Agency
June 2006
ISTIA Press Release
As from the end of June 2006, ISTIA,
the International
Services Trade Information Agency has
come into being in Geneva, Switzerland. ISTIA will
function as an international agency, assisting
developing country governments with the
improvement of national accounts and other
information necessary for developing country
governments to better negotiate in the World
Trade Organization (WTO) services negotiations,
known as GATS (the General Agreement on Trade in
Services). ISTIA was
founded in response to official requests made by
developing country governments, in the WTO and
during pre-WTO trade negotiations, for help in
this area, for the past 20 years. At present, developing
country WTO trade negotiators do not have useful
information which helps them to assess the value
of services trade commitments under WTO-GATS, a
fact which has hindered WTO-GATS negotiations
for all WTO Members. ISTIA seeks
to change this situation for the better.
I.ISTIA Statutes II.
ISTIA Mandate III.
ISTIA Taxonomy |
|
|
ISTIA and International Statistics Bodies
ISTIA Pariticipates in IARIW Conference,
Joensuu, Finland
August 2006

ISTIA participated
in the International Association for Research on
Income and Wealth in Joensuu, Finland.
Conferences of special interest concerned FDI
and the relationship of national accounts |
|
|
ISTIA and International Statistics Bodies
ISTIA and Voorburg Group
August 2006
ISTIA was
invited to the 2006 Voorburg Group
in October 2006. The Voorburg is the consortia
of national statistical agencies and experts
involved in setting services statistics
standards. The Voorburg Group is responsible
for having drafted the Central Product
Classification (CPC) system, which is the
standard used by the United Nations Statistical
Division; the CPC is the model upon which the
WTO GATS 120 list is based; this is the list of
services sectoral definitions used in WTO
services trade negotiations. Link
to more info |
|
|
ISTIA cancels IRS exempt application
ISTIA Withdrawal of U.S. Treasury Exempt
Application
14 December 2008
ISTIA
CANCELLATION. With a view towards retention
of neutrality, ISTIA has cancelled the
IRS-Treasury application for recognition as a
foreign-based association, rendered in February
2007, to the IRS Exempt office in
Cincinnati/Kentucky. This application was a good-faith,
non-required application. ISTIA, being
Swiss non-governmental organization operating in
an inter-governmental capacity - such as was
defined in ISTIA Articles of Association -
strives to retain an neutral position, in work,
which principally involves government training.
Application was made with a view toward opening
an ISTIA office in Washington, D.C., an interest
which has also been cancelled.
For further information, persons are welcome to contact
ISTIA directly. |
|
|
Contact ISTIA
|
|
|
|