November 21-25, Vanuatu conducted a highly successful workshop in Port Villa to assess and prioritize actions to “facilitate” its international trade, that is, to reduce the cost and time of trading across Vanuatu’s borders consistent with current and future obligations in international trade agreements.  Developing and Least Developed Countries have been completing these assessments with the support of donors as was agreed in 2004 as part of the WTO Doha Development Round of negotiations.  The workshop included participants from Trade, Customs, Agriculture, Finance, Health, Ports, the Reserve Bank and representatives of the private sector, among others.  The workshop examined the status of Vanuatu’s compliance with 46 specific Doha Round trade agreement proposals to facilitate trade. 
 
The Doha Round Trade Facilitation Negotiations have proven to be the most successful and widely supported of the areas under negotiation that include, for example, Agriculture and Non-Agriculture Market Access.  Vanuatu has already made significant reforms, but additional improvements can eliminate bottlenecks and make Vanuatu businesses more competitive in international and domestic markets.  In addition, trade facilitating reforms in many other countries have proven also to increase government revenue as resources can be targeted on trade that does not comply with border requirements, such as Customs requirements.  In Peru, for example, revenues increased by over 300%.  Facilitating legitimate, safe and Customs-compliant trade, in addition to increasing government revenue, improves product safety and quality in accordance with applicable standards.
 
The National Assessment addressed such areas by identifying a need for domestic laboratories, as well as proposals to improve transparency, consultations with the private sector, improved border agency coordination, non-discrimination, and reducing the burden of fees and formalities.  The Assessment compiled reasons for partial compliance or non-compliance with negotiating proposals. Actions were recommended for what Vanuatu could do on its own initiative to improve its trade facilitation to meet proposed trade facilitation standards, as well as identifying when technical assistance or capacity building would be necessary.  The nature of such technical assistance was specified for each issue.   
 
In their final report, the participants prioritized Vanuatu’s interests in several ways with “Top Ten” lists for
• Areas for action; and
• Technical Assistance needs to achieve applicable standards. 
The final report also included a ranking of advice for negotiators in the Trade Facilitation Negotiating Group in the Doha Round. 
 
Included in the final products of the National Assessment was a proposed Action Plan for Trade Facilitation in Vanuatu.  After a week of hard work and cooperation, the participants were keen to ensure the continuation of this work at the technical, policy and political level so that Vanuatu’s development can be reap the benefits of facilitating its trade.