THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1979
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HONG KONG TO HOST WORLD TRADE SEMINAR
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HONG KONG HAS AGAIN BEEN CHOSEN AS THE VENUE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS (MTN)+.
THE SEMINAR, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE FROM JANUARY 22 TO 26, IS BEING JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (ESCAP), THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD), THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP) AND THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT.
TAKING PART WILL BE SOME 60 OFFICIALS FROM MORE THAN 20 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES IN THE ESCAP REGION AND FROM THE SPONSORING ORGANISATIONS,
MR. DAVID JORDAN, DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, WILL OPEN THE SEMINAR ON MONDAY, JANUARY 22. THE LEADER OF THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WILL BE MR. PETER TSAO, COUNSELLOR FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS IN GENEVA, WHO RETURNED TO HONG KONG RECENTLY FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH THE TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT AND TO PREPARE FOR THE SEMINAR.
THE SEMINAR WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO MEET AND DISCUSS PROBLEMS FACING THEM IN THE MTN.
THE LAST SEMINAR HELD BY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO DISCUSS THE MTN WAS HELD IN BANGKOK IN MAY 1978. A PREVIOUS SEMINAR WAS HELD IN HONG KONG IN 1976. THE PRESENT SEMINAR IS THE FIFTH OF ITS KIND TO BE HELD SINCE 1975.
THE MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS ARE AIMED AT LIBERAL IS ING WORLD TRADE THROUGH TARIFF REDUCTIONS, THE REMOVAL OF NON-TARIFF BARRIERS, AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE DISCIPLINE FOR TAKING MEASURES TO PROTECT DOMESTIC INDUSTRIES IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
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