1. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Report of Interagency Task Force of International Trade in Services in Beirut 23-24 March 2010 OECD Statistics Directorate Bettina.Wistrom@OECD.org Agenda Item 4b Agenda 3rd WPTGS meeting 4-6 October 2010, OECD

2. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Outline of this presentation Conclusions UN Statistical Committee Activity report TFSITS 23-24 March 2010. – Finalising MSITS2010 –Broad Economic Classification (BEC) –Analytical toolbox –Regional experience and plans –Data quality and comparability –SDMX Getting the implementation started

3. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Conclusions of the UNSC 1/2 The MSITS 2010 was adopted by the UNSC at the last session in February 2010 The TF was urged to take note of the following points: 1.Importance of Compilation Guide (CG) 2.Significance of Trade in Services (TIS) in globalization and links to other frameworks 3.Emphasis on linking MSITS to BPM6 and SNA, and to commodity trade

4. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Conclusions of the UNSC 2/2 4.Importance to the following areas: FATS (outward in particular), tourism statistics- contribution to regional trade, valuation and pricing, research and development. 5.The Task Force is to put in place a timeframe for the implementation 6.The Task Force was encouraged to contribute actively to the implementation of MSITS 2010 7.Training is particularly important in Trade in Services because of the complexity of these statistics.

5. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Finalising MSITS TF discussed how to advance online correspondences, annexes and other docs (glossary, foreword, acknowledgments, etc) Correspondence: Issue of “missing” new BOP/EBOPS codification flagged TF would collaborate and share current drafts among members to advance on finalising MSITS 2010.

6. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section The Broad Economic Classification TF discussed the revision of BEC and its possible extension to services. TF recognized the analytical interest of extending BEC to services in order to improve the link between trade data and SNA. But it was felt that a priority should be given to the correspondence between EBOPS and CPC vers 2.

7. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Analytical toolbox The six themes of analytical note or “toolbox” were reviewed. Would be provided online as “living document” and revised every two years. Could also be integrated with the TF WTO training module. training module Relating to market access, update given on the OECD Service Trade Restrictiveness Index project.

8. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Regional experience and plans Activities in Western Asia and Banque du Liban presented. TF particularly impressed by BDL clever use of available source of information to compile trade in services (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of economy, General security, Ministry of Labour, Banking and Financial sector through ITRS, BDL departments amongst others).

9. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Data quality Good discussion on data quality and comparability of IO databases. A WTO taxonomy on different data quality issues presented. Taxonomy will be tested on actual data and cases and presented at next TF meeting in Paris 7th October 2010.

10. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section SDMX Update on OECD SDMX project Pilot on TIS (and FTS) would be conducted on limited number of countries with involvement of OECD Statistics IT people. Long term project would eventually improve sharing/quality of the data.

11. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Getting the implementation started. The TF would act as the consultative group to the redaction of service part of the IMF compilation guide with regular submission of drafts to the TF. TF will revisit the comments from countries received during worldwide consultations 2 and 3 to gather ideas about which areas should be covered as requested by countries At next meeting (Paris 7 th October), issue of adding modules on FATS and supply of services by mode further discussed. Bibliographies and available questionnaires (FATS/SITS) should start to be gathered. Issue of resources (including money) raised

12. STD/TBS/Trade and Competitiveness Section Thank you for your attention!