Assistance to Vanuatu to Develop Negotiating Strategies and Build Negotiating Skills

The overall objective of the assignment is to enable effective participation of the Ni-Vanuatu trade negotiators in multilateral, regional and bilateral trade negotiations.

Specifically the project will:

• Assist the Ministry in preparing carefully thought-out, comprehensive negotiating strategies that are in line with the objectives set out in the Trade Policy Framework.
• Support the implementation of these strategies by providing skills-building tailored to these specific negotiations.
• Analyse the potential for a bilateral trade agreement with New Caledonia.

The strategies and analyses will enable the Government to make informed decisions on how to pursue its offensive and defensive interests, and how to protect the national interest, in forthcoming negotiations. The process of elaborating the strategies will assist the Government in setting the basis for a Services Sector Policy.