On September 7, the preparatory meeting for the inauguration ceremony of the Global Alliance for Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATIS") was held in Beijing. Leaders of the Ministry of Commerce and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, heads of the initiators of GATIS, experts and scholars in related fields, representatives of international organizations, business associations and corporate members attended the meeting.
It is reported that GATIS is a non-profit international organization formed voluntarily by business/industry associations, companies, enterprises, professional institutions or organizations from countries and regions. It aims to facilitate exchanges and cooperation in the global service trade, foster new business models and forms for the service sector, optimize the standards and norms in the trade in services, and push ahead open, innovative and integrated development of the service sector and trade in services.
To establish GATIS has been strongly supported by international organizations, domestic and foreign business associations, well-known enterprises and all governments. So far, more than 100 institutions and enterprises have applied to join GATIS, involving international organizations, business associations, well-known enterprises and institutions, covering five continents and twelve fields of trade in services.
With the development of digital technology and the trend of service-oriented global economy, trade in services, as an important part of international trade, plays an increasingly important role in global trade. From 2010 to 2019, the average annual growth rate of global trade in services was twice that of trade in goods. As a new organization for deepening international cooperation in the field of trade in services, GATIS will respond to the expectations of service trade institutions and enterprises through opening up new channels for international exchanges in the field of trade in services, building new platforms for global economic and trade cooperation, and establishing new mechanisms for cooperating with international organizations and domestic and foreign business associations. All these efforts will help members carry out broader, deeper and more sophisticated cooperation on trade in services, create more opportunities for investment, trade and employment, and advance sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of global trade in services.
At the meeting, delegates participating in the event discussed the articles of association, the election methods of the first council and working documents, and put forward suggestions on the agenda of the inauguration ceremony and the key work after the establishment of GATIS. It is understood that the inauguration ceremony of GATIS is scheduled to be held in Beijing this year, at which the alliance initiative will be announced.
