The Trade in Services for Development (TS4D) initiative is a joint World Bank and WTO Secretariat capacity building and technical assistance programme designed to help developing economies take advantage of the opportunities presented by trade in services. This platform shares information on the initiative and its various workstreams, providing access to capacity-building products. It also shares information on services-related capacity-building activities undertaken by other organizations.
The WTO-World Bank workstreams under the TS4D initiative aim to help developing economies leverage growth and development benefits associated with services trade, increase their participation in global services trade, facilitate their participation in international discussions and negotiations and support implementation of trade in services agreements.
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A Competitiveness Dashboard has been developed by the WTO and the World Bank to help developing economies evaluate their services trade performance, identify policy gaps, and integrate services trade into their development strategies. It provides a framework to analyse services trade along several dimensions and provides pointers for policy action.
TS4D Competitiveness Diagnostic DashboardThis publication draws on nine developing country case studies to examine what works — and what does not — in promoting services exports. Its policy insights make it an essential guide for policymakers, promotion agencies and researchers seeking to harness the growing opportunities of the global services economy.
This WTO-World Bank handbook explains how good regulatory practices (GRPs) can facilitate cross-border services trade. It provides case studies, practical guidance and tools to help governments benchmark their domestic regimes against GRPs and prepare for reforms.
The World Bank and the WTO aim to respond to the need for comprehensive and comparable data on governments' applied measures through the Services Trade Policy Database (STPD) and the Services Trade Policy Restrictions Index (STRI). The STPD and the STRI are part of the I-TIP Services Database, which also contains information on commitments undertaken in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in regional trade agreements (RTAs).
Access the STPD and STRI DatabaseAddressing challenges facing developing economies in services trade requires support from a variety of partners, including regional agencies and intergovernmental organizations. This platform provides information on broader capacity-building activities beyond those of the TS4D workstreams, with the aim of improving institutional coordination.
- Addressing data gaps in services trade
- Helping developing economies and LDCs participate more fully in policy discussions on trade in services
- Strengthening regulatory frameworks and institutions
- Promoting economic diversification, particularly through digital services trade
- Addressing key constraints and improving services skills of workers
In 2023, the WTO and the World Bank co-published "Trade in Services for Development", which led to the development of the Trade in Services for Development (TS4D) initiative. A joint programme of capacity building and technical assistance was announced at the WTO's Public Forum in September 2024.
This regional conference on 28-29 September at the Asian Development Bank in Manila, the Philippines, will provide an opportunity to discuss the role of services trade in inclusive development, the use of analytical tools developed under the TS4D initiative, and Asian economies' strategies for modernizing the services sector.
The WTO Secretariat has conducted national workshops in various countries under the Trade in Services for Development (TS4D) initiative.
