February 12, 2008: The Global Services Coalition Issues Response to WTO Services Report. For a copy of the press release, click here. November 13, 2007: The Global Services Coalition Issues Statement Concerning Objectives For WTO Services Negotiations. To view the statement, click here. February 21, 2007: Global Services Coalition: Progress in Services Negotiations Needed to Secure Business Support for Doha Round. Click here for statement. July 13, 2006: Global Services Coalition Urges G8 Leaders to Unlock the Doha Round . Above: WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy addresses the Global Services Coalition during the Coalition's July 11-13, 2006 mission to Geneva. July 5, 2006: Coalition of Service Industries releases study citing $1.7 trillion gain from services trade liberalization. For a copy of the study click here. September 28, 2005: Ambassador Alejandro Jara at a meeting with the Global Services Coalition.  Previously the Chairman of the WTO Council for Trade in Services – Special Session, Mr. Jara became Deputy Director General of the WTO on September 30, and is succeeded by Ferdinand De Mateo of Mexico.  For a copy of the statement issued by the Global Services Coalition, click here. June 24, 2005: WTO Services Negotiations in Crisis; Political Will Must be Mobilized Urgently. November 24, 2004: The Quad Group - Canada, EU, Japan, and the US - along with a dozen other developed and developing countries, issued a joint statement urging progress on the WTO services negotiations. Click here for the statement. October 5, 2004: WTO Deputy DG calls for continued industry pressure on services liberalization. Click here for the statement. August 1, 2004: WTO members adopt framework; services given equal treatment with agriculture and non-agricultural market access. Click here for the statement. July 20, 2004: Joint global services coalition letter to WTO Director-General Supachai on the treatment of services in the draft WTO General Council report. Click here July 15, 2004: Global services organizations issue Call to Action on the Doha Round. Click here. June 25, 2004. Leaders of several major global services organizations issued an open letter to WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi, which emphasizes the importance of the services sector and the urgent need for an acceptable negotiating framework to be adopted at the WTO General Council meetings in late July 2004. Click here for the letter. Service Industry Leaders Call for All WTO Members to Engage in Services Negotiations. March 31, 2004 Global Industry Groups: Liberalization of Services Trade Must Move Forward, March 22, 2004

Above: Members of the Global Services Coalition at a conference on services in the WTO held during the WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, on December 15, 2005.  From left to right: Dr. Vince Fitzgerald, President, Australian Services Roundtable; Christopher Roberts, Chairman, Policy Committee, European Services Forum; Bob Vastine, President, Coalition of Service Industries; Ronaldo Costa, Lead Brazilian Services Negotiator; and Max Taylor, Co-Chairman, Financial Leaders Group.
Above: WTO Director-General Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi with the Global Services Coalition at the WTO Secretariat on June 24, 2005. A coalition which included services associations from Australia, Chile, EU, India, Japan, and the US visited the WTO to press for greater progress in the WTO services negotiations.

Mission

The Global Services Network (GSN) is an informal, private sector-led, forum which gathers the global services community of business people, government officials, academics, and others who are committed to increased trade and investment in services, and a rules-based, multilateral trading system. The Network's participants are dedicated to build global support for the liberalisation of international services trade through multilateral negotiations under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

What is the GSN?

The GSN is a global online community consisting of leaders in business, government and academia. The GSN is:

A forum to identify and remove barriers to trade and facilitate business in the service industry
An online community to develop strategies for individual services sectors in the WTO and other forums
A means to monitor implementation of services trade agreements
A way to strengthen services organizations around the world
A resource to advance knowledge of the services sector through readily-accessible information

What are the benefits?

Participants of the GSN are part of an interactive, on-line community that includes professionals around the world. The GSN will provide many benefits such as the ability to access news, statistics, economic reports, analyses, book reviews, academic papers and speeches by key officials and business leaders about the services industry, and receive newsletter and email alerts about current news and critical issues that move world markets.

How does one join?

GSN is open to participation by individuals and organizations with an interest in trade in services. To join the GSN, access www.uscsi.org/subscribe/, check the "Global Services Network"and fill in the requested information.

The Origins of the Global Services Network

In April 1998, a multinational group representing the private sector, governments, international organizations, and academia gathered at Ditchley Park, near Oxford, U.K. to discuss and prepare for the "Services 2000" negotiations in the WTO. This conference produced the vision for the GSN.