The Global Services Coalition is disappointed that it proved necessary to cancel the Ministerial Meeting that was scheduled for the 5th and 6th of December 2016 with the aim of bringing the TiSA negotiations to a timely close. We recognize and appreciate the tremendous effort that you have made in the negotiations and regret that circumstances do not allow TISA participants to move forward to the conclusion of a high standard, high ambition Trade in Services Agreement.
Services, which everywhere account for a significant percentage of GDP, lie at the heart of modern, competitive economies. TiSA is not only the first ever trade in services agreement with the prospect of improving trade among the members of more than 3.7 trillion USD per year, but it is also about securing the twenty-first century global value chains for trade in both goods and services through enhanced international governance of IT-enabled services, improving investment conditions for services and facilitating movement of skilled services business personnel across the global economy. A trade agreement of such tremendous potential for promoting economic growth and job creation is worthy of greater ministerial focus to help bring it to a successful conclusion.