I. Enhancing Trade and Development to Landlocked Developing Member States Through Multinational

I. Enhancing Trade and Development to Landlocked Developing Member States through Multinational Development Projects

The State of Israel, hereinafter referred to as Israel, strongly believes that the inclusion of the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLCDs) into the international trading scenario is of imperative importance. Many developing Member States already suffer from lack of structure, technology and resources to achieve development; LLCDs suffer from all of that as well as geographical aggravates, limiting their access to better trading possibilities. Israel considers the UNCTAD as the only possible path towards any kind of improvement of the global trading scenario in which the development and integration of the LLCDs will be achieved through the help of the International Community. The UNCTAD has established different trading deals that were beneficial for both developing and developed countries. Despite the progress, the developing countries still struggle due to internal policies and conditions (lack of structure), representing a significant challenge to the UNCTAD. In the past five years, the LLCDs presented a de-development; a significant decrease of GDP’s and internal market, with values around 5% (UNCTAD). That is why the Israel supports the creation of new strategies with possibilities to enhance the trade and development of Landlocked Developing Countries.
The UNCTAD classifies 32 countries as LLCDs. Out of those 32 countries, 16 are in Africa, 10 in Asia, 2 in Latin America, and 4 in Central and Eastern Europe. Analyzing the numbers, there is a discrepancy between the four regions, in which two of them, Asia and Africa, represent almost 90% of the total. This puts not only the continents of Asia and Africa at a disadvantage, but the entire international community which could benefit from trade, if it were only more accessible. As an advanced free market economy, Israel believes that the ideals of globalism push to further interconnectedness and economic freedom, while reducing barriers of prejudice. To advance these ideals however, LLCDs must become more economically stable. According to the UNCTAD, both developed and developing countries benefit from a higher exposure to foreign direct investment (FDI), in which trades can represent a growth of the internal market and the GDP by 18% and 30% respectively. Thus, the pursuit of a more globalized, flexible economy corresponds to a step towards development and the strengthening of the international market. Also, there is the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) deal between Israel and the United States. The deal promotes transparency and the free market, reducing barriers and boosting trade between the two countries. The FTA also has a Bilateral Trade and Investment side, which consists of mutual investments and trades between Israel and the US always maintaining balance; for instance, both countries FDI’s in 2013 was $9.5 billion. Despite the disparity between the US and Israel, the deal is beneficial for both, and should serve as an example for the kind of deal that LLDCs should pursue. They should pursue FDI for areas that are substantial for their development, such as Technology, Infrastructure and Education (TIE), guaranteeing conditions to insert them into the global trading scenario.
Therefore, The State of Israel reinforces the importance of a connected international scenario, with flexibility and economic freedom. Israel strongly believes that the establishment of new trading deals and increasing flexibility of the LLCDs governance, prioritizing the free market, facilitating the trading conditions would help to establish a good internal market and, consequently, enhance the trade between developed and Landlocked Developing Countries. Israel is willing to help Asian countries through our strategic location, which connects different transportation routes, Israel could facilitate the transportation of material goods and expand the access of the LLCDs to the global market. Another factor that they lack is structure, mostly involving technology needed to produce. For the developing countries, it is of vital importance to rely on the developed ones to assist them. Summarizing, deals like the FTA should be established between developed and developing countries, prioritizing the achievement of economic stability to the LLCDs through the investment on TIE, before including them to the international scenario; which should be done only when they are settled and ready to adopt a competitive posture in the international market.

II. Examining the Impacts of Additive Manufacturing on Global Trade
Israel strongly supports Additive Manufacturing (AM). President Rivlin noted in a 2015 meeting with the European Council's President Tusk that Israel is one of the world's most significant innovative centers in technology such as 3D printing. President Rivlin also stated that "Israel is a tremendous hub of intellectual energy which has turned into intellectual products which means products of the mind that become vastly valuable in the modern marketplace." Our 2015 Report of Principle Activities presented the measure of establishing a national authority for encouraging technological innovation, which has supported about 700 traditional industry as well as competitive product Research and Development (R&D) programs. Additionally, the city of Tel Aviv is Israel's business and technological innovation capital. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a sponsor of Start Tel Aviv, a competition of technological startups of 20 countries worldwide to be trained in Tel Aviv's internationally renowned startup environment. Israel’s Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Singularity University-Israel collaborated to create InnovNation, an educational course analyzing Hi-tech fields and providing insights of industry specialists, startup founders, and R&D multinational corporations.
Israel's economy is largely based on industry, and increasingly on Hi-Tech industry. Israeli manufacturers favor AM for its benefits of lowered production cost and time, lowered transit costs, and increased manufacturing flexibility. Israel's efforts towards achieving local prosperity would be supported by local industries adopting AM. In our Country Profile for the Johannesburg Summit in 2002, Israel included "strengthening the local economic infrastructure and promoting local entrepreneurial activities" in our approach to relieve localities of their deprivation and poverty. The Country Profile also explained that Israeli governmental collaboration with our Manufacturer's Association will "assist small and medium-sized industries in improving their competitive capabilities through expanding their technological base and developing core skills and technological capabilities through joint R&D projects with European industries”. Israel currently has many R&D agreements with member states such as Japan, Taiwan, Colombia, Canada, and New South Wales, and a nanotechnology and cyber security cooperation with Germany. Such agreements could be the starting point for specifying AM R&D.
Israel's efforts towards achieving the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 9, which includes promoting sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation, and SDG 12, of sustainable patterns of consumption and production, would be supported by local industries adopting AM because it reduces production waste. Israel’s Energy Resources Law of 1989 sought to "regulate the exploitation of energy sources, allocate them in accordance with the needs of various industries and use them efficiently and sparingly" The Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns disclosed Israel’s Sustainable Industrial Zone plan, started by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor. The framework’s purpose included developing sustainability of chosen industrial zones, and proposed "new zone planning and infrastructure changes that will influence the chain of production" AM would certainly influence the chain of production to become more sustainable at the local level. Though AM requires considerable electrical energy, advancement of renewable electric energy allows for AM's plausibility. Our Country Profile described that "The Ministry of National Infrastructures has supported research and development in concentrated solar energy technologies at the solar tower and some of the technologies have progressed towards a commercial stage" and "It is anticipated that increased competition will allow small and clean producers to sell electricity to the distribution system and will accelerate the move to clean energy"
Israel is committed to making the transition from Traditional Manufacturing to AM. Establishing international policies for its R&D can provide for eventual infrastructure changes. Actions regarding policy include revising Intellectual Property Rights Laws to specifically address internet driven sharing of AM designs. Proactivity is especially pressing to ensure that designs which could be used maliciously are well protected. Policies establishing reciprocity are required between Israel's national government and local organizations for resources of technology, funding, development, and appropriate education to increase local accessibility and contributions to the innovation of AM. Agreements for international trade and funding are necessary for collaboratively developing AM information, technology, raw materials, renewable energy sources, and safety testing to include developed and developing member states in moving towards the future of AM. Eventually, collaborations can lead to efforts in increasing raw material suppliers and manufacturer access to technology. Plausibility is high for AM's adoption in Israel since we already have a strong Hi-tech manufacturing foundation, providing the basis to increase focus on AM. A concern is that though localities would benefit, globalization would encounter the opposite effect, and major changes in international relations would be expected. However, technological progress is inevitable and we must keep in pace.