. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/SE/W/10 
27 April 2004  
 
(04-1875) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Dedicated Session Original:   English 
 
 
 
PROPOSALS SUBMITTED BY THE LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 
 
WORK PROGRAMME ON SMALL ECONOMIES 
  
Communication by Paraguay on behalf of the delegations of Bolivia, Mongolia and Paraguay
 
  
 The communication, dated 19 April 2004, is being circulated at the request of the delegations 
of Bolivia, Mongolia and Paraguay. 
 
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  The Delegations of Bolivia, Mongolia and Para guay, being landlocked developing countries 
and small economies, hereby submit to the Se venth Dedicated Session on Small Economies the 
following specific proposals for inclusion in the "Work Programme on Small Economies", taking into 
account the following general situation:  
• At the Doha ministerial meeting, WTO Members recognised among other issues "the need for 
all our peoples to benefit from the increased  opportunities and welfare gains that the 
multilateral trading system generates". 
 
• On this understanding, the mandates arising from this historic ministerial meeting aimed at 
responding to the needs of least-developed and developing countries, hence the name 
"Development Round". 
 
• The constraints set out in documents submitted to this Committee by small vulnerable 
economies directly influence their economies and therefore their integration in the multilateral 
trading system. 
 
• A large number of least-developed and deve loping countries operate under trade rules 
identical to those of other countries differing in characteristics and conditions. 
 
• The small and vulnerable economies have difficu lties in observing the same rules as those 
Members that are not small economies. 
 
 
S
PECIFIC PROPOSALS  
We consider it necessary for the future "W TO Work Programme on Small Economies" to 
cover the following subjects, as a complement  to the proposals set out in document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/3: 
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/10 
Page 2  
 
1. Market Access 
Proposal :  "Grant/Provide tariff-free and quota -free access for all exports of goods and 
services originating from small economies". 
2. Export diversification for Small Economies 
Proposal :  "Grant/Provide technical assistance for small economies to prepare trade strategies 
aimed at export diversification". 
 
3. Tariff quotas 
Proposal :  "Grant/Provide that a minimum percen tage of access in each tariff quota on the 
schedules of WTO Members be reserved for sma ll economies, and the technical assistance 
needed to meet and fulfil it". 
 
4. Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measu res and Technical Barriers to Trade 
Proposal :  "Grant/Provide technical assistance for small economies to obtain the knowledge 
and technical infrastructure necessary to comp ly with the sanitary and phytosanitary norms 
and requirements under the Agreement on Tec hnical Barriers to Trade in their export 
markets". 
 
5. Increased domestic production 
Proposal :  "Grant/Provide technical assistance for small economies to assist them in 
improving productivity with a view to increasi ng domestic production and exports of goods 
and services". 
 
6. Integrated Framework 
Proposal :  "To integrate small economies into certain Programmes within the existing 
Integrated Framework for least-developed countries,  it being understood that the vast majority 
of small economies are at stages of development identical to those of current beneficiaries". 
 The small economies appreciate the idea of havi ng a programme similar to the integrated 
framework established for the least-developed countries.  
7. Accessions 
Proposal :  "To facilitate and accelerate WTO accessi on negotiations for sm all and vulnerable 
economies, landlocked countries and transit c ountries, through simplified and streamlined 
procedures similar to those adopted for leas t-developed countries in the Decision of 
10 December 2002 (WT/L/508)". 
 
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