RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/COMTD/LLDC/W/7
16May1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2059)
Original: French Subcommittee onLeast Developed Countries
Fifth Session
PROPOSAL BYDJIBOUTI INTHE FRAMEWORK OFTHE
PREPARATION OFTHE HIGH-LEVEL MEETING
ONLEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
I. COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
1. Acomprehensive approach, bringing together national efforts andthose oftheinternational
community, isrequired toachieve growth intheleast developed countries through appropriate
macroeconomic policies, supply-side measures andimproved market access.
2. Least developed countries wishing totakeadvantage oftheopportunities provided forinsome
WTO Agreements toattract foreign direct investment should beassisted.
II. PLAN OFACTION
3. ThisPlanofAction would offeracomprehensive approach andwould include measures relating
totheimplementation oftheDecision inFavour ofLeast Developed Countries, aswellasintheareas
ofcapacity-building andmarket access from aWTO perspective.
4. ItwouldenvisageaclosercooperationbetweentheWTOandothermultilateralagenciesassisting
leastdeveloped countries.
5. Thiswould alsobeinconformity withtheMarrakesh Declaration ontheContribution ofthe
WTO toAchieving Greater Coherence inGlobal Economic Policymaking, acentral purpose ofwhich
istocontribute totheexpansion oftrade, sustainable growth anddevelopment ofdeveloping countries,
including leastdeveloped countries, through thecloser cooperation oftheWTO withtheWorld Bank
andtheIMF.
III. WTO ACTION
6. TheWTO PlanofAction would beapplied inrespect oftheleastdeveloped countries designated
assuchbytheUnited Nations which areMembers oftheWTO.
A. Implementation oftheDecision onMeasures inFavour ofLeast Developed Countries
(a) WTO Members could stepuptheirefforts toimprove thecapacity oftheleastdeveloped
countries tomeettheirnotification obligations.WT/COMTD/LLDC/W/7
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(b) Periodic review
TheCommitteeonTradeandDevelopmentshouldconduct,everytwoyears,aneffective
review (inaccordance withitsterms ofreference) onthebasis ofreports bythe
Chairpersons oftherelevant WTO Bodies andother available information ofthe
implementation ofmeasures infavour oftheleastdeveloped countries. Thiswould
coincide withtheWTO Ministerial Conferences.
(c) Commitments
TheWTO Bodies should strengthen theircapacity toassist theleastdeveloped countries
inimplementing theirWTO Commitments.
(d) Information ontheWTO Agreements
TheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment would study ways ofensuring greater
disclosure oftheapplication oftheUruguay Round provisions infavour ofthe
leastdeveloped countries andofincreasing efforts todisseminate information relating
tothose provisions.
B. Human andinstitutional capacity-building
(a) IntheGuidelines forWTO Technical Cooperation, leastdeveloped countries arethe
priority beneficiaries.
Members oftheWTO would ensure thatthispriority wasassigned toleastdeveloped
countries, andinaccordance withtheGuidelines, theeffectiveness ofthetechnical
cooperation would becontinually evaluated against thispriority.
(b) With aviewtoassisting intheinstitutional capacity-building intheareaoftrade, it
would beuseful fortheWTO tocooperate withother relevant agencies todevelop a
comprehensive approach andoutline adivision oflabour, inparticular withUNCTAD
andtheITC, aswellaswithUNDP, theWorld Bank, IMFandRegional Banks.
TheDevelopment Assistance Committee (DAC) oftheOECD would alsobeinvolved.
With regard tosupply-side constraints, priority would beattached toexport
diversification andfacilitating oftheimplementation ofcommitments toallow theleast
developed countries tobenefit from thenewmarket possibilities deriving from the
Uruguay Round.
TheWTO would havearoletoplayincooperating withother relevant institutions
inorder toencourage afavourable investment climate.
(c) Joint WTO/ITC training courses should beorganized forpublic sector officials and
theprivate sector.
(d) Availability ofresources
TheWTO would explore theavailability ofresources fortheprovision oftechnical
assistance toleast developed countries bydeveloping countries with successful
experiences intrade.WT/COMTD/LLDC/W/7
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(e) LDC officials
Theparticipation ofLDC officials inWTO meetings would befinanced byvoluntary
contributions.
C. Market access
(a) Developed country Members andthedeveloping country Members onanautonomous
basis, would explore thepossibilities ofgranting preferential duty-free access forthe
exports ofleastdeveloped countries. Inbothcases, exceptions could beprovided for.
(b) WTOMemberswouldendeavourtomakeuse,whenpossible,oftherelevantprovisions
oftheAgreement onTextiles andClothing toincrease market access opportunities
forleastdeveloped countries.
(c) Whenever provided forintheWTO Agreements, Members could decide toextend,
unilaterally andonanautonomous basis, certain benefits toleastdeveloped countries '
suppliers.
(d) WTO Members could pursue, onanautonomous basis, preferential policies and
liberalization undertakings inorder tofurther facilitate access totheirmarkets forleast
developed countries 'exports, suchasanearly implementation oftheUruguay Round
undertakings.
D. Acceding countries
7. TheSecretariat willprovide factual andlegalinformation toassist acceding leastdeveloped
countries indrawing uptheirMemorandum ontheForeign Trade Regime, aswellastheirSchedules
ofConcessions forGoods andCommitments inServices.
IV. OTHER INSTITUTIONS
8. Inaccordancewithitsmandate,theWTOwouldendeavourtoworkjointlywiththeotherrelevant
multilateral andregional institutions toinduce investment inleastdeveloped countries asaresult of
newtrade opportunities.
V. PREFERENTIAL TARIFF RATES
9. Individual Members could study thefeasibility ofbinding preferential tariff ratesinaWTO
preferential scheme which would beapplicable toleastdeveloped countries only.
VI. SUMMARY
1. Ourdelegation considers thattheobjective andthefollow-up totheHighLevel Meeting should
serve topromote constructive ideasandtotakestepstohelpresolve thepractical problems andrespond
totherealneeds oftheLDCs intheirdetermination tointegrate intothemultilateral trading system,
taking dueaccount oftheircapacity fordevelopment aswellastheirinstitutional capacities.
2. Thispreparation would serve asabasis forneeds assessment andshould becarried outby
eachLDCinclosecooperation withthethreeorganizations which havealready developed theintegrated
programme forAfrica, i.e.theWTO, UNCTAD andtheITC,according toitspriorities anditssituation
withrespect toforeign markets.WT/COMTD/LLDC/W/7
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3. Itisessential totaketheexperience ofthese three agencies asanexample fromwhich todraw
inspiration forthelaunching ofacoherent programme, tobeextended toalloftheLDCs, withthe
participation ofthetwoBRETTON WOODS Institutions andtheUNDP.
4. Mydelegation 'sposition isasfollows:
- Ifwewere toundertake thisprior process ofidentifying theneeds oftheLDCs and
thecapacity oftheinternational agencies torespond tothose needs, thismeeting would
beinaposition toconclude withtheadoption ofanintegrated andcoherent programme
forthose countries.
5. Finally, atthisMeeting, theLDCs willhave theopportunity toinform theinternational
community oftheproblems encountered withrespect totheir economic situation inthefaceof
globalization andthedifficulties encountered inendeavouring tocomply withtheWTO rules.