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WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
15 December  2021 
(21-9406) Page: 1/18 
Committee on Trade and Development  
116th Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 10 NOVEMBER  2021 
Chairman: H.E. Dr Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha (Pakistan)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ .....................  2 
B. OBSERVERS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  4 
(I) Request for attendance of ad hoc  observers  ................................ ................................ ... 4 
(II) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the League of Arab States, 
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Gulf Organization for Industrial 
Consulting, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophon ie, the Common Fund for 
Commodities, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) and the Groupe  
de la Banque Africaine de Développement  ................................ ................................ ...............  4 
C. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND TRAINING  ................................ ..............................  5 
(I) Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan 2022 -2023 (WT/COMTD/W/260, 
WT/COMTD/W/260/Corr.1, WT/COMTD/W/260/Corr.2)  ................................ .............................  5 
(II)  Technical Assistance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan 2022 -2023 (WT/COMTD/W/261)  ........  5 
(III)  Briefing on Phase III of the WTO Chairs Programme  ................................ ........................  8 
D. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – WORK IN THE COMMITTEE ON THE BASIS OF THE 
CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDING STATEMENT FROM THE EIGHTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
(WT/MIN(11)/11)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  9 
(I) Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration and 
Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO – Proposal from Barbados, Belize, China,  
Cuba, Ecuador, India, and the African Group (WT/COMTD/W/208)  ................................ .............  9 
(II) Operationalization of the CTD's Mandate: A Proposal to Deliver Outcomes based on  
the MC8 Mandate - Proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  9 
E. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  ................................ ...................  10 
(I)  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union – Communication from  
China, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  ................................ ................................ .........  10 
F. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE STEPS TAKEN TO PROVIDE DUTY -FREE AND  
QUOTA -FREE MARKET ACCESS TO LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  ................................ .. 11 
G. WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE  ................................ ..................  12 
H. PARTICIPATION OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN THE MULTILATERAL TRADING 
SYSTEM (WT/COMTD/W/262)  ................................ ................................ ........................  14 
I. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SUB -COMMITTEE ON LEAST  
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 17 
J. DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2021 (WT/COMTD/W/263)  ................................ ...... 17 
K. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING ................................ ................................ ..................  17 
L. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 17 
 WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Chairman  said that the draft agenda for the 11 6th Regular Session of the Committee on 
Trade and Development (CTD)  was contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/COMTD/2 4/Rev.1 of 
29 October  2021. He informed the Committee  that, at his invitation,  the Director -General would be 
joining  the meeting  to deliver a statement. The statement  by the Director -General would  be reflected 
in the minutes of th e meeting.  He also indicated that he wished to make a brief intervention under 
"Other Business" to keep Members informed regarding the process of informal con sultations that he 
had launched earlier in the year , and on which he had briefed Members in some detail at the last 
meeting.  
2. The agenda was adopted , as amended . 
Statement by the Director -General1 
3. The Chairman  welcomed the Director -General to the CTD. He said that the CTD  was 
established in 1995 as a focal point for development work in the WTO, and served as an interface 
between issues relating to trade and development. Three formal sessions of the CTD's Regular  
Session were normally held each  year. In addition, s everal subsidiary bodies of the CTD were 
established over the years, including the Dedicated Session on Small Economies,  the Dedicated 
Session on Regional Trade Agreements  (RTAs),  the Dedicated Session o n Preferential Trade 
Arrangements  (PTAs) , the Dedicated Session on the Monitoring Mechanism on Special and 
Differential Treatment  (S&D) , and the Session on Aid for Trade.  The Sub -Committee on Least 
Developed Countries (LDCs) was  also a subsidiary body of t he CTD.  He said that the CTD ha d had a 
productive year in 2021 , and that he wished to take this opportunity to briefly highlight some of the 
issues that ha d been addressed in the course of the year.  These include d firstly an Aid -for-Trade 
Stocktaking event  that was organized in March  2021 to reflect the economic impacts of the COVID -19 
pandemic on the ongoing Aid -for-Trade Work Programme. A meeting of the CTD's Dedicated Session 
on Small Economies was  held in July 2021 to discuss the economic and trade impa ct of natural 
disasters on small economies.  Subsequently, in October  2021, the Dedicated Session on Small 
Economies was able to agree to a proposed text for a Ministerial Decision at the Twelfth Ministerial 
Conference (MC12)  on the Work Programme on Small Economies. He hoped that this was an 
auspicious beginning for a fruitful Ministerial Conference.  In October  2021, the Committee had also 
approved the monitoring and evaluation exercise which  would  underpin the next Global Review of 
Aid for Trade, to be held in 2022.   
4. He noted that the CTD's work on enhancing transparency in RTAs and PTAs continued  through 
the year.  Discussions also continued through the year in several other areas, including techni cal 
assistance  (TA), duty-free and quota -free (DFQF)  market access for LDCs, and the Work Programme 
on E-Commerce. In addition , the Committee ha d been briefed over the course of the year on 
preparations for the next phase of the WTO Chairs Programme  (WCP) , and Members were looking 
forward to hearing about the outcome.  He went on to say that, a fter taking over the Chairmanship 
of the CTD in March 2021, he had  launched a process of informal consultations in small groups. For 
purposes of inclusiveness, all Mem bers that wished were invited to participate.  The purpose of these 
informal consultations was to explore how the CTD could move forward on some of the issues that 
had been on the agenda for several years, and also to explore what new areas of work could 
potentially be taken up by the Committee. Several useful ideas were shared in these small -group 
meetings. He indicated that he would be continuing his informal consultations with Members after 
MC12, when delegations would  have more time to devote to these is sues. He hoped to able to report 
back to the Committee on some concrete outcomes at the next formal meeting, which would  be held 
in the early part of 2022.  
5. The Director -General  thanked the Chairman  for having invited  her, and co mmended Members 
for the work undertaken in the CTD.  She said that trade was an important driver for economic growth 
and poverty reduction , and ultimately for development. She believe d all Members would agree that 
trade ha d a key role to play in the development process , and in the  present sustainable economic 
recovery.  As she had said many time s before, development was at the very heart of the 
Marrakesh  Agreement , and Members ' efforts needed to  be focused in that direction. Development 
issues needed to be at the heart of all areas of the work of the WTO. She highlighted s everal areas 
 
1 The Director -General addressed the Committee at a later point in the meeting. However, for ease of 
reference, the interventions made in this context are reflected at the beginning of this Note.  WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  in this regard, including the  fisheries subsidies negotiations ; agriculture ; market access ; services 
domestic regulation ; e-commerce ; micro, small and medium -sized enterprises  (MSMEs) ; and women 
and tra de. She stressed that the WTO's work needed to  have a real impact on people's lives, and 
needed to  produce real benefits, particularly for the poorer countries. It was in this context that the 
CTD, which was a focal point for consideration and coordination of work on development in the WTO, 
played a key role in the multilateral trading system  (MTS) . In addition to the core tasks that were 
mandated to the CTD in 1995 when its terms of reference (TORs) were established by the 
General  Council, the Committee ha d over the years taken on many additional responsibilities through 
various Ministerial and General Council Decisions, on the basis of which several subsidiary bodies of 
the Committee were established. She was pleased that it was in the CTD that the first text of a 
Ministerial Decision for MC12 was agreed by all Members. In particular, agreement had been reached 
in the CTD's Dedicated Session on Small Economies concerning  a Ministerial Decision on the 
Work Programme on Small Economies. She said that t he CTD h ad done some very good work as far 
as the small economies were concerned , and at each Ministerial Conference,  Ministers ha d given 
guidance for further work in this area. The proposed Ministerial D ecision at MC12 very appropriately 
called for Members to address the issue of integrating small economies into the 
post-COVID -19 economic recovery by looking at the impact of the pandemic, and the underlying 
challenges and opportunities for small economies. The Work  Programme on Small Economies was 
essential for many Members, and she therefore wish ed to see the discussions in the CTD's  Dedicated 
Session on Small Economies being pursued, with the purpose of eventually attaining the original 
objective set by Ministers,  which was to frame responses to the trade -related issues identified for 
the fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into the MTS.  
6. Another important area of the CTD's work that she wished highlight related  to TA. She said 
that i t was a core function of the CTD to review the WTO's TA activities. For this purpose, the 
Secretariat regularly provide d updates to Members on the implementation of these activities.  The 
pandemic ha d made the past 18 months a difficult time in terms of how TA was provided. Many TA 
activities ha d transitioned into the virtual space. Although there was an increase in the e-Learning  
offer, and a corresponding rolling out of virtual activities in the latter part of 2020, the number of 
WTO TA events in 2020 decreased  by 22% compared to 2019. However , overall participation in TA 
activities remained stable, as virtual activities tended to attract larger audiences.  She understood 
that the Secretariat's Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan (TA Plan)  for 2022 -2023 was 
listed on the agenda of the present  meeting. This was an important discussion , since the TA  Plan 
would  set the course for how the WTO would  deliver TA over the next two years . It was therefore  
essential to get the ball rolling on this. She encourage d developing countries , and in particular LDCs , 
to take maximum advantage of the range of TA offered by the WTO . In the context of TA, she 
indicated that she also wished to say a few words about the W CP. This programme was an integral 
part of the TA Plan, and p layed an important role in building human and institutional capacities in 
beneficiary countries , so as to allow them to take full advantage of the rules -based MTS. She was 
pleased to inform the Committee that the sel ection process for the WCP had been concluded. Over 
126 institutions from 54 Members had applied to participate in the programme , which was an 
increase of about 80% compared to the previous cycle. The Secretariat, working closely with the 
Academic Advisory  Board, had put in place a rigorous process for the selection of Chairs. She was 
pleased to announce that 17  new Chairs would soon be joining the programme. More universities 
from LDCs and previously underrepresented regions w ould be joining, thereby makin g the WCP more 
representative of all regions and countries at different levels of development.  
7. She added that, after having looked closely into the existing structure of the WCP, she believed 
that there would be  greater  benefit  if a smaller number of cand idates were admitted more frequently 
on a rolling basis, rather than having a larger number  of candidates  at four-year intervals  as in the 
past. This would  make the programme even more representational . It would  keep the WCP  in the 
memories of Members, enhance its visibility, and generate more momentum in the Chairs ' network 
with Members.  She hoped that the proposal to proceed with the WCP on a rolling basis would be 
well looked at by Members.  She went on to say that w hile she had only had the time to highlight a 
few areas of the CTD's work, it was important that Members  keep in mind other key areas of the 
work of the CTD  as well . These include d the review of DFQF  market access for LDCs, implementation 
of the Aid-for-Trade Work Programme , and work to enhance transparency in RTAs and PTAs. The 
area of S&D was also important for all developing Members. In addition, t he CTD was one of the 
subsidiary bodies of the General Council mandated to undertake work under the WTO's  Work 
Progr amme on E -Commerce . On this file, it was her hope that work could advance in a manner that 
support ed the  digital transformation of developing countries. She said that she wished to conclude 
by once again stressing that development was a priority for the WTO, and that the CTD therefore WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  played a key role in the MTS. She assure d Members that she would  be continuing to keep a close 
watch  on the discussions in the CTD, because what was done in the CTD was  important for the 
development dimen sion of the WTO's work. She hoped to be able to come back to the CTD soon to 
hear more about the work of the Committee , and to share  further thoughts from her side on what 
the WTO should be doing in its efforts to strengthen  even further the linkages betwe en trade and 
development.  She noted that there were several other international organizations that were ready 
to collaborate with the WTO in this regard. In the meantime, she encourage d Members to work 
closely  together , so as to make the CTD a vibrant foru m for discussions on trade and development, 
and to work towards concrete outcomes which w ould be of benefit to developing countries , including 
landlocked developing countries  and LDCs.  
8. The Chairman  thanked the  Director -General  for her intervention. On the matter  of 
collaboration with other international organizations, h e said that the CTD's work on Aid for Trade 
allowed other  organizations , as well as Members, to share their experiences on trade and 
devel opment issues.  This collaboration was useful, and could also be deepened. He said that, d ue to 
the paucity of time, he would not be opening the floor . However, the Director -General's presence 
was an indication of the importance she attached to the work of the CTD, and to the nexus  between 
trade and development. H e hoped that there would be  other opportunities for Members  to interact 
with the Director -General in the CTD . 
9. The Director -General  said that one of the first events she attended as Director -General 
concerned Aid for Tr ade. She agreed with the Chairman that  the Aid-for-Trade initiative  was a display 
of collaboration between  the WTO and other  international organizations , and t here was also scope 
to deepen this collaboration.  
10. The Committee took note  of all interventions . 
B. OBSERVERS   
(I) Request  for attendance of ad hoc  observers  
11. The Chairman  recalled that, at previous sessions of the CTD, Members had agreed to invite a 
number of intergovernmental organizations on an ad hoc  meeting -by-meeting basis. These were the  
Arab Maghr eb Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, the  Economic  Community 
of West African States, the Economic Cooperation Organization , the  Inter-Arab Investment 
Guarantee Corporation, the Islamic Development Bank, the  African  Union, the Organization  of the 
Islamic Conference, the South Centre, the  Pacific  Islands  Forum, the United Nations Environment 
Programme, the  West African  Economic and Monetary Union, and the World Intellectual Property 
Organization.  These organizations ha d been invited to the present meeting. He proposed that the 
same organizations be invited to the next formal meeting of the CTD.  
12. It was so agreed . 
(II) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the Le ague of Arab States, 
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countrie s (OPEC) , the Gulf Organization for 
Industrial Consulting, the Organi sation Internationale de la Francophonie , the Common 
Fund for Commodities, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) 
and the Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Développement  
13. The Chairman  said that the positions of delegations had been previously expressed. 
He inquired whether there were any changes in Members ' positions on these requests for observer 
status.  
14. No Member took the floor. 
15. The Chairman  noted that there were no changes in Members' positions , and that there was 
therefore  no consensus at the present  time to approve these requests for observer status . He 
suggested that the Committee take note and  revert to these requests at the next meeting.  
16. It was so agreed . WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  C. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND TRAINING  
(I) Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan 2022 -2023 (WT/COMTD/W/260, 
WT/COMTD/W/260/Corr.1, WT/COMTD/W/260/Corr.2)  
(II)  Technical Assistance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan 2022 -2023 (WT/COMTD /W/261)  
17. The Chairman  said that the TA Plan for 2022 -2023 had been circulated in documents 
WT/COMTD/W/260, WT/COMTD/W/260/Corr.1  and WT/COMTD/W/260/Corr.2 . The Committee 
would be considering the TA Plan at the present meeting with a view to adopting it. He also noted 
that the Techn ical Assistance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (M&E Plan) for  2022-2023 ha d been 
circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/261 . He invited the Institute for Training and Technical 
Cooperation (ITTC) to present the two documents .  
18. The presentation by the ITTC first touched upon the TA Plan for 2022 -2023. The representative 
of the ITTC said that  the TA Plan was a policy framework that identifie d the strategy that the 
Secretariat would  follow in this regard. It set priorities , it anticipate d expected results , and it 
identifie d mechanisms for implementation and sources of funding for the activities.  He sa id that TA 
was a core function of the WTO. The main purpose of TA wa s to enhance the human and institutional 
capacities of beneficiaries, so that they could  fully participate in the rules -based MTS, meet their 
obligations and enforce their rights as Members, while dealing with emerging trade -related 
challenges and opportun ities. The TA Plan was traditionally submitted every two years by the 
Secretariat to the CTD for consideration. It had been  presented seven weeks ago to the 
Committee  on Budget, Finance and Administration  (CBFA) , where Members approved the budgetary 
aspect s of the TA Plan. After the TA Plan was issued in September 2021, the Secretariat ha d 
circulated two corrigenda to take into account Members' comments at the CBFA in terms of 
prese ntation of the budget tables and to correct some typos.  With respect to the background  to the 
TA Plan, he said that it built on the experience gained and the lessons learned from the 
implementation of previous plans. At the same time, it t ook into account the steep learning curve in 
recent months to adapt the training activities t o the current reality.  Since March 2020, face -to-face 
training activities ha d been suspended due to the COVID -19 pandemic, with the except ion of the 
internships and the Young Professionals Programme  (YPP) . These face -to-face activities traditionally 
constituted the bulk of the Secretariat's TA activities. COVID -19 had also affected the demand for 
TA activities.  In response to this, the Secretariat had developed new TA activities in virtual format 
and had reconverted activities originally designed for face -to-face delivery.  After some months, 
organizers, trainers and beneficiaries were all more comfortable with remotely delivered training.  
On the other hand, the limitations of remote TA delivery, when compare d to face -to-face training, 
had also become clearer. In terms of knowledge transfer, going virtual ha d forced the Secretariat  to 
reduce the level of ambition for many activities. Moreover, compared to face -to-face activities , the 
design of a remote activit y generally require d a significantly higher investment of time.  Response s 
to surveys  indicated that  beneficiaries were generally reluctant to replace face -to-face activities with 
virtual events. To maximize the impact of virtual activities, some conditions  were necessary, 
including participants being able to dedicate sufficient time to the activity, taking into account work 
and family constraints. Access to strong and reliable internet connection s and adequate computing 
equipment were essential , and could n ot always be taken for granted. Moreover, the building of 
networks  among participants, and between participants and experts, which was a highly appreciated 
feature of the courses, ha d been severely limited.   
19. He added that t he TA Plan for the 2022 -2023 period had been prepared at a time of 
considerable uncertainty. It rest ed on the assumption that the current limitations on face -to-face 
TA activities would  be gradually overcome over the course of the period.  With respect to the strategi c 
framework , the TA Plan was structured according to the same overall philosophy and broad 
operational modalities as the previous TA Plans, with appropriate flexibilities to consider how 
COVID -19-related restrictions evolve d. In this regard, t he TA Plan was firstly designed on the basis 
of the Secretariat's strategy of managing for results, endorsed by Members since 2013. This 
approach focuse d on achieving measurable results through planning, decision -making, transparency 
and accountability.  The TA Plan ref lected the respective contribution of different result levels, such 
as expected outputs and Key Results, using a logical framework.  The Secretariat ha d also updated 
its M&E Plan, which was on the agenda for the present meeting . Second, the strategic framework 
encompassed the  Progressive Learning Strategy (PLS) endorsed by Members in 2011.  Under th e 
PLS, TA activities were defined by two criteria , which were  the level – introductory , intermediate or 
advanced  – and the target audi ence of either generalists or specialists. The PLS allowed for a more WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  efficient use of TA resources by building on the knowledge and experience previously acquired by 
participants, and gradually taking participants to a higher level of training.  Third, the  Secretariat 
was committed to fully inclusive TA activities that respond ed to the needs of beneficiaries , especially 
LDCs.  The participation  of LDCs  in TA activities, which was particularly affected in 2020 and 2021, 
would  remain a priority, with the objec tive of assisting them in obtaining greater benefit s from their 
active participation in the WTO.  With a view to addressing gender imbalances, the Secretariat 
intend ed to continue to monitor and report on participation in TA activities.  The Secretariat would 
also maintain and continue developing its trade and gender training modules in TA activities and 
integrate issues of gender equality and the empowerment of women into TA programmes and 
training material.  Language diversity and the use of all WTO working languages in TA delivery were 
other tools to achieve inclusion.  Fourth, the Secretariat would  continue to focus on the areas in 
which partners could  add value to the TA provided by the WTO, with respect to  substance ; cost 
sharing ; field support and logistics ; and outreach.  
20. Turning  to the approach  used, he said that the TA Plan focus ed on the needs of beneficiaries, 
taking into account the priorities and mandates adopted by Members.  Activities with the highest 
potential to produce results for beneficia ries would be prioritized . This require d, among other things, 
the resum ption of  face-to-face training as soon as conditions allow ed, taking into account regional 
and local circumstances, as well as the preferences and constraints expressed by beneficiaries . The 
TA Plan proposed that the sources of funding continue to be the Secretariat's regular budget as well 
as the extra budgetary funds from voluntary contributions by Members . He expressed appreciation 
for these voluntary contributions, as  the Secretariat  was aware that Members were going through 
challenging economic environment s. With respect to the regular budget, in anticipation that 
face-to-face training activities could be resumed , the TA Plan propose d a slight increase of the 
TA budget for 2022 , to CHF 4.8 million , in order  to address pent up demand. It was  expect ed that 
the 2023 budget would return to the previous CHF  4.5 million.  As in previous TA Plans, the bulk of 
TA would correspond to the attainment of Key Result 1, which aim ed to enhance Members' capacity 
to comply better with their obligations under the WTO Agreements and to make full use of their 
rights. The amount proposed represent ed about 74% and 73% of the total TA  funding in 2022 and 
2023, respectively, compared to 77% in the 2020 -2021 TA Plan.  Key Result 2 aim ed to ensure that 
acceding governments participate d effectively in accession negotiations. The cost was equivalent to 
about 4% of total TA funding.  Key Resul t 3 had the objective of  enhancing academic 
institutions ' expertise on WTO work and issues,  and improving research  and teaching . It was also 
concerned  with outreach to policymakers , and would represent about 7% of the total TA funding.  
Finally, Key Result 4 sought to  ensure that non -governmental stakeholders were knowledgeable 
about WTO work and issues. The amount proposed would be equivalent to between  6% and 7% of 
the total TA funding. One important element of this Key Result was the YPP. The Secretariat was 
currently working on a proposal to strengthen this programme, potentially allowing for an increased 
number of Y oung Professional s. Members would be kept informed about this, and their views would 
be sought . In closing, he said that, d uring the past few months, the implementation of the WTO 's 
TA programme ha d faced the most challenging time since trade policy courses were launched by the 
GATT Secretariat 65 years ago.  As countries were facing the consequences  of the pandemic, the 
Secretariat st ood ready to support  their efforts to use trade as an instrument to deliver prosperity, 
poverty reduction and peace to nations , including through the provision of high -quality and timely 
TA. 
21. The presentation by the ITTC then turned to the M&E Plan for 2022 -2023. The representative 
of the ITTC said that this document was an update to the previous version of the M&E Plan, and 
used the same approach . The objective of th e M&E  Plan was to serve as  the backbone of the 
results -based management strategy, which was used to manage TA and its resources. The M&E  Plan 
was articulated around the four Key Results identified in the TA Plan.  For each Key Result, the 
document presented the various M&E tools tha t would  be used to measure the results achieved by 
the TA activities . At each stage, the M&E Plan made  a connection to the TA Plan, and in particular 
to the logical framework contained in Annex 1 of the TA Plan. The M&E Plan provided  further details 
on how each indicator included in th e logical framework would  be used , and how  results under each  
indicator would  be measured.  
22. The representative of the United States  expressed appreciation for the opportunity to review 
and comment on the TA Plan for 2022-2023.  She congratulate d the Secretariat on a report that was 
well structured and informative. In particular, she appreciate d the commitment to continue to deliver 
quality training that had been  redesigned and made interactive, both in a virtual and bl ended format.  
Her delegation fully support ed prioritizing inclusion. In this regard, she recognize d the ongoing WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  efforts to identif y TA opportunities that closely reflect ed the evolving needs of recipients, and 
emerging new priorities such as digital trade , investment facilitation and fisheries subsidies, as well 
as the role of the WTO in  post COVID -19 economic recovery. There wa s quite a broad range of issues 
that beneficiaries had showed an interest in. Her delegation wished to pose two questions . She firs tly 
asked how the Secretariat plan ned to capture Members ' experiences of resiliency, adaptation and 
post-pandemic recovery into the TA Plan and the M&E framework . She also wished to know whether 
the Secretariat was considering how to share Members ' experiences of resiliency and adaptation . In 
this regard, she suggested capitaliz ing on the work of the ITTC , by inviting the ITTC and beneficiary 
countries to make experience sharing presentations in the CTD on select ed training  activities . Her 
delegatio n would find this very interesting . Furthermore , these experience sharing presentations 
could help a fellow Member addressing a similar issue. Her delegation would be happy to complement 
these presentations with presentations by  the United States Agency fo r International Development  
(USAID),  and looked forward to further engagement on the TA Plan . Turning to the M&E Plan, she 
said that the United States appreciate d the Secretariat 's briefing  and the methodology adopted to 
analy se and interpret the results of the TA performance in 2022 -2023, and look ed forward to further 
engagement and discussions on this.  
23. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group, expressed appreciation for the work 
of the ITTC . He noted that the COV ID-19 pandemic had caused LDCs' exports of goods and services 
in 2020  to decline by more than the exports of the rest of the world . Action needed to be taken to 
rectify the situation, as the export decrease  had left LDCs with very little possibilities in t erms of the 
budget ary requirements needed for  economic stimulus. Without the necessary tools, it was very 
difficult for LDCs to ensure that their econom ies were competitive. Therefore, the LDCs viewed TA 
as critical to understand ing market s, diversify ing their products, and achiev ing the capacity needed 
to make the most of the MTS. In this light, he expressed support for the TA Plan , and also stressed 
the need for the WTO's TA activities to continue to take into account the priorities of LDCs.  Finally, 
he indicated that he wished to reiterate the recommendation that TA activities that were planned 
but not implemented due to the pandemic,  be maintained without any impact on the availability of 
future TA. 
24. The representative of China  thanked the S ecretariat for the preparation of the TA Plan and the 
M&E Plan for 2022 -2023, against a background of increased economic uncertainty, compounded by 
the effects of the COVID -19 global pandemic. She appreciate d the demand -driven approach in 
developing the TA  Plan, and commend ed the Secretariat for working closely  with the beneficiaries 
to identify their needs and to design TA activities tailored to evolving and changing needs. She also  
welcome d the inclusive and result s-managed strategy to fully integrate LDC s in the TA activities. 
The pandemic ha d hit developing Members  harder than ever before. China look ed forward to more 
targeted assistance in the next two years to better serve the needs and interests of developing 
Members, particularly the LDCs.  
25. The repres entative of Egypt  congratulate d the Secretariat on t he comprehensive and 
well-structured update, and expressed appreciation for the continued efforts in the TA area . The 
relevant program mes and activities play ed an important role in facilitating  the integr ation of 
developing countries  into the MTS. He particularly highlight ed the efforts by the Secretariat during 
the last 18 months  to continue providing these activities, despite the challenges  posed by the global 
health crisis.  He also express ed his delegation's support  for the TA Plan for 2022 -2023. 
26. The representative of the European Union  thanked the Secretariat for the TA Plan and the 
M&E Plan for 2023 -2023. He said that TA  was a very important factor in supporting developing 
Members , and welco med in particular the continued focus on LDCs. In this regard, he  noted the 
increased participation of LDCs in the e-Learning  courses in 2020, which was  a step in the right 
direction. In terms of TA priorities and needs, his delegation was pleased to see continued activities 
in the areas of  e-commerce ; notifications and transparency in general ; MSMEs; sanitary and 
phytosanitary measures ; and trade and environment. He welcome d the constant effort s by the 
Secretariat,  as wel l as the beneficiaries , to enhance the efficiency and impact of the TA activities. In 
closing, he indicated that he wished to echo earlier interventions  made under this agenda item, 
which were going in the same direction .  
27. The representative of the ITTC thanked  Members for their support  for the Secretariat's TA 
activities . As in the past, the TA  Plan had been put together on the basis of consultations with 
beneficiaries and other Members. This had allowed the Secretariat to receive inputs regarding needs 
and priorities , which had been reflected in the TA Plan. The Secretariat intended to respond to these WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
- 8 - 
 
  priorities, including with regard to the need expressed for trade to play a role in the economic 
recover y from the pandemic . He also noted the suggestion by the United States for the sharing of 
experiences. In this regard, he said that experience sharing between organizations working on TA 
was already taking place, and that this would continue. He wondered i f the Director of the ITTC 
wished to add anything to what he had sai d.  
28. The Director of the ITTC expressed appreciation to Members for their comments and 
suggestions. She believed that the suggestion from the United States regarding the sharing of 
experien ces was a positive one. The ITTC would be happy to follow  up on this with the United States 
and other Members.  
29. The Committee adopted  the TA Plan for 2022 -2023, and took note  of the M&E Plan for 
2022-2023.  
(III) Briefing on Phase III of the WTO Chairs Programme  
30. The Chairman  expressed satisfaction that the Secretariat ha d concluded the selection process 
for the third phase of the WCP. He thank ed the Director -General for her encouraging remarks 
regarding the WCP, for announcing the results and informing the Committee  of how she intend ed to 
take this programme forward.  He recalled that, o ver the course of the past year , he had  provided 
regular updates regarding the next cycle of the programme. He said that he  had been impressed 
with the high number of appli cations , that were quite evenly split between continents and regions , 
with a significant number of LDC applications. This was a testament to the strong relevance of the 
WTO and international trade in academia and civil society in developing countries and LDCs , as well 
as to the attractiveness of the WCP. It was his understand ing that experts from several WTO divisions 
and the WCP Academic Advisory Board ha d spent much time and effort in analy sing, reviewing and 
ranking the applications. He ex pressed his gratitude for their work in the selection process. He was 
also pleased that the D irector -General  was able to join the present meeting  and ha d spoken about 
the results of the selection process and the way forward.  The WCP was an integral part of  
Key Result 3 of the TA plan for 2022-2023. It significantly extend ed the reach of the 
WTO's  traditional TA activities , since WTO Chairs serve d as local multipliers in beneficiary countries. 
The institutions holding Chairs receive d support for generating r esearch, trade -related courses and 
outreach events. They were advised by an Academic Advisory Board, and generate d specialized 
trade expertise and buil t capacity in beneficiary countries.  He also recall ed that, in 2019, an 
independent external evaluation o f the programme ha d yielded very favourable results. It  found that 
WTO Chairs ha d been successful in generating high -quality research and impactful advice that 
translated into policy action on the ground in beneficiary countries. Applied research and outre ach 
activities by the Chairs allowed government officials in charge of trade policy formulation and 
implementation to rely on scientifically robust and evidence -based advice.  
31. The external evaluation report had found that the WCP was unique in generating trade 
expertise and providing policy advice to governments and other stakeholders and ha d excellent 
long-term sustainability.  He was convinced that , in order to respond to future challenges facing the 
WTO and multilateralism, the WCP offer ed a platform for training new generations of trade experts, 
developing practice -oriented research and advice and bringing academics, civil society and 
policymakers together. Inclusiveness was fostered when policymakers could  rely on state -of-art 
science and evi denced -based research. As an economist, he knew  about the importance of sound 
and solid research  in supporting policymakers taking decisions for the benefit of the people.  The 
recommendations of the independent external evaluation ha d been implemented in t he design of 
Phase III of the WCP . A key priority was an impactful advisory function with policymakers. It was 
important to amplify this capacity in the next phase of the WCP to foster sustainable development 
in beneficiary countries. The programme was also aligning more closely and promoting synergies 
with other WTO TA and economic research activities. The expanded WCP network w ould strengthen 
the opportunities for peer -to-peer learning ; collaboration between universities ; and intensified 
networking and ou treach activities with policymakers. The WTO ha d no country offices like other 
international organizations. WTO Chairs in different world regions ha d the potential to serve as 
liaison agents for the WTO across the globe. This year , the current WCP research and outreach 
network ha d been reinvigorated with a dozen projects supported by key WCP donors – France and 
the Netherlands – and many outreach events on most pressing topics of the WTO's work ha d been 
organi zed in Africa, Asia and  Latin America. He welcome d the opportunity for excellent candidates 
to come on board the WCP more frequently. He hoped that qualified candidates that could not  be 
admitted this year would  participate in the next call for applications. This change would  promote WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
- 9 - 
 
  achieving the objectives of Key Result 3 as laid out in the TA plan. It would  also contribute to the 
balance between different world regions and different academic disciplines , and ensure that the 
programme could  even better respond to the needs and expectations of Members.  
32. For more than a decade, the WCP Chairs ha d a proven record of generating research and 
policy advice helping beneficiary countries to identify their capacity needs. They helped policymakers 
and local stakeholders diversifying expor ts, partaking in value chains, and creating business 
opportunities. The WCP ha d been successful in generating strong links connecting academic 
research, teaching and outreach work with policymakers, and ha d built sustainable capacity in trade 
expertise at national and regional levels. He was confident that Member governments and relevant 
stakeholders would  benefit from the research and advice by the WTO Chairs in designing and 
implementing sound and solid trade policies that were customized to the needs and  challenges faced 
by specific countries and regions. WTO Chairs should address topics most relevant to policymakers, 
stakeholders, and the people on the ground. When Members ha d evidence -based research, facts, 
figures and advice at their disposa l, this pro moted economically and legally sound policy choices in 
beneficiary countries. The country -focused research and policy advice assembled in the WCP network 
would  no doubt also be useful for Members' active participation at the global level in multilateral 
negotiations and the WTO's regular work. He was looking forward to seeing the new WTO Chairs 
building capacity and training new generations of trade experts, while generating r esearch with new 
ideas, insights, and innovative responses to challenges facing Members. This would  contribute to 
making trade an engine for inclusive growth and shared prosperity. He said that he wished to 
conclude by thanking donor governments – especial ly France, Austria, Australia and the Netherlands  
– who ha d supported this programme in previous phases and the coming phase . He looked forward 
to impactful results and deliverables from the programme on the ground in beneficiary countries.  
33. The representat ive of the United States  asked the Chairman if he could  circulate his statement 
to delegations.  
34. The Chairman  indicated that he would circulate his statement to delegations.  
35. The Committee took note of all interventions .  
D. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – WORK IN THE COMMITTEE ON THE BASIS OF THE 
CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDING STATEMENT FROM THE EIGHTH MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE (WT/MIN(11)/11)  
(I) Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration and 
Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO – Proposal from Barbados, Belize, 
China, Cuba, Ecuador, India, and the African Group (WT/COMTD/W/208)  
(II) Operationalization of the CTD's Mandate: A Proposal to Deliver Outcomes based on the 
MC8 Mandate - Proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the Afric an Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192 )2 
36. The Chairman  said that, at the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC8),  Ministers had 
reaffirmed the positive link between trade and development and called for focused work in the CTD. 
Ministers had called on Members to fully operationalize the mandate of the CTD as a focal point for 
development work. Two submissions containi ng proposals for work under the MC8 mandate were 
included on the agenda of the present meeting. The first submission – by Barbados, Belize, China, 
Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group  (WT/COMTD/W/208 ) – contained a proposal for the CTD 
to report on t he development -related work taking place in other WTO bodies. The second  submission 
– by China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group  (WT/COMTD/W/192 ) – contained 
three  proposals. In the order they were presented in the document, the first proposal wa s for the 
Secretariat to continue to update its report on the implementation of the S&D provisions in the 
WTO Agreements and Decisions. The second proposal was for the CTD to report on the 
development -related work taking place in other WTO bodies, while th e third  proposal was for the 
CTD to make a recommendation for parties to RTAs to submit their notification and information 
requirements jointly. He noted that the two  submissions had remained on the CTD's agenda for 
several years. At the last meeting , a number of the proponents had requested that the submissions 
 
2 The discussion concerning documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/CO MTD/W/192 is presented 
together in this Note, as the Chairman invited the Committee to take the two sub -items together .  WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
- 10 - 
 
  be maintained on the agenda.  He indicated that he would first invite the proponents of the 
two submissions to brief the Committee on the status of the propos als, after which the floor would 
be opene d for intervention s by other delegations . 
37. The representative of India said that her delegation wished to recall all  of its previous 
interventions under thi s agenda item. She indicated that her intervention  at the present meeting  
cover ed all three proposals contained in documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192. The 
first proposal , which  sought  continued update s of the Secretariat 's report on the implementation of 
S&D provisions in the WTO Agreements and Decisions , was discussed and agr eed to  in previous 
sessions of th e Committee. The second proposal s ought  suitable amendment to the procedures for 
an annual overview of WTO activities and for reporting under the WTO . It called for the CTD to be  
instructed to report within its mandate on d evelopment -related activities in other WTO bodies and 
provide necessary recommendations to the General Council on achieving better coordination within 
the WTO on development issues . This was in line with the TORs of the CTD, as well as the 
MC8 mandate. The proponents were simply urging the Committee to re start this practice , as there 
was a precedent to this type of work in the  CTD. As for the third proposal – which was for the CTD 
to make a recommendation for parties to RTAs to submit their notification and information 
requirements jointly – the proponents believed that this would help ensure a timely consideration of 
RTAs, and the full realization of the responsibilities assigned to the CTD.  With a view to arrive at a 
consensus on the outsta nding issues , the proponents remain ed willing and open to engage in further 
consultations with interested Members. In closing, she  request ed that the items concerning the 
two submissions be maintained on the CTD's agenda.  
38. The representative of China  noted that the two submissions , which  contained three proposals, 
had been on the agenda for quite a long time. It was encouraging that the first proposal ha d been 
agreed to. In this regard, she welcome d the Secretariat 's efforts to update it s paper on the  
implementation of S&D provisions in the WTO Agreements and Decisions. The most recent update  
was contained in WT/COMTD/W/258 , circulated in March 2021. However, it was regrett able that no 
consensus ha d been reached on the second and third proposals, regarding the  CTD's  TORs and the 
notification issue. Her delegation wished to reiterate the importance of development issues, which 
deserve d Members ' attention more than ever before, especially when the pandemic was still 
spreading around the world . As mentioned by the  Director -General , development was a priority of 
the WTO , and the  CTD play ed a key role in the MTS. She therefore  encourage d 
Members ' constructive engagement on the two submissions. She also indicated that her delegation 
was open to consultations  in all configurations, whether informal or formal , in order to move the 
discussions forward.  
39. The representative of the United States  said that , as stated in previous meetings, her 
delegation believed that it was time f or the proponents to address the concerns raised previously by 
Members  – either through revising their proposals, or drop ping the proposals altogether. Either way, 
the items needed to  be removed from the CTD agenda until the proponents ha d something new to  
say. 
40. The representative of the European Union  indicated that his delegation's position remained 
unchanged from what had been reflected in the minutes of the previous  CTD meeting . This was 
evidence that Members had not been able to make progress on th e matter . 
41. The Chairman  encouraged continued engagement among Members  in order to make progress 
on the proposals. This was one of the issues that he hoped could be taken up more intensi vely in 
informal consultations after MC12.  
42. The Committee took note of all interventions.  
E. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  
(I)  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union – Communication from 
China, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  
43. The Chairman  said that the sub -item listed under the present agenda item made reference to 
the GCC Customs Union notification. The sub -item also referred to the communication from China, WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
- 11 - 
 
  Egypt and India, which was circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/175. The sub -item was requested 
by some of  the co -sponsors of the document at the last meeting.  
44.  The representative of the United States  said that this sub -item had long ago fulfilled its 
purpose of informing Members of the notification made by the GCC and needed to be removed from 
the agenda.  
45. The representative of India said that document WT/COMTD/W/175 raised systemic concerns 
relating to the legal and procedural implications of the dual notification of the GCC  Customs Union 
under both the Enabling Clause and GATT Article XXIV. These concerns, which remained 
unaddressed, also applied to the Free Trade Agreement between the Association of Southe ast Asian 
Nations and the Republic of Korea, as well as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement 
between India the Republic of Korea – even though these agreements had already been considered 
by Members. In this regard, some Members had expressed t he view that the systemic concerns 
raised in document WT/COMTD/W/175 were outside the scope of the CTD and needed to be 
discussed in the Negotiating Group on Rules. In India's view, the CTD was the appropriate forum to 
consider issues arising from RTAs wit h a dual notification. In doing so, the CTD could consult with 
other WTO bodies, as per paragraph 3 of its TORs. The non -resolution of the matters raised in 
document WT/COMTD/W/175 was the main reason why the consideration of the GCC Customs Union 
was pend ing for such a long time. H er delegation requested that the present sub -item be maintained 
on the CTD's  agenda.3 
46. She added that India's  position on the issue remain ed the same . Her delegation remained 
open to working on the resolution of th e issue with interested Members , and wished that the 
sub-item be maintained on the agenda.  
47. The representative of China  said that the d ual notification of RTAs remain ed an important 
issue, as it ha d system ic implications for the work of CTD, the Enabling Clause and the balance of 
Members ' rights and obligations.  Her delegation saw the need for further discussion s, and remain ed 
open to resolving the issue.  
48. The Chairman  referred Members to his comments at the end of the previous agenda item 
regarding  discussions to be held in informal consultations  after MC12 . 
49. The Committee took note of all interventions . 
F. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE STEPS TAKEN TO PROVIDE DUTY -FREE AND QUOTA -FREE 
MARKET ACCESS TO LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  
50. The Chairman  said that the Bali Decision on DFQF market access for LDCs, contained in 
documents WT/MIN(13)/44 and WT/L/919, instructed the CTD to continue to annually review the 
steps taken to provide DFQF market access to the LDCs, and report to the General Council for 
appropriate actio n. To aid in the review, the Secretariat was instructed to prepare, in close 
coordination with Members, a report on Members' DFQF market access for LDCs, at the tariff line 
level and based on their notifications. He recalled that, for several years , it had not been possible 
for the Secretariat to circulate a report on DFQF market access as mandated by the Bali Decision, 
due to divergent views expressed by some Members on the scope and coverage of the report. He 
had reached out to the main Members concerned,  and unfortunately it appear ed that positions ha d 
not changed. Therefore, u nder these circumstances, it was once again not possible for the 
Secretariat to prepare a report in 2021 . While the situation was regrettable, he observed that the 
Committee still h ad an item on the agenda concerning the annual DFQF review, so as to allow a 
discussion to take place on the matter.  
51. The representative of India said that  her country remained committed to the Hong Kong and 
Bali DFQF Decisions. Under these  Decision s, India became the first developing country to extend the 
DFQF  facility to LDCs. In particular, India announced the Duty -Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme  
for LDCs in 2008. Recentl y, Sierra Leone had been  added as the 35th LDC beneficiary . As of 
November 2021 , 35 LDCs were notified as beneficiaries of the scheme. The DFTP scheme presently  
 
3 This intervention by India, which was made at the 11 5th Session, is reflected in the minutes of this 
meeting at the request of the delegation of India. WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
- 12 - 
 
  provide d duty -free market access on 94.2%  of tariff lines, and preferential access on  3.2%  of tariff 
lines. Only 2.6% of tariff lines – which amounted to 309 lines – were on the exclusion list. India was 
the fourth biggest export destination for LDCs , and remain ed committed to support LDCs in their 
integration into the global trading system.  
52. The representative of the United States  said that her delegation shared the regret expressed 
by the Chairman regarding  the lack of consensus on the Secretariat DFQF report.  She also informed 
the Committee that the United States would be providing updates on several of its preference 
programmes at the upcoming General Council meeting.  
53. The representative of China  expressed her delegation's commitment to the Decisions to 
provide DF QF market access to LDCs.  China currently  applied zero  tariffs on 97% of tariff lines for 
42 LDCs. The implementation of zero  tariff treatment ha d greatly enhanced LDCs' export s to China. 
As the largest developing country, China share d with other developing Members the need for 
development. In the fight against the pandemic, China ha d provided timely medical supplies and aid 
to many LDCs.  With regard to the 2021 edition of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) , she 
said that  free e xhibition booths and support had been provided in order to allow LDCs to participate . 
A total of  90 enterprises from 33 LDCs had been able to participate in th e event. China was 
committed to help ing LDCs to better integrate into the world economy through the CIIE, and 
welcome d the participation of more LDCs  in the  annual event.  
54. The representative of  the European Union  indicated his delegation's strong attachment to the 
DFQF commitments taken on by Members . He informed the Committee that  the 
European  Commission had recently  prepared a proposal to extend the DFQF market access provided 
to LDCs in the context of the Everything but Arms  initiative under  the Generali zed System  of 
Preferences  scheme . 
55. The Committee took note of all intervention s.  
G. WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE  
56. The Chairman  said that, as  in previous meetings, he wished  to once again draw 
Members'  attention to the Decision taken at the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference  concerning  the 
WTO's Work Programme on E -Commerce  (WPEC ). In this Decision, which was contained in 
documents WT/MIN(17)/65 and WT/L/1032, it was agreed to continue the work under the 
Work Programme, and to endeavour to reinvigorate it. He noted that t he CTD was one of the 
subsidiary bodies of the General Council mandated to undertake work under the W PEC. He also 
noted that, on 9 November 2021,  the delegations of India and South Africa  circulated a 
communication in document WT/COMTD/W/264,  titled "Global Electronic Commerce for Inclusive 
Development". He observed that the  co-sponsors might  wish to take the opportunity to introduce 
their communication.   
57. The representative of India said that , under the WPEC , Members had decided to examine all  
trade -related issues relating to global e-commerce, considering the economic, financial, and 
development needs of developing countries. The CTD was specifically tasked to report on the 
development implications of e-commerce, including in relation to  small and medium -sized 
enterprises  (SMEs) . With a view to reinvigorat ing the work under the WPEC  based on the mandate 
set out in document WT/L/274, India and South Africa ha d jointly circulated a communication in 
document WT/COMTD/W/264.  The proponents ha d circulated the paper with a view to take forward 
the discussions in the CTD under the present agenda item.  She went on to say that e -commerce had 
witnessed high growth owing to the pandemic, in both developed and developing countries . This 
made it even more imperative to examine the developmental impact of global e-commerce , 
particularly on developing countries ' exports , and the associated impact on growth and development.  
This spurt in digital economic activity  had, on the one  hand,  opened up new  opportunities for the 
growth of global trade and  development . On the other hand , it had also brought to the fore an 
ever-widening digital divide within and across Members.  Moreover, the pace of digital development 
had been markedly different for developing  countries and  LDCs.  In view of this, it was important for 
Members to ensure that global e -commerce deliver ed inclusive development. To gain from global 
e-commerce, developing countries need ed to advance their digital industrialization by bui lding their 
digital infrastructure and developing their digital skills and capacities. Digital technology transfers 
would be pivotal in bridging the digital divide and building  the export competitiveness of developing WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
- 13 - 
 
  countries. The active role of develope d countries to realize such technology transfers would  also be 
crucial. While arguments were often made that e-commerce was especially benef icial to  MSMEs , a 
mere linking into digital platforms was not sufficient . Products sold on these platforms also need ed 
to be competitive in the digital world. MSMEs face d considerable challenges in selling their products 
through online retail platforms, where the platform owner could  also function as vendor. While digital 
technologies could theoretically  benefit MSMEs in developing countries through easier market access 
in the digital world, in practice digital technologies and the growth of super platforms ha d led to 
extreme concentration of export markets . This had  affected distributional outcomes and had added 
to existing global inequalities. There were also severe constraints with regard to access to digital 
technologies, digital skills and infrastructure that affect ed the competitiveness of MSMEs.  
58. The submission by India and South Africa highlight ed the negative impact on developing 
countries of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions. The percentage of 
government revenue lost for developing countries was 4.35% , while that for the developed countries 
was a mere 0.24%. The cost of the moratorium was therefore almost completely borne by the 
developing countries  for extending DFQF market access , largely for the developed countries . 
Furthermore, the gains from growing global e -commerce would  not be automatic for developing 
countries. There was a need for  strategic interventions at all levels, including at the national and 
international levels. Policy and fiscal space would  be required by developing countries  to rebuild their 
economies and rev ive their declining trade competitiveness and falling exports. Developing countries 
and LDCs we re reeling under the devastating impact of the pandemic. These countries would  need 
to rebuild digital infrastructure and design digital industrial policies to r ebuild their trade and 
economy and recover from the pandemic. The submission by India and South Africa  posed guiding 
questions , like the steps that could  be taken to improve digital infrastructure in developing countries 
including LDCs; the facilitation of  digital technology transfers to developing countries and LDCs ; 
experience sharing of MSMEs using online platforms ; and policies  and measure s taken by Members 
to support sustainable participation of their MSMEs in digital trade. India wished to urge Member s 
to discuss the issues and the questions in the document , and look ed forward to constructive 
engagement. Th is would  enable a comprehensive discussion and an assessment of the 
developmental impacts of global e -commerce , focusing on the exports and export -oriented 
development of developing countries. She said that it was paramount that mandated  issues like the 
WPEC be discussed and taken to a mutually beneficial conclusion , instead of prematurely jumping 
to rulemaking on these issues. Rulemaking under the J oint Statement Initiative  would once again 
create asymmetry and reverse S&D, similar to what existed in the Agreement on Agriculture.  While 
e-commerce had  revolutionized  the global trading landscape , the dividends could not be harnessed 
automatically. Equally crucial was the preparedness for the disruptions inherent with technological 
revolutions. This would depend on policies, regulations and  measures in place both at domestic and 
international levels. A development -friendly e -commerce  architecture therefore became imperative.  
59. The representative of South Africa  thanked India for having introduced document 
WT/COMTD/W/264, and associated his delegation with the statement by India . He expressed support 
for the continuation of structured discussions on the W PEC. These discussions needed to include, 
among others , the developmental aspects of e -commerce;  the scope, definition and impact of the 
moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions ; the e xamination of the challen ges 
experienced by developing countries and LDCs in relation to e-commerce ; and an explor ation of 
ways to enhanc e the participation of developing countries and LDCs in e-commerce.  He referred to 
the 1998 mandate , which called for sustained discussions on a ll trade related aspects o f e-commerce 
in the four relevant bodies. He also  recall ed that the General Council Chair ha d continually enjoined 
Members to give true expression to the mandate of the WPEC, including in th e CTD . The thrust of 
the submission by India and South Africa in the CTD was also informed by the joint paper  circulated  
by the two delegations in the General Council in December 2020 in document WT/GC/W/812.  The 
communication to the General Council had mapped the co -sponsors' vision of what  a developmental 
approach to e -commerce should entail. The advances in technology since the adoption of the WPEC  
had been wide -ranging and far -reaching, with the pace of innovations and disruptions to trade and 
industry beyond imaginable. However, while these developments ha d generated benefits for the few 
dominant players in this space, most developing countries and LDCs remain ed in the periphery, with 
little or no gains from such advances, or at best being mere consumers and not producers of 
innovations a nd the benefits that flow ed from technological advances such as e -commerce trade.  
The C OVID -19 pandemic ha d highlighted the enormous gap in access to digital technologies.  It had 
laid bare the problems of the digital divide , both between and within countri es. Technology was 
critical for achieving all the S ustainable Development Goals. However,  to fully harness its potential, 
rapid action was needed to close the digital divide and promote inclusion.  He noted the growth of WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
- 14 - 
 
  e-commerce, especially during the COVID -19 pandemic, but also said that it was  indisputable that 
the benefits were highly uneven , with high levels of concentration that also affect ed the benefits 
SMEs could  derive from e -commerce.  
60. The reinvigoration of the Work Programme was therefore critical , given the 
co-sponsors'  interest in the development dimension of this longstanding area of w ork in the 
multilateral framework of the WTO . This includ ed digital industrialization and the need to address 
the digital divi de. He added that d ata processing skills and digital technologies , with the  capacity to 
store and process data , were critical aspect s of a data -driven economy . Yet, as highlighted in 
document  WT/COMTD/W/ 264, the digital divide was quite pronounced in this regard . The Digital 
Economy Report  by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development indicated that 80% 
of colocation data centres reside d in developed countries. On the other hand, Africa and 
Latin America  account ed together for less than 5% of the se data centr es. Available data also show ed 
that SMEs in developing countries ha d an insignificant share in the profits and sales emerging from 
the exponential growth of global e -commerce , with most of the gains shared amongst  big tech nology  
firms and digital platforms, the majority of them in developed economies. The lack of digital 
infrastructure and digital skills pose d grave threats to the existing export competitiveness of SMEs 
in deve loping countries and LDCs , with the real likelihood that  many of them  would  be outcompeted 
by those in the developed countries with access to digital technologies. Digital technology transfers 
would be pivotal in bridging the digital divide and building the export competitiveness of developing 
countries. The active role of developed countries to reali ze such technology transfers w ould also be 
crucial.  The paper submitted by the co -sponsors in the CTD aimed to facilitate a focused discussion 
in the Committee  on what measures would be necessary from a WTO point of view to ensure that 
developing countries and LDCs gain ed an equitable share in global e -commerce  and advance d their 
digital industrialization through  building their digital infrastructures and develo ping their digital skills 
and capacities . In the context of the WPEC, South Africa st ood ready to contribute to these 
discussions and engage constructively in the CTD on the issues raised and the questions posed in 
document WT/COMTD/W/264.  
61. The representative of  the European Union  thank ed India and South Africa for presenting their 
joint communication. As the document had only recently been circulated, his delegation had not had 
the opportunity to study the paper and  the proposed guiding questions in any detail. He believed 
that the paper recomm ended the discontinuation of the moratorium on e -commerce , which was 
something his delegation did not agree with. He explained that his delegation was of the view that 
the mora torium was something that could serve all Members, especially during  the COVID -19 
pandemic, when e-commerce was gaining in importance. In closing, he indicated that at this stage 
he wished to acknowledge receipt of th e communication . His delegation would reserve judgement  
on the paper  after due attention had been given to it . 
62. The Committee took note of all interventions . 
H. PARTICIPATION OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN THE MULTILATERAL TRADING 
SYSTEM  (WT/COMTD/W/262)4 
63. The Chairman  said that the CTD ha d a mandate to keep under continuous review the 
participation of developing country Members in the MTS. In order to assist Members in their 
discussion on this topic, it was the practice for a statistical paper on the participation of d eveloping 
economies in the global trading system to be updated every other year, and to  be considered under 
the present agenda item. At the 114th Session, the Committee was informed that the Secretariat 
would prepare another update for discussion at the pr esent meeting. The updated Secretariat paper 
had been circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/262. He invite d a representative of the 
Economic  Research and Statistics Division  (ERSD)  to briefly introduce the report . 
64. The representative of the ERSD  said that , between 2018 and 2020, world trade and gross 
domestic product fluctuated strongly , as multiple economic shocks affected both developed and 
developing economies. These shocks included heightened trade tensions, the uncertainty due to 
Brexit conditions, and t he COVID -19 pandemic. In developing economies, merchandise trade volume 
fared better than in developed economies. The merchandise export volumes of developing 
 
4 On the basis of a suggestion by the Chairman made at the beginning of the meeting , this agenda item 
was taken up immediately after agenda item B , as the pres enter from the Secretariat was not available later in 
the day to make her presentation.  WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  economies increased by 3.7 % in 2018, then slowed to 0.5 % in 2019, and declined by 1.5 % in 2020 
because of the pandemic. Performance concerning imports was somewhat worse . In 2019 , 
developing economies recorded a contraction of 0.5 %, and then experienced a plunge in their import 
volumes by 4.3 % in 2020. On average, developing economies as a group saw a  contraction in their 
merchandise trade volumes of 2.9 % during the pandemic in 2020 , which was less than the 
contraction recorded by developed economies of 7.5%. Also, during the expansion period in 2018, 
developing economies performed better than develope d economies , with an increase in trade 
volumes of 3.9%, as  compared to the 2.7% increase  for developed economies. However, 
merchandise trade volume growth varie d among developing regions. Developing Asia was the main 
driver of  the trade performance of deve loping economies. Even through the pandemic, developing 
Asia was the only developing  region  that recorded a n increase in export volume  in 2020 , of 1.7%. 
Furthermore, on the import side, developing Asia recorded a relatively small contraction of 0.8%. In 
contrast, the Middle East 's export volumes collapsed by 11.6 % in 2020, due to the decreased 
demand for oil products and the recession. The Middle East also recorded the worst performance on 
the import side, with a decline of 13.9 %. The second most affecte d region was Africa. In 2020, Africa 
saw an 8.8 % decline in its export volumes , due to the region's strong sensitivity to commodity price 
volatility. A sharp decline of 11.1% was recorded on the import side .  
65. Turning to merchandise trade values, she said t hat developing economies recorded a n 
11% increase in their exports in 2018, which was a better performance than the rest of the world . 
In 2019, developing economies saw a 3% decline in their exports, which was in line with the rest of 
the world . In 2020, t he 6% drop in developing economies' export value was less than the 
9% decrease experienced by the rest of the world. As a result of these developments, the share of 
developing economies in global merchandise exports increased from 43 % in 2018 to 43.9 % in 2020. 
On the import side, the share increased from 40.5 % in 2018 to 41.7 % in 2020. China, 
the Republic  of Korea and Mexico remained the top three merchandise traders, together  account ing 
for 46 % of developing economies' merchandise exports  in 2020 . Overall, the top 15 exporters 
increased the ir share in total  developing economy  merchandise export s from 80.8 % in 2018 to 
83.6% in 2020 , which meant that the  concentration of exports increased over the  period. Among 
the top 15 exporters, only Viet Nam, Chinese Taipei and China  recorded export growth in 2020. 
There was  somewhat less concentration on the import  side, although concentration also increased 
during the period , with the top 15 importers increa sing their share from 76.6% in 2018  to 78.1 % in 
2020. Among the top 15 importers, o nly Turkey, Viet  Nam and Chinese Taipei  experienced 
merchandise import growth in 2020. The United States, the European Union and China  remained 
the main trading partners of developing economies over the period . In addition, manufacture s 
remain ed the main export products for developing economies , with an increased share from 70 % in 
2018 to 73 % in 2020. The share of  exports of  office and telecommunication s equipment rose from 
21% in 2018 to 26% in 2020 , while the share of fuel exports fell over the period from 21% to 10%. 
South -South  trade, which was trade among developing economies , account ed for 55% of developing 
economies' trade in 2020, with developing Asia and trade in manufactures being the main drivers.  
66. She went on to present some of the  findings in the report with regard to commercial services 
trade. While developing economies enjoyed a rapid growth of 12% in 2018  of services exports,  
followed by a g rowth of 4% in 2019 , their services exports dropped by 25 % in 2020 . This was more 
than the 18% drop in services exports in the rest of the world, and resulted in a los s to developing 
economies of USD 483 billion , and a fall in their share  of global services exports from 30.9 % in 2018 
to 29.5 % in 2020. On the import side, after a 9% increase in 2018 and a 0.3% increase in 2019, 
developing economies' services imports dropped by 25% in 2020 . Their share of global services 
imports decline d from 3 7.7% in 2018 to 35.2 % in 2020 . She went on to say that d eveloping 
economies' travel exports  were severely affected i n 2020 , recording a 66% decline. Transport 
services followed , with a drop of 18%. Other commercial services were more resilient, as they 
contracted by 0.3 % in 2020. She noted that construction services exports declined by 18%, but 
computer services exports increased by 7% as a result of the pandemic. The Secretariat report also 
found that developing economies' participation in higher skills se ctors continued to lag. Regarding 
top traders, China, India and Singapore  ranked as  the leading services exporters and importers. 
Developing economies' s ervices trade was also very concentrated , with the top 15 economies  – 
which were  largely Asian – account ing for 80 % of exports and 76 % of imports in 2020. The s ervices 
exports of the top 15 developing exporters were unevenly affected in 2020 , with China and India  
seeing lower declines compared to the other developing economies.  The fa ll in services imports was 
more homogeneous, with all top developing economies recording a contraction in their services 
imports.  Finally, she said that t he Secretariat had released in January 2021 a new services dataset 
covering the period between 2005 and 2019, which was available on the WTO website. On the basis WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  of th is dataset, it was found that South -South trade accounted for 48.6 % of 
developing  economies'  services trade  in 2019 , up from 40.7 % in 2005. However , there were 
significant differences between regions. South -South services trade was dominated by 
intra-developing Asian flows. Developing Asia was also the main partner for all developing regions. 
By contrast, intra -African  trade accounted for only 1.2% o f total South -South services trade. 
Intra-regional services flows were modest also in South and Central America and the Caribbean , 
representing only 2.4% of intra -developing economies services trade in 2019.  
67. The Chairman  expressed appreciation for the Secr etariat report. Given the difficulties 
experienced  by the global economy through the pandemic, he believed that the report provided  
useful data that would help inform policymakers  in finding ways to bounce back.  
68. The representative of Chad thank ed the Secretariat for th e report . He noted that , while the 
developing Asian region had fared relatively well  through the pandemic , Africa had seen a significant 
drop in its merchandise exports. He wished to know whether this was due to insufficient industri al 
production , and what developing countries in Africa needed to do to be able to catch up and enjoy 
robust competitiveness  like developing countries  in Asia . He also asked what the reasons were for 
some developing counties to have fared better in terms of  export performance  than developed 
countries . Finally, he said that  the pandemic show ed that multilateral problems require d multilateral 
responses and solutions. He called for an  inclusive multilateralism that allowed the benefits of the 
MTS to be equally  distributed among  Members.  
69. The representative of the United States  said that the Secretariat report provide d a lot of 
interesting analys is and trends regarding developments in the last  few years. She expressed 
appreciation for the Secretariat's efforts, and indicated that her delegation was study ing the report . 
70. The representative of the United Kingdom  appreciated the comprehensive report prepared by 
the Secretariat , which his delegation was continu ing to study . His delegation believed that it was 
important to keep abreast of the most recent data and analysis that would allow  support for policy 
development as well as ongoing COVID -19 responses. The data in the Secretariat report provide d a 
sobering picture of the impact of the pandemic, in particular on LDCs.  
71. The representative of China  said that she wished to join the United States and 
the United  Kingdom in thanking the Secretariat for producing such a comprehensive and useful 
report, show ing develop ing economies'  participation in global trade . She encourage d the Secretariat 
to continue th e practice  of updating the paper . 
72. The representative of the European Union  thanked the Secretariat for the report. He asked i f 
the Secretariat had any information as to whether the trends i dentified in 2020 were continu ing in 
2021.  
73. The representative of the ERSD  said that  the Secretariat was pleased to update its report 
every two years . In response to the questions by Chad, she s aid that the differences in export 
performance between regions depend ed on the type s of products exported by each region . 
African  economies were not yet well integrated into global value chains  (GVCs) , especially with 
regard to  products that were highly traded and account ed for the bulk of global trade. Electronic 
products  and electrical equipment, as well as  textiles, apparel  and other manufactur es explain ed 
much of the trade performance of developing Asian economies . On the ot her hand , the African region 
relied on relatively  few products , including oil and commodities , which exhibited high price volatility. 
She believed that African economies needed to move more into exports of man ufactures, while trying 
to connect to GVCs, as well as to regional value chains . Furthermore , there were potentially a lot of 
opportunities for Africa in terms of services trade, given  the relatively low participation of 
African  countries in exports of services. Turning to the question from the Europea n Union, she said 
that the Secretariat prepared regular quarterly statistics , and data up to the second quarter of 2021 
was currently available. A large increase in demand for goods from advanced economies had been 
observed  so far  in 2021 , as well as a lar ge increase in Asia's exports. Developing Asian economies 
were the drivers of this rebound in merchandise  trade. With regard to services, a rebound in demand 
for transport services had been observed , which was  boosting transport exports from developing 
Asian economies.  
74. The Committee took note  of the Secretariat paper, and of all interventions.  WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
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  I. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SUB -COMMITTEE ON LEAST DEVELOPED 
COUNTRIES  
75. The Chairman  recalled that, at the 114th Session held on 29 March 2021, 
Ambassador  Monique  Van Daalen of the Netherlands was elected the Chairperson of the 
Sub-Committee on LDCs for 2021. However, Ambassador Van Daalen had recently left Geneva after 
the completion of her term, and the CTD needed to therefore elect a new Chairperson of the 
Sub-Committee on LDCs.  He said that he had  held some consultations on the matter, and the name 
that ha d emerged was that of Ambassador Kirsti Kauppi of Finland.  Ambassador Kauppi ha d been 
serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the U nited Nations  and the WTO in Geneva 
since September 2020. Prior to this, Ambassador Kauppi  served as Finland 's Ambassador to 
the United States. From 2012 to 2015, Ambassador Kauppi  was the Di rector General for 
Political  Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki , and also served as Director General for 
Africa and the Middle East at the Ministry from 2009 to 2012. Among Ambassador Kauppi's  other 
assignments were postings in Berlin,  Bangkok and Vienna.  He invited the Committee to elect 
Ambassador Kauppi.  
76. The Committee elected  Ambassador Kauppi as the Chairperson of the Sub -Committee on 
LDCs.  
77. The Chairman  welcome d Ambassador Kauppi to t he position. He recall ed that the usual 
practice was for the item concerning the election of the Chairperson of the Sub -Committee on LDCs 
to appear on the agenda of the first CTD meeting of each year. However, since the Committee ha d 
just elected Ambassador Kauppi at the present meetin g, it would not be necessary for the CTD to 
take up the matter at  its first meeting of 2022 . Therefore,  the item concerning the election of the 
Chairperson of the Sub -Committee on LDCs would not appear on the agenda of the next 
CTD meeting.  
J. DRAFT ANNUAL R EPORT FOR 2021 (WT/COMTD/W/263)  
78. The Chairman  said that a communication was sent to Members on 28 October 2021, indicating 
that the CTD's draft annual report had been circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/263. It was noted 
that the draft contained a number of s quare brackets relating to items discussed  at the 
four CTD meetings held on 10 November 2021 . The four meetings  were the 15th Dedicated Session 
on the Monitoring Mechanism on S&D, the 15th Dedicated Session on RTAs, the 7th Dedicated Session 
on PTAs, and the 116th Regular Session . As part of the process of adopting the report, the square 
brackets w ould be removed, and the discussion that took place at these meetings w ould be 
appropriately reflected in the report. Members had been requested to submit in writing any 
comments on the draft annual report by 3 November  2021. As no comments were received , he 
invite d the Committee to adopt the annual report . 
79. The Committee adopted  its annual report for 2021 .5 
K. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING  
80. The Chairman  said that the next meeting of the CTD's Regular Session was tentatively 
scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 30 March  2022. An initial agenda would be circulated 
four weeks before the meeting, on 2 March  2022, as per the CTD's rules of p rocedure. After the 
circulation of this initial meeting notice, Members would still have the opportunity to request items 
on the agenda for the meeting. The agenda would close on 17 March  2022 and would be circulated 
on 18 March  2022.  
L. OTHER BUSINESS  
81. The Chairman  said that he  wished to make a  brief intervention  to keep Members informed 
regarding the process of informal consultations that he had launched earlier in the  year. He recalled 
that he had  briefed Members in some detail at the last meeting on t he informal consultations in small 
groups that he had  held. These consultations had brought out several useful views and ideas on how 
Members could advance in the various areas of the CTD's existing work, as well as on what new 
 
5 The report was circulated  in document WT/COMTD/ 101.  WT/COMTD/M/116  
 
- 18 - 
 
  areas of work could potentia lly be addressed by the Committee. He had informed Members at the 
last meeting that he would be continuing his informal consultations in order to explore how to 
advance on the numerous issues that were raised. In terms of an update, he wished  to inform the  
Committee that, since the last meeting, he had been pursuing discussions in informal settings with 
various delegations. However, given that preparations for MC12  had kept Members busy in the last 
few months, he had decided to refrain from engaging in any intensive consultations regarding the 
work of the CTD in the period leading up to MC12. His intention was to interact more intensely with 
delegations after MC12, when Members would  have more time to devote to these i ssues. He hoped 
to be able to report on some concrete outcomes at the next  formal meeting.  
82. The meeting was adjourned . 
 
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