WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/COMTD/LDC/W/12
13 November 1998
(98-4490)
Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries
SECOND PROGRESS REPORT
ON THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE HIGH-LEVEL MEETING1
Informal Note by  the Secretariat
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1. This note provides information on progress made in the follow-up to the High-Level Meeting
on Integrated Initiatives for Least-Developed Countries' Trade Development since the last Progress
Report circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/45 and the Director-General's report to theMinisterial Conference, circulated in document  WT/MIN(98)/2.  Attention is drawn to the
Integrated Framework website on http://www.ldcs.org, which provides regular updates on the
operation of the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to LDCs.
I. INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK TO TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
TO LDCS
2. The interagency working group (IMF, ITC, UNDP, UNCTAD, World Bank, WTO) held its
fifteenth meeting on 19 and 20 October 1998, at WTO.     The agencies took stock of the follow-up to
the Needs Assessments submitted by the least-developed countries (40 , of which 39  have so far been
published in the WT/COMTD/IF/...series, after consultations with the least-developed countries).
Agencies agreed to continue to actively follow-up on requests from the least-developed countries to
organize trade-related "Round Table meetings", in the sense of paragraphs 5(e) and (f) of theIntegrated Framework.  So far, the following countries have expressed an interest in organizing such
meetings and specific agencies have been asked to assist in their preparation: Angola, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Guinea, Haiti, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Sudan, Togo and
Uganda (15).  Agencies are following up on these requests with the governments in these countries
2 to
work out the modalities.  In-country trade-related CG meetings for Uganda and Ethiopia arescheduled for December 1998, while for Haiti a Round Table meeting on trade is scheduled for end of
January 1999 in Port-au-Prince.   UNDP and the World Bank are the agencies which are primarily
involved in the organization of "Round Table meetings" given their extensive experience in
organizing such meetings and their presence in the countries.  All agencies, however, stand ready,
within the constraints of their resources, to help organize such meetings.  In this context it is recalledthat it is the responsibility of the governments of the least-developed countries to call for a
trade-related "Round Table"/Consultative Group meeting.
                                                     
1This report updates the progress report of 18 June 1998 contained in WT/COMTD/W/45.
2While it is understood that the Ministry responsible for international trade is the lead-agency for the
conduct of the Integrated Framework exercise, other Minist ries may also be involved in the exercise because of
their responsibility for certain aspects of trade matters.  In  this context it is noted that Ministries other than the
Ministry responsible for international trade often serve as the contact point for some of the agencies under the
Integrated Framework.WT/COMTD/LDC/W/12
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3. The Needs Assessment of Myanmar has recently been received by the six agencies for their
joint review, bringing the total of LDCs having expr essed an interest in participating in the exercise
by submitting a completed Needs Assessment to 40.
4. At their recent meeting, several agencies raised  the issue of funding the process leading up to
the actual organization of trade-related "Round Tabl e"/Consultative Group meetings.  The text of the
Integrated Framework stipulates in its paragraph 5( e) that," where possible, the Round Table meetings
will be part of th e UNDP Round Table Cycle, and proceeding s will be included in the World Bank
Consultative Group Meetings and in the UNDP Round Tables".  It has proven most effective to
organize smaller in-country trade-related "Round Table" Meetings/CGs with the national actors
involved (government, private sector, etc.) and the donor community, preparation and organization of
which brings with it a certain financial cost, which can not always automatically be assumed by the
UNDP or World Bank field offices.    It is therefore not excluded that in future additional funding willneed to be identified for this type of activity.  Experience has taught us that the in-country process
leading up to the Round Table/CG meeting may so metimes require the services of a short-term
consultant (international or national, depending on the request by the government concerned)
assisting the government in preparing and drawin g up the multi-year country specific programme of
trade-related technical assistance and bringing the stakeholders together.
5. The Integrated Framework has a website :  http://www.ldcs.org.    It serves as a tool for
transparency between the agencies,  the least-developed countries and their development partners,
multilateral, regional and bilateral.  In addition, a Brochure , explaining the Integrated Framework
will shortly be published in English and French.  Both the website and the brochure have been
developed by the Integrated Framework's Administrative Unit.
6. The Administrative Unit, set up to service the Inter-Agency Working Group and handle the
day-to-day work of the Integrated Framework, is up and running.  It is located at ITC, which provides
staff (one professional, one secretary), office space and part of the equipment.  WTO has filled the
second professional position with temporary staff with the intention of providing a permanent staff
member from January 1999 onwards and the World Bank has agreed to a financial contribution  to theUnit. Consultations between UNCTAD and ITC are on-going to fill the post of Administrative
Assistant in the Unit.  The Administrative Unit is in the process of contacting the LDCs and other
development partners (this includes bilateral) to es tablish focal points with a view to facilitating a
smooth exchange of information and better administration of the Integrated Framework exercise.  It is
a purely informative exercise, without entering into the LDCs' responsibility of inviting its
development partners to their trade-related "Round Table"/CG meetings.
7. State of Play of WTO's  implementation of ac tivities under the Integrated Framework (this
information was earlier circulated in document WT/COMTD/LDC/W/10 dated 19 October 1998).
- National seminars
8. Sixteen national seminars were undertaken since the High-Level Meeting
(Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Djibouti, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Nige r, Cambodia, Laos, Zambia, Haiti, Myanmar), of those three
national seminars were undertaken with the participation of ITC (Chad, Madagascar and Rwanda) and
two with UNDP (Djibouti and Niger).  Five national seminars are being planne d for subsequent weeks
(Guinea, Mauritania, Burundi, Central African Republic and Togo).
- Regional seminars
9. One regional seminar for English-speaking African least-developed countries has taken place
in mid-June, with the participation of ITC.  Two other regional seminars specifically forWT/COMTD/LDC/W/12
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least-developed countries have been undertaken in Djibouti  (French-speaking least-developed
countries) and in Bangladesh (Asian and Pacific least-developed countries).
10. Twelve regional seminars were held since the High-Level Meeting in which least-developed
countries' officials and representatives from the private sector and from academic institutions
participated.  Four of these regional seminars on the multilateral trading system were undertakenjointly with the World Bank (in Senegal, Tanzania, Botswana, and in Cameroon).  Eight regional
seminars focussed on specific subjects, in particular on financial services, dispute settlement, market
access, trade and environment and TRIPS.
- Short trade policy course
11. The first short trade policy course for English-speaking least-developed countries was held in
May 1998 with 23 participants.  The second short trade policy course is being undertaken for
French-speaking least-developed countries in Turin (Italy) in October 1998.
- Technical missions
12. Six technical missions were undertaken to assist individual least-developed countries in  their
implementation of WTO obligations, with a view to enhancing their participation in the multilateral
trading system.  Three missions concerned specifically notification obligations and issues relating to
the adaptation of internal legislation to WTO disciplines (Haiti, Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea).  Thethree remaining missions were undertaken to assist individual countries in the implementation of their
services commitments (Djibouti, Niger and Madagascar).  Eleven additional missions concerning
implementation issues are being planned (Gambia, Mauritania, Angola, Burundi, Mali, Niger,
Uganda, Tanzania, Benin, Burkina Faso and Maldives).
- Establishing modern data processing facilities
13. In response to requests for assistance to establishing modern data processing facilities, the
Secretariat began a programme to install computers and Internet links in the trade or commerce
ministries of all LDCs.  At the end of Oct ober 1998, 31 least-developed countries will have been
provided with such "Reference Centres" (26 Members and five Observers).  In the course of 1999 it is
foreseen that 38 least-developed countries will have received Reference Centres (all29 LDC Members plus nine Observers).
- Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme
14. Prior to the High-Level Meeting, a Joint Integrated WTO/UNCTAD/ITC Technical
Assistance Programme for Selected Least-Developed and Other African Countries (JITAP) was
adopted in May 1996.  It responds to the urgent need of least-developed and other African countries to
be assisted in the expansion and diversification of their trade and in the process of their integration
into the multilateral trading system.  This progra mme currently covers eight developing countries,
including four least-developed:  Benin, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Uganda.  Activities under this
Programme for individual LDCs are being subsumed under the Integrated Framework.  In 1998, a
Common Trust Fund was established to finance country projects by the three organizations involved.
II. MARKET ACCESS
15. Since the circulation of document WT/COMTD/W/45, the delegation of Egypt has officially
notified the Secretariat of further market access and trade opportunities to the LDCs (documentWT/COMTD/LDC/W/12
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WT/COMTD/W/47).  Previous formal notifications have been received from Turkey
(WT/COMTD/W/39), the European Communities (WT/COMTD/W/41), Switzerland
(WT/COMTD/W/44) and Canada (WT/COMTD/LDC/M/11, paragraph 16).   Consultations are being
carried out on the clarification of the WTO legal basis for developing countries' preferences in favour
of LDCs, which are at present at the stage of considering the possibility of a new draft "umbrella"waiver from GATT Article I.  It is recalled that the Director-General in his Report to Ministers in May
of this year on the outcome and follow-up to the High-Level Meeting had proposed that it would be
appropriate to consider, in the preparation of the third Ministerial Conference, including the objective
of eliminating all tariff barriers in favour of the least-developed countries as a matter for
implementation on a priority basis in the negotiations which start in the year 2000.  It would be
important not just for all advanced economies, but also for the most dynamic developing countries, to
subscribe to this objective and to the principle of binding the liberalization under the WTO.
III. THEMATIC ROUND TABLES
16. No new developments have taken place since the Director-General's Report to Ministers.  It
is, however,  recalled that the Trade Policy Reviews of Burkina Faso and Mali are scheduled to take
place on 18 and 20 November 1998 and those for Togo and Guinea respectively in January andFebruary of next year.
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