G/L/1342  
 
27 November 2019  
(19-8142) Page: 1/2 
Council for Trade in Goods   
 
 
RULES OF PROCEDURE O F THE COMMITTEE ON T RADE FACILITATION1 
 
 
The Rules of Procedure for meetings of the General Council (WT/L/161) shall apply  mutatis mutandis  
for meetings of the Committee on Trade Facilitation, except as  provided below : 
 
Chapter I — Meetings  
 
(a) Rule 1 should be amended in line with paragraph  1.2 of Article  23 of the Agreement on Trade 
Facilitation to provide that:  
 
"The Committee shall meet as n eeded and envisaged by the provisions of the Agreement on 
Trade Facilitation, but no less than once a year."  
 
(b) The first sentence  of Rule  2 should be amended to read as follows:  
 
"Meetings of the Committee shall be convened by the Director -General by a notice issued 
preferably three  weeks, and in any event not less than ten  calendar days, prior to the date 
set for the meeting."  
 
Chapter II — Agenda  
 
(c) Rule 5 should not be applied .2 
 
(e) Rule 11 should be modified to read as follows:  
 
"Representatives of international intergovernmental organizations may attend the meetings 
as observers on the invitation of the Committee on Trade Facilitation in accordance with the 
guidelines in Annex  3 to the Rules of the General Council.  
 
Furthermore, in accordance with Article  23:1:5 of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, the 
Committee may invite representatives of other international organizations with competence 
in the field of trade facilitation or their subsidiary bodies to:  
 
(a) attend meetings of the Committee; and  
 
(b) discuss specific matters related to the implementation of this Agreement. " 
 
Chapter V — Officers  
 
(f) Rules  12, 13 and 14 should be amended to authorize the Committee to elect a 
Vice-Chairperson. Accordingly, Rules  12, 13 and 14 should read as follows:  
 
                                                
1 At its meeting of 25 June 2019, the Committee on Trade Facilitation finalized its work on its rules of 
procedure, contained in document G/TF/W/14, and forwarded them to the Council for Trade in Goods.  At its 
meeting of 14  November  2019, in accordance with paragraph  6 of Article  IV of the Marrakesh Agreement, the 
CTG approved  the Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Trade Facilitation.  
2 Sufficient preparation and circulation of the agenda is secured by the GC  Rules of Procedure through 
Rules  2, 3 and 6.  G/L/1 342 
 
- 2 - 
 
  "Rule  12. The Committee shall elect a Chairperson3 and may elect a Vice -Chairperson from 
among the representatives of Members. The election shall take place at the first  meeting of 
the year and shall take effect at the end of the meeting. The Chairperson and Vice -Chairperson 
shall hold office until the end of the first  meeting of the following year.  
 
Rule 13. If the Chairperson is absent from any meeting or part thereof, the Vice -Chairperson 
shall perform the functions o f the Chairperson. If no Vice -Chairperson was elected or if the 
Vice-Chairperson is not present, the Committee shall elect an interim Chairperson for that 
meeting or that part of the meeting.  
 
Rule 14. If the Chairperson can no longer perform the functions  of the office, the Committee 
shall designate the Vice -Chairperson referred to in Rule  12 or, if no Vice -Chairperson was 
elected it shall elect an interim Chairperson to perform those functions pending the election 
of a new Chairperson."  
 
Chapter VI — Conduct of business  
 
(h) The first sentence  of Rule  24 should be amended to read as  follows:  
 
"In order to expedite the conduct of business, the Chairperson may invite representatives that 
wish to express their support for a given proposal to show their hands, in order to be duly 
recorded in the records as supporting statements …  ." 
 
Chapter VII — Decision -Making  
 
(i) Rule 33 should be amended to read as follows:  
 
"Where a decision cannot be arrived at by consensus, the matter at issue shall be referred to 
the Council for Trade in Goods."  
 
(j) Rule 34 should not apply.  
 
__________  
 
                                                
3 The Committee shall apply  the relevant guidelines contained in the "Guidelines for Appointment of 
Officers to WTO Bodies" (WT/L/31 , dated 7  February  1995).