RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONTN/TE/R/4
21 January 2003
(03-0335)
Committee on Trade and Environment
Special Session
SUMMARY REPORT ON THE MEA INFORMATION SESSION
ON PARAGRAPH 31 (II) OF THE DOHA DECLARATION
12 NOVEMBER 2002
Note by the Secretariat
I. PRESENTATION S BY MEAs ................................................................................................4
A. U NITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) ...................4
B. C ONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD) AND CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON
BIOSAFETY ............................................................................................................................... ...5
C. U NITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)...........................................................8
D. R OTTERDAM CONVENTION ON THE PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT PROCEDURE FOR
CERTAIN HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND PESTICIDES IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE
AND THE STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS ........................10
E. I NTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER ORGANIZATION (ITTO) ..................................................11
F. U NITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS (UNFF).......................................................................14
G. B ASEL CONVENTION ON THE CONTROL OF TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENTS OF
HAZARDOUS WASTES AND THEIR DISPOSAL ............................................................................16
II. COMMENTS AND QU ESTIONS.........................................................................................18TN/TE/R/4
Page 2
1. An Information Session with Secretariats of Multilateral Environmental Agreements
(MEAs) was held by the CTE Special Session (CTESS) on 12 November 2002.  The focus of the
Session was on paragraph 31(ii) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration which reads: "With a view to
enhancing the mutual supportiveness of trade and environment, [Ministers] agree to negotiations,
without prejudging their outcome, on: … (ii) pro cedures for regular information exchange between
MEA Secretariats and the relevant WTO committees, and the criteria for the granting of observer
status".
2. The Chairperson noted that this mandate given by Ministers at the Doha Ministerial
Conference, demonstrated the importance which the WTO attached to cooperation and information
exchange with MEAs and the UNEP.  Discussions in the CTESS had already started on this part of
the mandate and many useful views had been exchanged.  In these discussions, all Members had
emphasized the importance of cooperation and information exchange with MEAs, and suggestionshad been made on how to build on existing forms of cooperation.
3. The following seven organizations participated in the MEA Information Session:
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC);
• the Convention on Biological Diversit y (CBD) and its Biosafety Protocol;
• the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP);
• the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain
Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (RotterdamConvention) and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
(Stockholm Convention);
• the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO);
• the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF); and
• the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention).
4. The WTO Secretariat made a presentation on the existing forms of cooperation and
information exchange between the WTO, UNEP and MEAs.1
5. Concerning the first part of this mandate, the WTO Secretariat outlined its activities of
cooperation and information exchange involving MEAs and UNEP.  It mentioned the existing
arrangements between the United Nations and the WTO in general, and between UNEP and the
WTO in particular.  The arrangement concluded in September 1995 between the WTO and the
United Nations represented a flexible framework which allowed for exchange of information,
reciprocal representation, and general cooperation between secretariats.  More specifically in theenvironment field, a cooperation arrangement had been concluded between the WTO and UNEP in
November 1999 at the Seattle Ministerial Conference.  In this arrangement, recognition was given
to the importance of cooperation and collaborati on between the two Secretariats with respect to
their work on issues of mutual interest.  More precisely, the objectives of this arrangement were the
following: to further effective cooperation; to help achieve the aims of the Rio Declaration; and toimprove working relationships with respect to technical cooperation and research initiatives.
Cooperation between the WTO and UNEP Secretariats was thus planned: to provide and exchange
relevant non-confidential information; to build on past practice of holding informal staff meetings
and information sessions, including, if possible, the participation of MEAs; and to cooperate in
activities relating to capacity building for developing countries.  While the exchange ofinformation and the mutual attendance of meetings was further intensified, the third point on joint
efforts relating to capacity building had received a particularly strong boost since the cooperation
arrangement of 1999.
                                                     
1 For more information, see TN/TE/S/2, 10 June 2002, "Existing Forms of Cooperation and
Information Exchange Between UNEP/MEAs and the WTO", Note by the Secretariat.TN/TE/R/4
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6. On this third aspect, the WTO Secretariat indicated that an essential part of the technical
assistance activities of the WTO on trade and environment was the organization of regional
seminars, where the WTO invited officials from trade and environment ministries.  The WTO
started, in 1999, the practice of regularly inviting UNEP, UNCTAD and MEAs to participate in
these seminars, in order to bring to the regions the experience and perspective of other internationalinstitutions specialized in the field of trade and environment.  These regional seminars had been
carried out in the three official languages of the WTO and in the main regions of the world (in
2002, seminars were organized in Latin America, Caribbean countries, Africa, Central and Eastern
Europe, Asia, and in the Pacific).
2  So far, four MEAs had been involved in these seminars:
CITES, the Basel Convention, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
(Montreal Protocol) and the UNFCCC.  The WTO Secretariat also mentioned its close
collaboration with the Capacity-Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development(CBTF, a joint effort by UNEP and UNCTAD), which organized back-to-back meetings with
WTO regional seminars.  UNEP's and UNCTAD's efforts in addressing the capacity building needs
relevant to the Doha Development Agenda represented an important complement to WTO
technical assistance activities, as they illustra ted in very concrete terms the relationship between
environment and trade.
7. Since 1997, seven MEA Information Sessions had been held by the CTE.  Some of these
sessions had been organized around topics such as: trade-related aspects and developments in
environmental fora; compliance and dispute settlement provisions in MEAs and the WTO; and
technical assistance, capacity building and in formation exchange.  The following MEAs had
participated: the Basel Convention; the CBD and its Biosafety Protocol; the Commission for theConservation of Antarctic Marine Living Res ources (CCAMLR); the CITES; the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT); the ITTO; the Ozone Secretariat;
the Rotterdam Convention; the Stockholm Conven tion; the United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS); the UNFCCC; the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UN Fish
Stocks); and the UNFF.
8. The counterpart of MEAs coming to the CTE to brief Members about new developments
or special topics was the organization by the WTO, since the beginning of 2002, of technical
assistance workshops (so-called "side events") in parallel to some of the main meetings of MEAs.
The objective of such events was to enhance the understanding of WTO rules, and to create a
forum for information exchange  between the WTO Secretariat and MEAs.  Such events were
important: (i) in order for developing country Members to these agreements to be kept informed
about recent developments concerning the WTO Doha Development Agenda on Trade andEnvironment, and (ii) in order for the WTO Secretariat to follow the new developments occurring
in the MEAs.  By the end of 2002, the WTO would have held five such side events: at the Second
Session of the UNFF; at the Sixth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD; at the
Twelfth Meeting of the Conference of the Partie s to CITES; at the Fourteenth Meeting of the
Parties to the Montreal Protocol; and at the Sixth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to theBasel Convention.
9. On occasions, the WTO Secretariat prepared documentation jointly with other secretariats.
For instance, the WTO had prepared a Background Note on Compliance and Dispute Settlement
Provisions in the WTO and in MEAs together with UNEP and a number of MEA Secretariats.
3
The WTO had also updated its Matrix on Trade Measures Pursuant to Selected MEAs in
                                                     
2 See WT/CTE/W/216, 30 September 2002, "Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Activities
in 2002", Note by the Secretariat.
3 WT/CTE/W/191, 6 June 2001, "Compliance and Dispute Settlement Provisions in the WTO and in
Multilateral Environmental Agreements", Note by the WTO and UNEP Secretariats.TN/TE/R/4
Page 4
cooperation with a number of MEAs.4  Moreover, a large number of documents on MEAs had also
been circulated in the CTE.  It was also indicated that at the request of the CBD Secretariat, the
WTO Secretariat (Trade and Environment Division) had briefed the CBD staff on relevant
developments in the WTO.  This meeting took place in Montreal and was organized in two
sessions:  a first session with trade specialists from the CBD Secretariat and the Biosafety Protocolfocusing on recent developments in the CTE Special Session, and a second session, addressed to
the entire staff of the CBD, on the WTO in general, the Doha Development Agenda, and
main Agreements relevant to the CBD.  The two briefing sessions had contributed to strengthen the
relationship between the WTO Secretariat and the CBD.  Another important co-operative activity
was the organization by UNEP of meetings back-to-back with CTE meetings.  The objective of
these meetings was to enhance developing and least-developed country engagement in trade and
environment discussions at the international level.  To date, these back-to-back meetings hadaddressed three main topics:  MEAs and the WTO; fisheries; and capacity building.
5
10. Concerning the second part of the mandate under paragraph 31(ii), i.e. observership, the
WTO Secretariat indicated that the following MEAs had observer status in the CTE:  the CBD,
CITES, ICCAT, and the UNFCCC.  UNEP and UNCTAD also had observer status in the CTE.  At
present, only two requests for observer status from MEAs were still pending in the CTE, that of the
ITTO and the Montreal Protocol.  The state of play on observer status was that the issue had been
left in the hands of two different fora, the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) with respect to
WTO negotiating bodies, and the General Council with respect to WTO non-negotiating bodies.
Concerning WTO observership in UNEP and MEAs, the WTO had observer status in the UNEP
Governing Council, and attended, on a regular basis, the main meetings of MEAs which containedtrade-related measures.  As a comparison, most MEAs addressed the issue of observership of
international organizations in their statutes and allowed international organizations to attend
meetings as an observer, simply upon request.
I. PRESENTATIONS BY MEAs
A. U
NITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)
11. The UNFCCC Secretariat said that it was participating in, and supported, the work
programme of UNEP on the relationship between environment and trade.  Such work had provided
policy-relevant inputs and und erpinned UNFCCC's own policy-related work.  The World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD) had enlarged the scope of this work by including the
development dimension, in line with the emerging linkages between climate change and
sustainable development.  The UNFCCC had just held its Eighth Conference of the Parties in
New Delhi, which, in the wake of the WSSD, had explored the relationship between climatechange and sustainable development.
12. Article 3.5 of the UNFCCC stated that measures taken to combat climate change,
including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of discrimination on international trade.
6
The Kyoto Protocol reaffirmed this principle.  No trade measures were included in theseagreements but implications for the trade regime could arise from national implementation,through a variety of policies and measures to meet commitments under the Convention and the
                                                     
4 WT/CTE/W/160/Rev.1, 14 June 2001, "Matrix on Trade Measures Pursuant to Selected MEAs",
Note by the Secretariat, Revision.
5 For more information, see WT/CTE/W/213, 12 June 2002, "Enhancing Synergies and Mutual
Supportiveness of MEAs and the WTO, A Synthesis Report", Contribution by UNEP.
6 Article 3.5 of the UNFCCC reads: "The Parties should cooperate to promote a supportive and open
international economic system that would lead to sustainable economic growth and development in all
Parties, particularly developing coun try Parties, thus enabling them better to address the problems of climate
change.  Measures taken to combat climate change, in cluding unilateral ones, should not constitute a means
of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade".TN/TE/R/4
Page 5
Kyoto Protocol.  Ways to facilitate co-operation to enhance the individual and combined
effectiveness of policies and measures were being considered by the Parties.  The issue of the
interaction between WTO rules and these measures, as well as the Protocol's mechanisms, i.e. the
Clean Development Mechanism, Emission Trading and Joint Implementation, had not been the
subject of policy-oriented work of the subsidiary bodies of the Convention.  The first projects inthe context of the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol were expected to be
submitted in early 2003.
13. A two-way flow of information between the WTO and MEAs was essential to exchange
experiences, raise awareness, and develop a common understanding of emerging issues.  In this
regard, UNFCCC wished to make the following three proposals.  First, while consultations
between the secretariats had been effective and should be deepened, the secretariats should look
into ways to involve MEA parties in discussions of a substantive nature.  Second, in addition to theCommittee on Trade and Environment, other relevant WTO Committees should also be
encouraged to involve MEAs in information sessions.  Third, during sessions of the Conference of
the Parties of MEAs, the WTO should create opport unities for the exchange of views on issues of
mutual interest.  This practice was emerging and the UNFCCC was willing to support WTO's
endeavours in this respect.
14. MEAs should be granted observer status in both the regular and special sessions of the
CTE, and in other relevant WTO Committees.  The criteria applied by MEAs for granting observer
status were relatively straightforward.  Article 7.6 of the UNFCCC stated that "The
United Nations, its specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as
any State member thereof or observers thereto no t Party to the Convention, may be represented at
sessions of the Conference of the Parties as observers.  Any body or agency, whether national or
international, governmental or non-governmental, which is qualified in matters covered by the
Convention, and which has informed the secretariat of its wish to be represented at a session of the
Conference of the Parties as an observer, may be admitted unless at least one third of the Parties
present object.  The admission and participation of observers shall be subject to the rules ofprocedure adopted by the Conference of the Parties".  Such criteria could also be applied in the
WTO for observership of MEAs negotiated under a mandate of the United Nations General
Assembly or its subsidiary bodies.
B. C
ONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD) AND CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON
BIOSAFETY
15. The representative of the Secretariat of the CBD said that biodiversity generated and
helped to maintain the supply of a number of goods and services essential for human well-being,
security and economic development.  Many of the goods generated through biodiversity were the
subject of international trade, either as commodities, pharmaceuticals, or as manufactured goods.
In addition, given the role of biodiversity in poverty alleviation and, hence, wealth creation, it was
evident that the maintenance of biodiversity a nd the promotion of trade were interdependent.
There was therefore a clear interest in ensuring that both the international trading system and theCBD process were mutually supportive.
16. Biodiversity was under attack by a number of powerful external forces.  These included
inappropriate government policies related to trade, agriculture and incentives, and lack of sectoral
coordination.  Perhaps the most dangerous force was simple neglect, an underestimation of the
value of biodiversity, and lack of awareness of it s essential role in maintaining the foundations for
growth.  There were, however, hopeful signs that attitudes were changing.  The prominence given
to biodiversity at the WSSD was a case in point.  The representative of the CBD was optimistic
that this MEA Information Session would advan ce the process of mainstreaming biodiversity and
ensuring that biodiversity concerns were more widely understood and incorporated into the trade
agenda for the benefit of all.TN/TE/R/4
Page 6
17. During the last meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD, held in April 2002 in
The Hague, ministers responsible for the implementation of the Convention conveyed a policy
message to the WSSD that was highly relevant.  They called upon the WSSD to promote synergy
and mutual supportiveness between the CBD a nd international trade-related agreements, in
particular the WTO, and, most notably, to promote the proper recognition and status of the CBDwith the relevant WTO bodies. This message of the Hague Ministerial Declaration was all the more
important since no less than 125 ministers and vi ce-ministers attended.  Moreover, the CBD now
had 186 Parties, thus approaching universal membership.  The WSSD had further endorsed the
principle of mutual supportiveness between the mu ltilateral trading system and the CBD.  The Plan
of Implementation agreed by Governments at the WSSD called for the promotion of the
discussions with regard to the relationships between the Convention and agreements related to
international trade and intellectual property rights, as outlined in the Doha Ministerial Declaration.
18. The message of these policy statements was clear.  The time was ripe to move from policy
statements to concrete action.  The Conference of the Parties to the Convention and the WSSD
itself both reaffirmed the importance of cooperation and the need to design and implement
mutually supportive activities with other conventions, international organizations and initiatives.
The CBD had already initiated close international partnerships with a number of such institutions,based on memoranda of understanding and joint programmes of work.  The Conference of the
Parties had also noted the Doha Ministerial Declaration, which encouraged efforts to promote
cooperation between WTO and relevant international environmental and developmental
organizations, and had reaffirmed the need to promote increased mutual supportiveness of trade
and environment agreements.  The dynamic developments under both the biodiversity and theinternational trade regimes required continued efforts to ensure that these regimes remain coherent
and to further enhance their mutual supportivenes s.  The topics of information exchange and
observer status were key elements of the necessary action to meet these requirements.
19. There were numerous benefits in enhancing the exchange of information between the
WTO and CBD, benefits that would accrue to both organizations.  They included:  (i) Theobjectives and many of the provisions and work programmes of the CBD and its
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety had important linkages with the WTO framework.  Improved
information exchange could ensure that the di scussions regarding these linkages and activities
benefitted from authoritative information on recent developments under both the WTO and the
Convention;  (ii) Conversely, enhanced information exchange could also ensure that WTO
Committees dealing with biodiversity-related trade and environment issues were well informed on
relevant developments under the CBD and its Protocol.  (iii) Hence, improved informationexchange would enable both CBD Parties and WTO Members to avoid potential conflicts between
their regimes, with regard to both current a nd future negotiations and the implementation of
existing agreements.  (iv) Lastly, improved information exchange at the international level would
serve as an important complement to facilitate more effective communication between trade and
environmental officials in national capitals.
20. Under the partnership arrangements between the CBD and several international
organizations and conventions, the regular, timely and comprehensive exchange of information
was an important element for the development and implementation of joint programmes of work.
The representative of the CBD looked forward to further strengthening the collaborative
relationship between CBD and the WTO in a similar manner.
21. Important steps to improve the information flow between these two bodies had already
been undertaken by the WTO.  One welcome development had been the recent easing of
derestriction procedures for a number of WTO document types, including country position papers
for the Special Session of the CTE.  Moreover, the WTO Secretariat had taken several welcome
initiatives, such as the hosting of a side event at the last meeting of the Conference of the Parties tothe Convention.  Only a week ago, a very useful briefing had been given by a representative of theTN/TE/R/4
Page 7
WTO Secretariat at the CBD Secretariat in Montreal.  These recent steps taken by the WTO
Secretariat should be further encouraged.
22. On several occasions, the CBD Secretariat had submitted a number of practical proposals
to further improve cooperation and information exchange between the WTO and CBD and the
Cartagena Protocol.  Most recently, such proposals were presented during the last MEAInformation Session of the CTE, in June 2002 and at the back-to-back meeting held by UNEP on
11 November 2002.
23. Despite the progress achieved in improving cooperation and information exchange
between both institutions, an important challenge remained.  The Conference of the Parties to the
CBD had extended an open invitation to the WTO Secretariat to participate as an observer in all
meetings held under the CBD and its Cartagena Protoc ol on Biosafety.  On the instructions of the
Conference of the Parties, the CBD Secretariat had submitted requests for observer status in anumber of relevant WTO bodies, namely the TRIPS Council, the Committee on Sanitary and
Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) as well as the
Committee on Agriculture.  It had also requested that its observer status in the CTE be extended to
the CTE Special Session.  The representative of the CBD was convinced that the granting of
observer status on a reciprocal basis was essential in ensuring a comprehensive flow ofinformation, which was synchronized with negotiations and discussions in the respective
organizations.  Such an arrangement would be to  the mutual advantage of both the CBD and the
WTO.  It was therefore a matter of concern that the requests for observer status submitted by the
CBD Secretariat were still pending.
24. The Doha Declaration instructed the TRIPS Council to examine the relationship between
the TRIPS Agreement and the CBD, and the protection of traditional knowledge and folklore.  The
proposed examination had implications for the CBD in regard to the protection of biodiversity-
related traditional knowledge, access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of
benefits arising out of their utilization, and the pa tentability of life forms.  In this respect, the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention had recognized the role of intellectual property rightsin encouraging access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits from the use of those
resources.  They could also contribute to the protection of traditional knowledge.  The presence of
the CBD would undoubtedly enrich the re lated discussions at the TRIPS Council.
25. The requests for observer status for the CBD Secretariat at the SPS and TBT Committees
were also pending.  The Biosafety Protocol was based on the precautionary approach and
established a set of procedures and standards relating to the import and export of living modified
organisms to ensure that Parties could make informed decisions.  In view of potential tradeimplications of the Protocol, in particular the relevance to the ongoing work under the SPS and
TBT Committees on the issue of LMOs, there was an urgent need to increase dialogue and
collaboration between the CBD and these two Committees.
26. The Doha Declaration further mandated the negotiations in the Special Session of the
Committee on Agriculture, on substantial reductions in tariffs, in export subsidies and in trade-distorting domestic support.  This mandate had important linkages with the CBD’s programme of
work on incentive measures and its focus on positive incentives for the conservation of biodiversity
and its sustainable use, as well as on the removal or mitigation of perverse incentives.
Furthermore, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention had requested the CBD Secretariat to
study the impact of trade liberalization on agricultural biodiversity.  The presence of theConvention in the Committee on Agriculture and its Special Session could ensure that the
discussions and developments in these bodies were reflected in the CBD’s activities in a timely and
comprehensive manner.TN/TE/R/4
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27. Moreover, the issue of observer status in the Special Session of the CTE had not yet been
resolved.  In the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Members of the WTO agreed to negotiate on the
relationship between existing WTO rules and specific trade obligations set out in MEAs.  This
important issue had so far been addressed in the absence of MEAs.  The participation of MEA
secretariats in the Special Session would contribute to a better understanding of the objectives andthe context of MEAs and thus facilitate the discussion on the issue of the relationship between the
WTO and MEAs.  The mandate given to the CTE in the Doha Ministerial Declaration, to negotiate
criteria for the granting of observer status, was welcome.  However, even though the horizontal
nature of the issue had to be acknowledged, these negotiations did not preclude pragmatic solutions
to pending requests.  Nor did they preclude the granting of observer status in the CTE
Special Session to those secretariats of MEAs that, like the CBD Secretariat, held observer status at
its regular sessions.
28. Granting observer status to the CBD Secretariat was an important element of action to
improve cooperation and information exchange.  The representative of the CBD looked forward to
working together with the CTE and other Co mmittees of the WTO in serving this common
objective.
C. U
NITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)
29. The representative of UNEP said that enhancing information exchange and achieving
reciprocal observer status between the WTO, MEAs and UNEP were matters of priority.  He hoped
that this Information Session, as well as the back-to-back meeting held by UNEP on
11 November 2002, would help resolve these issues.  Securing synergies between multilateral trade
and environmental policies and agreements was a prerequisite for achieving sustainabledevelopment, and enhancing information exchange and observer status was a means to achieve
these synergies and mutual supportiveness.  These objectives had been identified at the
Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and had also been emphasized at the WSSD, and in the
Doha Ministerial Declaration.
30. The importance of this cooperation between trade and environment institutions was
essential to achieve the integration necessary to carry out sustainable objectives.  At the Seattle
Ministerial Conference, UNEP and the WTO had agreed on general elements of cooperation,
which emphasized the importance of information exchange and joint work on capacity building for
developing countries.  At Doha, Ministers had welcomed "the WTO's continued cooperation with
UNEP and other inter-governmental environmental organizations", and had "encouraged efforts to
promote cooperation between the WTO and relevant international environmental and
developmental organizations".
7  At the WSSD, Heads of States had identified the need to
"strengthen cooperation among UNEP and other United Nations bodies and specialized agencies,
the Bretton Woods institutions and WTO, within their mandates", as reflected in the Plan of
Implementation.8
31. The meeting held by UNEP on 11 November 2002 was part of a series of meetings
convened by UNEP in an informal setting over the last five years to facilitate and provide input to
CTE meetings.  This meeting had brought together trade and environment officials from around
60 governments, representatives of the WTO Secretariat, UNEP, MEA Secretariats, other
intergovernmental bodies and NGOs.  A number of points had been made at the meeting.  For
instance, it was highlighted that existing forms of information exchange were useful, but that there
was still room for improvement.  Information ex change should contribute to carrying the agenda
                                                     
7 Paragraph 6 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.
8 Paragraph 136 of the WSSD Plan of Implementation. See WT/COMTD/W/106/Rev.1,
WT/CTE/W/220/Rev.1, 20 December 2002, "Report of th e WSSD on Sustainable Development", Note by
the Secretariat, Revision.TN/TE/R/4
Page 9
forward, and extend beyond reporting to more concrete joint activities which addressed particular
issues of interest to MEAs and the WTO.  Ultimately, the results of improved information
exchange and cooperation should also feed into the negotiating process.
32. It was also pointed out at the meeting that discussions at Information Sessions should focus
on specific themes.  Moreover, it was noted that a key objective of these meetings and informationexchange at international level was to enhance coordination of trade and environment policies at
the national level.  Increased national coordination was called for among trade and environment
officials, but also among officials dealing with the various MEAs.
33. A number of participants had emphasized the importance of coordination between the
MEAs, UNEP and the WTO to promote mutual suppo rtiveness, which could then hopefully lead to
the promotion of coordination at national level.  Emphasis was laid also on the importance of
regional coordination, for instance through the WTO regional seminars on trade and environment,and the back-to-back workshops held by UNEP, which involved regional institutions and regional
trade and economic agreements.
34. It was noted that environment, if sustainably managed, could promote sustainable trade.
Trade could also promote environmental protection, and therefore the implementation of MEAs, if
conducted in a sustainable manner.  At the WSSD, trade had been recognized as a means ofimplementing sustainable development.  Trade should not be considered as an end in itself, but
rather as a means of achieving the objectives of MEAs and of addressing issues of priority such as
poverty alleviation.  Although negotiations of environmental and trade agreements often involved
the same countries, the objectives behind these two types of agreements differed.  While the
objective of MEAs was to achieve the common, l ong-term goal of environmental protection and
sustainability, trade negotiations were generally driven by national interests and the perspective of
short-term gains.  In that sense, some consideration had to be given to the global impact of trade
liberalization.
35. Another issue discussed at the meeting of 11 November was the importance of observer
status for MEAs and UNEP in the various WTO bodies.  UNEP believed that reciprocal observerstatus had a crucial role to play in ensuring accurate, relevant and timely information exchange and
cooperation between these bodies, in both implementation and negotiation modes.  Reciprocal
observer status would also complement and facilitate national level coordination and cooperation
between trade and environment officials.  UNEP had been requesting observer status in the
General Council and the TRIPS Council and these requests were still pending.  It was noted that
involvement in WTO committees such as th e SPS Committee, the TBT Committee, the TRIPS
Council, the Committee on Trade and Development, and other WTO bodies was just as importantas participation in the CTE.
36. Specific themes that could be the focus of special sessions included capacity building;
transfer of technology;  environmental goods and services;  compliance and dispute settlement
mechanisms in MEAs and the WTO, as a follow -up to a previous MEA Information Session and
UNEP meeting dedicated to this issue; trade measures in MEAs and WTO rules;  subsidies;integrated assessments of trade liberalization;  and national coordination.  Two meetings per year
would be appropriate, and background papers prepared jointly by UNEP, MEAs and the WTO
could be provided for these meetings.  Another suggestion from the meeting was to create a web
site where information would be posted, for instance on trade measures in MEAs.  Increased
involvement of trade and environment officials in future meetings, as well as in the negotiating
process, was also highlighted by a number of governments.
37. With regard to future work, UNEP noted that it would continue to work closely with
MEAs, the WTO, UNCTAD and other relevant organizations, as well as the private sector and
NGOs.  UNEP would continue to hold back-to-b ack meetings and would continue to seek anTN/TE/R/4
Page 10
exchange of views with governments.  Training workshops would also continue to be held back-to-
back with WTO regional workshops on trade and environment, focusing on specific themes.  The
next training workshop to be held back-to-back with the WTO Regional Seminar in Fiji in
November 2002, would focus on fisheries and environmentally preferable products.  Further high-
level meetings would also be convened, including a meeting in Latin America, in collaborationwith the NAFTA Secretariat in March 2003.  Such meetings provided an opportunity to involve
more regional, sub-regional and national institutions, including policy research centres.  They
would also involve trade and economic agreements operating in the different regions, to help them
integrate environmental considerations into their work.  These meetings would also be used to
clearly identify the capacity-building requirements  at the regional level on a long-term, rather than
ad hoc, basis.  There was a need to move beyond workshops and seminars to more concrete
projects at the country level, to assist governments in formulating policies which were responsiveto their own priorities, and which dealt with trade liberalization, while addressing environmental
objectives.  Moreover, such meetings could help gather reactions on the implications of trade and
environment negotiations from a regional perspective.
38. UNEP would continue to undertake country projects similar to those which had been
undertaken since 1997.  UNEP had recently launched six country projects in the rice sector, whichaddressed the impact of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture.  It invited other countries to express
their interest in working with UNEP on similar activities.  UNEP would produce a manual on the
impact of trade liberalization in the agriculture sector, focusing, among other subjects, on
biodiversity.  Another related area linked to MEAs was the use of economic instruments, or
market-based incentives, to achieve MEA objectives.  UNEP was working on a manual on fisheriessubsidies, which would give guidance to governments on how to address policy reforms in this
area.  As part of the continuous dialogue w ith delegations in Geneva, UNEP and UNCTAD would
be holding a briefing session on 15 November 2002 to discuss the work plan which the two
institutions intended to undertake.
D. R
OTTERDAM CONVENTION ON THE PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT PROCEDURE FOR CERTAIN
HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND PESTICIDES IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND THE
STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
39. The representative of UNEP Chemicals said that the Rotterdam Convention, adopted
in 1998, now had 34 of the 50 ratifications needed for entry into force, which was expected to take
place in 2003.  He encouraged Members to ratify this convention so that it could take effect.  Since
the last CTE Special Session meeting, the Ninth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating
Committee (INC), which would convene until the entry into force of the convention, had beenheld.  This had taken place from 30 September to 4 October, in Bonn, and during the course of that
meeting, one new chemical, monocrotophos, was added to the treaty, and several further chemicals
were under consideration for addition to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.  Most of the
preparatory work for the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties had also been completed,
and some new work had been initiated on non-compliance issues.  The representative ofUNEP Chemicals recalled that the Rotterdam Convention was a trade-related MEA and
coordination between this MEA and the WTO was essential, especially with regard to compliance
matters.
40. Concerning the Stockholm Convention, a dopted in 2001, 23 ratifications had been
received of the 50 required for the entry into force of the convention.  The representative ofUNEP Chemicals encouraged members to ratify the Stockholm Convention, as well as the
Rotterdam Convention.  For this convention, the en try into force was anticipated in the year 2004.
Since the last meeting of the CTE Special Session, a Sixth INC was held in Geneva
from 17-21 June 2002.  In that meeting, a total of 19 major and minor decisions were taken, largely
with regard to preparatory work for the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties.  These wererelated to the technical aspects of the convention, some of the procedural aspects of the convention,TN/TE/R/4
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as well as a handful of decisions relating to the financial mechanism and to technical assistance
that might be provided under the convention.  In addition to these decisions, the INC established a
subsidiary body, specifically an expert group, to work on best-available techniques and best
environmental practices related to Article 5 of the Convention.  Article 5 related to generation of
persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that were unintentional by-products, the main ones being thedioxins and phurans, but potentially other POPs from unintentional production. That group would
meet for its first session in March 2003.  In addition, the Assembly of the Global Environment
Facility had met in October 2002, and during their meeting, it had, inter alia , established a focal
area on POPs;  it had also agreed to a target in the next replenishment of 250 million dollars,
specifically for POPs, and considerable progress had been made in establishing the technical,
financial and institutional mechanisms necessary for the success of this convention.
41. Since the Rotterdam Convention was a trade-related MEA, and since the
Stockholm Convention had a trade-related provision, i.e. restrictions on the trade of persistent
organic pollutants, there was a need for regular information exchange between the bodies of those
Conventions and the WTO in this forum.  The basi c principle, the driving force for consistency in
implementing these agreements, trade and MEAs, sh ould come from the parties, and should not
necessarily be secretariat-driven.  This would ensure that positions held were consistent in theMEA and WTO fora, and that views were mutually reinforcing where appropriate.  Also, creating
modalities for expanded cooperation, e.g. through observer status, could allow the UNEP
Chemicals secretariat, for instance, to report to parties at Conferences of the parties on relevant
work under way, therefore enhancing consistency.
42. For the chemicals conventions, there were two specific issues that might be of interest.
First, the secretariat of UNEP Chemicals was now in the process of beginning work on non-
compliance and compliance-related aspects, specifically in the Rotterdam Convention, although
similar work would perhaps also be done at a future stage in relation to the Stockholm Convention.
This work would have relevance to trade in hazardous chemicals.  Second, the work that would be
under way under the Stockholm Convention on best-available techniques (BAT) and bestenvironmental practices (BEP), and its possible relation to process and production methods, as well
as environmental goods and services may also be of interest, since under the
Stockholm Convention, parties would be interest ed in promoting production methods that apply
BAT and BEP.
E. I
NTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER ORGANIZATION (ITTO)
43. The representative of the ITTO indicated that the ITTO administered the provisions and
operation of the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), 1994, a developmental,
intergovernmental, international commodity agreement negotiated under the auspices of
UNCTAD, which sought to promote the internati onal trade in tropical timber, the sustainable
management of tropical forests, and the development of tropical forest industries through
international cooperation, policy work and project activities.  Unlike the conventional international
commodity agreements (ICAs) negotiated under the aegis of UNCTAD, which focused on pricestabilization measures (commonly referred to as the ICAs with economic provisions) or those
considered as administrative agreements, the ITTA was a developmental agreement aimed at
promoting the international trade and further processing of tropical timber from sustainable
sources.  In pursuing its trade, economic and development-related objectives, the ITTO therefore
placed equal emphasis on the attainment of its environment goals relating to the conservation,management and sustainable development of tropical forests.  Indeed, the overall work of the ITTO
could be viewed as an attempt to integrate trade and environment in respect of tropical forests and
tropical timber, which had essentially been operationalized through the ITTO Objective 2000,
under which members reaffirmed their full commitment to moving as rapidly as possible towards
achieving exports of tropical timber and timber products from sustainably managed sources.TN/TE/R/4
Page 12
44. This emphasis on the integration of trade and environment was clearly reflected in ITTO
policy work and project activities which covered critical areas of forest management, including
criteria and indicators for the sustainable management of tropical forests;  auditing systems and
certification of tropical forests and timber;  development of conservation reserves;  forest law
enforcement and illegal logging;  sustainable forest industries and downstream processing;promoting tropical timber from sustainably mana ged sources;  improving transparency of the
international timber market;  addressing the problem undocumented and illegal trade;  and,
enhancement of national forest statistical systems.  Among the most significant contributions of
ITTO in this regard was its normative work on the development of a series of guidelines covering
the relevant aspects of sustainable tropical forest management;  criteria and indicators for
sustainable management of natural tropical forests;  and, framework for the development of
auditing systems.  Collectively, these tools had been instrumental in building capacities forstrengthening forest management in ITTO producing member countries.  Tropical forests were
found mainly in developing countries.  Hence, ITTO was not relying on trade measures to achieve
its objectives, but on supportive and enabling measures covering capacity building, training,
technical and financial assistance and international cooperation.  ITTO was involved in efforts to
address attempts to impose trade-related measures on tropical timber and timber products, such asbans and boycotts, certification and labelling, and verification of legal compliance.
1. The Case for Enhanced Information Ex change and Strengthened Cooperation
45. The need for enhanced information exchange and strengthened cooperation between ITTO
and WTO was driven by the following considerations.
46. Article 14 of the ITTA, 1994 on cooperation and coordination with other organizations
provided for the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC), the governing body of ITTO, to
make arrangements as appropriate for consultations and cooperation with, inter alia , the GATT.  In
this regard, the ITTO had been mandated, to the maximum extent possible, to utilize the facilities,
services and expertise of WTO in order to avoid duplication of efforts in achieving the objectives
of ITTA, 1994 and to enhance the complementarity and the efficiency of activities.  Article 15 ofthe ITTA, 1994 empowered the ITTC to invite WTO to attend as observer any of its meetings.
47. Pursuant to Article 14 of ITTA, 1994, the ITTC had adopted a number of policy decisions
including ITTC Decision 7(XXX) for the effective involvement of ITTO in international and
regional organizations and fora.  Under the decision, the WTO had been identified as one of the
international organizations and conventions which the ITTO was requested to cooperate and
collaborate with.  In this connection, the measures to be undertaken by the ITTO included
providing the WTO with information on the ITTO’s  trade and environment activities, monitoring
and reporting to the ITTC on the relevant developments in the WTO, and participating in meetings
of the WTO and its CTE.
48. The role of focal agency for UNFF Element on International Trade and Sustainable Forest
Management had been assigned to the ITTO within the framework of the UNFF and the
Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF).  The UNFF was the current stage of the follow-up to
the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) process which was
addressed in the Marrakesh Decision on Trade and Environment adopted on 14 April 1994.  Trade
had been accorded due importance within the overall mandate of the UNFF.  It had been included
in the Forum’s multi-year programme of work as one of the common items to be considered at
each of its future sessions, as well as in its plan of action which would be considered at each ofthese sessions.  In addition, trade would feature as a principal part of the economic aspects of
forests which the Forum would focus on at its Thir d Session, that would be held in Geneva from 26
May to 6 June 2003.  Concrete and meaningful cooperation with the WTO would indeed facilitate
the task of the ITTO as focal agency for the UNFF Element on International Trade and Sustainable
Forest Management.TN/TE/R/4
Page 13
49. In the conduct of ITTO trade-related activities, a clear emphasis had been placed on
ensuring that these activities were consistent with  WTO rules and that duplication of efforts by the
two organizations was avoided.
50. The close and continuous monitoring of developments in relation to the Doha
Development Agenda and their implications on the international trade in forest products andservices, particularly tropical timber and forest products, was of great interest and relevance to the
ITTO.  Among the issues to be addressed in the negotiations were market access for
non-agricultural products and trade and environment.  The focus of attention would be on matters
relating to the reduction and elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers including tariff peaks,
high tariffs and tariff escalation;  measures taken under the multilateral environmental agreements
in relation to existing WTO rules and trade obligations;  the effect of environmental measures on
market access especially for developing countries including recycling, recyclable packaging, wastepaper content and eco-labelling;  and environmental requirements.  Matters that would require
clarification included the extent to which actions being taken for environmental purposes which
acted as trade barriers were legitimate within in ternationally agreed trade rules;  exceptions that
were allowed under GATT Article XX;  whethe r bans or boycotts taken by sub-national
governments were consistent with the relevant WTO rules;  policy and legal measures to prescribeimports of forest products from sustainable and legal sources, particularly in public procurement;
and the promotion of trade in forest products from sustainable sources while addressing the
concern of developing countries regarding the implications on their exports of products from
forests that had yet to be sustainably managed.  In addition to these, ongoing work under the SPS
and TBT Agreements would continue to be of great relevance to the forestry and timber sector.
2. Existing Cooperation between ITTO and WTO
51. Thus far, efforts to promote relations between the ITTO and the WTO had come mainly
from the ITTO as mandated by the ITTC.  No formal understanding on cooperation between the
two organizations had been reached or signed.  The ITTO had attended a few of the meetings
organized by UNEP back-to-back with the meetings  of the CTE but had not participated in any of
the Trade and Environment Regional Seminars conducted by the WTO, nor had it collaborated in
the UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity-Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development
(CBTF).
52. Exchange of information between the ITTO and the WTO had been undertaken through
the ITTO’s participation in a number of MEA Info rmation Sessions held in conjunction with the
meetings of the CTE.  The ITTO had also provided documents and background notes for
circulation at these sessions as well as inputs to the WTO Secretariat for the preparation ofbackground notes on MEAs.  Relevant information and documents regarding the ITTO and the
WTO had been communicated electronically or accessed from the web sites of the organizations.
No WTO side events had so far been organized in parallel to the sessions of the ITTC.
53. In its attempt to further strengthen cooperation with the WTO, the ITTO had submitted its
request for observer status in the CTE.  This request was still pending.
3. Opportunities for Enhanced Cooperation between ITTO and WTO
54. There were clear opportunities for enhanced cooperation between the ITTO and the WTO
that could contribute to synergies and mutual benefits for both organizations.  Since enhanced
cooperation would be mutually beneficial, reciprocity should be the key principle guiding the
efforts to promote concrete cooperation between the two organizations.  Practicality was anotherfactor that should be considered, taking cognizance of the constraints of time, resources and other
work, which would invariably dictate that measures to enhance cooperation should be realistic,
practical and taken on a priority basis.TN/TE/R/4
Page 14
55. Exchange of information between the ITTO and the WTO had been greatly facilitated by
the increased use of web sites and electronic mail.  In view of their coverage and cost-
effectiveness, the use of web sites and e-mail should continue to be the principal means for
enhancing information exchange between the IT TO and the WTO. Exchange of information
through the MEA Information Sessions had been extremely valuable and should be continued on aregular basis and further improved.  The quality of these sessions would be determined by the
relevance and substantiveness of the issues and matters for consideration.  Prior consultations
between UNEP, the MEAs and WTO Secretariat on the agenda of the sessions could facilitate the
planning and conduct of these sessions.
56. The convening of WTO side events in conjunction with the sessions of the governing
bodies of MEAs was a very practical measure to  promote understanding and dialogue regarding
WTO rules and procedures, particularly for the benefit of developing countries.  The organizationof such WTO side events in parallel to the sessions of the ITTC, especially those convened in
ITTO producing member countries, was very much welcomed.
57. The granting of observer status on a reciprocal basis between the WTO and MEAs could
facilitate the building of trust and confidence towards enhanced cooperation between the parties.
The WTO could be readily admitted as a permanent observer of ITTC under the relevantprovisions of the ITTA, 1994.  The request for ITTO observership in the CTE, which had been
expanded to cover the CTE Special Sessions as well, was still pending.  It was hoped that this
request would be given due consideration by the WTO at the earliest opportunity.  The granting of
ITTO observership in the CTE would enable the ITTO to have improved access to WTO
documents and facilitate the observation of the negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda.
58. A number of substantive cross-cutting issues were being advanced in the context of
enhancing cooperation between MEAs and WTO, su ch as capacity building, technology transfer
and environmental goods and services.  In addition, the ITTO was interested in working closely
with the WTO on some of the key issues on interna tional trade in forest products, particularly the
promotion of trade in forest products and services from sustainable sources and the problem ofillegal trade in forest products, which had attracted increased attention in recent years.
F. U
NITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS (UNFF)
59. The representative of the UNFF noted that the International Arrangement on Forests under
the UNFF was a comprehensive voluntary agreement for the implementation of the 270 proposals
for action developed through its predecessors, the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and
the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF).  These 270 proposals for action had been grouped
into 16 elements comprising the "UNFF Multiyear Programme of Work 2001-2005", and its Planof Action for achieving the sustainable management of all types of forests.  International trade and
sustainable forest management was one of the 16 elements addressed in UNFF's Programme of
work and Plan of action.  The work of the UNFF was supported by the 13 international
organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), including the ITTO, which was
the focal organization for the element on international trade in sustainable forest management.
60. Forest products were an important sector of international trade. The global value of
primary forest product exports, such as logs, sawn wood, panels, pulp and paper, was in excess
of 141 billion dollars in 1999; and global trade in secondary processed wood products was close
to 40 billion dollars in 2000.  If non-timber forest products were added, the total annual trade
would range between 185 and 200 billion dollars.  Two critical issues were being discussed in theUNFF and had been raised in the CTE. The first was the issue of certification and labelling of
forest products that were the result of sustainable forest management.  The second was the
international trade in illegally harvested forest products.  At the June 2002 meeting of the CTE,
some Governments had stated that these issues should be addressed in concert with the UNFF.TN/TE/R/4
Page 15
Any such dialogue, to be effective, would requir e regular exchange of information between the two
bodies.
61. The UNFF, both through the CPF, and through the inputs received by Governments was a
major repository of information on international trade and sustainable forest management.  Much
of the work of the UNFF and its supporting international organizations in the CPF was onimproved monitoring, assessment and reporting at the national and international levels on the
implementation of the 270 proposals for action for sustainable forest management of all types of
forest.  Greater attention had been given to improving national reporting in coordination with CPF
partners, including the FAO, UNEP and the Conven tion on Biological Diversity, among others.  To
this end, substantial work had been undertaken in the development of criteria and indicators for
sustainable forest management.
62. National reporting formats had, and continued to be developed with CPF partners.  A large
number of countries had already designated national focal points for the preparation of these
reports.  Since the UNFF was the only functional commission of the Economic and Social Council
of the United Nations with universal membership, it was in a position to gather more
comprehensive information on sustainable forest policies and management, including international
trade in forest products.  The information that the UNFF was gathering would be of great use to theCTE in any deliberations that it would have in the future on international trade in forest products.
63. The Multiyear Programme of Work required the UNFF to review progress in the
implementation of selected programme elements at each UNFF sessions.  Since trade had been
selected as a common item for each session, all progress reports submitted by the Secretary-
General of the United Nations to the sessions of the UNFF were required to highlight the issue oftrade.  Three Secretary-General's reports on programme elements would be considered at UNFF 3
in Geneva from 26 May to 6 June 2003.  The first, on economic aspects of forests, which was
being prepared by the World Bank as the lead organization in the CPF, in collaboration with ITTO
and the Global Environmental Facility, would highlight trade in forest products.  The FAO was
preparing the Secretary-General's report on forest health and productivity, with the United NationsDepartment for Economic and Social Affairs preparing the third report on maintaining forest cover
to meet present and future needs.  While the latter two reports would not focus on trade as much as
the World Bank paper, they would nevertheless l ook closely at how these issues interacted with
trade.
64. The preparation and structure of these reports illustrated how prominently trade featured in
all aspects of the programmatic work of the UNFF.  Also, the Secretary-General's reports relied
heavily on national reports detailing progress in the implementation of the IPF/IFF proposals foraction that comprise each of the programme elements, as well as on inputs provided by all 13
members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.
65. The participation of the UNFF Secretariat in the MEA Information Sessions of the CTE
was discussed at the UNFF Bureau Meeting in July 2002 and at the CPF Meeting in October 2002.
The UNFF Secretariat was preparing a paper from the Secretary-General to UNFF 3 on enhancedcoordination and cooperation with international organizations that, inter alia , would address the
issue of closer collaboration between the UNFF a nd the CTE.  UNFF would shortly be sending a
letter to the CTE requesting observer status for the UNFF Secretariat in the regular and special
sessions of the CTE.  UNFF firmly believed that by being given observer status, the UNFF
Secretariat could contribute more effectively through information exchange to important issuessuch as international trade and sustainable forest management, as well as to other issues of
common concern to the broader community of MEAs.TN/TE/R/4
Page 16
G. BASEL CONVENTION ON THE CONTROL OF TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENTS OF
HAZARDOUS WASTES AND THEIR DISPOSAL
66. The representative of the Basel Convention noted that the Convention had entered into
force in 1992 and counted 153 Parties.  In December 2002, the Sixth Meeting of the Conference of
the Parties would take place.  Several important issues for the future of the Convention would beconsidered at that meeting, in particular the preparation of a ten-year Strategic Plan to implement
the Basel Convention, and the establishment of a compliance mechanism.
67. Since the adoption of the Basel Ministerial Declaration on Environmentally Sound
Management in 1999, the Convention had gradually moved into concrete implementation of the
environmentally sound management approach.  This approach had two dimensions: first, a global
dimension, in terms of involving activities at the local, national, regional and international level;
and second, a universal dimension, as the Convention concerned everyone.  The ten-year StrategicPlan was a "road map" to carry out environmentally sound management activities in a concrete
manner.  The environmentally sound management approach complemented and reinforced the
successful application world-wide of the control system for hazardous and other wastes established
under the Convention.
68. Over the years, the Basel Convention had demonstrated its capacity to adapt to science,
technology and emerging issues.  For instance, the Conference of the Parties in December 2002
would consider adopting technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of partial
and full dismantling of ships.  Issues such as the sound management of end-of-life equipment, in
particular electronic wastes, was also on the agenda.  Major progress had been made in developing
partnership in strategic domains for the Basel Convention and in the spirit of the Basel Declarationon Environmentally Sound Management, for instance the cooperation with the Stockholm
Convention on persistent organic pollutants and the Rotterdam Convention on prior informed
consent for chemicals in trade, but also with the IMO London Convention 1972, as well as the
UNEP Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans, and the Bamako and Waigani Conventions
dealing with hazardous and other wastes at the regional level.
69. With regard to activities having an impact on trade, the secretariat had been very active in
facilitating the elaboration of partnership at the regional level for the environmentally sound
management of priority hazardous waste streams, such as used lead-acid batteries in
Central America and the Caribbean together with UNCTAD and the International Lead
Management Centre, and used oils in Southern Africa, also in partnership with industry.  The
Parties adopted, in 1995, an amendment contained in decision III/1 banning export of wastes
characterized as hazardous from countries listed in a new Annex VII to countries not listed in thisannex for any purpose.  Annex VII members were Parties and other States which were members of
the OECD, the European Communities and Liechtenstein.  Although in practical terms the Ban
Amendment was being implemented, it had not yet legally entered into force.
70. In all activities undertaken at regional level, the Basel Convention Regional Centres were
profiling themselves as one of the main delivery mechanisms for the Basel Convention and relatedwaste and chemical conventions or protocols.
1. Information exchange
71. The Secretariat of the Basel Convention strongly supported the regular exchange of
information as initiated by the CTE.  The reason was that globalization and the progressive
liberalization of trade imposed new ways of cooperation both at the international and nationallevel, and between MEAs and WTO.  Environmentally sound management required measures to
protect human health and the environment from ha zardous wastes.  It touched upon the domains ofTN/TE/R/4
Page 17
the life-cycle of chemicals and of consumption and production patterns, and would have an impact
on socio-economic development.
72. The elaboration of an integrated approach to trade and environment issues in policy-
making at the national level was therefore critical.  Furthermore, the prevention and minimization
of the generation of waste was an important step to reduce adverse effects.  Similarly, access toappropriate disposal and recycling technologies was imperative to ensure environmentally sound
management of hazardous and other wastes.  The further development of joint activities to
enhance, internationally, waste and chemical management should be part of the strategy to improve
health conditions and the quality of the environment.  As globalization offered increased
opportunities for trade, it was necessary to review the possible impact of international movements
of hazardous wastes on the environment, in particular for developing countries.
73. All of these domains were of relevance to, and suitable for, information exchange.  But
there was a need to reinforce and improve information exchange to make it more productive and to
focus the debate on specific themes or topics.  Such formal exchange of information should be
interactive with the ongoing negotiations as part of the Doha agenda.
74. Information exchange should enhance the promotion of cooperation on environment,
development and trade, in particular at the regional level.  The secretariat of the Basel Conventionwas in favour of having a closer working relationship with the secretariat of WTO in exploring
ways of providing support to build capacity in developing countries.  The Basel Convention
Regional Centres would be able to play an active role in such an endeavour.  The Secretariat of the
Basel Convention had much appreciated being invited to regional seminars organized by the WTO
Secretariat, which it had found very useful and timely.  The Secretariat of the Basel Conventionwas also looking forward to pursuing its frui tful cooperation with UNEP and UNCTAD on trade-
related matters.
2. Observer status
75. The issue of the relationship between trade an d environment would be considered by the
Sixth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, in particular referring to paragraph 31 of the Doha
Ministerial Declaration.  The Parties to the Base l Convention would review this issue, including
the question of requesting observer status in relevant WTO committees.  In a spirit of cooperation
and transparency, the secretariat of the Basel Convention hoped that the granting of observer status
would not lead to a long protracted debate.  As for the participation of the WTO in the Basel
Convention, the rules of procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties, and for all
subsidiary bodies of the Conference of the Parties, required the secretariat of the Basel Convention
to notify the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other intergovernmental organizations ofany meetings so that they may be represented by observers.  This rule had been in practice since
1992 and the WTO had always been invited to the meetings of the Basel Convention.
3. Concluding remarks
76. Expertise developed over the years in implem enting the Basel Convention would certainly
be of value to the work of relevant WTO Committees.  Everyone recognized the progress made inworking towards mutually supportive trade and environmental policies.  This was a learning
process.  Without instituting and sustaining di alogue among people responsible for environment
and trade at the national and international level,  there would be a risk of slowing down progress.
The secretariat of the Basel Convention was hopeful that the work on the Doha agenda would pave
the way for a dialogue that was both necessary and urgent.TN/TE/R/4
Page 18
II. COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
77. Members welcomed the presentations by the secretariats of MEAs, UNEP and WTO, as
well as the back-to-back UNEP-MEA meeting on Enhancing MEA and WTO Information
Exchange, held in Geneva on 11 November 2002.9
On National Coordination
78. The point was made that increased coordination and communication at the national level
was essential to promote the mutual supportiveness between trade and environment.  A question
was put as to whether or not the Conferences of the Parties of MEAs were attended by national
trade officials, and how it would be possible to encourage such participation in MEA negotiations.
79. The representative of the UNFCCC Secretariat considered that the issue of national
coordination was not a problem particular to developing countries, but a problem which affected
all countries.  For this reason, exchange through MEA Information Sessions was useful.  TheUNFCCC Secretariat appreciated the cooperation between the WTO, UNEP and MEAs, which
benefitted all parties alike.  Concerning the participation of trade and environment representatives
in the UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties, the UNFCCC Secretariat noted that a number of
countries parties to the Convention had established national committees on climate change which
cut across government ministries and agencies.
80. The CBD Secretariat noted that the issue of coordination needed to be addressed first at the
national level, before it was considered at the international level.  Indeed, coordination at the
national level, or lack thereof, was often reflected at the international level.  The CBD Secretariat
also made the point that delegates participating in meetings of the CBD were not only
representatives of environment ministries, but also included trade representatives, particularlywhen issues such as benefit sharing, biosafety and invasive alien species were discussed.  In most
cases however, the trade representatives were from developed countries.
81. The UNEP Secretariat agreed that the leading role with regard to enhancing coordination
had to be undertaken by governments at the national level.  UNEP had tried to contribute to this
objective through its various country projects, which involved the establishment of a steeringcommittee including representatives from ministries of trade and environment, civil society and
industry.
82. The UNFF Secretariat noted that in the area of illegally harvested forest products, there
was a need to build up the capacity of governments.  There was also a lack of consistency in the
development of national legislation.  For instance in some countries, illegal harvesting would be
sanctioned by a fine, while in another country it would be considered as a crime.  These
discrepancies made it difficult to control the problem of trade in illegally harvested forest products.Therefore, the issue of capacity building and the development of supportive national legislation
was critical.
On International Coordination
83. The CBD Secretariat said that in order to improve international cooperation and increase
synergies between the different international institutions, the CBD had proceeded to identify the
most relevant institutions with regard to specific  issues within its work programme.  For instance,
                                                     
9 See TN/TE/INF/2, 19 December 2002, "UNEP-MEA Meeting on Enhancing MEA and WTO
Information Exchange, Palais des Nations, Geneva, 11 November 2002", Submission by UNEP; andTN/TE/INF/3, 23 December 2002, "UNEP-MEA Meeting on Enhancing MEA and WTO InformationExchange, Palais des Nations, Geneva, 11 November 2002, Chairman’s Summary", Submission by UNEP.TN/TE/R/4
Page 19
on agriculture, the FAO was the lead agency.  The CBD would therefore institutionalize a
mechanism of cooperation with the FAO and develop joint programmes of work in order to ensure
mutual supportiveness and avoid duplication.  Other relevant organizations would also be involved.
One example of international coordination was the UNFF process and its Collaborative Partnership
on Forests, where each organization was taking the lead on one particular issue.
84. The UNEP Secretariat called for coordination among international institutions to be
enhanced.  The different organizations needed to coordinate on the appropriate approach to take on
issues of common interest, such as capacity building, so as to ensure more consistency.
85. The UNFF Secretariat noted that the issue of international trade in forest products from
illegal harvesting was considered within a group composed of the ITTO, UNFF, CITES and the
CBD.  On a different level, there was also a need to form clusters of issues.  For instance, the
chemicals and hazardous waste-related agreements dealt with issues that could be relevant to theUNFF, since chemicals were used in forestry management.  While the UNFF would be interested
to participate in the discussions within these agreements, it would not play a leading role on these
issues.
On Cooperation and Information Exchange between WTO, UNEP and MEAs
86. Members noted that information exchange was intended to keep each organization abreast
of the developments in other organizations, with a view to ensuring that the work in various fora
contributed to coherence and mutual supportiveness of trade and environment.  MEAs were
encouraged to exchange views and information wi th the WTO, within their respective mandate, so
as to avoid duplication of work and any misi nterpretation of the relevant agreements.
87. The CTE had had a good exposure to information provided by MEA secretariats through
regular briefings and exchange of information.  Similarly, MEA secretariats had benefitted from
attending MEA Information Sessions, and having access to WTO documents and proceedings in
the various committees.  Some Members raised the question as to how the information received by
MEAs was subsequently disseminated within the respective organizations.
88. Some Members emphasized the importance of maintaining a certain degree of formality in
the exchange of information between the WTO, MEAs and UNEP, in order to ensure that the
various contributions would still be available at the time of negotiations.  Also, the possibility of
holding informal meetings with MEAs on a mo re regular basis was put forward.  Concerning
documentary information exchange, the setting up of a web site, which would provide the dates of
CTE meetings and relevant documents from the MEAs and delegations, was also suggested.
89. It was noted that the level of cooperation and exchange between the various MEA
secretariats and the WTO still varied.  The concern was also expressed that WTO Members shouldbe better informed of Secretariat activities in relation to MEAs.  The WTO Secretariat recalled that
information regarding Secretariat activities on trade and environment had been circulated indocument WT/CTE/W/216.
10
90. The representative of UNEP Chemicals noted that since the two chemicals conventions
were not yet in force, it was too early to have specific areas of cooperation with WTO.  There
were, however, a number of areas where cooperation was likely to be important in the future, for
instance in the area of compliance, particularly for the Rotterdam Convention, which stated in its
preamble that nothing in the Convention should be interpreted as implying a change in the rights
and obligations of a party under any existing international agreement applying to chemicals in
                                                     
10 WT/CTE/W/216, 30 September 2002, "Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Activities
in 2002", Note by the Secretariat.TN/TE/R/4
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international trade or to environmental protection.  This provision would require further
interpretation by parties as they moved forward and determined what was non-compliance under
the Rotterdam Convention, and how this would fit with other instruments.  It was probably an
appropriate time for countries to pay attention to compliance provisions in the
Rotterdam Convention, with a view to ensuring  consistency between the various fora.  UNEP
Chemicals supported the idea of holding joint workshops or briefings, together with the WTO.
91. The Secretariat of the Basel Convention noted that the level of exchange which had been
taking place so far, namely between the secretariats of the MEAs and the CTE, could be further
enhanced.  It was suggested that a proper channel should be established to transmit to the parties to
the Convention the concerns raised in the WTO.  Party-to-party exchange of information should be
encouraged through increased coordination at national level, and also between the respective
parties, Conferences of the Parties of MEAs and the WTO.  Information exchange would be further
enhanced through the participation of the WTO secretariat in MEA meetings.
92. The UNFCCC Secretariat informed Members that all documents of the Convention were
available on the web site and were easily accessible.
On Topic-Driven Meetings and Seminars
93. Some Members echoed UNEP's suggestion to organize meetings on specific subjects.
Possible topics could include environmental goods, as well as the legal implications of the
negotiations under paragraph 31(i) of the Doha Declaration.
94. The CBD Secretariat believed that the organization of events on specific issues was
important.  The CBD itself was trying to institutionalize joint meetings of policy-setting bodies: i.e.
between the Conference of the Parties of th e CBD, its subsidiary body on scientific and
technological matters, and the relevant bodies of other conventions, to ensure enhanced
information exchange.
95. The UNFF Secretariat agreed that one way to make the information exchange between the
CTE and MEAs more fruitful was by focusing the discussions on specific subjects.  However,
within a family of twelve MEAs, only a limited number of issues concerned all MEAs.  Therefore,one option would be to continue to hold meetings  with the participation of all MEAs, while three
or four of the MEAs that had more to contribute on a specific issue would interact amongst
themselves and present together the relevant information.
On Up-to-Date Information
96. It was noted that information could be sensitive and critical.  Therefore it had to be
accurate, factual and up-to-date.  One delegation stressed that it was particularly difficult for least
developed countries to have access to updated information.  Sometimes information was alreadyoutdated by the time action had to be taken.  Hence the need for more effective and productive
information exchange.  Information exchange should  not be a static process, a one-time event.  It
needed to be a dynamic and continuing process between MEA secretariats and the WTO.
97. The Secretariat of the Basel Convention agreed on the importance of ensuring up-to-date
and accurate information.  In this context, the closeness of the source of information to interested
countries was an important consideration.  The Basel Convention was presently trying to utilize its
regional centres so as to strengthen the electronic system of information delivery, as well as to
provide countries with more accurate and up-to-date information regarding the Basel Convention
through publications.  The Basel Convention also contained a system of notification, on the basis
of which the secretariat provided assistance and information upon request through its focal points,and tried to find, for example, the alleged incident of dumping, or illegal export of hazardousTN/TE/R/4
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waste.  The Basel Secretariat had organized a regional workshop in Malaysia to strengthen the
cooperation between parties in the region.  The purpose of that workshop was to look at the
existing problem of obtaining accurate and timely information on the traffic in hazardous waste,
and explore ways of building the capacity of the countries to address this issue in a more concerted
and effective way.  In this context, the Basel Convention was also undertaking a series of regionaland national workshops to build the capacity of customs officers.  Such workshops were organized
jointly by the secretariats of the Basel Convention, the Montreal Protocol and the CITES, which all
shared the common objective of ensuring that the illegal traffic of hazardous wastes was controlled
at entry level.  The Basel Convention also emphasized that the quality of information required a
multi-stakeholder approach.  Cooperation was needed not only from the parties, but also from
industry and NGOs.  There was also a need for cooperation at the regional and international levels.
98. The Secretariat of the ITTO noted that the ITTO was taking all necessary steps to ensure
the accuracy of the information disseminated, either through documents or through its web site.  In
the area of tropical timber and forests, countries could request assistance from the ITTO towards
developing their own national forests statistical system, which was an essential tool to generate
accurate data on tropical forests and timber.
99. With regard to the reliability of the informati on in the area of trade in illegally harvested
forest products, the Secretariat of the UNFF indicated that one of the main difficulties was trying to
determine its volume.  Products from illegally harvested timber often entered international marketsin a perfectly legal manner.  Indeed, many of the traded species of trees illegally harvested were
not considered as endangered species under CITES.  Moreover, the accuracy of the information
depended to a large extent on the legal regimes in place and the capacity of the countries involved.
On Other Issues Contained in the Doha Developm ent Agenda such as Transfer of Technology and
Sustainable Development
100. Some Members recalled that the Doha Ministerial Declaration contained provisions on the
transfer of technology, and on the relationship between trade, environment and sustainable growth.
The objective of sustainable development was emphasized in the Doha Declaration in theprovisions aimed at encouraging Members to carry out environmental assessments, and in
paragraph 51 of the Doha Declaration, which aimed at ensuring that the objective of sustainable
development was appropriately reflected in the negotiations.  It was recalled that the assistance of
MEAs was essential to identify the linkages between trade objectives and sustainable development
in order to build the bridge between trade and sustainability.
101. The UNFCCC Secretariat said that the transfer of technology was a core issue and that an
exchange of views between MEAs, UNEP and the WTO on this topic would be very much
welcomed.
102. The UNEP Secretariat believed that technology transfer was not only an issue for the
WTO, but for all MEAs.  The challenge was to identify how technology transfer could be used as a
tool to enhance implementation of environmental and trade agreements in a mutually supportive
manner, rather than just as a coordinating mechanism.  So far, MEAs and the WTO had workedindependently on this matter, but synergies had to be built.  The issue of the relationship between
trade, environment and development was very important for UNEP.  When UNEP had started its
activities on capacity building, it had to build confidence between on the one hand, UNEP's effort
to achieve its environmental objectives and on the other hand, the development aspect, which was
the priority of developing countries.  UNEP had closely linked environment and development inthe context of its work.  For instance, it had look ed at how environment could be managed so as to
increase market access opportunities, e.g. through the promotion of environmentally preferable
products;  how environment, through the preservation and the sustainable management of naturalTN/TE/R/4
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resources, could sustain continuous trade flows;  and how the use of natural resources could feed
into the trade process in a long-term perspective.
103. In its work, UNEP had tried to demonstrate that environment should not be used as a
protectionist measure, but rather as a supportive measure and a promoter of sustainable trade.  The
fact that UNEP had received financial support from a number of developed countries in relation towork on capacity building or on fisheries for instance, indicated that developed countries were
serious and sincere in addressing the concerns of developing countries.  Environment officials from
fourteen developing countries had been able to participate at the UNEP meeting on 11 November
2002 with the support of Canada through DFAID and Environment Canada.  Also, funding had
been provided by Germany, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the European
Communities to support the UNEP/UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force.  UNEP activities had
contributed to build confidence and fill the gap between the positions of developing and developedcountries towards achieving the objectives of sustainable trade and the Doha Development
Agenda.
104. Furthermore, the issue of poverty was a pr iority within UNEP's work programme.  It
would also be a main theme of the Ministeria l Segment of the next Governing Council, which
would focus in particular on environment and poverty eradication in the context of globalization.
105. The CBD Secretariat stressed that the CBD was not simply an environmental convention
aimed at the conservation of biological diversity.   The Convention also dealt with the sustainable
use of biological resources, as well as the equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of these
resources.  The negotiation of the Convention also embodied the concept of sustainable
development, as its negotiation had taken place at the same time as the elaboration of theBrundtland Report and Agenda 21.  In addition, the Convention raised some trade issues, in that
the parties were requested to undertake specific measures, which could have an impact on trade.
On Information Exchange in the Forestry Area
106. Some Members used the forestry sector as an example of the usefulness of information
exchange, and to illustrate how trade could be an important tool for sustainable development.  Itwas noted that the contributions from the ITTO and the UNFF might be important in enhancing the
CTE's understanding of the issue of illegal trade in forest products.  UNFF was asked how many of
the 270 proposals for action were trade-related, and especially concerning illegal forestry, what
kind of action the UNFF envisaged.  The ITTO was asked about the trade-related aspects of ITTO
action toward sustainable development of forests.
107. The UNFF Secretariat indicated that the trade aspects in its work had been divided mainly
into two areas, including:  (i) issues and elements that required further discussion and negotiation
within the UNFF itself, such as the issues of certification and labelling;  and (ii) issues linked to
international trade in illegally harvested forest products, which would require greater attention in
future meetings of the UNFF.  Many of these is sues would be discussed at the Third Session of
UNFF.  Nevertheless, there were approximately 15-20 proposals for action that could be taken in
the area of trade.  For example, one action directed at national governments aimed at strengtheningenforcement and control so as to limit illegal trade in forest products.  Some proposals for action
dealt specifically with the improvement of the data and information available on the volume and
the value of trade in forest products.  More work was needed to quantify and monitor more
effectively the total value of the products that were subject to international trade, for both timber
and non-timber products.  The issue of assessment, monitoring and reporting was also highlightedin relation to trade.  Another specific action concerned developing countries that were major
producers of the raw material, and how they could be more engaged in improving their own
position regarding the exportation of secondary processed forest products.TN/TE/R/4
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108. The ITTO Secretariat noted that the ITTO wished to enhance the capacity of Members to
implement a strategy for achieving the export of tropical timber and timber products from
sustainably managed sources.  The ITTO Year 2000 was an effort to integrate trade and
environment.  There were also other trade-related objectives in the Agreement.  For example, ITTO
was supposed to provide a forum for consultation to promote non-discriminatory trade practices inrelation to timber.  This objective had been incorporated in the Agreement as a result a perception
among tropical countries that their exports of tropical products were vulnerable to discriminatory
trade practices internationally.  There was also another objective of improving market intelligence,
considering that many, if not all ITTO member countries had a capacity problem in this regard.
Hence, the ITTO had played a facilitating role to enhance the capacity of members on market
intelligence, with a view to ensuring transparency in the international timber market.
109. Furthermore, the ITTO had designed a work programme, the latest of which was the
Yokohama ITTO Action Plan, and had focused its attention on two specific goals in this context.
The first goal was to improve the transparency of the international timber market.  For this purpose
a number of activities had been prescribed, including the annual review and assessment of the
world timber situation.  ITTO had promoted the collection and dissemination of accurate and
timely data, which was extremely pertinent in addressing the problem of illegal trade.  In thisregard, the ITTO had commenced a policy study on the discrepancies in the import and export data
for tropical timber, in the light of concerns raised by many countries about the illegal trade in
tropical timber.  The statistics available had revealed some discrepancies which had to be
examined further.  ITTO had also undertaken policy work on certification, mainly to assist
developing member countries interested in this matter.  If one looked at these statistics today, lessthan 8 per cent of certified forests were in the tropics.  This showed the extent to which developing
countries with tropical forests were lagging behind on the issue of certification.
110. The second goal reflected in the ITTO's action plan was to promote tropical timber from
sustainably managed sources.  There were many problems and constraints facing this sector in
developing countries.  On the one hand it was fully acknowledged that trade liberalization was anessential condition for developing countries to achieve sustainable development.  On the other
hand, the ITTO was also promoting capacity in developing countries, to ensure that their exports
would come from sustainably managed tropical forests.
111. The ITTO Secretariat also raised the issue of the promotion of trade in forest products and
services produced from sustainably managed forests, which was still outstanding in the ITTO and
the UNFF.  This matter was considered essential to  ensure the mutual supportiveness of trade and
sustainable forest management.  The views and expertise of the WTO were relevant in guiding theITTO and the UNFF in addressing this issue.
On the Interest of MEAs to Cooperate with various WTO Bodies
112. Some Members expressed support for the participation of MEAs in the work of various
WTO bodies, for instance in the areas of services, market access and labelling.  In this context,
some MEAs identified the different links between their areas of expertise and WTO bodies.
113. The UNFCCC Secretariat said that it was necessary, when it came to issues such as
technology transfer or the use of economic inst ruments, to broaden the scope of information
exchange and the participation of MEAs in various WTO bodies.  The UNFCCC would reflect
further on the WTO bodies to which it could contribute.
114. The CBD Secretariat indicated that the WT O bodies to which the CBD could contribute
had already been identified in decisions of the Conference of the Parties.  These included the
TRIPS Council, the SPS Committee, the TBT Committee and the Committee on Agriculture.TN/TE/R/4
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On Observer Status
115. Several Members supported the participation of MEAs and UNEP in the CTE Special
Session, and hoped that a practical solution would be found on this matter.  As a comparison, it
was noted that observer status had been granted in the negotiating groups on agriculture and
services to the international organizations that had taken part in the work of the regular committeesdealing with these subjects.  It was also noted that criteria for the granting of observer status
needed to be objective, and apply to all requests for observer status in the various committees of
the WTO.
116. The UNFCCC Secretariat was pleased that several Members had expressed support for the
granting of observer status to MEAs in other WTO bodies.  In her view, this was a direct result
from the WSSD, which had clearly spelled out that the agenda on sustainable development was not
strictly about the contribution of MEAs to sustainable development and its consistency with traderules.  It was rather a positive agenda which inst ructed countries to look at how trade could be a
means of implementing sustainable development.  The UNFCCC called on WTO Members to
share their views in this regard.
117. The CBD Secretariat noted that the granting of observer status to relevant institutions
would ensure that negotiators were kept up to date with developments in other fora.
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