WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/LDC/HL/M/1
26 November 1997
(97-5212)
High-Level Meeting on Integrated Initiatives for
Least-Developed Countries' Trade Development
NOTE ON THE MEETING
Chairman:  Minister Jan Pronk (The Netherlands)
A. Opening Statements and Adoption of the Agenda
1. The High-Level Meeting took place on 27-28 October 1997.  The Chairman delivered the
opening statement (Attachment 1).  Mr. Rena to Ruggiero, Director General of the WTO,
Mr. Rubens Ricupero, Secretary-Ge neral of UNCTAD, and Mr. Denis Bélisle, Executive Director of
the ITC, made additional statements (Attachments 2, 3 and 4).
2. The Meeting adopted the agenda contained in document WTO/AIR/698 and Adds.1 and 2.
B. Initiatives to Improve Market Access for Least-Developed Countries
3. The Chairman invited delegations wishing to intervene under this Agenda Item to announce
steps that they would be taking on an autonomous basis to enhance market access for imports from
least developed countries.
4. The representative of the European Communities said that the EU was the largest single
market for exports of goods from least-developed countries.  In absolute terms, it imported more
agricultural and manufactured products, including a large amount of textiles and clothing, than any
other major country, and in relative terms it imported more in relation to both its population and its
GDP.
5. The EU had recently taken steps to further enhance market access for least-developed
countries.  It had decided, effective 1 January 1998, to eliminate differentiation among them and to
grant them all preferential access equivalent to that granted to those that are members of the Lomé
Convention.  The European Council had also decided that rules of origin would be simplified, by
allowing for derogations and by promoting regional cumulation.  In this regard, the European
Community had recently granted a derogation from normal rules of origin to Laos, Nepal, Cambodia
and Bangladesh to allow them to use neighbouring countries' raw materials to produce garmentswhich could then be exported to the EU duty-free under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)
scheme.
6. He said that his purpose in presenting these facts was to call upon the least-developed
countries' trading partners, including the most advanced developing countries, to open their markets to
least-developed country products in a way comparable  to the EU.  It would, of course, be up to each
country to identify the concessions which it was ready to make, but coordinated action, in particular
by the industrialised countries and the advanced developing countries, would be more effective than
action taken by the EU alone.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
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7. Improved market access was a cornerstone to any effective policy to integrate least-developed
countries into the world trading system and to ensu re their participation in international trade and
investment flows.  However, an approach based so lely on this policy had shown its limits over time.
Besides market access, measures were needed that could help least-developed countries to produce
more exportable goods in order to make use of the market access they enjoyed.  To quote the
Chairman of the Economic Committee meeting of the Global Coalition for Africa, which took placein Abidjan in May 1997, "trade preferences are needed as temporary support to structural changes and
development of competitiveness, but they cannot be a substitute for strategies and policy measures
that promote strong supply response and good export  performance.".  He added that beyond political
stability, which was a fundamental pre-condition for growth, sound policies played a major role in
influencing exports and growth.  Least-developed countries lacking these had suffered from low
credibility with the private sector, thereby perpetua ting the situation of exclusion from international
investment flows.
8. Another serious problem for the least-developed countries had been the dependency of their
export revenues on a limited number of export products, normally primary commodities.  To avert or
at least reduce this dependency, an effort towards diversification was needed.  The best chance to
achieve sound, market-oriented diversification lay in private sector initiative.  The role of government
institutions should focus on opening markets and deregulating the economy in a way to favour theemergence of entrepreneurship and to attract domestic and foreign investment, while preserving
societal values characteristic of local and national traditions.  There was, therefore, a need to examine
other elements besides market access which contributed to the economic development of least-
developed countries and their integration into the global economy.
9. His delegation was confident that the following goals to which the EU attached particular
importance would be taken into account at this Meeting:
(i) Ensure that all of the least-developed countries would have its own programme,
tailored to its own needs assessment, discussed with the agencies and other interested
major parties on the basis of the common Integrated Framework.
(ii) Improve market access, with a view to enhancing growth and diversification of
exports, and improve the least-developed countries' ability to attract investment as a
basis for  their better integration into the multilateral trading system and the world
economy.
(iii) Review in a meaningful and reasonable way the implementation of individual country
programmes.
He also launched the idea that the follow-up given to the High-Level Meeting would be an
appropriate matter for consideration at future WTO Ministerial Conferences, beginning in 1998.
10. In conclusion, he said that the EU had long promoted an integrated approach to development.
It worked with other multilateral donors in a large number of programmes and countries.  It attached
great importance to human rights, social values, education and training, and the preservation of the
environment.  It combined this with first-hand expe riences of trade liberalization, structural policies,
regional cooperation and integration.  This was the broad, solid basis which provided the EU withexperience of developmental processes, but it had also taught it that time and determination continued
to be necessary.  The EU was determined to ensure that this Meeting did not constitute the peak of
commitment in favour of least-developed countries.  Instead, it should be the starting point of an
effective integrated new approach to the issues of  trade development and the needs of least-developed
countries in the process of their better integration into the world economy.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
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11. The representative of Norway said the situation for least-developed countries, including
efforts to integrate them into world trade and assist  them to reap the benefits of globalisation, would
feature prominently on the new Norwegian Government's agenda.  He would take home from this
Meeting new experiences and fresh insights as inputs to his government's platform on trade and
development policy.  The integration of all economies, including the least-developed countries, into
world trade was one of the most crucial challenges facing the multilateral trading system today.  Theleast-developed countries currently accounted for a marginal share of world exports.  His government
believed there was scope for extended trade with least-developed countries, and that this would
facilitate their social and economic development.  The Meeting provided an occasion to develop,
along with other agencies concerned, joint strategies for stimulating trade.
12. The issue of market access rightfully had a prominent place in the WTO Plan of Action for
the Least-Developed Countries, where the following measures were suggested:  preferential duty-free
access for exports from least-developed countries, increased access for their textiles and clothingexports, unilateral and autonomous benefits to least-developed countries, and other measures such as
early implementation of Uruguay Round undertakings.  His task was to announce Norway's response
to these suggestions, and to share some  views on possible further progress.
13. He said that he wished to make it clear at the outset that he was fully aware of the
shortcomings of market access initiatives in a situation where other pressing problems - such assupply capacity constraints, structural weakness an d a heavy debt burden - were not properly dealt
with.  When Norway had maintained, throughout the preparations for the Meeting, that market access
should be included in the agenda, it has been with the conviction that those other issues would also
receive the necessary attention.
14. In terms of preferences for least-developed countries, Norway had already revised its GSP
programme in order to stimulate their exports.  Since July 1995, duty-free and quota free access had
been accorded to all industrial and agricultural imports from least-developed countries covered by the
programme, with the exception of flour, grains and feeding stuffs;  however, these products were
given a preferential margin of 30 per cent within indicative tariff ceilings.  The scope for further
improvements in market access for least-developed countries was, therefore, almost exhausted.
15. Norway had accelerated its Uruguay Round tariff cuts on agricultural products by
implementing them from 1 January 1995 instead of 1999.  Similarly, it had decided to phase out
almost all restrictions on textiles and clothing by 1997-98 instead of 2004.  His delegation hoped that
these measures would be acknowledged, and that ot her Members would be able and willing to initiate
concrete measures.  In that regard, his government was of the view that Members should strivetowards the following priorities:
- For imports from least-developed countries, industrialized countries should, as soon
as possible, eliminate all tariffs and quantitative restrictions on industrial products,
including textiles;
- On agricultural products, industrialized countries should consider taking further
market access measures in favour of the least-developed countries;
- Developing Members other than the least-developed countries should, for their
imports from least-developed countries, implement by 1 January 1998 the final rate of
tariff reductions according to the Marrakesh Protocol to GATT 1994;
- Products from least-developed countries should be given flexibility with regard to
origin criteria.  Developed countries could consider exemptions from originWT/LDC/HL/M/1
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requirements on a case-by-case basis, or introduce full cumulation of origin for least-
developed countries' products in accordance with the work being undertaken by the
WTO and the World Customs Organization.
These measures could be implemented either as binding commitments or as part of each Member's
GSP schemes to the benefit of the least-develope d countries.  Norway was convinced that positive
results would materialize if these initiatives were introduced along with a general stimulation of the
supply side in the least-developed countries.
16. With regard to trade-related technical cooper ation, his delegation felt it essential that the
outcome of the High-Level Meeting be a genuine integrated approach with the least-developed
countries.  It should be recalled that one of the prime objectives of the present UN reform process was
to attain a higher degree of coherence of UN development activities.  This should take place both at
headquarters and in the implementation of programmes at the country level, through a uniform UN
representation.  The scope of the Integrated Framework that covered institutions other than the UNopened the possibility for interesting cooperation with non-UN agencies.  It was encouraging that the
follow-up of this Meeting intended to draw on the experience of the Joint Integrated Programme for
Trade-Related Technical Assistance to selected African Countries.  This was a promising approach,
but no results had so far been seen.  It would therefore be a major challenge for the three Geneva-
based agencies to demonstrate effective cooperation and the added value of an integrated approach.His delegation was ready to participate in such an approach;  the lessons learned would be decisive in
shaping its future cooperation with the Geneva agencies.
17. The representative of Morocco said the High-Level Meeting represented an important step in
reducing existing disparities in development and ensuring enhanced participation by the least-
developed countries in the new expansion of international trade generated by the MarrakeshAgreements.  It marked the beginning of a process which should bring the marginalization of the
least-developed countries under control at a time when the trend of international economic relations
was towards globalisation.  The great majority of the least-developed countries had introduced
structural economic reforms on an autonomous basis and implemented the Marrakesh Agreements.
This expression of faith in the multilateral system must be supported, in particular through opening upmarkets to least-developed countries' exports and the organization of a far-reaching technical
cooperation programme to help them to profit from the opportunities offered by the globalisation of
trade.  Morocco welcomed the different contributions by the international development agencies and
organizations represented at the Meeting and gave them its wholehearted support.
18. As a country deeply rooted in Africa, Morocco would live up to its historical duty towards the
African continent and to its natural vocation of developing its traditional relations of cooperation and
solidarity with the African countries by announcing its concrete contribution in the form of
preferential access to its market for products from the African least-developed countries.  This
initiative, which came within the framework of re gional economic integration, would take effect in
1998 and would cover a broad range of agricultural and industrial products, including the strategic
exports of the countries concerned.  The Moroccan Government had already drawn up a working
document containing an analysis of current or potential trade with the African least-developedcountries on the basis of which a list of the products covered would shortly be finalized in
consultation with the governments concerned.  Preferential access to the Moroccan market would take
the form of total exemption from customs duties and taxes with equivalent effect, or substantial
reductions in such duties.
19. The Moroccan Government, determined to respect its WTO commitments, would ensure that
its initiative on behalf of the African least-developed countries was consistent with the rules and
objectives of the WTO Agreements.  At the same time, it would ensure that the interests of its other
trading partners were protected.  All measures taken in this connection would be notified to the WTO.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
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20. The representative of the United States reaffirmed his government's commitment to the goal
set out by WTO Ministers in Marrakesh and in Singapore to better integrate the least-developed
countries into the multilateral trading system a nd to help them take advantage of the trading
opportunities created by the Uruguay Round agreements.  Taking advantage of trading opportunities
necessitated being competitive in world markets.  Access to markets was only one factor that
influenced competitiveness.  Other factors included the existence of an enabling domesticenvironment, including domestic policies that encourage investment in both human and physical
capital and infrastructure, and the ability to supply products that satisfy the price, quality and delivery
time requirements of global markets.  All of these factors were important.
21. At the same time, successfully integrating the least-developed countries into the trading
system would require the participation and assistance of all of their trading partners, upper-incomeeconomies such as the United States as well as upper-middle and middle-income economies including
the geographic neighbours of the least-developed countries and the least-developed countries
themselves.  The time had passed when only a few countries should be viewed as responsible for
contributing to this effort, which should not be viewed as burden sharing but as a universal challengeto see that permanent marginalization in the world trading system did not occur.
22. In the view of his delegation, access to markets involved not only access to large exports
markets, many of which were distant, but also access to markets on a regional basis.  In focusing at
this Meeting on autonomous improvements to market access for the least-developed in exportmarkets, sight must not be lost of trade liberalization by the least-developed countries and their
neighbours to promote regional trade.  The U.S. economy was among the most open in the world, and
it was fuelled by trade:  in 1996, imports and exports totalled nearly $1.5 trillion.  By the end of the
Uruguay Round implementation period, some 70 per cent of U.S. tariff lines would be subject to MFN
rates of 5 per cent or less, and MFN duty-free treatment would cover more than 40 per cent of tarifflines.
23. The U.S. government's commitment to better integrating the least-developed countries into
the multilateral trading system was underscored by two initiatives it had taken.  The United States had
maintained GSP tariff preferences for developing  countries for many years.  Its GSP programme
coverage was broad, offering duty-free access on nearly half the 9,000 products in the U.S.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule to 122 developing countries.  Imports under the GSP programme in 1996
were valued at $17 billion.  Early in 1997, the GSP programme had been re-authorised and the
product coverage expanded so as to be more effective in encouraging least-developed countries'
export expansion.  1,743 additional tariff lines that had been regarded previously as import sensitiveand not GSP eligible had begun to receive duty-free treatment when produced in, and imported from,
the least-developed beneficiary countries.  The list of products to be added had been arrived at after an
extensive public consultation process, including input from U.S. industry, trading partners, companies
that export to the United States and companies that import products into the United States.
Disappointingly, no least-developed country GSP beneficiary, through its Washington Embassy or
New York Mission, had chosen to offer comments in this process.  Consequently, an important
opportunity had been missed;  more than 100 products were not designated for GSP benefits sinceonly opponents of designation had registered their views.  His government was hopeful that the least-
developed countries would take advantage of this new duty-free access to the U.S. market, and it was
now working to make GSP benefits permanent fo r least-developed countries.  To assist those
countries in understanding the programme and how to claim duty-free treatment, as well as to know
what products were covered by the preferences, hi s authorities were updating the U.S. "Guide to
Using GSP", which would be provided to the WTO S ecretariat so that it could share the information
with least-developed countries.  This guide was also available on the USTR internet home page
(WWW.USTR.GOV).
24. The second initiative his government was pursuing, which went beyond enhanced market
access, was the so-called "Africa Initiative".  Entitl ed "Partnership for Growth and Opportunity", thisWT/LDC/HL/M/1
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had been announced by President Clinton in June.  It sought to encourage increased U.S. trade and
investment with those countries of Sub-Saharan Af rica that were undertaking reform programmes.  It
was based on a selective approach that focused most on those countries that were reforming most.
His government had begun with the view that buildin g strong trade partnerships with Africa's rapidly
growing and reforming economies was the key to genera ting growth and opportunity in the rest of the
continent.  It attached particular importance to the extent to which countries had made substantialprogress toward liberalizing barriers and encourag ing trade with their partners by reducing tariff
levels, binding their tariffs in the WTO and assuming  meaningful obligations in areas of trade such as
services, and in eliminating non-tariff barriers.  In addition to the trade preferences extended under the
GSP programme, the Initiative provided for the following non-market access development tools:  the
establishment of new equity and infrastructure investment funds under the auspices of the Overseas
Private Investment Council, and enhanced outreach toward Africa by the U.S. Exim Bank;  support
for greater U.S.-Africa direct business relations;  and the creation of an Assistant U.S. TradeRepresentative position for Africa.  For countries that were undertaking aggressive trade and
investment liberalization, investing in human reso urces and improving governance, the partnership
included several levels of benefits.  These were:  Level I, which included enhanced duty-free access to
the U.S. market by inclusion in GSP for these countries of a number of products that were currently
excluded from GSP or for which they were not eligible;  Level II, which included increased officialdialogues at the cabinet and working levels, recognizing that reform must be "Africa-led", and
enhanced U.S. bilateral technical assistance and fi nancing from the international financial institutions
to support exceptional reformers;  and Level III, which included debt reduction, including possible
extinguishing of concessional bilateral debt for the poorest of the strong reformers and efforts to
encourage comparable action by other creditors.  His government was confident that the economicgrowth and increased political and social stability that this initiative sought to foster would have
resounding developmental effects on the population and quality of life in Africa.  While job creation
would raise per capita incomes, greater economic stability and access to health care could increase life
expectancy and reduce infant mortality.  Economic growth would also increase government revenues,
allowing for improved and expanded educational opportunities.
25. In conclusion, he said that the United States was committed to assisting least-developed
countries to obtain their goals of economic prosperity and stability and his government was
demonstrating its commitment through the initiatives he had described.  It encouraged other WTO
Members, large and small and at all income leve ls, to follow its lead and offer enhanced market
access for the least-developed countries.
26. The representative of Mauritius expressed satisfaction that several WTO Members had
announced  improved market access opportunities for least-developed countries, and in particular that
at least one developing country so far had responded positively to the Director General's appeal on
this matter.  He was convinced that other developing countries would follow suit.  Mauritius had been
fully committed to the process of convening this Meeting on Integrated Initiatives for Least-
Developed Countries, and felt that it served a threefold purpose:  drawing attention to the situation of
the least-developed countries, enhancing market access in their favour and addressing in a coherentmanner country-specific situations.
27. In keeping with this commitment, he announced that the Government of the Republic of
Mauritius had decided to offer duty-free access to all least-developed countries on the following
products (the H.S. Code and current rate of duty  are shown in brackets):  lobster and crawfish, not
frozen (03062190;  40 per cent);  Guavas, mangoes and mangosteen (08045000; 40 per cent);  Axes,
bill hooks and herving tools (82014000; 15 per cent);  Handsaws (82021000; 15 per cent);  Files,rasps and similar tools (82031000; 15 per cent).  His Government would soon be taking the necessary
steps to amend existing legislation to give effect to this decision.  It had to be borne in mind that
Mauritius was a small island state and that its market access offer could not be as generous as those
presented by bigger countries.  Nevertheless, it was a reiteration of his Government's faith in this
initiative and a gesture of solidarity towards least-developed countries with which small island states,WT/LDC/HL/M/1
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like Mauritius, shared a common vulnerability.  His Government was aware that improved market
access was no panacea for the difficulties of least-developed countries, which often were plagued by
supply-side constraints and other problems, but it was its sincere hope that this initiative would be the
first step in a comprehensive process to assist least-developed countries in all sectors where the need
was felt.
28. The representative of Hungary welcomed the High-Level Meeting as a first step of an
important process aimed at the integration of the least-developed countries into the mainstream of the
world economy.  His Government supported the Integrated Framework initiative to coordinate work
in different international organizations.  This w ould help in concentrating available resources to
address specific needs identified by the recipients.
29. With regard to market access, Hungary had recognized very early the specific needs of the
developing countries, particularly the least-developed among them, as well as the importance of
improvements in additional market access possibilities in enhancing their exports.  Consequently,
Hungary's GSP had traditionally granted preferential market access possibilities for these countries.
The preferences had been maintained even when the Hungarian economy was facing seriousdifficulties as a result of its economic transformation.  Hungary had granted duty-free treatment to all
imports from the least-developed countries since the late 1980s.  The new Customs Law that had
entered into force in 1996 further strengthened the pr edictability of the duty-free regime by providing
legal guarantees  for preferential market access.  Legislation on rules of origin was applied in a very
liberal manner:  exporters that declared that a product originated in a least-developed country were
eligible for duty-free treatment.  Hungary also applied the so-called "50 per cent value-added"
principle.  His Government believed strongly that as a result of the removal of all customs duties onall imports originating in the least-developed countries, these countries could profit from Hungary's
economic recovery and expanding market for imports.  He expressed his Government's hope that
more advanced countries with more powerfu l economies would follow Hungary's example in
providing duty-free access for exports of least-developed countries.
30. The representative of Korea said the trends toward globalisation and liberalization resulting
from the success of the Uruguay Round negotiations offered new trade opportunities for all countries.
However, the majority of the least-developed countries were being marginalized because of their lack
of capacity, which rendered them unable to benefit from these new opportunities.  Furthermore, the
implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements woul d entail significant transitional costs for the
least-developed countries, notably in supply-side capacity building and structural adjustments.  In
light of these realities, his Government acknowledg ed that least-developed countries would face great
difficulties in addressing development challenges without effective and sufficient support from the
international community.
31. WTO Members were called on to make concerted efforts to enhance the capacities of least-
developed countries in trade-related areas by providing them with improved market access and
technical assistance.  At the first WTO Ministerial Conference in Singapore, Members had agreed to
the WTO Plan of Action, which included positive measures such as the provision of favourable
market access conditions for least-developed countries' products, aimed at improving the overall
capacity of the least-developed countries to respond to the opportunities offered by the multilateraltrading system.  Although improved market access was only one aspect of assistance needed by least-
developed countries, the Korean Government regarded this area as an important and fundamental
element contributing to the development of least-developed countries by expanding trade.
32. After careful study of the feasibility of preferential tariff rates applicable only to least-
developed countries, the Korean Government had decided to introduce a GSP scheme for the benefit
of least-developed countries' priority exports.  It had decided to grant preferential duty-free access to
various products which were of major export interest to least-developed countries.  In order toWT/LDC/HL/M/1
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implement the GSP scheme as expeditiously as possible, Korea was currently in the process of
revising its domestic laws and regulations.  The time frame and the coverage of the GSP scheme
would be announced when the domestic procedures were in place.  It was important to note that Korea
had officially maintained the status of a developing country in the framework of the WTO
Agreements and had never introduced a GSP scheme before.  In that regard, the legal basis for
developing country Members to unilaterally grant preferential treatment to least-developed countryMembers under GSP schemes might not be containe d in "the Enabling Clause", which was now an
integral part of the GATT 1994.  Therefore, his delegation wished to request the WTO Secretariat to
study and prepare the legal foundation for this type of preferential treatment.
33. The representative of Singapore welcomed the Meeting as part of the WTO Plan of Action for
the Least-Developed Countries adopted by WTO Ministers in Singapore.  His delegation hoped that
the announcements on technical assistance and improved market access would facilitate the
integration of least-developed countries into the multilateral trading system.  He noted that Singaporemaintained an almost duty-free trading regime, and that the exports of least-developed countries had
easy access to its market.  Nevertheless, he announced that Singapore undertook to maintain zero
tariffs on 107 items of export interest to least-developed countries (Annex I).
34. Singapore had also concluded an agreement with the WTO to organise jointly on a cost-
sharing basis trade policy training courses for trade officials from the developing and the least-developed countries.  The first such course was scheduled to take place in January 1998 in Singapore.
Invitations had been sent to a number of least-developed countries to participate.  His authorities
hoped that these courses would be of practical benefit to least-developed countries' trade officials who
dealt with the WTO and trade-related issues.  The budget costs for each trade policy were estimated to
be Swf.182,000.
35. Singapore owed much of its developmental success to technical assistance programmes
provided by the UN agencies and developed countries, particularly the UNDP programme and the
Colombo Plan.  Therefore, Singapore would like to do its part in sharing its experiences with others,
just as other countries had been generous in sharing their experiences with it.  Singapore had been
sharing its developmental experience with the other developing countries through the SingaporeCooperation Programme (SCP) which had an annual budget of US$12 million.  This programme
focused on human resources training such as in-port management, civil aviation, environmental
management, banking and finance and public administration.  It had a wide geographical reach,
covering about 80 developing and least-developed countries.  Since the establishment of the SCP in
1992, more than 4,600 officials from Asia, Africa, South Pacific, Middle East, Latin American andthe Caribbean had received training in Singapore.  Assistance was provided through bilateral technical
assistance programmes to developing countries and tripartite partnerships with developed
countries/international organisations named Third Country Training Programmes (TCTPs).  Such
programmes had the benefit of pooling the experiences and expertise of both countries for a larger
number of developing countries.  To date, Singapore has TCTPs with 8 developed countries (Japan,
Germany, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, Au stralia, Canada, Norway and Luxembourg) and 8
international organisations (Commonwealth Secretariat, Asian Development Bank, World Bank,Colombo Plan Secretariat, WTO, World Intelle ctual Property Organisation, Economic and Social
Council for Asia and the Pacific, and the IMF).
36. The representative of Canada said his delegation considered market access an important issue
for developing countries from a number of perspectives.  The Canadian International Development
Agency's support to a textile firm in Haiti or a project to increase crop yields in Mozambique stoodlittle chance of lasting success if the major markets for these products were closed.  It was an
especially wasteful and redundant exercise if Canada was one of the closed markets.  His Government
had recognized the importance of this issue some years ago and had taken the following steps to
improve trade-aid coherence.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
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37. First, Canada's Generalized Preferential Treatment (GPT) was one of the most generous in
terms of country and product coverage, rules of origin, stability, transparency, simplicity and non-
conditionality.  It continued to evolve.  Changes stemming from the reform of Canada's preferential
tariff scheme for developing countries had been announced in 1996.  Canada had lowered preferential
rates of duty on over 3,000 products from developing countries and broadened coverage to include an
additional 200 tariff lines.  Overall, over 80 per cent of its product lines were GPT eligible and forthese products from least-developed countries entered Canada duty-free.  Moreover, Canada's
proposed new simplified Customs Tariff, which was intended to take effect on 1 January 1998, had a
number of market access enhancements:  the acceleration to 1998 of most of the Uruguay Round tariff
reductions currently scheduled for implementation on 1 January 1999;  the reduction to zero of most
tariff rates that were below 2 per cent;  and implementation of a number of other measures to further
liberalize trade.
38. Secondly, the Trade Facilitation Office of Canada, whose mandate had always been to
stimulate exports of developing countries to Canada, would now expand its focus to target especially
exports from the least-developed countries.  Third, Canada reaffirmed its commitment to phase-out
under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, as agreed in the Marrakesh Agreements.  Canada
would also continue to support programmes aimed at facilitating regional trade.  For example,
Southern Africa Day held the previous week in Ottawa had brought together leaders of Canadian
corporations and senior officials and Ministers from Southern Africa to discuss trade and investment
prospects in the region.  Also, Canada's Prime Mi nister had announced Canada's contribution to the
new Commonwealth Trade and Investment Access Facilit y, a fund which would assist developing and
least-developed countries to adjust to and take advantage of the opportunities of globalisation.
39. Canada recognized that there was more it could do on this front, and his authorities would
reflect on the results of the market access discussions at this Meeting and continue to explore ways to
help least-developed countries take better advantage of market access opportunities.  The Secretariat's
preparatory work on market access for this Meeting would also help in this regard.  Canada had
learned from the needs assessments prepared for the Meeting that there was also more that could be
done by developing countries.  Intra-African trad e remained too low and barriers were too high.
Substantially all trade should be included in regional trade agreements, and Canada urged developing
countries to negotiate them under Article XXIV of the WTO.  Without this, the value of regional trade
agreements would be reduced.  The issue of market access had also to be examined in context.  With
the MFN-reductions agreed to in the Uruguay R ound, preference margins had been narrowed.  How
useful was it to least-developed countries' producers to have a 5 per cent price advantage from apreferential access scheme when domestic cost structures were so high given inadequate transport
systems, poorly skilled labour, and so on?  These were important issues, as the ITC's work had
highlighted, and he hoped they would be discussed at this Meeting.
40. Finally on market access, he said that least-developed countries remained highly dependent
on taxes on international trade.  In some cases in Africa, over 30 per cent of government revenues
derived from international trade taxes.  This reduced access to a whole range of goods, including the
local availability of goods which potentially had dramatic, positive social spin-offs.  For example,WHO, IDRC and CIDA had shown that each year the lives of some 500,000 African children could
be saved through the proper use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, yet, cumulative tariffs on
mosquito nets were above 20 per cent in 24 of 28 Sub-Saharan African Countries;  they were over
30 per cent in 15 countries, and over 42 per cent in seven.  There were clear and obvious benefits in
targeting products for tariff liberalization which contributed to improved health, education and theenvironment.  High tariffs on "development products" reduced the impact of every aid dollar, reduced
the impact of social sector spending by devel oping country governments and put an unnecessary tax
on development.  As the process of trade reform moved forward, these were issues that should be
focused on for consideration and they clearly demonstrated the value of trade-aid cohesion.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 10
41. The representative of Japan  said that in order to improve exports of developing countries
there were many actions to be taken, by developing countries themselves and by the international
community.  The list was long, ranging from capacity and institution-building and strengthening of
export supply capabilities, trade support services and trade facilitation capabilities.  Training and
human resource development would be an essential component of any effort to try to improve the
trading environment for developing countries.  The importance of product diversification should bepointed out.  Generally speaking, least-developed countries' exports were concentrated in non-
dynamic products;  they had to diversify to products which added value and were attractive to foreign
consumers.
42. It needed to be borne in mind that there were differences in levels of development among
developing countries, in particular among least-developed countries.  Many least-developed countries
might feel they were still far away from a path of trade expansion.  They might think that fulfilment of
basic human needs and fundamental socio-economic infrastructure should come first, beforelaunching active export policies.  For these countries, the integrated initiatives for trade development
should be closely linked to traditional economic and technical cooperation projects.
43. Efforts by developed countries to improve market access were one aspect of the global efforts
being undertaken by the international community.  Under its GSP scheme, Japan applied zero tariffs
to more than 80 per cent of the products that were of major export interest to the least-developedcountries;  it could be said that its market was sufficiently open in this regard.  Nevertheless, in view
of the expectation of improved market access expr essed by WTO Ministers in Singapore and at the
Denver Summit, the Japanese Government was studying the possibilities of reviewing its GSP
scheme, including extending the coverage to more products of export interest to the least-developed
countries.  With regard to rules of origin, the Japanese Government was making efforts to simplifytheir application.  As a follow-up to the commitmen t made at the APEC Osaka Conference, it had
taken a decision in 1996 not to require certificates of origin for about 200 products, which represented
one-third of the products subject to the Japanese  GSP scheme.  Also, in determining origin the
Japanese Government had not applied the double processing requirement rule since 1993 to the major
textile products of interest to the least-developed countries;  it was applying the single processingrequirement rule for these products.  In addition, it should be noted that it was applying content rules
very flexibly.
44. In the era of globalisation of the world economy, trade between developing countries was
becoming significantly important.  His Government expected that trade between developing countries
would be accelerated through the creation of GSP schemes by relatively advanced developingcountries, and through regional trade agreements or the GSTP.
45. The representative of India said that under Article 10 of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA), special treatment was
allowed to least-developed contracting states.  All Members of SAPTA were required to provide
special and more favourable treatment exclusively to least-developed countries in regard to a variety
of factors, including duty-free access, exclusive tariff preference or deeper tariff preferences for
export products and the removal of non-tariff barriers.  In the light of these provisions, tariffpreferences of up to 100 per cent had been granted to the SAARC least-developed countries on
products of export interest to them.  The widening and deepening of those preferences had taken place
after the adoption of the WTO Plan of Action for Least-Developed Countries in Singapore in 1996.
India had so far granted tariff concessions on 574 tariff lines exclusively for the least-developed
country members of SAARC, and it had removed quantitative restrictions on 180 lines exclusively infavour of SAARC least-developed countries.  Furt her, under the GSTP India provided preferential
access to seven least-developed countries, namely, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Benin, Guinea, Haiti,
Mozambique and Sudan.  Under the Bangkok Agreement, Bangladesh was given preferential access,
and Myanmar and Nepal had preferential access to India under bilateral agreements.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 11
46. He said that capacity building was imperative if the least-developed countries were to derive
full benefit from improved market access opportunities.  Initiatives taken by India in this regard were
described in a separate document (WT/LDC/HL/20), and he took the opportunity to outline briefly
some of them.  In spite of its own resource constraints, the previous week India had fulfilled its
commitment to contribute US$100,000 to the Trust Fund for Least-Developed Countries under the
auspices of UNCTAD, which would help least-devel oped countries take advantage of opportunities to
enhance their participation in the world economy.  Technical activities to be undertaken under the
Trust Fund would focus on strengthening export supply capacities through the development of
integrated country level programmes.  He announced that India was ready to accommodate specific
requests made by any least-developed country to avai l itself of India's programmes directed towards
enhancing capacity building.  In that context, he identified the ITEC Programme, which was aimed at
cooperation with developing countries other than India's immediate neighbours with which it had
individual bilateral technical assistance progra mmes.  The ITEC programme was administered on a
government-to-government and bilateral basis and extended to around 110 countries in Asia, Africa,
East Europe and Latin America.  Many of thes e were least-developed countries.  The programme
addressed itself to finding solutions to common developmental problems, and was the vehicle through
which India sought to share her developmental experience and expertise with partner countries.  The
budget for the programme for the current financial year was about Rs.150 million.  The Programmehad five main components, namely training, feasibility studies and consultancy services, project
assistance, deputation of Indian experts abroad and study tours by foreign decision makers to India.
Through the Special Commonwealth African Assistance Plan, India extended technical and economic
assistance to 15 Commonwealth African countries;  approximately 400 trainees came to India
annually under this programme.  Under the Technical Cooperation Scheme of the Colombo Plan,there were more than 400 slots on an annual basis for countries in the Asia and Pacific Region for
long-term training in India, including in the fields  of medicine and engineering.  India had also made
financial contributions to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation.
47. The representative of Switzerland said that better integration in international trade was a vital
factor of economic growth and efficient resource allocation.  In this connection, he was pleased to
note that one of the major achievements of the Uruguay Round had been the increased level of
participation of developing countries.  All participants in the multilateral trading system should reap
the benefits of a more open world economy in term s of growing trade and investment flows.  This
would involve real challenges of adjustment and change.  His Government recognized that there were
wide disparities in both rates of growth and the degree of integration across developing countries;  inparticular, the least-developed countries were currently deriving little immediate benefits from trade
liberalisation.  This had long been a matter of concern to the Swiss authorities, and improving the
integration of the least-developed countries in world trade was one of the primary goals of Swiss
development policy.  Its instruments for achieving this objective were manifold.  They included tariff
preferences, trade promotion programmes and trade-related technical co-operation.  Most of these
instruments had recently undergone a thorough revision to take into consideration the results of the
Uruguay Round.
48. In this connection, he announced that the latest revision early in 1997 of Switzerland's scheme
of preferential tariffs had further improved access for least-developed countries to the Swiss market.
To depict the scope of this revision, he called attention to the fact that:  98 per cent of the most
important exports of the least-developed countries would enjoy duty-free entry to the Swiss market;
access to Switzerland for all industrial products from any least-developed country was duty-free andnot subject to any quota restrictions, including all types of textiles, clothing and footwear;  substantial
improvements had been made with regard to agricultural products.  Unlimited duty-free access was
being granted for the main agricultural exports of the least-developed countries like coffee, tea, cocoa,
bananas and orange juice, all fish, shrimps, honey, nuts and tobacco;  rules of origin for goods
benefiting from preferential access had been simplified;  Switzerland had harmonised its regulationsWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 12
with the European Union so as to grant the same treatment to such goods imported to Switzerland via
the European Union as when they arrived directly from a developing country.  Moreover, in the near
future such goods would be allowed to contain materials originating not only from Switzerland but
also from the European Union and Norway;  and finally, under the new rules of origin the regional
economic groupings in the developing countries also enjoyed the right of cumulation treatment.
49. In addition to preferential tariffs, Switzerland offered trade promotion services to developing
countries.  The aim was to open the way to the Swiss and European markets for their small and
medium-sized enterprises.  This was achieved thr ough an active search for trading partners on both
the import and export sides.  Switzerland arranged and financed participation in trade fairs and
assisted such companies in the fields of marketing and product adaptation.
50. Swiss trade-related technical co-operation also contributed to the development of human
resources in least-developed countries.  Among others, Switzerland had given substantial financial
support to the ASYCUDA as well as to the Trade Point Network programmes of UNCTAD.  It was inthe context of its efforts on a multilateral level that Switzerland saw its financial contribution to the
present Meeting.
51. He underlined that the progress of least-developed countries depended not only on increased
trading opportunities in OECD countries.  With the promotion of trade among developing countries, a
whole new array of trade opportunities would open up.  Switzerland therefore believed that the moreadvanced developing countries should assist the least-developed countries by providing more
favourable treatment to their exports.
52. Development assistance would only prove effective if recipient countries established an
appropriate economic environment for the development of competitive traded-goods industries.  This
would require open and stable trade policies, and the adoption of measures to maintainmacroeconomic stability.
53. Finally, he underlined that an integrated approach was vital for ensuring the long-term impact
and the efficiency of trade-related technical co-operation.  He was confident that the Meeting would
put this on track by adopting the Integrated Fram ework for Technical Assistance.  Switzerland was
prepared to carry on its active participation in this process.
54. The representative of South Africa welcomed the Meeting as a first concrete step in the
implementation of a programme for the least-developed countries, and said his Government would
apply its responsibilities for this programme in two main areas.  The first was at the level of
multilateral dialogue, through which he hoped to achieve a dispensation to the benefit of all least-
developed countries;  the second was within the Southern African Development Community (SADC)where eight of the 14 member countries were least-developed countries, so as to bring about growth
and development in the region.
55. With regard to the multilateral level, he said there were areas which his Government felt
needed clarification.  First and foremost, it believed it was essential that the world trade system
develop a dispensation to deal with the position of least-developed countries that were not able to
participate adequately or effectively.  Many countries that were now least-developed would become
effective trading countries, and that transition must be managed within the rules of the world tradesystem.  While his Government welcomed the offers that had been made, it urged that they be seen as
transitional steps to deal with an urgent crisis and that they be coordinated and brought within an
agreed framework in the WTO.  The potential dangers of bringing into the world trade system a
number of new conditionalities had to be avoided.  There was a danger that many of the autonomous
offers made that would include further aspects of conditionality would undercut the effectiveness ofthe rules-based WTO.  His Government supported strongly the need to assist countries to participateWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 13
in the WTO and the need for co-ordinated and cooperative endeavours by the six agencies
represented.
56. South Africa's efforts within SADC would focu s on the following four priorities, designed to
enhance trade and give real meaning to market access:  First, on the development of trade-related
infrastructure to allow economies to enter into the world trade system;  second, on concrete measures
to deal with debt and the cost of financing;  third, a system of protocols to create a trade andinvestment environment that would lead to growth and development;  and fourth, on joint projects for
human resource development related to trade.  These programmes were mutually beneficial to South
Africa and its partners.  He went on to outline certain concrete steps that South Africa would take in
this context.  It would give unconditional and asymmetrical market access and preferential access to
its partners in the trade offer to be made later this year.  It would continue actively to promote
investment missions and procurement missions to its neighbours to redress the trade imbalance that
was growing.  It would put together with its neighbours a package of supply-side measures that
related to infrastructure and policy that could develop their economies jointly;  to this end,
South Africa had widened the mandate of two of its institutions, the Development Bank and the
Industrial Development Corporation.  It had made available funds targeted specifically at the
development of public-private sector partnerships in the development of infrastructure and industry.
Finally, it had instructed all of its scientific and technical organizations to continue to participateactively in the development of technical measures such as standards, meteorology, competition policy,
and quality control, that would allow the SADC sub-region to participate effectively in trade and to
take advantage of market access.
57. The representative of Thailand said that the fruits of globalisation, development and
prosperity were not equitably shared by all.  Poverty prevailed even after more than four decades of
ODA and two decades of continuous trade liberaliza tion.  If no correction was made, his Government
could not envisage a world with lasting peace and sustainable prosperity.  To remedy this, it was
necessary first to create a firm practice not to tolerate exploitation in the process of integration of the
least-developed countries.  Second, there must be a sense of recognition that integration and
globalisation go hand-in-hand.  No country was imm une from the misfortunes of others.  As one
journalist had put it to describe the repercussions of the financial crisis of South-East Asia,"shared
riches bring shared risk".  Third, it followed that there must be a shared responsibility on the part of
the rich, the not-so-rich and the least-developed countries to rethink the strategies, the modalities and
the programme to make integration work in a concrete manner and to avoid marginalisation.  Fourth,
there must be a reaffirmation that the concept of "partner for development", as propounded by theHonourable Lester B. Pearson, former Canadian Primer Minister in the 1960's, was still as applicable
today as it was 30 years ago.
58. The staging of integration had to be defined to ensure the active participation of the least-
developed countries and the mutual benefits they would be able to gain from this exercise through
progressive capacity building.  Two possible means were available.  The first was to provide more
open market access for least-developed countries' exports;  the second was to concentrate on technical
and technological capacity building, which would increase least-developed countries' competitivenessthrough improved productivity and technical inno vation.  Exports would then be enhanced and
diversified, leading to an increased investment, and vice versa.
59. With these perceptions in mind, he announced his Government's package of cooperation for
all 48 least-developed countries, comprising (a)  tariff preferences on 74 product groups (at the 6-digit
H.S. level), through which some products would be  exempted from import duty and others would be
given a margin of preference of 20 per cent from the applied rates.  This would be subject to an annual
review process;  and (b) technical assistance programmes for various least-developed countries, in
particular those in the region.  In spite of its strong determination, Thailand was still handicapped in
terms of its financial capability which had been weakened by current financial difficulties.  Therefore,
although global in nature, its technical assistance put more emphasis on countries in the region.Subject to the availability of funds, Thailand would in subsequent years further its cooperationWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 14
programme to help strengthen least-developed countries around the world.  At the same time his
Government wished to take this opportunity to en courage countries with better financial endowments
to expand their official development aid to meet the developmental needs of the least-developed
countries.
60. The representative of Malaysia said his Government was supportive of continuous,
multipronged efforts to facilitate the integration of least-developed countries into the mainstream of
the world economy and trade.  To that end, Malaysia was finalising a package of concessions to
promote better market access for products originating and exported by least-developed countries.  The
WTO would be duly informed once the administrative process had been completed.  The tariff
concessions to be offered by Malaysia would cover agriculture, resource-based and industrial products
of export interest to least-developed countries.  This initiative formed only part of a wider package of
technical cooperation which Malaysia currently offered to many countries under the umbrella of
south-south cooperation in areas including industrial planning and development, education,agriculture and human resource development.  This programme was primarily aimed at building
domestic capacity.  It was imperative that the initiatives identified at this Meeting as well as those
being undertaken bilaterally be sustained on an intensified basis to help least-developed countries to
capitalise from opportunities such as this.  Boosting domestic capacity was of prime importance if
least-developed countries were truly to benefit from any improved market access opportunities.  Asfor the least-developed countries, focused attempts, backed by political will, were the prerequisite if
they were to escape the clutches of marginalisation in the next millennium.
61. The representative of Indonesia reaffirmed his country's commitment to  south-south
cooperation and particularly to the plight of the least-developed countries.  Indonesia had given the
least-developed countries the opportunity to share its experience in solving problems concerningpopulation, agriculture, rural development, human resources development and in other fields by
giving assistance with programme studies at both under and post-graduate levels as well as training
programmes in the field of economics and development.  It was currently engaged in assisting highly
indebted poor countries;  during the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund -World
Bank held in Hong Kong in September 1997 his government had pledged  US$ 19 million for thebenefit of the Trust Fund for Highly Indebted Poor Countries.  Regarding initiatives to improve
market access, the matter was still being discussed within his government and it would inform the
WTO Secretariat of progress in due course.
62. The representative of Egypt said his delegation would have preferred the Meeting to have
been held jointly with UNCTAD and ITC in order to foster an integrated approach to assisting the
least-developed countries in enhancing their trade opportunities.  Agreed conclusions on the least-
developed countries and Africa adopted the previ ous week in UNCTAD should be enforced by all
relevant donors and institutions including the WTO.  Of the 48 least-developed countries, 33 were in
Africa.  The Meeting should not lose sight of the implementation of various initiatives on Africa and
in particular the UN New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the Nineties (UNNADAF) as well
as the United Nations System-Wide Special Initiative on Africa (UNSIA) which arose from concern
in Africa over loss of development support for the continent at a time when opportunities fordevelopment were improving.  This call for targeted, accelerated development policies to counter
marginalization in the face of globalization.  In the framework of the WTO, faithful implementation
of the various provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements related to special and differential
treatment in favour of least-developed countries and other developing countries was needed.  His
delegation wished to express its concern about the lack of progress and commitment for theimplementation of the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision on the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform
of Agriculture on the Least-Developed Countrie s and the Net Food Importing Developing Countries.
It wished also to review the implementation of the Decision on Measures in favour of Least-
Developed Countries, which fell within the mandate of the WTO Committee on Trade and
Development and which should take place at the WTO Ministerial Meetings every two years.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 15
63. At this Meeting, it was imperative to ensure the effective implementation of the
Comprehensive and Integrated WTO Plan of Action for the Least-Developed Countries.  It wasnecessary also  to evaluate measures taken by the WTO in favour of least-developed countries to
integrate them further into the multilateral trading system including, inter alia , enhancing their trading
opportunities, and for the other UN bodies particularly UNCTAD and the ITC, as well as the Bretton
Woods Institutions to identify additional steps to be taken to attain this objective.
64. Egypt was undertaking various actions and measures continuously in solidarity with the least-
developed countries, particularly those in Africa.  Besides on-going bilateral agreements andcooperation between Egypt and these least-developed countries,  Egypt provided technical assistance
including training and other activities in trade-re lated fields through the Egyptian Fund for Technical
Cooperation in Africa.  In addition, and pursuant to  paragraph 14 of the Singapore Declaration, Egypt
intended to offer further market access and trade opportunities to the least-developed countries, as
follows:  Further tariff reductions, ranging from 10 to 20 per cent of the present duties for around
100 products of export interest to least-developed countries, through GSTP;  certain raw materials -
around 50 products - which Egypt imported from these countries shall enjoy duty-free access underthe GSTP;  Egypt would bind its custom duties with a reduction of 10 per cent compared with its
market access commitments in the Egyptian schedules presented during the Uruguay Round for
certain industrial goods originating from least-developed countries.  The lists of the above-mentioned
products would be provided to the WTO Secretariat and to UNCTAD.
65. In addition, Egypt would reduce by 50 per cent the rent for least-developed countries that
desired to participate in the international trade fairs and exhibitions organized in Egypt;  training
would be provided in Egypt for a number of specialists and officials in charge of trade issues in the
least-developed countries;  Egypt was prepared to send experts on trade issues to least-developed
countries to assist in the implementation of development projects, particularly trade-related ones, andit would make its experience in implementing similar projects available to least-developed countries;
the Egyptian Government proposed hosting a seminar, in cooperation with the WTO, UNCTAD and
ITC, to study the various issues related to the WTO accession of developing countries, and in
particular the least-developed countries.
66. His Government believed this contribution to be quite generous taking into account Egypt's
capabilities and capacity to provide assistance to le ast-developed countries with a view to helping in
their integration into the multilateral trading sy stem without any conditionality.  It hoped that
developed countries would be more generous in providing market access opportunities for products of
export interest to least-developed countries without any conditionality.  The final aim should remainfull access to least-developed countries' products in the markets of all developed countries, as had
been proposed by the WTO Director-General.  Egypt welcomed the integrated framework for trade
related technical assistance to be adopted by this High-Level Meeting, and the country-specific
roundtables.  It hoped that the needs of all least-developed countries could be acted upon and
evaluated in the third WTO Ministerial Conference as well as in UNCTAD X.
67. The representative of Turkey said a proper and balanced functioning of the multilateral
trading system could only be achieved by ensuring the full participation of the least-developed
countries.  In that context, Turkey was ready to support initiatives aimed at preventing the
marginalization of the least-developed countries, especially efforts that aimed to achieve morefavourable market access opportunities  for their export products.  Many of the products exported by
least-developed countries received duty-free access to Turkish markets.  Furthermore, as a result of
the customs union concluded with the EU Turkey w ould adopt the EC preferential trade regime by
2001.  The average rate of tariff protection in Turkey had dropped since 1996 from a level of 18 to
5 per cent.  It would fall further to 3.5 per cent by 1999.  This would be beneficial to all countries,
including the least-developed.  Turkey also intended to make additional improvements for the benefit
of the least-developed countries.  It envisaged applying a preferential trade regime for aWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 16
comprehensive list of products imported from the least-developed countries as of 1 January 1998.  It
would also continue to support initiatives directed  at improving their infrastructural development and
other aspects required.
68. The representative of Chile said her was a developing country whose economy was open to
foreign trade and which believed in the benefits to be derived from a multilateral trading system with
strengthened rules as well as a component of progressive liberalization of market access.
Accordingly, her Government was studying the possibility of making a market access offer for
products from least-developed countries.  Since this called for a process of internal political
consultation, she could not make any announcement at this stage, but her delegation hoped to be able
to contribute a specific proposal in the coming months.  Chile would continue its efforts to expand thescope of its technical assistance to least-developed countries outside the Latin American region, to
which end it would study, inter alia , the possibility of contributing to the UNCTAD Trust Fund for
least-developed countries.
69. The representative of Australia endorsed much of what had already been said, including that
WTO Members  had a collective responsibility for improving the trade and development performance
of least-developed countries.  As the first country to implement a GSP, Australia had a very good
record in providing market access for products from developing and least-developed countries.
98 per cent of least-developed countries' exports to Australia entered duty-free.  In addition, Australia
granted duty-free entry to South Pacific Foru m Island Countries under the SPARTECA agreement.
70. His delegation had been interested  to hear the UNCTAD Secretary General refer to tariff
peaks and escalation as a particular problem facing least-developed countries.  This underlined thefact that despite the great progress made in the Uruguay Round in advocating trade liberalisation,
there was still a great deal of work ahead in the WTO in progressing this crucial goal.  This was avery important factor in Australia's case, most recently reiterated by the Prime Minister, for the
launching of a new comprehensive multilateral round of trade negotiations by the end of this century.
71. Market access was only one aspect of the solution to improving the economic situation facing
least-developed countries.  Australia recognised the importance of capacity building with respect to
trade and investment performance, and had some important bilateral assistance programmes.  Its
current trade capacity building aid projects were worth over A$50 million, and his delegation would
be elaborating the nature of these activities at the country-specific roundtables.  The initiative
proposed by the Australian Prime Minister to create a Trade and Investment Access Facility had been
endorsed in the last few days by the Commonwealth Heads of Government.  It would assistdeveloping countries with the process of adjusting to the advantages and opportunities of globalisation
and help countries fulfil the WTO requirement, and it would be coordinated with the
WTO/UNCTAD/ITC Integrated Framework for Trade Related Technical Assistance - a framework
Australia was pleased to endorse as a means of increasing the considerable power of these agencies in
helping least-developed countries adjust and benefit from globalisation.
72. The representative of Bulgaria said his Government had already made a significant
contribution to  the aims of the Meeting by granting duty-free treatment to all imports from least-
developed countries.  It was continuing to grant such treatment in spite of the difficulties which
Bulgaria was experiencing and which had a negative impact on its own level of development.
73. The Chairman, in summarizing the statements made, welcomed the additional preferential
market access for the least-developed countries on an autonomous basis.  He shared some of his own
thoughts with the Meeting and noted that market access had always been considered an important
pillar of the Comprehensive and Integrated Plan of Action for the Least-Developed Countries adoptedat the WTO Ministerial Conference in Singapore.  He recalled that Mr. Ricupero and others had stated
that market access was necessary but not sufficient to guarantee more exports for least-developedWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 17
countries, let alone broad-based development.  Improved and predictable access to the markets of both
developed and developing countries would become ev en more crucial when actions to address supply
side constraints in least-developed countries would start to bear fruit.  It was essential for enhancing
long term investments in their export sector.  The High-Level Meeting offered an opportunity to make
progress in implementing the Plan of Action for Least-Developed Countries in the area of market
access.  Many countries had grasped this opportunity today.  Like the  Integrated Framework forTrade Related Technical Assistance, to be endorsed by the Meeting,  he also regarded the High-Level
Meeting itself as part of a continuing process to enhance market access for least-developed countries,
not a one-off event.  He recalled that, for example,   the European Communities had stated that they
would implement measures on market access in the short-term and consider further options in the
medium-term.  The United States, while informing the Meeting about recent improvements in their
GSP for least-developed countries, had described the Africa initiative that the US Congress was
currently considering.  Others, like Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Norway, Bulgaria andHungary had reminded participants of the very liberal existing possibilities for market access within
their present GSP-systems.  Norway had drawn attention to the benefits which least-developed
countries would derive from other liberalization initiatives under consideration.  Canada also drew
attention to other liberalization initiatives it was considering. He was also very encouraged by the
offers announced or proposed to be adopted by a group of developing countries and countries intransition, such as Egypt, India, Korea, Mauritius, Morocco, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa,
Thailand and Turkey.  Some speakers such as Indonesia and Chile had indicated that they were
considering new initiatives, but were not yet ready to announce them at this Meeting.  The important
thing was that commitments were made in public today to do so as soon as possible.  Others who had
not spoken today should feel encouraged by the example of those who had made offers to also provideadditional preferential access to least-developed countries.  Least-developed countries and other WTO
Members would be very interested to see the details of the announcements in order to evaluate what
was new and additional or what was repackaged.
74. He noted that the document on market access prepared by the WTO for the Meeting contained
pertinent elements which merited further considera tion by governments.  It showed that existing
preferential systems still had considerable room for improvements.  Often the devil was in the details,
as in the coverage and complicated rules of origin  with limited possibility for cumulation of origin.
Some preferential systems were more flexible than others in this regard.  Predictable rights instead of
derogations seemed called for in the area of preferential rules of origin, as Norway had suggested.
Duty-free and unrestricted access for all exports of the least-developed countries had to be the target,as Mr. Ruggiero had so often emphasised.  Options for action were envisaged in the WTO Action
Plan for Least-Developed Countries for increasing market access under the Agreement on Textiles
and Clothing and through early implementation of Uruguay Round undertakings which benefitted
least-developed countries in particular.  Governments should keep all these possibilities under active
consideration.  In this regard, he pointed out th at Mr. Alec Erwin and the Ambassador of Egypt had
voiced their concern about growing conditionality in preferential trading systems related to other
areas.
75. With respect to the issue of follow-up on market access, he hoped that the High-Level
Meeting, beyond noting the announcements which were just made, would be able to endorse some
recommendations on market access issues for due consideration by the WTO General Council.  The
WTO Committee on Trade and Development and it s Sub-Committee for Least-Developed Countries
could address this in more detail and prepare a report.  He also suggested that the outcome and follow-up of the High-Level Meeting be reported to the next WTO Ministerial Conference.  The issue of
market access was important enough to stay on the political agenda.  He  proposed that WTO
Members keep under active review all options for improving market access for least-developed
countries and monitor the implementation of the commitments made.  WTO Ministers had committed
themselves to this when they adopted the Comprehensive and Integrated Plan of Action for the Least-Developed Countries in Singapore.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 18
76. The Meeting took note of the statements and the Chairman's summary of market access
issues.  It encouraged all WTO Members to keep under active review all options for improving market
access for least-developed countries presented in the Comprehensive and Integrated WTO Plan of
Action for the Least-Developed Countries and to  monitor the implementation of the commitments
made in this regard.  It recommended to the WTO that a full report on the outcome and follow-up of
the Meeting and announcements of implementation of autonomous market access measures andcommitments in favour of the least-developed countries be prepared by the Director-General and
submitted to the WTO Ministerial Conference in May 1998.
77. The representative of Bangladesh welcomed the market access packages announced but said
that more needed to be done.  What the least-developed countries were asking for had a basis in legal
rules as well as in decisions.  Part IV of the General Agreement, Articles XXXVI to XXXVIII,
committed Members to removing all market access problems of least-developed countries rather than
leaving this to their own discretion.  Moreover, the Plan of Action for Least-Developed Countries
which Ministers had agreed on in Singapore provided for WTO Members to individually open up
their markets to products from least-developed countries.  Least-developed countries comprisedtwelve per cent of the global population with a share of trade which was less than 0.4 per cent.  These
were sad statistics.  No one would lose if least-developed countries were accorded some special
benefits in access.  All would gain because it would help integrate this  large segment into the global
economy.  Market access, therefore, should come high on the WTO agenda.  Significant action by all
WTO Members was needed, both developed and th ose developing countries who were capable of
doing so by the time of the next Ministerial Conference.  These initiatives should include:  first, bound
zero tariff rates for all goods of interest to least-developed countries including textiles;  second,elimination of safeguard measures against so-called "sensitive" products;  and third, changes in rules
of origin, simplifying them and making allowances for regional and least-developed countries'
accumulation.  He cautioned that increased market access concessions should go hand in hand with
strengthened supply side capacities for least-developed countries to be able to benefit from market
openings.  Acceptance of these proposals would make the outcome of the discussions meaningful forthe least-developed countries.
78. The representative of Nepal said that the issue of market access for least-developed countries
was important.  Liberalization and globalization  was a trend that all nations had accepted as a theme
for the future growth of the world economy.  However, nations varied  in terms of their resources,institutional capabilities, technological sophistication and human resources.  Those which were better
endowed in these areas had a head start and an advantage which could ultimately increase the gap
between the developed and the developing nations, including the least-developed countries.  This was
why the issue of market access to the least-developed countries became an area of crucial concern.
They needed access to markets as well as the support to take advantage of it.  Boldness on the part ofdeveloped countries was needed, and he welcomed the statements made so far at the Meeting.  He
hoped that other developed and developing countries would follow suit.  Apart from the simplification
of rules of origin on certain products, he hoped that concrete steps would be taken to eliminate
quantitative restrictions and other non-tariff barriers on products of export interest to least-developed
countries.  Market opening was only part of the problem;  the other equally important issue was howto increase least-developed countries' ability to export.  A just and fair trading regime should address
the problems of its weakest members.  The international institutions should apply values that
supported this vision.  Only then would international structures exist which could come up with
solutions to the problems of economic marginalization.  Vision, value and structure were interrelated
and the High-Level Meeting  was proof of their successful combination.  He hoped that there wouldbe a strong follow-up.  In that respect, he looked  to the WTO and other international institutions to
show the necessary leadership.
79. The representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo said that, while he welcomed the
High-Level Meeting and the market access offers made,  it was important to put things in perspective.
The issue of the debt should also be addressed because the debt situation in many least-developedWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 19
countries made it almost impossible for them to improve their infrastructure, necessary to improve
production and benefit from market access.  He pointed out that his country was coming out of a war.
His government had made many efforts to open up its markets despite its difficulties.  His country
would be organizing a conference, called "Friends of Congo" next month to which all donor countries
were invited. A document  had been prepared  on how to jumpstart the economy.
80. The representative of Uganda said that, while his authorities welcomed the market access
offers made, more was needed.  As an example, the offer made by the United States contained some
conditionalities.  His country had consistently implemented structural adjustment programmes and
was fully committed to them.  However, these were sometimes causing social and cultural difficulties
to which attention should also be paid.  While his government had been at the forefront to promote
regional cooperation, it was sometimes difficult to explain to local manufacturers the benefits of
market liberalization.  His government was under pressure from local manufacturers not to reduce
tariffs for fear of foreign competition.  This led to the issue of capacity building.  His country requiredmuch in terms of capacity building, such as assuring the quality of its products and in terms of its
legislation.
C. Provisional Application on a Country-Specific Basis of the Integrated Framework for Trade-
Related Technical Assistance to Support Least-Developed Countries in their Trade and Trade-
Related Activities.
81. The Reports of the twelve country-specific Ro undtables are contained in Addendum 2 to this
document.
D. Thematic Round Tables
82. The Recommendations from the two thematic Round tables are contained in the attachment to
the Report of the High-Level Meeting ( document WT/LDC/HL/23).
E. Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance, including for Human and
Institutional Capacity-Building, to Support Least-Developed Countries in their Trade and
Trade-Related Activities, for Conducting Programmes with Individual Least-Developed
Countries and for the Monitoring and Evaluation of those Programmes.
83. The Meeting endorsed the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance,
Including for Human and Institutional Capacity-Building (WT/LDC/HL/1/Rev.1).
84. The Chairman suggested that the High-Level Meeting recommend to the other five
intergovernmental institutions that they seek approval of their participation and contribution in the
Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technica l Assistance by their respective governing bodies
according to their respective procedures and mandates.
85. The Chairman said that the Meeting had endorsed the Integrated Framework.  However, the
Framework was indeed only a Framework, whic h would have to prove its value through its
implementation.  Having heard the discussion in Thematic Round Table 1, he had formulated the
following four recommendations to countries and agencies implementing the Integrated Framework:
(a) in taking forward the needs assessments and the technical cooperation programmes the next step
should be a further prioritization of the different elements.  In this process the individual least-
developed country concerned had to be in the drivers' seat in order to move from a needs assessmentdrawn up by partners to a demand articulation by the country itself, including its own perception ofWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 20
costs and benefits;  (b) application of the Integrated Framework should not be limited to IMF, ITC,
UNCTAD, UNDP, the World Bank and WTO.  In the country-specific process, starting already with
drawing up the initial needs assessment, continuous dialogue should be sought with other relevant
multilateral agencies, such as FAO, the Common Fund and others that had expressed their interest,
and with bilateral development partners.  In this process also the private sector should be taken fully
aboard;  (c) the agencies should develop a timetable for monitoring and evaluation, as well asindicators for progress;  for reporting and monitoring full use should be made of existing mechanisms
such as UNDP Roundtables, World Bank Consulta tive Groups and the appropriate bodies within
UNCTAD;  (d) in order to maintain coherence in the application of the Integrated Framework as a
whole, follow-up to the Meeting should be in cluded in the agenda for the forthcoming WTO
Ministerial Conference, given the fact that the same Ministers, when  assembled in Singapore, had
started this process.  He requested the Secretariat to include these four recommendations in the report
of the plenary meeting, so that they would  be brought to the attention of the relevant bodies.
86. The delegation of Hong Kong, China said there had been a useful discussion on initiatives for
least-developed countries.  Apart from providing some practical solutions to help least-developed
countries to play a more active part in the international trade scene, the discussions also provided a
good opportunity for  those such as Hong Kong, China to have a better understanding of the problems
facing least-developed countries.  At the Singapore Ministerial, his Minister had given full support to
the initiatives to develop an integrated framewor k for helping least-developed countries to develop
their capacity to trade.  Hong Kong, China, as a responsible member of the international community
which had benefitted enormously through trade, would be keen to help ensure the integrity if a truly
global trading system and reluctant to see some least-developed countries' position being marginalised
for one reason or another.  However, Hong Kong, China's means of support were limited given that it
had always maintained a very open and free market, with no restrictions on access for goods andservices.  It applied zero tariffs on all products including those identified to be of interest to least-
developed countries.  Hong Kong, China could therefore not offer any further market access.  It had
no experience in providing training programmes for least-developed countries, as some WTO
Members did.  As a matter of policy, it could not run bilateral programmes with individual least-
developed countries.  Hong Kong, China therefore welcomed the introduction of the Integrated
Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance as a practical way to address the issue of
marginalisation, with emphasis on assisting the least-developed countries to build up their owntrading capacity.  It was in this respect that he was pleased to announce that the government of Hong
Kong Separate Administrative Territory  would donate US$1.25 million to the WTO Trust Fund
specifically for the purpose of providing technical assistance for developing and least-developed
countries, to be organized by the WTO and, in some cases, jointly with other international agencies.
His authorities hoped through these activities human resource development, institutional capacity andunderstanding and implementation of WTO agreements would be enhanced so as to facilitate the full
participation of all in the multilateral trading system.  The contribution was perhaps modest but it
represented the concern of Hong Kong, China over the position of the least-developed countries.  His
authorities would continue to participate in this dialogue and would look for opportunities and ways to
make further contributions.
Results of the Country-Specific Round-Tables
87. The Chairman said that under the "Provisional Application on a Country-Specific Basis of the
Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Support Least-Developed Countries'
in their Trade and Trade-Related Activities" (Agenda Item C), twelve roundtable presentations had
been made for the following countries:  Nepal, Haiti, Vanuatu, Madagascar, Tanzania, Djibouti,Zambia, Mali, Bangladesh, Chad, Uganda, and Guinea.  The presentations, by Ministers of the
countries concerned and by representatives of the six intergovernmental organisations involved most
directly in this exercise (IMF, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, the World Bank and WTO) had covered each
country's needs for trade-related technical assist ance and an integrated response to these needsWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 21
prepared by the six organisations concerned, on the basis of documents WT/LDC/HL/12/Adds.1
to 12.  Following these presentations, many delegations and other intergovernmental organizations
had intervened to comment on the needs identified by the least-developed countries concerned and on
the integrated response of the six organisations.
88. The Chairman said that the process of applying the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related
Technical Assistance to individual least-developed countries represented a long-term commitment by
the six intergovernmental agencies involved.  The process was open to participation by all least-
developed countries.  The 12 countries that had been featured at roundtables at the High-Level
Meeting represented therefore the beginning of the process, not the end.  In addition to these
12 countries, a further 21 least-developed countries had accepted the invitation to complete needsassessments, as a first step towards an eventual country roundtable.  They were at varying stages of
completing their needs assessments or of having their needs assessments reviewed by the six agencies
so that an integrated response could be drawn up.  The Secretariats of the six agencies would continue
their process of interagency coordination to review the needs assessments of other least-developed
countries which had not been featured at the High-Level Meeting.  As soon as this interagencyprocess was completed, and the agencies' integrated response had been prepared and discussed with
the country concerned, the country would be in a position to have its own Roundtable.  It was
envisaged that this would be done, where possible , in the context of a UNDP Round Table or a World
Bank Consultative Group Meeting.  The six agencies aimed to have completed the process for all
21 least-developed countries before 15 March 1998.  Concerned not to loose any time, they had
scheduled their next inter-agency meeting for 29 October 1997.  He noted that the interagency process
would also be applied in due course to other least-developed countries which decided at a later stageto participate in this exercise.
89. The Meeting took note of the statement made.
Results of the Thematic Round-Tables
90. Minister Tofail Ahmed from Bangladesh, Co-Chairman of Round Table A presented the
results of the Round Table on "Building the Capacity to Trade" and said that there had been a lively
debate. The contents of the deliberations were reflected in the document which had been distributed to
all delegations (attached to document WT/LDC/HL/ 23).  He commended the document to delegations
as enjoying wide support.  He added that the least-developed countries would expect the widest
possible support in terms of finance, material and infrastructure from all their trade partners, both
developed and developing.  He welcomed the interest in the least-developed countries and hoped itwould be sustained.
91. Minister Alec Erwin from South Africa, Co-C hairman of Round Table B presented the results
of the Round Table on "Encouraging Investment into Least-Developed Countries".  He said that a
lively discussion had taken place at the Round Table.  The valuable contribution to the promotion ofinvestment of the Integrated Framework had been noted.  The Round Table also drew on the
background paper prepared by UNCTAD ensiled "E ncouraging Investment in Least-Developed
Countries".  The four private sector panellists had been asked to provide their view on how to increase
investment in least-developed countries.  The Minister from Tanzania provided a the perspective of a
least-developed country government.  The Round Table also addressed the IFC's perspective oninternational finance and the Minister from Italy provided the perspective of a developed country on
what support should be provided to encourage investment in least-developed countries.
92. Three issues resulted from the discussions.  Firstly, there was general agreement on the
importance of good governance in contributing towards the necessary environment to attract both
domestic and foreign investment.  The meeting underscored the need for investors, bilateral partners
and multilateral agencies, to provide encouragement and support for the processes which induce goodWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 22
governance.  The message was clear that processes were required for good governance and all parties
should try and abide by them.  Secondly, while there was an increasing complexity in the mix of
investment financing for developing countries, there were also increased opportunities to mobilise this
finance which was considered a positive point.  Dome stic private sector investment was viewed as an
important centrepiece around which international financial flows, risk guarantees, insurance schemes
and overseas development assistance could be draped.  The importance of a partnership for growthand development was identified as a third theme, which was emphasised more fully in the discussion
than in the supporting documentation.  Three types of such partnerships were specifically mentioned.
The public-private partnerships within the least-developed countries, the private sector partnership
from least-developed countries to external firms, and a partnership with the development agencies and
the developing counterparts in the public, private and NGO sector.  More specific recommendations
were contained in the documentation.  Firstly the emphasis on macro-stability and proposals about
straightforward, administratively simple and non-discriminatory investment codes; the need foruniform and competitive corporate tax rates with a minimum of exemptions and concessions;
investment promotion agencies and investment prom otion strategies were considered necessary;  an
attempt to support countries to find best practices of promotion agencies elsewhere;  emphasis on the
need for the liberalization of the financial sector and the promotion of institutional structures and
regulations for the development and supervision of capital markets, as this would help in themobilization of resources for investment in the least-developed countries;  the  need to strengthen
regional integration efforts in conformity with WTO obligations;  and the need for competition
legislation and institutional frameworks to prevent harmful anti-competitive practices.
Recommendations were made for the consideration of the multilateral agencies and focused on the
need to evaluate and rationalise investment incentives in least-developed countries;  the need toenable them to work with or develop stock exchanges that would support the mobilisation of finance;
the need to support institutional capacity for investment promotion.  It was recommended that
UNCTAD, UNIDO, MIGA, and WIPO facilitate the exchange of national experiences on investment
promotion;  that IFC intensify its activities for private sector investment;  that the World Bank Group
develop its action programme for private involvement in infrastructure;  that UNCTAD continue itsresearch on the opportunities and constraints for investment in least-developed countries; and that
countries should seek to avoid double taxation.  The recommendations for multilateral and bilateral
donors entailed the following:  support least-developed countries in establishing and maintaining
investment codes;  support least-developed countries in strengthening their financial system regulation
including capacity building;  support the establishment of programmes to enhance the technical andmanagerial skills of domestic private sector investments; support and strengthen private institutions
such as Chambers of Commerce, organizations of Co-operatives, Exporter Associations etc.;  support
the institutional capacity within least-developed countries to deal with investment promotion and
regulation.  He concluded by saying that the dialogue and the excellent support documentation was
clearly a process that should be allowed to go forward.  More time and preparation might enable the
identification of some concrete and realistic propositions which could support investment, supporting
trade.
93. The Meeting took note  of the Reports presented by the two Co-Chairmen of the Thematic
Roundtables including the recommendations contained therein (recommendations are contained in the
attachment to document WT/LDC/HL/23).
94. The representative of Egypt suggested that in Section III paragraphs (a) and (d) of the
Recommendations of Thematic Roundtable A the words "the World Bank" should be replaced by "the
relevant agencies".  He said that as regards Thematic Round Table B his country did not  necessarily
agree with the statements made under the second bullet point on page 1, regarding the "Mix of
Investment Financing", as well as the statement under paragraph (a) of Section II.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 23
95. The representative of Togo said that the wider context of the capacity to develop should also
be taken into consideration, such as the lack of domestic savings, health and transport costs for land-
locked countries.
96. The representative from UNDP referred to the first Report of Round Table A on capacity-
building and said that a number of representatives had stressed the importance of not considering
trade as an end in itself but rather as an integral part of development, with particular attention to
poverty reduction, equity concerns, social development and environment sustainability.  That context
was well taken care of in the Preamble of the Report.  However, he wanted to stress one issue for the
record in the hope that this would be emphasised  in subsequent discussions of these Reports.  It was a
known fact that in quite a number of the least-developed countries the main revenue in terms of tradecame from natural resources, in particular forestry products.  The discussions in Round Table A
focused on the need to make sure that natural resource exploitation was undertaken with long term
sustainability in mind.  Deforestation was a complex issue, some of it very much related to poverty,
other parts to commercial logging.  In this context and in relation to trade expansion it was important
to recognize that in many parts of the world, concession arrangements left much to be desired.  Lowrents, accompanied by illegal logging and lax supervision as well as short time frames for these
concessions often led to rapid depletion of forests.  In the context of further developments there
should be agreement to make a coordinated effort and hopefully UNDP and some of the other
agencies could be helpful in this endeavour.  There was a clear need for new concessionary
arrangements which would take more carefully into consideration the long term consequences and
sustainability in general.  He wanted to make this comment because of some of the most critical
voices outside the room who questioned trade in general simply because of this linkage. While thisproblem was not impossible to solve, one would have to look carefully into the kind of arrangements
he had just referred to.
97. The Chairman said that from the consultations held both before and during the High-Level
Meeting with a great number of participants, representing least-developed countries, development and
trading partners as well as international organizations, as well as from the discussions in  the two
Thematic Roundtables, he had noted that there was wide support for the content of the
recommendations concerning the capacity to trade, and on encouraging investment, in relation to
sustainable development.  He also noted that par ticipants felt that the recommendations should apply
as much as possible to all agencies concerned;  also where sometimes individual agencies had beenmentioned,  in the spirit of the integrated approach, which was endorsed today.  For that reason he
took it, that participants would expect him to request the Director-General of WTO to convey these
recommendations for consideration to the appropriate intergovernmental organisations as well as to
the governments of the least-developed countries and their development and trading partners.  He also
requested the Director-General of WTO to bring to the notice of his colleagues from UNDP, the IMFand the World Bank the wider context of ensuring the capacity to develop, as reflected  in the
comments made by the representative of Togo.
Information Technology
98. The Director-General recalled the importance given to the experience of the Cybercafe, set up
for the occasion of the High-Level Meeting in order to show what the potential was of communication
and information which could be delivered through new technologies.  The objective of thispresentation was to enable all participants but especially those from least-developed and developing
countries to be introduced to the wealth of information available on the Internet, with an emphasis on
those being developed by the WTO and its partner organizations.  It had been his impression that the
installation of the Cybercafe was taken very positively by the participants.  The following were a few
facts and highlights of the operation of the Cybercafe.  About 60 government Ministers and Heads of
Delegations had been provided with individual guided tours of the Internet and with demonstrations
of the kinds of information tools which were being developed for its use.  Overall it was estimatedthat a total of about 200 Conference participants would have received individual tours by the end ofWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 24
the Conference.  Many members of the least-developed country delegations had returned for an
additional demonstration to seek more information.  WTO staff had received numerous requests for
further information about the WTO information technology initiative and Ministers had expressed the
conviction that the WTO and its partner organizations needed to expand efforts which would enable
least-developed countries to use information technology.  These comments focused on the need to
provide training for trade officials on how to access Internet resources.  There were also suggestionsthat more countries should be included in the programme to install computers and Internet access in
Trade Ministries which did not have them.  He said that the WTO would try to commit itself to satisfy
those requests.  It was clear that many officials who had their first experience of using information
technology fully understood the potential such tools he ld for their Ministries and for their countries.
They had identified specific purposes for which such tools could be used, including preparing for
WTO meetings such as Trade Policy Reviews and Committee meetings, evaluating the impact and
relevance of the new WTO negotiations and monitoring developments in trade disputes and theimpact of the dispute settlement decisions.  He was of the view that a new door had been opened in
WTO's collaboration with the least-developed and other developing countries, especially now that the
WTO had improved its technical cooperation.
99. The Meeting took note of the information provided on the use of information technology by
the six intergovernmental organisations to enhance trade opportunities for least-developed countries,
and on ways to facilitate its use by least-developed countries.  It recalled the comments by the WTO
Director-General in his opening statement at the Meeting that the new information technologies the
WTO was exploiting in partnership with the World Bank provide a gateway to development which
could provide the developing world with the most important resource for raising living standards
(knowledge), and it welcomed the WTO's commitment to provide government officials in its least-
developed country Members with computers, equipm ent and the know-how to access the information
provided on the WTO web site by 1998.
F. Adoption of the Report of the High-Level Meeting containing Results Achieved Under
Agenda Items B (Market Access);  C (Countr y-Specific Round Tables);  D (Thematic Round
Tables) and E (the "Integrated Framework")
100. The Meeting adopted the Report of the High-Level Meeting as contained in document
WT/LDC/HL/231.
                                                     
1Subsequently circulated in document WT/COMTD/12.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 25
ATTACHMENT 1
Chairman's Opening Statement
H.E. Mr. Jan Pronk, Minister of Development Cooperation, The Netherlands
We are assembled here today and tomorrow because of a shared concern.  A concern about
the marginalization of the Least-Developed Countries in the world economy, a concern about their
inability to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the Uruguay Round.  It was thisconcern which motivated Trade Ministers in Singapore to agree on a Plan of Action;  it was this
concern which led to the organization of this sui generis meeting.
Integration in the global economy is indeed of paramount importance to LDCs: Through
international trade and foreign direct investment they can increase their access to technology and
capital, learn new ways of doing business, and enhance their capacity to compete on a global basis.
What is needed to connect LDCs more effectively with the global market?
The answer can be found in the Agenda for this meeting which contains four themes:- First, market access - we will address this issue later this morning;
- Second - and recognized to be at least as important, is the topic of our Round Table
Discussion this afternoon, "Building Capacity to Trade", as indeed the new global
economy has limited tolerance for policy and capacity weaknesses;
- Thirdly, "Encouraging Investment in LDCs", the theme of the roundtable tomorrow
morning, chaired by Minister Alec Erwin;
- Fourthly, in parallel sessions this afternoon and tomorrow morning, in twelve country
specific roundtables the needs of LDCs for trade related assistance will be discussed -
together with the responses of the six organizations - IMF, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP,
World Bank and WTO.
This country specific approach reflects lessons learned in decades of co-operation for
development, that comprehensive reforms will only be sustainable, if they are fully "owned" by the
country, rather than prescribed from the outside.  Furthermore, that their effectiveness depends on the
domestic capacity to design and implement them.  In order to build this institutional capacity foreign
assistance can help, but often did not.  Too often supply driven assistance and incoherent diagnosesfrom a wide range of development agencies, undercut the domestic will to reform: too much
expatriate technical assistance and proliferation of donor schemes overtaxed the domestic capacity to
reform.  Turf considerations and institutional egos of donors, both bilateral and multilateral led to
confusion and duplication.
The approach of country specific roundtables with an integrated response from the six
multilateral agencies dealing with trade related issues, will put an end to these fragmented and
inconsistent approaches; will introduce coherence and positive synergy; and will generate
responsiveness to the needs as formulated by the countries themselves. In this connection, tomorrow
afternoon hopefully, we will endorse an Integrated Framework for Technical Assistance to LDCs,
based on the partnership of the six agencies and in answer to the needs expressed by LDCs
themselves.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 26
Finally, let me recall that we are here in the William Rappard Centre, which should remind us
that we are talking about trade and development and not about all the other highly complex and multi-
faceted issues of development.  However, although we are on WTO-grounds, we will in this meeting
not be able to make any decisions, let alone in the 'WTO-binding-fashion'.  Decisions on the matters
that we will be discussing belong, of course, in  the purview of sovereign governments or, when we
talk about multilateral agencies, of the governing bodies of these agencies.  It is they who decide ifand how they will give operational follow-up to our deliberations.  That however does not mean that
our ambitions should not be high.  On the contrary:  we agreed that this should not be just another
conference, but rather the starting-point of a real process.  In the past months we became more and
more convinced of the commitment of everybody to address the issues outlined.  We should, I think,
build upon that commitment and make use of the momentum.  Our objective today and tomorrow
should be to formulate concrete and realistic recommendations which we will then submit for
consideration to the appropriate bodies and authorities.  I started out by saying that we have a sharedconcern;  let us use the coming two days to work together on a shared response.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 27
ATTACHMENT 2
Renato Ruggiero, Director-General, World Trade Organization
A New Partnership Against Marginalization
This meeting responds to a call by WTO Ministers at their Conference in Singapore last
December.  It is an enormously important meeting.  It is important because for the first time we are
bringing all the energy of the multilateral system to bear on the problem of economic marginalization.It is important because without the full integration of the least-developed countries we can never have
a truly 'global' trading system.  And it is important because it represents a tangible sign of the extent to
which your countries have embraced openness, integration and trade as the keys to economic
development.
The goal we are all working towards is a full partnership of today's least-developed countries
in the global economy and its opportunities.  We will not make progress towards that objective with
stirring speeches and fine words.  Over the ne xt two days, we must produce meaningful results
- results that will be of real and practical significance to the least-developed countries.
There are three main ways in which this meeting should produce concrete and practical
results:  first, by opening up new market access opportunities for least-developed country exports;
second, by designing an integrated approach to building trade capacity which reflects the real needs of
the least-developed countries themselves; and third, by using new technology to open a window ofnew opportunity between North and South - a wind ow through which information, knowledge and
ideas can flow freely and productively.  I can assure the delegations from these countries who are here
today that the WTO is completely committed to this task.
I don't want to underestimate the scale of the problems facing your countries.  Above all is the
problem of poverty, and its crippling effects on all aspects of the existence of millions of people - ontheir nutrition, their health, on infant mortality and life expectancy, on their prospects to educate
themselves and their children - in every respect th e facts are unacceptable.  With 10 per cent of the
world's population, the least-developed countries account together for barely one-half of one per cent
of world trade.  Their share of international investment is still insignificant, and their access to key
modern technologies totally inadequate - in agri culture, in manufacturing, in communications, in
practically every area of economic activity.
But if the challenges are immense, we now see signs that things are changing in a positive
direction and that new opportunities are opening up.  Around the world, we have seen in the past
twenty years many developing countries break away successfully from conditions of debilitating
poverty to share in the growth and prosperity that have been generated in the world economy.  TheWorld Bank, the IMF, UNDP, UNCTAD - all of the major international economic institutions paint a
strikingly similar picture of improvements, often dramatic, in the economic performance of many
least-developed countries over the past few years.  As reported by UNCTAD, more than half of the
least-developed countries have improved their economic performance in the mid-1990s.  Taken as a
group, the least-developed countries grew at around 5 per cent in 1995 and 1996, up from an average
of 3 per cent in the first half of the 1990s and only 2 per cent in the 1980s.
More important, this impressive record of eco nomic growth is having a real impact on the
everyday lives of people.  For example, among a group of some twenty developing countries
undertaking structural reform, the IMF has found that average spending on education has increased by5 per cent in real terms - or by more than 2 per cent on a per capita basis.  Real expenditure on healthWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 28
has increased by 7.5 per cent per year.  Illiteracy rates have declined by 3 per cent per year, while
primary and secondary school enrolment has grown by over 1 per cent per year.  Access to health care
improved by almost ten per cent per year; access to safe water improved by 5 per cent per year.
And UNDP has reported (and I quote its words) that by the end of this century - only three
years away - some 3 to 4 billion of the world's people will have experienced substantial improvements
in their standard of living, and about 4 to 5 billion will have access to basic education and health care.
These gains, UNDP notes, make eradicating poverty not some distant ideal but a true possibility.
These positive trends reflect the determination of many countries to embrace and institute
sustained economic reforms as the best available path to real improvements for their people.  Their
efforts richly deserve the support of the international community.  At this meeting, we have an
opportunity to show that the WTO,  working with the other intergov ernmental agencies involved, can
make a significant contribution.
Let me outline a little more fully the nature of this contribution.  First, market access.
Increased market access for the least-developed countries' exports is essential if we are serious about
improving the trading opportunities of these countries.  At the G-7 Summit Meeting in Lyon last year,
I made a proposal to remove all tariffs and import quotas on imports from least-developed countries
- and I take this opportunity to reiterate that proposal.
This Meeting provides an opportunity for WTO Members to announce steps they will be
taking, on an autonomous basis, to improve market access for products of export interest to least-
developed countries.  I have been encouraged to learn over the past few months that a number of
WTO Members - including some of the main trading partners of the least-developed countries -  are
examining seriously what steps they can take to reduce restrictions on LDC exports, to extend existingpreference schemes, particularly in areas such as textiles and agriculture;  to simplify drastically the
conditions attached to them;  and, in the case of some developing country Members, to introduce
entirely new preferences in favour of these countries' exports.
I applaud these initiatives, and I urge all WTO Members to continue to reflect on what actions
they can take in the future in this  regard.  This is one of the principal ways in which this meeting will
be seen to produce not just words but deeds. The needs of the least-developed countries for open and
predictable access to overseas export markets will only increase as policy reforms and capacity-
building at home enhance their productivity, expand their economic diversification, and result in
higher sustained real growth rates.  If investors are to respond effectively to the efforts of both theleast-developed countries themselves and the international community to improve supply-side
conditions, they must be reassured early on that attractive and stable market opportunities exist which
warrant long-term investment.
The second major area for action at this Meeting is to address supply-side constraints in the
tradeable goods sectors of the least-developed countries' economies, and help improve their capacity
to trade.  Over the past six months the WTO Secretariat has worked closely with its colleagues in the
UNCTAD and ITC, UNDP, the World Bank and the IMF, on three related projects.
• We have put together for the first time an inventory of technical assistance and cooperation
activities that exist to support the trade of the least-developed countries.  The core of this
inventory is the activities of the six agencies themselves, and with the cooperation of other
intergovernmental organisations and of the OECD Secretariat we have begun to broaden theproject to create a genuinely new and comprehensive management tool for trade-related
technical assistance and cooperation.  I believe the results, which are presented in thebackground documentation for this Meeting, will allow the least-developed countries toWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 29
ensure that the technical support they are receiving to expand their trade is truly demand-
driven and meets their needs effectively.  It will allow these countries' development partners
to design their assistance programmes more efficiently, in full knowledge of the range of
complementary activities that are in place.
• Furthermore, we have created a new Integrated Framework for designing technical assistance
and capacity-building in least-developed countries in the specific area of trade.  At the centre
lies the government of each least-developed country;  they are in the driver's seat, and a large
part of the success of this initiative will depend upon the sense of ownership and commitment
they bring to the endeavour.  The new Framework, which this Meeting will be invited to
endorse, will link together the resource-bases of the six agencies, allowing them to integrate
their efforts to meet the specific needs of individual least-developed countries.  The potential
of the Framework is, however, much broader than that.  It can help increase the benefits that
the least-developed countries derive from trade-related support provided by their developmentpartners, and I believe that by increasing transparency and accountability it will act as a
catalyst in mobilizing additional resources from the international community for these
countries' trade development.
• We will present for the first time today and tomorrow the results of our application of the new
Integrated approach to a pilot group of twelve least-developed countries.  Here is an example
of one of the practical results we intend to achieve at this Meeting - the opening of a new door
towards least-developed countries.  The results will be presented by the least-developed
countries themselves, at a series of "Roundtable" meetings.  They represent many months of
intensive work by individual least-developed countries and all six agencies involved in this
project.  By demonstrating our commitment to the exercise, we hope to create a strongmultiplier effect, attracting other multilateral and regional intergovernmental organisations,
the main trading partners of the least-developed countries, and the private sector to contribute
their resources and experience also to this effort.
Let me emphasize that for the purposes of this effort, the High-Level Meeting should be
considered only a step along the way.  In addition to the twelve least-developed countries thatwill be featured at country-specific roundtables over the next two days, 20 other least-
developed countries have accepted our invitation to participate in the exercise and we will
work hard with them to prepare the ground for their own country roundtables in the months
ahead.
The third major area of action is an exciting new departure for us in the WTO.  This is to
provide least-developed countries - as they themselves have asked - with better access to the global
information infrastructure.  The new information technologies which we are exploiting in partnership
with our friends in the World Bank provide a gate way to development, a path which can provide the
developing world with the most important resource for raising living standards - knowledge.  Through
knowledge we can better educate our young and better care for our sick. It is knowledge that makes
all of us better managers, better workers, better citizens.
I urge of all of you to explore our Cybercafe, set up next door in the Salle de Pas Perdus, so
you can see at first hand how we are making use of these new technologies to aid developing
countries in their efforts to bring themselves into the mainstream of the global trading system.  Our
web site offers officials in developing countries the ability to access, often for the first time, WTO
documents which are vital to their understanding of our rules. Our joint interactive site with the World
Bank allows trade officials to continue, through cyberspace, the training which they began here in ourtechnical cooperation training seminars.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 30
But this access to knowledge about the trading system is by no means limited to those with
past experience of WTO training seminars here in Geneva. Our new system enables even those
unfamiliar with international trade, or computers for that matter, to access the basic information that is
critical to policy making or business planning.  Through the use of on-line forums, officials can
consult the WTO and World Bank secretariats on trade matters and learn about emerging
developments in the trading system.
We will be holding several demonstrations of this forum throughout the next two days, and
I'm sure you will find these demonstrations to be of great interest.  This month, WTO secretariat staff
went to four African countries, providing government officials there with computers, equipment and
the know-how they need to access the inform ation that is available on our web site.
Later this year we will visit four more countries and do the same.  Our goal is to "wire" all of
our least-developed members by next year, so that they can take full advantage of the information
revolution that is liberating such power ful forces for integration and growth.
Let me conclude by inviting you to look to the future with renewed hope.  Finding a solution
to the problem of economic marginalization is a shared responsibility.  It is clear that for the least-
developed countries it requires pursuing sound domestic economic policies and addressing questions
of governance in a positive way.  The access to information and assistance that new technology makes
possible should be helpful in this effort.  It should be equally clear that in the WTO you have a totallycommitted partner in reaching these solutions and in achieving your economic potential.  I am
confident that the results of this meeting will live up to all our expectations that trade - and the
multilateral trading system - can deliver concrete results to those countries which are at present most
in need of our collective support, but which I ardently hope will be counted among the most dynamic
trading nations of the 21st century.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 31
ATTACHMENT 3
Mr. Rubens Ricupero Secretary-General of UNCTAD
The High-Level Meeting that begins today is  the first in the WTO context specifically
devoted to the problems of the LDCs.  It is also the first to bring together all six of our institutions in a
common endeavour:  finding ways to help these 48 countries, comprising some 600 million people inall.
I welcome it warmly, and pledge my full support to its successful conclusion.  UNCTAD has
played an active role in the preparatory process for this Meeting.  In this regard, I would like to draw
your attention in particular to the policy conc lusions reached by our member States on the LDC
question at the just concluded Trade and Developmen t Board, the TDB.  We intend to play our full
part over the next two days and in the implementation of the outcome.
This meeting is ostensibly about trade.  And we shall be discussing important issues related to
improving market access for the LDCs and providing an integrated joint programme of technical
assistance to them, to strengthen their trading cap abilities.  But, ultimately, this meeting is about
development.  The extent to which trade benefits the  majority of poor people in these countries is
critically dependent upon progress made in many other areas of their socio-economic development.
The experience of recent years has shown that one must get the basics right, in terms of sound
domestic macro-economic policies, a good infrastructure, well developed human and institutional
capacities, and a vibrant entrepreneurial sector.  Failing this, no amount of market access or well-
meaning technical assistance programmes can make a significant long-term difference to the
performance of structurally weak developing countries.  This pragmatic message came through loud
and clear at the TDB.  To cite one example:  among its conclusions were the need for LDCs toundertake institutional and sectoral policy reforms to facilitate the development of a competitive
agricultural sector.
The initiative taken by WTO Ministers in Singapore last December was a timely one.  The
danger of marginalization has been exacerbated by globalization, which imposes a greater imperative
on all countries, including LDCs, for good economic policies and the development of competitive
industrial and agricultural sectors.  Moreover, despite recent bright spots on the African continent anda better economic performance by some LDCs elsewhere, we cannot escape the fact that in the space
of one generation the income  gap between the poorest and richest countries had doubled.  Internal
conflict has contributed to a downward spiral of regress in a significant number of the countries
covered by this laudable initiative by the WTO.
Although it is difficult to generalize about such a heterogeneous group, the developmental
problems of the LDCs are in many respects unique.  They are also multidimensional, involving socio-
political as well as economic factors.  Thus, only an integrated approach, broadly defined, will work.
Not that pessimism is in order.  A healthy wind of realism is blowing through many LDCs.
Provided the external factors that often cripple best efforts can be relieved - and here I referparticularly to their debt burden and the fact that many LDCs remain tied to the wheel of commodity
markets - I am confident that a significant number of these countries have already embarked on the
right course.  They lead by example.  Benefitting from faster growth in more advanced developing
countries, access to whose markets is vital, they can also become magnets for their neighbour's
growth.
To sustain this course, and not fall back again, what they need from their developed country
partners, among other things, is improved official development assistance, more foreign investment,
and flexible market access terms that will permit them to move up the value-added export chain asWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 32
their supply capacities improve.  Certain sensitive sectors apart, most of today's LDC exports
presently enjoy duty-free access to major markets.  But we must look ahead, and recognize that it only
through the retention of a greater degree of value-added in their own countries, exporting processed
goods, that the LDCs will be able to break out of their present trap of dependence and achieve
sustainable growth and development.
What is needed to achieve this objective?  After decades of pioneering work on trade and
development, particularly on issues of commodities, and the establishment of the Generalized System
of Preferences, we in UNCTAD have come to the conclusion that the primary ingredient for trade
competitiveness in LDCs is the enhancing of s upply capabilities to produce tradeable goods and
services competitively.  To illustrate this point, on e need look no further than the steady decline in the
European market share of the ACP countries since the first Lomé Convention was enacted over
20 years ago, despite the permanent nature of the preferences enjoyed by these countries.
But, to overcome their long-term structural constraints is not a task that the LDCs can achieve
on their own.  As UNCTAD has long argued, it will require substantial technical and financial
assistance from their development partners.  Here it is worth recalling that the Marrakesh MinisterialDecision in Favour of LDCs called for technical assi stance to facilitate their integration into the world
economy.
The weak supply capabilities of LDC is also compounded by the unfinished business of trade
liberalization regarding issues of tariff peak and tariff escalation affecting products of interest to them.
A new joint study by UNCTAD and the WTO notes that despite the substantial concessions made to
LDC exports lately by the US, the European Union and Japan, "quite a number of peak tariffs remain
applicable to LDCs in all major markets".
The third priority area is to generate systemic competitiveness, based on sound structural and
technological endowment.  In this way, one can hope  to reduce the vulnerability of LDCs to external
factors such as price  fluctuations on international commodity markets.  In the  light of our long-
standing experience in LDC, we in UNCTAD believe that the following elements will contribute to
the emergence of systemic competitiveness in LDCs.
First, commodity diversification should remain high on their domestic policy agenda.
Second, the improvement of trade infrastructure and trade-supporting services are of critical
importance.  The development of our electronic Trade Point programme in LDCs is an attempt to
address this problem.  Third, we believe that human resource development for trade competitiveness
is acquiring greater significance in the "knowledge society" of today.  We are currently developing
full-fledged training packages in commercial diplomacy and trade-policy formulation to assistdeveloping countries in this field.
Last, but not least, international support measures of the kind I have already described will be
required, to assist LDCs lay the foundations for greater competitiveness.  On the basis of these three
main elements, the TDB has decided to recommend to the current session of the UN General
Assembly the convening of the third UN Conference on the LDCs a major opportunity to review
development problems facing LDCs in the third millennium.  The outcome of this High-Level
Meeting should therefore provide a strong link to the preparatory work for the next UN Conference.
As the enhancement of LDCs' trade performance and their integration into the global
economy is inextricably linked to broader developmental issues in these countries, UNCTAD has a
central role to play in ensuring the success of this Meeting.  We have worked on a wide range of
development issues with the developing countries, particularly the LDCs, for over three decades,
exploring the interrelationship between trade and development and providing policy recommendationsto governments and international agencies.  Through the technical assistance programmes UNCTADWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 33
has provided to many comparative advantage in exploring the trade-development nexus will thus be
an invaluable link in this integrated initiative.
As I said in my opening remarks to the TDB, two weeks ago, the business of UNCTAD is
development.  For us, the LDC "problematique" is a broad development issue that eschews any
compartmentalized approach.  Hence our readiness to work with all agencies present here today, in
the search both for efficiency in trade and so lidarity with the most vulnerable actors on the
international stage, UNCTAD has travelled a long road to reach the point it is at today.  We are glad
to join you, the other international agencies, and you the Least Developed Countries, as we travel
further along a route we shall choose together.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 34
ATTACHMENT 4
Mr. J. Denis Bélisle, Executive Director, International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO
It is a great honour for me to say a few words on behalf of ITC at this most important
meeting. I shall limit myself to three points.
First, I know how much effort has been made to prepare for this meeting.  Even more
impressive are the obstacles to be mastered to reach our common objective of enhancing exports formLDCs.  If we want to succeed, which we are determ ined to, this meeting will not be the end, but only
the beginning of a well thought-out process to wh ich LDCs, other developing countries, developed
market economies, economies in transition and all of us from bilateral development agencies and
international organizations, who believe in trade as a means to achieve sustainable development, will
have to continue to devote solid, creative and, indee d, integrated efforts.  The dialogue between us all
has to be enhanced, strategies sharpened, and delivery plans intensified.  We have to think in terms of
a collective battle to reduce poverty and to favour a healthy trading word which must benefit all.
Second, in the process of preparing for this meetin g it has become clear to me that we need to
become more innovative in order to harness the world's leading traders and market forces for the
development of exports form LDCs.  Among other th ings, in my view, enterprises need to be put on
the centre stage in all trade development efforts.  Once the proper rules are in place and supportive
policies have been adopted, it is the business sector that has to deliver, and their perception ofopportunities and constraints is the key to their invo lvement.  Going through the answers of more than
300 enterprises and business association form LDCs who contributed their views to this meeting and
which we have summarized in this report has left me with two strong impressions:
- Respect and admiration for these men and women entrepreneurs of LDCs who have
succeeded, often against all odds, to build up their international businesses;  andconfidence that the business sector in most LDCs is ready to take up the challenges at
hand;  and
- Secondly, despite the progress so far achieved by governments and international
institutions, there is a real need for an even more concerted international effort to
remove the most glaring obstacles to trade development in LDCs.  As you will gatherfrom our survey, the business community has made numerous concrete and specific
proposals in this regard.
Finally, I wish to assure you that ITC will continue to make available its expertise and 33
years of experience to LDCs on a priority basis.  LDCs have become the central focus of ITC's work
and we are considering a more concerted organizational response to their technical cooperation needs.ITC staff will be available to consult with you throughout the High-Level Meeting and I know they
will carry out enthusiastically any tasks they may be assigned resulting from the Meeting.WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 35
ANNEX I
SINGAPORE:  leading imports from least-developed countries
No. H.S. Code Product Description
1 020230 Frozen boneless bovine meat
2 030110 Live ornamental fish
3 030342 Frozen yellofin tunas
4 030343 Skipjack or stripe-bellied bonito
5 030379 Fish, frozen, excluding fish fillets & others
6 030559 Fish dried, salt or in brine:  smoked fish
7 030613 Frozen shrimps & prawns
8 030621 Rock lobster & other sea crawfish (excluding frozen)
9  030749 Cuttle fish & squid (excluding live, fresh or chilled)
10 030759 Octopus (excluding live, fresh or chilled)
11 030799 Aquatic invertebrates, N.E.S., including flours, meals, pellets
12 070820 Beans, fresh or chilled
13 070990 Other vegetables, fresh or chilled & others
14 071390 Dried leguminous vegetables, shelled, whether or not skinned or split
15 080130 Cashew nuts, fresh or dried
16 080300 Bananas, including plantains, fresh or dried
17 080450 Guavas, mangoes & mangosteens, fresh or dried
18 080620 Dried grapes
19 081090  Other fruit, fresh & others
20 090111 Coffee, not roasted or decaffeinated
21 090240 Black tea (fermented) and partly fermented tea
22 090500 Vanilla
23 090700 Cloves (whole fruit, cloves and stems)
24 100630 Semi-milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed
25 100700 Grain sorghum
26 100820 Millet
27 120220 Shelled ground-nuts, not roasted or otherwise cooked
28 120300 Copra
29 120720 Cotton seeds
30 120740 Sesamum seedsWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 36
No. H.S. Code Product Description
31 130120 Natural glum arabic
32 130190 Natural glums, resins , gum-resins & balsams
33 140420 Cotton linters
34 150810 Crude ground-nut oil
35 151110 Crude palm-oil
36 151311 Crude coconut (copra) oil & fractions thereof not chemically modified
37 160414 Prepared or preserved tuna, skipjack & bonito
38 170111 Raw cane sugar, in solid form
39 170310 Cane molasse resulting from the extraction or refining of sugar
40 180100 Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted
41 200560 Asparagus, preserved other than by vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen
42 230400 Oil-cake & other solid residues, of soyabean oil
43 251010 Unground natural calcium phosphates, etc.
44 251020 Ground natural calcium phosphates, aluminium calcium phosphates
45 260111 Non-agglomerated iron ores & concentrates
46 260600 Aluminium ores & concentrates
47 261400 Titanium ores & concentrates
48 270900 Petroleum oil & oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude
49 281820 Aluminium oxide, other than artificial corundum
50 284410 Natural uranium & its compounds, etc.
51 284910 Carbides of calcium
52 291890 Carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function, etc.
53 300490 Other medicaments of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic uses
54 330126 Essential oil of vetiver (i ncluding concretes & absolutes)
55 330129 Essential oils (includi ng concretes & absolutes)
56 40122 Technically specified natural rubber, in primary forms or in plates
57 400129 Other natural rubber, in primary forms or in plates, sheets, strip
58 410221 Pickled skins of sheep or lambs without wool
59 410612 Goat or kid skin leather, pre- tanned (excluding further prepared)
60 430130 Raw furskins of specified types of  lamb, whole, with our without head
61 440320 Wood:  other coniferous in the roug h, whether or not stripped of bark or
sapwood
62 440333 Wood:  keruing, ramin, kapur, teak jongkong, merbau etc.
63 440334 Wood in the rough, whether or not stripped (okoume, obeche, sapelli,
sipo, etc.)WT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 37
No. H.S. Code Product Description
64 440335 Tiama, mansonia, ilomba, dibetou, limba and azobe
65 440399 Wood in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood
66 440710 Coniferous wood sawn or chip ped lengthwise, sliced or peeled
67 440721 Specified tropical woods (meranti, etc.) sawn lengthwise
68 440722 Specified tropical woods (okoume, etc.) sawn
69 440799 Wood, n.e.s. sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled
70 440890 Veneer sheets & sheets for plywood and other
71 440920 Non-coniferous wood, continuously sh aped along any of its edges or
faces
72 441010 Particle board & similar board of  wood or other ligneous materials
73 441299 Plywood, veneered panels & similar laminated wood & others
74 490199 Other printed books, brochures, leaflets & similar printed matter
75 510121 Degreased shorn wool, not carbonised, not carded or combed
76 510210 Fine animal hair, not carded or combed
77 520100 Cotton, not carded or combed
78 570110 Carpets & other textile floor coveri ngs, of wool or fine animal hair
79 610832 Women's or girls' pyjamas, etc. of man-made fibres
80 610910 T-shirts singlets & other vests of cotton knitted or crocheted
81 611010 Jerseys, pullovers, etc., of wool or fine animal hair, knitted or crocheted
82 611020 Jerseys, pullovers, etc., of cotton, knitted or crocheted
83 611030 Jerseys, pullovers, etc., of man-made fibres, knitted or crocheted
84 620342 Men's or boys' trousers, breeches, etc., of cotton
85 620462 Women's or girls trousers, breeches etc., of cotton
86 620520 Men's or boys' shirts of cotton
87 620530 Men's or boys' shirts of man-made fibres
88 620630 Women's or girls' blouses, sh irts & shirt-blouses of cotton
89 621210 Brassieres
90 640399 Footwear with outer soles of rubber,  plastic leather or composition leather
91 640610 Uppers & parts thereo f other than stiffeners
92 710210 Diamonds, unsorted, whether or not  worked, but not mounted or set
93 710231 Diamonds non-industrial unworked or simply sawn, cleaved or bruted
94 710310 Precious or semi precious stones (O/T diamonds) unworked or simply
sawn
95 710812 Gold in unwrought forms non-monetary
96 710813 Gold in other semi-manufactured forms, non-monetaryWT/LDC/HL/M/1
Page 38
No. H.S. Code Product Description
97 711210 Waste & scrap of gold, including metal clad with gold, excluding
sweepings
98 720221 Ferro-silicon, containing by weight more than 55 per cent of silicon
99 720229 Other ferro-alloys
100 721420 Other bars & rods of iron or non-alloy steel containing indentations, ribs,
etc.
101 740311 Copper cathodes & sect ions of cathodes unwrought
102 740319 Refined copper products, unwrought
103 810510 Cobalt mattes & other intermediate products of cobalt metallurgy,
unwrought
104 847330 Parts & accessories of automatic data processing machines
105 854211 Monolithic integrated circuits, digital
106 854419 Insulated cables/conductors & others
107 854430 Ignition wiring sets & othe r wiring sets of a kind used in vehicles, aircraft
or ships