WT/MIN(22)/W/16/Rev.1  
 
16 June 2022  
(22-4692) Page: 1/3 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 202 2   
 
MC12 OUTCOME DOCUMENT - DRAFT* 
Revision  
We, the Ministers, have met  in Geneva from 12 to 1 6 June 2022 for our Twelfth Session.  
 
1. We resolve to strengthen the rules -based, non -discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, equitable and 
transparent multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. In this regard, we reaffirm the 
principles and objectives set out in the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade 
Organization and underscore the relevance and critical role of inter national trade and the WTO in 
global economic recovery, growth, prosperity, alleviation of poverty, welfare of all people, 
sustainable development and to facilitate cooperation in relation to the protection and preservation 
of the environment in a manner c onsistent with respective needs and concerns at different levels of 
economic development.  
 
2. We reaffirm the provisions of special and differential treatment for developing country Members 
and LDCs as an integral part of the WTO and its agreements. Specia l and differential treatment in 
WTO agreements should be precise, effective and operational. In addition, we recall that trade is to 
be conducted with a view to raising standards of living, ensuring full employment, pursuing 
sustainable development of Memb ers, and enhancing the means for doing so in a manner consistent 
with Members' respective needs and concerns at different levels of economic development. We 
instruct officials to continue to work on improving the application of special and differential tre atment 
in the CTD SS and other relevant venues in the WTO, as agreed and report on progress to the 
General Council before MC13.  
 
3. We acknowledge the need to take advantage of available opportunities, address the challenges 
that the WTO is facing, and ens ure the WTO's proper functioning. We commit to work towards 
necessary reform of the WTO. While reaffirming the foundational principles of the WTO, we envision 
reforms to improve all its functions. The work shall be Member -driven, open, transparent, inclusi ve, 
and must address the interests of all Members, including development issues . The General Council 
and its subsidiary bodies will conduct the work, review progress, and consider decisions, as 
appropriate, to be submitted to the next Ministerial Conferenc e1. 
 
4. We acknowledge the challenges and concerns with respect to the dispute settlement system 
including those related to the Appellate Body, recognize the importance and urgency of addressing 
those challenges and concerns, and commit to conduct discuss ions with the view to having a fully 
and well -functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all Members by 2024. 
 
5. In this difficult context, we note with satisfaction the progress achieved by LDC Members who 
have met or who are about to meet the graduation criteria set by the United Nations Committee for 
Development Policy (CDP) and acknowledge the particular chall enges that graduation presents, 
including the loss of trade -related international support measures, as they leave the LDC category. 
We recognize the role that certain measures in the WTO can play in facilitating smooth and 
sustainable transition for these Members after graduation from the LDC Category.  
 
* This draft text is without prejudice to Members' positions and to any action that Ministers may decide 
to take.  
1 For greater certainty, in this context, this does not prevent groupings of  WTO Members  from meeting 
to discuss relevant matters or making submissions for consideration by the General Council or its subsidiary 
bodies.  WT/MIN(22)/W/16/Rev.1  
 
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6. We underscore the importance of accessions, noting that although no new accession has taken 
place since July 2016, several applicants have made encouraging progress. In this regard, we remain 
committed to  facilitate the conclusion of ongoing accessions, especially for least -developed countries 
fully in line with the General Council Guidelines on LDC Accessions, and to provide technical 
assistance, where appropriate, including in the post -accession phase.  
 
7. We recognize the special situation of the Members acceded in accordance with Article XII of the 
Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization who have undertaken extensive commitments 
at the time of accession, including in market access. This situ ation shall be taken into account in 
negotiations.  
 
8. We reaffirm our decision at the Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi on implementation of 
preferential treatment in favour of services and service suppliers of least -developed countries and 
increasi ng LDC participation in services trade, and instruct the Council for Trade in Services to review 
and promote the operationalization of the waiver including to explore improvements in LDC services 
export data; to review information on LDC services suppliers  and consumers of LDC services in 
preference providing Member markets; and to assess best practices in facilitating the use of the 
preferences. On this matter, we instruct the General Council to report to our next session on 
progress.  
 
We reaffirm our dec ision at the Ninth Ministerial Conference in Bali on Duty -Free Quota -Free Market 
Access for Least -Developed Countries and instruct the Committee on Trade and Development to re -
commence the annual review process on preferential DFQF market access for LDCs. On this matter, 
we instruct the General Council to report on the progress to our next session.  
 
We welcome the decision of the Committee on Rules of Origin (CRO) adopted on 14 April 2022 
(G/RO/95) on Preferential Rules of Origin and the Implementation of the Nairobi Ministerial Decision. 
We instruct the CRO to report its work to the General Council ahead of the Thirteenth Ministerial 
Conference.  
 
We also acknowledge LDCs' commitment and efforts in implementation of the TFA. We urge all 
Members to assist t he LDCs in meeting their definitive category C deadlines.  
 
We recognize the importance of Aid for Trade initiatives in trade -related capacity building for the 
LDCs. We recommend that such programmes prioritise the objectives identified by the LDCs.  
 
9. We  instruct the Trade Facilitation Committee to hold a Dedicated Session on transit issues annually 
until the next review of the Trade Facilitation Agreement is completed. These dedicated sessions will 
highlight the importance of transit and reserve time for  the Committee to discuss best practices, as 
well as the constraints and challenges faced by all landlocked WTO Members, including landlocked 
developing countries and LDCs as outlined in G/TFA/W/53.  
 
10. Services trade is vital to the global economy and ha s a major role to play in global economic 
output and employment. The COVID -19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of services and 
has had a significant impact on services trade and services sectors, particularly for developing 
Members, including least -developed countries (LDCs). We underscore the importance of recovery 
for services most impacted by the pandemic and of efforts to strengthen such services, taking into 
account challenges and opportunities encountered by Members. We acknowledge the need to 
facilitate the increasing participation of developing Members, including LDCs, in global services trade, 
including by paying particular attention to sectors and modes of supply of export interest to them. 
We take note of work in the area of trade in servic es. 
 
11. We take note of the reports from the General Council and its subsidiary bodies. These reports, 
and the Decisions stemming from them demonstrate Members' continued commitment to the work 
of the WTO, thereby strengthening its effectiveness and the multilat eral trading system as a whole.  
 
12. We recognize the importance of strengthened collaboration and cooperation with other 
intergovernmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders that have responsibilities related 
to those of the WTO, in accordance with the rules and principles of the WTO, to restore trust, 
certainty and predictability in the world economy and effectively address current and future 
multidimensional challenges.  WT/MIN(22)/W/16/Rev.1  
 
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13. We recognize women's economic empowerment and the contribution of MSM Es to inclusive and 
sustainable economic growth, acknowledge their different context, challenges and capabilities in 
countries at different stages of development, and we take note of the WTO, UNCTAD and ITC 's work 
on these issues.2 
 
14. We recognize global environmental challenges including climate change and related natural 
disasters, loss of biodiversity and pollution. We note the importance of the contribution of the 
multilateral trading system to promote the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustai nable Development Goals 
in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions, in so far as they relate to WTO mandates and 
in a manner consistent with the respective needs and concerns of Members at different levels of 
economic development. In this regard , we reaffirm the importance of providing relevant support to 
developing country Members, especially LDCs, to achieve sustainable development, including 
through technological innovations. We note the role of the Committee on Trade and Environment as 
a stan ding forum dedicated to dialogue among Members on the relationship between trade measures 
and environmental measures.  
 
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Part II: Reference to separate decisions or declarations as adopted by Ministers  
 
2 These are general messages on cross cutting issues that do not change the rights or obligations of 
WTO Members (and do not relate to any Joint Statement Init iatives) .