RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/SE/M/39  
 
3 February 2020  
(20-0834) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Thirty -Ninth Dedicated Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 1 NOVEMBER 2019  
H.E. Mr Chad Blackman (Barbados)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
B. PARAGRAPH 41 OF THE HONG KONG MINISTERIA L DECLARATION: MONIT ORING 
PROGRESS OF THE SMAL L ECONOMIES' PROPOSA LS IN THE NEGOTIATIN G GROUPS 
AND OTHER WTO BODIES  ................................ ................................ ...............................  1 
- Work Programme on Small Economies - Compilation paper prepared by the Secretariat 
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.9)  ................................ ................................ ..............................  1 
C. WORK PROGRAMME ON SM ALL ECONOMIES: PROPO SAL FOR MINISTERIAL 
DECISION - COMMUNICA TION FROM GUATEMALA ON BEHALF OF THE GRO UP OF  
SMALL, VULNERABLE EC ONOMIES (WT/COMTD/SE /W/39)  ................................ ............  3 
D. FOLLOW -UP ISSUES CON CERNING THE CHALLENG ES FACED BY SMALL 
ECONOMIES IN ATTRACT ING INVESTMENTS – INTRO DUCTION OF THE TOPIC  BY 
GUATEMALA ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF SMAL L, VULNERABLE ECONOM IES ..............  6 
E. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 7 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1.   The draft agenda as contained in document WTO/AIR/COMTD/SE/11/Rev.1 of 
22 October  2019 was adopted .  
B. PARAGRAPH 41 OF THE HONG KONG MINISTERIA L DECLARATION: MONIT ORING 
PROGRESS OF THE SMAL L ECONOMIES' PROPOSA LS IN THE NEGOTIATIN G GROUPS AND 
OTHER WTO BODIES  
- Work Programme on Small Economies - Compilation paper prepared by the Secretar iat 
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.9)  
2.   The Chairman  said that this paper had its roots in the mandate contained in Paragraph 41 of 
the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, which called for the Dedicated Session of the Committee on 
Trade and Development (CTD) to monitor the progress of the small economies' proposals in 
negotiating and other WTO bodies. The compilation pape r had been updated several times over the 
years, in order to incorporate references to new documents concerning the Work Programme on 
Small Economies. It had served as a useful reference for matters relating to the Work Programme, 
and in past Ministerial D ecisions concerning the Work Programme, Ministers had based themselves 
on this document to take note of the work undertaken. He went on to say that, at the Twelfth WTO 
Ministerial Conference (MC12) which would be held in June 2020, the present update  
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.9 ) would once again help to inform Ministers of the status of the Work 
Programme on Small Economies, and in particular the work undertaken since the last Ministerial 
Conference. As per the practice, all existing references to past documen ts had been maintained in 
the new update. The additions that had been made in this update concerned firstly a reference to 
the 13 December 2017 Buenos Aires Ministerial Decision on the Work Programme on Small 
Economies . In addition, there was a reference t o the outcome document prepared by the Group of 
Small, Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) on the work undertaken in the Dedicated Session on 
"Challenges small economies experience in their efforts to reduce trade costs, particularly in the WT/COMTD/SE/M/39  
 
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  area of trade facilitat ion". He recalled that this outcome document had been presented and discussed 
at the April 2019 meeting of the Dedicated Session.  
3.   The representative of El Salvador , on behalf of the SVE Group, said that the importance of 
this document was that it served as  a reference showing the work that the SVEs had done not only 
in the Dedicated Session, but also in other WTO bodies, including the negotiating groups. 
The compilation paper was also an important account of the work achieved in the Work Programme 
on Small Economies, and of how the Ministerial Decisions concerning the Work Programme had been 
successfully implemented.  
4.   The representative of Vanuatu , on behalf of the Pacific Group, said that the members of the 
Pacific Group had pushed to secure the Work Program me on Small Economies at the Doha Ministerial 
Conference in 2001. He stressed the continued importance of the Work Programme, in particular in 
light of the growing challenges SVEs were facing from fast and unforeseen changes in the global 
trading environme nt. The Pacific Group also welcomed the updated Secretariat compilation paper, 
as it helped SVEs keep track of the work undertaken so far in the Dedicated Session as well as in 
other bodies, including the negotiating bodies. He requested that the compilati on paper be regularly 
updated, particularly for the benefit of small missions with limited capacity.  
5.   The representative of the United States  indicated that she wished to make a comment with 
respect to Paragraph 2.22 on page 17 of the document, which referred to the Secretariat's research 
project on natural disasters and trade. While her delegation was looking forward to reviewing the 
Secretari at's work in this area, she wished to clarify that the United States did not view Members 
affected by natural disasters as warranting any special accommodation within the WTO. All Members 
faced threats of external shocks. This was why there were provisions  under WTO Agreements to deal 
with such situations – whether in GATT Article XX to protect human, animal, or plant lives, or GATT 
Article XXI for national security purposes.  
6.   The representative of Trinidad and Tobago , on behalf of the Caribbean Community (C ARICOM) 
Group in Geneva, said that the work of the CTD – and particularly its Dedicated Session on Small 
Economies – continued to be important for CARICOM. She added that the Doha Development Agenda  
(DDA)  remained critical to maintaining the balance in the  multilateral trading system (MTS) and 
improving the trading prospects of developing countries. Small economies faced a myriad of 
challenges to achieve development and effective participation in the MTS. The challenges were often 
exacerbated due to remoten ess from major markets, vulnerability to external economic shocks and 
climatic events, small and undiversified markets, and lack of economies of scale. The CARICOM 
region was faced with unique circumstances and vulnerabilities, including climate change, ac cess to 
finance and development challenges. She highlighted the devastation caused by multiple storms 
since August  2019 – including hurricanes Dorian and Humberto – and the need for development 
flexibilities and policy space to restore, rebuild and reinsta te infrastructure and resources for many 
small states. The issue of development in its broader context had to be at the heart of WTO 
discussions and negotiations. It had to include the regulatory sovereignty and policy space to 
implement development object ives, rather than just a narrow focus on special and differential 
treatment. This  would ensure that the smallest players in the MTS were not marginalized. There was 
a need for pro -active steps to address some of the Group's pressing concerns. The advanceme nt of 
the Work Programme on Small Economies continued to be key towards ensuring the realization of 
solutions, which would lead to a meaningful participation in global trade. The CARICOM Group 
remained engaged in discussions seeking to identify areas for f uture work under th e Work 
Programme for consideration at the upcoming Ministerial Conference.  
7.   The representative of Barbados  said that the Work Programme on Small Economies continued 
to be an integral part of the Committee's work to address the current tra de related issues of small 
economies and to incorporate these issues within the discussions in the WTO. His delegation 
recognized the threat of frequent natural disasters and was aware that natural disasters could place 
an unprecedented strain on SVEs in t heir stages of development. These disasters threatened to 
ultimately reverse or eradicate any realized gains in a country’s ability to facilitate and benefit from 
trade. Given the frequency and ferocity of recent natural disasters in the Caribbean, Barbado s saw 
it necessary to carry out targeted assessments on the economic effects in SVEs to fully understand 
and build the necessary resilience in mitigating them.  
8.   The Dedicated Session took note  of the updated compilation paper and of all interventions.  WT/COMTD/SE/M/39  
 
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  C. WORK PROGRAMME ON SMAL L ECONOMIES: PROPOSA L FOR MINISTERIAL 
DECISION - COMMUNICA TION FROM GUATEMALA ON BEHALF OF THE GRO UP OF SMALL, 
VULNERABLE ECONOMIES  (WT/COMTD/SE/W/39)  
9.   The Chairman  said that, under the present agenda item, the Dedicated Session would co nsider 
a proposal (WT/COMTD/SE/W/39) by the SVE Group for a Ministerial Decision at MC12 on the Work 
Programme on Small  Economies.  He noted that El  Salvador would continue to speak on behalf of 
the SVE Group for the rest of the meeting.  
10.   The representative of El Salvador , on behalf of the SVE Group, said that Ministerial Decisions 
on the Work Programme on Small Economies had always been an important outcome of past 
Ministerial Conferences. These Ministerial Decisions had reiterated and reinforced the Membership’s 
support for the Work Programme, and had given guidance in relation to the work ahead. The proposal 
by the SVE Group for a Ministerial Decision at MC12 had been circulated to Members in advance of 
the present meeting. Although the draft Ministe rial Decision resembled past Ministerial Decisions, 
there were some changes that she wished to present. She explained that the draft text firstly 
included a reference to the updated Secretariat compilation paper that the Dedicated Session had 
considered un der the previous agenda item. The draft text also made reference to two new topics 
that the Group wished to discuss. These topics were the impact of natural disasters on trade for 
small economies, and the integration of small economies into new forms of tr ade. Regarding the 
topic of natural disasters, the Group wanted to analyse the vulnerability of SVEs to these natural 
phenomena that were growing in number and intensity. The Group also wanted to study the effects 
of natural disasters on the economy – as well as on imports, exports, production, and participation 
in global value chains  (GVCs)  – and explore how to strengthen national resilience when faced with 
these disasters. In addition, the Group wished to analyse what measures could be taken to prevent 
or minimize the impact of natural disasters. To this end, the Group would look at existing WTO rules 
and how these rules could be used to mitigate some of the economic impacts of natural disasters.  
11.   With respect to the topic of integration of small economies  into new forms of trade, she said 
that the Group’s intention was to discuss what were the new forms of trade and the new processes 
in place, and what were the tools and infrastructure needed for small economies to participate. 
The SVEs wished to discuss a  number of issues such as energy, information and communications 
technology (ICT) infrastructure, electronic payment solutions and interoperability. The Group 
believed that human capacity development, and particularly the enhancement of participation of 
women in these new forms of trade, was necessary to ensure an appropriate integration by SVEs. 
The Group was also interested in how these new forms of trade could contribute to economic 
diversification. In closing, she expressed hope that the proposal would be acceptable to Members, 
and that it could be approved at the present meeting. She additionally shared the understanding of 
the Group that the Work Programme was a forum for discussion and exchange of views, and not for 
negotiation of new rules on any of the proposed issues. Finally, she asked the Secretariat to explain 
the process for agreement of the draft Ministerial Decision in order for it to be presented to Ministers 
for their consideration.  
12.   A representative of the Secretariat  explained that the Ded icated Session reported to the 
General Council. The practice in past years in the run up to Ministerial Conferences was for the 
Dedicated Session to approve a written report to the General Council. It was then for the General 
Council to take note of the re port and forward the relevant elements to the Ministerial Conference. 
Thus,  going by past practice, the Dedicated Session would need to once again approve a report to 
the General Council – which would presumably be done at the next meeting, in early 2020. 
Past reports to the General Council had two parts, aside from the introductory section. One part 
concerned a summary of the work that had been undertaken in the Dedicated Session since the last 
Ministerial Conference. The second part, which was normally ti tled "Future Work ", contained the  
elements of the  text of a Ministerial Decision agreed by Members in the Dedicated Session. This text 
included a mention of the topics for future work in the Dedicated Session.  
13.   The representative of Fiji, on behalf of the P acific Group, expressed support for the proposed 
Ministerial Decision, including the proposed new topics for discussion. He said that the Pacific Group 
had always maintained that the combined effect of small size, isolation and geographical dispersal 
of the Pacific Islands made them uncompetitive.  Their dependence on a narrow range of exports 
with escalating trade deficits and susceptibility to external economic shocks made them economically 
vulnerable.  Climate change was the single greatest challenge facin g the Pacific. The increasing 
frequency and intensity of natural disasters exacerbated the structural economic vulnerabilities that WT/COMTD/SE/M/39  
 
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  affected the region. Solutions had to be found within the WTO Agreements.  In this connection, he 
appreciated the analysis u ndertaken by the Secretariat to assess the impact of natural disasters on 
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific and the Caribbean regions. The report showed 
that, in 2015, Category 5 Cyclone Pam resulted in economic losses estimated at 64% o f GDP in 
Vanuatu. In 2016, Category 5 Cyclone Winston resulted in economic losses estimated at 31% of 
GDP in Fiji, and in 2018, Category 4 Cyclone Gita caused damages estimated at 38% of GDP in 
Tonga. Frequent and severe natural disasters were therefore ex posing SIDS to heavy economic 
losses and to a vicious cycle of regular rebuilding of productive sectors and physical infrastructure, 
which w ere being increasingly funded by borrowing, thus increasing their levels of indebtedness.  
The Pacific Group consider ed that the report by the Secretariat was a useful and positive contribution 
to the work envisaged to analyse the impact of natural disasters. However, Members needed to build 
on this to find effective solutions, including in existing WTO rules, so as to h elp mitigate the effects 
and build economic resilience for SIDS and SVEs. With regard to the topic of integration of small 
economies into new forms of trade, he said that technological advances through ICT and e -commerce 
– as well as the shift towards rene wable energy and the quest for green products and services in 
response to climate change – presented potential opportunities for SVEs. These opportunities could 
in turn promote economic diversification as well as inclusive growth through enhancing the 
participation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), women, youth and rural 
communities. He concluded by saying that the work of the Dedicated Session, including the new 
topics proposed for inclusion in the Ministerial Decision at MC12, should lead to  the framing of 
responses for the fuller integration of SVEs into the MTS, in line with the mandate in Paragraph 35 
of the Doha Declaration.  
14.   The Chairman  requested that Members indicate in their interventions whether they would be 
able to agree to the pro posal under consideration. If there were questions or comments on any 
specific parts of the proposed text, he asked them to make it clear in their interventions which parts 
of the text were being referred to, so that the proponents could take due note.  
15.   The representative of Mauritius  supported the new topics for discussion proposed by the 
SVE Group. He said that the impact of natural disasters was real,  and affected small economies – 
and especially SIDS – very severely. Natural disasters carried the risk of  wiping out economies 
completely. This was why his delegation believed that Members should continue discussing the 
impact of natural disasters on the trading capacity of small economies. With regard to the integration 
of small economies into new forms of t rade, he believed that the discussion needed to be wide 
enough to assess the impact of the global economic challenges that small economies were facing. 
In closing, he indicated his delegation's support to forward the proposed Ministerial Decision to the 
General Council.  
16.   The representative of Jamaica  said that her delegation supported the proposal by the 
SVE Group. She indicated that the impact of natural disasters on small economies affected their 
trading capacity through, inter alia , damaging infrastructu re and disrupting supply chains. 
Additionally, the increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters not only put significant strains 
on their already limited fiscal space, but also created additional costs for businesses and increased 
difficulties in  attracting foreign direct investments. Among the most vulnerable sectors were 
fisheries, agriculture, and public utilities – which included the supply of telecommunications, ICT, 
education and healthcare services. These sectors often required significant government investments 
to restore them to pre -disaster levels. As a result of the limited financial capacity of SVEs, and in 
the context of WTO rules on government support, the lag effect of restoring trade performance to 
pre-disasters levels was dispropor tionately longer for small economies. This negatively affected their 
successful integration into the global economy, GVCs  and the global trading system. Like many 
SIDS, Jamaica was highly exposed to extreme weather events and climate risks. Between 1993 an d 
2003, Jamaica had suffered 26 natural disasters, which resulted in total loss in damages of 
USD 2.2 billion. Her country had endured 11 since the year 2000. The Government of Jamaica had 
recently approved the development of a policy on natural disaster r isks financing. The policy was 
expected to create greater transparency and efficiency in the mobilization and execution of public 
expenditure in disaster risk management. Critical components of the policy included developing fiscal 
resilience to disasters through, inter alia , the building of a strong fiscal buffer and incorporating 
disaster risks and analysis in public sector investment and planning. She noted that the proposal 
under consideration was complementary to national and regional mitigation and ad aptation policies, 
as it sought to enhance the WTO's attention on the impact of natural disasters on small economies.  WT/COMTD/SE/M/39  
 
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  17.   With respect to the participation of small economies in new forms of trade, she said that this 
was directly relevant to Jamaica's efforts  to advance policies and generate economic reforms and 
sustainable job creation, as well as exports and export market diversification. As the nature and 
methods of global trade evolved, so too should the capacity of small economies to keep pace with 
these developments. Her delegation was concerned that an insufficient focus by the WTO on the 
adaptation of small economies to new forms of trade would not only hinder the effectiveness of their 
integration into the global trading system, but would also limit th e ability of these economies to 
attain the Sustainable Development Goals  (SDGs). It was imperative that the WTO ensure that its 
work catered to the heterogeneity of its Membership, and especially the smallest and most 
vulnerable Members. The unique circums tances of SVEs needed to be comprehensively integrated 
into the work of the Organization, so that Members could preserve a transparent, inclusive, rules -
based, Member -driven, and development -oriented MTS.    
18.   The representative of Barbados  said that his delegation supported discussions on the 
integration of small economies into new forms of trade. The global trade environment was changing 
with the inclusion of new technologies and infrastructure. An assessment and discussion on how 
Members could best utilize these tools to support new forms of trade w ere welcome. He also 
expressed support for the topic relating to natural disasters. He explained that natural disasters had 
always adversely affected the Caribbean. Members were aware of the eff ects of natural disasters, 
which threatened to eradicate any gains made towards development by negatively affecting the 
most exposed sectors. It was essential that the MTS provided or maintained flexibility in facilitating 
the appropriate policy space and supporting trade rules that helped mitigate these effects.  
19.   The representative of the United States  indicated that her capital was reviewing the proposal, 
and that she had no further guidance at this point.  
20.   The representative of Trinidad and Tobago  said th at her delegation supported the proposal 
and the new topics for discussion, with specific reference to women and economic empowerment, 
digital economy and strengthening national resilience to natural disasters.  
21.   The representative of Australia  said that hi s delegation was not in a position to indicate 
whether or not it could support the proposal. He asked the proponents if they could provide more 
information on what areas they intended to cover under the topic concerning new forms of trade. 
On natural disas ters, he said that Australia recognized the importance of examining the links 
between trade and natural disasters. This was a key reason why support had been provided to the 
Secretariat for its study on this topic.  He recognized the importance of the topi c for many Members 
and looked forward to continuing the discussion.  
22.   The representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia  expressed support for the proposal and 
for the issues outlined by El Salvador in the introduction of the proposal.  
23.   The representa tive of the European Union  said that she did not have a position to share at the 
present meeting with regard to the the proposal. She hoped to provide feedback at a later stage.  
24.    The representative of El Salvador  said that, because of new technologies and new forms of 
trade, the present trade context was different than in the past. This was why the SVEs wished to 
identify elements that might help them to integrate successfully into this new trade era. As she had 
said in her opening statement, the SVEs wante d to determine what was required in order to allow 
them to participate more effectively in trade. Issues to focus on would include infrastructure and the 
facilitation of electronic payments, among others.  
25.   The Chairman  asked whether Members were in a positi on to agree to the proposal by the 
SVE Group.  
26.   The representative of the United States  said that she was waiting for guidance from her capital. 
At this point, her delegation was not in a position to agree to the proposal.  
27.   The Chairman  said that there were still some outstanding questions that would need to be 
resolved, before the Dedicated Session could be in a position to agree to the proposal from the 
SVE Group for a Ministerial Decision at MC12 on the Work Programme on Small Economies.  
He asked the prop onents to consider carefully the comments that had been made on their proposal WT/COMTD/SE/M/39  
 
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  for a Ministerial Decision, and also to reach out informally after the meeting to delegations. He added 
that another meeting of the Dedicated Session would be convened in the ea rly part of 2020 . 
He hoped that by that time the proponents would have undertaken all necessary consultations, and 
would have ready a proposal acceptable to the Membership. If necessary, he would also be available 
to facilitate any informal discussions amo ng Members on this matter. He also noted that, at the next 
meeting of the Dedicated Session – and in line with the practice in preparation for a Ministerial 
Conference – the Committee would need to approve its report to the General Council. Going by past 
practice, this report would need to contain a summary of the work undertaken in the Dedicated 
Session since the last Ministerial Conference and would also need to contain the elements of an 
agreed text for a Ministerial Decision, including with regard to fu ture work. It would be for the 
General Council to take note of the report and forward the relevant elements to the Ministerial 
Conference. He emphasized the need for Members to agree on the content of a Ministerial Decision 
as soon as possible.  
28.   The Dedicat ed Session took note  of all interventions.  
D. FOLLOW -UP ISSUES CON CERNING THE CHALLENG ES FACED BY SMALL EC ONOMIES 
IN ATTRACTING INVEST MENTS – INTRODUCTION  OF THE TOPIC BY GUA TEMALA ON 
BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF SMALL, VULNERABLE  ECONOMIES  
29.   The Chairman  said th at the present agenda item related to some follow -up issues concerning 
the challenges faced by small economies in attracting investments.  
30.   The representative of El Salvador , on behalf of the SVE Group, recalled that the Dedicated 
Session had previously add ressed the topics of integration into GVCs , and the reduction of trade 
costs. The Group believed that both of these topics were directly connected to the issue of investment 
attraction. She explained that the successful participation of SVEs in GVCs  depend ed on investment 
attraction – particularly in sectors related to infrastructure, international sustainability certifications 
and standards, technology, research and development, and other means necessary to improve 
competitiveness. In the case of reducing trade costs, investment in transportation infrastructure was 
critical and needed to be further explored. The SVE Group requested the organization of a meeting 
by March 2020 in order to address these issues. The Group also requested the Secretariat to invit e 
experts from the WTO, UNCTAD and the ITC to the meeting, so as to discuss the specific challenges 
that SVEs faced in this area.  
31.   The representative of Mauritius  said that his delegation supported the proposal of having a 
meeting in 2020 to discuss the issue of investment. He added that Members had to bear in mind 
that the SVE Group was composed of a wide range of countries that faced varied situations. In this 
light, he proposed that the discussions touch upon the experiences of different countries that were 
part of the SVE Group. He also indicated that the participation of capital -based officials could further 
enrich and guide the discussions.  
32.   The representative  of Fiji, on behalf of the Pacific Group, said that in his earlier intervention 
he had highlighted the economic vulnerabilities that the Pacific Islands faced owing to structural and 
geographic characteristics including distance from major markets. These c haracteristics made the 
Pacific a region with high trade costs and made members of the Group not only uncompetitive in 
international trade, but also unattractive to investment. Maritime transport costs and a high 
dependence on imported fuels added to these  investment challenges.  While the members of the 
Pacific Group were taking steps to reduce trade costs through the implementation of the WTO Trade 
Facilitation Agreement and other reforms, they also looked forward to participating in the work of 
the Dedica ted Session, and to finding meaningful solutions for attracting investment into their 
region.  The Pacific Group therefore supported the proposal for a meeting by March 2020 to discuss 
this issue.  
33.   The representative of the United States  asked El Salvador what type of meeting was 
envisaged, whether an informal meeting, a workshop or a symposium.  
34.   The representative of El Salvador  explained that the SVEs were thinking of a seminar, to which 
various organizations would be invited in order to share with Member s their experiences on the issue 
of attracting investment.   WT/COMTD/SE/M/39  
 
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  35.   The representative of the European Union  asked if the proposal could be provided in writing, 
so that she could take it back to her capital for consideration. She indicated that it would be useful  
if the proposal also contained more details about what shape the meeting would take, and whether 
there would be any budgetary implications – for example in the context of participation of 
capital -based officials.    
36.   The representative of the United States  indicated that having the proposal in writing would be 
necessary  for her delegation as well.  
37.   The Chairman  noted  that there was a proposal from the SVE Group for a meeting to take place 
in the early part of 2020, to discuss the challenges faced by small economies in attracting 
investments. He also noted that some delegations had indicated that they would need additi onal 
information in order to consider  the matter.  He asked whether, subject to the requests made by 
delegations, there was consensus to proceed with the organization of the proposed meeting.  
38.   The representative of the United States  said that her delegation  would need something in 
writing from the proponents in order to be able to consider the proposal. Without a written document, 
she did not believe that her delegation would be able to provide a response, one way or the other.  
39.   The Chairman  clarified that h is query to the Committee was whether, in light of the discussion 
that had taken place at the present meeting, it would be possible to agree in principle to proceed 
with the proposed meeting in early 2020.  He explained that, in his role as Chairman, he al ways 
tried to facilitate Members' requests – particularly on issues of importance to them. He noted that 
this matter would have to be settled before the next meeting of the Dedicated Session.        
40.   The representative of the European Union  said that her re quest to the proponents for 
information in writing did not mean that her delegation was objecting to the proposal. She explained 
that she did not have a mandate to agree to a proposal on the basis of oral presentations that had 
not been seen by her capital . She suggested that informal discussions among Members – possibly 
facilitated by the Chairman, and on the basis of a written document – could be a way to make 
progress on the matter.  
41.   The representative of El Salvador  said that the SVE Group would be follo wing up with 
interested delegations. She explained that the intention of the Group in suggesting a discussion on 
attracting investments was to broaden the debate on the challenges faced by SVEs in their 
integration into the global trading system. She also reiterated that the Group saw this as a forum 
for discussions and exchanges of information, and not for negotiating new rules. She thought it was 
important to highlight this point once again to provide some comfort to delegations.  
42.   The Chairman  indicated t hat informal discussions among Members would be necessary in order 
to make progress on the matter. He said that he would be available to facilitate such discussions 
between the proponents and other interested delegations.   
43.   The Dedicated Session took note  of all interventions.  
E. OTHER BUSINESS  
44.   No matter was raised under "Other Business ". 
45.   The meeting was adjourned . 
 
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