RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
2 April 2020 
(20-2681) Page: 1/18 
Committee on Trade and Development  
110th Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 22 NOVEMBER  2019 
Chairman: H.E. Mr. Chad Blackman (Barbados)  
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ .....................  2 
B. OBSERVERS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  3 
(I) Request for attendance of ad hoc  observers  ................................ ................................ ... 3 
(II) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the League of Arab States,  the 
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting,  
the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie , the Common Fund for Commodities, the 
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries and the Groupe  de la Banque Africaine  
de Développement  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
C. REPORT OF THE 53RD SESSION OF THE JOIN T ADVISORY GROUP ON THE 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO (ITC/ AG(LIII)/276)  ..............................  3 
D. TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N AND TRAINING  ................................ .............................  5 
(I) Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan for 2020 -2021  
(WT/COMTD/W/248/Rev.1)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 5 
E. TRADE AND DEVELOPMEN T – WORK IN THE COMM ITTEE ON THE BASIS O F  
THE CHAIRMAN'S CONCL UDING STATEMENT FROM  THE EIGHTH MINISTER IAL 
CONFERENCE (WT/MIN(1 1)/11)  ................................ ................................ ......................  8 
(I)  Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration and 
Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO – Proposal from Barbados, Belize, China,  
Cuba, Ecuador, India, and the African Group (WT/COMTD/W/208)  ................................ .............  8 
(II) Operationalization of the CTD's Mandate: A Proposal to Deliver Outcomes based on the  
MC8 Mandate - Proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192) ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  8 
F. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  ................................ .................... 10 
(I) Notifications received pursuant to Enabling Clause (Paragraph 4(a))  ................................ 10 
(a)  Agreement between Morocco and United Arab Emirates (WT/COMTD/RTA1/N/1)  ............... 11 
(b)  Agreement between Ecuador and Mexico (WT/COMTD/RTA3/N/1) ................................ ....11 
(c)  Agreement between Mexico and Paraguay (WT/COMTD/RTA4/N/1)  ................................ . 11  
(d)  Agreement between Argentina and Mexico (WT/COMTD/RTA5/N/1)  ...............................  11  
(e)  Agreement between Cuba and Mexico (WT/COMTD/RTA6/N/1)  ................................ ........ 11 WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  (f)  Agreement between Brazil and Mexico (WT/COMTD/RTA7/N/1)  ................................ .......11 
(g)  Agreement between Plurinational State of Bolivia and Mexico ( WT/COMTD/RTA8/N/1 ) .......11 
(h)  Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by the Russian Federation 
(WT/COMTD/PTA1/N/1 ) ................................ ................................ ................................ .......11 
(i)  Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Norway ( WT/COMTD/N/6/A dd.7) .......11 
(II) Implementation of the Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements -  
Status Report on the Committee’s Work ................................ ................................ ................. 12 
(a) Status of the preparation of factual presentations - Report by the Chairman  
(WT/COMTD/W/249) ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 12 
(III)  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union - Communication from  
China, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  ................................ ................................ .......... 12 
(IV) Notification of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India  
and Korea (Goods)  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 13 
G. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MEC HANISM FOR  
PREFERENTIAL TRADE A RRANGEMENTS  ................................ ................................ .......... 13 
(I) Implementation of the Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements – 
Status Report on the Committee's Work ................................ ................................ ................. 13 
(a) Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report by the Chairman 
(WT/COMTD/W/250) ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 13 
H. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE  STEPS TAKEN TO PROV IDE DUTY -FREE AND  
QUOTA -FREE MARKET AC CESS TO LEAST DEVELO PED COUNTRIES  ................................ ..14 
I. WORK PROGRAMME ON EL ECTRONIC COMMERCE  ................................ ................... 15 
J. PARTICIPATION OF DEV ELOPING COUNTRIES IN  THE MULTILATERAL  
TRADING SYSTEM (WT/C OMTD/W/251)  ................................ ................................ ......... 16 
K. DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2019 (WT/COMTD/W /252)  ................................ ......17 
L. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING ................................ ................................ ................... 18 
M. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....18 
  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1. The Chairman  said that the draft agenda for the 110th Session of the Committee on Trade 
and Development (CTD) was contained in document WTO/AIR/COMTD/18/Rev.1, circulated on 
12 November 2019. He indicate d that he wished to say a few words about the appearance under 
agenda item F(I) of newly notified regional trade agreements ( RTAs) and preferential trade 
arrangements ( PTAs). He recalled th at, for the 105th Session  held on 24 April 2018 , the 
United  States  had made a request to list such notifications on the agenda. At the time, the 
notifications received related to RTAs. However, India had raised conce rns at the 105th Session 
about the appearance of new  notifications on the agenda of the CTD's Regular Session . India's 
view was that  notifications received were more appropriately reflected on the agendas of the CTD’s 
Dedicated Sessions on RTAs and PTAs. Although h is predecessor had held so me informal 
consultations with India and the United States , the matter had not arisen  in a practical sense for 
some time after that, since there had not been any newly notified RTAs or PTAs for the Committee 
to address. The matter was pertinent again now, because a number of new notifications had 
recently been circulated. These notifications appeared on the agenda of the present meeting  at the 
request of the United States. He inform ed the Committee  that he had met informally with India 
and the United States  on a couple of occasions in the run -up to the present meeting, so as to 
facilitat e a dialogue on this issue. The two delegations had informed him that some discussions 
had taken place between them, and he had encouraged them to continue their discussions,  with a 
view to finding an acceptable way forward. He also recognized  that this issue might be of interest 
to other Members as well. In this regard, he indicated that he would be reaching out to various 
delegations in order to hear views on the matter , and  would also consider holding informal 
consultations with a broader group of Members . He invited any Member interested in participating 
in informal discussions on this issue to inform the Secretariat.  WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  2. The representative of India said that his delegation wished to reiterate the concerns that it 
had expressed at the 105th Session. He referred Members to paragraph 18 of the Transparency 
Mechanism for RTAs (RTA TM) which stated, inter alia , that for purposes of performing the 
functions establis hed under th e Mechanism, the CTD would convene in dedicated session. In this 
light, his delegation believed that the appearance on the agenda of the present meeting of 
notifications and other items related to the functions established under the RTA TM was not 
consistent with the mandate of the Mechanism . However, pending the resolution of India's 
concerns  – and in the spirit of moving forward  – his delegation was willing to go along with the 
agenda for the present meeting , provided that these concerns were reflected in the minutes of the 
meeting, and  were appropriately addressed.  
3. The agenda was adopted . 
B. OBSERVERS   
(I) Request for attendance of ad hoc  observers  
4. The Chairman  recalled that, at previous sessions of the CTD, Members had agreed to invite 
a number of intergovernmental organizations on an ad hoc  meeting -by-meeting basis. These were 
the Arab Maghreb Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, 
the  Econom ic Community of West African States, the Economic Cooperation Organization , 
the Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation, the Islamic Development Bank, 
the African  Union, the Organization  of the Islamic Conference, the South Centre, 
the  Pacific   Islands   Forum, the United Nations Environment Programme, 
the  West   African   Economic and Monetary Union, and the World Intellectual Property 
Organization.  These organizations had been invited to the present meeting. He proposed that the 
same organizatio ns be invited to the next formal meeting of the CTD.  
5. It was so agreed . 
(II) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the Le ague of Arab States, 
the Organis ation of Petroleum Exporting Countrie s, the Gulf Organization for Industrial 
Consulti ng, the Organi sation Internationale de la Francophonie , the Common Fund for 
Commodities, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries and the Groupe de la 
Banque Africaine de Développement  
6. The Chairman  said that the positions of delegations had been previously expressed. He 
indicated that, if there were no changes in positions on the requests for observer status, the 
Committee would take note and revert to the requests at the next meeting.  
7. It was so agreed. 
C. REPORT OF THE 5 3RD SESSION OF THE JOINT  ADVISORY GROUP ON T HE 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO ( ITC/AG( LIII)/276 ) 
8. The Chairman  said that the 53rd Session of the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) on the 
International Trade Centre  UNCTAD/ WTO (ITC) was held on 2 July 2019. The report of the meeting 
was contained in ITC document ITC/AG( LIII)/276. He welcomed Ambassador Terhi Hakala of 
Finland, the Chair person  of the 53rd Session  of the JAG, and Ms. Zeynep Ozgen, Senior External 
Relations and Governance Officer at the ITC. He invited the Chair person of the JAG to introduce 
the report.  
9. The Chairperson of the JAG  provided an overview of the discussions that had taken place at 
the JAG meeting. In the context of the JAG's review of the ITC's annual report for 2018, she 
observed that the organization's delivery had gone beyond most of its corporate goals and targets.  
Some of the key results from 2018 included the generation of US D 1.1 billion in exports and 
investment as a result of ITC’s suppor t, a delivery  of USD 100 million across all budgets, and 
USD  232 million in extrabudgetary funds secured for 2019 and beyond . In addition, 86% of 
country -specific interventions were delivered in least developed countries  (LDCs), sub -Saharan 
Africa, landlocked developing countries, small -island developing states, small vulnerable 
economies  (SVEs) , and post -conflict and fragile s tates. The ITC's role within the Geneva trade hub WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  was recognized by the WTO Director -General and the Secretary General of the United Nations 
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) , who had highlighted the complementary work 
in a number of areas inclu ding trade facilitation, e -solutions, and trade and market intelligence . 
They had stressed the need to maintain and scal e up collaboration in order to make trade more 
inclusive, promote development, and fight poverty. At the meeting, the Executive Director  of the 
ITC had framed the organization's  work as tangible proof of the value of multilateralism and 
solidarity in trade. It was explained that the ITC transformed funders' contributions into 
market -based  opportunities for micro, small and medium -sized enterprises (MSMEs)  – and for 
people at the base of the pyramid  – result ing in improved livelihoods, reduced poverty and 
progress towards achieving the S ustainable Development Goals (S DGs). Through its inter ventions, 
the ITC placed particular emphasis on empowering women, young people and vulnerable 
communities to connect to market opportunities.  
10. The JAG Chairperson went on to say that, despite a constrained financial environment, the 
ITC had sealed US D 165 million worth of grant agreements in 2018 . These were larger  and 
longer -term than in the past , and from a diverse source of funding.  One aspect of this was the 
organization's enhance  
11. ed engagement with the private sector . She pointed to a number of examples in this regard, 
including the ITC's partner ship with the Swiss retailer Coop  to foster greater investment in the 
cocoa and yam sectors in Ghana.  She also said that, at the JAG meeting, a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MoU)  had been signed between the ITC and the Union  of European  Football 
Associations (UEFA) Foundation for Children . The objective was  to put the spotlight on how trade 
could generate business and employment opportunities for youth , by using football as a tool for 
skills development and entrepreneurship . The partnership would be piloted in Guinea and The 
Gambia. She went on summarize the content of interventions made at the JAG meeting  on the 
importance of trade  by the Secretary  General  of the Common Market  for Eastern and Southern 
Africa (COMESA), the Commissioner for Industry and the Private Sector at the Economic 
Community for West African States (ECOWAS), and the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of 
Commerce of Myanmar.  She then indicated that delegates at  the JAG had called for greater 
support for multilateralism, and had expressed appreciation for several areas of the ITC's work. 
Some of the areas highlighted in this regard included the Global Trade Helpdesk, the Rules of 
Origin Facilitator, the organizat ion's support for MSMEs, its work on youth entrepreneurship and 
South -South trade, and its advocacy and thought leadership on women's economic empowerment 
through the SheTrades initiative . In terms of financing, the ITC’s funders had welcomed the 
organizat ion's leveraging of its financial resources , its efforts to diversify its funders base, and its 
continued emphasis on partnerships. To ensure the long -term sustainability of results, it was 
recommended that the ITC continue to foster local ownership and to further develop its existing 
risk management framework. Turning to the ITC's  2019 Annual Evaluation Synthesis Report , she 
said that the key learning theme of the report was the issue of complexity . She  explained that, 
with the introduction of complexity in the analysis of the  ITC’s interventions , the organization 
would move from a project -focused approach to a process of constant adjustment, flexibility and 
long-term interaction with stakeholders. In cl osing, she noted that the ITC had been involved in 
several activities over the last few days, including the World Export Development Forum  (WEDF)  
held in Addis Ababa. S he also expressed appreciation for delegations' recognition of the ITC's 
work.  
12. The repr esentative of the European Union  appreciated his delegation's partnership with the 
ITC, and expressed hope that this cooperation would continue in response to emerging priorities 
and needs. He commended the ITC for its performance in 2019, and highlighted in this regard  the 
ITC's assistance to LDCs, the organization's work on market intelligence tools for MSMEs, and its 
work on women 's economic empowerment. He expressed particular appreciation for the ITC's 
study on barriers to women's participation in inte rnational trade, which was presented at a 
conference on trade and gender  organized by the European  Union in Brussels  in September 2019 . 
13. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group, stressed  the importance of the 
ITC's work for LDCs, including in the context of the development of productive capacity, and the 
strengthening  of the private sector. He called on the ITC to continue to assist LDCs in overcoming 
their challenges, and help them  to better integrate into  global trade  and the multilateral trading 
system  (MTS). WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  14. The representative of the United States  said that her delegation was a supporter of the ITC's 
work to improv e the competitiveness of small and medium -sized enterprises ( SMEs ) in developing 
countries, and help SMEs to access world  markets for  trade and investment . 
15. The representative of Vanuatu  supported the intervention  by Chad. He called on donors to 
continue to provide the necessary financial support to the ITC, whose activit ies were crucial for 
developing countries. He additionally  requested that some information be provided on activities 
taking place in the Pacific region . 
16. The Chairperson of the JAG  welcomed the comments by Members, and noted the high 
quality of the work undertaken by the ITC in all regions of the world .   
17. The representative of the ITC thanked delegations for their  support . She said that the ITC 
remained committed  to continuing to wo rk with  beneficiaries and donor s with a view to supporting 
SMEs’ competitiveness and promoting sustainable and inclusive trade in developi ng countries. S he 
also indicated that she had taken note of the  request by Vanuatu .  
18. The Committee took note  of the report of the 5 3rd Session of the JAG and forwarded  it to the 
General Council for adoption.   
D. TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N AND TRAINING  
(I) Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan for 2020-2021 (WT/COMTD/W/248/R ev.1) 
19. The Chairman  invited the Director of the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation 
(ITTC) to present the main elements of the Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan (TA 
Plan) for 2020 and 2021, which was contained in document WT/COMTD/W/248/Rev.1 . 
20. The Director of the ITTC said that the TA Plan was presented to the Committee on Budget, 
Finance and Administration (CBFA) on 21 October 2019. The CBFA had approved the budget for 
the TA Plan in principle, pending the adoption of the Plan at the present meetin g. She went on to 
say that, in designing the TA Plan , the Sec retariat had taken into account  a number of elements, 
including the guidelines for WTO technical cooperation  adopted by the CTD on 15 October  1996 
(WT/COMTD/8 ); the demand -driven  nature of technical assistance (TA) ; the recommendations 
from the 2016 e xternal evaluation of the WTO’s TA (WT/COMTD/89 ), which  were agreed to by 
Members; the lessons learn ed during the implementation of the 2018 -2019 TA Plan ; and the 
priorities identified by benefi ciaries in their responses to a questionnaire sent out by the 
Secretariat. On the basis of the responses received  to the questionnaire , a total of 12 top priorities 
had been identified, although these priorities differed slightly from region to region. A number of 
suggestions had also been made  in the responses to the questionnaires , including the need for the 
Secretariat to continue to engage with non -governmental institutions, and the possibility  for the 
Secretariat to broaden its scope of assistance to include trade policy advice . On this latter point, 
she indicated the Secretariat’s willingness to engage with Members for further guidance.  She also 
noted that,  in delivering the TA needs identified by Members, new issues  would be addressed upon 
request. Members were referred to pages 10-12 of the TA Plan in this regard .  
21. She went on to say  that the delivery of TA was a shared responsibility within the Secretariat . 
For the delivery of  TA activities, the Secretariat collaborated with academic institutions and other 
inter-governmental organizations , and hired consultants where required.  The ITTC had the 
additional responsibility of managing, coordinating  and facilitating  TA delivery, while also 
periodically reporting to the CTD on TA performance . It would continue to evaluate the 
performance of TA activities and report to the CTD.  Turning to t he strategic approach that would 
be followed to implement the 2020-2021 TA Plan, she said that it would be similar to previous 
years, and included the use of results -based management , the Progressive Learning Strategy  
(PLS) , and a focus on activities  that contributed most to the implementation of the WTO 
Agreements . E-learning would continue to be used , and efforts would be made to improve training 
methods , while also working towards ensuring the availability of courses in all WTO languages. 
Efforts would additionally be made to incorporate trade and gender modules in the courses offe red, 
and to continue to use partnerships. She also informed the Committee that the TA Plan was 
structured around four Key Results or outcomes . The first of these was concerned with ensur ing 
that government officials were implementing WTO Agreements and fully realizing Members' rights WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  and obligations. For the achievement of this outcome, 77% of the total budget had been allocated. 
The second outcome, which was formulated to  ensure that acceding gove rnments were 
participating in accession negotiations , accounted for 4% of the total budget . The third outcome, 
which dealt with academic institutions and other stakeholders analy zing WTO issues and reach ing 
out to polic ymakers , represented 1% of the total budget . She noted that the WTO 
Chairs Programme  (WCP) , which fell under the third outcome, had recently been subject to an 
external evaluation. The Secretariat was currently studying the recommendations of this 
evaluation  – which included the possibility o f expanding the WCP, maintaining the programme at 
its current level, or closing it. The recommendations would be present ed to Members in due 
course. Finally, she said that 7% of the total budget had been allocated to the fourth outcome, 
which was concerned  with ensur ing that non-governmen tal stakeholders  and legislators  were 
aware of WTO work and issues.  
22. The representative of Ecuador  said that his country  had benefitted from several TA activities 
across a wide range of areas. He encouraged the ITTC to continue its support . 
23. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group,  stressed the importance of TA for 
LDCs. He indicated that the various TA activi ties implemented by the WTO were based on 
beneficiaries’ needs, and were necessary for LDCs  to implement WTO Agreements and participate 
more effectively in the work of the Organization. A development approach would contribute to 
enhancing trade and growth  prospects , while provid ing all Members with a fair share of 
international trade . Investing in TA would strengthen multilateralism , and would lead to positive 
results in the long run . He called on Members to support the implementation of the TA Plan.   
24. The representative of Bangladesh  expressed support for the intervention  of Chad. He 
encouraged the ITTC to revitalize the alumni network of previous beneficiaries of TA activities, and 
also requested that issue-specific training programme s be established  for Geneva -based delegates  
from LDCs . 
25. The representative of the Kingdom of Saudi  Arabia  said that his delegation saw the TA Plan 
as a key document for  the implement ation of TA activities in a transparent and predictable 
manner. He was confident that t he Secretariat would continue its efforts to  improve the efficiency 
of TA activities,  based on lessons learn ed in previous years , and on priorities identified by 
beneficiaries.  In closing, he noted that TA was a critical pillar in enhancing the capacity of 
beneficiary countries.  
26. The representative of the European Union  believed  that all Members should be able to 
participate effectively  in th e MTS, and to implement WTO Agreements . TA activities were 
important in supporting developing countries and LDCs to ac hieve these objectives. She  expressed 
appreciation for the effort s by the Secretariat in terms of enhancing the language offer . Going 
forward, her delegation was of the view that the focus needed to continue to be on supporting 
LDCs and Africa . She also no ted a number of specific areas for TA  priorities , including e-commerce, 
telecommunications, notifications, and trade and environment. She welcomed the TA Plan, and 
expressed hope that TA activities would continue to target the main goals, while being kept within 
the planned budget . 
27. The representative of Vanuatu  supported  the intervention by Chad. He said that support 
from the Secretariat had been particularly useful after Vanuatu's first Trade Policy Review  (TPR)  in 
2018, especially in terms of a national workshop that had been organized to better understand the 
recommendations that were made . He also pointed to the Secretariat’s support for a regional LDC 
graduation activity that was recently held in Vanuatu. Referring to th e discussions currently taking 
place regarding the WTO’s budget , he inquired  about  the possible implications for the 
implementation of the TA Plan. 
28. The representative of the United States  said that it was indicated in the TA Plan that the 
purpose of the WTO’s TA activities was firmly anchored in supporting the implementation and 
utilization of WTO Agreements. Her delegation believed that this was an important point , and  had 
reviewed the TA Plan from this perspective. Referring to section 3.2.6 of the TA  Plan, she asked 
what types o f programmes and workshops had been put in place to support the TPR  process. She 
also asked what coordination, if any, existed with external donors in post-TPR activities . WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  29. The representative of Zimbabwe  expressed appreciation for the WTO’s TA activities, which 
she indicated had been effective in building her country’s  capacity to implement the WTO 
Agreements. She called on donors to increase their  support in respo nse to  increasing demand for 
TA activities . 
30. The representative of India indicated  that the focus of TA needed to be on issues relating to 
the implementation of existing WTO Agreements, since developing countries and LDCs continued 
to face difficulties in this regard . Caution needed to be exercised in providing TA in areas where 
there were no WTO Agreement s.  
31. The representative of Cameroon  expressed appreciation for the ITTC’s work in strengthen ing 
the capacity of developing countries, par ticularly in Africa. He  encouraged the ITTC to continue in 
its effort s to impro ve the format and content of  TA activities. In this regard, he suggested that 
e-learning could  be further developed. He also suggested that future activities for African countries 
could cover issues relating to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) . He called on 
donors to increase their support for the WTO’s TA activities, and expressed  hope that a way 
forward would be found so on in the ongoing discussions regarding the WTO ’s budget . 
32. The representative of Nigeria  said that the WTO’s TA had contributed to enhancing  his 
country’s  participation in the MTS. Referring to the comments by the Director of the ITTC on the 
WCP, he called for an expansion of the programme, and indicated  that a closure of the programme 
should not be envisaged.  
33. The representative of South Africa  called for  caution in delivering TA in areas where no 
WTO Agreements  existed. While appreciating that Me mbers were requesting TA in such areas, her 
delegation expected that the providers of TA , including consult ants, would remain neutral and 
impartial . 
34. The representative of Cuba stressed  the importance of TA activities for developing countries , 
and hope d that these activities would be further developed in the future. He urged all Members in 
a position to do so , to make contributions to support these activities. With regard to the ongoing 
discussions regarding the WTO’s budget , he indicated that he wished to associate his delegation 
with the concern expressed by Vanuatu on the possible implications for the implementation of the 
TA plan.  
35. The representative of Colombia  acknowledged  the efforts by the Secretariat to take on board 
many of the recommendations and requests by Members. She noted that her country  had 
benefitted from various TA activities across a wide range of areas , and stressed the strong positive 
impact of TA on Members’ participation in the MTS. She also highlight ed the importance of 
appropriate resources for TA activities , and in this regard encouraged donors to maintain  or 
increase their support . 
36. The representative of China  expressed appreciation for the efforts by the Secretariat in 
implementing TA activities, and for the positive results . He noted in particular the continuous 
efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of TA tailored to the needs of each beneficiary .  
37. The Director of the ITTC thanked Members for their remarks, and  for their support for 
TA activities.  In response to the comments from  India and South Africa , she indicated that the 
Secretariat would move with caution  in providing TA in areas where there were no 
WTO Agreements . With regard to Vanuatu's question concerning  the ongoing discussions on the 
WTO’s budget and the implications for the TA Plan, sh e indicated that further clarity might be 
available  in the coming days . She invited a representative of the ITTC to address the q uestions by 
the United States.  
38. The representative of the ITTC said that the objective of a TPR follow -up activit y was to find 
ways to put into effect the recommendations that  had emerged from a TPR process . The idea was 
to bring together as many stakeholders as possible, including those that could deliver on some of 
the concerns that had been raised. There existed a wide range of donors and agencies that could 
provide concrete support in this regard . The ma in role of the Secretariat was to point the Members  
that had undergone a TPR in certain directions, particular ly in terms of what types of assistance or WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  expertise was available. As mentioned in section 3.2.6 of the TA Plan, demand for such activities 
was c urrently within manageable levels.  
39. The Committee adopted  the Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan for 20 20 and 
2021. 
E. TRADE AND DEVELOPMEN T – WORK IN THE COMM ITTEE ON THE BASIS O F THE 
CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDIN G STATEMENT FROM THE  EIGHTH MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE (WT/MIN(1 1)/11)  
(I) Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration and 
Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO – Proposal from Barbados, Belize, China, 
Cuba, Ecuador, India, and the African Group (WT /COMTD/W/208)   
(II) Operationalization of the CTD's Mandate: A Proposal to Deliver Outcomes based on the MC8 
Mandate - Proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192 )1 
40. The Chairman  said that, at the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC8), Ministers had 
reaffirmed the positive link between trade and development and called for focused work in the 
CTD. Ministers had called on Members to fully operationalize the mandate of the CTD as a  focal 
point for development work. Two submissions containing proposals for work under the MC8 
mandate were included on the agenda of the present meeting. The first submission – by Barbados, 
Belize, China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group, and contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/208  – was for the CTD to report on the development -related work taking place in 
other WTO bodies. The second submission – by China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group  
– was contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192. This s ubmission contained three proposals. In 
the order they were presented in the document, the first proposal was for the Secretariat to 
continue to update its report on the implementation of special and differential treatment (S&D) 
provisions in the WTO Agree ments and Decisions. The second proposal was for the CTD to report 
on the development -related work taking place in other WTO bodies, while the third proposal was 
for the CTD to make a recommendation for parties to RTAs to submit their notification and 
information requirements jointly. He noted that the two submissions had remained on the CTD's 
agenda for several years, and at the last meeting, some of the proponents had requested that the 
submissions appear on the agenda for the present meeting as well.  
41. He went on  say that  he had convened an informal meeting with the proponents of the two 
submissions in October 2019 . During th e informal meeting, he had shared his perspective as 
CTD Chairman that it would be important to make some progress on this matter . In this light, he 
had encouraged the proponents to explore all possible ways to move forward, including by 
reaching out informally to other Members. He had also indicated his willingness to facilitate 
informal discussions with other Members, if this could he lp to move the process forward. From 
their side, the proponents had indicated during the informal meeting that they would need to 
consider the matter further in order to determine how they would wish to proceed. In closing, h e 
expressed his hope that some progress could be reported b y the proponents at the present  
meeting. As had been done in  the past, he suggested that the Committee once again take up the 
two submissions together. He  first invited the proponents to brief the Committee on the status of  
the proposals . 
42. The representative of India indicated  that his intervention related to both document 
WT/COMTD/W/208 and document  WT/COMTD/W/192 . He said that  the two submissions, when 
taken together, contained three proposals. The first proposal, which was  for the Secretariat to 
continue to update its report on the implementation of S&D provisions in the WTO Agreements and 
Decisions, was discussed and agreed to at the 87th Session. Subsequently, in the context of a 
proposal by Ecuador contained in document WT/COMTD/W/204/Rev.1 , it was agreed at the 
109th Session  that the Secretariat report would be update d at least once every two years. Turning 
to the second proposal, which was for the CTD to report on the development -related work taking 
place in other WTO bodies, he said that this proposal was in line with the terms of reference 
(TORs) of the CTD , as well as with the MC8 mandate. Referring to the CTD's annual report to the 
 
1 The discussion concerning documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192 is presented 
together in this Note, as the Chairman invited the Committee to take the two sub -items together .  WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
- 9 - 
 
  General Council for 1996, as contained in document WT/COMTD/9, he noted that the CTD had 
agreed that year to review the implementation of provisions in favour of developing countries on 
the basis of con tributions from Members and from the WTO bodies responsible for monitoring the 
implementation of the Uruguay Round commitments. To assist in this exercise, the Chairman had 
invited the Chairpersons of other WTO bodies to submit information on how provision s in favour of 
developing countries had been dealt with in their respective Committees. On the basis of these 
responses, the Secretariat had prepared background documentation presenting the replies 
received in an analytical format. The proponents urged the  Committee to restart that practice. As 
for the third proposal – which was for the CTD to make a recommendation for parties to RTAs to 
submit their notification and information requirements jointly – the proponents believed that this 
would help ensure a ti mely consideration of RTAs, and the full realization of the responsibilities 
assigned to the CTD. In closing, he requested that the items concerning the two submissions be 
maintained on the CTD's agenda .  
43. The representative of China  expressed support for t he intervention  by India. He also noted 
his delegation's appreciation for the Secretariat report on the implementation of S&D provisions  in 
the WTO Agreements and Decisions, and  requested that the  paper continue to be updated , along 
the lines agreed to at the 109th Session. He went on to say that the CTD serve d as a focal point for 
the consideration and coordination of development work in the WTO , and that Ministers at MC8 
had instructed Members to fully operationalize the CTD's mandate. The proposal for the CTD to 
report on the development -related work taking place in other WTO bodies  aimed to streamline and 
clarify the working process between  the CTD and other bodies . He c alled for the Committee to 
restart the practice from 1996, which he said was in line with the CTD's T ORs, as well as the 
MC8 mandate.  In closing, he indicated the readiness of his delegation to participate in discussions 
to advance work on these issues . 
44. The representative of the European Union  believed that it would be useful if any informal 
meetings organized to discuss the submissions under consideration could also involve participation 
from other Members besides the proponents. This might help to avoid a  repetition of the same 
positions at each formal meeting. She indicated her delegation's openness to participate in any 
such discussions.  She went on to say that her delegation's understanding of the MC8 mandate was 
that the CTD should further explore the positive link between trade and development. This needed 
to be based on constructive exchanges on clearly identified topics, in line with the instruction fro m 
MC8 to carry out focused work. She emphasized that the European Union had engaged 
constructively on the proposals submitted in the context of the MC8 mandate that had previously 
been agreed to by the Committee. However, the remaining proposals did not re spond to the 
requirement to carry out focused work. Moreover, her delegation was not aware of any efforts by 
the proponents in the last few years to take into consideration comments from other Members or 
to engage with them. Regarding the proposal for the CTD to report on the development work of 
other WTO bodies, her delegation was of the view that this would give the CTD an oversight 
function for all aspects of the WTO's work. The proposal went against the mandate to act as a focal 
point on development iss ues and carry out focused work. Members needed to discuss what this 
focused work should be, and not re -open the CTD's mandate. Turning to the proposal for the CTD 
to make a recommendation for parties to RTAs to submit their notification and information 
requirements jointly, she said that this needed to form part of a wider discussion in the context of 
paragraph 28 of the Nairobi Ministerial Declaration.   
45. The representative of the United States  expressed appreciation for the Chairman's effort s to 
find a pat h forward.  However, her delegation believed that seven years was sufficient time for the 
remaining proposals to have been fully considered by other Members . Moreover , the proponents 
had failed to take any initiative for several years to advanc e their ideas . It was time for t he 
proponents to address the concerns raised by other Members – by revising their proposals, or by 
dropping the proposals altogether. Either way, the item s needed  to be removed from the CTD 
agenda, until the proponents had something new to say. Her delegation had repeatedly stated that 
there was no consensus for these items to remain on the agenda as standing item s, as if there was 
unfinished business to address.  In fact, at several meetings, the Chairman had had to actively 
solicit the a cknowledgement of the items from the proponents.  While the proponents were free to 
add these items to the agenda of a future meeting, the United States did not agree to these as 
standing items. Her delegation saw no basis from the CTD's rules of procedure that would justify 
these items remaining on the agenda, without required action by the proponents. With respect 
specifically to the proposal for the CTD to make a recommendation for parties to RTAs to submit 
their notification and information requirements jointly, the United States had repeatedly stated WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  that th e proposal suggested a diminishing of Members' substantive rights and obligations under 
the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the General Agreement on Trade in Services 
(GATS), and the Enabling Clause. In her delegation's view, there was no pro spect for consensus on 
the proposal in either the CTD or the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements ( CRTA ). The only 
outcome from the proposal would be to provide one Member with the right to prevent others from 
complying with their notification obligation s, which would be prejudicial in the face of any dispute 
settlement proceedings regarding a particular RTA. The proponents had failed to make their case .  
46. The Chairman  encouraged continued engagement among Members in order to make 
progress  on the remaining  proposals . 
47. The Committee took note  of all interventions.  
F. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  
(I) Notifications received pursuant to Enabling Clause (Paragraph 4(a))  
48. The Chairman  said that there were nine new notifications listed under this sub -item. 
However, before taking up the listed notifications, he wished to say a few words on some other 
issues relating to notifications under the Enabling Clause. He firstly recalled that , at the last 
CTD meeting,  he had informed the Committee that a notification of changes to the 
Asia-Pacific  Trade  Agreement  (APTA)  had been submitted by India, on behalf of the parties. 
Although the intention had been to circulate the notification shortly afte r the last meeting, the 
Indian delegation had indicated to the Secretariat the need for further consideration by the parties 
of issues relating to the manner in which to circulate this notification of changes, given that these 
changes related to an agreeme nt that had been notified during the GATT years, and with a GATT 
document symbol. The Secretariat would therefore wait to hear back from India before taking any 
action concerning the circulation of this notification. He also informed the Committee that, after 
the agenda for the present meeting had been issued, a notification under the Enabling Clause of 
the agreement between Indonesia and Pakistan was circulated in document 
WT/COMTD/RTA12/N/1.  
49. He continued by indicating that he wished to say a few words on the matter of the 
notifications submitted in November 2018 by Uruguay, on behalf of the member  countries of the 
Latin American Integration Association ( LAIA). He recalled that the Committee had been informed 
at the 107th Session on 21 November 2018 that several notifications – a total of 223 – had been 
submitted by Uruguay to the Secretariat on 1 November 2018, and a further 35 notifications had 
been submitted on 20 November 2018. All the notifications had been submitted as modifications to 
the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo (TM80). The first batch of notifications concerned agreements 
concluded under t he TM80 over the peri od 1980 -2016, while the second concerned the 
instruments concluded under the TM80 in 2017. The Committee was also informed at the 
108th Session  on 5 April 2019 of the contact initiated by the Chairman with the LAIA members, and 
that the Chairman and the Se cretariat had held discussions with the LAIA members regarding the 
notifications submitted. The Secretariat had sought clarification on a number of points, and 
discussions had been held on possible ways to circulate the notifications. The LAIA members had 
indicated that they would need to consider these points, and had requested that the circulation of 
the notifications be suspended until further notice. He went on to say that , since that time, he had 
continued to maintain contact with Uruguay. Although Uru guay had had no updates to provide at 
the last CTD meeting, there were some  recent development s that he wished to share with the 
Committee. In particular, on 15 November 2019, a communication had been received from 
Uruguay, on behalf of the LAIA members. The communication had just been translated from the 
original Spanish , and he and the Secretariat would be studying it after the present meeting. He 
understood on the basis of discussions that he had held with Uruguay on 21 November  2019 that 
the communication  reinforced some of the points that had been made earlier by the 
LAIA members.  Furthermore, also on 21 November  2019, Uruguay had submitted some further 
information  that he and the Secretariat would study . He noted that discussion s on the matt er of 
the notifications by the LAIA members would need to continue at the next CTD meeting.  
50. The representative of Uruguay  said that the communication submitted  by his delegation  
concerned the agreements concluded by LAIA member countries under the TM80 during the period WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  1980-2016. The communication had the purpose of providing WTO Members with a systematized 
view of all the duly notified agreements concluded under the TM80.  
51. The C ommittee took note  of the interventions .  
(a)  Agreement between Morocco and United Arab Emirates (WT/COMTD/RTA1/N/1)  
52. The Chairman  said that a notification by Morocco concerning the agreement between 
Morocco and the United Arab Emirates had been circulated in document WT/COMTD/RTA1/N/1.  
53. The Committee took note  of the notification  by Morocco .  
(b)  Agreement between Ecuador and Mexico  (WT/COMTD/RTA3/N/1)  
(c)  Agreement between Mexico and Paraguay (WT/COMTD/RTA4/N/1)  
(d)  Agreement between Argentina and Mexico (WT/COMTD/RTA5/N/1)  
(e)  Agreement between Cuba and Mexico (WT/COMTD/RTA6/N/1)  
(f)  Agreement between Brazil and Mexico (WT/COMTD/RTA7/N/1)  
(g)  Agreement between Plurinational St ate of Bolivia and Mexico 
(WT/COMTD/RTA8/N/1)  
54. The Chairman  suggested that , for the sake of efficiency, the Committee take together the 
six notifications made  by Mexico. These concern ed the agreements between Ecuador and Mexico, 
Mexico and Paraguay, Argentina and Mexico, Cuba and Mexico, Brazil and Mexico, and the 
Plurinational State of Bolivia and Mexico. The notifications had been circulated respectively in 
document WT/COMTD/RTA3/N/1  up to document WT/COMTD/ RTA8/N/1.  
55. The Committee took note  of the six notifications by Mexico . 
(h)  Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by the Russian Federation 
(WT/COMTD/PTA1/N/1)  
56. The Chairman  recalled  that he had made reference at the last meeting to a notification 
under the Enabling Clause by the Russian Federation of its Generalized System of Preferences 
(GSP)  scheme . The Russian Federation had also said some introductory words  at the last meeting . 
The not ification, which was yet to be  circulated at the time, had since been circulated in document 
WT/COMTD/PTA1/N/1 , and was therefore formally listed on the agenda of the present meeting . 
57. The representative of  the Russian Federation  said that th e GSP scheme  had 153 beneficiary 
countries . His delegation recognized the importance of transparency in the WTO, and was keen to 
gradually fulfil l its obligations in terms of both notifications and factual presentations . 
58. The representative of the United States  asked for clarification on where the list of count ries 
covered by the GSP scheme could be found . 
59. The representative of the Russian Federation  said that the internet link that provided access 
to the list of countries covered by the GSP scheme was included in the  notification .    
60. The Committee took note  of the notification  by the Russian Federation , and of the 
intervention s. 
(i)  Generalized System of Preferences – Notification  by Norway  
(WT/COMTD/N/6/ Add.7) 
61. The Chairman  said that the notification by Norway of its GSP scheme  was circulated in 
document WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.7.  
62. The representative of Norway  said that the most significant element in this notification was 
the improvement of preferen ces for the so -called "GSP-plus" countries, which were l ower WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  middle -income countries  with fewer than 75 million inhabitants . More details could be found in the 
notification . 
63. The representative of the United States  said that her delegation  was still reviewing th e 
notification , and would follow  up directly with Norway  if it had any questions . 
64. The Committee took note  of the notification by Norway , and of the interventions.  
(II) Implementation of the Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements - Status 
Report on the Committee’s Work  
(a) Status of the preparation of factual presentations - Report by the Chairman 
(WT/COMTD/W/ 249)   
65. The Chairman  said that his report on the status of the preparati on of factual presentations 
was cont ained  in document WT/COMTD/W/249. As per the practice, the content of the report was 
the same as what had been presented earlier in the day at the CTD’s 10th Dedicated Session on 
RTAs.  For the record, he wished to repeat the same points  that he had made earlier . In this 
regard, he said that , for a number  of RTAs notified under the Enabling Clause, it was still not 
possible for the Secretariat to finalize the factual presentations, and the Committee could therefore 
not consider these agre ements as yet.  In some cases , the Secretariat was still awaiting the 
submission of the full set of data, while in other cases, all comments on the draft factual 
presentations had not been received. He urged all the parties to these agreements to provide th e 
data and information as soon as possible. He also informed the Committee that, since the last time 
he had presented his report on this matter, he had reached out to the Members in question, and 
had recently met with several of them. He had requested thes e delegations to follow  up with  their 
capitals, so that the outstanding data and information could be provided as soon as possible. He 
went on to say that  his report additionally referenced one RTA notified under the Enabling Clause 
that had not been ratif ied by all the parties. This was the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement 
(PICTA). Following the procedures of the CRTA , a factual presentation on PICTA would only be 
drafted after the agreement had been ratified by all the parties. The parties to PICT A were urged 
to inform the Secretariat as soon as all ratifications were completed. He also said that his report 
made reference to a number of RTAs which had been notified fairly recently, and for which the 
deadline for the submission of data had not passe d as yet. He believed that it was useful to keep 
track of these RTAs as well. Finally, he informed the Committee that , after his report had been 
issued, a notification under the Enabling Clause had been circulated concerning the agreement 
between Pakistan and Indonesia. This notification had been circulated in document 
WT/COMTD/RTA12/N/1, and the parties had been requested to provide the required data to the 
Secretariat by 7 April 2020.  
66. The representative of the United States  thanked the Chairman for his ef forts in encourag ing 
Members to fulfil their obligations for the preparation of the factual preparations. She said that she  
also wished to encourage  the parties in question to submit the necessary  data and information to 
the Secretariat , so that the factual presentation s could be prepared as quickly as possible . She 
noted that, i n some instances, the Secretariat had been waiting for more than eleven years. This 
lack of transparency contributed to the decreasing relevance of the WTO to some stakeholder s. 
Her delegation urged Members to participate in the transparency exercise.  
67. The Committee took note  of the Chairman's report, and of the interventions.  
(III) Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union  - Communication from China, 
Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  
68. The Chairman  said that the present  sub-item concerned the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) 
Customs Union notification. The sub -item also referred to the communication from China, Egypt 
and India, which was circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/175 . The sub -item was requested by 
China and India at the last meeting .  
69. The representative of India said that his intervention related to both the present sub -item, 
as well as to the next sub -item. He said that document W T/COMTD/W/175 raised systemic 
concerns relating to the legal and procedural implications of the dual notification of the WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
- 13 - 
 
  GCC Customs Union under both the Enabling Clause and GATT Article XXIV. These concerns also 
applied to some other RTAs. In this context , some Members had expressed the view that the 
systemic concerns raised in document WT/COMTD/W/175 were outside the scope of the CTD and 
needed to be discussed in the Negotiating Group on Rules. In India's view, the CTD was the 
appropriate forum to conside r issues arising from RTAs with a dual notification . In doing so , the 
CTD could consult with other WTO bodies, as per paragraph 3 of its TORs. The non -resolution of 
the matters raised in document WT/COMTD/W/175 was the main reason why the consideration of 
some of the RTAs with a dual notification was pending for such a  long time. H is delegation 
requested that both the present sub -item and the next sub -item be maintained on the 
CTD's  agenda . 
70. The representative of China  supported the intervention by India . He said that the dual 
notification of RTAs gave rise to systemic a nd specific concerns , which affect ed the functioning  of 
the RTA TM, as well as the implementation of the CTD's TORs. There was a need for a feasible 
solution to this matter, and this was why the proponents had circulated the communication 
contained in docu ment WT/COMTD/W/175. His delegation believed that discussions on 
strengthening the function ing of the CTD should continue , and the communication needed to be 
given attention by Members. To this end, he requested that the present sub -item be maintained on 
the agenda for the next meeting. He also indicated that h is delegation was open to  consultations 
with interested Members to discuss the way forwa rd. 
71. The representative of the United States  said that this sub -item had long ago fulfilled its 
purpose of informing Members of the notification made, and therefore needed to be removed from 
the agenda.   
72. The Committee took note  of all interventions.   
(IV) Notification of the Comprehensive Economic Partn ership Agreement between India and 
Korea (Goods)  
73. The Chairman  said that the present  sub-item concerned the notification of the 
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement  (CEPA)  between India and Korea. The sub-item 
was req uested by India at the last meeting.  
74. The representative of the United States  urged India to submit the necessary  data to the 
Secretariat  without further delay . She also said that it would be useful to include the document 
number of this notification on the  agenda . 
75. The representative of India informed the Committee that India had now submitted the 
required  data to the Secretariat . His delegation was in touch with the Secretariat  in the context of 
the preparation of the factual presentation . 
76. The representative of the European Union  said that her delegation 's view on both the 
previous sub-item and the present sub-item had been stated on several occasions. She took note 
of the update provided by India, and looked forward to hearing  about further  progress on the issue 
at the next meeting . 
77. The Committee took note  of all interventions.   
G. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MEC HANISM FOR PREFERENT IAL 
TRADE ARRANGEMENTS  
(I) Implementation of the Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements  – 
Status  Report  on the Committee's Work  
(a)  Status of the preparation of factual presentations – Report  by the Chairman  
(WT/COMTD/W/ 250)   
78. The Chairman  said that his report on the status of the preparation of factual presentations 
was contain ed in document WT/COMTD/W/250. The report referred to a number of PTAs that had 
been notified since the establishment of the Transparency Mechanism for PTAs (PTA TM), but for WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  which the full set of required data or information had not been submitted or notified to the 
Secretariat. These were the PTAs being implemented by China, India, the Russian Federation, 
Chinese Taipei and Thailand. He observed  that, with the new notificatio n by the Russian Federation 
of its GSP scheme – which was listed earlier on the agenda for the present meeting – there were 
now two separate and distinct PTAs notified by the Russian Federation for which a factual 
presentation had not been prepared. Furthe rmore, one of these PTAs was no longer in force. He 
intended to discuss this issue with the Russian Federation, to see how the Committee could move 
forward in its work regard ing these two PTAs. He also said that he wished to make a point 
regarding the PTA being implemented by Thailand. In light of recent submissions of data to the 
Secretariat, it appeared that the Secretariat had much of what it needed to begin the preparation 
of the factual presentation on Thailand’s PTA, given that Thailand had also submi tted to the 
Secretariat in 2018 the updated regulations governing the scheme. In the interests of moving 
forward with the CTD’s work on PTAs, he was happy to instruct the Secretariat to at least begin 
the preparation  of this factual presentation. However, the point he wished to make was that , while 
Thailand had provided the updated regulations to the Secretariat, these regulations had not been 
notified to the CTD. Under the PTA T M – and the modalities to implement the PTA TM that the CTD 
agreed to – it was an obligation to notify changes in the implementation of a PTA, including any 
legal changes, to the Committee. He urged Thailand to make the required notification , so that it 
was in  compl iance with what Members had agreed to in the CTD . 
79. More generally, he urged the Members mentioned in his report to provide the Secretariat 
with the required data and information as soon as possible . He informed the Committee in this 
regard that , in the lead -up to the present meeting, he had reached out to all these Members – 
either personally or through the Secretariat on his behalf – to make this request. The present 
meeting provided  an opportunity to reiterate that request. Furthermore , learning from past 
experience, he wished to request Members intending to make a notifica tion under the PTA TM in 
the future to abide by the requirements of the Transparency Mechanism, by submitting all relevant 
regulations in a WTO language at the time the notification was made. In an effort to improve the 
functioning of the Mechanism, he wis hed to avoid any future instances of notifications being 
circulated without the required regulations in a WTO language. Finally, he inform ed the Committee 
that a notification under the PTA TM had recently been submitted to the Secretariat by 
Montenegro, concerning its preferen tial scheme for LDCs. The Secretariat was currently in touch 
with the delegation of Montenegro with regard to some clar ifications being sought on elements of 
the notification received . 
80. The representative of the United States  said that the Members listed in the 
Chairman's  report  needed to take steps to allow the Secretariat to complete the factual 
presentation s. The United States did not consider the transparency exercise to be an optional 
process . She hoped that the  delegations  in question would provide  the required data and 
information as soon as possible , so that all  Members could benefit from the  required transparency . 
She encouraged these delegations  to consult with the Secretariat if assistance was needed.  
81. The Committee took note  of the Chairman's report , and of the interventions.  
H. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE STEPS TAKEN TO PROVI DE DUTY -FREE AND QUO TA-FREE 
MARKET ACCESS TO LEAST DEVE LOPED COUNTRIES  
82. The Chairman  said that the Bali Decision on duty -free and quota -free (DFQF) market access 
for LDCs, contained in documents WT/MIN(13)/44 and WT/L/919, instructed the CTD to continue 
to annually review the steps taken to provide DFQF market access to the LDCs, and repo rt to the 
General Council for appropriate action. To aid in the review, the Secretariat had been instructed to 
prepare, in close coordination with Members, a report on Members' DFQF market access for LDCs, 
at the tariff line level based on their notificati ons. He rec alled that, in 2017 and  2018, it had not 
been possible for the Secretariat to circulate a report on DFQF market access, as mandated by the 
Bali Decision, due to divergent views expressed by some Members on the scope and coverage of 
the report. I n the course of 2019, and until very recently, he had discussed the matter informally 
with the key del egations involved , in order to explore what possibilities might exist to unblock the 
situation regarding the report. Unfortunately, it appeared that positions had not changed. 
Therefore, under these circumstances, it was once again not possible for the Secretariat to prepare 
a report in 2019. While the situation was regrettable, he observed that the Committee still had an 
item on the agenda concerning the annual DFQF review, so as to allow a discussion to take place 
on the matter.  WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  83. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group, said that DFQF market access 
remained essential for the participation of LDCs in international trade, and for their economic 
development. He expressed appreciation to the Members that were providing DFQF market access, 
and encouraged  other Members  in a position to do so, to also provide such access to LDCs. He 
additionally  noted that there existed  a significant under -utilization of LDCs' export potential . 
Members were called upon to support the LDCs in their wish  to determine , with the assistance of 
the Secretariat,  what were the barriers to preference utilization, and how these barriers could be  
remove d.  
84. The representative of the European Union  express ed his delegation's strong attachment  to 
the Hong Kong  DFQF commitments, and to the Bali DFQF  Decision. He said that the 
European  Union was  a pioneer in providing DFQF market access to LDCs. In particular, u nder the 
Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative, DFQF market access was offered on all products ori ginating 
from LDCs, except for  arms and ammunition. In 2018, while the European Union’s ag ricultural 
imports from LDCs  decreased by 5.5% , imports of industrial products increased by 12.7% . Overall, 
this meant that total imports from LDCs had increased by 10.4% between 2017 and 2018. 
Furthermore , while the LDCs' share in global trade was less than 1%, the corresponding figure for 
the European Union's imports from LDCs stood at over 2%. He went on to say that his delegation  
welcomed the progress achieved on the Hong Kong commitments by both developed and 
developing Members. Most developed Members  now provided close to full DFQF market access to 
LDC products . With regard to the developing Members , the European Uni on was encouraged by the 
increasing  number that were providing preferential treatment to products from LDCs, particularly 
in light of the growing importance of these economies as destinations for LDC  exports. 
Nevertheless, it was felt that  additional effort s could be made  in this respect . In closing, he 
thanked the Chairman for his effort s to help unblock the situation regarding the Secretariat report, 
and urged Members to continue to strive for a solution.  
85. The representative of China  expressed his  delegation's commitment to the Hong Kong  and 
Bali DFQF  Decisions. He said that, upon the joint request of China, India, Brazil, Chile, Turkey and 
Thailand, the General Council had adopted on 16 October 2019  a decision (WT/L/1069) that 
extend ed until 30 June 2029 the waiver which allowed developing countries to offer  preferential 
tariff treatment to products  from LDCs . He went on  to say that China provided duty-free treatment 
for 42 LDCs, of which 37 enjoyed duty -free treatment for 97% of tariff lines. From 2009 to 2017, 
China had been the top export market for LDC products. In 2018, China  absorbed 27.8% of total 
LDC exports. He added that , in November 2019,  more than 30 LDCs had attended the second 
China International Import Expo (CIIE)  in Shanghai . Among the products featured  at the event 
were coffee from Ethiopia, national costumes from The Gambia, handicrafts from South Sudan and 
tanzanite from Tanzania. LDCs were provided with two free booths and free freight. He encouraged  
more LDCs to attend the third CIIE in 2020, so that they could benefit from the opportunities 
provided by China’s domestic market . 
86. The representative of the United States  expressed  appreciat ion for the Chairman’s efforts to  
find a solution regarding the Secretariat report that was acceptable to all Members.   
87. The Committee took note of all interventions.  
I. WORK PROGRAMME ON EL ECTRONIC COMMERCE  
88. The Chairman  said that, as in previous meetings, he wished to draw Members' attention to 
the Decision taken at the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference ( MC11 ) concerning the 
WTO's  Work Programme  on E-Commerce, which called for a continuation of the work under the 
Work Programme. He recalled that the CTD was one of the subsidiary bodies of the General 
Council mandated to undertake work under the Work Programme. Although there were presently 
no spe cific proposals to consider in the CTD, a number of Members had indicated their interest in 
this area. I t had been agreed at the last meeting that the item would remain on the agenda for the 
present meeting . 
89. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC  Group, said that there was a need to 
reinvigorate the Work Programme on E-commerce. He explained that i t was important for LDCs to 
be given the means to capitalize on the growth  of e-commerce activities. In this regard, the WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
- 16 - 
 
  LDC Group  had recently circulated a communication  containing some of the LDCs’ concerns in the 
e-commerce area . 
90. The Committee took note  of the interventions.  
91. The Chairman  proposed that the agenda item concerning the Work Programme on 
E-Commerce  be maintained on the agenda for th e next meeting.  
92. It was so agreed .  
J. PARTICIPATION OF DEV ELOPING COUNTRIES IN  THE MULTILATERAL TR ADING 
SYSTEM  (WT/COMTD/W/2 51)  
93. The Chairman  said that the CTD had a mandate to keep under continuous review the 
participation of developing country Members in the MTS. In order to assist Members in their 
discussion on this topic, it was the practice for the Secretariat to update every two years a 
statistical paper on the participation of developing economies in the global trading system.  At the 
108th Session, the Committee was informed that the Secretariat would prepare another update for 
discussion at the present meeting. The updated Secretariat paper had been circulated in document 
WT/COMTD/W/251. He invited a representative of the Economic Research and Statistics Division 
(ERSD) to briefly introduce the report.  
94. In her presentation, the representative of the ERSD  provided a broad overview of the 
information contained in the Secretariat paper , which focused on  the 2016 -2018 period . According 
to the pa per, the shares of developing economies in world merchandise and commercial services 
trade over the 2016 -2018 period continued to rise gradually on both the export and import sides. 
With regard to merchandise trade, following  weak global economic activity from 2014 to 2016, 
developing economies’ exports and imports in value terms bounced back in 2017 and 2018. 
Manufactures continued to dominate the exports and the imports of developing economies. In 
2018, an estimated 70% of the total exports of developing economies were manufacturing 
products. Of the top 20 merchandise traders f rom developin g economies, 11 were from Asia. China 
remained the top -ranked trader  among the developing economies. Developing Asia and trade in 
manufactures were also the main drivers  of South -South trade, which accounted for  53% of  
developing economies’ exports . Developing economies’ trade in commercial service s increased 
from 2016 to 2018 . Although some developing economies saw a decrease in the value of their 
exports and imports in 2016, due to a reduction in global demand , strong growth in commercial 
services trade was recorded from 2017.  Developing Asia accounted for the largest share of 
developing economies’  services trade, while t ravel remained  the single largest services sector 
traded  by developing economies . With regard to global value chains (GVCs), Southeast Asian 
economies were the most engaged, with total GVC participation rates significantly exceeding 50% 
in 2015. Between 2005 and 2015, Viet Nam experienced the greatest increase in GVC 
participation, with an annual average growth of 16.5%.  A summary was also provided of the 
findings from using  the Trade in Value -Added Approach (TiVA), which allowed a decomposition of 
the contribution of services to a country’s exports . Among the findings, the highest share of direct 
services exports in total exports of goods and services was observed for Hong Kong, C hina. A final 
section of the paper dealt with some challenges and initiatives of developing economies in 
compiling statistical trade data.  
95. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group, said that  one of the main points 
that came out from the Secr etariat paper was that economies were heavily interdependent. A ny 
economic shocks and downturns in fast -growing parts of the world  affected other economies  as 
well. In addition, tensions between  major trading partners could adversely affect trade and world  
economic growth. This pointed to the importance of providing the global trading system  with the 
appropriate conditions for economic balance and poli tical stability. The paper also highlighted the 
need to promote economic diversification , so that countries  became  less dependent on revenue 
from exports of primary commodities. I t was in this c ontext that the LDC Group was  working 
within the WTO to have in place regulat ory conditions to  promote structural transformation  and the 
emergence of an industrial potential  to generate new sources of revenue. Among other things, i t 
was hoped that this would result in the strengthening of the services sector , and a greater 
participation in GVCs . He went on to  note the significant share of South -South trade  in developing 
countries' trade , which he saw  as positive, and representative of a world that actively pursued WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  multilateralism. As part of his  closing  remarks , he indicated that, with the support of Members, the 
LDCs would continue to work towards overcomi ng the constraints that they faced . 
96. The representative of Australia  said that his delegation was pleased to note the continued 
rise in recent years  in the share of developing economies' merch andise and services trade. G rowth  
in trade  had been particularly strong in Asia, and a number of South east Asian countries were 
successfully integrating into GVCs . More broadly, the Secretariat paper  highlighted the successes 
of a number of larger economies. At the same time , he recognized that some developing countries , 
and in particular LDCs , continued to face challenges  – including with respect to export 
diversification and the compilation of relevant statistics to inform policies. Australia's A id for Tr ade 
programme s, which currently totaled  approximately AUD 1 billion  per year, aimed to help address 
these challenges  – by supporting developing countries to achieve their priorities in areas such as 
infrastructure, agricultur al productivity and standards, trade policies and regulations, digital tr ade 
and trade fa cilitation. In closing , he said that Australia valued its  partnerships with several  
organizations and facilities in the area of trade -related TA. These included the P acific Islands 
Forum  (PIF), the Advisory Centre on WTO Law  (ACWL) , the Enhanced Integrated Framework  (EIF), 
the Standard s and  Trade Development Facility  (STDF) , and the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
Facility  (TFAF) . 
97. The representative of the ERSD  thanked delegations for their interventions, and noted in 
particular the comments made with respect to di versification. S he agreed on the importance of 
diversification  for developing countries , and particularly  LDCs. 
98. The Committee took note  of the Secretariat paper , and of all interventions .   
K. DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 20 19 (WT/COMTD/W/252)  
99. The Chairman  recalled that he had sent a communication  to Members on 
12 November  2019, indicating that the CTD's draft annual report had been circulated in document 
WT/COMTD/W/252. It  was noted in the communication t hat the draft report contained a number of 
square brackets relating to items discussed at the three CTD meetings held on 22 November 2019 . 
The three meetings were the 10th Dedicated Session on RTAs, the 12th Dedicated Session on the 
Monitoring Mechanism on  S&D, and the 110th Regular Session . As part of the process of adopting 
the report, the square brackets would be removed, and the discussion that had taken place at the 
three meetings held on 22 November  2019 would be appropriately reflected in the report. Noting 
that Members had been requested to submit in writing any comments on the draft annual report 
by 15 November 2019, he informed the Committee that a comment had been received from 
Japan. The comment refe rred to paragraph 6.6, on page 6 of the draft report. There was a 
sentence at the top of page 6 which read as follows : "Japan shared the outcome of the 
TICAD  7 meeting,  which helped to mobilize an overall US D 20 billion in the previous three years.” 
For fa ctual reasons, Japan had requested that this sentence be modified to read: "Japan shared 
the outcome of the TICAD  7 meeting, which focused on promoting business in Africa." He also said  
that two notifications to the CTD had been circulated after the agenda  for the present meeting had 
been issued. One of these was the notification under the Enabling Clause of the Indonesia -Pakistan 
agreement, which was circulated on 15 November 2019 in document WT/COMTD/RTA12/N/1. In 
addition , a notification by Trinidad and Tobago under Section C of GATT Article XVIII  had been 
circulated on 20 November 2019 in document WT/COMTD/N/58. He suggest ed that references to 
these notifications be made in the CTD's annual report.  
100.   The representative of the United States  said that her intervention concerned the notification 
by Trinidad and Tobago under Section C of GATT Article XVIII . She indicated that the notification 
had been circulated after the agenda for the present meeting , and as such her capital had not 
reviewed it in  detail . However, this was a  matter of interest and potential concern, and her 
delegation expect ed to have  more detailed discussions with Trinidad and Tobago on the notification 
in the future.  
101.  The Chairman  invited the Committee to adopt the annual report w ith the modifications he 
had outlined.    WT/COMTD/M/110  
 
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  102.  The Committee adopted  its annual report for 2019 .2 
103.  The Chairman  said that he wished to take the  opportunity to recall that, one year ago – 
under the agenda item  concerning the adoption of the CTD’s annual report  – the Committee had 
agreed with a proposal by his predecessor for the Chairperson of the Sub -Committee on LDCs to 
be invited to the CTD, in order to provide a briefing on the work of the Sub -Committee. 
Accordingly, the Chairperson of the Sub -Committee had b riefed the Committee at the CTD's first 
meeting of 2019 – which was the 108th Session held on 5 April 2019. He believed that it had been 
useful to have the Chairperson of the Sub -Committee on LDCs personally present to the CTD the 
work of the Sub -Committee . He noted that the Sub -Committee on LDCs had been established 
through a decision taken by th e CTD on 5 July 1995, which was contained in document 
WT/COMTD/2. The Sub -Committee was a subsidiary body of the CTD, a nd had a mandate to 
report to the CTD for co nsideration and appropriate action . In this light , he wished to invite the 
Chairperson of the Sub -Committee on LDCs to the next CTD meeting, in order to allow her to once 
again personally provide an update on the work of the Sub -Committee. He hoped that  this was 
acceptable to Members.  
104.  The representative of the United States  said that her delegation  had no objection to inviting 
the Chairperson of the Sub -Committee on LDCs to the next CTD meeting. She added, h owever, 
that her delegation did not see this as se tting a precedent , and requested that any such future 
initiatives also be  brought to the Committee for consideration.  
L. DATE OF THE NEXT MEE TING  
105.  The Chairman  said that the next meeting of the CTD Regular Session was tentatively 
scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 8 April 2020. An initial agenda would be circulated four weeks 
before the meeting, on 11 March 2020, as per the CTD's rules of procedure. After the ci rculation of 
this initial meeting notice, Members would still have the opportunity to request items on the 
agenda for the meeting. The agenda would close on 26 March 2020, and would be circulated on 
27 March 2020.  
M. OTHER BUSINESS  
106.  No matter was raised und er "Other Business".  
107.  The meeting was adjourned . 
 
__________  
 
2 The report was issued in document WT/COMTD/9 9.