WT/TPR/ 504 
 
4 October  2023 
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Trade Policy Review Body    
 
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  MECHANISM  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY  
SOUTHERN AFRICAN CUSTOMS UNION 
Arrangements for Review Meeting  
1. In pursuance of Article  IV, paragraph  4 and Annex  3 of the WTO Agreement, a meeting of the 
Trade Policy Review Body is scheduled for  25 and 27 October  2023 to conduct the  fifth review of the 
trade policies and practices of the Southern African Customs Union (WTO/AIR/ TPR/151). 
2. This communication sets out arrangements  concerning the review meeting.  In this connection, 
attention is also drawn to the procedures for the conduct of reviews contained in the rules of 
procedure of the Trade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6/Rev. 4). 
1  QUESTIONS IN WRITING IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING AND MAIN POINTS  
3. Members wishing to submit written questions to the Members under review should do so 
normally at least two weeks before the review meeting to allow replies to be prepared in time for 
the first session of the meeting . For the forthco ming review, such questions should therefore be with 
the Trade  Policies Review Division of the Secretariat ( tprd@wto.org ) by 5.30 p.m., on Wednesday , 
11 October  2023 , at the latest . Advan ce written questions should reach the Secretariat no later 
than the day before the start of the meeting, by 2 p.m. at the latest to allow time for the Secretariat 
to process them. Questions sent on the day of the meeting will be processed after the end of the 
first session of the meeting. Delegations  are informed that the Southern African Customs Union  has 
opted for the traditional way of handling questions and answers.  
4. In accordance  with the rules of procedure of the TPRB (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph  17), 
Members are reminded that they should group their written questions into the following 
three  categories so as t o facilitate responses: those related to the Secretariat report (with a 
reference to relevant paragraph numbers); those concerning the Government report (with a 
reference to relevant paragraph numbers); and other questions.  
5. The Secretariat shall identify the main points contained in the questions submitted at least 
two weeks before a review meeting, post them on the Members' Website one week before the 
meeting, and distribute a revised list of main points during the first ses sion of a review when 
questions received after the two-week deadline give rise to significantly new issues. The main points 
may be found on the Members' Website under "Forthcoming Meetings: Documents for Meetings".  
2  ANSWERS IN WRITING BY THE MEMBER UNDER RE VIEW  
6. Answers by the Member s under review sho uld be distributed in writing; advance questions 
submitted by the two-week deadline before the start of the TPRB review should be answered in 
writing by the Member s under revi ew by the start of the meeting.  Quest ions posed subsequently 
should be answered, to the extent possible, before the start of the second session of the meeting. 
Questions left unanswered at the end of the second session should be answered in writing no later 
than one month after the meeting wi th some latitude in the Chair's discretion for Members reviewing 
a very large number of questions . WT/TPR/ 504 
 
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  3  DISCUSSANT  
7. In consultation with the Member under review, the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body 
may choose a discussant who, in his personal capacit y, will introduc e the discussions in the Body. 
Ambassador  H.E. Mr . Simon MANLEY  (United Kingdom ) will act as discussant  for the review of the 
Southern African Customs Union . 
4  STRUCTURE OF THE MEETING  
8. Trade policy reviews cover four broad headings:  
a. appreciation of the full range of the Member's trade policies and practices;  
b. relevant background: wider economic and developmental needs, including the external 
environment;  
c. impact of the Member's trade policies and practices on the functioning of the mult ilateral 
trading syst em; and 
d. general comments by way of assessment and evaluation.  
9. Meetings take place in two  sessions. The first session is devoted to the opening statements by 
the Member under review and the discussant, and remarks and questions from the  floor. 
The discussion in the second session, when the Member under review will reply to questions, is  
based on main themes identified after the opening meeting by the Chairperson, the discussant and 
the Secretariat in consultation with the Member.  
10. As indi cated in the rules of procedure for TPRB meetings (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph 21), t he 
speakers ' list will follow the order in which questions are rec eived by the Secretariat and in the event 
of more than one batch, the final batch will determine the order of speakers.  Delegations not 
submitting written questions will continue to speak second, in the order in which their flags are 
raised.  On the day before each review meeting, the Secretariat will post on the WTO Members' 
website a provisional list of speake rs for the first session of that meeting, for Members' advance 
information . 
5  DOCUMENTATION AND PRESS ARRANGEMENTS  
11. Reports by the Member under review and the Secretariat are contained in the following 
documents:  
WT/TPR/G/ 447  Report s by the members of the Southern African Customs Union  
 
WT/TPR/S/ 447  Southern African Customs Union : Report by the Secretariat  
12. The press embargo for the review of  the Southern African Customs Union  will end at 2.00  p.m. 
Geneva time on  25 October 2023. 
6  RECORD OF THE MEETING  
13. The record of the meeting will be circulated as a draft to Members for comments on their own 
statements and placed on the WTO website.  
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