RESTRICTED  
  
WT/GC/M/206  
 
8 November  2023 
(23-7542) Page: 1/2 
General Council - Special Meeting  
23 October 2023    
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING1 
HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD ON 23 OCTOBER 2023  
Chairperson: H.E. Dr.  Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme  (Botswana)  
1  DRAFT GENERAL COUNCIL DECISION ON EXTENSION OF UNILATERAL DUTY FREE AND 
QUOTA FREE PREFERENCES IN FAVOUR OF COUNTRIES GRADUATED FROM THE LDC 
CATEGORY  (WT/GC/W/901) – COMMUNICATION  FROM DJIBOUTI ON BEHALF OF THE LDC 
GROUP  
1.1.  The Chairperson  referred to the annotated agenda2 and the discussion at the Informal General 
Council meeting on 17 Oc tober. She noted that g iven the very busy schedule and that there was  
less than one  hour for all formalities for this special General Council meeting  and the opening session 
of the Senior Officials Meeting, this special General Council  meeting would  be sho rt and to the point.   
1.2.  She then gave the floor to the  LDC Group Coordinator , Ambassador Kadra Hassan of Djibouti, 
to introduce the draft decision put forward for adoption. She highlighted  that as mentioned in the 
annotated agenda, and given last week's inte rventions, she did  not intend to open the floor for 
additional statements at the meeting . She thanked Members  for their understanding.  
1.3.  Ambassador Kadra Ahmed Hassan of Djibouti , the LDC Group Coordinator, delivered the 
following statement:  
1.4.  The LDC Group places on record our thanks for the spirit of consensus to support WT/GC/W/901  
as it is at the informal HOD held by you last week. Today we formally adopt the decision.  The decision 
is an incentive to those Members providing unilateral DFQF pr eferences, to extend such preferences 
to Members having graduated from LDC status for a limited period of time after graduation.  
1.5.  The UN General Assembly resolutions on smooth and sustainable graduation unequivocally 
requested the trading partners of the L DCs and international organizations to support any LDC after 
its graduation from the LDC category.  
1.6.  All LDCs will graduate, sooner or later. We look forward to that. The main purpose of our 
Group's submission is to establish a smooth transition mechanism a t WTO , which will provide 
predictability and certainty to help such countries graduate with momentum.  
1.7.  Graduation from the LDC category overnight will not fix the inherited challenges of the LDCs. 
The decision today on Annex 1 of the LDC Group proposal mar ks a first step and goodwill on the 
future of LDC integration into the multilateral trading system.  For the first time , the WTO will have 
agreed on a decision of this kind , which will provide some measure of predictability and trust for 
those of our Member s on the road to graduation.  
 
1 The proposed agenda was circulated in document WT/GC/W/ 903. 
2 JOB/GC/362  WT/GC/M/206  
 
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  1.8.  We also hope that , what we are about to do with this decision on LDCs, we will be able to 
replicate and emulate for other decisions in the General Council and not wait for Ministerial 
Conferences to have agreements.  
1.9.  We also encourage Members to work constructively with us to positively consider our Annex 2 
proposals on the LDC -specific provisions in existing WTO agreements, after graduation from 
LDC category. We must report back to the General Council by 30 November, as instructed to the 
LDC Sub-Committee.  
1.10.  Madame Chair, we again would like to thank you, all Members and the Director -General.  
1.11.  The Chairperson  proposed  that the General Council adopt the draft decision contained in 
WT/GC/W/901 . 
1.12.  The General Council so agree d.3 
1.13.  The Chairperson  congratulate d all Members , in particular, the LDCs on this successful outcome  
and expressed her appreciation to all Members , as well as the current and former LDC Group 
Coordinators, and the Focal Point for LDC Graduation , for their tireless efforts and pragmatism to 
bring this issue to a close. She noted that t his was commendable and inspiring and hopefully put  the 
work and discussions of the WTO membership  at the Senior Officials' Meeting on a positive traj ectory.  
 
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3 The decision was circulated in WT/L/1172 .