RESTRICTED  
  
S/C/W/ 452 
 
21 July 2023  
(23-5004) Page: 1/3 
Council for Trade in Services  Original: English  
 
  
IMPROVING THE FUNCTIONING OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES  
AND ITS SUBSIDIARY BODIES  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM  
The following communication from the delegation of the United Kingdom , dated 20 July 2023, is 
being circulated to the Members of the Council for Trade in Services.  
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  As recognised by Ministers at MC12, services trade is vital to the global economy and has a 
major role to play in global economic output an d employment.1 Services trade has been the most 
dynamic component of world trade for the last 15 years. Today, the services sector generates half 
of employment worldwide and two -thirds of global GDP.2  
1.2.  As highlighted by the recent World Bank and WTO Repo rt Trade in Services for Development , 
services trade offers significant and multifaceted development impacts. The growth of the services 
sector represents an opportunity for the promotion of inclusive growth in developing economies, 
supporting MSMEs and wo men’s economic empowerment and advancing the United Nation’s 
Sustainable Development Goals. In 2021, 59% of employed women worked in the services sector, 
and 9 out of 10 services firms were MSMEs.3 
1.3.  Services trade also has a key role to play in tackling global challenges such as climate change. 
Services are crucial in facilitating the transition to a decarbonised global economy and in the design 
and deployment of green technologies. The 2023 Public Fo rum will rightly examine how trade can 
contribute to a greener and more sustainable future, including how trade can facilitate access to 
environmental services.  
1.4.  In this context, we note the key role of the Council for Trade in Services (CTS), including in  
special session, and its subsidiary bodies in facilitating and furthering the objectives of the General 
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and, importantly, in providing a forum for Members to have 
informed deliberation on developments in services trad e. The UK considers that the continued 
revitalisation of the CTS is an essential part of WTO reform.  
1.5.  Taking note of the various ideas put forward by the Membership, (including by the LDC Group 
in JOB/GC/223/Rev.1 , from the UK and over 50 co -sponsors in WT/GC/W/877 /Rev.1, and on 
external engagement in WT/GC/W/871 /Rev.2 ) and building on the cross -cutting principles in 
JOB/CTG/26/Rev.1 , the UK provides the following suggestions on improving ways of working in the 
CTS with a view to revitalising discussions on services trade at the WTO.  
 
1 WT/MIN(22)/24  
2 World Bank & WTO (2023): Trade in Services for Development: Fostering sustainable growth and 
economic diversification  
3 Ibid S/C/W/ 452 
 
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  1.6.  The ideas suggested in this paper are not meant to be exhaustive and we would welcome 
suggestions fro m Members on further measures, in particular to ensure that the work of the CTS is 
as inclusive as possible.  
2  BEST PRACTICE IN THE CTS AND ITS SUBSIDIARY BODIES  
2.1.  As outlined in the Comparison Matrix presented at the CTS in June ( S/C/W/433 ), there is much 
to welcome in the current functioning of the CTS and its subsidiary bodies. For example, the UK 
welcomes the fixing of dat es of formal meetings in advance of the next calendar year and scheduling 
services meetings together. Preparations for formal meetings are also to be commended, with 
airgrams and agendas circulated in advance, and documents made available online. Recent 
improvements, including the introduction of annotated agendas as well as a forward look of 
information and experience -sharing sessions on COVID -19 and services trade, are also welcome. In 
addition, the UK supports the continued use of hybrid working (i.e. in  person and virtual 
participation), which can support inclusion and facilitate more interactions from capital leads as 
appropriate.  
3  CONSIDERATIONS ON WAYS OF WORKING  
3.1.  The UK welcomes the compilation of Members ' suggestions for improvements to the functionin g 
of the CTS in JOB/SERV/CTS/14 . The UK would like to build on these suggestions with the following 
points:  
a. Following formal meetings, we would welcome the circulation of a concise and neutral 
Chair's status report within two working days. This could follow the structure of the 
annotated agenda. On regular agenda items, this could indicate whether the Committee 
took note of/adopted/agreed to revert back on an item. On trade concerns, such a report 
would not give any detail as to the content of the discussion, beyond that the Committee 
took note of the item, and which Members took the floor. Ahead of circulation of th e 
minutes, this document could provide clarity on next steps, including upcoming relevant 
formal and informal meetings, and the dates on which the subsequent agendas and 
airgrams will be issued. The Committee on Market Access (CMA) is an example of current  
practice.  
b. Other WTO Committees such as the CMA use the e -Agenda to optimise Member and 
Secretariat time. As well as streamlining agenda preparation, this existing digital tool can 
facilitate the transparency of statements after the meetings and thus supp ort the 
Secretariat with the preparation of Minutes.  The UK would therefore welcome a 
presentation from the Secretariat about how the e -Agenda is used in other WTO bodies in 
order to assess what might work for the CTS.  
c. As set out in WT/GC/W/877/Rev.1 , exchanges on a Member 's measures or policies are an 
important part of the agenda of many WTO bodies, including the CTS.  However, these 
'trade concerns ' often become standing agenda items without any reported progress. In 
this respect, the UK would welcome consideration of adjustments to the operational 
arrangements around discussion of these concerns.  
4  PROMOTING SUBSTANTIV E ENGAGEMENT  
4.1.  In addition to ways of working, we should consider how the CTS and its subsidiary bodies could 
add more value, reduce duplication, improve understanding of trade in services issues, and better 
facilitate experience sharing on best practices an d solutions.  
4.2.  We would particularly welcome more evidence -based discussions to encourage more free 
flowing conversations on topics of interest to Members and debate developments in services trade 
and regulation. In this respect, we welcome the recent infor mation and experience -sharing session 
on COVID -19 and transport and logistics services, as well as the thematic seminar on trade, inclusion 
and accessibility under the Committee on Trade in Financial Services (CTFS). We look forward to 
further discussions on the outcomes of these sessions.  S/C/W/ 452 
 
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  4.3.  The UK encourages holding more thematic and informal sessions to provide further 
opportunities for experience and information sharing. Building on the recent sessions, the UK would 
welcome a forward look of topics of inte rest to Members, including developing countries and LDCs. 
Noting that there have already been exploratory discussions in the CTS – Special Session, and that 
there will be future information and experience sharing sessions on COVID -19 and services trade, 
future discussions should build on these and align with the Director -General 's vision of ensuring that 
the future of trade in services is green, digital and inclusive.  
4.4.  The UK welcomes the World Bank and WTO Report Trade in Services for Development . The six 
key messages arising from the Report, including on the benefits of improved commitments on 
services trade and the proposal for a 'trade in services for development ' initiative, warrant further 
consideration in relevant WTO bodies, including – but not limit ed to – the CTS.  
5  EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT  
5.1.  As set out in WT/GC/W/87/Rev.2 , the UK welcomes ongoing efforts to review and e valuate how 
the WTO engages with external stakeholders. Engagement with stakeholders, including 
intergovernmental organizations, business stakeholders (including small and women -owned 
businesses), academia, non -governmental organizations, and expert indivi duals can provide helpful 
information that is more evidence -based, data -driven, and grounded in the 'real world ' practical 
challenges faced in trade in services. We would welcome a discussion about how to increase external 
engagement in the CTS and its sub sidiary bodies, including through informal and/or facilitated 
sessions. The recent thematic seminar under the CTFS is a good example of best practice.  
6  CONCLUSION  
6.1.  Services represent the future of global trade, so it is imperative that we revitalise discussi ons 
at the WTO. Ahead of MC13, the UK calls on all Members to consider creative, inclusive, and practical 
ways to widen and deepen the trade in services agenda. We welcome views on the above 
suggestions, and other ideas to improve the functioning of the CT S and reinvigorate international 
cooperation on services trade at the WTO.  
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