JOB/GC/216  
 
8 May 2019  
(19-3152) Page: 1/2 
General Council    
 
AGENDA ITEM 2 :  IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E BALI, NAIROBI AND BUENOS AIRES 
OUTCOMES – STATEMENT  BY THE CHAIR  
TUESDAY, 7 MAY 2019  
1.1.   This item remains on the agenda so that the General Council can continue to follow up on the 
decisions adopted in Bali, Nairobi and Buenos Aires – and do so in a horizontal and transparent 
manner.  
1.2.  On 30 April, in preparation for this General Council meeting, I held a meeting with the Chairs 
of Regular Bodies. We had a useful discussion, in which I invited Chairpersons to ex plore ways to 
ensure a more regular and interactive dialogue on issues of common interest and responsibility. 
Their reports and updates on the implementation of the Ministerial mandates are the basis of my 
statement under this item today.  
1.3.  Starting with th e Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, in  response to Members' request 
for more data and analysis on the moratorium, the Secretariat organized a workshop on 29 April to 
support our discussion on this issue. The workshop was well attended and addressed a number of 
matters, such as: the history of the moratorium; possible revenue implications; technical challenges 
of imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions; and the development dimension of the 
moratorium.  
1.4.  While Members' views differ, there was a useful exchange of information and I hope that we 
can continue our deliberations in an inclusive and Member -driven manner. This discussion will need 
to intensify, in particular in light of the need for a decision on the moratorium by December of this 
year.  As General Council Chair, I intend to consult broadly with Members on the way forward. I also 
remain ready and willing to convene further discussions as necessary, and would welcome any 
additional contribution from Members.  
1.5.  Let me also note that the n ext mandated review of the Work Programme will take place at the 
July session of the General Council. On that occasion, Members will have the opportunity to discuss 
e-commerce further and hear the reports from the bodies tasked with the implementation of t he 
Work Programme.  In this regard, I intend to meet with the Chairs of these bodies in due course to 
discuss work in their respective areas.   
1.6.  Moving now to some of the Ministerial outcomes on Agriculture , the review of the Bali Decision 
on TRQ administra tion, began in October 2017. Members have identified three broad themes in these 
discussions: 1)  Effective implementation and follow -up of the Bali TRQ Decision; 2) TRQ 
transparency requirements; 3) Underfill Mechanism. The Committee on Agriculture is expe cted to 
finalize the report and draft recommendations  of the review by June 2019. The General Council is 
expected to take a decision on the recommendations arising from the review normally no later than 
31 December 2019, unless Members agree otherwise.  
1.7.  With respect to the implementation of the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition  by Members 
with scheduled export subsidies reduction commitments, the situation has improved significantly, 
with 9 Members having had their revised schedule certified, and three  Members which have 
circulated draft revised schedules, but these are not yet certified – the most recent one was 
circulated in March this year.  JOB/GC/216  
 
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  1.8.  I encourage the other remaining Members with scheduled export subsidies commitments to 
provide an update on th e steps taken to implement the Decision at the next Dedicated Discussion 
on Export Competition, which will take place at the June meeting of the Committee on Agriculture.  
1.9.  Turning to the LDC Services Waiver , at the  Services Council meeting held in March, th e LDC 
Group noted that it had started to consult with Members about the organi zation of the dedicated 
Services Council meeting to review the operation of the preferences notified under the LDC Services 
Waiver, which had been agreed by the Council at the en d of last year. The dedicated meeting will 
allow Members to exchange information as part of the mandate in the Nairobi Decision that the 
Council "initiate a process to review the operation of notified preferences, on the basis of information 
provided by Me mbers".  
1.10.   LDCs called for this information to address principally how notifying Members were building 
awareness of the benefits of their preferences; how they were increasing LDC suppliers' access to 
those preferences; and how their capacity building and tec hnical assistance programmes were 
supporting the use of preferences.  
1.11.   On Development matters, I was informed by the Chairman of the CTD that the situation 
regarding the Monitoring Mechanism on Special and Differential Treatment remains unchanged, with 
divergent views persisting on how to proceed with the review of the Mechanism, which is long 
overdue. The next meeting of the Monitoring Mechanism will be held in June.  
1.12.   The Bali Decision on Duty-Free Quota -Free market access for LDCs remains on the CTD 
agenda.  The CTD Chairman intends to continue consulting with Members on this issue , including the 
Secretariat's report which should inform the review of the Decision and which, as you know, could 
not be prepared for the past two years due to divergent views on it s scope and coverage.  
1.13.   The Aid for Trade  Global Review will take place on 3 -5 July, and will discuss how Aid for Trade 
supports economic diversification and empowerment – with a focus on eliminating extreme poverty, 
particularly through the effective parti cipation of micro, small and medium enterprises, women and 
youth.  Discussions will also be informed by the " Aid for Trade at a Glance " report, published jointly 
by the WTO and the OECD, and with contributions from other international organizations.  
1.14.   A quick update on Trade and Transfer of Technology  – where the Chairman has expressed his 
intention to start a process of informal consultations, with the objective of injecting new life into the 
discussions, and determining a results -oriented approach for work  in the coming months.  
1.15.   And lastly, a very quick update on the Trade Facilitation Agreement , where 142 Members 
have now ratified the Agreement, accounting for more than 86% of the total.  
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