WT/COMTD/SE/11  
 
26 October  2021 
(21-8092) Page: 1/3 
   
 
  
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT  
IN DEDICATED SESSION TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  In paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Members agreed to a work programme 
with the objective of framing responses to the trade -related issues identified for the fuller integration 
of small, vulnerable economies (SVEs) into the multilateral tr ading system. Members were instructed 
not to create a sub -category of WTO Members and to report to the General Council which, in turn, 
was to review the work programme and make recommendations for action. Since then, seven such 
reports  have been issued : WT/COMTD/SE/1, WT/COMTD/SE/ 4, WT/COMTD/SE/6, WT/COMTD/SE/7, 
WT/COMTD/SE/8 , WT/COMTD/SE/9  and WT/COMTD/SE/10  in July  2003, November  2005, 
October  2009, October  2011,  November 2013 , November 2015  and November 2017 , respectively.  
1.2.  In the framework and procedures  for the conduct of the Work Programme on Small Economies, 
the General Council agreed th at the Work Programme would be a standing item on its agenda and 
that the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) would report regularly to the General Council 
on the progress of  work in the Dedicated Sessions . Since the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference 
(MC11), progress reports have been made by the C TD Chairpersons at each regular  General  Council 
meeting.  
2  SUBMISSIONS AND PROCEEDINGS  
2.1.  There have been seven  formal meetings of the CTD in Dedicated Session  since MC11  in 
December 2017 . At the 36th Dedicated Session on 7 June 20181, work resumed  on the challenges 
and opportunities experienced by small economies in their efforts to reduce trade costs, particular ly 
in the area of trade facilitation . This work continued to  take place on the basis of a background paper 
on th e subject prepared by the Secretariat (WT/COMTD/SE/W/34) . The topic for discussion at the 
36th Dedicated Session concerned the most important sources of merchandise and services trade 
costs reported by small economies. Presentations were made by the WTO, as well as by Panama 
and Sri  Lanka – members of the Group of Small, Vulnerable Economies (SVE s). A number of other  
members of the SVE Group also shared their experiences  in this regard . 
2.2.  At the 37th Dedicated Session on 1 November 20182, work picked up once again on the 
challenges and opportunities experienced by small economies in their efforts to reduce trade costs, 
particularly in the area of trade facilitation. This meeting focused on best practices and policy 
approaches for addressing the challenges identified in the previous meeting . Presentations were 
made by the  United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel opment ( UNCTAD ) and the 
Enhanced  Integrated Framework (EIF).  Presentations were additionally  made by Mongolia and 
Mauritius – members of the SVE Group . As in the previous meeting, o ther members of the SVE  Group 
were among the delegations that participated in the discussion  that followed . 
2.3.  At the 38th Dedicated Session on 29 April 20193, the SVE  Group presented its document 
concerning the outcome of the work undertaken on the challenges and opportunities experienc ed by 
small economies in their efforts to reduce trade costs, particularly in the area of trade facilitation  
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/38) . A presentation was made by the WTO  on the vulnerability of small 
economies to natural disasters and its impact on trade . This w as followed by a presentation by the 
 
1 The minutes of this meeting are containe d in document WT/COMTD/SE/M/36 . 
2 The minutes of this meeting are contained in do cument WT/COMTD/SE/M/37 . 
3 The minutes of this meeting are contained in do cument WT/COMTD/SE/M/38 . WT/COMTD/SE/11  
 
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  Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) on small economies' trade in commodities. The m embers of 
the SVE Group that took the floor highlighted the importance of these  two issues  to them . 
2.4.  At the 39th Dedicated Session on 1 November 20194, the Dedicated Session took note of an 
updated compilation paper on the Work Programme on Small Economies , prepared by the Secretariat 
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.9). A proposal by the SVE Group for a Ministerial Decision at the 
Twelfth  WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) on the Work Programme on Small Economies  
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/39)  was considered. Some clarifications were sought  on the proposal, which a 
number of delegations indicated  they were still considering . The delegation of El Salvador, on behalf 
of the SVE Group, introduced  a topic for  possible  future discussion in the Dedicated Session, which 
related to follow -up issues concerning the challenges faced by small economies in attracting 
investments.  
2.5.  At the 40th Dedicated Session on 2 November 20205, a discussion was held on the opportunities 
and challenges for small economies in attracting investments .6 Presentations on this topic were made 
by the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO ( ITC), UNCTAD and  the WTO. Presentations were 
also made by El Salvador, Guatemala  and Saint Lucia – members of the SVE Group. The 
presentations, and the subsequent discussion, pointed to the importance of investments for the 
growth and development of small economies. In addition, a  discussion was held on the impact of 
the COVID -19 outbreak on the trade of small economies. A  numbe r of members of the SVE Group 
highlighted the negative impact of the pandemic on their economies . Some ideas were shared on 
what could be done to allow small economies to be in a better position to deal with the negative 
effects of the crisis . 
2.6.  At the 41st Dedicated Session on 6 July 20217, a discussion was held on the economic and trade 
impact of natural disasters on small economies.8 Presentations on this topic were made by 
representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO), the ITC, 
UNCTAD and the WTO. Presentations were also made by Ecuador, and Saint Vincent and 
the Grenadines – members of the SVE Group.  There were calls from a number of  members of 
the SVE Group for further discussions on ways to address the difficulties faced by small economies 
arising from natural disas ters. 
2.7.  At the 42nd Dedicated Session on 19 October 20219, the Dedicated Session took note of an 
updated compilation paper on the Work Programme on Small Economies, prepared by the Secretar iat 
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.10).  The Dedicated Session then considered and agreed to a proposal by 
the SVE Group for a Ministerial Decision at MC12 on the Work Programme on Small Economies 
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/ 42). 
3  FUTURE WORK  
3.1.  Pursuant to the mandate contained in the Doha Ministerial Declaration, the Framework and 
Procedures for the Work Programme on Small Economies and the General Council Decision of 
1 August 2004, the WTO's Sixth Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong,  China,  the Seventh and 
Eighth  Ministerial Confe rences in Geneva , the Ninth  in Bali, Indonesia, the Tenth in Nairobi, Kenya, 
and the Eleventh in Buenos Aires, Argentina, issues relating to the trade of small economies have 
been examined in the Dedicated Sessions of the CTD and proposals for responses have been made . 
However, there is a need for further work in order to fully achieve the mandate of the Doha Ministerial 
Declaration.  
3.2.  The Dedicated Session on Small Economies of the CTD therefore proposes that the 
General  Council recommend to the Twelfth Ministerial Conference that Ministers reaffirm their 
commitment to the Work Programme on Small Economies and take note of all the work conducted 
to date. In particular, it is noted that document WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.10 and its previous 
 
4 The minutes of this meeting are contained in document WT/COMTD/SE/M/39 . 
5 The minutes of this meeting are contained in document WT/COMTD/SE/M/40 . 
6 This discussio n was organized on the basis of a proposal by the SVE Group  contained in  document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/40 . 
7 The minutes of this meeting are contained in document WT/COMTD/SE/ M/41. 
8 This discussion was organized o n the basis of a proposal by the SVE Group contained in document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/41.  
9 The minutes of this meeting are contained in document WT/COMTD/SE/M/42 (to be issued).  WT/COMTD/SE/11  
 
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  revisions re flect the work of the Dedicated Session up to the Twelfth Ministerial Conference. 
The Dedicated Session also proposes that Ministers take note of the work carried out since 2018, 
including that on challenges small economies experience in their efforts to r educe trade costs, 
particularly in the area of trade facilitation; opportunities and challenges for small economies in 
attracting investments; and economic and trade impact of natural disasters on small economies, and 
instruct the CTD to continue its work in the Dedicated Session on Small Economies under the overall 
responsibility of the General  Council. Furthermore, it is proposed that the Dedicated Session on 
Small Economies consider in further detail the various submissions that have been received to dat e, 
examine any additional proposals that Members might wish to submit and, where possible, and 
within its mandate, make recommendations to the General Council on any of these proposals. Also, 
the Dedicated Session on Small Economies proposes that the Gener al Council direct relevant 
subsidiary bodies to frame responses to the trade -related issues identified by the CTD with a view 
to making recommendations for action. It also proposes to instruct the WTO Secretariat to provide 
relevant information and factual  analysis for discussion among Members in the CTD's Dedicated 
Session on Small Economies, inter alia , in the areas identified in item k of paragraph 2 of the Work 
Programme on Small Economies and, in particular, to work on integrating small economies into the 
post COVID -19 economy: effects of the pandemic, challenges and opportunities.  
3.3.  The CTD in Dedicated Session will continue monitoring the progress of the small economy 
proposals in WTO bodies and in negotiating groups with the aim of providing responses,  as soon as 
possible, to the trade -related issues identified for the fuller integration of SVEs in t he multilateral 
trading system.  
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