RESTRICTED  
  
WT/GC/M/204  
 
23 June 2023 
(23-4332) Page: 1/91 
General Council  
8-9 May 2023    
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING  
HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD AND IN VIRTUAL FORMAT  
ON 8 AND 9 MAY 2023  
Chairperson: H.E. Dr. Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme  (Botswana ) 
 
The Chair and the Director -General bade farewell to Permanent Representative Mr. Laurie Lo of Hong 
Kong, China, and thanked him for his active contributions and dedication to the Organization.   
 
Subjects discussed1: 
 
1   REPORT BY THE CHAIR OF THE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE AND REPORT  
BY THE DIRECTOR -GENERAL  ................................ ................................ ............................  2 
2   FOLLOW -UP TO OUTCOMES OF MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES  ................................ ...... 5 
A. MC12  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  5 
(i) WTO Reform  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
(ii) Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  ................................ ................................ ..... 47 
(iii) Paragraph 8 of the Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement – Duration of Extended 
Deadline  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  64 
B. BUENOS AIRES (MC11), NAIROBI (MC10), AND BALI (MC9)  ................................ ...............  70 
3   WORK PROGRAMME ON SMALL ECONOMIES – REPORT BY THE CHAIR OF THE 
DEDICATED SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT  ....................  73 
4   TRADE RELATED CHALLENGES OF THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND WAY 
FORWARD: PROPOSAL FOR WTO SMOOTH TRANSITION MEASURES IN FAVOUR OF 
COUNTRIES GRADUATED FROM THE LDC CATEGORY – COMMUNICATION FROM  
DJIBOUTI ON BEHALF OF THE LDC GROUP (WT/GC/W/807/REV.2)  ..............................  79 
5   WAIVERS UNDER ARTICLE IX OF THE WTO AGREEMENT  ................................ ...........  87 
A. CANADA – EXTENSION OF THE WAIVER FOR THE CARIBBEAN INITIATIVE: CARIBCAN –  
DRAFT DECISION (G/C/W/826)  ................................ ................................ .........................  87 
6   OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 89 
6.1   Chairpersonships of the accession Working Parties of Bhutan and Iraq  .............................  89 
6.2   Statement by the Chair in connection with Administrative Measures for Members in  
Arrears  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  89 
ANNEX  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  91 
 
 
 
1 The proposed agenda was circulated in document WT/GC/W/ 876. WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  1  REPORT BY THE CHAIR OF THE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE AND REPORT BY 
THE DIRECTOR -GENERAL  
1.1.  The Chairperson  Under the first item "Report by the Chair of the Trade Negotiations Committee  
and report by the Director -General", I would like to invite the Director -General as Chair of the TNC 
to provide her report since the last report to the General Council . 
1.2.  The Director -General  delivered the following statement2: 
1.3.  Since my last report to the General Council  in March, I convened a Formal TNC and Informal 
HODs on 19 April. My report, together with your report on your consultations on the  way forward 
and the reports of the Chairpersons of the CoA SS, NGR, CTD SS and CTS SS were circulated to 
delegations in document JOB/TNC/108. Given the extensive discussion we had, which are formally 
recorded in the TNC minutes which will be circulated sh ortly, I do not expect a repetition of those 
discussions today.  
1.4.  Since the TNC meeting, work has continued in various areas with MC13 in mind. As you all 
know, we had a productive fisheries week at the end of April – thanks to the NGR Chair, 
Ambassador  Einar Gunnarsson (Iceland) for his hard work and to you, Members, for your vigorous 
and productive participation. I am also happy to report that deposit of instruments of acceptance of 
the Agreement and contributions to the Fish Fund have continued – with the  latest coming both from 
Canada. I again thank Ambassador Nadia Theodore, Minister Mary Ng, and the Government of 
Canada for their ratification and their contribution of CAD 1.4 million. I am particularly grateful to 
Ambassador Bettina Waldmann (Germany), Mr. Dirk Meyer, and the German Government for the 
first EUR 500,000 tranche of their very generous donation of EUR 2 million – the largest to the Fish 
Fund and the very first to commit. I hope that other Members in a position to do so will also follow 
suit soon – but I do want to thank all Members because I have not seen this level of enthusiasm to 
support the management of the Fish Fund as I am seeing now. I am really very excited about that.  
1.5.  As you know, access to the Fund for capacity support in fisherie s management and 
implementing the Agreement is contingent upon ratification. I have also stressed that I will be 
relentless in pursuing our shared goal of having the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement enter into force 
by MC13. In this regard, I continued my out reach to capitals to drum up support and speed up 
relevant domestic processes – this time in Africa.  
1.6.  I recently returned from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Kenya where I reiterated this call. 
In Côte d'Ivoire, I was able to meet with 15 ECOWAS Trade Ministers.  Let me take this opportunity 
to thank ECOWAS WTO Members including all their ambassadors here in Geneva for their hard work 
in making this happen. I also thank especially Honourable Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of 
Trade and Industry of Côte d'Ivoire and Mrs. Massandjé Toure -Litse, ECOWAS Commissioner for 
Economic Affairs and Agriculture, for helping organize this event. Getting 15 Trade Ministers together 
was helpful. They have all promised to work hard not only on ratification but also on MC13 
prepar ation. My country visit and discussion with H.E. President Alassane Ouattara was also very 
productive.  
1.7.  My visits to Africa also took me to Ghana where I had productive meetings with 
H.E. President  Nana Akufo -Addo and several government officials, includin g Trade Minister – 
H.E. Kobina Tahir Hammond and the Ministry of Trade team. I also met with representatives from 
the MSMEs Group  and participated in a well -attended fireside chat at the Institute of Economic 
Affairs.  
1.8.  Finally, I was in Kenya where I atten ded the biannual UN Secretary General's Chief Executives 
Board Meeting of UN and UN affiliated agencies. I also seized the opportunity to meet with 
Honourable Moses Kuria, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry. 
I met with the  Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Central Bank, Minister for the newly created 
Ministry of MSMEs and other government officials. It was all capped with an excellent meeting with 
H.E. President William Ruto.  
 
2 The Director -General's statement was subsequently circulated in document JOB/GC/340.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  1.9.  During these meetings, apart from MC12 im plementation and preparations for MC13, we also 
had the opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities for Africa's development through trade 
and the role of WTO in this regard. It was interesting for me to observe the heightened concern on 
the issue of IUU fishing in Africa and overcapacity and overfishing. Practically every Head of State 
that I met raised this issue – that they are having problems with IUU fishing and that the artisanal 
fisher people are now unable to catch enough fish to sustain the ir livelihoods – having to go further 
out in order to catch any fish. This was raised in virtually every country I visited especially 
in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. They are seeing the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies as something 
important and material to wh at they are experiencing now. They were asking me how we now 
monitor the IUU fishing once this agreement is ratified and in effect. We have some mechanisms for 
following them but we would like to improve those. I also pointed out to some governments that 
their own policies may be contributing to the problem so that they have to look internally as well as 
externally. There was a good discussion on that and heightened awareness. I am hoping that the 
heightened concern will also feed into the willingness to ra tify quickly. They are also keen on the 
second phase of the fisheries subsidies negotiations to deal with S&DT and overcapacity and 
overfishing.  
1.10.   I was also very impressed by the MSMEs we met. The quality of products has considerably 
increased. Many of the m said that they have been helped by the WTO either through the EIF or ITC 
working with them. This was gratifying. I noticed a quantum leap in the quality of products including 
their packaging. The biggest issue was how to scale up and how to access the in ternational market. 
We stand a real change if we can help further on the supply side to have some of these numerous 
MSMEs who are making these quality products – to create more jobs and make a difference in terms 
of Africa's development and diversification  of their economies. I just wish we have more resources 
through the STDF, the EIF and the ITC to be able to help. I am meeting such demand. When I was 
in Latin America, there was a lot of pressure from Colombia, the Dominican Republic and so many 
other cou ntries for more help on supply side issues. But we are very constrained by the resources 
we have in the EIF and the ITC. We are doing a good job. We need to do more. And I am counting 
on some of you who have been supporting these to help us to deliver.  
1.11.  We likewise had productive discussions on addressing challenges in Africa's industrialization 
and job creation in the face of multiple global crises – as well as on debt, trade finance, digital and 
green trade, and AfCFTA developments.  
1.12.  Overall, I was very h eartened by the support expressed by African Leaders, and the private 
sector to our work including in view of MC13. I am sharing that because my initial contact with 
African Leaders was not very auspicious for the WTO. I shared with you some of their comme nts. 
I was open about it when I asked for additional help for Ambassadors. They asked what the WTO is 
delivering. In noting that Geneva is a very expensive place, they asked why they should put more 
resources when nothing is coming out of the WTO. That was  their initial reaction. After MC12 and 
seeing that we are producing some results, they are beginning to turn around and say that given 
the results achieved that are beneficial to their countries coming forward, they would think about 
support. This is part  of changing the opinions of what we are doing here and what it means for their 
countries. They want us to prioritize supporting the AfCFTA, food security, industrialization of the 
continent, job creation and preparedness for the next pandemic. In particul ar, there is a request to 
make the WTO work for poor countries. They really need the WTO and they feel that the WTO is not 
delivering enough.  
1.13.  In this regard, there was another agriculture week last week which I hope has 
assisted  Members in inching forward to determining the "collective what" to allow the work on 
figuring out the "collective how" to begin. If we want to deliver meaningful outcomes in agriculture 
at MC13 – which is what I heard strongly echoed at the last TNC, I urge all Members to work together 
under the leadership of our CoA SS Chair, Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy (Türkiye), to meaningfully 
advance these critical negotiations. I am under no illusion. I know that things are stuck and are not 
moving in the way they should be but let us keep pushing forward to see if we can get something 
meaningful even on food security out of these negotiations. We should not forget that it has been 
more than two decades that we have not been able to deliver on this area of work. This does not  
bode well for this Organization  when large subsidies keep mounting, climate change is an issue and 
agriculture is more critical than ever in terms of how we are going to be able to feed the planet.  
1.14.  Delivering meaningful development outcomes was another ke y area of importance which I 
heard reiterated by many during my visits to Africa last week including by the UN Secretary General WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  during the meeting we had. There was a great deal of appreciation for what Members did at MC12. 
I talked about renewed momentum  towards MC13. But make no mistake. There will be 
severe  disappoint if the outcome at MC13 are some nice powwows among Ministers and a package 
of process reform. Not that these are not important – they are. But they will not be enough. One of 
the areas whe re we need renewed momentum is in development discussions both within the 
context  of WTO Reform and in the work of the CTD and CTD SS – and I wish to let you know 
that the eyes of Africa are on us. Specifically on S&DT, as we heard from the Chairperson – 
Ambassador Kadra  Hassan (Djibouti) at the last TNC, she will be convening a meeting as soon as 
the G90 tables its textual proposals on ASPs relating to the TBT and SPS Agreements. I therefore 
encourage all Members to speed up this work and constructively en gage in this important work – in 
line with Paragraph 2 of the MC12 Outcome Document.  
1.15.  Capitals are also closely following our work on WTO Reform with D ispute Settlement  Reform 
as a high priority.  Much as many African WTO Members are not active users of the WTO dispute 
settlement system – this issue was a high priority, including for systemic reasons. In this regard, 
the issue of access was emphasized. On these and other issues, I will continue to work closely with 
the General Council  Chairperson and the Memb ership.  
1.16.  During my recent outreach, I also heard strong interest expressed on digital trade and its 
potential for African industrialization. When I met ECOWAS Ministers, I highlighted Members' work 
building on the MC12 Decision on the E -Commerce Work Progr amme  and Moratorium – in the  
Dedicated Discussions  facilitated by Ambassador Usha Dwarka -Canabady (Mauritius). To 
complement these efforts, I noted the WTO's partnerships with international organizations  including 
the World Bank to discuss how to address t he issue of digital infrastructure on the continent, both 
soft infrastructure and hard. As Members know, DDG Gonzalez is leading Secretariat efforts in this 
area working with the Bank and others.  
1.17.  To facilitate our work and make it more official, I would li ke to mention something. I have 
been looking at some of the suggestions that Members have made during our retreats and at the 
General Council  regarding the way that the TNC operates. First, I am trying to have TNCs only when 
it would make a difference. To that effect, I have decided not to have a TNC in June, as was 
programmed, to allow Chairs and Members more time to work. Second, to give our work a political 
and practical boost, one of the suggestions many of you made was to think of a Senior Officials 
meeting. In this regard, picking up on your suggestion, I would like to suggest that the July TNC 
meeting, just before the General Council  meeting, be used for a two -day Senior Officials meeting. I 
would like to know your views on this. I would like to consult with all of you to see how to prepare 
this so it would be focused and productive. I have some ideas, but it would be good to hear from 
you. I am just merely making a suggestion and looking for your feedback.  
1.18.  Let me end by thanking all of you for your participation in two major events at 
this Organization  last week. The first was the event on the Cotton -4 and FIFA – where I also 
want to thank  Ambassador George Mina (Australia) and Ambassador Clare Kelly (New Zealand) 
for the role that they played in this event. The next was the excellent lecture by 
H.E. President  Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana. Both had fantastic attendance. I had quite positiv e 
feedback on both events, and I want to thank the Membership for supporting them.  
1.19.  The Chairperson  recalled  that the Formal TNC had taken  place on 19 April, and she did  not 
expect a discussion under this item today. A record of all statements would be made  available in the 
minutes of the TNC meeting.3  
1.20.  The representative of Djibouti , on behalf of the LDC Group , delivered the following statement:  
1.21.  The LDC Group wishes its comments at the Informal meeting of Heads of Delegations to be 
included in the minutes of this meeting. 4  We would, however, like to add to our remarks about the 
CoA SS meetings last week. The  LDC Group thanks the CoA SS  Chairman and the Secretariat for 
organizing thematic seminars on market access and food export restrictions. As several studies have 
shown, export restrictions have a direct impact on the food supply of LDC Members. Indeed, most 
LDC Members are net food importers and therefore depend on imports for their food security. Given 
 
3 TN/C/M/45.  
4 The statement is contained in TN/C/M/4 5, para. 4.10.-4.12 and is incorporated by reference in the 
record of this meeting.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  their limited resources, LDC Members are particul arly vulnerable to price increases and volatility on 
the world market. In view of the above, LDC Members have proposed additional disciplines for net 
food exporting countries requiring them to exempt LDC Members and NFIDC Members when 
imposing export restr ictions or prohibitions. A Ministerial decision to this effect at MC13 would be a 
major step towards addressing food insecurity. In addition, the objectives that LDC Members hope 
to achieve at MC13 include the reduction of domestic support, a permanent sol ution to the issue of 
public stocks for food security purposes and a simplified safeguard mechanism to curb massive 
imports of subsidized agricultural products.  
1.22.  The representative of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
1.23.  Just a quick reactio n to the Director -General's proposal of a Senior Officials' meeting in July. 
We are open to that. I am my own senior official, as I am the Deputy United States Trade 
Representative , so that would be me and I will be here. Our only suggestion would be that there be 
a specific agenda to make the meeting more useful.  
1.24.  The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
1.25.  I request the Secretariat to place on record of this GC meeting, India's statement delivered 
at the last TNC meeting held on 19 April 2023.5 
1.26.  The representative of Kenya,  on behalf of the ACP Group,  provided6 the following statement:  
1.27.  As regards the TNC report, the ACP Group refers to its intervention made during the formal 
TNC meeting held on 19 April 2023.7 
1.28.  The representative of  Cambodia  provided8 the following statement:  
1.29.  My delegation aligns itself with the statement of the LDC Group.  The active engagement by 
all Members in the last 'fish week' again reemphasized the importance that Members have placed 
on the topics of overcapa city and overfishing in the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement. My  delegation 
would like to reiterate that  the LDCs are not the cause for overcapacity and overfishing and as such, 
special and differential treatments in the form of exemption from any disciplines  in these pillars 
would only be fair and appropriate. We would like to point out that we support Article 6.1 and 6.2 in 
the W/20  document. In terms of participation and importance, the same could be said of the CoA 
SS meetings . It is our belief that for ag riculture negotiations, if we do not move fast to try to bridge 
gaps in Members' positions soon, we risk leaving too much to do for the last minutes. At the same 
time, we should choose to prioritize a number of reachable topics. For us, our priorities rema in with 
food security, trade -distorting domestic support, including cotton, the special safeguard mechanism, 
public stockholding for food security purposes and export restrictions.  
1.30.  The General Council  took note  of the report of the Director -General and of  the statements 
made.  
2  FOLLOW -UP TO OUTCOMES OF MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES  
A. MC12  
(i) WTO Reform  
- Report by the Chairperson  
 
 
5 The statement is contained in TN/C/M/4 5, para. 4. 77-4.81 and is incorporated by reference in the record 
of this meeting.  
6 The statement was not delivered at the meeting but subsequently se nt to the Secretariat for inclusion 
in the record.  
7 The statement is contained in TN/C/M/45, para. 4.3 -4.5 and is incorporated by reference in the record 
of this meeting.  
8 The statement was not delivered at the meeting but subsequently sent to the Secret ariat for inclusion 
in the record.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  - Improving Inclusiveness by Reviewing and Evaluating External Engagement – 
Communication from Colombia; Israel; the Philippines; the Separate Customs Territory 
of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen And Matsu; and the United States (WT/GC/W/871)  
 
- Improving the Operations of WTO Bodies to Revitalise the WT O's Monitoring and 
Deliberative Function – Request from Canada; Costa Rica; and the United Kingdom  
 
- Reinforcing the Deliberative Function of the WTO to Respond to Global Trade Policy 
Challenges – Communication from the European Union (WT/GC/W/864)  
 
- Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration and 
Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO – Communication from India 
(WT/GC/W/865)  
 
- Maximising the Value of WTO Ministerial Conferences – Communication from Australia 
(WT/GC/W/873)  
 
- 30 for 30 Suggestions for Improving the Functioning in WTO – Request from India  
 
2.1.  The Chairperson  said that the  item "Follow -up to Outcomes of Ministerial C onferences" cover ed 
several matters  – with two  sub-items: (A). MC12 and, (B). Buenos Aires (MC11), Nairobi (MC10), 
and Bali (MC9).  He proposed to take up the seven items u nder sub -item 2.A.(i) on WTO reform  
together  and to open the floor only once .  
2.2.  The Chairperson  delivered the following statement9: 
2.3.  Turning to my report, delegations will recall that I reported on my consultations on the work 
ahead – including WTO reform, at the Formal TNC and Informal H ODs on 19  April. That report was 
circulated as part o f JOB/TNC/108.  
2.4.  I listened carefully to Members' views at the TNC/H ODs and was encouraged by the high level 
of interest and engagement demonstrated on WTO reform. Evidently, this is a top priority for 
Members.  
2.5.  I heard Members' commitment to ensuring that t he WTO is resilient, responsive, relevant, and 
with equitable rules. The commitment to work towards a credible package of reforms, including a 
good progress report to Ministers at MC13 was evident. I thank all Members for this and hope we 
can collectively achieve this goal.  
2.6.  I believe that we are already on the right path. Members are fuelling the reform discussions. 
Several ideas which had been put forward informally have now been translated into formal written 
proposals as is reflected in the current agend a. Other views are also being offered.  
2.7.  Work has continued amongst Members in various configurations with outreach efforts being 
made – as we heard at the TNC/H ODs meeting.  
2.8.  Work is also taking place in a number of WTO bodies, and I will return to this later in my report. 
So, let me sincerely thank all Members for beginning to walk the talk.  
2.9.  As was evident in my consultations and during the discussions at the TNC, high value continues 
to be attached by all Members to having a fully and well -functioning d ispute settlement (DS) system 
accessible to all Members by 2024 – in line with paragraph 4 of the MC12 Outcome Document. In 
this regard, I heard many Members refer to the ongoing informal discussions at the technical level, 
which are being convened by Mr. Marco Molina of Guatemala. This is considered a positive sign, 
given that many Members are engaged. I also heard the need to have a roadmap and to avoid 
getting bogged down by procedural matters – focusing instead on substance in a results -oriented 
manner.  In this regard, I heard many of you reiterate that the discussions should remain open to 
all, and be transparent, inclusive and Member -driven.  
 
9 The Chairperson's statement was subsequently circulated in document JOB/GC/342.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.10.  With regard to the negotiating function, Members seem to favour focusing attention on 
ongoing  work in Negotiati ng Groups as we prepare for MC13. I have also heard from Members 
that, at the appropriate moment, there will be need to confront certain sensitive issues surrounding 
our negotiating function. I also heard Members raise the need to make better use of the TN C and 
HODs meetings – and, recently, ideas have been circulated in this regard in written format by 
Members – whom I thank.  I encourage all Members to take a look at the ideas that have been put 
forward and engage with each other in a constructive manner.  
2.11.  I will continue to work closely with the Director -General, as Chairperson of the TNC and with 
Members, including on timing and appropriateness of a dedicated discussion on the negotiating 
function.  
2.12.  Turning to development, several Members have reiterated t hat it should be at the centre of 
WTO reform. I will come back to this aspect and to the work being carried out by the CTD Chair in 
this respect.  Let me also at this point note that the importance of delivering meaningful development 
outcomes at MC13 has b een emphasized. As I reported at the TNC, I have taken good note that LDC 
graduation may be emerging as a concrete deliverable prior to MC13.  
2.13.  Stakeholder engagement to bolster the WTO's  responsiveness, in addition to the 
Director -General's initiatives – was another issue that was brought to my attention during my 
consultations, and we also heard views exchanged at the TNC. In this regard, I am pleased that a 
number of delegations have put their ideas in writing to the membership, which we will take up 
under this very agenda item.  
2.14.  Finally, the monitoring and deliberative function. I take note that several of the written 
submissions under this agenda item, in one way or another, relate to improving this function and 
we will take them up shortly.  
2.15.  During my co nsultations, what some referred to as "reform by doing" in WTO Councils and 
Committees has been commended. Delegations stressed the need to review progress in these 
discussions. I also took note of the concerns expressed by small delegations about the diff iculties 
they encounter in following all these ongoing discussions.  
2.16.  In preparation for today's meeting, I met with Chairpersons of regular bodies. At that meeting, 
they provided updates on WTO  reform work in their respective areas. To ensure transparency,  let 
me now provide you with a consolidated update on ongoing reform work in the various WTO bodies.  
2.17.  The Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) has undertaken extensive discussions on improving 
the practical aspects of its functioning, as well as certain horizo ntal issues that impact the work of 
its 14  subsidiary bodies. A recent report by the former CTG Chairperson, circulated in document 
JOB/CTG/28, notes that the CTG has made significant progress in about half of the 30 issues that 
were put forward by Members . In these discussions, Members also expressed a preference for having 
a bottom -up process that takes account of the needs of each body, and this is why the CTG's 14 
subsidiary bodies have launched similar processes to improve their own functioning.  
2.18.  I am heartened by the participation and constructive collaboration in these discussions. 
I understood from the CTG Chairperson that the Council is working towards preparing a 
comprehensive report to the General Council by the end of the year, containing all the  practical 
reforms implemented in the goods area.  
2.19.   I look forward to this report and I encourage all Members to continue their proactive 
engagement with each other in these discussions. Let me stress that any substantive reform on the 
deliberative functio n of the WTO can only be possible in the context of Councils and Committees that 
work efficiently and are fit for purpose.  
2.20.  On services, the Chairperson of the Council for Trade in Services informed me that Members 
agreed that the Secretariat would map the practices of the Council and its most active subsidiary 
body in a similar way to what has been done in the CTG. I positively note that Members have also 
welcomed the improvements to the functioning of the Council for Trade in Services that had already 
been agreed and implemented – such as the issuance of an annotated agenda and the back -to-back 
organization of services meetings.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.21.  On the developmental aspects of WTO reform, I learn that the Chairperson of the Committee 
on Trade and Development will be mee ting bilaterally with Members to hear their thoughts on what 
should constitute the reform discussion on development, and what the Committee can be doing in 
that regard. The Chairperson also intends to use these consultations as an opportunity to explore 
possible improvements in the functioning of the CTD.  
2.22.  I also understand that the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements has been holding 
discussions on improving its functioning. The Chairperson of the Committee held informal 
consultations with Members last w eek to see how best to move these discussions forward. The 
suggestions from Members include both procedural improvements to the work of the Committee as 
well as discussions of a more systemic nature.   
2.23.  Also in the context of the current discussions on the f unctioning of WTO bodies, the Committee 
on Agriculture has received specific suggestions from Members. A tabular summary of these 
suggestions has been prepared, along with some practical suggestions on the matters raised10. I 
note positively that Members e xpressed their appreciation on how the Committee already conducts 
its business, its recourse to the digital platform and its documentation practices.  
2.24.  Let me use this opportunity to commend the membership and the respective Chairpersons of 
Councils and Comm ittees for their efforts, which are aimed at improving the functioning of the 
respective WTO bodies. Please continue this crucially important work.   
2.25.  Likewise, I also note that the Secretariat is looking at ways of improving the day -to-day work 
of the Gener al Council, including through the use of digital tools such as the eAgenda. Delegations 
will be updated on any new features and developments as progress is made.  
2.26.  Related to the topic of improving the functioning of WTO bodies, and as you had already heard 
from my predecessor, the Secretariat is undertaking efforts to improve the scheduling of meetings 
and Members' ability to plan, as requested by delegations. In particular, building on the evolving 
calendar of meetings for the year already circulated last D ecember and revised in February, the 
Secretariat is designing an improved WTO  calendar of meetings on its website. The new calendar 
will provide one common place to consult the WTO's meeting schedule, including tentative formal 
meetings.  
2.27.  We all need to be ar in mind, of course, that tentative formal meetings may be subject to 
change, and are not formally confirmed until a convening notice is circulated. The new calendar will 
go live in due course, and Members will be informed appropriately.  
2.28.  To return to wha t I have heard in my consultations with Members, I also clearly heard the 
need to focus on substantive matters impacting global trade – so as to ensure a credible WTO reform. 
We have already seen some Members' communications in this regard and will also di scuss some 
under this item shortly.  
2.29.  Lastly, and related to institutional matters, I heard many Members note the importance of 
de-dramatizing the Ministerial Conference and improving the functioning of the General Council and 
the Trade Negotiations Committe e to better harness their potential. A number of ideas have been 
put forward. I am pleased to note that as promised at the recent TNC meeting, Australia has 
circulated its ideas, which it will introduce shortly.  
2.30.  As announced at the TNC meeting, I intend to  convene an Informal meeting on WTO reform 
focused on the deliberative function and institutional matters in due course. For this meeting, I 
propose that we follow the "safe space" retreat format that many of you have expressed support 
for. The modalities for this meeting will be shared with Members in the near futur e.  
2.31.  Let me once again emphasize that, in line with paragraph 3 of the MC12 Outcome Document, 
our WTO reform work will continue to be Member -driven, open, transparent, inclusive – addressing 
the interests of all Members, including development issues. Guided by these principles, I will continue 
 
10 ICN/AG/2 . WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  to work closely with the Director -General, Chairpersons of WTO  Councils and Committees and 
Members.  
2.32.  The representative of the United States  introduced the communication on "Improving 
Inclusiveness by Reviewing and Evaluating External Engagement" (WT/GC/W/871) : 
2.33.  The United States, along with the delegations of Colombia, Guatemala, Israel, New Zealand, 
The Philippines, and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiw an, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, are 
pleased to provide a brief introduction today to our communication "Improving Inclusiveness by 
Reviewing and Evaluating External Engagement " circulated in WT/GC/W/871 and in the revisions 
issued last week to include new co sponsors. We welcome Peru as our most recent co -sponsor as of 
this morning. WTO Members are discussing ways to revitalize the organization's work, in order to be 
relevant and contribute to our efforts to find solutions to local and global challenges facing  our 
economies. We are interested in reflecting on the adequacy of our current practices of engagement 
with external stakeholders and undertaking efforts to improve the inclusiveness of our work. Our 
communication is simply an invitation to Members to join  our discussions so we can benefit from the 
widest possible range of perspectives.  The co -sponsors are well aware that Members hold diverse 
views on how external engagement should take place within the WTO, and that considerable dialogue 
and discussion nee ds to take place before decisions are proposed or taken by the entire membership. 
The co -sponsors are signalling  our willingness to start this conversation with any interested Members 
in an informal, bottom -up way to better understand the interests and obj ectives we may have in 
common for improving external engagement. We have set out three examples of issues where we 
believe it would be useful to start a discussion to review and evaluate current practices.  First, to 
review how agencies within the UN system  have incorporated multi -sector stakeholder dialogues in 
their efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and compare with the WTO's practices.  
Second, to share experiences from the development assistance world, both bilateral and multilateral, 
to learn from them how they work across sectors to find comprehensive solutions to complex 
development challenges.  Third, to review the existing mechanisms and practices already in place in 
the WTO to see if we can enhance or improve our exposure to outside  views and perspectives to 
inject new energy and thinking into our agenda.  If you are interested in engaging in these 
discussions, please reach out to any of the co -sponsors.  
2.34.  The representative of the United Kingdom  introduce d the next matter related to " Improving 
the Operations of WTO bodies to Revitalize the WTO's Monitoring and Deliberative Function" : 
2.35.  I have the honour to introduce the communication entitled 'Improving the operation of WTO 
bodies to revitalise the WTO 's monitoring and deliberative function ' on behalf of the co -sponsors, 
contained in document WT/GC/W/877. The document was circulated to Members on 4 May.  The day -
to-day work at the WTO councils and committees is the lifeblood of this Organization.  Improving the 
effectivene ss and impact of this work, to enable the full participation of all Members, is at the heart 
of the WTO reform agenda.  Activity to revitalise the Monitoring and Deliberative function is already 
happening throughout WTO bodies. It has filled this organisati on with renewed energy, including the 
agenda of this General Council meeting, with papers from a wide range of the membership. We 
should not underestimate the importance of this work in building the trust the WTO desperately 
needs. The communications from the LDC Group; the African Group; from Argentina, Colombia, 
Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay presented to the CTG; in addition to some of the papers on the 
agenda today, are great examples of constructive contributions to this discussion. From all of these 
important contributions it is clear that there is broad agreement across the membership on so many 
elements of t his important agenda.  
2.36.  So, the first aim with this paper is to bring together a number of the proposals we have seen 
across the different papers and committees into one place. This is in direct response to the plea from 
many smaller delegations to make sur e there is transparency on what is happening on reform at the 
GC. Indeed,  many of the ideas in this paper can have a real impact in boosting participation of 
Members, especially those with capacity constraints, in the work of the Organization . In this way the 
paper aims to be an "umbrella paper " covering the different issues being discussed on the procedural 
and deliberative elements of reform. Our intention is to complement and support the work already 
underway throughout WTO bodies. The paper recogni zes the need to reinvigorate the monitoring 
and deliberative function at the WTO. It focuses on ideas to improve the operation of WTO bodies 
so that Members can fully participate in the daily work of the Organization. It recognizes the special 
challenges faced by developing country Members, especially those with significant capacity 
constraints. It also recognizes that the increasing challenges to engage substantively impact the WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  quality of the deliberation and policy dialogue, centr al to WTO effectiveness. This is not meant to be 
an exhaustive list of suggestions, rather an attempt to provide a list of options that WTO committees 
and councils can examine and consider when discussing their own operational reform efforts.  Our 
hope with this paper is set out a clear  set of steps we can take to make sure our reform effort 
delivers real practical steps and tangible results. As is the case for the many papers put forward by 
Members, we hope this helps spark further discussions so that we can work together to find practi cal 
ways to take them forward.  
2.37.  On the same matter, t he representative of Costa Rica  delivered the following statement:  
2.38.  Costa Rica is pleased to present this joint paper under the agenda item on WTO reform.  Costa 
Rica believes that the proper  functioning of  the monitoring and deliberative function of the WTO has 
an impact on the fulfilment of the objectives of this Organization and on the proper functioning of 
the other pillars: the negotiating function and the dispute settlement function.  I am now going to 
briefly provide some detail on  this paper. The paper is divided into four substantive sections.  Section 
1 addresses the substance challenges for Members to fully and constructively participate in WTO 
meetings. This covers issues such as forward planning, s cheduling of meetings and availability of 
documents. This section is complemented by the Annex, which provides specific ideas to improve 
working practices , including setting up web -based training systems, improvements to the e-
Registration system, better s equencing and scheduling of meetings, and more timely distribution of 
relevant documentation for meetings.  Section 2 aims to promote more substantive engagement in 
WTO meetings. This includes suggestions on the format of engagement, through the use of them atic 
or informal sessions to reduce duplication and allow for more free -flowing exchange of ideas. It also 
suggests leveraging the Secretariat 's analytical capacity to better serve the membership and makes 
considerations regarding the role of the General C ouncil and appointment of WTO officers. This 
section also touches on cooperation with intergovernmental organisations and on the way that other 
external stakeholders engage with the daily work of the WTO, as they are vital to ensure that 
WTO work is ground ed in real world issues and more evidence -based, data -driven, and inclusive. 
Importantly, the paper recognizes that any decision -making must remain Member -driven. The third 
section refers to the balance between transparency and notifications. It is imperat ive that we get 
this balance right. The paper recognises that transparency is fundamental to the proper functioning 
of the multilateral trading system, while recognising the capacity, workload and human resource 
constraints related to notification requirem ents, especially for developing countries. Recognising 
these complexities, the paper offers a list of considerations for reform that include simplification of 
notification -related work, improvement to current notification assistance tools, exploring the us e of 
analytical resources and focusing on transparency during global emergencies.  Fourth and finally, the 
paper suggests improvements to the dialogue on trade concerns. Suggestions for adjustments to 
the operational arrangement for these discussions includ e changes in agenda sequencing, facilitating 
access to information through the use of annotated agendas, digital tools, reports on issues resolved 
and factual and neutral analysis of trends.   
2.39.  The representative of the European Union  provide d an update on its communication 
"Reinforcing the Deliberative Function of the WTO to Respond to Global Trade Policy Challenges" 
(WT/GC/W/864) : 
2.40.  The European Union would like to first thank Members for engaging with us since the last 
General Council meeting on our Communication on Reinforcing the deliberative function of the WTO. 
We will, of course, continue to engage further. In our exchanges, we heard overwhelming support 
for the WTO to re -establish itself as a forum for more meaningful policy deliberation.  We have also 
received useful feedback on the three pillars of our communication. First, we are pleased to report 
a strong interest in looking deeper into the issue of state intervention in support of industrial sectors.  
The European Union believes that po licy discussions are needed (i) to enhance transparency (going 
beyond subsidies); (ii) to consider the impact of such intervention as well as the role of industrial 
policy in promoting development; (iii) to examine whether the current WTO framework is fit for 
purpose, including identifying possible gaps. We have proposed the launch of a dedicated space for 
deliberation on state intervention and initiating a clear work programme incorporating these 
elements at MC13. This process could then deliver a report w ith possible recommendations at MC14. 
In our conversations, we heard a lot of concerns about a race to the bottom, the effects on third 
countries, including developing ones, as well as an interest in considering the role of state 
intervention in support of  development and diversification, as illustrated in the African Group paper 
on policy space for industrial development. We are therefore encouraged by the interest in a deeper 
discussion on the interaction between trade and industrial policies and believe we should start WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  engaging now. We welcome your suggestion to convene a retreat in June to consider the institutional 
aspects of reform. In addition, we would like to suggest convening another retreat, which would 
allow Members to engage based in particular on the two proposals currently on the table (the EU 
and the African Group) related to the interface between trade and industrial policies. This retreat 
should take place before the General Council meeting in July.  
2.41.  Second, we are heartened by the strong su pport to reinforce deliberation on global 
environmental challenges in the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE). The aim would be to 
enhance transparency, coordination and policy dialogue and hold discussions on the design of 
measures that maximise clim ate and environmental benefits while minimising trade impacts. We are 
pleased that engagement is already increasing in the CTE. There seems to be broad support for 
thematic sessions in the Committee. Already in advance of introducing those, the European Un ion 
will be continuing with the regular updates on the European Green Deal in the formal June CTE 
Committee. We will also be organi zing side events during Environment Week on topics of particular 
interest to Members (such as CBAM and deforestation).  Third,  the trade and inclusiveness segment. 
We recogni ze that Members seek further clarifications and have expressed some concerns. But as 
the Director -General keeps recalling, this Organi zation is to serve people, and this is a pillar we just 
cannot ignore.  In practi ce, we see value in improving the understanding and analysis of distributional 
impacts of trade and how to facilitate the integration of developing countries into global value chains. 
We have noted interest for addressing the gender dimension too. We  also need to better inform our 
deliberations and find ways to better engage informally with external stakeholders and with other 
international organizations to bring in broader perspectives, while of course preserving the Member -
driven nature of this Orga nization.  Against that background, we propose to organi ze a workshop or 
seminar bringing together the WTO , World Bank, UNCTAD and ILO for sharing working papers on 
the distributional impact of open trade policies.  As part of this inclusiveness pillar, we a lso see the 
opportunity to address development across the three core functions of the WTO. I look forward to 
hearing Members ' views on these suggestions.  
2.42.  The representative of India provide d an update on its communication "CTD Mandate: Focal 
Point for Cons ideration and Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO" (WT/GC/W/865) : 
2.43.  We are encouraged by the response in the last General Council meeting. Members echoed the 
centrality of development dimension to the WTO, the need for focused work on special and 
differential treatment, correcting imbalances in the existing rules from development perspective, 
acknowledging the broad dimension of development that includes policy space for industrialization, 
reducing trade barriers, bridging digital divide, enhanced integration of developing countries in the 
global trade, capacity  building, technology transfer addressing debt burden issues and confronting 
crisis, etc. It was felt that development being such a wide and cross -cutting issue, but meeting all 
functions in the WTO, would require focused consideration and coordination and therefore CTD as 
focal point should be responsible for this. Allow me to elaborate on certain relevant points raised by 
members. First point was as to how this mandate of CTD wo uld not be perceived as an oversight 
over other WTO bodies, and how this proposal would impact the work of other bodies. Another 
observation while broadly agreeing with the proposal was that it might have been too soon after the 
retreat to suggest concrete  changes to the CTD. Members also sought more clarity on what exactly 
the proposal seeks. Let me respond to these points together.  The proposal does not seek any new 
mandate for the CTD. It is supposed to function as focal point on development, as per its original 
terms of reference  (WT/L/46 dated 23  February 1995 ). That was further reiterated by our Ministers 
during the Eighth  Ministerial Conference. The proposal seeks to operationalize this mandate. One 
likely reason that this mandate remains unfulfilled could be differing interpretations of the terms of 
reference , including reading into it issues of oversight.  The proposal essentially seeks that the 
General Council lays down as to how the CTD would formally engage with other WTO bodies, 
including the Gene ral Council in a structured way on the development dimension, keep an account 
of such work at one place, does regular reporting on this work, work on development issues to be 
further taken up by the relevant committees and reporting to GC its recommendatio ns and seeking 
direction. This would ensure that the work on development dimension is well coordinated, reported 
and not lost sight of.  
2.44.  Let me give an example. During the successful development retreat in February, Deputy 
Director -General Xiangchen Zhang was summarizing around forty specific action points as a way 
forward , in line with the directions given by Ministers on development work.  My request and plea is , 
again , that DDG Zhang's report may be circulated. This does not give any oversight to the CTD o n 
any other body, but only helps the Organization to keep the development work coordinated, WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  benefiting all , including other WTO bodies.  The other relevant issue raised was regarding the 
Monitoring Mechanism that was created as per the 2013 Ministerial Mand ate for review of special 
and differential treatment provisions, but no Member has availed itself of this opportunity. It was 
suggested that Members figure out as to why it has not worked and how this could be improved. We 
fully agree . The Monitoring Mecha nism was supposed to function for a limited period and reviewed 
thereafter. However, it never worked. It is good that the proposal has rekindled this debate on the 
Monitoring Mechanism . The General Council must separately deliberate on the Monitoring Mecha nism 
and review as to why it has failed us and  ask whether there  were any concerns with its mandate . 
We should report back to Ministers in MC13 on it, but this should not hold the General Council  from 
issuing the decision containing the guidelines for operationalizing fully the mandate of the CTD as 
focal point and I suggest that we may agree to the proposal in this meeting and direct further course 
of action.  
2.45.  The representative of Australia  introduced its communication "Maximising the Value of WTO 
Ministerial Conferences" (WT/GC/W/873) : 
2.46.  I am pleased to introduce Australia 's Communication on 'Maximising the Value of WTO 
Ministerial Conferences ' contained in WT/GC/W/873.  We have an opportunity to ma ke the next 
Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi our first genuine WTO reform conference . We are at a 
consequential moment for the global trading system, which is facing unprecedented challenges with 
climate change, the pandemic, unprecedented levels of sta te intervention in markets and a growing 
perception that trade is not inclusive.  Against that background, we need to elevate our Ministers ' 
engagement in Ministerial Conferences to focus on how the multilateral trading system can 
effectively address these global imperatives and  provide regular political guidance for negotiations 
in Geneva. This approach would encourage collaboration and help deliver on Members ' stated desire 
to de -dramatize Ministerial Conferences.  We need to avoid the high -stakes, risky Mi nisterial 
Conferences , which are too dependent on rule -making outcomes to define their success.  The idea 
that officials can rely on Ministers to close wide gaps in rule -making deals on complex issues within 
a matter of days is unrealistic and unsustainable . It is also generally not successful, with only two 
of the last twelve  Conferences producing new multilateral treaties.  As is clear from the fifth dot point 
in our paper, our approach is intended to maintain the focus of the Organization on rulemaking  
through identifying a more cooperative and productive approach to this element of the Organization 's 
work.  The ideas contained in our paper are consistent with the role of Ministerial Conferences as set 
out in the Marrakesh Agreement. We need to build on that  formal understanding in that Agreement 
and shift the culture and expectations around Ministerial Conferences to generate a more 
collaborative, productive dynamic. The ideas in our paper are not intended to be exhaustive . We 
welcome your views on these and  other potential ideas for maximi zing the effectiveness of Ministerial 
Conferences. We want to promote an active discussion on this paper, including at the upcoming 
informal WTO reform retreat, and we are open to amendments and co -sponsors.  We have a rare 
opportunity before us to ensure MC13 becomes our first genuine WTO reform ministerial . Let us 
seize this moment.  
2.47.  The representative of India introduce d the item "30 for 30 Suggestions for Improving the 
Functions in WTO" : 
2.48.  Our paper "30 for 30 " contains  suggestions for improving the functions in  the WTO 
(WT/GC/W/ 874). We hope that the Members had a chance to review this paper. We seek a collective 
and constructive way forward on our proposal for reform -by-doing. This Organization will enter the 
30th year of its existence by the end of 2023. To celebrate this occasion and to further cement the 
place of the WTO as the central pillar for global multilateral trading architecture, we believe that 
Members can collectively act between now and first of Ja nuary 2025 to bring about  at least 30 
operational efficiency improvements. This paper was ready in January 2023. However, it took some 
time to table it formally.  It is heartening to see that some of the items listed in the paper have since 
been undertaken for the efficient functioning of some Committees and Councils and are also echo ed 
in some of the papers submitted by other Members.  This paper has an indicative list of proposed 
improvements. We have also proposed indicative timeframes  for implementing the se suggestions 
that are incremental in nature, and doable within the suggested timeframe. We have had extensive 
consultations on this proposal with Members informally and have benefited immensely from the 
inputs and comments provided by other Members in pr eparing this paper. This list is not geared 
towards content reforms of the WTO but addresses pain points, which we all collectively endure in 
our day -to-day work and seeks to alleviate them. We wish to build consensus on a list that reflects 
suggestions fr om all Members related to the working of the Organization. We have proposed that WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  the Council and TNC Division of the WTO can compile Members' suggestions and group them by 
relevance. Informal discussions may be held to evolve consensus. Perhaps, we can tak e inspiration 
from the discussion format that has been already used by the Council for Trade in Goods and here, 
I must compliment the excellent work done by our colleague from France.  We are also pleased to 
offer a specific intervention on the suggestion o n building a productivity mobile app for the WTO. 
India is home to a large pool of technology talent specialists. We propose to build this app for the 
WTO, which should be ready by MC13, if Members agree that a mobile app will help us navigate the 
work of the WTO better in our day -to-day functioning. The proposed features of the app are listed 
in our paper. We will be happy to present a specific proposal and take this initiative forward with the 
WTO Secretariat.  
2.49.  The Chairperson  thanked  all delegations for t heir papers and ideas  and noted that s ome of 
these would  be taken up at the planned Informal meeting on WTO reform on the deliberative function 
and institutional matters  scheduled  in June.  
2.50.  The representative of Cameroon , on behalf of the African Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
2.51.  The African Group thanks delegations that have submitted proposals on this important process 
of WTO reform as mandated by our Ministers at MC12. The number of proposals that we consider 
today, combined with those t abled at the last General Council  are a testament to the importance 
that Members, including the African Group, attach to ensuring this Organization is agile and 
responsive to the challenges of the day.  We extend our appreciation to Members that have given us 
an ear and those that reached out to us to exchange views and ideas on the path towards the reform 
of the WTO, both in its substantive form, as well as regards matters of process and procedure to 
enhance the effectiveness of our work in the various WTO bodies.  In this regard, allow us to recall  
our substantive submission to the March General Council  meeting , titled "Policy Space for Industrial 
Development – A Case for Rebalancing Trade Rules to Promote Industrialization and to Address 
Emerging Challenges  Such as Climate Change, Concentration of Production and Digital 
Industrialization " (WT/GC/W/868 ). This contribution is premised on the vision and approach of the 
Africa n Group to WTO reform articulated in the following documents:  (i) the African Ministers  of 
Trade Declaration on WTO Issues (WT/ MIN(22)/10 ) and (ii) the joint communication "Strengthening 
the WTO to Promote Development and Inclusivity " (WT/GC/W/778/Rev.5) .  
2.52.  Our assessment of all proposals on WTO reform will thus be on the basis of whether the y are 
consistent with the vision and objectives expressed in these documents which, among others, 
encompass:  (i) promoting development and the achievement of inclusive development -oriented 
outcomes; (ii) strengthening the multilateral character of the WTO, including preservation of 
decision -making by consensus, and preserving its Member -driven character; (iii) addressing 
unilateral and protectionist actions; (iv) reaffirming the principle of S&D T, promotin g inclusive 
growth and expanding policy space we need to advance our industrialization and development 
objectives; (v) delivering on longstanding development mandates; (vi) ensuring different economic 
models have space for consideration in our engagements,  including the role of government policies 
to address market failures to achieve development objectives; (vii) restoring the dispute settlement 
function of the WTO;  (viii) reaffirming existing transparency obligations, simplifying and streamlining 
them to reduce the burden on limited capacities of developing countries; and (ix) ensuring inclusivity 
in the operations and functioning of WTO committees and negotiations processes.  
2.53.  We note the proposals tabled today address matters of process as well as procedu re relating 
to the conduct and functioning of the General Council, its subsidiary bodies as well as Ministerial 
Conferences. To the extent that the intention would be to improve efficiency, ensure inclusivity, and 
facilitate effective participation of deve loping countries in the activities of the WTO, the African Group 
will be positively inclined. The African Group stands ready to contribute to efforts that will strengthen 
the multilateral character of the WTO. In doing so , we will be mindful that in the pr ocess we do not 
dilute, but rather preserve the Member -driven nature of the WTO. In this regard, we refer, for 
instance, to proposals that suggest new models of interaction with external stakeholders, including 
changes to the rules of procedure of WTO bodi es. Inclusivity, in our view , should permeate the 
operations and functioning of WTO committees in the conduct of their work, including processes 
leading up to , and during , Ministerial Conferences. Matters such as the scheduling of meetings, 
access to timel y information and assistance to capacity -constrained delegations require our attention 
to ensure that all Members meaningfully and actively participate in shaping the rules of the game, 
and the reform we seek for the WTO.  Ensuring the balance of different views in our interactions, WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  including in the manner the Organization disseminates information in its communications with the 
public and external stakeholders, its research and publication agenda is also key in this regard.  
2.54.  On the substantive elements of WTO  reform, the African Group moves from the premise that 
government policies can play a positive role in addressing market failures to pursue development 
objectives. The submission referred to earlier , which we presented to the last General Council 
meeting  and to the CTD in April , titled ''Policy Space for Industrial Development '' (WT/GC/W/868),  
calls for a rebalancing of trade rules in some WTO agreements that hinder our ability to structurally 
transform, industriali ze and diversify our economies.  This con tribution towards the development -
dimension of WTO reform provides a practical and focused assessment of  the WTO Agreement and 
rules that require rebalancing to support the structural transformation, industriali zation and 
diversification of African economi es, in particular, and developing countries in general, including 
LDCs, and defines the policy space required towards those ends. Our submission also addresses 
industrialization from the perspective of contemporary challenges and developments such as clima te 
change and digitalization, calling for approaches to rules that will foster meaningful and qualitative 
integration of developing countries into global value chains as producers and exporters and not 
merely as consumers.  We note in this regard that the EU submission on "Reinforcing the Deliberative 
Function of the WTO to Respond to Global Trade Policy Challenges " (WT/GC/W/864) also addresses 
the role of the state in industrial policy, but from a different perspective, including the modalities 
and timeline s of engagement. For our part, we envisage immediate technical engagements towards 
unpacking the issues entailed in our paper in respective committees (i.e., the TRIPS Council, TRIMS 
Committee, the Rules Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures a nd the Working Group 
on Trade and Transfer of Technology).  
2.55.  As previously stated, we shall soon be tabling supplementary proposals to initiate technical 
discussions.  The role of the CTD as a focal point on development issues is also pertinent in this 
regar d, as we are reminded by the submission of India (WT/GC/W/865). The African Group is 
committed to ensuring that MC13 delivers a comprehensive development package, inclusive of these 
issues.  Whilst we welcome the suggestion to reinvigorate multilateral deli berations in the Committee 
on Trade and Environment CTE on trade and global environmental challenges, we do trust that these 
will also address the proliferation of trade barriers through unilateral sustainability measures. These 
should also not obscure the  work carried out in the specialized international organizations in this 
area, respect commitments and obligations under those forums and must fully integrate the principle 
of common but differentiated responsibility, and primary responsibility in the curr ent environmental 
crisis.  The African Group remains open and intends to work together with other Members to ensure  
that the WTO delivers on its mandate in line with  the Preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the WTO.  
2.56.  The representative of Djibout i, on behalf of the LDC Group , delivered the following statement:  
2.57.  The LDC Group welcomes the proposals. We are studying them in our capitals. At this point, 
we want to make some preliminary remarks.  The LDC  Group welcomes the fact that some of these 
submissions contain elements from the LDC Group 's submission on WTO reform, contained in 
JOB/GC/223/Rev.1. These elements relate to , for example , practical steps that can be taken now 
within the existing mandates  of the Secretariat and Chairs of WTO bodies , such as, for example,  
annotated agenda for all meetings in all WTO bodies, the conduct of meetings, issues of overlapping 
meetings, which continues to escalate, maintaining the hybrid mechanism with Interprefy. We thank  
those delegations that have met with the LDC Group since MC12 to work on our submission and 
align ideas in their ow n submissions.  We are inspired that other delegations have come forward in a 
similar direction.  We wish to keep our proposal on the table in the General Council for further 
discussions and are open to any delegation wishing to discuss the elements containe d in it.  In 
addition , we have discussed a couple of additional comments on WTO Reform.  LDCs will convey to 
the CTD Chair our views on the development aspect under reform.  We look forward to any proposals 
on the role of the CTD, taking into account that we also have the LDC Sub -Committee and that LDCs 
also have key proposals in other bodies under negotiation for adoption in those bodies. Furthermore, 
regarding the WTO reform work on the functioning of the WTO dispute settlement pillar, we 
understand that som e Members are meeting informally to address this matter and sending informal 
invitations.  However, LDCs are having difficulties to keep up with the meetings taking place outside 
of the DSB or General Council process.  We also note that in paragraph 4 of the  MC12 Outcome 
Document , Ministers committed to conduct discussions on this matter with a view to achieving  a 
fully functional dispute settlement system by next year.  It is therefore logical for us to  request the 
General Chair to lead this process on any re form initiative , as instructed by Ministers at MC12 in WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  paragraphs 3 and 4. The LDC Group would like to reiterate our request that the Secretariat prepare 
a matrix with all of the reform proposals still on the table, previous and new ones.   
2.58.  The representati ve of Kenya , on behalf of the ACP Group , delivered the following statement:  
2.59.  We would like to recall the ACP Group 's active role on this matter toward the decision taken 
in paragraph 3 of the MC12 Outcome Document  (WT/MIN(22)/24 ). We further note the numero us 
submissions regarding the functioning of committees and other meetings, particularly on the aspects 
that can be taken up or implemented immediately in accordance with the existing mandates of the 
Secretariat and the relevant bodies. The submissions are under review within the ACP Group and at 
our respective capitals.  Regarding the proposals that have been introduced today on this file, the 
ACP Group takes note of the presentations made by the proponents of the respective submissions 
and will take these i nto account in our review.  We suggest that the General Council agree on a 
methodology within this body to take up these proposals.  An organized and inclusive approach at 
the General Council  level is key for small developing country Member delegations to be  able to keep 
up with and participate in the work.  
2.60.  The representative of Barbados , on behalf of CARICOM , delivered the following statement:  
2.61.  The CARICOM Group recognizes the commitment of the co -sponsors in putting forward 
proposals and thanks them for the ir presentations this morning. The fact that the General Council 
has been asked to deliberate on at least six papers in a single sitting should not go unnoticed.  This 
is evidence of the high importance that Members place on WTO reform and shows our shared 
commitment to building the WTO that we all want and deserve. We thank co -sponsors that reached 
out to CARICOM to share these papers and ideas in advance.  The itemi zation of the various proposals 
in the agenda has been useful for our small, capacity -constrained Members to not only identify and 
to focus on the various elements that are being brought forward under WTO reform but  has also 
given us a greater appreciation for how various Members are, at least at this stage, defining reform.  
Using the cataloguing of items under this agenda item as a guide, the CARICOM Group requests that 
the Secretariat compile and circulate a document listing all of the proposals that have been submitted 
by Members in the name of WTO reform.   
2.62.  There are a number of useful su ggestions that have been put forward in the various proposals. 
Some are innovative, some are simple, some will require much further discussion, and some are 
already happening in other bodies.  We must , however, ensure that  effectiveness and efficiency guide  
us. We must avoid duplicating or over -complicating our work, while also seeking to ensure that all 
Members have equal opportunity to participate in the discussions on WTO reform. In planning such 
work and indeed all work of this Organization, due respect must be paid to the principles of 
consensus, transparency, inclusiveness and full participation of all WTO Members, including those 
that are small. For WTO reform to work it has to be anchored within a process that gives all Members 
a voice.  Our work here has lasting and binding legal effect , which is subject to , what we expect 
would bring us back to a two -tiered dispute settlement system that we can all agree to.  We agree 
that WTO reform cannot be done in a vacuum, we must seek to draw on experience of oth er 
international organisations.  In so doing, we must also be cognizant of the types of reforms that our 
very Members, including CARICOM, are calling for in those organisations, including on issues of 
greater developing country participation in decision -making and financing and accessing 
development assistance. Here , we draw your attention to the 'Bridgetown Initiative ' in particular and 
multilateral engagements related to financing for implementation of the SDGs.  The CARICOM Group 
wishes to reiterate the hi gh importance that we place on WTO reform.  We look forward to receiving 
the compilation of proposals requested and to further engaging with Members in this and various 
formats.  
2.63.  Briefly from the perspective of Barbados. I wanted to pick up on two issues tha t the Director -
General  raised this morning  on MSMEs and the importance of highlighting their wins and assisting 
them with their supply side constraints. I was pleased to take over the chairmanship of the Informal 
Working Group on MSMEs from Ambassador José  Luís Cancela (Uruguay) and I thank him for his 
excellent stewardship . I would wish to utili ze the Working Group on MSMES to give more of a voice 
to MSMEs from Africa economies and other developing countries and to highlight their priorities. As 
you know , the Working Group has both a structured discussion with business and an annual 
Trade4SMES network meeting with international organisations and development banks , which will 
take place on 28 June  - in the same week that we commemorate MSMES Day . I also wanted to link 
this to some of the WTO reform proposals that spoke about importance of stakeholder consultation. WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  On the Director -General's  suggestion of a Senior Officials meeting in July , Barbados supports this 
with the caveat that if it is in pers on, some LDC s and SVE  Members  may need assistance in getting 
their officials here. We agree with the United States  that the agenda and expected outcome should 
be focused and clear.  
2.64.  The representative of Antigua and Barbuda , on behalf of the OECS , delivered  the following 
statement:  
2.65.  We are aligned with the statements made by CARICOM and the ACP Groups. We are grateful 
to all the Members , which have submitted proposals on WTO reform. It is very pleasing to see that 
the work on WTO Reform is gathering some mome ntum as we respond to the mandate in 
paragraph  3 of the MC12 Outcome Document. We are still studying the various proposals and we 
are having relevant consultations with our capitals. It is difficult to do justice to these proposals in 
the format of the reg ular General Council meeting. Therefore, we once again call for a dedicated 
structure under the aegis of the General Council to provide Members with an opportunity to more 
thoroughly discuss the relevant proposals. Such a structure or process can be led by  the General 
Council Chair or a Facilitator. When proposals are ripe for a decision, they can then be brought to 
the General Council.  Furthermore, it may also be useful to maintain on the WTO Members ' restricted 
website, a central repository for all WTO reform-related documents and submissions. This would be 
particularly useful to smaller delegations with capacity constraints.  
2.66.  For now, we will reserve our substantive comments on the various proposals until a 
subsequent meeting. However, we commend the prop onents and look forward to future 
engagements. We must also admit that the US, EU and India brought some very useful clarity to 
their respective proposals, and we thank them for the additional explanations.  Specific to dispute 
settlement reform , the OECS s upports the Informal discussions and we have been engaging actively 
and constructively. However, we must caution that we cannot separate process from substance, and 
we disagree with those who hold the view that the process should not be bogged down by proc ess 
issues. It  is essential for this work to remain open, transparent and inclusive. Every attempt must 
be made to ensure that meetings of the Informal process do not clash with other important WTO 
meetings.  This is especially important to allow small dele gations to participate adequately and 
substantively in the process. If we and other Members are absent from the room, then that too 
affects the substance of the end product. We look forward to this work maturing and to the full 
restoration of the dispute s ettlement system by MC13.  
2.67.  The representative of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
2.68.  In a rapidly changing economic and geopolitical landscape, modernization is a must for the 
WTO. The fact that we have today six papers on reform demonstrates that there is momentum 
building up on the reform process.  The European Union supports practical im provements to the 
functioning of WTO bodies. We are pleased to announce that we will co -sponsor the communication 
on "Improving the Operations of WTO Bodies" already co -sponsored by 18 Members. The ideas 
included in the document come in support of the more  substantive engagement we are calling for in 
our own communication.  The European Union welcomes the fact that a number of these ideas are in 
fact already being discussed or implemented by individual Committees, where a lot of positive 
"bottom -up" work is taking place. The European Union encourages all WTO bodies to decide on 
practical improvements within their areas of competence ahead of MC13 in order to report positive 
steps to Ministers. We need to think about when these can be decided to have them agre ed ahead 
of MC13 and report this to Ministers.  We are also ready to look at how to make Ministerial 
Conferences more efficient, with the understanding that "de-dramatizing " them should not detract 
from their role of getting us to ambitious and substantial outcomes at MC13 and beyond.   
2.69.  We also welcome the calls today for stronger involvement of external stakeholders, as outlined 
in the paper on improving inclusiveness (WT/GC/W/871), an issue which we also addressed in our 
paper.  While these operational impro vements are important, we must also ensure that we devote 
the necessary focus to the work on substance, as outlined in my previous intervention.  On 
development, the European Union welcomes the comment in the Indian submission that the mandate 
of CTD "is not to replace but to complement the work of other bodies on development […] through 
coordination and consultation with these WTO bodies ". This recognition tallies with the European 
Union 's understanding of the CTD 's mandate, but also with our views on a bet ter functioning of WTO 
committees.  We look forward to further consultations with Members, and to the retreat on the 
deliberating function announced for June. We call again for it to be complemented by a further WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  retreat on the interface between trade and in dustrial policies, which should help us map out work 
on this very important topic.  I want to reiterate that the top priority for the European Union is the 
restoration of a fully functioning dispute settlement system by 2024.  To react to the Director -
Genera l's suggestion for a TNC Senior Officials meeting in July, it is a good idea, provided we give 
careful consideration to the topics and organisation of the meeting.  
2.70.  The representative of Argentina  delivered the following statement:  
2.71.  As we said during the las t General Council, Argentina welcomes different ideas and forums 
for discussions on reform, as was mandated at MC12. Argentina would like to thank the delegations 
that submitted the six documents for discussion at this meeting. We believe it is very import ant for 
us to take time to debate topics that would improve  the functioning and organization.  However, 
beyond the need to discuss organizational matters, we must acknowledge that the Organization 
receives significant criticism related to the absence of concluding  multilateral agreements – resulting 
in progress in trade rules and the promotion of  development. We understand that this deficiency is 
largely due to the  non-compliance with the negotiating mandates agreed by Members, which were 
laboriously negotia ted over years and include topics of vital importance to developing countries.  
Agriculture is an outstanding debt of the WTO,  as evidenced by the lack of substantive progress at 
the last Ministerial Conference. We must work to achieve a realistic and balanced result at the 
upcoming MC13 that can contribute to achieving agricultural reform in accordance with the mandate 
in Article 2 0 of the Agreement on Agriculture, as aspired  for more than 25 years. Reforming 
agricultural trade rules must be at the heart of the WTO's response to the food security problems 
faced by many countries, including the elimination of distorting subsidies . These do  not only result 
in unfair competition for efficient producer countries but also cause major environmental damage, 
with polluting emissions and biodiversity loss. We must also continue working to fully re -establish 
the dispute settlement system.  
2.72.  With respect to proposals to formalize the participation of relevant stakeholders, as noted in 
WT/GC/W/871, the WTO already has mechanisms to incorporate perspectives from other 
stakeholders, which are valuable contributions to Members' analysis of different i ssues. Argentina is 
ready to engage in a conversation to improve these mechanisms and ensure that all voices are heard 
and included in Members' analyses. These improvements must lead to greater inclusivity and 
transparency, based on the direction and forma t agreed by Members.  In our statement at the 
previous General Council meeting  in March, we referred to document WT/GC/W/865, submitted by 
India, and communication WT/GC/W/864, submitted by the European Union. Our comments on 
these documents remain valid.  In Argentina's view, the reform process must retain the development 
dimension as its primary focus, since we are still very far from achieving the development goals set 
many years ago. It must also ensure that the improvements to the functioning of the Orga nization 
are relevant to our citizens and meet the needs of our businesses, especially MSMEs , which are the 
driving force behind job creation in developed and developing countries alike.  We thank the co-
sponsors of document WT/GC/W/877, which contains many  suggestions on how to improve the 
everyday work of the Organization and is still under consideration by our capital.  We take this 
opportunity to mention the proposal that we presented to the Council for Trade in Goods together 
with five other Latin Americ an countries, which includes suggestions to improve the functioning of 
the CTG and its subsidiary bodies. We thank the sponsors of the document for including an explicit 
reference to our proposal.   
2.73.  We also see that this document, our proposal in the Goods Council and India's 30 for 30 
proposal  have many points in common. We also take this opportunity to thank India for this proposal.  
Discussions on improving the everyday operations of the Goods Council's subsidiary bodies have 
progressed remarkably in recen t months. This progress must be acknowledged and encouraged, and 
not delayed. Results are within reach,  and some are even already a reality, such as the 
implementation of the e -agenda in the Goods Council, which will soon be launched on a trial basis. 
Argentina, as a sponsor of document JOB/CTG/21, believes that the General Council should think 
about how to improve its own functioning and encourage the subsidiary councils to consider their 
own reforms under its stewardship. Analysing and undertaking these i mprovements should facilitate 
the work of the delegations – particularly those with limited human resources – and thus expedite 
progress on issues in what is a consensus -based  Organization.  Regarding the proposal in document 
WT/GC/W/877 on stakeholders' en gagement, we would like to point out, as we have said before, 
that we believe that the existing channels, if they can be improved and strengthened, are suitable 
for facilitating engagement. Any change that might be considered must not involve creating new 
permanent bodies within the WTO.  As regards the sequencing of trade concerns agenda items, we WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  do not think that this is the most appropriate method, since it would mean setting aside the debate 
on unresolved items, which remain on the agenda for lack of re sponse by the concerned Member 
and are the very topics that might require greater attention to avoid further delays.  We welcome 
the document from Australia  (WT/GC/W/873)  and we are ready to work on this matter.  We support 
the premise that the value of Mini sterial Conferences should be maximi zed to give our leaders the 
opportunity to exchange ideas through frank, inclusive and in -depth discussions that allow us to 
agree on solutions and achieve the concrete outcomes demanded by our societies, in view of the 
direct impact of the major challenges facing multilateralism and international trade on the citizens 
of WTO Members.  
2.74.  The representative of Samoa , on behalf  of the Pacific Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
2.75.  We align ourselves with the  statement made by the  ACP Group . We thank you , Chair, for your 
report and we welcome the submissions made by several Members to advance the work we expect 
to achieve in this area. We thank those Members that have reached out to provide information on 
their submissions, particularly the European Union and Aus tralia. We appreciate the statements 
made by all Members expounding on the submissions they have tabled at this GC meeting. The 
Pacific is reviewing these submissions and welcome the announcement of an informal retreat -like 
meeting that could be the necess ary platform for furthering our discussions on reform specific to the 
institutional and deliberative function of the Organization. We look forward to receiving further 
details on this planned retreat. The Pacific Group continues to stress the importance of  ensuring that 
WTO reform is an open, transparent and inclusive process. Considering the increase of submissions 
pertaining to reform, not only at the General Council but within various WTO bodies, we do agree 
with the OECS Group for the WTO Secretariat to  create a dedicated central repository for all WTO 
reform -related documents on the WTO website. This would assist smaller delegations like ours to 
keep up with documents being tabled on this important work. The Pacific continues to view the 
restoration of the fully functioning of the two -tiered dispute settlement system as a priority for MC13. 
We stress that any reform to be agreed on this issue should ensure that the dispute settlement 
system is accessible and affordable to all , including small Members.  
2.76.  The representative of Thailand  delivered the following statement:  
2.77.  Thank you , Director -General  and Chair, for your report s, which  I find very useful and detailed. 
We welcome the initiatives that both of you have proposed.  It is clear that having many proposa ls 
on this topic shows that WTO reform has become very important for many Members. I take note 
that the proposals come from both developing and developed Members and I find this very 
encouraging. We also see how the interests have widened beyond the disput e settlement mechanism 
issue to cover many interesting ideas on the table. At the moment, we are still consulting with the 
capital,  and we hope to provide some views at a later stage. But at this juncture, let me share few 
observations and our initial thou ghts on the proposals. Many points in the papers seem to share the 
same ideas or improvement. So, we hope that there could be emerging commonalities soon. We 
also think that not all of them have to go to MC13. The detail does not  need Ministerial approval , so 
we hope that some can be agreed upon before MC13.  The proposals  reflect some movement , which 
we call "inside out " and "outside in ". "Inside out", it means that the WTO should think about what 
to do inside the Organization in order to work better. We want to emphasize  that the issue s that we 
consider as  the most important are  the review of current practice s of WTO Secretariat, as well as 
leveraging the Secretariat research and analytical capabilities.  Related to "o utside in ", I must 
emphasize that we support  the increasing engagement of Members,  but it does not  have to be only 
with outside stakeholders. We h ave to  also engage among ourselves (Members) . We also want to 
see more engagement from international organizations, civil society, private sector, big and small, 
and from LDCs, developed and developing countries. I hope that all proposals will give priorit y to 
the development dimension,  and it will not be a burden on any budget or personnel of the WTO. We 
look forward to the retreat that will be organized  soon.  
2.78.  The representative of Singapore  delivered the following statement:  
2.79.  The spread of proposals also reflects Members ' deep interest in, and commitment to, pursue 
WTO reform seriously. Allow me to make three broad points. First, we should shift gear s and move 
from the "discovery " phase to the "distillation " phase of our discussion on WTO re form. It is  
encouraging that Members have mooted close to 60 ideas in their various proposals. These ideas 
span the entire spectrum, from those dealing with the strategic implications of industrial subsidies, WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  to procedural ones to "de-dramatize " Ministeria l Conferences, and even technical suggestions like 
enhancing the use of digital tools.  Naturally, there are different objectives and motives behind the 
different proposals. But in order to make progress on WTO reform, it is imperative for Members to 
adopt an open and unbiased approach when examining each another 's proposals, and avoid insisting 
on the superiority or primacy of their own proposals. The upcoming retreat on WTO reform will be 
an important opportunity for Members to ( i) identify ideas that have  gained broad traction; ( ii) 
synthesi ze ideas that share commonalities to avoid duplication and ( iii) distil these ideas into a single 
proposal for adoption at MC13. Given the large number of diverse ideas on the table, we can adopt 
a phased approach, give n that WTO reform will, by necessity, be a multi -year process. In the 
immediate term, there are common -sensical ideas that the Secretariat can implement right away, 
such as , annotated agendas with hyperlinks to documents.  Concurrently, we can place differe nt 
ideas into different baskets, with short, medium and long -term timeframes . In terms of modality, 
Members should remain open to flexible configurations and formats that can help to bridge 
differences and make progress, in order to "deliver " on this important issue at MC13. WTO reform 
is such an important and critical issue that we must not allow the "practice of consensus ", as set out 
in Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement, to paraly ze progress. In fact, a key focus of WTO reform 
must be to find ways to ensure that Members exercise "responsible consensus ", so that it will 
strengthen rather than weaken the WTO , which must be the collective goal of every Member.  
2.80.  The representative of Ecuador  delivered the following statement:  
2.81.  My delegation wishes to express its appreciation for the presentations made by Members that 
have taken the  floor under this item. We believe that all the contributions are constructive,  and we 
can identify common areas of interest across the various proposals and communications. This is very 
encouraging. As a contribution to the discussions under way on this t opic in the Goods Council and 
its subsidiary bodies, Ecuador is co -sponsoring document JOB/CTG/21 , together with Argentina, 
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay. The document is intended to present several suggestions 
for improving the bodies' work and p romoting an organized and structured exchange on the issue.  
My delegation therefore aligns itself with the statements that have been and will be made by the 
Members mentioned above. They will address issues including ( i) the challenges faced by delegations  
with limited staff; ( ii) the role of the General Council in these discussions; ( iii) respect for the working 
methods of each Council and subsidiary body; ( iv) the structure of the meetings calendar of the 
entire Organization; and ( v) the "reform by doing"  approach.   
2.82.  JOB/CTG/21 was formally submitted to the Goods Council and to five technical committees , 
namely,  the Agriculture, Market Access, TBT, SPS and Trade Facilitation Committees. It was also 
presented orally to the Import Licensing, Safeguards, Subsi dies and Anti -Dumping Committees. At 
numerous formal and informal meetings, the co-sponsors of the document and other Members were 
able to identify elements that concerned most, if not all, of the bodies. They thus exceeded the remit 
of any specific body. One of those elements was understanding the budgetary impact, if any, of 
expanding the use of digital tools (eAgenda and E-Registration). To move forward with this analysis, 
the General Council should request the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administra tion to 
consider the matter, which would go hand -in-hand with the work being carried out by the 
Information Technology Solutions Division in this area. If the necessary will is there, this Council 
could adopt such a decision at this very meeting. In Ecuado r's view, this action fits in with the 
bottom -up and top -down approach. In the first instance, the Goods Council and its subsidiary bodies 
have identified elements that need to be managed by the General Council and, in this second 
instance, the General Cou ncil analyses those elements and makes suggestions or recommendations 
on the matter to the bodies within its remit. Ecuador is aware that this  is a learning process,  and it 
therefore remains committed to continuing its proactive contribution to this discus sion. I would like 
to thank several Members for their interest in the proposal co -sponsored by Ecuador and  invite 
interested delegations to support it.  
2.83.  The representative of China  delivered the following statement:  
2.84.  It is really encouraging to see that the momentum of reform is gaining, and Members are 
practicing the approach of "reform by doing ", especially through two different channels.  The first 
channel is obviously the dispute settlement reform, on which I have fully clarified China's position 
and I wil l not repeat  it today.  The second channel is to improve the WTO's functions. In this regard, 
we welcome the six proposals on the table and the one on General Council and  TNC reform , which 
is circulated by the US yet not on today's agenda. We thank those proponents who introduced the 
proposals and discussed them with China in advance. In order to have our discussions in a well -WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  structured manner with a view to translating all the valua ble ideas into concrete actions, China 
supports the Chair's initiative to have an informal meeting on all the relevant issues with a clear 
objective. To facilitate the discussion, we would also suggest that the Secretariat categorize all the 
issues raised in the relevant proposals and indicate the status of each suggestion, such as "done 
already ", "could be done ", "need further discussion ", etc. For the "could  be done " now, let us  do it 
immediately. I would like to touch upon a couple of issues mentioned in  the proposals.  First, we 
believe those technical and less -controversial suggestions on improving the daily operation of WTO 
bodies, such as , for example,  annotated agenda, earlier circulation of meeting documents and 
minutes should be harvested and implem ented as soon as possible through General Council 
decisions. China welcomes the current progress in the CTG and CTS and the specific ideas in 
Members' proposals.  
2.85.  As there are many common practices among various committees, it is recommended that we 
develo p standardized best practices and apply them across the board.  We support having discussion s 
on enhancing external stakeholders' engagement. In the meantime, we recognize that any decision -
making process will remain Member -driven. While we see the importan ce of enhancing cooperation 
with other international organizations, especially to address global challenges, we should focus on  
the WTO's merit, to ensure synergy with others, rather than duplicate others' work. For external 
engagement, the WTO has its exi sting rules and guidelines. W e ask the Secretariat to prepare some 
background documents to facilitate Members' discussions.  On WTO Ministerial Conference, we could 
not agree more with Australia that we should maximize the value of MC. We support the propos ed 
ideas, such as deeper policy engagement, focusing on WTO reform, intersessional Ministerial 
gathering, de -dramatizing the MC , etc. However, when we say de -dramatize, I do not think we want 
to turn future MCs to be  a "talking shop ". On the contrary, it m eans letting Ministers make decisions 
rather than negotiate.  As development is the centre of WTO reform, we support India's proposal on 
enhancing the role of  the CTD and look forward to further detailed discussion.  Regarding the 
Director -General's  suggesti on, China is open to that, if it is necessary and helpful for the success of 
MC13.  
2.86.  The representative of Brazil  delivered the following statement:  
2.87.  Brazil shares the views expressed by the Director -General that reform is not enough for MC13. 
How agriculture  reform should contribute to food security, particularly on domestic support, must 
be an indispensable part of that package.  With regard to the different proposals tabled under this 
item, Brazil thanks all the proponents for their communications, which are  all under consideration in 
capital. Without prejudice to our position on these issues, I would like to make some brief reactions.  
Brazil welcomes the initiative of Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom in putting together so 
many ideas to improve the operation of WTO bodies and will engage further with proponents and 
other Members to address this important issue.  Brazil has the pleasure of being a co -sponsor of the 
JOB/CTG/21 proposal, together with Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay an d Uruguay. We 
identify areas for improvement in the functioning of the General Council itself, including its calendar 
of meetings.  That is , to have a global calendar of meetings for the entire Organization. The 
proponents of JOB/CTG/21 understand that a ch ange in the dates of the General  Council meetings 
affects the sequence of all other meetings of the subsidiary bodies.  In this respect, the co -sponsors 
believe that a global calendar of meetings is an incremental proposal, but one with an important 
effect that will help us all enhance our activities within the WTO.   
2.88.  Similarly, Brazil thanks India for putting forward several suggestions to improve the 
functioning of the WTO, which will be duly analysed  in light of the MC12 mandate. As a first reaction, 
Brazil suggests that issues already under discussion on dispute settlement reform or at the CBFA 
should remain in the relevant body until they are ripe for stronger political push.  Regarding the 
European Unio n's communication on the deliberative function of the  WTO, Brazil refers to its previous 
statement under this agenda item and reaffirms that the common goal of reinforcing the WTO 's 
capacity to respond to global trade challenges must comprise a broader set of pressing issues.  It is 
important, however, not to  confuse essential matters of the reform process with substantive issues. 
Reform of the deliberative function aimed at fostering debate in committees and facilitating 
participation by all Members should not be confused with substantive issues for deliberat ion. In this 
regard, we recall that we already have a forum to deal with environmental and trade issues, the 
CTE, where some of the ideas espoused by the EU on its paper are already open for discussion. On 
state intervention, Brazil is happy to have a hori zontal discussion on subsidies, which includes 
agriculture.  We also thank the delegation of India for sharing perspectives on ways to fully 
operationalize the mandate of the CTD. Brazil remains committed to work on all fronts to WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  institutionalize and reinfo rce the development agenda on the WTO.  Brazil welcomes the proposal 
presented by Australia on new approaches to Ministerial Conferences. We are of the view that, if our 
Ministers have the chance to deliberate on global challenges that intersect with trade policy at the 
WTO, the level of mutual understanding and the sense of common purpose will improve, 
strengthening the multilateral trading system in the long run.  Since one of the main goals of the 
Australian proposal is to strengthen the WTO as a forum for  deliberation on global challenges, with 
which we agree, Brazil reiterates its proposal to hold yearly Ministerial Conferences to better enable 
the membership to address pressing trade -related issues and long-term structural challenges.  
Considering the inc reasing number of communications and proposals being presented at the General 
Council, Brazil very much welcomes the initiative of the Chair to hold an informal meeting to discuss 
WTO reform on the deliberative function.  
2.89.  The representative of Norway  delive red the following statement:  
2.90.   We welcome the idea of having a retreat under the General Council  on reform and the idea 
to concentrate on the deliberative pillar. Why not start with the General Council itself, where we are 
now, the TNC and the Ministerials.  We have seen a number of excellent contributions today and in 
the weeks before. That is very helpful, including one, where Norway is a co -sponsor, but I think that 
this time , the retreat might be a little different than the ones we have had before because  of all the 
proposals . It is possible to have a much more concrete and structured meeting . We should look for 
convergence or perhaps even draft decisions for the next General Council meetings  and before MC13.  
At the last TNC  meeting,  we presented some idea s of our own on how to reform the Ministerial 
Conference. I will not repeat it here since it is available but I would like to strongly support the 
Australian paper, which has exactly the same spirit that talks  about shifting culture. We support 
that. On external engagement, the US presented paper, Norway has been supportive of this for a 
long time. It is refreshing to meet international organisations, business es and others. We see two 
reasons for this. First , it makes the WTO relevant and second, it gives  the WTO and the committees 
valuable input and perspective. Good examples of this, concrete examples where this has worked is 
e-comm erce, trade facilitation or also environment and climate.  On India's " 30 for 30" paper, we 
welcome it, both the list and not  least the format. There  is overlap here with other proposals and it 
is good input for the retreat to come.  We support the EU's call for an additional retreat on industrial 
policy and Singapore's notion that we should exercise responsible consensus. We cer tainly support 
that as well.  We join others in condemning the Russian aggression in Ukrainian , a flagrant violation 
of international law. Norway will continue to condemn this and stand by Ukraine for as long as it 
takes . 
2.91.  The representative of the Republic of Korea  delivered the following statement:  
2.92.   Korea welcomes various activities on WTO reform and relevant proposals submitted to the  
General Council. My intervention will focus on  the new proposals and our written views will be 
submitted after this meeting . The proposal s for "Improving Inclusiveness by Reviewing and 
Evaluating External Engagement " and "Improving the Operations of WTO Bodies  to Revitalize the 
WTO's Monitoring and Deliberative Functions ", of which Korea is a co -sponsor , provide good 
suggestions to improve the operations of WTO bodies. These two proposals focus on, among others, 
enhancing engagement with various stakeholders, such as the private sector , civil society  and NGOs, 
including other international organizations . This is in line with what we view as key to reform – that 
is, to make  the WTO a more relevant organization . Relevant voices must be heard as the first step.  
This is also reflected in the EU proposal, which includes suggestion for "Inclusiveness of Trade P olicy-
Making Process ". The new input from external engagement could also help us to resolve a long 
stalemate in this house. As for Australia 's proposal, this paper is useful in sharing similar views and 
it demands our immediate attention considering the ne xt Ministerial Conference  is less than 10 
months away. Korea is ready to work together with Members to explore specific ways to realize five 
new approaches introduced in the paper, including 'focusing on WTO Reform, and improving 
deliberation and rulemakin g.'  
2.93.  On India 's proposal, dubbed as "30 for 30", more time  is required  for a thorough review . We 
welcome the proposal as it is presented in a very action -friendly format. My delegation is also 
sympathetic with the ambition to reach 30 agreements as our ref orm agenda and many of the 
suggestions already seem to be in a comfortable zone. However, we would like to comment on just 
a few examples of the elements that require further discussion. On the theme of WTO external 
communication, there are some suggestion s that seem to 'straitjacket' the Secretariat or 
micromanage its work. It might not be appropriate  to limit the boundaries of its work more than WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  necessary or  dampen its morale. While requesting that the Secretariat keep a firm neutrality, we 
would like to ask it to work proactively as well. Also, on the theme of WTO rules and procedures, we 
are concerned with the 'one step backwards to take two steps forward' -approach , as we should take 
a practical approach towards emerging and relevant issues. If this had been in place, we could not 
have achieved what we achieved in MC12, such new issues at that time as  the TRIPS waiver on 
COVID -19 vaccine or food security issues. In addition to the papers that  we have discussed today, 
we recognize  that many relevant propos als are under discussion in the CTG and other bodies . 
Therefore, as next step to today 's umbrella discussion, I hope all Members continue further 
discussion s in various subsidiary bodies and in the proposed retreat by the Chair with a view to 
reaching more action -oriented outcome s before MC13.   
2.94.  On the proposal on "Reinforcing the Deliberative Function ", as we previously mentioned, we 
strongly support the idea to revitalize the deliberative function and speed up our deliberation on 
important sub jects such as climate change -related policies, state intervention and border adjustment 
regulation. In this vein, it would be helpful to learn more about, or work together to identify the 
scope and timeframe of each subject, along with what we wish to achi eve through the deliberations. 
On a cautionary note, we observe that unilateral measures are increasing at an alarming rate, but 
our discussions are too slow and late. To reduce this gap, we need to start our discussions on the 
subjects of this proposal.  On the CTD mandate , our deliberations should, wherever possible, be 
forward -looking endeavours that avoid revisiting or rebalancing existing provisions. The discussions 
will benefit from identifying the relationship and priorities among the various proposal s on the table. 
At the same time, because development is an overarching issue, deliberations will benefit from 
information -sharing and better coordination among the various expert committees.  
2.95.  The representative of Peru delivered the following statement:  
2.96.  On the proposed  Senior Officials' meeting in the coming months , we agree, provided that it 
is based on an appropriately focused agenda that would allow substantive progress.  We thank the 
delegations of the United States, the European Union, India and Austral ia for their written 
contributions.  Peru believes that the proposals contribute to the discussions on a substantial reform 
of the Organization and that their input is valuable and mutually reinforcing.  We would like to 
emphasize that Peru is one of the co -sponsors of  the document WT/GC/W/871/Rev.2, submitted by 
the United States, since it proposes to initiate an informal dialogue as a first step to solicit the 
interests and perspectives of other Members on multi -stakeholder engagement and to identify 
overla pping interests in search for common ground in order to strengthen our Organization's 
relevance.  We also stress that Peru endorses the proposal submitted by the United Kingdom. It is 
comprehensive , well -structured and  helps identify issues that require att ention from Members and 
provides a starting point for incorporating specific suggestions set out in other documents.   
2.97.  Concerning the statements made by the United Kingdom and Costa Rica, I would like to 
mention that these proposals are without prejudice to  Peru's position regarding the need for 
additional budget or more staff.  We also wish to emphasize that the reference in the paper to a 
possible "WTO advisory council", which would include external actors, is merely an example of what 
could be explored. Th e key for us is to hold collective discussions to find better "alternative 
mechanisms for dialogue", which is the core concept for Peru, in order to engage with external 
actors.  With regard to the proposal presented by India, for which we are also especial ly grateful, I 
draw attention to the suggestions contained in item s 4 to 9, 11, 18, 19 and 23, given that they cover 
important aspects of the regular functioning of the WTO, the handling of information and the 
optimization of the use of digital tools. I al so note that India's paper includes an expected timeframe 
for implementing the proposed recommendations.  We are keen to learn more about India's proposal 
to develop a mobile app to facilitate our work and, in particular, provide access to information in 
real time during the Ministerial Conferences.  Peru wishes to underscore that it would be important 
for the Secretariat to enlighten us as to the viability of the concrete proposals and the timeframes 
that would be required, so that all Members have a common understanding of the scope of these 
initiatives.  
2.98.  The representative of Japan  delivered the following statement:  
2.99.  In order for the WTO to remain relevant, it needs to appropriately respond to the current 
global economic situation and, at times, look ahead to  lead discussions. It is essential especially for 
the deliberative and rule -making functions that the discussions at the WTO live up to the needs of 
the times. In this regard, the selection of topics to be discussed is important and the three areas WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  raised by the EU proposal accurately capture the issues faced in the current global economic 
situation. We believe it meaningful to advance our discussions on these topics toward MC13 as well 
as MC14, and Japan places particular emphasis on the issue of trade and  state intervention. Moving 
onto the CTD, the EU and India have submitted proposals. On development, we believe that 
evidence -based discussions are vital. In this context, while the revitalization of the CTD is important, 
specific discussions in other rele vant committees should also be enhanced. The CTD is important as 
the principal forum to discuss development. However, we need to make it clear that the CTD is a 
committee that falls under the General Council like any other committee at the WTO, and the 
revitalization of the CTD is possible without a decision by the General Council.  
2.100.   With these points in mind, we are ready to engage in further discussions on the function of 
the focal point proposed by India.  We believe it important that discussions at the WTO take into 
account views from outside of the Organization, and the communication from Colombia, Israel, the 
Philippines, Chinese Taipei and the United States draws attention to this . That said, the WTO sho uld 
scope and define the issues to be discussed and external stakeholder engagement is sought for the 
purpose of deepening our discussions. In order to promote discussions within the WTO, the 
revitalization and improved efficiency of each council and commi ttee is essential. The communication 
'Improving the Operation of WTO Bodies to Revitalise the WTO's Monitoring and Deliberative 
Function ' of which Japan  is a co-proponent , will serve as a compilation of ideas to reinforce the 
functioning of WTO bodies. We look forward to working with other Members to accomplish 
improvements of the functioning of each body with the aim of reporting them to our Ministers at 
MC13 as outcomes of deliberative function reform.  As the highest decision -making body, the 
Ministerial Conference is critically important for the functioning of the WTO.  We echo Australia 's 
point that we need to maximize the value of Ministerial Conferences . That said, it is important to 
remind ourselves that Ministerial Conferences  are the opportunities wh ere Ministers come together 
and make political decisions. Officials have to work  hard to thoroughly prepare for such moments 
and from this perspective, we need to improve the functions of WTO bodies, discuss the themes 
corresponding to today 's needs and wo rk together in Geneva. I suggest that holding senior official 
meetings at the appropriate timing, including immediately before Ministerial Conferences , would be 
a practical way to reduce pressure on Ministerial Conferences . 
2.101.   The representative of Paraguay  delivered the following statement:  
2.102.   My delegation thanks the proponents for presenting these documents. We have taken note 
of the proposed actions, and we can clearly see a high level of interest in improving and maximizing 
the functioning of the WTO in the context of reform and, at the same  time, an emerging consensus 
on some issues, as evidenced by the fact that they have been addressed in multiple  proposals.  
Paraguay reaffirms its commitment to the reform process and calls for further work based on  the 
proposals that have been  presented, b y advancing the "reform by doing" approach. We are grateful 
for the acknowledgement of the work that we have been undertaking  in the Goods Council and its 
subsidiary bodies alongside Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay , as co -sponsors of 
docum ent JOB/CTG/21, which was referenced in document WT/GC/W/877. This paper, like those 
presented to the General Council, are intended to facilitate the work of delegations, thus accelerating 
progress on issues in our consensus -based Organization. We call on Members to seek convergence  
and consensus  and take pragmatic action as soon as possible.  
2.103.   We all agree that we want a strengthened WTO that is adapted to current challenges and 
that will become a tool for sustainable economic development. We also agree that this Council, as 
the highest authority, should facilitate this process between Ministerial Conferences without 
hindering those improvements that do not require this level of decision -making.  One of the priorities 
of Paraguay's newly elected government will be economic recovery, and the multilateral trading 
system – the WTO – plays a fundamental role within that framework. Paraguay will continue to 
support the rules -based, transparent, open and inclusive system. In the future, we would like to see  
a balance that reflects the interests of developing country Members,  particularly those of the Latin 
American region. We support the proposal  to have a Senior Officials'  meeting before the summer 
break , as long as we have a specific agenda. We will contin ue to work towards  the full restoration 
of the dispute settlement system . You can count on my delegation to continue working constructively 
on WTO reform from the perspective of a landlocked developing country  Member . We are ready to 
seek joint solutions f or the sustainable socio -economic development of our peoples.  
2.104.   The representative of Indonesia  delivered the following statement:  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.105.   Our view on WTO reform has been clear.  Indonesia 's main priority is to resolve the current 
impasse of the Appellate Body , as we ll as restore a fully functional and accessible dispute settlement 
system by 2024. While welcoming the ongoing discussions, we need to ensure that the process 
remains inclusive and thus should also take into account capacity constraint of some Members  and 
that caters to the needs and interests of developing and LDCs  Members , which  constitute three 
quarter s of the WTO membership. This includes addressing and correcting continuing imbalances 
and asymmetries by putting development at the heart of all WTO works . We also need to implement 
effective and operational special and differential treatment and provide appropriate policy space to 
address the ongoing global challenges and crises.  The WTO should continue to be guided by the 
principles of the multilateral tr ading system, namely , rules-based, non -discriminatory, open, fair, 
inclusive, equitable and transparent, as well as consensus -based decision -making.  With regard to 
Members'  submissions, Indonesia takes notes and appreciate s Members'  efforts in contributing  to 
the reform dialogue. Since we do not have enough time, I will try to provide our brief preliminary 
assessment on the papers .  
2.106.   On the engagement with relevant stakeholders to support and contribute to the WTO works, 
while we agree in principle, this spi rit of soliciting perspective and advice through external 
stakeholders can also be extended in WTO formal and informal meeting s, for example , inviting  the 
WHO for discussion relating to  the response to serious health threat s affecting trade. While we value  
deliberation of trade issues and policies, we should be cognizant not to turn into a "talk shop " and 
rather focus on  strengthening our core values in rulemaking and negotiations . Such activities at the  
Ministerial level could be done on an ad-hoc basis, rather than becoming a fixture in the Ministerial 
Conference . We should not be satisfied with merely having a "talk shop " meeting where WTO will 
further lose its role and credibility from its three main function s, which are negotiating rules, 
monitoring and settling disputes . As many have repeatedly mention ed, we should remain ambitious 
and continue to strengthen  the WTO, rather than  weaken it.  The "30 for 30" proposal seems to be 
in line with the spirit of "reform by doing ". A lot of the ideas are feasible to be conducted within two 
years ' time while others may need further discussion. Tackling the easiest tasks and mov ing on to 
the hardest reform can be one way. Small steps are better than only debating without taking any 
concrete action. This proposal can also be read together with the  proposal contained in  
WT/GC/W/877 . Indonesia is open to further discuss Members'  submissions. Focused discussion s 
would be needed to explore how these proposals could be w orkable and integrated in to the WTO 
work and mechanism s. 
2.107.   The representative of Brunei Darussalam  delivered the following statement:  
2.108.   I join others in thanking you for your progress report on the WTO Reform work and the way 
forward. We also thank the propone nts who have submitted a number of proposals that are practical, 
creative and rich, in moving forward the WTO reform agenda. We appreciate the introduction made 
by the United Kingdom and Costa Rica in document WT/GC/W/877, which Brunei Darussalam is 
please d to co -sponsor.  We can see that there are a number of converging elements presented in the 
various proposals with the broad themes of improving the deliberative function and operation of 
WTO bodies and Ministerial Conferences, as well as inclusiveness of WTO engagement. As a small 
delegation that faces capacity constraint s, we believe some procedural improvements can already 
be achieved as outlined in the paper. We also concur with the recommendations for circulating 
annotated agenda and i nstituting time management to make meeting preparations more predictable, 
focused and efficient , and at the same time , maintain interactivity. On the format of the GC agenda, 
we welcome the current structure , according to topics. In moving forward, we welc ome your proposal 
to hold an Informal Meeting on WTO reform focused on the deliberative function and institutional 
matters to further consider these proposals in depth and to find convergence , and ultimately , come 
up with concrete recommendations for MC13.  To further facilitate the discussions at the Informal 
meeting, we would like to suggest that the Secretariat could compile the proposals into one list and 
categori ze them according to common themes or topics. This has also been alluded to previously by 
Barbados on behalf of the CARICOM . 
2.109.   The representative of South Africa  delivered the following statement:  
2.110.    We thank you , Chair, for your report and for your suggestion on convening the Informal 
meeting focused on institutional reform. We also thank the Member s that have put forward 
submissions and we will submit a longer statement on each. We associate ourselves with the 
statement by the Africa n Group. Our views on WTO reform are entailed in the WTO reform paper 
"Strengthening the WTO to Promote Development an d Inclusivity " (WT/GC/W/778/Rev.5). We share WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  the views that our engagements should aim to achieve the goals of the Marrakesh Agreement and 
that WTO reform should promote development and inclusivity and uphold the principles underpinning 
the WTO. We move fr om the premise that the WTO is a Member -driven institution and as a priority 
we need to improve inclusivity from within. Inclusivity would require, at a minimum, preserving 
consensus decision making in the WTO. We welcome practical suggestions to improve t he functioning 
of the WTO, ensure a Member -driven process and enhance accountability, including by India in "30 
for 30 " suggestions. We look forward to further engagements with Members. Importantly, in the 
organisation of work of the various institutions, we need to take note of the resource constraints of 
small delegations and the need to rationali ze meetings to avoid overlaps. The meetings should 
always be open, inclusive and transparent and take seriously the resource constraints of developing 
countr y Members . On Ministerial Conferences, our view is that the processes preceding them in 
Geneva should be open to all Members, especially in relation to decision -making processes. We do 
share the need to seriously consider, how best to utilize the Ministerial C onferences in a constructive 
way and the need to avoid using the Ministerial Conferences for horse -trading often on issues that 
are not ripe for an outcome.  
2.111.   We also believe that there is a need to engage on the substance of WTO reform beyond 
aspects relat ed to improving the functioning of WTO institutions. In this regard, we believe that the 
Africa n Group paper submitted in the March General Council meeting  on policy space for 
industrialisation in WT/GC/ W/868 provides a good basis for engaging. The rationa l for the submission 
is to recognize the importance of a multilateral framework to address the challenges that Members 
are facing and avoid the resort to unilateralism. The proposal aims to strengthen the multilateral 
trading system  by ensuring that rules are recalibrated as necessary to provide the policy space 
Members need to achieve legitimate goals. It identifies policy tools that Members have used in their 
process of industriali zation or are currently finding useful that should be availed to developing 
countries to achieve their industriali zation and structural transformation objectives. It has also been 
submitted to the CTD , which we all agree is the focal point for development as per India's  
communication in WT/GC/W/865. We therefore thank t he European Union  for its paper on the 
deliberative function, we see overlaps with the Africa n Group paper albeit  approached from different 
perspectives. We welcome the EU 's suggestion that another retreat , dedicated to trade and industrial 
policy in June , be organi zed to complement the retreat on institutional matters. Importantly, we 
must work with speed to define concrete outcomes on reform for MC13 . The litmus test will be the 
ability to deliver on the development aspects, as well as the reform of the dispute settlement system . 
We support the suggestion by Barbados  on the need for a compilation of all WTO reform proposals.  
2.112.   On "Improving Inclusiveness by Reviewing and Evaluating External Engagement" 
(WT/GC/W/871), w e must acknowledge as a starting point that the WTO, and indeed the WTO 
Secretariat , is by deliberate design distinct in its character to other international organizations, 
including those that would seemingly be tasked with matters that overlap with trade. At its core, the 
WTO mandate and scop e is confined to the negotiation of binding rules/contracts between sovereign 
states, monitoring their implementation, and resolving of disputes as they arise in the 
implementation of these rules. It is on this note that we affirm the principle underlined in the 
statement delivered by the Africa n Group, that the Member -driven character of the WTO must not 
be diluted. It must go without saying that the positions of the sovereign States would be informed 
by the views and mandates of a multiplicity of national  stakeholders. Granted, different Members 
would have different models of engagement with stakeholders, efforts would rather be invested in 
sharing experiences between each other on the most effective ways of coordinating such national 
policy formulation pr ocesses. Currently, various committees do engage with external stakeholders 
under various formats, including formally as observers. The organi zation and structure of the Public 
Forum should rather be improved in order to enhance equitable participation and  balance in its 
activities. Broadening voices of civil society representatives in the forum to ensure a diversity of 
views and exploring virtual participation to enhance inclusiveness of these engagements should be 
our focus. The voices of stakeholders fro m developing countries in particular tend to be restrained 
due to financial reasons, including geographical proximity to Public Forum events.  
2.113.   On "Improving the Operation of WTO Bodies to Revitalise the WTO's Monitoring and 
Deliberative Function" (WT/GC/W/8 77), w e note that this submission contains a number of issues 
and elements that are covered in the submission titled "Strengthening the WTO to Promote 
Development and Inclusivity " (WT/GC/W/778/Rev.5) , which South Africa is a co -sponsor of as part 
of the Af rican Group. South Africa welcome efforts towards improving efficiency of the work of WTO 
committees and are particularly supportive of initiatives that would ensure the effective participation 
of developing countr y Members . We would be open to engagement on a number of proposals WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  contained in proposal WT/GC/W/877, such as the rationali zation of meetings, timely sharing of 
information, including ensuring it is user -friendly in its packaging. The ideas captured in the Annex 
speaking to the planning and prepar ation of meetings, as well as support and follow -up work 
stemming for meetings is indeed welcome. These practical steps would indeed improve the 
effectiveness and productivity of meetings and officials. A discussion on simplification and 
streamlining of tr ansparency obligations is one that we would also be willing to engage on, especially 
where it would relieve the burden on constrained capacities of developing country Members . We 
note that most of the ideas proposed effectively call for enhancing and impro ving on what already 
exists or is practice. While not against thematic sessions as a means of complimenting regular 
committee work in an informal setting, we would be cautious that these do not become the norm, 
as their proliferation at the expense of regu lar committee engagements might present capacity 
challenges for some Members. Lest they become exclusive venues for delegations with the 
manpower and resources, where discussions and understanding are built by a minority of Members 
around issues with far a nd wide -reaching impact on rest of membership.  
2.114.   On the role of intergovernmental organisations, our view is that consideration should be 
given to improving on existing models before engaging in wholesale changes. As is our view with 
proposals that call for direct access and participation of external stakeholder at a multilateral level 
in discussion at the WTO, our view is this is unnecessary given there exists mechanisms and 
platforms such as the Public Forum, through observer status, and through other f ormats such as 
informal thematic sessions. For reasons articulated with regards the proposals  contained  in 
WT/GC/W/871 , we are not in favour of the concept of an advisory council. The engagements between 
Members in the WTO are informed by actors in our res pective sovereigns through diverse national 
processes of engagements through , which national positions are synthesi zed. We reiterate in this 
regard that the Member -driven character of the WTO should be preserved. On the proposal 
"Committee on Trade and Dev elopment Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration and Coordination of 
Work on Development in the WTO" (WT/GC/W/865) and on  the role of the CTD, we support that the 
CTD takes forward the discussions on cross -cutting issues from the retreat. This should be 
complemented by safe spaces that can facilitate honest and solution -oriented discussions, including 
in other relevant bodies of the WTO. We also thank India for its submission in highlighting the role 
of the CTD as a focal point for consideration and coordina tion of work on development. We agree 
with India that since development is a cross -cutting issue, the CTD complements the work in other 
WTO bodies on development issues and does not replace them. It is also vital to develop measures 
to assist developing co untries, including LDCs to facilitate meaningful integration into the multilateral 
trading system . The measures should include recalibration of the rules to provide policy space for 
industrial development and diversification and to facilitate effective res ponses to global challenges.  
2.115.   On the EU 's paper on the deliberative function, we thank the EU for its submission as entailed 
in WT/GC/W/864. We note that there are elements contained in the EU submission that do seem to 
overlap with the submission by the A frican Group, which this meeting will consider under item 9, 
albeit the issues are addressed and approached from different perspectives. Among these are 
broadly, the interaction between trade policy and industrial policy (what the EU terms "state 
intervent ion"), the reinvigoration of the role of the CTD as focal point on development and the 
centrality of development in WTO reform. We would also appreciate a further discussion with the EU 
to understand the scope of support measures for industrial sectors and  state intervention envisaged 
to be part of the discussion given that state intervention encompasses a wide variety of issues that 
depend on differences in Members specific circumstances and challenges. It is important to also 
recognize the long -standing a symmetries in relation to agriculture subsidies that are urgent in the 
context of food security and are key to development. A multilateral discussion on environment is 
welcomed and we agree that the CTE should be the platform to have such discussions. Howe ver, we 
also recognize the complexity of the issues and some fall outside the scope of the WTO and the 
necessary caution will need to be exercised in this regard. We would also like to understand what is 
envisaged in the discussion on technical methodologi es and the implications for work done by other 
IOs in this regard. Our interests in the discussion on the nexus between trade and environment is 
to ensure that measures implemented by Members in the context of climate change are not trade 
restrictive, arbi trary, are not used as nor protectionist measures and also adhere to the CBDR 
principle. On inclusiveness, our suggestion is to consider UNCTAD as an institution that can work 
with the WTO on analysis of the impact of trade on development given its develop ment mandate 
and its analytical capability on such matters contained in the paper. We would also appreciate further 
clarity on the "standing WTO consultative committee " in the context of a Member -driven nature of 
the WTO. We also note the advisory councils  proposed by the Director -General  and there will be a 
need to understand the roles of these various bodies that are proposed. We look forward to receiving WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  the note from the Director -General . As we approach discussions on these complex issues it would 
be pr udent to remind ourselves that Member s are not homogenous, and that a one -size fits all 
approach may not provide the right pathway to take us forward. In conclusion, we will provide more 
substantive feedback to the proposal by the EU once our capital has f ully studied the communication. 
We do look forward in the interim to have further discussions with the EU to further understand their 
proposal.  
2.116.   The Indian delegation has proposed "30 for 30"  (WT/GC/W/874) , an initiative to introduce 
34 operational improve ments to the WTO by 1 January 2025, before the 30th anniversary of the 
signing of the Marrakesh Agreement. The focus of the initiative is on bringing incremental changes 
to improve the operational efficiency of the various WTO bodies. The suggested changes  include a 
yearly meeting calendar, standard annotated agenda formats, minutes of WTO Committee meetings 
within two to four weeks of completion, two overview sessions on WTO Digital Tools annually, a 
standardized set of information on the WTO website, a Sp ecific Trade Concern dashboard and a 
productivity application (app). The Indian delegation has also suggested developing a system that 
helps users search for Members' positions in a particular Council/Committee based on year and 
agenda items. In addition t o these suggestions, the Indian delegation has proposed that the Council 
and TNC Division of the Secretariat compile and communicate a list of changes implemented on a 
periodic basis to Members and external stakeholders. The Indian delegation emphasizes th at these 
changes are incremental, and they should not interfere with ongoing deliberations on the larger WTO 
reform agenda. The broader WTO reform is an area that my delegation has greatly emphasized. It 
is critical to ensure that developing countries, and  in particular, in Africa are more effectively 
integrated into the global trading system. Improved operational efficiency of the WTO through 
incremental changes such as those proposed by India would contribute to broader reform. South 
Africa supports initi atives seeking to improve the effectiveness of the WTO. My delegation will work 
constructively with the Indian delegation and the broader Membership to this end.  
2.117.   Australia's  communication "Maximising the Value of WTO Ministerial Conferences" 
(WT/GC/W/873)  rightly emphasi zes that WTO Ministerial Conferences should focus on WTO reform. 
In our view, reform must be development oriented. It must be centred on ensuring that the WTO is 
better placed to deliver on the objectives as set out in the preamble of the M arrakesh Agreement.  
The Africa n Group together with Cuba, India and Pakistan have set out a vision for a development -
oriented  WTO reform in the communication WT/GC/W/778/Rev.5. It is critical that Ministerial 
Conferences focus on delivering on existing mandates. That would go a long way to addressing the 
prevailing trust deficit and boost the credibility of the WTO.  
2.118.   The represe ntative of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
2.119.   The United States is pleased to see the energy and enthusiasm that Members are bringing 
to the various reform conversations going on, demonstrated by the many proposals and ideas being 
floated . We thank the GC Chair for her efforts to encourage this enthusiasm and to the outgoing 
CTG Chair, for his considerable efforts to mobilize work across the bodies that fall under his Council. 
We are excited to see the meaningful improvements in working pr ocedures already agreed at the 
CTG level. We welcome the new ideas that are being brought forward today. There is considerable 
overlap in ideas, which is great.  We want to say at the outset that we stand ready to work with any 
of the proponents. As firm be lievers in reform by doing, we are ready to move forward quickly with 
the ideas that make sense and seem to have general backing.  For those ideas raised that could 
benefit from additional technical discussions, we would support a process that allows for th ose 
discussions to progress at a pace faster than the regular General Council calendar might allow.  We 
view WTO reform as an ever -greening process, we should be establishing good habits of continually 
reflecting on what we do and looking for ways to contin ually improve.  We would like to promote an 
experimental or 'try it and see ' culture - part of reform has to be learning to be more flexible and 
more adaptive in real time.  
2.120.   For most of the procedural suggestions, there is no reason why we cannot try it and  then 
evaluate the benefits based on actual experience.  We would be comfortable with some general 
instructions to Chairs and Secretariat staff to use their discretion to try these out and test what 
works.  Members can step in when something does not work, b ut we do not need to micro -manage 
at the beginning.  We run the risk, if we overly formalize this process, of having a set of hard decisions 
that we are stuck with that might turn out not to work. We a lso want to add that while we are 
focused on procedural aspects, we are interested in substantive improvements as well, but believe 
we can move forward on some of these procedural reforms quickly.   WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.121.   The representative of New Zealand  delivered the following statement:  
2.122.   We appreciate this wide -ranging and detailed discussion on WTO reform. There is a wealth 
of ideas to discuss, many of which overlap. New Zealand is a co -sponsor of two of the papers 
presented today, WT/GC/W/871 and WT/GC/W/877. We see many other sensible ideas in other 
papers under discussion. I part icularly want to thank, and support, Australia 's efforts to drive 
discussion on how we maximi ze the value of WTO Ministerial Conferences. Ministers are amongst 
our most important stakeholders,  and we consider that we need to be very deliberate about 
identi fying and clarifying the specific requests we will make of them at MC13, and how we expect 
Ministers to engage on those ideas, well in advance of the MC13 "crunch ". There are many 
commonalities between the papers for discussion today. If we focus specifica lly on the deliberative 
function and institutional matters .  
2.123.   One common issue raised today is the functioning of the General Council and TNC. We 
appreciate the steps already taken to improve the efficiency of this body, which should spur us to 
keep working  on the ideas in play for improving our substantive engagement.  A second common 
theme is Ministerial engagement. As I have already mentioned, we would welcome a discussion on 
how we expect Ministers to engage at their next Conference. Third, is the issue o f our stakeholders. 
We welcome the Director -General's  efforts to enhance the Secretariat 's connection with business 
and civil society.  We think it is time for the membership to do likewise and pursue a closer connection 
with business stakeholders, including in Geneva and as a collective. A fourth common issue is the 
operation of WTO subsidiary bodies. We invite all bodies to examine these General Council 
discussions to inform their existing work. A final common issue is on the substanc e of our work 
under the deliberative function. There is overlap between the EU and the African Group papers with 
respect to industrial policy, particularly associated subsidies, pointing to a concentration of interest 
in this subject.  As you  will be aware,  many delegations, including New Zealand, have long -standing 
interests in subsid y policies  which remain outstanding – in agriculture, fisheries and fossil fuel 
consumption and production.  We assume that having a dicussion on industrial policy will energize  
and inform conversations on the subsidization of other sectors.   
2.124.   The many papers and ideas before us today clearly demonstrate  there will be a strong 
interest in the General Council Chair 's forthcoming informal discussion on reforming the WTO 's 
deliberative function. We look forward to participating in that and hope that these five common 
themes could provide us a structure and format to take the work forward. Also, we thank y ou, 
Director -General, for your suggestion of a senior officials TNC mee ting in late July.  We support this 
idea. We join other delegations once again, to condemn Russia 's illegal and unjustified invasion of 
Ukraine, and to call on Russia to end its aggression and withdraw from Ukraine immediately.   
2.125.   The representative of Chile delivered the following statement:  
2.126.   We welcome your announcement to organize, before the summer, an informal meeting on 
WTO reform focusing on the deliberative and monitoring function. A meeting of this kind would allow 
smoother discussion of aspects such a s the operation and efficiency of WTO bodies, including 
Ministerial Conferences , the General Council and the Trade Negotiations Committee; the 
strengthening of these functions in other committees and subsidiary bodies associated with an aspect 
of reform; a nd other proposals on how to deal with substantive aspects that require further 
consideration by this Organization, principally as part of the deliberative function.  In relation to the 
communications submitted, which we will discuss in greater depth in the  informal meeting, my 
delegation would like to offer the following preliminary reactions . We welcome the agreement on the 
need to improve the effectiveness of the Organization's operations. This convergence, reflected in 
several of the documents on the age nda, offers a good starting point and a potentially sound basis 
for engaging in concrete discussions to reinvigorate the Organization and respond, with outcomes, 
in the near future.  In particular, we believe that the document entitled "Improving the Operat ion of 
WTO Bodies to Revitalise the WTO's Monitoring and Deliberative Function" covers topics of particular 
relevance to these discussions through a pragmatic approach, focusing on specific adjustments that, 
as well as offering options for consideration by  the various subsidiary bodies, allows those bodies to 
engage in the discussions, taking into account their specific characteristics. We agree that it is 
important to bring to the table practical ideas for more dynamic and free flowing discussions in this 
forum. Chile believes that the way in which work is carried out at the WTO needs to be modernized, 
considering the particularities of the Organization's various bodies and the different views among 
Members. We are therefore pleased to co -sponsor this text.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.127.   We thank Australia for submitting its communication on Ministerial Conferences, which offers 
a good opportunity to reflect on how we can make the most of the presence of our high-level 
authorities at these meetings. Our preliminary view is that it is bene ficial to explore ways of 
strengthening the work carried out at Ministerial Conferences.  We are also grateful for the 
communications on this Organization's engagement with external stakeholders, such as the one 
submitted by the United States, Colombia and others (WT/GC/W/871). We agree on the importance 
of strengthening this dimension, which is essential for addressing complex new challenges and 
keeping the WTO relevant with respect to multilateral economic issues. We consider it crucial for the 
diversity o f existing stakeholders to be taken into account in the WTO's engagement, in terms of the 
different areas in which they operate (private sector, academia, civil society or international 
governance) and their regional representativeness, levels of developme nt and trade policy options.  
We reiterate the importance that Chile attaches to "having a fully and well -functioning dispute 
settlement system accessible to all Members by 2024", as stated in the MC12 Outcome Document.  
2.128.   The representative of Canada  delivere d the following statement:  
2.129.   Good to see so many other Members ' involvement. Very happy to recognize some overlap 
between our proposals.  There is much here that we support and certainly we support further in -
depth discussion of these ideas, whether through i nformal sessions of the General Council, retreat -
like meetings, or in the committees and councils.  I take away from these diverse proposals that we 
all agree on the value of the WTO.  We all agree that it should be more accessible, inclusive, and 
effective.  We agree that reforms can be incremental and should be aimed at improving Members ' 
ability to effectively participate in the work of the Organization.  This is exactly what we need , an 
organization  that works for everybody. Simpler, clearer processes.  More effective Ministerial 
Conferences . Better access to the resources we need for substantive engagement. Harnessing the 
expertise of other international institutions and external stakeholders to bring in fresh ideas.  
Creating the conditions fo r us to respond strategically to emerging global trends. This is the way to 
a future where trade is a driver of sustainable development and a solution to the challenges we face. 
We look forward to further engagement.  
2.130.   The representative of Colombia  delivere d the following statement:  
2.131.   This agenda item on reform contains a combination of many topics of varying levels of depth 
and complexity. My statement will therefore be divided into two parts . I will start by commenting on 
the various documents submitted and their positive points, and then offer some general thoughts 
on the WTO reform process.  We agree with the document prepared by the United States, which 
seeks to begin discussions on ways to open dialogue, start addressing the apparent lack of 
transparency a nd open this Organization to new ideas.  We need consensual mechanisms to allow 
information to flow out and new ideas to come in. We need an active and vigorous civil society, and 
we need to reach out to the citizens of our countries. The proposal is modest , but it might help us 
talk about serious global production and trade issues. The examples and models of how this is done 
by other bodies, or even by internal initiatives , such as the Trade and Environmental Sustainability 
Structured Discussions (TESSD), a re highly valuable.  Furthermore, we would like to thank India for 
the "30 for 30 " document; Costa Rica, Canada, the United Kingdom and various others for the 
document on improving the deliberative function; and the European Union for its document, 
especial ly the third part on procedural improvements, which are highly valuable contributions.  There 
are notable similarities and general convergence between them and the Goods Council proposal 
(JOB/CTG/21) by Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay, wh ich seeks to improve the 
WTO's operation and procedures in that Council and its subsidiary bodies and to address the 
challenges facing the functioning of the WTO given the large volume of information to be processed, 
hindering the work of delegations and h ampering progress on issues within the Organization.  
2.132.   They are all good ideas and there is a great deal of convergence on these aspects to improve 
the efficiency of procedures and deliberations within the Organization. General improvements are 
proposed in t erms of planning of meetings, assistance for delegates, formal and informal meetings, 
thematic sessions and the use of digital tools such as E -Registration, eAgenda, the online 
notifications system and the Trade Concerns Database.  We see considerable harmo ny throughout 
this agenda item. We acknowledge the Secretariat's work on internal transformation and many of 
its new proposals, such as how to enrich the debate and promote new approaches, and the 
announced study on global carbon pricing, which we eagerly await. We are therefore seeing positive 
developments at the internal level, with promises of progress and good alternatives.  However, we 
would like in this second part to revisit some of the discussions held before in this Council that go WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  beyond improving the functioning of the Secretariat and relate to the significant challenges on the 
global agenda.  In our view, WTO reform should consider the major current challenges related to 
climate change, food security, the economic crisis, the post pandemic era and the necessary search 
for peace. As is widely known, before the 12th Ministerial Conference, Members and the Secretariat 
itself recognized the need to be involved in key global decisions and stand up for the needs of future 
generations.  While it is true tha t improving the functioning of the WTO is of great importance, it is 
not enough for what is happening at the global level. Aside from the first and second parts of the 
European Union's proposal, which indirectly refers to substantive topics that it believe s will be 
important over the next 10 or 20 years, the discussions concerned the improvement of internal 
procedures rather than the WTO's active participation in the work on the global agenda.  
2.133.   Since 1995, this Organization has established a series of rules on world trade and production 
(because it deals with production as well as trade), so we should be talking strategically about the 
new global production and trade situation and attempting to see the wood and not just the trees.  In 
this context, we should b e talking about the proliferation of industrial and agricultural subsidies; the 
possible creation of production and trade blocs; food security and resilience in a world that is 
increasingly populated and vulnerable to disruption; how to reinvigorate tradit ional trade remedies 
in view of the proliferation of new unorthodox and unilateral remedies; and the importance that 
many placed on accepting a promise on agriculture and an intellectual property agreement in 
exchange for a rules based dispute settlement m echanism that is not currently operational, 
especially at a time when preparing ourselves to face new pandemics necessarily means ensuring 
access to vaccines and strategic medicines. We should be discussing the new paradigms in trade 
and climate change wit h a fresh perspective.  We do not in any way seek to belittle the proposals 
under discussion, which make sense and are well intentioned. However, in our view, the General 
Council must use other means of addressing the points that truly lie at the heart of t he discussion 
and the international reality.  This is not about particular negotiations in specific committees. The 
situation is much more complicated,  and we must recognize this. We should be talking frankly about 
the Organization's need for substantive re form so that, once again, each Member , with its particular 
characteristics, has adequate space and multilateralism is strengthened in a substantially different 
world from that of 1995. We believe that we are moving inevitably towards a new "grand bargain" 
and we must be able to do so in an ordered, collective and frank manner.  
2.134.   The reform may become a resizing of the WTO's role in the world rather than a mere process 
of self-reference . We must urgently and strategically revisit the reality of current global dynamics 
and its role in these changes. Whether we want to or not, we are approaching a defining moment. 
We must discuss it openly while looking for new ways forward. We might be ap proaching the height 
of a crisis, but if we have enough audacity and foresight, it could become a real opportunity in which 
we all play a part, rather than there being one or a few winners.  At the Olympic Museum, I saw the 
quote "We want to put a strong fo cus on solidarity. That's what the word 'together' means. We can 
only go faster, we can only aim higher,  and we can only become stronger if we stand together – in 
solidarity. Faster, higher, stronger – together."  That should also be the WTO's message.  
2.135.   The representative of Ukraine  delivered the following statement:  
2.136.   Ukraine as many other WTO Members is interested in result -oriented approach with regards 
to strengthening, improving and developing the WTO system.  In view of that we are carefully 
studying Membe rs' communications and proposals included in the agenda, I would like to make some 
preliminary comments.  Ukraine shares the view of reinforcing the deliberative function of the WTO 
to respond to global trade policy challenges and in this way ensuring and i mproving smooth and 
relevant functioning of the Organization.  We also consider that external engagement could provide 
value added to this process and enhance Members ' understanding on specific issues as well as assist 
in making informed decisions for the b enefit of the Membership. In terms of concrete actions, we 
find it very useful to continue intersessional work with a more active involvement of capital -based 
officials in the format of retreats or dedicated events.  In our view while navigating the WTO reform 
process we should prioritize transparency, development, and inclusiveness, promote trust and also 
have policy space.  Despite of the war unleashed by Russia, that is taking place for more than 1 year, 
we would like to underline that Ukraine remains stro ngly committed to a predictable, rules -based 
multilateral trading system and we do our best for the development of the Organization.  Meanwhile 
Russia continues to demonstrate a flagrant disregard for international law and order , as well as 
rules-based mult ilateral trading system , and does not stop in its acts of military aggression against 
Ukraine and Ukrainians.  In conclusion, Ukraine is ready to engage constructively on the  WTO reform WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  process while moving towards realistic and meaningful outcomes in view of approaching MC13 and 
realizing full potential of the WTO.  
2.137.   The representative of Uganda  delivered the following statement:  
2.138.   My delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered by the African, ACP and LDC Groups.  
We commend the delegations that have submitted proposals on the WTO reform process, which we 
have shared with capital for feedback.  These papers are timely,  and we too agree that the WTO 
must rise to the manifold challenges of our times by fostering better functioning of institutions across 
all pillars and creating a level -playing field that will unlock development opportunities for all and 
address the systemic nature of the issues marginalising developing countries and LDCs' participation 
in global trade.  We wish to reiterate though the impor tance of development forming the axis of the 
WTO's reform agenda if we are to remedy the problems associated with implementation of special 
and differential treatment and provide for the requisite policy space that developing and least 
developed countries so badly need for the transformation of their economies and peoples.  The 
current framework of policy tools available to developing countries and LDCs has not helped them 
much in their quest for industrial development and structural transformation.  We hope our proposals 
a calibrated to foster a reform process towards a truly pro -developmental multilateral trading system 
that can allow developing countries to use more proactively those policy measures that will help the 
development of productive capabilities.  We hope priority is given to addressing the challenges to the 
dispute settlement system multilaterally, under the auspices of the General Council Chair . We 
welcome proposals with practical suggestions on the improvement in the scheduling of meetings , so 
that overlaps are avoided to enable more equitable participation by all delegations.  We support calls 
for the General Council to agree on a harmoni zed approach to further the proposals to enable smaller 
delegations' participation.  
2.139.   The representative of Chinese Taipei  delivered the following statement:  
2.140.   It is a positive sign that many Members recognize the importance of WTO reform and have 
actively submitted well -organized proposals. We appreciate their contributions. As overall 
comme nts, I have the following points . (i) From our perspective, the essences of these reform 
proposals are enhancing effectiveness and quality of deliberations and making the WTO more able 
to cope with the challenges that Members are facing together. When we e ngage in the discussion, it 
might be useful for us to bear this in mind.  (ii) As mentioned by some other Members, there are 
similar elements in these proposals. In line with some Members ' suggestions, we hope the elements 
can be integrated to the extent po ssible , so that we have a clearer picture about the extent and 
coverage of reforms we are engaging, and we will be able to know what we are lacking.  (iii) We 
agree that the dedicated sessions for focused discussions should be useful. In order to ensure the  
usefulness of the dedicated sessions, a good preparation about the categorized issues to be 
addressed is of high importance. We look forward to a series of retreats on various aspects of WTO 
reform.  (iv) There are many reform aspects of technical nature. Many elements in the proposals do 
not need any action taken by the General Council. We can identify these elements for earlier 
implementation. (v) Among these proposals, a very fundamental change of mindset is the proposal 
to maximize the value of Minister ial Conferences . Having listened the discussions, I trust that 
momentum for reform is gradually being built up. Members might want to call MC13 a "WTO Reform 
Ministerial Conference " to show our determination  to make  positive change s and ensur e the 
Organiza tion is more relevant to the real world.  (vi) One important aspect , which is not covered by 
the proposals is the dispute settlement reform. We thank the informal discussions facilitated by 
Guatemala. We are pleased to see the constructive approaches demons trated by participants 
throughout the discussions. We look forward to productive outcomes after this round of discussions.  
2.141.   On the communication "Improving inclusiveness by reviewing and evaluating external 
engagement " (WT/GC/871/Rev.1), which my delegation co -sponsor s, we firmly believe that 
multilateral policy decisions could benefit from more active  and systematic engagements by a diverse 
range of stakeholders. This includes those from the private, non -profit organiz ations and public 
sectors, to ensure a holistic assessment of the consequences of our actions in the WTO. While we 
recognize the value of existing WTO practices involving external stakeholders, such as the Public 
Forum, Aid for Trade, and ad-hoc thematic s essions, we also recognize that there is still room for 
improvement. We support the idea of drawing on the external engagement practices of other 
international organizations to inform possible options that Members could consider at WTO. We 
believe this kin d of reflection is meaningful in the context of the WTO reform exercise. We look 
forward to discussions about how to allow systematic participation of stakeholders.  On the proposal WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  "Improving the operation of WTO bodies to revitalize the WTO 's monitoring a nd deliberative function " 
(WT/GC/W/877), which we also co -sponsor , this proposal presents a broad range of practical 
suggestions aimed at improving the daily operational work of WTO bodies, ensuring high -quality 
participation from Members, and enhancing tr ansparency work. We believe that all of these aspects 
are crucial to the WTO's monitoring and deliberative function. Some relevant discussions have 
already taken place within various WTO bodies, and some of the suggestions have been adopted or 
quickly impl emented within their respective mandates. We welcome this progress. We believe the 
reform of such kind is of technical nature and less sensitive, particularly in the areas of planning and 
preparing meetings. We urge Members to consider enhancing the qualit y of WTO  bodies ' discussions.  
2.142.   On the European Union 's proposal of "Reinforcing the Deliberative Function of the WTO to 
Respond to Global Trade Policy Challenges " (WT/GC/W/864) , we recognize the value of this proposal 
in trying to identify global trade poli cy challenges and in suggesting a soft law approach to address 
the challenges.  We agree to have a series of retreats to start discussing global trade challenges. If 
Members can have common ground on the global challenges that we are facing, it would be eas ier 
to explore the appropriate and effective approaches.  On Australia 's proposal "Maximizing the Value 
of the WTO Ministerial Conferences " (WT/GC/W/873) , we have seen the improvement of the overall 
atmosphere in the WTO to allow Members to consider new ide as, especially WTO reform. It is an 
appropriate time for Members to consider reforming Ministerial Conferences.  The five new 
approaches suggested by Australia to help Members better use Ministerial Conferences are worth 
exploring. Among the five new approa ches, the view about the next few Ministerial Conferences  
being seen as Reform Ministerial Conferences is innovative and is of particular interest. On India 's 
proposal "30 for 30 ", we thank India for reminding us of the importance of WTO 's achievements at 
MC13 in the context of its 30th anniversary. We appreciate the 30 operational suggestions put 
forward by India, many of which we share. With only nine months to MC13 , addressing 30 
operational suggestions within a relatively short period of time is challenging. We must work hard. 
We bel ieve that maintaining a focused, pragmatic and realistic approach is essential for preparing 
for MC13.  
2.143.   The representative of Israel  delivered the following statement:  
2.144.   We want to thank the proponents of the various proposals on this agenda item. Due to the 
time limitations, we will refer to the two papers Israel is co -sponsoring.  Concerning the paper on 
"Improving Inclusiveness by Reviewing and Evaluating External Engagement"  (WT/GC/W/871), we 
thank the United States , Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, Col ombia, Peru and New Zealand for this 
communication. Israel supports holding an informal dialogue amongst interested Members and 
exploring ways to advance engagement with external stakeholders. Accordingly, Israel co -sponsored 
this proposal to share and rec eive Members' input about possible avenues we can implement to 
better harness this engagement. We recognize that the WTO has a range of mechanisms to this 
effect. However, the current mechanisms can benefit from a more coordinated and systemic 
approach, in  order to reach their full potential. Re -evaluating our approach to engagement with 
external stakeholders, as we progress in a gradual manner and while finding common ground, would 
be worthwhile. However, Israel recognizes that this is only one element wit hin a broader effort to 
improve the overall functioning of the WTO. In that sense, this proposal could help us refocus our 
attention on achieving outcomes through more informed decision -making.  
2.145.   Concerning the paper on Improving the operation of WTO bodies  to revitalise the WTO 's 
monitoring and deliberative function, Israel would like to thank the co -sponsors of this initiative for 
bringing this matter to the attention of the General Council  and raising some very valuable ideas 
and good practices the WTO ca n implement. We strongly support ideas that aim to make our work 
at the WTO more efficient, effective and inclusive. Small delegations, such as Israel, often cover 
discussions across various bodies in parallel. Therefore, we welcome ideas like those shared  in this 
non-exhaustive list, as many of them aim to allow us to be better prepared and contribute 
meaningfully to the discussions.  We will not go over all the ideas listed in the paper. We would like 
to highlight that we see great value in having better c oordination between committees, sharing 
documents well in advance to allow review and be better prepared to the discussions, guidance on 
notifications, reminders of deadlines  and enabling hybrid participation in informal meetings for the 
benefit of our col leagues in Capital and those of smaller delegations who cannot attend all meetings 
in-person. Also, we see great value in  having introductory sessions led by the Secretariat for newly 
arrived delegates to facilitate onboarding. These ideas, and others that  are included in this paper, 
could greatly benefit the way we work at the WTO and should merit further discussion.  Israel stands 
ready to discuss these two proposals further with interested Members.  I would like to kindly ask the WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  General Council Chair to u pdate us on the exact dates for the reform retreat. As for the 
Director -General's  suggestion to hold a TNC Senior -Officials meeting in July, we would appreciate 
allowing for hybrid participation.  
2.146.   The representative of Jamaica  delivered the following statem ent: 
2.147.   We look forward to participating in the dedicated meeting to be held in June.  We have no 
challenges with the Director -General's  idea of a Senior Officials' meeting in July, but we invite a 
discussion on the format so that we can achieve inclusivity and focus. We align ourselves with the 
statements from the ACP Group and the CARICOM Group.  We are encouraged by the number of 
proposals on the topic. We are surprised to see that they did not cover the Appellate Body issue. 
That said, we thank  the proponents for their submissions. They are undergoing consultations in 
capital, but we will present our preliminary views at this point. On "Improving Inclusiveness by 
Reviewing and Evaluating External Engagement" (WT/GC/W/871) , Jamaica understands th at the 
proponents are seeking to initiate a dialogue and there are benefits to be derived from continuing 
and widening collaboration with stakeholders in light of the emerging issues that intersect with 
international trade policies. We do believe that ther e is need for clarity from co -sponsors on 
paragraph 5 of the proposal, despite many models in the UN system, Jamaica is yet to see the model 
that works for the WTO's Member -driven context. In addition to invitation of chairs, the WTO's 
engagements with ext ernal stakeholders are largely carried out through the Secretariat. Additionally, 
there are external stakeholders that are observers in various WTO bodies and there is also the WTO 
Public Forum. These mechanisms, we believe, are adequate. We are, however, open to engaging on 
how they can be improved. At the same time, the WTO is a Member -driven Organization and it is 
important to keep that intact. It should be Members who determine how to take on positions and 
legally binding commitments. It is governments we believe who have to manage the impact of 
international trade policies on their domestic development priorities.  
2.148.   On "Improving the Operations of WTO bodies to Revitalize the WTO's Monitoring and 
Deliberative Function"  (WT/GC/W/ 877), we appreciate the att empt to bring the ideas together, 
especially for small delegations, as the UK delegation said this morning. It can become a 
Frankenstein document, but we see it as a useful attempt we nonetheless fully appreciate.  On 
"Reinforcing the Deliberative Function of the WTO to Respond to Global Trade Policy Challenges " 
(WT/GC/W/ 864) and "Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration 
and Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO " (WT/GC/W/ 865), we asked that our 
statements at the las t General Council  be recorded as our preliminary views on these submissions.11 
On "Maximising the Value of WTO Ministerial Conferences " (WT/GC/W/ 873), we can agree with 
Australia that we need to organize Ministerial Conferences in a manner that makes them more 
efficient, productive and focused. Hence, we want to ensure that the Director -General and the GC 
Chair have sufficient flexibility to structure the Conference in consultation with Members to ensure 
that our arrangements are adaptable to the circumstan ces of today. If Ministers are to engage on 
thematic areas for which there is no document to engage on while simultaneously negotiating on 
draft text put before them for the delivery of national statement in addition, it may pack the agenda. 
MC12 has shown  us that over packing the agenda can have significant challenges. In closing, Jamaica 
believes, however, that we have to be flexible on how the ministerial conferences are organized and 
to ensure that it has its maximum impact.  
2.149.   The representative of Switze rland delivered the following statement:  
2.150.   Let me thank Members for the substantive communications that have been submitted to the 
General Council. Our work should look at both "how" WTO bodies function and "what" they discuss. 
We appreciate that both aspect s, the how and the what, are addressed in the communications 
considered today. We note some degree of convergence , in particular between the communication 
introduced by India on "30 for 30 suggestions " and the one introduced by the UK that Switzerland 
is co-sponsoring. We are still reviewing India's proposals. They contain some pragmatic ideas which, 
in our view, contribute to reaching our common WTO reform objectives. Other suggestions require 
further clarification. We read with interest the communication on external engagement introduced 
by the US. According to our experience, engaging with external non -governmental stakeholders 
 
11 The statement is contained in WT/GC/M/203, para. 2.93 -2.96 and is incorporated by reference in the 
record of this meeting.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  always proved useful in better understanding current challenges and clarifying the impact of our 
work on the ground.  
2.151.   The communi cation on the mandate of the Committee on Trade and Development has 
already been discussed at the last General Council meeting. We simply refer to the statement we 
made on that occasion.  We took interest in Australia's communication on maximizing the value of 
WTO Ministerial Conferences. It is worth discussing this matter , both in terms of content and 
conduct. The ideas put forward by Australia deserve careful consideration. We support in  particular 
the objective of finding new ways of ensuring steady and constructive negotiations inter -sessionally.  
2.152.   Let me finally offer specific comments on the communication by the European Union. We are 
in general supportive of their proposals . We would welcome an enhanced dialogue between Members 
on the objectives underlying government support policies, including industrial and environmental 
policies, to better understand the rationale behind each and every one respective policy. It is a 
necessary step t o ease trade tensions that have been on the rise since several years. We therefore 
support the launch of specific deliberations on the interaction between trade and state intervention 
in the economy. On trade and global environmental challenges, Switzerlan d supports the idea of 
reinvigorating the CTE and the multilateral discussions on trade and environment as well as having 
thematic discussions. In addition, we see merit in discussing inclusiveness and capacity building 
related to environment and trade iss ues. Stakeholders' participation will also be key. These are 
preliminary comments from our sides. We are looking forward to continu ing this discussion in the 
context of the retreat and the working session that the EU has proposed as well as the retreat tha t 
you will convene in June.  
2.153.   The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
2.154.   I also wish to share our views on the other submissions under this agenda  and will begin by 
thanking proponents for their submissions and statements. Let me go in o rder of sequence as it 
appears in the agenda and begin with WT/GC/W/871. While we are still examining the proposal, we 
wish to make some preliminary comments. External engagement is an issue that deserves extensive 
deliberation before taking an informed de cision by the membership. We must be mindful that WTO 
is a Member -driven body. Members as sovereigns represent all stakeholders in their respective 
constituencies and do engage in extensive domestic consultations with these stakeholders before 
coming to th e negotiating table. Therefore, the understanding that debates in WTO lack inclusiveness 
is not correct. In fact, I would like to remind this house that we all are designated here as Permanent 
Representatives. And in my understanding Permanent Representati ves represent the sovereign 
country which includes stakeholders in those countries. And it is through this stakeholder 
engagement undertaken by the sovereign that those stakeholders' views or points are being brought 
up either in negotiation or monitoring or in dispute resolutions. So, I fail to understand from where 
this disconnect has emerged that we are not interacting with the stakeholders and while at the same 
time, we are bringing a lot of STCs as part of monitoring function as well as we are bringing  disputes 
as part of the dispute settlement function of the WTO on behalf of stakeholders.  
2.155.   Further, international organizations differ in terms of scope and nature of work and their 
constitution and sensitivities too vary. What may be a useful practice fo r some UN organization may 
not necessarily be as useful or relevant for WTO  and may in fact be counterproductive in WTO's 
context. Therefore, we should not be overlooking past discussions, debates and decisions in WTO, 
wherein conscious boundaries were pre scribed for external engagements, keeping in view the 
sensitivities involved in trade rule negotiations, monitoring and dispute settlement where formal 
mode has been confined strictly for Members only.  As stated in the communication, WTO already 
provides a mple forums for external engagements through public forums and informal sessions like 
the one that we had on the FIFA event, or informal sessions by respective Committees and under 
Aid-for-Trade Initiative. We would like to understand from the proponents w hy these engagements 
are not sufficient as the proposal does not elaborate on this assertion.  
2.156.   As regards trade and inclusiveness, we reiterate that issues of labour, wages, worker, 
domestic distributional impacts etc. do not belong to WTO and does not mer it deliberation here. 
Also, the Member -driven character of the organization be respected. It is expected that Members 
would factor in stakeholder inputs at their level instead of pushing for direct engagement of private 
sector and civil societies here.  Finally, the Australian delegation has made an innovative submission 
WT/GC/W/873 containing thought provoking five new approaches for better use of Ministerial 
Conference. We would like to understand in more detail as to how these approaches vary from the WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  present approaches. Usually, Ministerial Conferences throws spotlight global challenges in the 
context of trade. For example, the 12th MC focused on global challenges to trade in the post -
pandemic scenario , including response to pandemic. We need to optimise  our approach as widening 
the remit of Ministerial discussions may come in the way of delivering tangible outcomes on specific 
issues concerning trade.  
2.157.   On the EU submission WT/GC/W/864, as India mentioned earlier, the proponent should come 
up with separat e submissions on the issues contained in paras. 2.1, 2,2 and 2.3 for a meaningful 
discussion. Members have highlighted the serious challenges like food insecurity, debt, finance, 
inflation, supply chain disruptions, infrastructure, and unemployment. Furthe r, Members have also 
highlighted in various proposals the imbalances in the existing rules and the need to correct them. 
While we are willing to deliberate on issues namely "Trade Policy and State Intervention" and "Trade 
and Global Environmental challenge s" there should be more keenness to discuss other pressing 
challenges that are crucial for resilient, responsible, and responsive trade, and for development 
needs of members. As regards the topic of trade policy and state intervention we feel that WTO 
already have existing forums to discuss this issue and there may not be a need of new forum as has 
been proposed in the submission. On trade and environmental challenges, we are willing to engage 
and we to be assured by the proponent that unilateral measures w ould not be implemented while 
deliberations are ongoing. Further, the proponent should be willing to engage on the issues of 
transfer of environmentally sound technologies, climate finance, and CBDR -RC.  
2.158.   On WTO reform , as stated in our submission WT/GC/W/8 74, what we need now are "quick 
wins" through incremental reforms. As regards deliberative and rulemaking work, we have been 
already deliberating these aspects under submission made by EU and our views are well known. As 
regards guidance by the Ministers o n ongoing negotiations, it would be a good idea to take stock of 
all pending Ministerial decisions for early action and report back to Minister's in MC13. And lastly, on 
the UK's proposal, as some members have felt that it aligns with the 873 proposal, we would like to 
work with like -minded co -sponsors on that.  
2.159.   The representative of Uruguay  delivered the following statement:  
2.160.   First, ahead of MC13, we are pleased to note Members' keen interest in matters related to 
WTO reform. In these discussions, Uruguay re affirms its view that safeguarding the dispute 
settlement mechanism and strengthening the negotiating function of the Organization are of utmost 
importance and urgency. In a challenging international geopolitical and economic context, Uruguay 
will continue  to defend the integrity of, and ensure compliance with and respect for, the rules of the 
multilateral trading system within this Organization.  
2.161.   With regard to improving the functioning of WTO bodies, we would like to thank Canada, 
Costa Rica, the United K ingdom and other delegations for including their communication on 
improving the operations of WTO bodies, and India for its communication entitled "30 for 30 
Suggestions for Improving the Functioning in WTO".  At the same time, we appreciate the statements  
made by the delegations of the co -sponsors (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and 
Uruguay) of communication JOB/CTG/21, on improving the functioning of the Council for Trade in 
Goods (CTG) and its subsidiary bodies, which is also part of the MC12 follow -up work and could be 
included in the outcomes presented at MC13.  
2.162.   Improving the functioning of WTO bodies is part of the reform process and we are pleased 
to find significant overlap between our communication and the proposals included for this  General 
Council. In this connection, we would like to emphasize the progress made by Members in improving 
functioning within the framework of the discussions in the CTG and its subsidiary bodies. Based on 
these discussions and this work, the co -sponsors h ave taken note of some lessons that my colleagues 
have already shared (and will share) at this General Council meeting. We would like to add to those 
comments by acknowledging that these discussions must respect the nature and dynamics of the 
work to be ca rried out in the General Council and each subsidiary body. By the nature of the tasks 
mandated under the WTO Agreements, the General Council and its subsidiary bodies have common 
yet differing objectives, dynamics and topics under discussion. Therefore, th ere is a priori no single 
solution or format, not all bodies are in the same situation and a case -by-case analysis is required 
to identify areas for improvement. As Argentina pointed out, this does not preclude the fact that 
there should be dialogue within  the Organization that would allow an exchange of information to 
strengthen its institutional functioning and avoid widening gaps in its operations.  Lastly, we 
recognize that the ultimate goal of improving the functioning of WTO bodies lies in its impact o n the WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  quality of the discussions and the outcomes that can be expected from the meetings, in an 
organization that requires consensus to achieve results.  
2.163.   The representative of Egypt  delivered the following statement:  
2.164.   Developing countries face several challe nges in pursuit of their economic development. The 
challenges we are facing worsened the situation. The pandemic and the food security challenges 
highlighted the need to enhance the multilateral trading system's resilience to external shocks and 
support de veloping countries' economic recovery. MC13 shall put us on the path towards resolving 
those challenges, especially on food security, given the WTO mandate.  Egypt fully supports the 
African Group's vision and approach to WTO reform, we associate ourselves with the statement 
made by the A frican Group. We share the commitment to achieving inclusive development -oriented 
outcomes, while strengthening the multilateral, inclusive and member driven nature of the WTO. We 
also recognize the importance of restoring the dispute settlement function. We reaffirm the centrality 
of the S&D T principle as integral to the reform process.  
2.165.   On the substantive elements of the WTO reform, we agree that government policies can play 
a positive role in addressing market failures to pursue development objectives. We fully supp ort the 
African Group's submission titled "Policy Space for Industrial Development," which calls for a 
rebalancing of trade rules in some WTO agreements that hinder their ability to structurally transform, 
industrialize, and diversify their economies. We e ncourage immediate technical engagements 
towards unpacking the issues entailed in this document in respective committees. Egypt is 
committed to working with all WTO members to ensure that MC13 delivers a comprehensive 
development package, inclusive of thes e critical issues. We welcome the idea of holding an Informal 
Meeting on WTO Reform focused on the deliberative function and institutional matters in a way that 
would guide our work.  
2.166.   We thank the United States for presenting document WT/GC/W/871, which we  are currently 
analysing in Capital, together with the other submissions under this agenda item: Improving the 
operations of WTO Bodies to revitalise the WTO's Monitoring and Deliberative Function – request 
from a group of Members. We thank the United King dom and the co -sponsors for the submission 
contained in WT/GC/W/877. We see merits in many of the ideas contained therein including on 
setting up a dedicated webpage for training, avoiding overlapping meetings, and providing avenues 
for delegates to be inf ormed of meeting outcomes and any follow -up.  We thank India for their 
Submission (30 for 30) in document WT/GC/W/874. The communication also presents a preliminary 
list of ideas grouped by themes and timeframes in which each suggestion appears achievable.  We 
echo India's call for Members to adopt the proposal to operationalize the CTD as a focal point.  
2.167.   We thank Australia for their submission which we sent over to Cairo to be studied.  As for the 
EU submission, we have expressed our interest in this subject by sharing rambling thoughts and 
raising some questions on this document in the last GC meeting. We aim to focus on areas of 
convergence between this document and the document submitted by the African Group on policy 
space for industrialization. In this re gard, we have to agree on a specific list of topics to address as 
we go about reforming the deliberative functions, set some definitions and develop the narrative for 
our work to lay the foundation for a productive discussion on issues of interest to our c ountries.  We 
see merits in the idea of developing a compilation or a depository for relevant documents and 
submission to make it easier for us to categorize those ideas and track progress. We are ready to 
engage in future discussions on all relevant ideas and submissions under this agenda item. We also 
welcome holding an informal meeting on WTO reform and working sessions focusing on the 
deliberative function and based on Members ' submissions.  
2.168.   The representative of Nicaragua  delivered the following statement:  
2.169.   We welcome the contributions of the Members that have presented communications for the 
discussion today on WTO reform, which are being considered by my capital.  We wish to highlight 
the importance of WTO reform for Nicar agua as a developing Member, one with a small vulnerable 
economy and a small delegation to this Organization.  We call for the implementation of a process 
to improve the operations of the WTO in a manner consistent with the development principles and 
objec tives contained in the Preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement. The reform must respond to the 
needs of developing country Members  and must guarantee them special and differential treatment 
that takes account of the asymmetries between Members and the technica l and financial constraints WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  that least -developed countries and small vulnerable economies face in implementing the 
Agreements.  
2.170.   The development dimension is cross -cutting in all WTO negotiation topics and calls for 
political will on the part of all Members to achieve results that reflect current realities, such as the 
environmental crisis and food insecurity.  The reform should also help take fuller advantage of 
technical assistance to allow small vulnerable economies to integrate better and more effectively 
into world trade, in line with their economic development needs.  The reform will only be a success 
if all Members uphold the commitments to be undertaken. We should remind ourselves that WTO 
Members acquire rights, but we also assume responsibilities, whic h is why we attach special 
importance to reactivating the two -tier dispute settlement system by resolving the impasse affecting 
the Appellate Body. We note the work under way as part of the informal process to reform the 
dispute settlement system, which we  hope will yield a positive outcome.  We welcome the initial 
outcomes achieved in the Council for Trade in Goods relating to the provisions adopted to enhance 
efficiency in that Council and its subsidiary bodies, which will serve to facilitate the work of s mall 
missions such as ours.  To conclude, we reiterate that the WTO reform process should be transparent, 
inclusive and Member -driven.  
2.171.   The representative of Mauritius  delivered the following statement:  
2.172.   We thank the delegations for their proposals that cover  various aspects of the WTO reform 
from fundamental principles to functioning of committees. My delegation associates itself with the 
statements made by the African Group and the ACP Group.  After almost 30 years since its 
establishment, the organi zation do es indeed need to bring changes that will make it relevant in the 
fast-changing trading environment, make it efficient given competing demands for resources, deliver 
on issues it is mandated to address, and most importantly address the development needs of  its 
members, especially small developing economies.   
2.173.   This is the perspective from which we see reform of this organisation that need to take place 
in transparent and inclusive process. Very often, decision -making is influenced by the voice of the 
majority  that may leave aside the genuine and legitimate demands smaller groups. For instance, 
small island developing states, may not represent a large population even if put together. Our global 
share of trade is minimal, and the trade distortive potential of me asures taken by us are equally 
minimal. We are faced with certain challenges and realities that are specific to us. Our voices also 
need to be heard and acted upon.  We are still studying the various proposals, some of which were 
only recently circulated an d look forward to more detailed and focused discussions on each aspect 
of reform. The African Group has made its own proposals relating to industrial development and on 
transparency and inclusivity. We look forward to discussions on these proposals too.  
2.174.   The representative of Bangladesh  delivered the following statement:  
2.175.   Bangladesh aligns with the statement delivered by the LDC Group. The delegation of 
Bangladesh has always reiterated that the work under WTO reform must be organized on the basis 
of identifie d list of the 'necessary reform items' and ensure that any reform must not alter the 
Multilateral character of the WTO. The WTO shall remain a Member -driven organisation and the 
established rules must guide the role and responsibility of the WTO Secretaria t. We urge Members 
to consider the LDC Group's submission JOB/GC/223/Rev.1 in April 2022.  
2.176.   The delegation of Bangladesh has taken good notes of all the six submissions presented 
under this agenda item contained in documents WT/GC/W/871/Rev.2, WT/GC/W/864, 
WT/GC/W/877, WT/GC/W/865, WT/GC/W/873, WT/GC/W/874. These documents bring variety of 
reform aspects including institutional and procedural issues and we need more time to examine 
those papers. However, Bangladesh wishes to highlight two general points toda y:  First, all WTO 
bodies should prioritise Development Agenda. Development is not solely about technical assistance 
and capacity building. The provisions for special and differential treatment are an integral part of 
the WTO Agreements and to be treated a s such. This is also important, as guaranteed in Article XI.2 
of the Marrakesh Agreement, that the LDCs must not be asked to undertake commitments and 
concessions that go beyond their administrative and institutional capabilities.  
2.177.   Second, Ministers in MC1 2 outcome document paragraph 4 instructed to conduct discussions 
to have a fully and well -functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all Members by 2024. WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  Without the Appellate Body, the DS system is not fully functional. If we are truly respectful  to the 
commitment of our Ministers, we must engage in discussions for the AB appointment as a top 
priority. Suggestions and inputs from Member should be the basis of such discussions. Currently we 
do not see any clear process initiated by the GC or the DS B on this important issue that has a specific 
timeline till 2024. On the other hand, if SD reform discussions happen outside the GC or DSB, only 
a limited number of delegations controls the schedules and selection of themes of those meetings. 
Such practice s are very difficult for the LDCs and many small delegations to follow, considering the 
speed and pace of the discussions. We urge the GC Chair, as the GC is mandated by the MC12 to 
lead any reform in the WTO, to guide the process including for the DS refo rm. Bangladesh looks 
forward to engaging constructively with Members.  
2.178.   The representative of Cambodia  delivered the following statement:  
2.179.   My delegation aligns with the statement made by the LDC Group.  We welcome the proposals 
that have been submitted on WTO reform by different Members. This shows the keen interests of all 
Members, be it LDCs, developing or developed countries, in having a strong, well -functioning and 
relevant WTO. We thank all the proponents who have reached out to us to explain their submiss ions 
in detailed and to identify where there could be common positions. We are scrutinizing all the 
proposals carefully to find any reconcilable elements in comparison to the LDC Group's submission 
in document number JOB/GC/223/Rev.1 and we will reflect on  them as appropriate.   
2.180.   The representative of the Republic of Moldova  delivered the following statement:  
2.181.   I am r eferring to the WTO reform and to the several proposed documents by different 
Members . First, we would like to express appreciation for their comm itment and for the tabled 
proposals. Currently our capital -based team is assessing the papers. However, we would be pleased 
to present preliminary feedback related to several of these proposals as follows.  First, on the 
European Union proposal in document number WT/GC/W/864, we find many valuable suggestions 
which we believe will guide the Secretariat and Members on the right path in the context of the WTO 
reform. On DSB, similar to many Members, we consider the unblocking of the selection of the 
Appellate Body the most important priority. Having a fully function ing dispute settlement mechanism 
by the end of the established deadline is very important , and we remind that this deadline is the 
upcoming Ministerial, so the clock is ticking quite fast. A viable Dispute Settlement System  
represents the guarantor of strong and enforced multilateral trading system established under the 
WTO. Therefore, we call upon all Members to contribute to the unblockage of the current situation 
in DSB in a priority manner, including by participating with an open -minded approach within the 
ongoing discussions on DS reform. Also, Moldova continues to fully support a reinforced deliberative 
function of the WTO, and here, beside s the European Union's suggestions within the mentioned 
paper on reinforced deliberations, we should mention the negotiations within the JSIs, which we 
believe should have a multilateral outcome and should be embodied under the WTO umbrella upon 
their conc lusion.  
2.182.   Finally, referring to the suggested enhanced cooperation and engagement with other 
stakeholders with this Organization, Moldova believes that we should stick to the current limited 
involvement of other stakeholders in the work of this Organization,  keeping it in the format of 
informal experience -sharing sessions. However, we welcome the suggestion by the European Union 
on undertaking a joint analysis with World Bank and ILO on the distributional impacts of trade which 
might benefit other countries, like with developing economies like Moldova.  Last but not least, we 
would like to recall the statements of other Members who have spoken before us and who have 
condemned the war of Russia initiated against Ukraine. We call upon Russia to stop this war and 
aggression immediately and unconditionally.  
2.183.   The representative of the Philippines  delivered the following statement:  
2.184.   We are pleased to see that in the months since MC12, we have been able to sustain a positive 
spirit and momentum in our engagement on WTO r eform. Progress has been manifested in our open 
approaches through retreats, committee -led innovations through "reform by doing", and the series 
of complementary communications from a wide breadth of delegations. The Philippines associates 
itself with the statement of the United States on behalf of the W/871 co -sponsors on Improving 
Inclusiveness and the statements of the United Kingdom and Costa Rica on behalf of the W/877 co -
sponsors on Improving the Operation of WTO Bodies. We also thank the co -sponsors of all the other WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  WTO reform papers presented under this agenda item and they indeed offer to Members very useful 
recommendations in improving the WTO's operational efficiency, substantive engagement, and 
external outreach.  We also see some common threads i n the communications that can be 
implemented in the near term, particularly on ways to help smaller delegations better contribute to 
the WTO's work by rationalizing the calendar, preparations for and reporting of meeting outcomes, 
enhanced use of digital t ools, streamlined notifications, and improved monitoring of specific trade 
concerns. Beyond this, we note that there is openness to the need to make our meetings more 
substantive , and the Philippines believes that the use of thematic sessions and informal meetings 
provide us with valuable opportunities to build trust and increase shared understandings. We see a 
basket overflowing with ideas to how we modify our work, which can proceed post -haste, but also 
concur with others including India that have called for improved coherence across the organization 
and would therefore support the collation and regular updating of these changes by the WTO 
Secretariat.  
2.185.   There is also another basket that is starting to fill with recommendations that could transform 
the orien tation and conduct of the organization and would require the GC's definitive guidance. The 
Philippines supports improved multistakeholder engagement to help us better frame our agenda and 
priorities and looks forward to working with other delegations in dr awing out best practices and 
experiences of multilateral and regional organizations. There were many constructive ideas shared 
during the last TNC on the Ministerial Conference and many of these key messages are encapsulated 
in Australia's W/873 communicat ion. The Philippines looks forward to the June retreat, which should 
provide us with an opportunity to converge on a set of key changes to the frequency, duration, 
format and conduct of the Ministerial Conferences. The Philippines is supportive of making t he MCs 
a yearly exercise, extending the duration of the conference, allowing for more negotiating space and 
improved transparency, and organizing more interactive and thematic sessions for the Ministers. We 
should be ambitious and aim to have the General C ouncil make a clear decision on the parameters 
for MC13 and beyond, possibly at the July Council meeting, given its immediate implications on our 
work agenda in the coming months.  
2.186.   The representative of Nigeria  delivered the following statement:  
2.187.   We welcome and support the Director -General's  initiative on a Senior Official's  meeting in 
July. This will greatly reduce the pressure during MC13. We associate ourselves with the statement 
by the African Group and the statement by the ACP. Nigeria wishes to thank th e United States and 
other co -sponsors of the proposal contained in Document WT/GC/W/871. This proposal is currently 
being reviewed in our capital. However, we wish to share the following preliminary comments. We 
believe the existing WTO channels of engagem ent with businesses and civil society such as annual 
Public Forum, attendance of civil society at Ministerial Conferences, briefings by the Secretariat, has 
enabled non state actors to positively shape discussions and negotiations in the WTO. Nonetheless, 
we agree with the United States and other co -sponsors that multi -stakeholder engagement at the 
WTO and within WTO Committees appear to lag global best practice. We are of the view that that 
there is room to modernise and further develop the modalities for consulting business and civil 
society with a view to revitalising the involvement of these stakeholders in trade debate. However, 
we must make sure that the outcome of this process is not tailored towards empowering Non -State 
Actors to unduly exert pressur es on Members in the course of Trade Negotiations or discussions. 
Nigeria would engage constructively in the discussions on this issue.  
2.188.   We also wish to thank Canada and other co -sponsors of the proposal contained in document 
WT/GC/W/877. Though this propo sal is currently being reviewed in our capital, we wish to share the 
following preliminary views. Nigeria agrees with the proponents that the regular WTO councils and 
committees plays an essential role in safeguarding the rules -based multilateral trading s ystem and 
we welcome efforts towards revitalizing the WTO Monitoring and deliberative functions particularly 
in the areas of transparency. While we will support efforts at streamlining notifications to improve 
transparency, we believe the expansion of tran sparency obligations will most certainly be 
burdensome for developing country Members  that are already struggling with fulfilling existing 
notification commitments due to resource and capacity constraint. We are of the view that the 
Membership should addre ss the issue of transparency broadly. Initiatives on improving Transparency 
should, also include framework on transparent WTO processes – which means that there should not 
be clashing of meetings that makes it impossible for developing country with small d elegations to 
follow all the meetings. Transparency must also be seen in terms of the inclusion of all Members in 
the decision -making process. The proposal by the African Group, Cuba and India on an inclusive 
approach to transparency and notification requi rements in the WTO contains useful elements on how WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  we can foster cooperation to enhance transparency and notification. Nigeria would continue to 
engage constructively on this issue.  
2.189.   Regarding the EU proposal on Reinforcing the Deliberative Function of the WTO to Respond 
to Global Trade Policy Challenges, we wish to associate ourselves with the statements delivered by 
the African Group on this issue. The paper is currently being reviewed in our capital and we will 
revert with substantive comments on this iss ue in subsequent meetings of the General Council.  We 
thank India for its paper on Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for 
Consideration and Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO contained in document 
WT/GC/W/865. In our view, t he prayers of paragraph 7 of the paper contains some noteworthy ideas 
on how we can effectively coordinate and advance development issues in the WTO. We look forward 
to engaging with India and other Members to discuss the paper and explore possible way for ward 
on the issues contained therein.  
2.190.   We are still reviewing the proposal by Australia contained in document WT/GC/W/873. We 
have also taken note of the presentation by India on 30 For 30 Suggestions for Improving the 
Functioning in WTO and we will revert on these issues in the next meeting of the Council.  In 
conclusion, we believe it is of critical importance that discussions on reform remain open, 
transparent, and inclusive. It should be geared towards the delivery of outcomes that would help 
Developing C ountries overcome their development challenges and better use global trade to drive 
growth.  
2.191.   The representative of Malaysia  delivered the following statement:  
2.192.   Malaysia would like to thank the proponents for the constructive proposals put forward to 
facilita te our reform discussions; and we wish to advance our preliminary views as follows: (i) As we 
are 10 months away from MC13, it is crucial for us to set realistic reform targets which could be 
achieved in Abu Dhabi. On this note, we believe that the evident -based discussions should be 
continued and intensified in the coming months; (ii) Malaysia supports the idea on maximising the 
value of WTO Ministerial Conferences as proposed by Australia. We are of the view that WTO reform 
should be the "centre piece" fo r the next Ministerial Conference. With this in mind, restoring the 
two-tier dispute settlement system should be the main agenda of MC13. We also concur with some 
other elements of the proposal especially of having intersessional ministerial gatherings, wh ere 
necessary, to create momentum to converge on this agenda; (iii) Malaysia welcomes the well -
thought proposal on improving the operations of WTO bodies to revitalise the WTO's monitoring and 
deliberative function. There are potential ideas to be alleviat ed to the next level.  
2.193.   Malaysia would also like to further engage with the proponents of other proposals, as we 
believe all the papers on the table deserve further deliberation. In summary, Malaysia believes the 
WTO reform is a continuous process; hence, w e urge members to prioritise and focus on the 
mandated issues. As a strong supporter to the multilateral trading system, Malaysia is looking 
forward to engaging constructively with other members towards achieving meaningful outcomes for 
MC13.  
2.194.   The represent ative of the Russian Federation  delivered the following statement:  
2.195.   We share the view that the organization needs to be reformed. The WTO should become 
more effective, relevant and inclusive. The violations of the rules of the organization for political 
reasons and arbitrary disregard for commitments are unacceptable. Such behaviour of certain 
Members erodes trust in the WTO, undermining the principles of this organization. This is the biggest 
challenge that should be dealt with in order to move forward.  We thank all the sponsors of the 
communications on the WTO reform for their efforts. We believe that they deserve further study.  
For the moment, we note numerous procedural proposals, institutional enhancements, ideas on 
substantive issues, calls to improve day-to-day work, as well as mixed proposals. We believe that it 
will be useful to categorize them into different themes, for ex. transparency, inclusiveness, 
Secretariat duties and so on. This will facilitate the analysis and negotiating process in the fut ure. 
2.196.   No doubt, the renewal of deliberative and rulemaking work is one of the most ambitious 
parts of the reform. For Russia, it is at the core of the process. Having said that, we take note of the 
proposed items for deliberation that need to be addressed t o strengthen the relevance of the WTO. 
We would find it useful in this context to have on the list of topics for deliberations the following: WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  (1) how to improve the WTO's effectiveness in tackling modern -day forms of protectionism and trade 
distortions; (2 ) how to ensure that the WTO exceptions are not abused, as well as (3) how to make 
the WTO more effective in curbing excessive and competition -distorting state interventions which 
have an adverse negative impact on international trade (take massive green s ubsidies for example).  
Regarding general elements of the reform, we are open to discuss in different formats proposals 
made by Members, especially ones concerning the engagement of external stakeholders, the 
modification of agenda of the General Council a nd the inclusiveness of the trade -policy making 
process.  
2.197.   The representative of Costa Rica  delivered the following statement:  
2.198.   Costa Rica appreciates the communications presented under this item and would like to refer 
in particular to those presented by the United States and Australia. Costa Rica supports the ideas 
presented by the United States and the co -sponsors of communication 871. The participation of 
external stakeholders is useful for the work we are doing at the WTO and is beneficial  for the quality 
of our discussions.  Costa Rica has recognized the value of stakeholders' participation in various 
initiatives and opportunities; they have brought data and know how that help us hold fact based 
informed discussions and maintain a link to t he real world.  
2.199.   Costa Rica believes it is time to discuss how to give an institutional framework to the 
exchanges with stakeholders, drawing inspiration from the mechanisms that already exist in other 
international organizations, including the idea of a con sultative board. This should neither change 
nor affect the intergovernmental nature of the WTO or the fact of decision making continuing to be 
in the hands of the Members.  Costa Rica would also like to thank Australia for its communication. 
Costa Rica supp orts its ideas, aimed at maximizing the value of ministerial conferences and our 
Ministers, involving them in the work we are doing and creating opportunities for them to give us 
guidance so we can move ahead with our work. These ideas supplement Brazil's proposal contained 
in document WT/MIN(22)/W/6, which we also support, on holding ministerial conferences annually.  
2.200.   The representative of Viet Nam  delivered the following statement:  
2.201.   We share the view that it is critical to focus on deliverables in a practic al and pragmatic 
manner. We support Madam Chair's leadership in the outlined steps towards the MC13. We 
emphasize the importance of upholding the multilateral trading system, full respect of fundamental 
principles and rules of the WTO for the benefit of de velopment of its members. Among the key issues 
of the WTO reform for enhancement of the functioning of the WTO to meet its objectives, we 
emphasize that our utmost priority is restoration of the fully functioning Dispute Settlement 
Mechanism, in particular  the Appellate Body, to provide security and predictability to the multilateral 
trading system.  
2.202.   On "Improving Inclusiveness by Reviewing and Evaluating External Engagement", we 
appreciate the proponents' idea of enhancing the practice of garnering external  useful inputs. It 
would be appropriate that this idea is taken from bottom -up at the working levels where technical 
and science -based inputs are most needed. On "Improving the Operations of WTO Bodies to 
Revitalise the WTO's Monitoring and Deliberative Fu nction", we see that improving WTO Bodies' 
operations to enhance their capacity to handle emerging and existing issues is a pragmatic and 
constructive approach. Members' participation, especially for Developing and Least -Developed ones, 
could also be enhan ced. We think of the WTO Reform as a progressive process as such.  
2.203.   On "Reinforcing the Deliberative Function of the WTO to Respond to Global Trade", we 
generally support the idea of optimizing the usefulness of regular WTO functioning bodies. Expanding 
the deliberative function at the WTO bodies would be contributing to that end. On the thematic topics 
as proposed, we however see the need to explore further which could be appropriate.  On "Maximising 
the Value of WTO Ministerial Conferences", we agree with th e idea of optimizing the opportunity that 
Ministers gather together in -person at the MCs, without prejudice to the issues to be discussed, 
which we think should be best decided on the consensus basis. However, having in -person 
intersessional gatherings wou ld perhaps be difficult given resource constraints while there is the 
availability of much -developed online meeting facilities. Ad -hoc online Ministerial gatherings could 
be very useful when certain negotiations reach maturity. The design of thematic sessi ons and 
advance questions for those events if is properly made could be contributing to breakthroughs.  On WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  "Suggestions for Improving the Functioning in WTO", Viet Nam thanks India for the contribution with 
concrete ideas. In this regard, we are willing to join the collective WTO review.  
2.204.   The representative of Tanzania  delivered the following statement:  
2.205.   My delegation welcomes your report on reform. We have taken note of the tabled proposals 
by the proponents, of which are still under review. However, at this juncture we would like to express 
our general preliminary views as follows:  Reform is a continuous process and therefore should not 
overburden the MC13 agenda and processes.  Reform discussions about improving the functioning of 
certain Committees or C ouncil should take place in their respective bodies while on cross -cutting 
issues, the General Council should agree on the appropriate structure and methodology.  
2.206.   Reform regarding the functioning of WTO Secretariat should remain under the ambit of the 
Director-General and must be guided by Art. VI of the Marrakesh Agreement.  Any discussions 
patterning to reform should be conducted in a transparent and in an inclusive manner, taking into 
account the constraining factors for small delegations' participation.  Reform geared to incorporate 
into WTO emerging and contemporary issues and trends such as climate change should be carefully 
considered in order not to become distortion in international trade through disguised protectionism. 
Short of that will escalate ret aliatory measures between members and hence further widen the 
exiting trade imbalance between developed and the developing members, a self -defeating purpose 
for WTO.  Development should remain central in the reform process by ensuring the vulnerable, i.e. 
the LDCs and developing countries are not left behind.  
2.207.   The representative of Türkiye  delivered the following statement:  
2.208.   I think by now we are all cognizant of the work that lies ahead of us. The WTO reform is a 
multifaceted effort, relating both to substanc e and procedures.  While we believe structuring this 
work is very important, we know it is a difficult one too. Therefore, Madam Chair person,  your 
proposal to hold a retreat on the deliberative function of the WTO will be a significant step on that 
front.  Let me also thank all those Members who have come up with proposals today and made 
possible this lively discussion on the WTO reform. We appreciate every effort spent to make the 
WTO more relevant and efficient, adding meaning and value to the work we all  do here.  
2.209.   While emphasizing that all these documents are still under scrutiny in Ankara, we would like 
to state here some of the ideas that we think could be similarly useful . The number of proposals that 
are already on the agenda of this meeting gives us the idea that these may be compiled under one 
document so that none goes unseen. We have also realized that some of these documents share 
suggestions or ideas on the same topics which might be placed under a matrix that could be further 
developed over time  as more documents are circulated.  
2.210.   Secondly on the proposed issues, we definitely believe that the hybrid meetings should 
continue given the opportunity they provide for increased participation of capitals to the meetings. 
Clusters of meetings on similar s ubject matters is another good idea for capital colleagues to be able 
to come for once and participate to all relevant meetings at a given time. A reminder for meetings 
summarizing key developments is also significant to keep members up to -date with the WT O work 
even if they did not find the chance to follow certain meetings. Similarly, we support proposals on 
agenda sequencing, annotated agendas or leveraging existing or new digital tools to improve the 
dialogue on trade concerns. Again, simplified notific ation formats and tailored trainings for 
notifications is something we have been calling for to ensure more transparency from a developing 
country  Member  perspective. We also believe it could contribute to transparency if TPRB is to be 
recognized as a plat form for exchanges of information during global emergencies. Doing that, 
though, we should make sure that the already busy working schedule of the TPRB does not get more 
strained.  
2.211.   We are also open to considering dedicated or thematic sessions on certain i ssues that, 
members believe, require more specific time to delve deeper. Similarly, we believe joint sessions of 
Committees on cross -cutting issues could prove really helpful to understand from what other 
standpoints other WTO bodies are viewing certain is sues. While environment is a definite candidate 
in that regard, being the focus of discussions in many Committees and Council at the WTO, 
development could also be considered as a subject matter of joint sessions.  We also believe there 
is merit in deliber ating further on the proposal for "maximizing the value of WTO Ministerial WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  Conferences". Especially to relieve the usual high pressure off these Conferences and avoid credibility 
discussions on outcomes, we are ready to engage more on the suggestions withi n the proposal.  
2.212.   The final point we would like to touch upon is the issue of external engagement. We have 
seen increasing number of proposals that foresee enhanced cooperation with outside stakeholders. 
On that issue our primary concern is the representati on issue; the voices should be heard equally 
from the developed and the developing world if we are to benefit from their input in our work here. 
It is equally significant to utilize the valuable information and data they can provide at the technical 
level,  leaving the member -driven nature of the WTO intact. Secondly, we do not have clear 
procedures for such kinds of engagements. Even in the rather more streamlined area of "granting 
observer status to International Governmental Organizations at the Committee s", we experience 
that the WTO rules lack the precision in terms of the procedures for handling these requests, which 
stall these processes at the end of the day. There are many IGO's which have been waiting to be 
granted observer status at certain Committ ees where there is no indication of when their requests 
will be taken up again, if ever.  
2.213.   Last but not the least with this opportunity we would like to appraise the work undertaken 
thus far in the CTG. We have already taken 4 decisions which will at the end  of the day help to 
inform the debates and render them more qualified. We hope to see such work undertaken in all 
subsidiary bodies so that we can continue with the bottom -up approach and better see which 
horizontal measures need to be taken up in the GC. To conclude, I would like to indicate that Türkiye 
is ready as always to engage in a constructive dialogue with all the members to continue the process 
of the WTO reform.  
2.214.   The representative of Nepal  delivered the following statement:  
2.215.   I associate with Djibo uti on behalf of LDC Group and would like to add few points . About the 
submissions from Members on WTO reform, my delegation welcomes the proposals and stands ready 
for the constructive discussion.  MC13 needs to be able to address the trade related global challenges 
with the view of harnessing inclusive trade under the multilateral framework. This can be achieved 
through the substantive and procedural WTO reform.  We have been able to achieve some progress 
in terms of improving the functioning of the counci ls and committees of the WTO, but they are more 
focused on meeting management, reporting, and use of the IT tools.  
2.216.   Regarding the issues of reform focused on development, it is necessary to take steps 
realizing the different needs of the WTO Members. Reform  should focus to enhance the LDCs and 
LLDCs trade and should have the opportunity to participate in all the meetings considering the 
constraints of small delegation. I reiterate that concerns of Members especially the LDC  Members  
which joined the WTO throu gh accession process with very high level of commitment and obligations 
beyond their capacity should be addressed through amendment of different WTO Agreements.  
2.217.   The representative of Pakistan  delivered the following statement:  
2.218.   With regard to this submissi on by Colombia, the Philippines and other members titled 
WT/GC/W/871, I would like to say that while it is true that WTO needs to address the multifaceted 
nature of polycris es around the world and that the engagement of international organizations can 
bear fruits; nevertheless, Pakistan believes that such stakeholder engagements shall be limited to 
bodies of United Nations and to organizations having an international character. I say this, for only 
these organizations carry irrefutable non -contentious image  and thus will befit the member -driven 
nature of this organization.  
2.219.   It is interesting to let stakeholders in. However, one can safely assume that all national 
stakeholders of member states have access to their governments and their concerns would be 
adequ ately reflected at this member driven forum. For those who are not empowered enough for 
their governments to sit up and listen to them, I very much doubt will get access to this forum for 
example most poor people around the world. On the other hand, the or ganized, the relatively 
powerful and vocal, who already have access to national governments will get added access to this 
forum and will be heard twice over and twice as loud resulting in unequal access to this forum, at 
least of the primary stakeholders.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.220.   On "Reinforcing the Deliberative Function of WTO to Respond to Global Trade Policy 
Challenges " (WT/GC/W/864) , "Maximizing the Value of MCs " (WT/GC/W/873) an d "30 for 30 
Suggestions for Improving the Functioning in WTO ", Pakistan welcomes the submissions un der this 
important and growing agenda in the lead -up to MC13 . It might take a rolling process to thrash 
these out by the membership over different time periods, as pointed out by Singapore. There are 
overlaps but clubbing them may run the risk of proponent s talking past each other. We are in 
consultation with capital over these.  
2.221.   On stakeholder consultation, while it is true that WTO needs to address the polycris es and 
stakeholder consultations can be enlightening, these need to be focused and balanced. One can 
safely assume that all national stakeholders of member states have access to their governments 
and their concerns would be adequately reflected at this member driven forum. For those who are 
not empowered enough for their governments to sit up and list en to them, I very much doubt will 
get access to this forum . On the other hand, the organised, the relatively powerful and vocal who 
already have access to national governments will get added access to this forum and will be heard 
twice over and twice as l oud. 
2.222.   On the EU's submission W/864, we understand that newer and graver problems call for 
newer and more effective solutions and hence the global polycrises begs for more effort from this 
membership. Considering that, Pakistan looks forward to engaging with  members in this regard and 
agrees that CTE needs to be utilized as a forum where all members exercise transparency, policy -
dialogue and coordination in trade related environmental measures.  On Australia 's submission 
W/873, Pakistan believes that mostly it  is not the number of MC's we hold that determine outcomes 
but the quality and focus of engagement among members in various configurations during and prior 
to each MC. Australia's paper correctly points out that high pressure conferences result in 
unpredic table outcomes with questionable credibility, but it is only reflective of how we engage prior 
to it. On India 's submission , we understand that the preliminary list of suggestions India has made 
for operational efficacy of this organization, is a collectio n of doables that may bring substantially 
better results in the future. Further interaction among Members in this line can help identify further 
measures that can be taken to improve the efficiency and output -oriented performance of WTO.  
2.223.   I would like to ad d that the issue of WTO reform has gathered significant ideas and 
submissions from a lot of members. Here, I would make special mention of W/778/Rev.5 submitted 
by African Group, Pakistan and other co -sponsors last year , and state that it is essential that we pay 
heed to developing Members' calls for these reforms to address asymmetries, bring balance to the 
WTO rules and focus on the development dimension to respond to the polycrises the world is 
grappling with and to mak e WTO an organization which supports development of all its members 
equally. With this core necessity in mind, Pakistan plans to bring forth a paper on emergencies and 
trade, hopefully sooner than later.  
2.224.   The representative of The Gambia  delivered the follo wing statement:  
2.225.   Firstly, the centrality of sustainable development, whereby we place people at the centre, or 
uplifting the people's quality of life, must be our collective result. Secondly, the centrality of 
digitalization at the heart of the reform, both  in the secretariat and the entire mechanism of the 
WTO and embracing that the future of trade is digital and that this must be central in the multifaceted 
WTO reform. Thirdly, on dispute settlement mechanism, return to a fully functioning Appellate Body 
anchored on multilateral principles. The deadlock in the Appellate Body must be addressed by this 
reform. The imposed conditions must be resolved; resolve the systemic issues embedded in the 
geographical rivalry among major G20 members for a better WTO. Fin ally, we must update the WTO 
rule book . Access to food security, pragmatism on climate change, and actions during crises and 
emergencies are critical. We must uphold consensus building, anchored in truth, anchored in 
responsibility, anchored in integrity, anchored in balance, and anchored in inclusivity. We must also 
ensure that the rules are revised to govern the current trading environment. Transparency and 
monitoring will be very important for the future sustainability of the WTO.  
2.226.   The Chairperson  thanked Members  for a constructive discussion on WTO  reform. She 
commend ed Members for their efforts in putting forward ideas and suggestions. It was through 
Members' inputs and active engagement that there could be progress in the reform work.  In terms 
of Next Steps , she encourage d proponents to reach out to other Members and for all Members to 
continue this dialogue. She indicated that she would b e convening an Informal meeting on WTO 
reform. The modalities would  be circulated in due course. A s always, her door would remain  open.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.227.   The representative of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
2.228.   Thank you for those who made specific comments on our paper. I just want to reiterate that 
all that we are trying to do is to start a conversat ion. We recognise that there are a variety of 
opinions , so we want to explore not just with those who express support, but also with those who 
have concerns. I do want to stress that, by no means, is this intended to cede our decision -making 
authority, tha t is absolutely not where we want to head with this. This is about making sure that we 
have more engagement with stakeholders that are out there , and again business and NGO's, big 
ones, little ones, particularly the smaller ones. Something that was mention ed just a while ago, not 
about trying to amplify the voices of those who already have a voice. Actually, it is about amplifying 
the voices of those that we do not hear often enough here .  
2.229.   The representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following sta tement:  
2.230.   Thanks to everybody who has commented on our paper. Thanks to those who have 
supported it. Thanks to those who have made other comments on it. If you have supported it, come 
aboard, be a co -sponsor. I was really reassured by the amount of convergen ce around this room 
this afternoon and I think that there is a question for us as to how we distil some of these ideas and 
make the coalesce a bit more over the next few weeks and months . Obviously, the retreat is one 
step, but I think we all ought to thin k about what else do we need to do to get from here to where 
we want to be ahead of MC13.  
2.231.   The representative of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
2.232.   First, I would like to thank all delegations for their reactions they have given on the EU  
submission that was presented here today. I retain that there is substantive interest to engage in a 
discussion on state intervention and I also noticed that there is support for organising a second 
retreat in July on this topic together with the paper pr esented by the African Group. Thank you to 
all colleagues and we will continue to engage. Secondly and final point on the different proposals 
and work that is underway, very useful, done by different committees on ways to improve the daily 
operations of th e committees. This should continue, but we need to have a timeline at some point 
to take decisions on those that we are ready to take and then continue the discussions on others. 
We need to make a report to the Ministerial , but I hope that we do not need t o go to Ministers to 
ask if agendas should be structured in one way or another.  
2.233.   The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
2.234.   I would like to thank all delegations who have participated in this discussion today as well 
as during the last 3 months while we were working on this proposal , and we will continue to work 
with them to reach common ground and some of the things that are already in process we do hope 
that without waiting for Ministerial we will be able to put it in place in differen t Committees, Councils 
for efficient use of resources in WTO.  
2.235.   The representative of Australia  delivered the following statement:  
2.236.   First, we thank Members for their feedback on Australia's proposal today and are encouraged 
by the positive responses. This pro posal is not about precluding Ministerial engagement with our 
rule-making work, or diminishing the possibility of outcomes or lowering ambition, but instead taking 
a more productive, cooperative and steady approach, where Ministers deliver the appropriate 
political guidance, rather than displacing the work that should properly be done here. We agree with 
the comments by South Africa on the need for appropriate and inclusive preparatory processes here 
in Geneva. Second, in response to India's good question, i.e., what is new, we would say simply that 
Ministers need more and deeper opportunities  to help shape the system to address global 
imperatives. The term "deliberation" sounds very bureaucratic - but is a critical part of this 
organisation's agenda – it is about giving Members and their Ministers an opportunity to help shape 
the system, on is sues from trade and environment challenges to the growing risk of a war on 
subsidies, to driving greater inclusion in this system so it fairly delivers for all. Third, the reform 
retreat in June is an opportunity to consider ideas for improving how we work  – as we have proven 
today that is an important first step. Some of the ideas on the table are for Members to drive, while 
others are for the Secretariat to consider and implement as appropriate. Finally, Director -General, 
we agree with your idea for a Sen ior Officials meeting in July, to close ranks on a few issues, and WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  make a first contribution to the WTO reform harvest. We should also use that July meeting to decide 
on which topics Ministers should deliberate in depth at MC13. Chair, well done on managin g an 
excellent debate today. If we continue in the purposeful way we have today, we have an opportunity 
to make Abu Dhabi our first genuine reform Ministerial. Let us make it count.  
2.237.   The Director -General  delivered the following statement12: 
2.238.   We had a constru ctive day. I am happy to see Members so engaged with many suggestions. 
The fact that many of them overlap also means that people are thinking alike. I also want to thank 
Ambassador Maria Pagan (United States) for her statement that the fact that we are foc using on a 
lot of process matters now does not mean that substance is forgotten. A lot of things we have been 
talking about here today are process – and they are very important. But there are also a few 
substantive suggestions that have also come up. So, w e have to bear in mind the two – that even 
as we focus on process and try to make use of it, let us not forget substance because that is what 
people outside of this building are waiting for us to deliver for them. And I want to thank you for all 
these grea t ideas that have been put on the table.  
2.239.   There are some suggestions, as many of you have noted, that are already underway to being 
implemented – and I think we should build on them. We have the Committees that have annotated 
agendas. We will look at best practices and try to help Members to adopt them. We also have the 
WTO website's search functions which we are already improving on. We will continue to do that.  We 
have tried some of the ideas in a preliminary way such as the intersessional Ministerial ga thering. 
We did try one and it worked. That is something we could look at. We also have tried at MC12 what 
Australia is suggesting – which I think is a good thing. Ministers should have a bit of time to talk to 
each other more. It worked. The issue is how to organize it. We do not want that to be the only 
thing within the Ministerial Conference. We also want to have a negotiating session. But it is a very 
good idea. I do not think Ministers have enough time to bounce around what is happening out in the 
world with each other.  
2.240.   On the calendar, we have circulated an evolving calendar for formal meetings of WTO Bodies 
for 2023 in December 2022 in document WT/INF/231 and a revision in February 2023. We will 
continue to work on it to see what we can do and which parts we can improve. I do not think it 
should be something stuck in one place. As we get ideas, we will try to adopt them.  
2.241.   Now, many of you have asked for categorization of all the proposals. There have been 
proposals that were already tabled before – and we must not forget them. We have to take them all 
into account. I heard China and several others mention this – and I agree with them. As we are 
looking at categorizing proposals, it is obvious that some proposals require Members' decision in 
order for th em to work. There are those requiring Members' decision for the Secretariat to 
implement. And there are clearly those proposals falling exclusively within the purview of the 
Secretariat. In addition, some proposals such as making Committee meeting minutes within a 
certain  period of time will require Members' collaboration as the issuance of these minutes 
depends  on Members' timely contribution of their written statements. A lot of these are in Members' 
hands – and we will work with you to do that.  
2.242.   As for pr oposals involving matters that form part of the functions of the Secretariat – as one 
mentioned under Article VI:4 of the Marrakesh Agreement, we welcome the suggestions that have 
been made. But we want to note that some of these are already in place. Guid elines and rules 
already exist on matters such as WTO news items and social media, to name a few. There are several 
others where there are actually existing guidelines in place on how this is done – and they are being 
followed appropriately.  With respect t o our ongoing transformation process, as several of you alluded 
to, we have been providing transparency reports in several fora like the CBFA, the TNC/HODs and 
the General Council. I want to thank Members for their continued support and to take note of the  
suggestion that a separate agenda item be created for administrative and organization issues as 
part of the WTO Reform discussions. This is a good idea, and I am happy to say we have instituted 
that at the last TNC meeting. We will continue to indicate wh at possible topics I am going to touch 
on so that you have time to prepare and respond to that.  There are a few opportunities here that 
we can take advantage of. We, in the Secretariat, are willing to support you. On the things under 
our purview that we cl early need to deal with – we will also try to sort them out.  
 
12 The Director -General's statement was subsequently circulated in document JOB/GC/342  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.243.   The General Council took note  of the Chairperson's  report and of all the statements made.  
(ii) Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  
- Report by the Facilitator  
 
- Reinvigoration of Work Progra mme on Electronic Commerce and Moratorium on 
Imposing Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions – Request from India and South 
Africa  
 
- A Development Approach to the Work Programme on E -Commerce (WPEC) – Request 
from South Africa  
 
2.244.   The Chairperson  proposed to take up all matters under this sub -item together, i.e., the 
statement by the Facilitator and the sub -items as requested by Members,  and open the floor once  
at the end .  
2.245.   Ambassador Usha Dwarka -Canabady (Mauritius), Facilitator for th e E-Commerce Work 
Programme and Moratorium , delivered the following statement13: 
2.246.   I welcome this opportunity to provide an update on the Work Programme on E -commerce 
since my last report to the General Council in March 2023 (JOB/GC/338). My report today is 
structured in two parts (i) I will give a brief summary of the two Dedicated Discussions held since 
my last report; (ii) I will report on the way forward as discussed with Members.  
2.247.   Since my last report to the General Council, we have held two Dedicated Di scussions on 
Legal and Regulatory Frameworks and the Moratorium on 22 March and 20 April respectively. As 
was the case with  the first two Dedicated Discussions on consumer protection and the digital divide, 
the March and April Dedicated Discussions equally registered a high degree of participation from 
Members, and groups of Members, across the geographical and developmental s pectrum. Some 
delegations presented written submissions and Members actively engaged in exchanging views and 
experiences on each topic.  
2.248.   On legal and regulatory frameworks, one submission was received from Singapore in 
RD/GC/21 as an input to the discussio n and a second submission was subsequently received from 
the United  Kingdom in WT/GC/W/870. Members agreed on the importance of engaging further on 
this issue and noted that the WTO could contribute by acting as a forum for discussions, experience 
sharing,  and provision of technical assistance and capacity building. Some delegations noted the 
WTO's role in rulemaking. Many delegations reiterated the importance of the WTO's convening power 
to bring together relevant organizations  working in this area and I w ill later refer to a workshop 
organised in that regard.  
2.249.   With regards to the April discussions which focused on the moratorium, three written 
submissions were circulated as inputs namely by Indonesia (WT/GC/W/859); Singapore (RD/GC/22) 
and the Organization  of Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS (RD/GC/23). Overall, delegations 
repeated well -known positions about the moratorium. However, Members showed a strong interest 
in the facilitation of additional structured discussions, analysis and technical work incl uding further 
studies on the matter. Several delegations also stressed the need to hear the perspectives of the 
private sector/business. Allow me to say a special word of thanks to the delegation of Indonesia 
whose technical team stayed connected till very  late in the night from Jakarta despite the 
Eid holidays, to respond to questions on their paper.  
2.250.   Let me recall that we have now held four dedicated meetings since January 2023 in the 
context of re -invigorating the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce and  intensifying the 
discussions on the Moratorium. Going forward on the work plan that will be pursued between now 
and MC13, I invited Members on 13 April to small group consultations  in order to identify the steps 
and converge on a further list of issues fo r future discussions. Almost 30 delegations responded, 
including group coordinators.  
 
13 The Facilitator's statement was subsequently circulated in document JOB/GC/341.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.251.   Several delegations expressed strong interest in discussing the remaining topics that I had 
referred to in my report to the GC in December 2022 including digital trade fa cilitation and facilitation 
of electronic transactions, digital industrialisation, e -commerce -related technology transfer, and 
inclusion of geographically remote Members and marginalised groups which, in their view, fell under 
the development dimension of the Work Programme. Some delegations were of the view that the 
additional topics could be addressed as part of a deeper dive into the four thematic topics already 
discussed. There was also broad agreement that the issue of geographically remote Members and  
marginalised groups could be raised as a cross -cutting issue.  
2.252.   On Thursday last week (4 May 2023) I convened a short informal open -ended meeting to 
report on the consultations and to agree on our future work including a thematic calendar of 
meetings. Duri ng the April consultations as well as at last week's informal open -ended, Members 
generally appreciated the format and the constructive nature of the discussions held to date. In 
moving forward, I have been urging Members to start reflecting on possible re commendations and 
concrete outcomes for MC13.  
2.253.   In that regard, at the informal open -ended, I suggested that, in May, we could have a session 
on digital trade facilitation and facilitation of electronic transactions, followed by a dedicated 
discussion on di gital industrialisation in June, a discussion on e -commerce related technology 
transfer in July and a further discussion on the moratorium in September. I suggested that in the 
later months of the year from October until MC13 next year, Members would then focus on potential 
outcomes and recommendations and seek to find convergence. I must thank Members for their 
flexible and constructive approach during our consultations which allowed a broad accord to proceed 
on my suggested schedule and topics to discuss in the coming months.  
2.254.   Some delegations did express caution with respect to technology transfer and were 
concerned that the discussions might dent the positive spirit that has prevailed in our discussions so 
far, given the sensitivity of the issue. The ded icated discussion would be on e -commerce related 
technology transfer. I have urged, during consultations, that delegations maintain the constructive 
approach that we have had to date – even when discussing sensitive issues. I recall that the purpose 
of our  discussions is also to know what it is that the WTO can do on these particular issues.  
2.255.   With respect to convening relevant intergovernmental organizations working on 
e-commerce -related issues, I am pleased to report that all Members welcomed holding the w orkshop 
on 1 and 2 June. A draft programme will be issued shortly. The workshop will hear from IGOs' work 
on the four themes discussed to date, followed by an interactive session with delegations. Several 
delegations reiterated the importance of hearing th e views of other stakeholders such as 
business/private sector and academia even in an informal setting. We  may consider holding a second 
workshop after completion of the Dedicated Discussions in September.  
2.256.   Looking ahead, we have an intense schedule betwee n now and MC13. As I mentioned in my 
consultations, these discussions will remain Member -driven – my role is to facilitate, and it is up to 
the membership to define the topics, substance and pace of the work including any possible 
recommendations or outcom es. In closing, I take this opportunity to thank all delegations for their 
continued active engagement and for their readiness to advance our discussions. I remain ready, as 
Facilitator, to consult further with any delegation or groups of Members and look forward to building 
on the collective priorities identified as we chart a path to MC13.  
2.257.   The Chairperson  recalled that at their recent meeting with Chairs of regular bodies she had 
been informed that discussions on the Work Programme were also taking place  in the respective 
bodies – although at different levels of engagement. The CTD had continued to discuss a 
communication on Global Electronic Commerce for Inclusive Development. She suggested that, 
despite different views, there was a general recognition a mong Members of the need to address the 
digital divide, including in the CTD. She then turned to the delegations of India and South Africa to 
introduce the sub -item on "Reinvigoration of the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce and 
Moratorium on Imposing Customs Duties on Electronic Submissions".  
2.258.   The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
2.259.   Let me touch upon this reinvigoration part . We welcome the work done by the Facilitator, 
Ambassador Usha Dwarka -Canabady in organizing the dedicated discussion  on the Work WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  Programme. The four meetings so far have been engaging and rich with details on the priorities and 
challenges of different Members in this area. We request that the statements made under the 
thematic sessions or the presentations made  are also placed on the record of the General Council.14 
We have also learned from these meetings that a detailed and very divergent policy toolkit has been 
applied by different Members in addressing our common problems. These findings also strengthen 
the points made by South Africa and India in our various submissions, including the last one by India 
on Digital Public Infrastructure. It reinforces that the moratorium on customs duties on electronic 
transmissions is neither necessary , nor sufficient in help ing WTO membership attain their digital 
policy goals or digital industrialization goals. We have also observed through these meetings, 
especially the fourth dedicated discussion , that the understanding of the provenance of the 
moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmission  is itself not common. Hence, we again 
reiterate that the proponents present their view on the scope and definition first, rather than talking 
about perceived or real benefits of the moratorium. This is a critical part of evidence -based decision -
making process for our Ministers. Without this information from the proponents, it is not clear how 
discussion s on this topic can be furthered before the Ministerial Conference, a desire expressed by 
many Members in the last TNC and Informa l HoDs meeting. We again reiterate that this item should 
be a standing agenda not just in the General Council, but  also in the Council for Trade in Goods, 
Council for Trade in Services, Council for TRIPS and Committee on Trade and Development. We 
welcome South Africa's proposal (WT/GC/W/875 ) to keep the considerations of development central 
to the Work Programme on E -Commerce and broadly support the inferences drawn.  
2.260.   The representative of South Africa  introduced  the sub -item on "A development app roach on 
the Work Programme on E -Commerce":  
2.261.   We welcome the thematic sessions, which the Facilitator  has organized and the contribution 
of Members in these discussions. We also welcome the outline of the action plan going forward. Our 
submission captured in  WT/GC/W/875 recalls that at MC12 , Ministers once more emphasized the 
need to reinvigorate the work under the Work Programme  on Electronic Commerce, based on the 
existing mandate as set out in WT/L/274, and particularly in line with its development dimensi on. 
The submission we are putting forward further emphasi zes the importance of the development 
mandate. It recogni zes that the gains from growth in global e -commerce will not be automatic for 
developing countr y Members , hence, a critical element of the wor k before Members must be to 
identify strategic interventions at all levels to boost growth and well -being, support digital 
industrialization, address the digital divide and promote domestic digital sectors and small digital 
firms in developing countries to  ensure equitable outcomes.  All of this requires enhancing the 
development dimension of the Work Programme  to boost productive capabilities and trade 
competitiveness of developing country Members . A truly developmental and inclusive approach must 
enhance t he participation of developing countr y Members in e-commerce not only as consumers but 
also as producers.  
2.262.   The paper lists some of the elements that are critical to the development agenda include: 
(i) outcomes that support digital industrialization as this  will ensure that we respond to the mandate 
of increasing the participation of developing countr y Members; (ii) a ddressing the digital divide ; (iii) 
policy space to develop enabling legal and regulatory frameworks based on the needs and priorities 
of devel oping countr y Members . The importance of this is well -recognized by most countries, and 
necessary frameworks are either already in place or being developed ; (iv) a  supportive environment 
to promote domestic digital sectors which recognises their peculiarit ies and unique needs, as well as 
the need to be protect them from unfair terms of , at times , monopolistic digital platforms/ecosystem ; 
(v) building national and regional digital platforms in order to provide competitive and fair market 
access to SMEs engag ing in e -commerce in developing countr y Members; (vi) p ublic management 
of digital/data infrastructures to provide support to domestic digital industr ies. India , in its paper 
submitted in the March GC , emphasised this point ; (vii) p reserving critical polic y tools that 
governments can  utilize to protect the interests of all economic actors in the economy, including 
strategic deployment of tariffs to promote digital industrialization ; (viii) t echnology transfer and 
equitable and affordable access to new techn ologies ; (ix) s haring of good practices in terms of 
digitally transforming economies and building the requisite digital infrastructure ; (x) I n addition , the 
lack of common understanding on the scope and definition of electronic transmissions can result in 
legal and regulatory uncertainties for firms participating in cross -border e -commerce ; and, the 
 
14 The record of the Dedicated Discussions on Electronic Commerce were issued in: WT/GC/WPE C/M/1 
(26 January); WT/GC/WPEC/M/2 (21 February); WT/GC/WPEC/M/3 (22 March); WT/GC/WPEC/M /4 and Corr . 1 
(20 April ) – and are incorporated by reference in the record of this meeting.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
- 50 - 
 
  clarity on the scope and definition of e -commerce is also critical to understand ing the implications 
of the e -commerce moratorium on digital industrialisation. We, therefore , call on the proponents of 
the moratorium to put forward their proposals in this regard . The  communication recognizes the 
importance of e -commerce in an increasingly digitalizing world and emphasizes that the evolution 
of the sector makes it necessary to continue work under the Work Programme  with a view to ensuring 
inclusivity and broadening the  benefits of e -commerce, especially to developing countr y Members .  
2.263.   To facilitate this work , my delegation makes the following recommendations:  (i) The Work 
Programme  should be a standing item under the General Council,  with the Facilitator report ing 
throu gh this item on her activities and progress made. (ii) Similarly, the E -Commerce Work 
Programme  should be a standing item in the relevant WTO bodies given a mandate as set out in 
WT/L/274.  (iii) The General Council  should undertake a review of the discussi ons in the mandated 
bodies to examine progress made in the relevant bodies on the development dimension of the Work 
Programme .  
2.264.   The Chairperson  remind ed everyone that the Work Programme  on E-Commerce was being 
discussed extensively  in the  Dedicated Discuss ions under the able leadership of the Facilitator . She 
commended  the Facilitator for ensuring that these ongoing discussions were open to all, transparent, 
inclusive and Member -driven. She called on  delegations not to repeat these ongoing discussions at 
the GC meeting.  
2.265.   The representative of Djibouti , on behalf of the LDC Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
2.266.   LDC Members took part in the last consultations organized by the Facilitator. The Group 
recalls that Members must report to MC13 on the development dimension, in particular on LDC 
Members. For the workshops, we urge that the focus is on the mandate from MC12,  especially 
prioritizing the development aspects. We emphasize that LDC Member issues shared in the Dedicated 
Discussions must also be prioritized. We would like our intervention made at the Facilitator 's meeting 
held on 4 May to be included on the record  under this agenda item.15 
2.267.   The representative of Cameroon , on behalf of the African Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
2.268.   At the 12th Ministerial Conference held last June, it was emphasized that the work under the 
Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  should be reinvigorated in line with its development 
dimension. Developing country Members need strategic interventions to boost growth, support 
digital industrialization, address the digital divide, and promote domestic digital sectors and small 
digital firms. This requires enhancing the development dimension of the Work Programme to boost 
productive capabilities and trade competitiveness of developing country Members. The paper 
identifies several factors upon which the development agenda needs to be base d, including 
supporting digital industrialization, addressing the digital divide, providing policy space to develop 
legal and regulatory frameworks, promoting domestic digital sectors and small digital firms, building 
national and regional digital platform s, public management of digital/data infrastructures, preserving 
critical policy tools, promoting technology transfer and equitable access to new technologies, and 
sharing good practices in digitally transforming economies and building digital infrastructu re. A truly 
developmental and inclusive approach must enhance the participation of developing country 
Members in e -commerce not only as consumers but also as producers. The gains from growth in 
global e -commerce will not be automatic for developing country  Members, hence the need for a 
critical focus on the development dimension of the Work Programme to boost productive capabilities 
and trade competitiveness. The African Group thanks South Africa for this paper which raises a 
number of valid issues. We look  forward to unpacking these issues which can play a vital role in 
fulfilling the mandate set by Ministers in 1998. We would also like to thank the Facilitator, 
Ambassador Usha Dwarka -Canabady, for her leadership of the Dedicated Discussions. The 
engagement  on the four thematic areas, which concluded in April was very constructive. We also 
thank Ambassador Canabady for setting out her plans for the remainder of the Dedicated Discussions 
leading until the end of the year which we support.  
 
15 The statement  of Djibouti, on behalf of the LDC Group, delivered at the 4 May Informal open -ended 
meeting of the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  can be found in the Annex of this document.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.269.   The representative o f Kenya , on behalf of the ACP Group , delivered the following statement:  
2.270.   The Dedicated Discussions held so far have been instrumental in assisting us to take a deeper 
dive on thematic issues in the Work Programme  on Electronic Commerce, particularly around the 
development dimension. The ACP Group has actively participated in all the Dedicated Discussions 
and appreciates the information and experience sharing by the membership. We hope that the 
Secretariat can begin  to circulate the information requested during the dedicated discussions. The 
ACP Group also welcomed the consultations and the proposals for further dedicated discussions on 
a workshop that would allow other relevant international organizations to share t heir experiences on 
the four issues discussed so far with the membership. The ACP Group supports  the work plan put 
forward by the Facilitator for the months ahead and on how we might begin to identify convergence 
and make progress for the mandated report t o MC13. We hope to see the draft work plan in writing, 
as well as the draft programme for the first workshop scheduled for 1 to 2 June 2023. Regarding the 
proposals that have been discussed today by South Africa and India, the ACP Group takes note of 
the presentations and looks forward to discussing these issues in detail.  
2.271.   The representative of Trinidad and Tobago , on behalf of CARICOM , delivered the following 
statement:  
2.272.   The Group thanks the Facilitator for her report, as well as for the informal open -ended  
meeting held last week to reflect on her consultations and outline a proposed approach to our work 
under the Work Programme for the months ahead. We hold the view that the proposed topics and 
approach for our work in the months leading up to and  following  the summer break reflect a 
considered attempt by the Facilitator to take into account the various issues that Members have 
suggested for engagement under the Work Programme. We commend the revisiting of the list of 
issues proposed by Members in late 2022,  as well as the effort to provide opportunities to address 
some such issues in the months ahead. We also believe that the scheduling of monthly Dedicated 
Discussions positions us to sustain the momentum created to date. In our estimation, there are 
evident  points of consonance between the topics identified for discussion in the coming months and 
those we have addressed to date. As such, we do have before us an opportunity to deepen our 
discussion on topics addressed earlier this year, such as the digital di vide and legal and regulatory 
frameworks, for example. We also concur with the proposal of the Facilitator regarding addressing 
the issue of inclusion of geographically remote Members and marginalised, under -represented 
groups in a crosscutting manner. We are also keen to see the development dimension remain at the 
heart of our work as we go forward . The CARICOM Group has advocated consistently for engagement 
with pertinent international organizations, and we are pleased that representatives from these 
organizations are to be convened for interactions with Members in early June.  
2.273.   It is our intent to participate robustly and, as such, we  look forward to receiving further 
details on arrangements for the two -day workshop to guide our preparations. The Group als o sees 
value in continuing our discussion on the moratorium, and we think that perhaps targeted guiding 
questions from the Facilitator could help us deepen and build upon the discussion we had on this 
subject in April. We do not have a particular preferenc e regarding the timing of this Dedicated 
Discussion, but we note that some have expressed a preference for addressing it before the summer 
break. On the post -summer break period, we agree with the Facilitator that that period would be 
best utilised by focu sing on finding convergence and beginning to outline the contours of 
recommendations to be placed before our Ministers for consideration in February. The CARICOM 
Group also wishes to address the recent submission from South Africa. We thank South Africa fo r 
introducing the submission, on which we continue to reflect. In providing a few preliminary reactions, 
we reiterate that the development dimension of the Work Programme is of prime importance to us 
and, in that sense, the intent of the submission to plac e the spotlight on a development approach 
to reinvigoration of the Work Programme is welcomed. A number of the considerations identified in 
the paper warrant further reflection and dialogue, including the observations on e -commerce as it 
relates to environ mental policy, as well as the observations relating to the aspirations of developing 
country Members to move beyond being mere consumers in the context of global e -commerce. The 
Group finds resonance in the observations in the submission relating to logist ics, payment 
mechanisms and financial inclusion as they relate to e -commerce.  
2.274.   The representative of Panama  delivered the following statement:  
2.275.   Panama thanks the Facilitator for the report and stresses the importance of setting up a 
work schedule to achieve concrete outcomes. The Facilitator has chosen very important topics for WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  the Dedicated Discussions calendar. We would like to point out that our discussions must lead to 
concrete outcomes. It is time for us to move on to proposals and decisions, not just di scussions. For 
many years, numerous delegations have insisted on the need to exhaust discussions on e -commerce 
in general before moving on to decision making. Redoubling efforts in this regard does not equate 
to reinvigorating the Work Programme. We will n ot be able to completely exhaust discussions on 
specific topics; the topics move quicker than we do. We will achieve less on general topics. The 
positions and arguments reiterated numerous times over the past 25 years is not going to convince 
those who are  not already convinced to adopt them. Revisiting time and again discussions on facts 
and data, which can always be interpreted differently, will not change the interpretation of those 
who have already established their own views.  
2.276.   It is time to realize tha t we cannot allow our differences to prevent us from reaching 
substantive decisions on e -commerce. Our work, as always, is to reach agreements that take into 
account our differences. We do not have to achieve a global outcome in e -commerce or a single 
undertaking in e commerce. We can reach decisions on important topics while we continue to move 
forward in discussions on a range of issues, and then come to decisions on further topics, or even 
make additional decisions on matters on which we have already agr eed. My delegation hopes that 
the Facilitator's able stewardship will allow us to set and achieve concrete objectives on matters 
such as the moratorium, which we are in favour of making permanent. This is a topic where views 
regarding the benefits and cons equences of, or indifference towards, the moratorium remain 
controversial, and I cannot see a single conclusion being reached on the diverse data and studies 
presented. It is a perfect example where to reach agreements we would have to take account of our 
differences.  
2.277.   The representative of Antigua and Barbuda , on behalf of the OECS,  delivered the following 
statement:  
2.278.   We associate with the statements by the CARICOM and the ACP Groups. We commend you 
and the Secretariat team for your excellent work on this fi le. Last week, the OECS held its Trade 
Policy Review and one of our Ministers who  was here – Minister Peters from St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines who also facilitated the e -commerce discussions at the 12th Ministerial Conference 
(MC12), expressed how please d she was to see the tremendous progress being made on the 
reinvigoration of the E -Commerce Work Programme. The OECS has submitted two Room Documents 
since the start of the year – one on sharing opportunities and challenges with respect to e -commerce 
devel opment, and another sharing perspectives on the Moratorium. We continue to perceive value 
in expanding our discussions to include external stakeholders, including relevant international 
organizations , academia and the private sector. In this regard, we loo k forward to the upcoming 
workshop in June. On the moratorium, it remains our belief that this can benefit from further analysis 
on its impact with respect to government revenue, consumers and the private sector. While we do 
not see maintaining the morator ium as the panacea for all things e -commerce, we strongly believe 
that it plays an important role in supporting the broader e -commerce and digital trade ecosystem. 
We thank India and South Africa for their joint submission. We also thank South Africa for i ts stand -
alone submission. Both Members continue to play an active role in our discussions, and we look 
forward to ongoing constructive engagement with them on this very important topic.  
2.279.   The representative of Fiji, on behalf of the Pacific Group , delivere d the following statement:  
2.280.   On the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, the Pacific Group thanks the Facilitator 
for her report on the Dedicated Discussions and the consultations held so far. We are also 
appreciative of the papers that have been submitted  by Members and we thank those that have 
helped us in the discussions in better understanding the pertinent issues on this topic, such as the 
digital divide faced by developing country Members and LDC Members, including the legal and 
regulatory frameworks as well as the moratorium of customs duties on e -transmissions. Recent 
studies have shown that the Pacific SIDS continue to linger behind developing economies and SIDS 
on most indicators of ICT. This is attributed to the significant gaps relating to access  to reliable, 
affordable, and high -capacity internet. In fact, we have noted that the average for the Pacific SIDS 
is similar to the average for LDC Members. The Pacific Group, therefore, acknowledges the value of 
advancing discussions in this area and loo ks forward to the work ahead, including the upcoming 
workshops and thematic sessions , as well as discussions on how we can factor in the 
recommendations made at the previous Dedicated Discussions when considering the set of 
recommendations to be made at th e upcoming Ministerial Conference. On the submissions by India 
and South Africa, we thank them for sharing those insights for our review, which should help shape WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  a holistic consideration in relation to the moratorium of customs duties on electronic transmi ssions. 
And as we prepare for MC13, building on the 12th Ministerial Conference decision on the moratorium, 
it is important that a balanced decision is taken.  
2.281.   The representative of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
2.282.   The European Union we lcomes the interest of Members to implement the MC12 decision on 
e-commerce and in particular intensifying engagement on the development - and digital trade - 
related issues. We are glad to see the Work Programme truly reinvigorated, particularly in line wit h 
its development dimension. We would also like to express our thanks to those Members who have 
tabled written communications helping to shape our discussions. This includes the communication 
put forward by South Africa, discussed at this meeting, which pr esents interesting ideas for our 
future work under the Work Programme. The meetings so far have been constructive and allowed 
Members to share their views on topics put forward by the Facilitator. In our view, these discussions 
on the challenges and opport unities of e -commerce are extremely important for developed country 
Members and developing country Members alike. The discussion on the moratorium has been 
particularly insightful. The European Union notes the overwhelming support for the extension of the 
moratorium expressed at the Dedicated Discussion  under the Work Programme. We have heard 
numerous Members, both developed and developing, arguing that the moratorium must be 
maintained due to its key importance to development of the digital economy and tra de. The 
European Union fully shares this view.  
2.283.   In terms of the way forward for the Work Programme, we believe that we should continue 
with monthly meetings and delve deeper into the more specific elements of topics discussed so far, 
following numerous sug gestions and questions raised by Members. After having deepened the 
discussion on these first topics selected by the Facilitator, we are open to look into other topics that 
were suggested. We also believe that we should bring together relevant stakeholders  into our 
discussions. In this regard, we welcome the first event that is due to take place at the beginning of 
June with the participation of intergovernmental organizations. In addition, we believe that 
involvement of business and academia will prove use ful as well. I want  to use this opportunity to 
thank Ambassador Dwarka -Canabady (Mauritius) for her efforts in facilitating our Work Programme 
discussions. While we are having this discussion in the General Council, let us not forget that Russia's 
aggressi ve war is causing immeasurable human suffering and is spreading instability in the region 
and across the world. The WTO cannot ignore the devastating impact of the invasion. The European 
Union continues to unequivocally condemn the war and our support to U kraine remains unwavering.  
2.284.   The representative of Switzerland  delivered the following statement:  
2.285.   The first thematic sessions  were very informative, and Switzerland appreciates the quality 
of the discussions that took place. In terms of process, we support the way forward proposed by the 
Facilitator. We place particular emphasis on dialogue with private sector actors, especially small- 
and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs). Given that digital trade is still a relatively new subject – for 
the WTO in any case – understanding stakeholders' perspectives is particularly important. 
Switzerland welcomes the various substantive contribution s made thus far, including that of South 
Africa, which was circulated recently. We believe nevertheless that the Dedicated Discussions  are a 
more appropriate forum for discussing substantive issues than the regular meetings of the General 
Council. Furtherm ore, we see no added value in creating a standing item on the agenda of the 
General Council or other bodies. Switzerland condemns Russia's military aggression against Ukraine 
in the strongest possible terms and calls on Russia to de -escalate the situation immediately, cease 
all hostilities and withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory without delay. This military aggression 
is a serious violation of international law. Russia's actions violate the prohibition of the use of force 
and the territorial integr ity and sovereignty of Ukraine as enshrined in international law.  
2.286.   The representative of Indonesia  delivered the following statement:  
2.287.   We welcome the discussions that have taken place on the topics that have been discussed 
at a series of meetings under the Dedicated Discussion framework. We  believe that our discussions 
will be very helpful and enriching for policy makers in determining policies related to digital trade. 
Indonesia also appreciates the Members who have provided views at the meeting on the mora torium, 
for the paper and presentation we have done on Indonesia's perspective on import duties for 
electronic transmissions. Taking into account the importance of using this positive momentum, we WT/GC/M/204  
 
- 54 - 
 
  fully support the proposed topics and activities for our fu ture meetings mentioned by the Facilitator. 
We believe this effort will be useful to collect and identify crucial points that can be presented to 
Ministers at MC13. In addition, we are also of the view that the topics mentioned are critical for 
developing country Members and LDC Members, so that they can enhance their capabilities and 
compete in an inclusive global digital trade. In this regard, we also welcome the submissions by 
South Africa and India. We think the ideas enrich our deliberations and unders tanding regarding the 
Work Programme, including the maritime issue.  
2.288.   I will briefly touch upon item 1 . It is clear from the report that plenty of works under the 
mandate of the TNC have yet to be resolved. In this regard, we need to continue our efforts to  find 
common grounds as we continue to race against time in addressing the never -ending global crises. 
Thus, it is important to continue strengthening the works of the General Council and the TNC, which 
should continue to shape and guide our works in the W TO, so that we can continue to strengthen 
the WTO. Indonesia also wishes to refer to its statement in the TNC meeting to be put on record on 
this meeting.16 We should strive to strengthen the multilateral trading system vis-à-vis the works of 
WTO. This wil l include ensuring support and enabling developing countr y Members and LDC  Members 
to have access and  enable them to realize their rights to development. As such, we need to extend 
beyond just providing special and differential treatment and technical assi stance. Indeed, it is 
important to ensure that rule s, or new discipline s being considered in the WTO will provide concrete 
support for the developing Members and LDC  Members to achieve their  development goals. Crucial 
to this endeavour, we need more concre te progress in our work, as mandated by the Doha 
Development Agenda . Undoubtedly, the relevance of the WTO hinges on our ability to deliver 
impactful outcomes, or even offer breakthrough solution to our long -standing debate, especially 
during the upcoming MC13, in particular with regard to the agriculture issue. In addition, Indonesia 
also appreciates the ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and inclusiveness in on -going 
consultation processes, such as the one led by the Chair of the Negotiating Group on Rules in the 
small group meetings. We are hopeful that such best practice could be replicated for other negotiated 
issues.  
2.289.   The representative of China  delivered the following statement:  
2.290.   The four Dedicated Discussions held this year have been very producti ve and useful for 
Members to better understand each other's positions and concerns, including the meeting on the 
moratorium in April. China will continue to fully engage with a view to delivering a positive outcome 
at MC13. To fulfil our mandate, it is ess ential for all Members to work in a constructive and pragmatic 
manner and focus on what the WTO can do on promoting the development of e -commerce. We 
believe the information meetings in June with experts from other international organizations  will 
provide more insights in this regard. We thank South Africa for its concrete proposal. China attaches 
great importance to addressing the digital divide, building national and regional digital platforms for 
e-commerce, sharing good practices in digital transformati on, etc. In general, China supports more 
intensive discussions on the development dimension with a view to helping all Members, especially 
developing country Members, to better benefit from e -commerce.  
2.291.   The representative of Peru delivered the following sta tement:  
2.292.   We thank South Africa for presenting its paper  and we agree on the need to incorporate a 
development approach into the discussions on e -commerce and into all matters discussed at the 
WTO generally, in a cross -cutting manner . We also agree that we are facing an accelerated digital 
transformation, which  brings both opportunities and challenges, and that the challenges are greater 
for developing country Members, including LDC Members, which prevents us from being able to 
enjoy all the advantages associated with this transformation. We still have to bridge  significant gaps, 
such as inadequate infrastructure, logistics and regulation. We have been addressing and will 
continue to address these issues within the framework of the Dedicated Discussions led by the 
Facilitator. Although we are still reviewing the items on the development agenda under point two of 
the paper, we appreciate the inclusion of the need to promote a supportive environment for the 
development of MSMEs, which account for 98.7 per cent of our businesses and are, therefore, the 
backbone of ou r economy. From our standpoint, the moratorium on customs duties on electronic 
transmissions, for example, has contributed to our development by providing businesses with 
opportunities to grow and enter new markets at no additional cost, and has even incre ased their 
 
16 The statement is contained in TN/C/M/45, para. 4. 23-4.24 and is incorpor ated by reference in the 
record of this meeting.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  level of competitiveness and innovation. The proposals included in point three of the paper are still 
being examined by our capital. However, we believe that, for efficiency reasons, the matter should 
be included in the agenda of the General Cou ncil when there is a need to address it and take 
appropriate action. That said, we support a review of the discussions in the various bodies, with 
special emphasis on development.  
2.293.   The representative of Paraguay  delivered the following statement:  
2.294.   Paraguay wishes to reiterate its support of extending the moratorium on imposing customs 
duties on electronic transmissions and of reinvigorating the 1998 Work Programme on electronic 
commerce. We hope to succeed in renewing and extending it at MC13, given  its importance for 
predictability in the world economy, especially for micro -, small - and medium -sized enterprises 
(MSMEs). Paraguay will follow with interest the Dedicated Discussions  and workshops to be held in 
the context of the 1998 Work Programme, pa rticularly with regard to the analysis of the scope and 
impact of the moratorium on developing countries' economies . We express our support for the ideas 
to reinvigorate the Work Programme, proposed in communication WT/GC/W/855/Rev.1, which 
evolve around d eepening the understanding of the impacts of the moratorium and pitfalls for MSMEs 
and exchanging best practices in establishing and implementing internal non -discriminatory, 
WTO-consistent taxes on electronic transmissions.  
2.295.   The representative of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
2.296.   Let me thank Ambassador Usha Dwarka -Canabady for facilitating this important work. We 
welcomed the opportunity to provide our contribution to the discussions this year, including on the 
importance of the moratori um. The most concrete step that WTO Members could take to foster a 
robust digital economy is to extend the moratorium. This would provide predictability to traders, 
cost-savings to consumers, and facilitate the exchange of content and technology, particula rly for 
businesses in developing country Members. We welcome further discussions under the Work 
Programme and welcomed the suggestions from the OECS on how to deepen our collective 
understanding of the moratorium. With respect to the South Africa paper, we  would like to better 
understand what the actual proposal is and how it differs from what we are already doing. Sometimes 
it is unclear when items are being put up for a decision and when they are just for discussion. We 
need to be clear on this and this n eeds to be part of reform.  
2.297.   The representative of Japan  delivered the following statement:  
2.298.   Japan would like to express its appreciation for the leadership by the Facilitator in the 
discussions of the Work Programme and recognizes that a variety of Members,  including developed, 
developing, and LDC Members, have raised relevant issues and shared their own experiences related 
to the topics of the meetings . We believe that we are having constructive discussions. At MC12, our 
Ministers instructed us to reinvigor ate the Work Programme, and we are expected to come up with 
some achievements by MC13. Japan believes that the Dedicated Discussion  would be the appropriate 
place for Members to focus on the discussions of the relevant issues in the limited time before MC1 3. 
Looking ahead to MC13, we see the necessity to demonstrate how the WTO can play a substantive 
role in electronic commerce. In our view, the core competence of the WTO is its convening power in 
collaboration with other organizations , as well as its funct ion of creating and maintaining 
international trade rules.  
2.299.   As for the configuration of future discussions, we believe that we should invite various 
competent intergovernmental organizations, academia  and business sectors with the relevant 
expertise or res ources to discuss a variety  of issues related to electronic commerce, so that we can 
conduct more useful information and experience sharing meetings, as suggested by the Facilitator. 
Regarding future discussions, even though it could be meaningful to discu ss a wide range of issues, 
we should provide ourselves with ample opportunities to deepen our discussions on the four topics 
on which we already engaged. We need to forge a common understanding, including on the 
moratorium on customs duties. Japan believes  it is necessary to make the moratorium permanent 
eventually. On the development aspect of electronic commerce under the Work Programme, Japan 
is always ready to contribute to the discussion. I would like to join other Members in condemning 
Russia's aggres sion against Ukraine. Japan strongly urges Russia once again to stop the aggression 
and withdraw its forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders 
immediately.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
- 56 - 
 
  2.300.   The representative of Australia  delivered the following sta tement:  
2.301.   We wish to join others in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and call for cessation 
of hostilities, which would represent the most important thing we can be doing here at the WTO for 
peace and security. On the South African proposal, we bel ieve that we do not need a standing item, 
given the impact on resources and time here. We do not need to duplicate items across meetings. 
Australia welcomes the discussions that have been held under the Work Programme so far this year, 
and thanks the Facil itator for her able leadership of that process. It is evident that we are indeed 
meeting the goal we set for ourselves at MC12 to reinvigorate discussions in the E -Commerce Work 
Programme. We note the important issues raised at the Dedicated Discussion on 20 April and 
reiterate our view that the moratorium on imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions is 
central to the purpose and value of the Work Programme. As we said in that meeting, the impact of 
the moratorium is clear – it is the status quo , which is able to support unleashing the development 
potential, which has underpinned global e -commerce for a quarter of a century.  
2.302.   The representative of Argentina  delivered the following statement:  
2.303.   We would like to reiterate our satisfaction with the renew al of discussions on the Work 
Programme on Electronic Commerce and thank the Facilitator  for the remarkable work she is doing 
to coordinate these discussions. The topics covered in the four meetings that have been held are 
key to moving forward on this iss ue and are relevant to all WTO Members. The discussions were 
substantive, and Members' commitment was demonstrated by the active participation. We believe 
that the deliberations are incomplete and there is still room for further discussion on these four 
topics. For Argentina, it is important to continue discussions on the digital divide, including the digital 
gender divide, consumer protection and privacy and personal data protection. These are very 
important and highly topical issues and are linked to conf idence - and security -building, as well as 
competitiveness. We also believe that these points are related to the development dimension, which, 
as many delegations have pointed out, is central to the work under the Work Programme. In 
Argentina's view, a soun d regulatory framework focused on instilling confidence in consumers is 
essential for promoting online trade operations. We agree with the Facilitator that a work plan is 
needed for the remaining months before the Ministerial Conference. That is why, we su pport the 
next steps proposed by the Facilitator so that, as well as continuing the thematic discussions, we 
can start discussing the type of recommendations that we would like to present to Ministers at MC13.  
2.304.   The representative of Bangladesh  delivered the  following statement:  
2.305.   Bangladesh aligns itself with the statement by the LDC Group. Our delegation thanks the 
Facilitator for her detailed report. Bangladesh welcomes the thematic sessions , including the latest 
one focusing on e -commerce moratorium. This i s crucial to understand the impacts of this 
moratorium, including on the revenue loss or revenue gain in developing country Members. We also 
thank the Secretariat for compiling the submissions by Members on the E -Commerce Work 
Programme (RD/GC/2 4). Banglad esh reiterates the idea that the Secretariat could prepare an 
information note on the development dimension of the works in the relevant WTO bodies since the 
establishment of the E -Commerce Work Programme. Bangladesh also welcomes the Facilitator's 
proposa l for a dedicated workshop. We support the idea that the WTO can coordinate with relevant 
intergovernmental organizations  to better integrate developing country Members and LDC Members 
into the e -commerce ecosystem. Bangladesh thanks South Africa and welco mes the proposal that 
the review of the E -Commerce Work Programme should be maintained as a standing item in the 
General Council and other relevant WTO bodies. Our delegation looks forward to engaging 
constructively with Members on this issue.  
2.306.   The represen tative of Singapore  delivered the following statement:  
2.307.   I would like to thank the Facilitator for her useful updates and exemplary stewardship of the 
Dedicated Discussion s on e-commerce. I also thank India and South Africa for their submissions. Let 
me make  three points. (i) Singapore welcomes the efforts to reinvigorate the Work Programme  on 
E-Commerce. Members have been able to learn from each other 's experiences, and better 
understand each other 's position. We also welcome the Facilitator ' s initiative to  organi ze a workshop 
in June, involving relevant international organizations, which will help Members acquire a more 
holistic view of the four thematic sessions.  (ii) Members need to ride on the strong interests in the 
Dedicated Discussions  to deliver concrete outcomes on e-commerce in the WTO, including the WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  extension of the moratorium on custom duties on electronic transmissions. At the last Dedicated 
Discussi on, the robust exchange of views on the broader cost -benefit analysis of the moratorium 
has led to a growing reali zation that its lapse would significantly impact businesses and consumers, 
particularly in small, open developing country Members and LDC Members . Let me share  an 
anecdote. At a recent JSI on e-commerce information meeting , a Kenyan female MSME owner was 
"horrified " to learn that governments have the "power " to impose customs duties on electronic 
transmissions . We need to remind ourselves that digital tools have  allowed small -holder farmers like 
this Kenyan entrepreneur to access markets overseas, and imposing customs duties would severely 
impact their export business.  (iii) Singapore remains keen to contribute to evidence -based 
discussions on these issues. Howev er, we must be mindful not to  rehash entrenched positions. 
Moving forward, it will be useful to ( i) distil key elements from earlier meetings;  (ii) structure 
evidence -based discussion and ( iii) engage stakeholders such as MSMEs and women entrepreneurs 
to enhance our understanding on these issues. As digital transformation is highly complex, it would 
be simplistic to regard customs duties as a panacea for revenue generation or digital 
industriali zation. In this connection, Singapore shared our experiences co ncerning ( i) digital 
economy agreements ; (ii) foundational digital infrastructure and ( iii) using Goods and Services Tax 
to mitigate concerns over revenue generation.  
2.308.   The representative of Nigeria  delivered the following statement:  
2.309.   We align ourselves with the statements by the African and the ACP Groups. As you said, 
work on the reinvigoration of the Work Programme on E -Commerce has commenced, and we 
commend the progress being made in the discussions under the Facilitator. Our position on 
e-commerce is well  known by Members. We only need  to reiterate the need for the ongoing 
discussions to be more considerate to the development issues, which include digitization, 
industrialization, digital divide, transfer of technology and other related development issues t hat 
would be of importance and beneficial to the developing country Members. We support the need for 
definition and scope to have a focused and constructive approach when it comes to implementation. 
We have been in support of the temporary extension of the  moratorium. We believe that its 
advantages have outweighed its losses. We also support that the scope of the moratorium be spelt 
out and it should be followed by a study, to be undertaken by the WTO, as suggested by Members 
so that the membership can take  a final decision on the permanent moratorium.  
2.310.   The representative of Canada  delivered the following statement:  
2.311.   With the Facilitator's leadership, we have fully reinvigorated the Work Programme. We are 
pleased with the level of participation by Members, inc luding through the submissions of papers. We 
are looking forward to the June Workshop. We agree with other Members, including the OECS, that 
hearing from the private sector, in a similar informal setting would be most valuable. In terms of 
next steps, we s upport further deepening our understanding of the opportunities and challenges 
related to e -commerce, particularly for developing Members and LDC Members, and in accordance 
with the Work Programme's mandate. As we embark on the second phase of our roadmap,  we also 
believe it would be important to have a subsequent Members' Dedicated Discussion on the 
moratorium before the Fall, and prior to a stock -take exercise. This is motivated by the broad interest 
and support expressed during the April Dedicated Discus sion. Canada stands side by side with others 
to unequivocally condemn Russia's illegal, unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, which 
is a flagrant violation of the rules based international system, that includes callous attacks on civilian 
critical infrastructure in Ukraine. Ukraine's commitment to the multilateral trading system and 
upholding the rule of law while under attack is an example to us all. Canada's support for Ukraine 
and its people is unwavering. We will work to find ways to use tra de to support Ukraine and rebuild 
its economy. We once again call for Russia to immediately cease all hostile actions against Ukraine.  
2.312.   The representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following statement:  
2.313.   I would like to thank those who presented on this issue. I am  delighted to hear the 
Facilitator's  plans for bringing in again voices of other international organizations  and the private 
sector who are so interested in and worried by the potential effects of our work here . I would really 
like to pay tribute to everything the Facilitator  is doing. We have tried to pay our very modest part 
in this by  producing a paper to which the Facilitator  referred which looks at trade digitali zation and 
the benefits it can bring both to MS MEs, but also to women -led business across the world, and in 
the same way that our colleague from Singapore has just reminded us. Let me just say briefly on 
the substance, because we are going round and round this buoy. I may be misquoting him slightly, WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  but if so it  is in a good cause . I think our colleague from Antigua  and Barbuda,  on behalf of the 
OECS , put it better than I could, about the moratorium not being a panacea, but it is a key part of 
the role of this Organization in enabling the development of  a more digital global economy. One 
which  is in the interest of Members, both developed and developing.  
2.314.   The representative of the Republic of Korea  delivered the following statement:  
2.315.   Korea welcomes the two -day workshop in June, as my delegation believes re levant 
international organizations  can provide balanced macro -economic effects of e-commerce , including 
the developing dimension. Also, we should be attentive to diverse voices from the micro -to-macro 
level to reflect the reality of e-commerce. Private sec tors, including small and medium businesses 
and women entrepreneurs, could present their hands -on experiences and needs for global e-
commerce policy and rules. We need to accumulate such objective evidence to build confidence in 
discussions between Members . We would like to continue this cooperative spirit on the moratorium 
issue. During the last Dedicated Discussion on the moratorium, Members, including developing 
countr y Members, acknowledged that the value of the m oratorium lies in the predictability and  
certainty in the global digital trade. The moratorium has brought social and economic benefits to 
participants of global e-commerce for the last 25 years. Korea sees no point in terminating the 
moratorium at this point when the global economy should be ma king every effort to get back on 
track to economic prosperity.  
2.316.   With regard to the proposal of having a standing item under the General Council  and other 
WTO bodies, while we agree the importance of this matter , in a broader context of WTO reform and 
efficient operation of WTO bodies, we would like to be more cautious in having a standing item to 
prevent rigidity on the agenda where we should be more flexible to discuss issues that demand our 
immediate attention or to make the discussions in the General Council more effective. Joining others, 
Korea condemns the unlawful Russian aggression and reaffirms its consistent position that the 
sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine should be respected. Korea, as a 
responsible Member of the international community, supports various diplomatic and economic 
efforts of international community to contribute to the end of the war and the restoration of peace.  
2.317.   The representative of Pakistan  delivered the following statement:  
2.318.   I join other Members in appreciating Ambassador Dwarka -Canabady for her role in these 
discussions. I also thank India and South Africa for their submissions in this debate, and support 
keeping this very important item on  the GC agenda.  While we are open to further discussions and 
evidence on the issue, we need to weigh and compare the costs that some developing and LDC 
Members have had to face under the moratorium. As a researcher on taxes, let me assure you that 
no one i n the private sector is going to agree to be taxed. For every comparison, we need a 
benchmark, for this we can refer to the GATT and the GATS. In our understanding, in both 
Agreements, Members are encouraged to open up their economies, proportionate to and  gradually 
with their scale of development, which means conditional 'market access'. However, consequent to 
the moratorium, 'market access' for e -commerce has never been expected to stand the limitations, 
which has always been a fundamental feature of the GATT and the GATS. Similarly, we see promises 
of S&DT, transfer of technology and transition periods in even the latest WTO agreements like the 
Agreement on Trade Facilitation and the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies - but the same level of 
room for develo pment has never been afforded to developing and LDC Members in the case of 
e-commerce. This will contribute to the widening of the digital divide. The fiscal muscle required to 
overcome domestic challenges and industrial needs will be continually and incre asingly eroded by 
the moratorium. One stark consequence of this has been the inability or slow pace of developing 
Members to establish digital infrastructure, which is essential to thrive at parity with the 
contemporary and future competition from more adv anced markets.  
2.319.   Let me also add that while suggestions to compliment the fiscal deficits by raising domestic 
taxes is understandable, it needs to be understood that local taxes will not serve to provide the 
developing Members with the time required to deve lop digital competence of their own. Thus, to 
allow for the digital growth in developing country Members, particularly in absence of substantial 
transfer of technology and other enabling factors, Pakistan is of the view that the moratorium needs 
to be cons idered for termination, as indicated in the MC12 Decision. In line with South Africa's 
submission, I would like to add few points, which Pakistan believes are important: (i) developed 
Members may share information on enabling legislation and public funding  and finances employed 
to generate robust IT and e -commerce sectors. (ii) as data is raw material for this entire industry, WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  it is important to deliberate on certain guidelines for data protection or localization, so as to not lay 
foundations of an imbalanc ed digital industry of the future and in response to data privacy concerns. 
(iii) increase in Aid for Trade support for developing country Members in the digital economy may 
be considered.  
2.320.   The representative of Chinese Taipei  delivered the following state ment:  
2.321.   We thank the Facilitator for her report and for her efficient works in facilitating the Dedicated 
Discussion and preparing next steps for the Work Programme, which we welcome. We also thank 
India and South Africa for their submissions. We recognize many po ints raised in their papers, 
especially those on the digital divide. The previous meetings have been very constructive. We look 
forward to the upcoming discussions arranged before MC13, including the Dedicated Discussions and 
a workshop in June. Experience -sharing and in -depth and focused discussions, with inputs from 
other organizations  and stakeholders, are always useful. These discussions will help explore the role 
of the WTO in addressing the development dimension. The moratorium is one of the core pill ars and 
has been well elaborated. The moratorium lays a solid foundation to develop global digital economy 
and e -commerce over the past 25 years. Its continuous implementation has shown the WTO's strong 
commitment to maintaining global policies that boost digital economy for all Members. We look 
forward to the WTO being able to provide a stable and predictable trade environment for businesses 
and to save consumers' spending by at least extending the Moratorium and even by making the 
moratorium permanent to ensure long -term legal certainty and predictability.  
2.322.   The representative of the Philippines  delivered the following statement:  
2.323.   We appreciate how the meetings  have been conducted as well as the high level of  
engagement from Members. The Philippines found the  most recent meetings  on the legal and 
regulatory frameworks, and crucially, on the moratorium on  customs duties on electronic 
transmissions, as providing new insights on how we can approach our work on e -commerce. Based 
on the recent thematic sessions,  the Philippines believes it would be useful to drill down on these 
critical topics  and appreciate the Facilitator' s initiative to organize a workshop in June that  would 
include key external experts and representatives from a broad base of  stakeholders, inclu ding 
MSMEs, from the developing world.  As we had previously recommended, we would see value in a 
focused discussion  on the implications of digital taxation, including the question of customs duties,  
where we could learn more from Members and stakeholders o n their experience  in applying VAT or 
Goods and Services Taxes to e -commerce activities,  including issues related to scope, registration 
procedures and collection regimes.  Further discussion is warranted on the scope and definition of 
electronic  transmissi ons and the fundamental question of whether customs duties can be  realistically 
and efficiently imposed.  We also thank South Africa for its recent communication  on further 
enhancing  the development dimension of digital trade and are supportive of the paper 's 
recommendations to include a standing item on proposals towards this end in the  relevant WTO 
Committee s. 
2.324.   The representative of Egypt  delivered the following statement:  
2.325.   We express our gratitude to the Facilitator for her report and commend her for her ef forts 
in facilitating our discussions and on convening the Dedicated Discussions, which we see very useful. 
We support her draft work plan, and we will engage constructively, with the aim to having a tangible 
outcome in MC13, with critical focus on the dev elopment dimension, which needs to be defined on 
the basis of an assessment of the state of the digital divide and the regulatory gap between 
developed and developing country Members, in so far as e -commerce is concerned. We associate 
ourselves with the st atement by the African Group. We appreciate the proposals from India and 
South Africa to revive the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce and the new submission by 
South Africa, which highlights the challenges faced by developing countries to engage in 
e-commerce. The reinvigorated Work Programme on E -Commerce should prioritize development and 
serve as a means for developing country Members and LDC Members to benefit from e -commerce 
economically and in terms of development. To achieve this, these Members sh ould have adequate 
policy space and time to develop dedicated national strategies and policies for e -commerce 
development, tailored to their resources and situation. The contribution of the relevant international 
organizations , throughout the process, shou ld be highly encouraged. We also extend our gratitude 
to Members who submitted proposals on the moratorium at the last discussion, namely Indonesia, 
the OECS and Singapore. We are analysing these proposals thoroughly. In addition, we emphasize 
the importan ce of conducting a cost -benefit analysis of the moratorium under all scenarios, including WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  termination, extension, or retention. This analysis should evaluate the potential implications on 
developing country Members, such as government revenue loss and digi tal industrialization, in each 
scenario. This will enable us to make a thoughtful decision based on reliable and concrete evidence 
and data.  
2.326.   The representative of Chile delivered the following statement:  
2.327.   Our delegation is satisfied with the outcomes of the  Dedicated Discussions held between 
January and April. We agree with the ambitious work plan and have some comments in that respect. 
Our delegation prefers to have a discussion on the moratorium before and, if necessary, after the 
summer break. In our view , it would be beneficial to involve, albeit informally, the private sector in 
the discussions, including small - and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs) since they will be affected 
by the decisions taken. We believe that the workshop at the beginning of June wo uld be a good 
opportunity for this. If it is not feasible at that time, a dedicated meeting should be held to allow the 
private sector, especially SMEs from developing country and LDC Members, to express their views 
on several of the topics discussed under  the Work Programme. Although we support the proposed 
topics for discussion, we believe that the discussion should be focused on topics that have a genuine 
prospect of providing deliverables for the next Ministerial Conference.  
2.328.   The representative of Jamaic a delivered the following statement:  
2.329.   We also call for our statement at the TNC to be recorded in the minutes for this General 
Council  meeting.17 Jamaica thanks the Facilitator for her report and the evident display of 
commitment to the process. Since last year, Members have engaged very constructively during the 
Dedicated Discussions, including sharing of national experiences. We heard some practi cal ideas and 
suggestions on the role of the WTO. Jamaica was one of the delegations that constantly called for 
the inclusion of international organizations  to share their insights and experiences. We are therefore 
pleased that this suggestion has been tak en onboard and welcome the workshop to be held in June. 
This workshop should also provide some insight on the issue of the moratorium, which remains 
divisive. The Facilitator's report presents a very pragmatic schedule of work during the lead -up to 
MC13. J amaica supports the proposed schedule and sees utility in using the remaining months to 
narrow divergences and build consensus. This should offer Members enough time to work judiciously 
to arrive at complete recommendations for the consideration of Ministe rs in Abu Dhabi. We thank 
India and South Africa for their presentations, which reiterate the need for a development approach 
to the Work Programme. Throughout the Dedicated Discussions, many Members have highlighted 
major challenges, including connectivit y limited digital literacy skills and the need for stronger digital 
infrastructure such as e -payment systems. Therefore, the development dimension remains a key 
pillar in our discussions. The Facilitator can be assured of Jamaica's commitment to the proces s. 
Jamaica aligns itself with the statements delivered by the CARICOM and the ACP Groups.  
2.330.   The representative of Myanmar  delivered the following statement:  
2.331.   Digital transformation has been accelerated and has become increasingly dynamic and 
complex. The e -commerce landscape has become a new opportunity and a new business model. 
LDC Members require strategic interventions at all levels, including the national and international 
level. Our productive capacity and competitiveness need to be developed and policy s pace should 
be adopted for development. The importan ce of e-commerce is increasingly  in digitalization and in 
developing the necessary infrastructure for internet access. We are facing the challenges with regard 
to the digital divide. The LDCs Group has al ready submitted the common position on issues 
concerning the digital divide in document WT/GC/W/787. This document shows some challenges 
that we face and that are still relevant and important to us. The WTO plays a key role in working 
with relevant institu tions and in building capacity for the better integration of LDC Members into the 
e-commerce ecosystem. My delegation would like to encourage the General Council to play a central 
role in the process and to promote a development and all -inclusive approach to e-commerce. We 
will continue to participate in the E -Commerce Work Programme.  
2.332.   The representative of Tanzania  delivered the following statement:  
 
17 The statement is contained in TN/C/M/ 45, para. 4. 65-4.66 and is incorporated by reference in the 
record of this meeting.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.333.   My delegation associates itself with the statements by the African and the LDC Groups. We 
thank the Facilitat or for her report and for leading the consultations on the Work Programme  on 
Electronic Commerce. We were instructed to report to MC13 the development dimension particularly 
for LDC Members. Therefore, we should remain focused on the MC12 mandate in the re maining time 
to MC13. The LDC submission (WT/GC/W/787) enumerates various digital divide challenges, which 
are also reckoned by UNCTAD, the ITU and the ITC. Regarding the moratorium, we welcome the 
submission from India and South Africa. We urge Members to  thoroughly discuss the submission 
with a particular attention to the potential fiscal implication of the moratorium to LDC and developing 
country Members.  
2.334.   The representative of Uganda  delivered the following statement:  
2.335.   My delegation thanks the Facilitator  for her report on the Work Programme on E -Commerce. 
We align ourselves with the statements by the ACP, Africa and LDC Groups. We welcome the 
submissions by South Africa and India, which we believe will help focus the discussion on the 
development dimensio n. We support the work plan put forward by the Facilitator for the months 
ahead and on how we might begin to identify convergence and make progress for the mandated 
report to MC13. We hope that this process will lead to practicable ways to address the digi tal divide 
and promote technology transfer and benefit from the data -driven digital economy, with 
LDC Members facing the greatest challenges in building their capacities to digitalize and add value 
to their data. We are looking forward to a draft work plan  in writing as well as draft ideas for the 
first workshop planned for June.  
2.336.   The representative of Nepal  delivered the following statement:  
2.337.   Nepal associates itself with the statement made by the LDC Group and would like to add few 
points. I would like to t hank you, Facilitator , for your report. I appreciate your efforts and support 
the idea of organizing the workshop in June. The challenges faced by LDC Members have been clearly 
identified during the Dedicated Discussion on consumer protection, digital publ ic infrastructure and 
legal and regulatory  framework. In addition to that, Members have divergent views on the 
moratorium in terms of the scope and objective. In this regard, reinvigoration of the E -Commerce 
Work Programme should focus on the development d imension, especially on mobilizing resources in 
strengthening the digital infrastructure, enhancing technical assistance, and lowering the internet 
cost, among others to enhance the digital trade of LDC Members. I thank India and South Africa for 
the impor tant submissions and stand ready for further discussions.  
2.338.   The representative of Costa Rica  delivered the following statement:  
2.339.   I would like to thank the Facilitator for her report and her efforts. We also thank the 
proponents of the two papers. We are keen to contribute to the discussions on these issues and their 
relationship with development. As a developing country Member with a small market, digital 
economy is key for us to strengthen and open new opportunities to link our exportations with the 
internati onal economy. Costa Rica has been successful in the attraction of information and telecom 
technologies, which made the manufactured goods sector the most important export sector. It has 
been only surpassed by a highly technical medical devices products sec tor. Exports of these two 
clusters have surpassed by far the exports of traditional export products, such as bananas, coffee, 
and meat all together and have made our exports part of high -tech GVCs. On the services sector, 
information technology and telecom munications services, together with corporate services (back -
office services) have surpassed the traditional and very important tourism services sector.  
2.340.   Developing country Members and even small ones can make it. These developments have 
brought growth, an d transfer of technology, as foreign industries establish close links with national 
industries, the academia and national professionals. Those working for foreign industries often move 
to national companies or start their own enterprises and frequently bec ome providers to 
multinationals. This has been possible for Costa Rica, a small developing country Member, through 
education policy, trade liberalization for goods, including ITA 1 and 2 policies, liberalization for 
services policies and foreign direct inv estment friendly policies. Consequently, we believe that freer 
e-commerce and the decision to make the moratorium permanent would contribute to developing 
countries, such as mine, to continue being competitive in the digital economy, reducing the digital 
gap, take profit of the transfer of technology and be part of high value added GVCs. I stress that the 
moratorium refers only to customs duties, not to other regulations. In the absence of global rules WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  on regulating the digital economy, developing country M embers have already considerable 
regulatory autonomy. That autonomy will not expand if the moratorium lapses.  
2.341.   The representative of Ecuador  delivered the following statement:  
2.342.   I would like to begin by thanking the Facilitator for her great work in facilitat ing the Work 
Programme on Electronic Commerce and the moratorium. My thanks also go to India and South 
Africa for presenting their communications, which provide insight into this issue from a developing 
world's perspective. For Ecuador and other Members th at have taken the floor, digital trade 
contributes and can contribute further still to the SDGs. For this reason, the international community 
must not forget that the digital divide continues to be a real obstacle and one that is difficult to 
overcome, and  it deprives us of opportunities to promote sustainable development. The digital divide 
prevents many Members, and millions of people, from benefiting from the opportunities offered by 
the digital world. Digital transformation, connectivity and the financi al inclusion it facilitates, and 
digital support for the empowerment of women and small - and medium -sized enterprises are vital 
for the comprehensive and inclusive development of trade and economic activity in Ecuador and 
other developing country Members. In our view, the moratorium on customs duties serves the 
interests of developing country Members by boosting trade, which benefits these Members, their 
societies and the international trading system in general. Ecuador has already expressed this position 
on other occasions, with arguments that I am not going to repeat since they are well -known. For 
my country, the moratorium has shown itself to be an appropriate tool to help incentivize innovation 
and promote digitalization in general, and to exploit and in crease economic opportunities through 
predictable e -commerce.  
2.343.   The representative of the Russian Federation  delivered the following statement:  
2.344.   We regret that the productive work of our forum is accompanied by a confrontational rhetoric 
of certain Members. T here are other relevant fora that are mandated to discuss these political issues. 
We continue to urge all Members to refrain from politicizing the work of the WTO. And now we will 
come back to the item of the agenda that is being discussed. The delegation of the Russian 
Federation has always supported the dialogue on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce. We 
welcome the very informative and engaging dialogue in the Dedicated Discussions held in March and 
April. In our view, the existing moratorium provi des a predictable environment for e -commerce at 
the multilateral level. At the same time, we have to note, that the evolving nature of e -commerce 
makes modern discussions on the moratorium more controversial than in previous years. This fact 
highlights the  complexity of this issue and the need for a comprehensive approach focused on the 
development aspect of e -commerce. We are convinced that in preparation for MC13, Members should 
find a solution to preserve the policy space for governments, support develop ment goals and 
guarantee a continuation of a predictable and smooth flow of e -commerce. The Russian Federation 
is ready to engage constructively with Members in any discussions on this important issue.  
2.345.   The representative of Senegal  delivered the following statement:  
2.346.   My delegation aligns itself with the statement by the LDC Group. My delegation thanks the 
Facilitator for the inclusive and transparent manner in which she conducts the proceedings with a 
view to giving new impetus to the Work Programme on Elect ronic Commerce. We thank India and 
South Africa for their communication. Customs duties are an important trade policy instrument for 
States. Customs revenue represents a significant portion of the budget of developing country 
Members. This is why, although  we are in favour of the moratorium, my delegation considers that 
after being in place for 25 years and faced with the continued increase of e -commerce, an 
assessment is needed. This assessment should not only address the impact of the moratorium on 
custom s revenue, but also on the very feasibility of taxation of electronic transmissions. In order to 
tax a good, at least three elements are required - nature, origin and value. While some Members 
like Indonesia have been able to create tariff lines for certai n digitizable goods, we are not yet aware 
of examples of rules of origin or transaction value for electronic transmissions. Collaboration with 
the WCO could be envisaged to better address this issue. We believe that a clear and precise 
definition of the sc ope of the moratorium would help dispel the concerns of certain Members.  
2.347.   The representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  delivered the following statement:  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.348.   The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the exchange of experiences among Members as a 
positive contribution to the broader discussion on e -commerce and specifically to the reinvigoration 
of the Work Programme as per the MC12 Decision. We would like to thank the proponents of the 
proposals on the Work Programme on E -Commerce and the moratorium. These proposals will be 
assessed in capital. We also welcome the participation of international  organizations  in the 
discussions. We need to take into account developme nt dimension issues in our discussions and 
welcome continuing the discussions on the four topics that we are already discussing. We are also 
open to discuss new issues such as digital trade facilitation and transfer of technology. We stand 
ready to work co nstructively with Members to move these very important discussions  forward.  
2.349.   The representative of The Gambia  delivered the following statement:  
2.350.   The Gambia congratulates the Facilitator for her leadership and pragmatic approach to 
carrying us all to reinvigorate e -commerce as mandated to us. The Gambia also thanks India for the 
statement on the moratorium and South Africa for the relentless effort in their submission 
(WT/GC/W/875). The Gambia associates itself with the statements made by the LDC Group, the 
African Group and the ACP Group. The Gambia also welcomes the roadmap set forward by the 
Facilitator to include much broader voices, including ac ademia, the private sector, civil society 
organizations and the public sector, as a way forward. Therefore, as part of the inputs to the 
discussion to improve the E -Commerce Work Programme and the moratorium for the benefit of 
developing country Members, T he Gambia would like to add the following points. (i) One of the major 
challenges that developing country Members face is the digital divide. To address this, the WTO 
could work with international organizations  to provide technical assistance, capacity bui lding and 
financing to help these countries develop their e -commerce infrastructure. (ii) Access to technology 
is a prerequisite for e -commerce. The WTO could work with technology companies to provide 
affordable access to technology and promote the develop ment of open -source technology. (iii) 
Developing country Members need to have a workforce equipped with the necessary digital skills to 
participate in the e -commerce economy. The WTO could work with international organizations  to 
provide training programs and technical support that focus on digital literacy.  
2.351.   (iv) Developing country Members may be more vulnerable to cyber threats, and there could 
be concerns about the safety of online transactions. The WTO could work with international 
organizations  to deve lop global standards for data privacy and security to ensure the safety of online 
transactions. (v) The WTO could ensure that the E -Commerce Work Programme is designed to reflect 
the interests of developing country Members. This could include addressing is sues related to 
intellectual property, e -commerce taxation, and digital trade regulations. (vi) The WTO could work 
with international organizations  to address the challenges of cross -border e -commerce, such as 
customs procedures, trade facilitation and log istics. (v) The WTO could work with international 
organizations  to ensure that e -commerce is inclusive and benefits all stakeholders, including small 
and medium -sized enterprises, women entrepreneurs, and marginalized groups. Overall, improving 
the WTO E -Commerce Work Programme and the moratorium on e -commerce will require a 
collaborative effort between the WTO, international organizations , governments and the private 
sector to ensure that the interests of developing countries are taken into account. The Ga mbia looks 
forward to a very viable work programme in the future that we can all embrace.  
2.352.   The representative of Cambodia  provided the following statement18: 
2.353.   We welcome the last Dedicated Discussion  on the e-commerce work programme , which 
discussed the mora torium. Members' information  sharing on this topic was highly informative and 
relevant. For the LDCs, e -commerce and digital economy remains the next frontier . Challenge s, such 
as the hard and soft infrastructure, legal and regulatory framework s, payment s ystems, digital 
literacy and many others would need to be addressed before LDCs can leverage the opportunities of 
e-commerce for development.  
2.354.   Ambassador Usha Dwarka -Canabady (Mauritius), Facilitator for the E -Commerce Work 
Programme  and Moratorium , deliver ed the following statement:  
2.355.   I simply would like to thank all those who had some very kind words today. I just want to 
give reassurance about a couple of things. First and going forward with the work plan and on issues 
 
18 The statement was not delivered at the meeting but subsequently sent to the Secret ariat for inclusion 
in the record.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  that Members have expressed a wish to discuss, it does not mean to say that we will not be 
deepening discussions on other issues as well, but we may not have necessarily Dedicated 
Discussions  for that. The second thing is that there have been proposals about debriefing after IGO 
meetings. I me an there are a lot of other issues at the back that we are not mentioning in a report 
to the Committee, but these are not forgotten. I just wanted to give that assurance to everybody. 
Thank you all for remaining engaged and for so many interventions as wel l. I really appreciate it.  
2.356.   The Chairperson  thanked  all delegations that have intervened and encourage d delegations 
to continue the discussions under the leadership of the Facilitator.   
2.357.   The General Council  took note  of the report of the Facilitator and of the other statements.  
(iii) Paragraph 8 of the Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement – Duration of 
Extended Deadline  
2.358.   The Chairperson  delivered the following statement19: 
2.359.   As you will recall, at MC12, Ministers decided that "No later than six months from the date 
of this Decision, Members will decide on its extension to cover the production and supply of COVID -
19 diagnostics and therapeutics."  At the General Council meeting in March, a common understanding 
emerged, namely: (i) the issue of the duration of the deadline will remain on the General Council 
agenda; (ii) that Members will provide an update on where they stand on their internal processes; 
and (iii) that substantive discussions will continue in the TRIPS Council.  I understand that, at t he 
recent meeting of the TRIPS Council, Members continued discussions on the substance of 
paragraph  8 of the TRIPS Decision, with most delegations reiterating known positions. The TRIPS 
Council Chairperson has since held consultations with individual deleg ations and group coordinators 
to get a better picture of Members' expectation on this and other issues on the Council's agenda. 
The Chairperson is continuing her outreach and will communicate her suggestions for next steps to 
Members soon.  
2.360.   The representati ve of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
2.361.   This is to provide a quick update on where we are with respect to the investigation that we 
requested of the US International Trade Commission. Some background for completeness: on 
16 December 2022 , we asked the US International Trade Commission to launch an investigation into 
COVID -19 diagnostics and therapeutics and to provide information on market dynamics to help 
inform the discussion around supply and demand, price points, and the relationship between testing 
and treating, and production and access. The International Trade Commission issued a notice in our 
Federal Register on 6 February, which contains all of the relevant dates and deadlines for hearings 
and submissions. All of the deadlines for  public input have now passed, but the ITC is still gathering 
input as they deem necessary.  Here is some information on the process so far: The ITC held a public 
hearing on 29 and 30 March. We saw testimony from 61 witnesses, 28 of which were remote. We 
expect that a transcript of the hearing will be made public soon, but that depends on the ITC. My 
team tells me that 77 briefs, statements, and written testimonies that were filed before the hearing 
are publicly available on the USITC website. 5 May was the deadline to submit post -hearing briefs, 
and it looks like 141 were filed as of this morning. These are also publicly available on the USITC 
website. The ITC's report is due to USTR on 17 October 2023. The report will be public.  
2.362.   The representative of Djibou ti, on behalf of the LDC Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
2.363.   The LDC Group, being one of the co -sponsors of the proposal for the Ministerial Decision on 
the TRIPS Agreement, urges Members to find a solution as soon as possible. We understand that 
some delegations are waiting for instructions from their capitals. However, we must bear in mind 
that we are obliged to report to Ministers at MC13.  
2.364.   The representative of Cameroon , on behalf of the African Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
 
19 The Chairperson's statement was subsequently circulated in document JOB/GC/342.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.365.   Our Group r emains disappointed that Members missed the deadline of 17  December  2022, 
which was set by Ministers at MC12 to conclude negotiations on the extension of the TRIPS Decision 
to cover the production and supply of diagnostics and therapeutics. This clearly in dicates a lack of 
commitment of the WTO to adhere to the promises and directives of Ministers. The failure of this 
Organization to timely address critical issues such as this, transcends negative energy to other areas 
of WTO work. The protracted discussion  on response to COVID -19 pandemic diminishes the value of 
the contribution of WTO to the global efforts to address the pandemic holistically. The longer it takes 
to deliver on the extension of the decision to cover production and supply of diagnostics and 
therapeutics, the more the WTO loses credibility. A solution on vaccines only can never be a holistic 
solution to addressing concentration of production on key medical tools for the pandemic.  The Group 
showed great flexibility in agreeing to the extension of six months to continue negotiations. This was 
done in good faith to accommodate the appeal from some members who asked for domestic 
consultations. We urge Members who requested for the extension to finalize their domestic 
consultations, to swiftly agree  on the extension of the MC12 TRIPS Decision to cover therapeutics 
and diagnostics.  In our view, the extension of the MC12 decision is unfinished business from MC12 
and it should not be linked with other issues nor MC13 processes. We call for discussions i n the 
TRIPS Council to commence and the proposed text by co -sponsors of the request must form the 
basis of our discussions going forward. We urge Members to resort to establishing a TRIPS trigger -
ready mechanism to avoid going through such protracted discu ssions during future pandemics.  
2.366.   The representative of Kenya , on behalf of the ACP Group , delivered the following statement:  
2.367.   The ACP Group lends its voice to stress the need to fulfil the agreed mandates and instruction 
of Ministers at MC12 in the TRIPS Wai ver Decision, paragraph 8. This matter, just as all matters with 
Ministerial instructions for reporting by MC13, must be prioriti zed in the work of the General Council.  
2.368.   The representative of South Africa  delivered the following statement:  
2.369.   As the World Health Organization (WHO) declares an end to the public health emergency of 
international concern related to COVID -19, it is important to recognize that the pandemic is not over 
as a global health threat. In  making the recommendation, the International Health Regulations 
Emergency Committee acknowledged that there remain uncertainties posted by potential evolution 
of SARS -CoV-2, they advised that it is time to transition to long -term management of the COVID -
19 pandemic. In this context, it is crucial to continue addressing intellectual property (IP) barriers 
related to COVID -19 diagnostics and therapeutics to address concentration and promote 
diversification of production of these key medical tools. The World Intellectual Property Organization 
(WIPO) Patent Landscape Report of April 2023 highlights the significant IP barriers that still exist, 
which could hinder access to life -saving diagnostics and treatments, particularly in low - and middle -
income countries ( LMICs). The report notes that although there has been a significant increase in 
the number of patent applications related to COVID -19 diagnostics and therapeutics, a majority of 
these applications come from a handful of high -income countries, with only a s mall proportion 
originating from LMICs. It also points to concentration of IP ownership that can limit access to these 
crucial tools where they are needed most. Furthermore, the report highlights the potential for patent 
thickets, where a large number of p atents cover different aspects of a single technology, which can 
lead to high licensing fees and limiting competition. This could result in higher prices for COVID -19 
diagnostics and treatments, making them unaffordable for many people. As argued by the Pe oples 
Vaccine Alliance and Nobel Laureate Prof Joseph Stiglitz when supporting a temporary waiver of IP 
rights related to COVID -19 health products - IP protection for COVID -19 products has been a 
hinderance to global efforts to end the pandemic.  
2.370.   It is clear that addressing these IP barriers is critical to ensuring that COVID -19 diagnostics 
and treatments are accessible to all. Without continued efforts to address these barriers, we risk 
perpetuating the inequalities that COVID -19 has exposed and e xacerbating the devastating social 
and economic consequences of the pandemic. While the declaration of an end to the public health 
emergency of international concern related to COVID -19 is a positive step, and despite the increasing 
population immunity fro m vaccination and infection, the DG of the WHO reminded us – "Last week, 
COVID -19 claimed a life every three minutes – and that 's just the deaths we know about ". Therefore, 
the virus is still killing and changing, and there is a risk of new variants emergi ng that could cause 
new surges in cases and deaths. The need for continued efforts to address IP barriers related to 
COVID -19 products is crucial in ensuring equitable access to life -saving tools. While the GC is 
considering the duration of the deadline, t he TRIPS Council must therefore continue to engage on 
the substance of the extension of the MC12 decision. The way to dedramatize Ministerial Conferences WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  is to deliver on our mandates. We therefore expect conclusion of this issue before MC13. This issue 
was put on a fast -track with a clear deadline and the commitment was to decide within 6 months. 
We want to emphasise that lack of delivery on this has an impact on future compromises that can 
be made. In conclusion, COVID -19 has brought into sharp focus the limitations of past efforts and 
the need for a more ambitious and sustained approach to preparedness. Of concern is that the world 
tends to move on quickly and when a new crisis  takes centre stage, it results in the now familiar 
cycle of "panic and neglect ", especially of the developing countries and the most vulnerable. The 
timing and nature of the next pandemic is unknown,  but it is certain to happen. Hence, a trigger -
ready mechanism is even more urgent.  
2.371.   The representative of Nigeria  delivered the followi ng statement:  
2.372.   We align ourselves with the statements of the African Group and  the ACP Group. The current 
TRIPS waiver Decision of June 2022 is of limited scope as it covers only vaccines. We recall that 
Paragraph 8 of the Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement provides that no later than six 
months from the date of the Decision, Members will decide on its extension to cover the production 
and supply of COVID -19 therapeutics and diagnostics. We are disappointed that substantive work 
has not commenced de spite the consensus achieved during the extension of the deadline for a 
decision to be made by Members. We call on Members to continue their constructive engagements 
with requisite political will to enable us to extend the decision to cover the production and supply of 
COVID -19 diagnostics and therapeutics as soon as possible. This would foster the ramping up of 
production and ensure timely access to these life -saving products by developing countries.  
2.373.   The representative of Argentina  delivered the following statement:  
2.374.   The pandemic revealed inequalities in access to vaccines and medical goods for the diagnosis 
and treatment of COVID -19. The production of diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines continues 
to be concentrated in a few countries. In that regard, we maintain our position, which has already 
been presented at previous General Council meetings. We wish to reiterate how important it is for 
our delegation , in particular, and developing countries in general, to extend the Decision of the 
TRIPS Agreement of June this year to diagnostics and therapeutics, in accordance with the paragraph 
8 mandate.  
2.375.   The representative of Bangladesh  delivered the following statement:  
2.376.   Regarding paragraph 8 of the Ministerial decision on TRIPS Waiver, Bangladesh aligns with 
the statement delivered by the distinguished Ambassador of South Africa on behalf of the Cosponsors 
of 669/Rev.1 and the statement by the LDC Group. We are disappointed that Members could not 
agree within the deadline to follow the good gesture of the Ministe rs on extending the TRIPS Waiver 
decision to cover the COVID -19 diagnostics and therapeutics. In the General Council in December 
2022, the TRIPS Council recommended that the GC would extend the deadline that ended on 17 
December 2022. My delegation earlier  pointed out that the extended deadline must not change the 
MC12 decision and its scope. We cannot ignore the threat of the future pandemics and the necessity 
of affordable and timely access to diagnostics and therapeutics. Therefore, the MC12 decision on 
TRIPS Waiver should be extended to cover therapeutics and diagnostic, as soon as possible.  
2.377.   The representative of Switzerland  delivered the following statement:  
2.378.   Switzerland remains convinced that an extension of the MC12 TRIPS Decision to COVID -19 
therapeu tics and diagnostics is unnecessary and would be counterproductive. Last November, 
together with Mexico, Switzerland submitted facts and figures in communication IP/C/W/693 which 
demonstrate that COVID -19 therapeutics and diagnostics are sufficiently available, and that access 
is not blocked by IP. These trends have since been confirmed, there is a surplus both in products 
and manufacturing capacity. As agreed in the last GC meeting, we can go along with further 
evidence -based discussions on this matter in the TRIPS Council.  
2.379.   The representative of Brazil  delivered the following statement:  
2.380.   Brazil remains fully engaged in the debate on paragraph 8 of the Ministerial Decision on the 
TRIPS Agreement. We urge Members to achieve consensus on this issue as soon as p ossible. We WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  must work constructively on a positive and balanced outcome that provides for enhanced and timely 
access to COVID -19 essential medical goods at affordable prices.  
2.381.   The representative of Indonesia  delivered the following statement:  
2.382.   As always, Ind onesia would like to associate itself with the statement made by South Africa, 
on behalf of the 65 WTO Members co -sponsoring the 669 proposal. We have lived with the COVID -
19 pandemic for more than 3 years. Last week, the WHO has announced that the pandemi c is over. 
However, at the same time, we should not ignore the fact that the number Covid -19 cases continues 
to grow, including in Southeast Asia. The number of COVID -19 cases in Indonesia is showing an 
increasing trend, up to 2,647 daily cases, the highes t since December 2022. COVID -19 deaths are 
also increasing by 184.6  per cent . In this regard, returning to "normal " should not mean forgetting 
the hard lessons learned over the last three years. Indeed, stark inequities in access to life -saving 
countermeas ures unfortunately still persist. While we are discussing about the extension of waiver 
to therapeutics and diagnostics, we also have to be mindful of "when" we will face another serious 
public health threat, not "if". This is why Indonesia strongly believ es that having a trigger ready 
mechanism for future pandemic will be valuable to have in the WTO. We cannot afford to go back to 
square one – in which we need to build and negotiate another proper response while people are 
dying.  
2.383.   The representative of Tanzania delivered the following statement:  
2.384.   My delegation aligns with the statement of the African Group. We join other co -sponsors to 
urge Members to finalise this matter as it was instructed by Ministers during MC12. We have 
repeatedly expressed our position  in previous General Council meetings and registered our 
disappointment with the failure to timely conclude such an important agenda. However, we are 
cognizant of the extension requested by few members for their domestic consultation and hence we 
urge thos e Members to finalize the process and a decision be reached ahead of MC13.  
2.385.   The representative of Samoa , on behalf of the Pacific Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
2.386.   The Pacific Group aligns with the ACP statement. On the TRIPS Waiver, we refer to our  
previous  statement made at the General Council  on this item;  the setback  of not being able to 
conclude on the mandated deadline is disappointing. As mentioned by others, the WHO declared an 
end to the COVID -19 global health emergency last Friday, and yet we have not addressed the need 
to extend the waiver to therapeutics and d iagnostics. Evidently, the issue goes beyond the COVID -
19 pandemic and its variants, we also would need to prepare for the future. The Pacific Group urges 
Members to persist in their commitment to work together earnestly to reach a decision on this. We 
hope that a new deadline will be set for a decision to be made this year, before reporting to Ministers 
at MC13.  
2.387.   The representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following statement:  
2.388.   Right now, it is clear that consensus does not exist and further discu ssion, particularly in the 
TRIPS Council, is required. We welcome the update provided by the U nited States today. We are 
also looking forward to having more substantive engagement with proponents on the other 
submissions that have been put forward in the d iscussion. There are a number of unresolved 
questions and issues, particularly on the scope of the products covered by a potential extension. So , 
we would welcome a clarification from the proponents, on the questions and issues that have been 
raised. We wa nt to make sure we work towards a decision that is underpinned by evidence policy 
making. On that basis, the recent submission by Chinese Taipei could be a starting point for 
discussions.  
2.389.   The representative of the European Union  delivered the following sta tement:  
2.390.   The European Union will continue constructively engaging in the discussions on whether to 
extend the scope of the Decision to COVID -19 therapeutics and diagnostics. These are not easy 
discussions as the situation is complex. Contrary to COVID -19 va ccines, there is no clear definition 
of these products. In addition, there are multiple factors that affect their accessibility and 
affordability. A number of open questions remain, including as regards the adequacy of supply of WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  COVID -19 therapeutics and d iagnostics. The European Union will remain constructively engaged in 
the discussions on this issue.  
2.391.   The representative of Jamaica  delivered the following statement:  
2.392.   The COVID -19 virus continues to grow and a high -level of communicable diseases has made 
millions of people vulnerable to the worst forms of COVID. Paragraph 8 of the Ministerial Decision 
on the TRIPS Agreement has highlighted the very important role that the WTO can play in saving 
lives. It also shows that the WTO can make an important contribut ion to the intellectual property 
regime in responding to global pandemics. At MC12, we were able to achieve an outcome after 
intense negotiations. As we deliberate the expansion of the waiver to cover therapeutics and 
diagnostics, we continue to encourage Members to work constructively to find an amicable solution. 
This we believe instils confidence in the WTO's negotiations and in WTO outcomes.  
2.393.   The representative of Paraguay  delivered the following statement:  
2.394.   Paraguay is following the discussions with int erest and regrets the lack of consensus on 
extending the scope of the Decision. We hope to reach a satisfactory solution as soon as possible. 
Paraguay is in favour of extending the scope of the Decision to cover therapeutics and diagnostics. 
For Members  like us  that are net importers of medical goods with limited local production capacity, 
it is important, in the event of another pandemic, to have an adequate international supply of COVID -
19 vaccines, medicines and diagnostics; markets that remain open and without unnecessary 
distortions; transparency in terms of prices, market conditions and contracts; and effective trade 
facilitation measures to expedite the production and distribution of such goods, and thus avoid loss 
of human life, as we have regrettabl y seen in recent years. Paraguay will monitor the discussions in 
the TRIPS Council closely and will work constructively with Members to reach a negotiated solution, 
bearing in mind the overriding interests of public health and the general well -being of our  peoples.  
2.395.   The representative of Japan  delivered the following statement:  
2.396.   Japan's position is flexible on the duration of the extension, with a view to working toward 
a consensus decision by Members. In considering whether or not the extension of the Minist erial 
Decision should be extended to diagnostics and therapeutics, we need to consider the multifaceted 
impact of intellectual property rights and the TRIPS Agreement on their manufacture and supply. 
Therefore, we believe the discussion should be based on facts and evidence. In this regard, we 
appreciate the communication from Mexico and Switzerland and the discussion paper from Chinese 
Taipei, that were submitted to encourage such discussions. Japan will continue to be constructively 
involved in future dis cussions on this matter.  
2.397.   The representative of Chinese Taipei  delivered the following statement:  
2.398.   Procedurally, since there are certain Members not yet able to engage in substantive 
discussion due to domestic procedure, we agree on the extension of deadline to allow further 
discussions. Substantively, we hope that the current discussion on the possible  extension of the 
MC12 Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement under paragraph 8 to "diagnostics " and 
"therapeutics " could be more focused based on fact and evidence, instead of repetition of positions. 
We believe striking a balance shall be sought bet ween the protection of lives and health on the one 
hand and the protection of intellectual property rights on the other hand.  The WHO Director -General 
has declared on 5 May 2023 that the spread of COVID -19 no longer constitutes a public health 
emergency of  international concern (PHEIC). Although there are still COVID -19 cases, there is a 
good reason for Members to consider whether the requirement of "exceptional circumstances " in the 
MC12 Ministerial Decision, which justifies the need of exempting certain r equirements for compulsory 
licensing for COVID -19 vaccines, can still be met under this new circumstance. At this stage, maybe 
Members should change our focus and start considering long -term public health strategies, instead 
of continuing discussion on the  possible expansion of MC12 TRIPS Decision, which specifically and 
solely addressed COVID -19 related situations.  
2.399.   The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
2.400.   India would like to associate with the statement by South Africa on behalf of th e co-sponsors 
of 669 /Rev.1 and would also like to acknowledge the update given by the United States on this topic. WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  As we hear that WHO has declared that COVID -19 is no longer a public health emergency of 
international concern, but the fact remains that dur ing the last two weeks while we speak here, 
about 1 million cases across the globe have been detected through testing and in tha t 1 million if I 
count the number of cases in India in the last two weeks, there have been around 50 to 60,000 
cases. So, it is not that locally in different regions or different jurisdictions, this virus has gone. What 
is needed is to ramp up testing, which is through diagnostics and treat vulnerable patients 
adequately and timely. So, therefore this proposal remains relevant , and I do hope that we should 
have some decision as an outcome way before MC13, once the internal discussion is over. In the 
meanwhile, we are willing as co -sponsor of 669 /Rev.1 to engage with Members, as we suggested in 
our discussions with the TRIPS Council Chair, to call us in formal or informal set up for technical 
discussions. As co -sponsors , we are able to convince those who are not yet convinced.  
2.401.   The Director -General  delivered the following statement:  
2.402.   I just wanted to say that, from the vantage point of having been a co -chair of the high -level 
panel convened by the G20 on how to finance pandemic preparedness, what the DG WHO said about 
the world not being prepared is true. We have not learned the lessons of what has happened during 
this pandemic and the w orld has not built a new resilience to the next pandemic. That is the fact. 
So, it is just something for us to reflect on. The behaviour that we saw during the pandemic of export 
restrictions on inputs and outputs so that certain countries did not have acc ess, we have not done 
anything to really correct that - except for vaccines. So, I would like the Members in the TRIPS 
Council to come together and discuss the best way to handle this situation so that this Organisation 
is not seen as again being behind th e curve in terms of trying to solve one of the world's biggest 
potential problems.  
2.403.   The General Council took note  of my statement and of the statements made . 
2.404.   The Chairperson  delivered the following statement20: 
2.405.   Before we bring this sub -item to a close, let me now say a few words on other follow -up 
issues from MC12, apart from WTO reform. On the MC12 Ministerial Declaration on the WTO 
Response to the Pandemic and Preparedness to Future Pandemics, I learned that at the April meeting 
of the Committee  on Trade and Development, several delegations shared ideas on possible work 
that could be undertaken by the Committee. I also understand that the Council for Trade in Services 
agreed to organize a series of informal information -sharing sessions on the tra de impact of COVID -
19 and the trade -facilitative measures introduced by Members to respond to the pandemic. The 
sessions will address transport and logistics services; health services; tourism services; and ICT and 
digitally delivered services.  
2.406.   Pursuant to  the MC12 Declaration on the Emergency Response to Food Insecurity, the 
Committee on Agriculture established a work programme and a related working group to consider 
food security concerns of least -developed and net food -importing developing countries. I u nderstand 
that the Working Group has organized dedicated discussions on several elements of the work 
programme, as well as two thematic workshops on (i) agricultural financing and (ii) productivity and 
resilience. Members are also reviewing their responses  to a Questionnaire on food security needs 
and challenges of LDCs and NFIDCs.  
2.407.   Regarding the MC12 Decision on Non -Violation and Situation Complaints under the TRIPS 
Agreement, Members have discussed the issue of scope and modalities for such complaints at the 
recent meeting of the Council for TRIPS without any movement in Members' positions. In the TRIPS 
Council Chairperson's subsequent consultations on the matter, she explored how the Council could 
return to a substantive discussion of the issue.  
 
20 The Chairperson's statement was subsequently circulated in document JOB/GC/342.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  B. BUENO S AIRES (MC11), NAIROBI (MC10), AND BALI (MC9)  
2.408.   The Chairperson  delivered the following statement21: 
2.409.   This sub -item relates to the follow -up to outcomes of Ministerial Conferences - "Buenos Aires 
(MC11), Nairobi (MC10) and Bali (MC9)". In this regard, I will  only focus on areas where there are 
new developments to report since the previous meeting of the General Council.  
2.410.   On the implementation of the Bali Ministerial Decision on Public Stockholding for Food 
Security purposes, the Committee on Agriculture conti nued its examination of the information 
notified by a developing Member that has invoked the Decision upon exceeding the de minimis  level 
for rice for three consecutive years starting in 2018/19. A further domestic support notification for 
2021/22 was rece ived from the same Member invoking the Bali peace clause – which will be reviewed 
at the next CoA meeting.  
2.411.   Regarding the LDCs Services Waiver, a Secretariat -prepared methodological Note on how 
LDC services trade statistics could be improved was discussed b y the Council for Trade in Services 
in March. The Council agreed that the Secretariat would organize a one -day workshop to explore the 
contours of a data improvement project. The Chair also informed me that Members are keen to 
pursue the MC12 -mandated work  to operationalize the LDC waiver and  look forward to the LDC 
Group submission.  
2.412.   Moving on to  Aid for Trade, work is underway to implement the new work programme 
entitled "Partnerships for food security, digital connectivity and main -streaming trade". In Ap ril, the 
CTD met in informal session to review the monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the Aid for 
Trade Initiative. A workshop on "Aid for Trade in support of boosting agricultural production and 
agribusiness, food security, livelihoods and trade" wil l be held this Thursday. Preparations are also 
being made to organize an event on south -south cooperation.  
2.413.   The representative of Cameroon , on behalf of the African Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
2.414.   We believe that it is crucial that we maintain thi s agenda item, as it allows for the 
membership to reflect on whether the WTO is fulfilling Ministerial mandates. Unfortunately, the 
WTO's inability to implement agreed decisions and mandates remains a significant concern, 
contributing to the inequity we ob serve in benefits from the multilateral trading system. The ongoing 
COVID -19 pandemic and the resulting food crisis have further exacerbated this issue, underscoring 
the need to deliver on the mandate outlined in Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture.  This 
includes concluding the outstanding work on disciplines related to trade -distorting domestic support, 
a permanent solution on Public Stockholding (PSH), and disciplines on cotton and Special Safeguard 
Mechanism (SSM). We emphasize that the delivery o n the outstanding Doha Development Agenda 
(DDA) issues is critical if the WTO is to fulfil its development mandate. Therefore, we urge Members 
to prioritize the fulfilment of outstanding Ministerial mandates.  
2.415.   The delegation of Cambodia  delivered  the follo wing statement22: 
2.416.   My delegation aligns itself with the statement by the LDC Group. My delegation would like 
to comment on implementing specific LDC  issues from past Ministerial Conferences, including MC12. 
We recognize the progress in the discussion on the operationalization of the LDCs services waiver, 
such as the initiative to improve LDC services export data. This is a step in the right direction for 
the LDCs to benefit from the full integration into the global services trade and for promoting 
'servi cification' of the economy in the LDCs.  We took note that discussion also took place on how to 
improve the simplification of the preferential rules of  origin to allow better market access by LDCs. 
However, some LDC issues are yet to be resolved as follow ups to the MC12, which include the 
annual review of DFQF market access and the smooth transition of members graduating from LDC.  
 
21 The Chairperson's statement was subsequently circulated in document JOB/GC/342 . 
22 The statement was not delivered at the meeting but subsequently sent to the Secretariat for inclusion 
in the record.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  2.417.   The representative of  South Africa  delivered the following statement:  
2.418.   The rising food insecurity emphasizes the need deliver on food security and livelihoods 
aspects of the outstanding Ministerial mandates including PSH, SSM, cotton and disciplines on 
agriculture subsidies. Th e outstanding DDA issues remains critical if the WTO is to deliver on the 
development mandate. We therefore urge the Members to prioritize the fulfilment of outstanding 
Ministerial mandates, including the G90 ASPs. We welcome the work programme on NFIDCs a nd we 
hope we will deliver tangible outcomes for NFIDCs. We request the Secretariat to prepare a report 
on all the outstanding Ministerial mandates by July 2023.  
2.419.   The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
2.420.   Let me repeat what we said earlier that the credibility of the organization is judged not only 
on taking decision, but also delivering on past decisions. So therefore, we had requested earlier and 
we request again today that the compilation of all outstanding decisions of our Ministers should be 
brought before the General Council by the Secretariat, so that we are able to track those decisions 
and take necessary actions. We also repeat that ignoring past decisions does no t add to the 
credibility of the organization. We understand that all incumbents have this zeal to show progress 
during their time period . But the credibility of the organization also depends on how we have behaved 
on the predecessors' decisions. It is said  in the WTO that the gestation period for any decision is 
pretty long, but ten years even by WTO standards, is way too long and it  has been ten years since 
the Ministers provided the Bali decision on the Permanent Solution to PSH. And it is also ironic tha t 
in times such as now, where every meeting room in the WTO and the other IO's are beaming with 
the discussion on food security, how to achieve it, and the issues involved in it when we really need 
to deliver, we are falling short in achieving the permanen t solution to the PSH that includes new 
programs and new products. The food security of communities, societies and nations was never 
more critical than now, mainly due to recent developments. In such a situation, any new approach 
that does not consider the  centrality of a Permanent Solution to PSH in the agriculture negotiations 
will be futile. Hence, we have suggested starting with JOB/AG/229 on a permanent solution for public 
stockholding, a joint proposal of three large groups accounting for more than 80  Members.  
2.421.   Some Members have said that PSH is one of the solutions to ensure food security and is not 
the only solution. We agree. We never said it was the only solution. In the same breath, we are 
saying Free Trade is not the only solution for food securi ty; free trade is one of the solutions, along 
with domestic production. However, if one were to push this argument further, we would like to say 
there is enough evidence of how PSH programmes have avoided starvation and provided food 
security to the needy and the vulnerable during crises. In fact, during the past two year's crisis, PSH 
had successfully provided food to the entire Indian population. The major agriculture exporters had 
a huge task to rise to the occasion and meet food security challenges in t he current crisis; their 
performance was certainly not perfect, even with their best endeavours. The design and 
implementation of PSH in India have helped India maintain food security for 1.4 bn Indian people 
during a crisis period of the last two years, p articularly. Therefore, rather than indulging in a 
theoretical debate, we may acknowledge a successful model and help countries implement their 
respective successful models without creating unnecessary barriers and pushing them into lengthy 
debates for yea rs. I only want to remind this house that we often hear that we need to be fit for 
purpose and we need to have an institution for 21st century. But at the same time keep on 
implementing External Reference Price of 1986 -88 vintage for calculation of subsidy  and bringing 
out false narrative. this is ironical that for public stockholding food security purposes, the ask from 
non-proponents or opponents is that that the farmers of my country sell 100 kg of rice at USD 3 and 
100 kg of wheat at USD 4. By pushing t his kind of argument, I think we are making more fun of 
ourselves and we are making ourselves completely irresponsible.  
2.422.   From now on, we should first address the mandated issues on priority before the other 
elements of Agriculture are taken up. In fact, we should find the solution to the Ministerial mandated 
issues of PSH and SSM and adopt them at the GC level, as we did in 2014, instead of waiting for the 
next Ministerial Conference. This would be in line with the sentiment expressed in the room about 
dedra matizing the Ministerial Conferences. Let me repeat that our priority remains Agriculture, which 
is the previous mandate of our Ministers. We had mentioned it in the last three CoA SS meetings 
and the two TNC meetings to start the text -based negotiations, particularly on the PSH. While we 
wait for that process to begin, we immensely thank the Chair for his initiative in conducting the 
thematic sessions in the Food Security and Domestic Support on 29 and 30 of March 2023 and on 
Market Access and Export Restr ictions on 2 May 2023. These Thematic sessions are very productive WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  and have dispelled many of the myths that have been deliberately woven around the legitimate 
issues of concerns and demands of the developing countries through false narrative creation. We 
also thank the Chair for respecting the Ministerial Mandate of Nairobi and conducting the Dedicated 
Sessions of PSH and SSM on 30  March  2023 and 3 May 2023.  
2.423.   The representative of Pakistan  delivered the following statement:  
2.424.   Pakistan would like to express ur gency and disappointment as implementation of mandates 
from these Ministerials is still lacking. As we have raised several times in our previous statements 
under this agenda item , developmental issues can no longer be ignored as the modern 
post-pandemic an d conflict -ridden world is pushing several developing country Members and LDC 
Members to a brink where the goals of Marrakesh Agreement i.e., livelihoods, standard of living and 
developmental prospects of people in developing country Members are not just l eft unaddressed but 
are diminishing.  Delay in addressing such important mandates will inadvertently breed mistrust vis-
à-vis the multilateral system. Pakistan will reiterate, as we stated in the last General Council meeting  
as well that: ( i) unfulfilled ma ndates and unimplemented decisions of all Ministerial Conferences may 
be compiled and ( ii) it be highlighted as to what extent have those mandates been addressed or 
remain unaddressed to date . (iii) This is important to be done for development mandates, tr ansfer 
of technology mandates , etc.  (iv) These mandates must be reflected in the agendas of respective 
committees and work in this direction may be made priority.  
2.425.   The representative of Djibouti , on behalf of the LDC Group , delivered the following 
statemen t: 
2.426.   The LDC Group commends those Members who have made efforts to implement the Buenos 
Aires, Nairobi and Bali decisions in favour of LDCs. We are preparing our own interventions toward 
the expectations for MC13.  
2.427.   The representative of Paraguay  delivered th e following statement:  
2.428.   Allow me to recall some of the points we already raised in the Trade Negotiations  Committee  
regarding implementation of some of the mandates of the Bali and Nairobi Ministerial Conferences 
related to agriculture negotiations.  A negotiation that serves the interests of only one side and does 
not take into account the red lines of the other is not viable, from our perspective. The basis of such 
negotiations cannot be a text that is completely unbalanced and which, in its revised ve rsions, 
instead of finding a middle way, adopted a radical stance.  A negotiation that detracts from its 
objectives rather than advancing them is not conducive to results. Our compass must be the 
fundamental objective of the Agreement on Agriculture, enshri ned in Article 20, which stipulates 
reform.  While we are not opposed to an outcome that contains a permanent solution to public 
stockholding for food security purposes, an outcome that only offers solutions to this issue without 
addressing the priorities o f other Members is not a balanced outcome that is conducive to reaching 
a consensus. This is not an opinion . It is a fact. We saw this already at MC11 and MC12.  My delegation 
is ready to negotiate a package that takes into account all the interests of the Members, including 
but not exclusively those of PSH applicants, and thus achieve the consensus needed for its approval.  
A review of the fixed external reference price is not merely a technical matter, and that its possible 
review if delinked from substanti al progressive reductions of protection and support is by definition 
a step backwards, since it would give Members more leeway to use the most trade -distorting kind 
of domestic support, namely price support, which is also one of the most environmentally da maging.  
Any discussion on updating it should only be possible in a broad context of reform, where the 
reduction commitments that we collectively made under Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture 
are implemented.  
2.429.   The representative of Indonesia  delivere d the following statement:  
2.430.   As we are working towards MC13 next year, and while we continue on the implementation 
of MC12, we should not forget about our remaining homework from Bali and Nairobi Ministerial 
Decisions. We should not allow the same situation to repeat again and again. We should not miss 
another deadline. If we want to streamline this agenda and to be efficient in our work, we have to 
focus on our priority and remain committed to complete our existing homework in implementing the 
outcomes from Bali and Nairobi. We must adhere to mandates that we have agreed on by consensus. 
We also have to work towards achieving outcomes and solution, where agriculture continue to WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  remain Indonesia's priority agenda, where we have repeatedly the missed the deadli ne. In this 
regard, resolving our homework on achieving a permanent solution on PSH and SSM should continue 
to be in our agenda for the next Ministerial Conference. Therefore, we continue reiterate our 
commitment to work on the joint proposal on PSH JOB/AG /229 to be the basis of our negotiation on 
PSH. We should not excuse ourselves for not having enough time, while at the same time continue 
to resist a proposal that have been carefully drafted by three large Groups. Indonesia is cognizant 
of new challenges  and is open to new ideas but  starting from scratch and ignore existing mandates 
and proposal is not an option. If we want agriculture reform, we should fix the historical imbalances. 
The Agreement on Agriculture itself is not perfect and may not be releva nt with the current 
development and challenges.  
2.431.   On the issues of fisheries subsidies, while we listen to delegates during the small group 
meetings at the second fish week, Indonesia is mindful that the views and positions are as divergent 
as prior to MC12.  However, Indonesia remains positive with the efforts of some members to think 
outside the box and provide alternative solutions. Indonesia will review such proposals. As the 
biggest archipelagic country in the world, Indonesia fully understands the import ance of the ocean 
as a source of livelihood and life for coastal communities as well as its role as environmental buffer. 
With that in mind, we are of the view that any efforts to support sustainability should not be 
conducted on the expense of developing countries and LDCs that provide subsidies to support their 
small, artisanal fisher, fishing along the national territory, or those who do not have enough 
resources and capacity to ensure sustainability of their fish stocks. On the other hand, those who 
have historically contributed to the overcapacity and overfishing must bear the biggest responsibility 
in disciplining their harmful subsidy.  
2.432.   The representative of Brazil  delivered the following statement:  
2.433.   Moving the WTO forward implies the need to address no t only new issues, but also those 
long standing and pressing questions in the international trade agenda. And as we discuss how to 
make the WTO fit for purpose to face global crises, agriculture reform remains a missing link in the 
overall balance of the W TO framework. We have a mandate that precedes our mandate, the legally 
binding Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture for eliminating market and production distorting 
agricultural subsidies. Delivering on this mandate is one of the most effective ways to properly 
address global food security in the long term.  
2.434.   The representative of China  delivered the following statement:  
2.435.   China takes the floor to express our concern on the implementation of long -standing 
mandated issues of the previous Ministerial Decis ions, including the permanent solution on PSH, 
SSM and cotton, as they are directly related to the food security and livelihood of small -scale farmers 
in developing country Members and LDC Members. It was a regret that WTO Members failed to make 
any substa ntive progress at the MC12 on the mandated issues, while the world, especially developing 
members are facing growing food security challenges. We are encouraged by most of the WTO 
Members stressing the importance and necessity of the MC13 food security pac kage in various 
configuration of WTO meetings. We therefore call on all Members to work closely to find reasonable 
solutions on existing mandates, following the example of TRQ outcome last March. We also urge 
Members to show sympathy on human life by worki ng constructively on the Paragraph 8 of the MC12 
food security Ministerial Declaration to reach a practical work programme by MC13 based on the real 
need of LDCs and NFIDCs.  
2.436.   The General Council took note  of the Chairperson's report and of all the statement s made.  
3  WORK  PROGRAMME ON SMALL ECONOMIES – REPORT BY THE CHAIR OF THE 
DEDICATED SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT  
3.1.  The Chairperson  recalled that, in accordance with the agreement in the General Council in 
2002, the Work Programme on Small E conomies was a standing item on the agenda and the 
Committee on Trade and Development reported regularly on the progress of work in its Dedicated 
Sessions. At MC12, Ministers had reaffirmed their commitment to the Work Programme and 
instructed the CTD to c ontinue its work in Dedicated Sessions under the overall responsibility of the 
General Council. She invited Ambassador José Sánchez -Fung of the Dominican Republic, Chairperson 
of the CTD, to provide an update of the ongoing work in the Committee.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  3.2.  Ambassado r José Sánchez -Fung (Dominican Republic ), Chair of the C ommittee on Trade and 
Development , delivered the following statement:  
3.3.  I would like to recall the Decision taken by Ministers at MC12 on the Work Programme on Small 
Economies, which is found in documen t WT/MIN(22)/25 - WT/L/1136. The Ministerial Decision 
contains, inter alia , a reaffirmation of Members' commitment at Ministerial level to the Work 
Programme on Small Economies. Note is taken of all the work conducted to date, and the CTD is 
instructed to continue its work in the Dedicated Session on Small Economies under the overall 
responsibility of the General Council. The Dedicated Session is to 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 
into the multilateral trading system. In terms of future work in the Dedicated Session, the Decision 
instructs the WTO Secretaria t to provide relevant information and factual analysis for discussion 
among Members on the topic of "integrating small economies into the post COVID -19 economy: 
effects of the pandemic, challenges and opportunities."  
3.4.  It was reported at the last General Cou ncil meeting that a Secretariat background document 
on this topic was circulated on 14 February. The background document – which is based on an 
outline that was proposed last year by the SVE Group and agreed in the Dedicated Session – is 
substantive and st atistical in nature. Using the members of the SVE Group as the basis for the 
statistical analysis, the paper looks at small economies' trends in merchandise and services trade, 
the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic on small economies' trade, and the challen ges and 
opportunities in the post COVID -19 recovery phase. An annex contains data on small economies' 
economic and trade profiles. I am pleased to further report that a meeting of the Dedicated Session 
was convened on 30  March to allow Members to begin dis cussions on the mandated topic, on the 
basis of the background document by the Secretariat. I believe that this was a useful meeting, with 
many substantive contributions by delegations. Members of the SVE Group highlighted the 
challenges their economies ha ve faced since the crisis caused by the COVID -19 pandemic – as well 
as subsequent crises – which have exacerbated many longstanding difficulties and vulnerabilities. 
Other Members also participated actively in the discussion, making comments and suggestion s of 
their own based on the Secretariat paper.  
3.5.  Ideas were additionally shared by delegations about what the next steps could be to take the 
work forward in the Dedicated Session. For example, it was suggested that thematic discussions 
could be organized ba sed on the different sections of the Secretariat paper. Experience -sharing by 
members of the SVE Group was another idea put forward. Several delegations also wished to hear 
from other international organizations working on relevant issues. Overall, there w as broad 
agreement among Members to continue deepening the discussions on the mandated topic. The 
willingness demonstrated by Members to continue to engage under the Work Programme on Small 
Economies is indeed very encouraging. I am currently considering h ow best to take forward the 
discussions in the Dedicated Session and will be maintaining contact with Members on this matter.  
I take this opportunity to encourage all Members to participate actively in the discussions that will 
take place in the Dedicated  Session. I also call on all Members to continue to engage in order to 
frame responses to the trade -related issues identified for the fuller integration of SVEs into the 
multilateral trading system.  
3.6.  The representative of Guatemala , on behalf of the SVEs , delivered the following statement:  
3.7.  The SVE  Group would like to thank the Chair of the CTD for his report on the progress of the 
work of the Dedicated Session, as well as the Secretariat for producing the background document 
contained in WT/COMTD/SE/W/45. We had a first round of discussions based o n this document on 
30 March and Members recognized its value, as it outlines the specific challenges and opportunities 
that SVEs face in the current global context, as well as the particularly strong effects of the COVID -
19 pandemic on their economies. The  document also identifies potential opportunities, including 
taking advantage of the acceleration of digitalization, the importance of maintaining competitiveness 
and the diversification of tourism; to counter the high dependency on commodities, the limite d 
export products, and markets, among others. As mentioned during the meeting, it is in the interest 
of the Group to deepen the discussions on this paper, including through thematic sessions, and that 
Members share their experiences, so that we could also identify ways in which WTO can contribute 
to overcoming the challenges identified.  We hope that proponents, as well as other WTO Members 
and International Organizations, such as UNCTAD, ITC and others, participate actively in these 
thematic sessions and b ring their perspectives and studies into our discussions, with a view to finding WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  ways to help SVEs integrate more fully today's new international trade challenges and in the future 
SVEs will face. Indeed, the SVE Group looks forward to continuing its discu ssions to understand how 
to manage the integration of SVEs after the COVID -19 pandemic, and to look towards on the 
challenges and the opportunities to future international trade trends.  
3.8.  The representative of Cameroon , on behalf of the African Group , delive red the following 
statement:  
3.9.  We acknowledge the report, and we applaud the Chair's unwavering dedication that resulted 
in progress in this area during MC12. It is our belief that the WTO multilateral trading system and 
regulatory role should factor in the distinctive requirements and conditions of all Members, 
particularly small economies in Africa. In light of this, we appreciate the Work Programme on Small 
Economies and pledge our continued participation in the CTD to promote productive dialogue on this 
crucial subject, incorporating relevant economic data.  
3.10.  The representative of Antigua and Barbuda , on behalf of the OECS , delivered the following 
statement:  
3.11.  We associate with the statements on behalf of the CARICOM and the SVE  Groups. At the last 
General Cou ncil meeting , we offered some preliminary observations on the Secretariat's background 
note. It is rich with useful data and analysis and paints an accurate picture of the extant challenges 
facing small vulnerable economies. We would like to see some concr ete action to take this work to 
another level. In this regard, we support the call of the SVEs Group to convene thematic sessions, 
inclusive of Members' sharing of experiences. We support the involvement of relevant international 
organisations in such sess ions, including regional organisations such as the Caribbean Development 
Bank and the Inter -American Development Bank which are active in our part of the world. Similar 
organizations in Africa, Asia and elsewhere should also be considered.  Our stakeholders  have 
expressed a particular interest in further discussing, in a detailed way, the challenges and 
opportunities identified in Chapter five of the background note. Here, we see scope to further 
elaborate on how to achieve some of the recommendations made, including the role that the WTO 
and WTO rules can play in this regard. For example, the background note eloquently states that 
"SVEs could fast track the adoption of frontier technologies, both on the business and consumer 
side, with the goal of making dig ital access as inclusive as possible. " Further thematic sessions, 
including relevant external entities, could help in deepening the discussion on these types of 
suggestions with a view to ensuring that the Background Note becomes something actionable.  We 
also suggest that the Background Note be updated periodically and that some kind of metric be 
developed to track the performance of SVEs. We will continue to engage constructively on this 
subject.  
3.12.  The representative of Trinidad and Tobago  delivered the fol lowing statement:  
3.13.  We align with the CARICOM and SVE Group statements on this item. We thank the Secretariat 
once again for the preparation of the background note entitled ''Integrating Small Economies into 
the Post COVID -19 Economy: Effects of the Pandemic , Challenges and Opportunities'' and for the 
presentation of that document during the Forty -fourth Dedicated Session on Small Economies held 
on 30 March. For us, the discussion in March was an encouraging start to our dialogue on this 
document, which we be lieve provides useful data and insights on the impacts of the pandemic and 
today's multidimensional crises on our small economies. We look forward to deepening our 
discussion through additional Dedicated Sessions in the period ahead, including in concert w ith 
relevant international organizations.  We continue to review the document in detail, and we invite 
the wider membership to do so as well. The background note concretises in statistical detail the 
ways in which the well -known challenges relating to effec tive integration of SVEs into the multilateral 
trading system were further compounded in the context of the pandemic. Despite some measure of 
recovery in our services and good exports, this recovery is by and large uneven and fragile given 
our turbulent gl obal context and continuing susceptibility to exogenous shocks. Vulnerabilities persist 
relating to narrow production bases, limited success of diversification and structural transformation 
efforts, high dependence on food imports and susceptibility to the  deleterious impacts of climate 
change and natural disasters. In view of this, and because the background note provides useful 
facts, figures and observations to inform our deliberations, we consider it important for pertinent 
elements from the note to be brought to bear in our deliberations and negotiations in this house, 
both in the lead up to MC13 and beyond.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  3.14.  The representative of Maldives  delivered the following statement:  
3.15.  Maldives thanks the Chair of Committee on Trade and Development for the update pr ovided 
to the General Council  on the progress of the work of the Dedicated Session on Small and Vulnerable 
Economies. We would also like to extend our support to the statement delivered by Guatemala for 
the details provided as the Chair of the SVEs to adva nce the discussion on the diversification of trade 
in Small and Vulnerable Economies. Maldives as a small and vulnerable economy welcomes the 
development of the background document WT/COMTD/SE/W/45 which outlines the specific 
challenges and opportunities t hat SVEs face in the current global context, including the negative 
impacts of the COVID -19 pandemic on our economies. Maldives like other SVEs are vulnerable to 
climate change and sea level rise. We have highly open economies which affects global trade, 
financial volatility and economic downturns. We are extremely vulnerable to exogenous shocks, 
therefore, understanding the effects of COVID -19 on small economies particularly related to 
international trade and market access is paramount for preserving socio -economic well -being and 
stability of Small Island Developing States. We look forward to further discussions on digitalization 
of small economies to maintain international competitiveness, diversification of tourism industries 
and expansion of markets for exports. The Maldives is committed to contribute to these discussions 
to promote sustainable trade opportunities for SVEs.  
3.16.  The representative of Mauritius  delivered the following statement:  
3.17.  Mauritius aligns itself with the statements by Cameroon and Guatem ala. The pandemic and 
other global challenges including geopolitical instability have highlighted the difficulties faced by 
SVEs and how their situations are further aggravated. Already, the have so many inherent 
constraints whether geographical isolation,  small domestic markets, lack of comparative advantages, 
exposure to external economic shocks and limited resource endowments. Their participation in global 
exports which, prior to the pandemic, was already low at 0.2  per cent  for merchandize trade and 
1.4 per cent  for services, has dwindled even further. What is even more worrying, is that while many 
countries are on a recovery path, the business climate in 2022 has not been favourable for FDI flows 
to reboot the growth of SVEs. In addition, most SVEs are also net importing developing countries 
and net importers of raw materials. They are, therefore, impacted by export restrictions on any 
products and commodities. We reiterate our call not to apply export restrictions on SVEs and look 
forward to an early co nclusion to negotiations on paragraph 8 on emergency responses to food 
security. In the discussion on small economies, we would welcome the participation of agencies like 
UNCTAD, the ITC, ITU and WIPO but also other agencies like the Commonwealth Secretari at which 
has a long history in dealing with issues related to small economies and small island developing 
states. We believe it  is important to have their presence. The discussion held in March was a 
significant step towards streamlining the challenges fac ing SVEs , as well as opportunities available , 
and for the multilateral trading system to pay more attention to these countries.  
3.18.  The representative of Ecuador  delivered the following statement:  
3.19.  I would like to express my appreciation for the report  by the Chair of the Committee on Trade 
and Development. Ecuador associates itself with the statement made by Guatemala. I would also 
like to join others in acknowledging and welcoming the comprehensive report prepared by the 
Secretariat. As the focal point for ag ricultural issues in the Small, Vulnerable Economies Group, my 
delegation would like to draw Members' attention to the need to take into account, in our 
Organization's work, the particular vulnerabilities faced by these countries in their agricultural 
sectors due to the size of their economies, the size and characteristics of their territory and/or the 
extent of their participation in international trade. Natural disasters and climate change undermine 
agricultural production and destroy the infrastructure t hat enables trade. These extreme events 
often have serious social and political repercussions, as they lead to forced displacement from the 
countryside to urban areas, leaving thousands of people homeless and without any source of 
livelihood. While the ris k is even greater for countries with economies that rely on agriculture as 
their main productive activity, sectors such as services, agricultural goods production, food security 
and public health are also affected. This year, one issue is of particular con cern to us. Scientific 
reports suggest that it is highly likely that the El Niño phenomenon, which will begin to manifest 
itself in just a few months' time, will be more severe in 2023 and affect dozens of countries, several 
of which are part of our Group.  We trust that the SVE perspective as regards trade and production 
will continue to be considered in the relevant work of our Organization. We agree that special 
thematic sessions should be organized and that there should be coordination with other multila teral WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  bodies so as to ensure a comprehensive overview of the situations affecting small, vulnerable 
economies.  
3.20.  The representative of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
3.21.  The European Union would like to thank the Chair of the Committee on  Trade and 
Development for his report. We would also like to thank again the WTO Secretariat for providing a 
very substantive background note. I would also congratulate the outgoing Chair of the Committee 
on Trade and Development for piloting the first dis cussion on this study that took place at the 
Dedicated Session on Small Economies on 30 March. The discussion revealed that the variety of 
impacts in different countries and sectors reflects the diversity of the group of small, vulnerable 
economies. The ba ckground note suggests that small economies have certain opportunities. The 
note also indicates challenges, both structural ones, and strong environmental and inflationary 
pressures, including the impacts of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. G iven the 
important impact of COVID overall, we would welcome further work and discussions at the dedicated 
session. This would include contributions from small -economy Members having different 
socioeconomic profiles, but also other WTO Members facing simil ar challenges, other international 
organisations, outside experts and private -sector representatives, as appropriate.  
3.22.  The representative of Barbados , on behalf of CARICOM , delivered the following statement:  
3.23.  We support the statement from Guatemala. We thank  the CTD Chair for his report and 
commend the hard work of the Secretariat in producing this important background note, which 
presents excellent statistical analysis of the contribution of trade to the economies of the 32 SVEs 
countries. More importantly, this report is invaluable in providing important context regarding 
challenges and disparities relating to the contribution of SVEs to global trade.  In 2023 , there is more 
of a reason than ever before to have a SVEs Dedicated Session, and a standing agenda item on 
small economies at the General Council . If there were any doubts remaining, I would highly suggest 
taking a look at this excellent Secretariat study. This document goes a long way in answering the 
request that we need to be more precise in setting out our needs and on the intersection of our 
vulnerabilities. The very nature of structural constraints is that they are endemic, pervasive and 
persistent. The Secretariat paper reaffirms this. We encourage the membership to engage with the 
background note and to allow it to inform our deliberations and negotiations in the various areas of 
WTO work in the lead -up to MC13 and beyond.  
3.24.  The Secretariat's report highlights that, despite comprising 16.5 per cent of all UN recognized 
nations and 18.9 per cent of the WTO membership, SVEs are still limited in our ability to contribute 
to global trade in a substantial way due to various constraints. In 2021, SVEs were estimated to 
have contributed: 0.71 per cent of global merchandise exports; and 0.97 per cent of global 
commercial service exports. SVEs experienced, on average, 7.2 per cent annual inflation in 2021, 
up from an average of 2.0 per cent pre -pandemic in 2019. FDI inflows contracted to 1.2 per cent of 
global totals in 2021 from 1.4 per cent in 2019. This data suggests much work lies ahead to ensure 
our eff ective integration into the multilateral trading system. We have asked that the secretariat 
undertake a simple updating of this paper annually so that we have at hand the latest data.  We are 
reflecting on the suggestions outlined by the Secretariat and hig hlight here two of these suggestions: 
on the recommendation relating to diversification of our tourism product into niche areas such as 
eco-tourism and wildlife tourism. We are acutely aware of the impact that COVID -19 and climate 
change has had and contin ues to have on our tourism sector. We therefore recognize the need to 
diversify our economies to high value -added sectors, more resilient to these types of shocks. It is 
also important to highlight the challenge of building resilience in our tourism sector s in the face of 
climate -related disasters which are increasing in strength. Digital trade and ecommerce present real 
opportunities for SVEs, particularly those in CARICOM to expand their contribution to global value 
chains and digital trade ecosystem.  
3.25.  For this to happen however, we must bridge the digital divide gaps in the CARICOM Region, 
including through the provision of technical cooperation to complete e -readiness assessments and 
ecommerce strategies which can serve as the backbone to our diversifica tion efforts. We look forward 
to unpacking the elements of this paper in future sessions and ramping up, not just information and 
experience sharing but looking for solutions that are scalable and doing this in partnership with the 
WTO sister Organisations - many of whom like UNCTAD and ITC are developing specific SIDS 
strategies and platforms which can support the WTO SVES work programme. Going forward our 
discussions should examine key elements, such as increased trade related to the blue and green WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  economy , and the lowering of barriers to our meaningful participation in global digital trade. In 
closing, we hope that this instance of sensitisation of the membership brings focus and impetus to 
our work on better integration of SVEs into the multilateral tradi ng system, particularly in a post 
COVID -19 global economy.  
3.26.  The representative of Jamaica  delivered the following statement:  
3.27.  We align ourselves with the statement delivered by CARICOM and the SVE Group. This topic 
is one of Jamaica's priorities in the WTO. We continue to follow the Secretariat's background note 
which we find extremely useful. We urge Chairs of Negotiating Groups to familiarize themselves with 
this document. We also invite Members to study the document and reflect on its content during 
engage ments and in preparation of WTO submissions across WTO bodies.  We call on the WTO to 
collaborate with other international organizations, including international financial institutions, on 
the implementation of the work programme. For the current work progr amme, we hope that we can 
have detailed and structured discussions on the various elements of the background document. We 
hope that these discussions will touch in detail on a number of critical issues which we are 
preoccupied with back in Capital. These i ssues include:  (i) understanding the extent of the impact 
of the pandemic on the trade performance of small economies, particularly in sectors such as tourism 
and education services which we all know were disproportionately affected by the pandemic; (ii) 
looking at good practices for building resilient systems and trade policies to respond to impacts such 
as those emanating from the pandemic as well as shocks such as natural disasters and impact of 
climate change; (iii) access to finance including climate f inance to improve the trade performance 
of small economies; (iv) exchange of ideas on good practices on improving value chain development; 
and (v) improving digital readiness of small economies to successfully compete in digital trade. 
Jamaica reaffirms it s commitment to the implementation of the work programme and looks forward 
to engaging actively to this end.  
3.28.  The representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following statement:  
3.29.  Let me start off with thanks to the Secretariat for the paper and to o ur distinguished 
colleagues from Mauritius and the Dominican Republic as past and present Chairs . We very much 
welcome the way they are taking forward the work on this. We welcome the very good, productive 
conversation that took place in the CTD dedicated session on small economies. It is clearly important, 
as so many others have said in this room, that we understand, recogni ze and act upon the unique 
vulnerabilities that are faced by specific Members of this organisation, especially the SIDS. We are 
deligh ted to be engaging with Members of the SVE Group on the next steps that they would like to 
see taken on the back of this secretariat report and we very much support the idea of thematic 
discussions and experience sharing, including how we, bring into those  discussions, the insights of 
external organi zations as the OECS proposed a little while ago. We very much look forward to 
continuing these discussions and to the fruits of those discussions in due course.  
3.30.  The representative of Vanuatu , on behalf of the Pa cific Group  delivered the following 
statement:  
3.31.  We align with the statement made by Guatemala on behalf of the SVEs . The Pacific continues 
to highlight the importance of the work contributing to the work programme on small economies, in 
framing responses to facilitate the fuller integration of SVEs into the global trading system. We would 
welcome for the work ahead to incorporate the ideas and recommendations of Members made at 
the last Dedicated Session on 13 March. As recommended, thematic discussions based on the 
different sections of the Secretariat paper could be considered in the work plan ahead. We also 
believe i t would be useful to hear from other relevant international organisations who can contribute 
to our work of considering opportunities in the post COVID -19 context, while also taking into account 
other impacts such as climate change and natural disasters. W e look forward to engaging in the 
upcoming discussions on developing SIDS strategies and platforms.  
3.32.  The Director -General  delivered the following statement:  
3.33.  This has been a very good discussion.  I am glad Members, especially the SV Es, find the 
document  useful and bearing the SV Es particularly in mind, the advice to try to see what can be 
done to help with the issue of bridging the digital divide in collaboration with other organizations  is 
being taken seriously from our part.  So, I think it  is a very rich re port and I hope there will be WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  opportunity to, as you all have indicated, delve into parts of it in more detail in the aim of advancing 
the development of SV Es. 
3.34.  The General Council took note  of the report of the Chairperson of the CTD and of the 
statements made . 
4  TRADE  RELATED CHALLENGES OF THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND WAY 
FORWARD: PROPOSAL FOR WTO SMOOTH TRANSITION MEASURES IN FAVOUR OF 
COUNTRIES GRADUATED FROM THE LDC CATEGORY – COMMUNICATION FROM DJIBOUTI 
ON BEHALF OF THE LDC GROUP (WT/GC/W/807/REV.2)  
4.1.  The Chairp erson  invite d Djibouti, the LDC Coordinator, to provide an update on their 
communication.  
4.2.  The representative of Zambia , on behalf of the LDC Group , delivered  the following statement:  
4.3.  I will first  make a few remarks in my national capacity since I did not take the floor on the 
earlier agenda items. The first is on WTO reforms, we appreciate the work that has been undertaken 
so far on this. We have noted some of the concrete proposals that have been put on the table , which 
can now be shared  with our experts in capital  to study and guide us on how we should engage going 
forward given the little time we have between now and MC13. On the proposal by the WTO Director -
General to hold a Senior Officials ' meeting sometime this year to look at some of the burning iss ues 
to see if we can get consensus on them , we support this proposal and look forward to the 
participation of our capital -based experts once the dates are confirmed.  
4.4.  I will now read the LDC Group statement . We have had excellent consultations since the las t 
General Council  meeting. Recently , we have received some ideas in bilaterals. We are reviewing 
those ideas within the LDC Group and our capitals. As soon as we have our responses, we will share 
them with the Members. At the next meeting, consistent with the LDC Group proposal, we call on 
the General Council to adopt Annex 1 and agree to forward Annex 2 of the LDC submission to the 
Sub-Committee  on LDCs for examination to discuss a transition period and to report back to the 
General Council on Annex 2 at t he latest in October 2023.  
4.5.  The representative of Bangladesh  delivered the following statement:  
4.6.  Bangladesh aligns with the statement by the LDC  Group. Members have been discussing this 
proposal in the General Council  since 2020 and it has received broad support. We are grateful to 
Members who supported this. We are also grateful for those Members who raised questions and 
engaged constructively. I n paragraph 5 of the MC12 Outcome Document , Ministers clearly 
acknowledge the challenges , including the loss of trade -related international support measures after 
graduation , and recognize the importance of WTO measures to address those challenges. A few d ays 
ago, we have received informally specific textual suggestions and ideas from some delegations on 
Annex 1 of the LDC proposal. After completing the internal consultations, the LDC Group will engage 
with those delegations to find convergence and inform t he General Council at its  next meeting. We 
have reasons to believe that there are wide convergences on the imperative to have a decision early 
and divergences on a few areas could be abridged, given the willingness exhibited. Annex 2, 
however, will require  an examination  at the  technical level. In order to utilize time and make 
progress, the General Council may instruct the Sub-Committee on LDCs to examine Annex 2 of the 
LDC proposal and develop recommendations and report to the General Council by the first week of 
October 2023. We seek support from Members for a favourable decision.   
4.7.  The representative of Cameroon , on behalf of the African Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
4.8.  The African Group thanks the LDC Group for its revised submission. The paper proposes 
measures that the WTO can take to help countries that have graduated from the LDC category, and 
which are at risk of falling back into it. A number of very pertinent arguments are made, for instance, 
that the removal of International Support Measu res (ISM) that LDCs are entitled to, including trade -
related measures, can have a negative impact on these countries. The paper cites the COVID -19 
pandemic, as well as the energy and food crisis, as having reversed much of the development 
progress achieved  by LDCs. In recognition of this, the UN has adopted the principle of a "smooth WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  transition". It is crucial that the WTO supports this principle by assisting LDCs to integrate into the 
global trading system. As noted by President Masisi at the second iterat ion of the Presidential Lecture 
series, the LDCs face significant trade and development challenges after graduation, which can result 
in negative impacts on their economies. Moreover, these countries often meet graduation criteria 
without significantly dev eloping their productive capacities or making sufficient progress in the 
structural transformation of their economies. Without effective support post -graduation, there is a 
risk of these countries falling back into the LDC category, which would be a setbac k to the progress 
made. The WTO must, therefore, ensure a smooth transition for LDCs after graduation by phasing 
out support measures gradually and extending other support measures, as suggested in the paper.  
The WTO should recognize that such measures are  essential to help LDCs maintain the progress 
they have made and continue to integrate into the global trading system. It is only through such 
support that these countries can build their productive capacities and achieve sustainable economic 
growth, which  will benefit them and the global community. The WTO has a crucial role to play in 
ensuring that LDCs are not left behind and can enjoy the benefits of trade, as promised under the 
SDGs . The African Group commends the LDC Group for its revised paper , which  we unequivocally 
support.  
4.9.  The representative of Kenya , on behalf of the ACP Group , delivered the following statement:  
4.10.  The ACP Group supports the request by the LDC Group to adopt the actions provided in their 
submission. We look forward to positive result s and solutions from the consultations with the LDC 
Group's proposal , so that we may adopt it by the next General Council  meeting in July.  
4.11.  The representative of Angola  delivered the following statement:  
4.12.  Angola reaffirms its statement made during the last General Council of 6 March.  However, as 
a graduating LDC, Angola would like to take this opportunity to join the LDC coordinator  and the 
LDC Group on the following issues . (i) It is pertinent to highlight that most of the WTO effective 
agreement flexibilities do not differentiate among LDCs. The graduation from the category should 
follow the same pattern. ( ii) At the same time, the proposal presented in document 
WT/GC/W/807/Re v.2, does not interfere with ongoing bilateral or regional trade agreements with 
individual LDCs. It is a straightforward proposal based on countless consultations that arrived at this 
lowest common denominator. Therefore, Angola supports the  LDC coordinat or's proposal for the 
General Council to adopt Annex 1 and forward Annex 2 of the said submission to  the Sub -Committee 
on LDCs for further examination , with a view to be consider ed again by the General Council before 
October this year.  
4.13.  The representative o f Cabo Verde  delivered the following statement:  
4.14.  We align ourselves  with the statement by the African Group and the statement by the ACP 
Group . My delegation lends its support to the statement by the LDC Group concerning this item. 
LDCs have been discussing  this proposal since MC11 in 2017 and in the General Council since 2020.  
The proposal has received broad support from most Members . Cabo Verde graduated from the LDC 
status as we completed our accession to the WTO.  During our accession process , we tried to  secure 
some additional flexibilities for smooth transition , including transition periods. We might have 
achieved a few results.  Cabo Verde might have also benefitted from several proposal s to date to 
address challenges we faced after graduation. Paragraph  5 of the  MC12 Outcome Document clearly 
acknowledged the challenges of graduation,  including the loss of trade -related international support 
measures after graduation and recogni zed the importance of WTO measures to address those 
challenges.  We support the adoption of the LDC submission at the next General Council meeting.  
We also agree that the General Council refer s Annex 2 for examination to the Sub-Committee on 
LDCs, for a transition period after graduation.  
4.15.  The representative of Tanzania  delivered the following statement:  
4.16.  My delegation aligns itself with the statement s by the  LDC Group and the African Group . We 
would like to reiterate our longstanding call , expressed numerously , in previous General Council 
meetings. The LDC proposal has b een receiving broad support from the membership, as a result of 
the LDC Group's  tireless consultations efforts. During MC12, Ministers clearly acknowledged the 
challenges , which include the loss of trade -related international support measures after graduat ion 
and recognized the need for WTO measures to address those challenges, of which  the LDC WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  graduation proposal is an effort in that direction. It is eminent that graduating LDCs will immediately 
lose all favourable treatments under  the WTO, a situation tha t will disrupt the economic momentum 
gained through international trade. To avoid such a disruption, a smooth transition arrangement is 
crucial to guarantee smooth landing , which we urge Members to positively consider. Extending the 
existing LDC treatment to a graduating LDC for a few more years, will obviously not harm the 
remaining LDCs , neither will it have noticeable effect in global trade. Such a favourable act is in line 
with the ongoing WTO efforts to uplift LDCs economically through integrating them into the 
multilateral trading system.   
4.17.  The representative of Mauritius  delivered the following statem ent: 
4.18.  We associate ourselves with the statement made by the African Group.  LDCs represent a 
sizable part of our membership.  It is therefore important for the Organization to pay particular 
attention to the challenges faced by these countries that have agree d to comply by the WTO rules.  
By joining the WTO and agreeing to comply to WTO rules, they have taken obligations may present 
challenges to their local industries.  The transition from LDC to developing status has been a matter 
of debate as it poses a numbe r of difficulties that require significant amendments to their trade 
regime, especially with regards to institutional capacity and WTO obligations.  It is in light of these 
challenges and difficulties that we support the proposal for smooth transition measu res in favour of 
graduating LDCs. These Members need the WTO 's support to smoothly and effectively integrate into 
the global trading system, and maintain the progress made.  
4.19.  The representative of Lao People's Democratic Republic  delivered the following statement:  
4.20.  Lao PDR attaches great importance to the smooth and sustainable graduation, we, therefore, 
fully support the proposal proposed by the LDC Group, which have been contained in Annexes 1 and 
2 for General Council decision . We emphasize the importance of synergy and complementarity 
between WTO efforts and other development cooperation frameworks such as UNCTAD, ILO, UN 
LDC5 Program me of Action 2022 -2031, among others, to ensure the smooth and sustainable 
graduation.  
4.21.  The repre sentative of Cambodia  delivered the following statement:  
4.22.  My delegation aligns itself with the statement by the LDC Group.  My delegation reiterate s 
again that having a smooth transition after graduating from the  LDC categories is very important 
for the LDCs . Graduation for LDCs is not the end of the road. There is still a long way to go after 
graduation and the road is as rough, if not rougher, than before graduation. Therefore, the proposed 
transition period s would make this journey smoother and to provide for the graduated LDCs a way 
to sustaining and accelerating their level of development and to avoid any slipping back in their 
development.  I hope that the General Council can decide on Annex 1 as soon as possible and forward 
Annex 2 to the Sub-Committee  on LDCs for further deliberation.  
4.23.  The representative of Antigua and Barbuda , on behalf of OECS , delivered the following 
statement:  
4.24.  We are aligned with the statement of the ACP Group. We are grateful to Zambia  for its 
intervention on behalf of the LDC Group. We are supportive of the LDC Group 's request and call on 
Members to engage in a constructive manner to allow us to have a decisio n as soon as possible.  
4.25.  The representative of Nepal  delivered the following statement:  
4.26.  I associate with the statement by the LDC Group and wish to add some points . My delegation 
realizes that there has been some progress in the bilateral consultations , which indicates that 
Members are really interested to expediate this proposal. We want a favourable resolution on the 
LDC Group's submission , which we believe contributes to  a smooth and sustainable transition. We 
thank the delegations who provided textual sug gestions and ideas on Annex 1, and we expect an 
outcome on Annex 1 from the next meeting of the General Council.  Furthermore, we expect from 
the General Council that it can assign the Sub -Committee  on LDCs to develop recommendations on 
Annex 2 and report t o the General Council before October 2023. Again, I thank Members for their 
willingness to expediate this proposal and expresses my readiness to constructively engage with 
Members for an early conclusion of this agenda item.   WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  4.27.  The representative of Argentin a delivered the following statement:  
4.28.  Argentina welcomes all kinds of debate and discussion aimed at ensuring that the multilateral 
trading system benefits LDCs and contributes to their development. Discussions on a smooth 
transition are of great importance  and we reiterate our readiness to move them forward.  
4.29.  The representative of Australia  delivered the following statement:  
4.30.  We have said before that graduation from the LDC category represents a significant 
achievement. It is evident that there is some suppor t growing for creation of appropriate 
arrangements to smooth that transition. I would like to reiterate Australia 's support for the creation 
of appropriate transition arrangements.  We now need to work out how to convert this evident 
momentum pragmatically into convergence on this long -standing issue. We are pleased that 
conversations on the proposal 's Annex 1 are now progressing in various bilateral formats, and we 
will of course continue to play a constructive role in those discussions. But we also need to  begin 
detailed discussions on Annex 2 in a separate subsidiary body, which the Zambia and others have 
suggested could be undertaken in the Sub -Committee  on LDCs. These are detailed suggestions and  
will take some time to conclude . So, we should not delay any further.  We encourage the General 
Council not to be too prescriptive when directing this work to a particular subsidiary body, and we 
urge the chosen body to be given scope to consider all possible approaches to develop appropriate  
transition arrangements.  
4.31.  The representative of Uganda  delivered the following statement:  
4.32.  My delegation aligns itself with the LDC Group. We note that this proposal has been under 
discussion since 2020 and we are grateful for the broad support it has recei ved from the wider 
membership, even if it was not possible to achieve a favourable outcome at MC12. Paragraph 5 of 
the MC12 Outcome Document does however acknowledge the challenges of graduating LDCs , 
including the loss of trade -related international suppo rt measures and the need to address these 
challenges. The current proposal on LDC graduation is an effort in that direction and we made all 
our efforts to integrate concerns by other Members in a pragmatic way. Annex 1 of the submission 
is an appeal to pro vide LDCs unilateral trade preferences for some additional period after graduation 
from the LDC category. Annex 2 proposes discussion at the Sub-Committee  on LDCs on extending 
LDC-specific special treatments for a limited period of time after graduation. W e are not asking to 
create new flexibilities. These are already existing provisions for LDCs. We welcome the positive 
response from a number of delegations and look forward to finali zing an outcome on Annex  1 before 
the next meeting of the General Council.  We support the idea of the General Council assigning the 
Sub-Committee  on LDCs with a clear mandate to examine Annex 2 of the LDC proposal and develop 
recommendation and report to the GC before October 2023.   
4.33.  The representative of Lesotho  delivered the fo llowing statement:  
4.34.  We align ourselves with the statement by the LDC , the African and the ACP  Groups . We have 
been discussing this proposal for smooth transition measures in favour of countries graduated from 
the LCD category since 2020 and it has, as repea tedly said, received broad support from Members 
in general. The LDC Group worked tirelessly and expected a favourable decision at MC12 but to no 
avail. Our current proposal on LDC graduation is an effort in that direction and we are engaging 
constructively  with the delegates who provided textual suggestions and ideas on Annex 1. We 
recommend that the General Council assigns the Sub -Committee on  LDCs to develop 
recommendations on Annex 2 and report to the General Council before a targeted deadline.  We 
reques t a favourable resolution on the LDC Group submission - ahead of MC13.  
4.35.  The representative of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
4.36.  The European Union is engaging with LDCs  on the particular challenges that LDC graduation 
presents. We are ready to continue to engage, both on "preferences" in Annex 1 and on the "specific 
measures" in Annex 2 of the proposal under consideration.  The European Union continues to believe 
that the re should be support and flexibilities for Members, commensurate with their needs and 
capacity constraints, beyond the group of LDCs. But the challenges of LDC graduation merit a specific 
response from the membership, which we would be ready to work on wit h a view to outcomes before 
MC13.  The European Union is ready to support reaching decisions on "preferences" in Annex 1 as WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  soon as possible, with some adjustments. We understand that informal discussions on such 
adjustments are already ongoing. The Europea n Union is not against stipulating an indicative time 
period during which preferences would be maintained. However, since such a period would come on 
top of the period already provided by the United Nations process, the extra period should be 
reasonable. T he European Union considers that analytical work on Annex 2 of the proposal could 
preferably start as soon as possible in the Sub -Committee on LDCs, as requested by the LDC Group. 
The Sub -Committee should analy se but not negotiate the measures, and coordin ate with other 
relevant WTO bodies and stakeholders. Several Members find that each of the "specific measures" 
in Annex  2 of the LDC proposal will require a separate discussion in more detail  and this will 
inevitably take some time.   
4.37.  In the area of trade s pecifically, the aim of the European Union is to focus on how to facilitate 
and enhance the capacity of countries to assume commitments that foster integration in the global 
economy. In our view that is the best way that the WTO can effectively contribute to sustainable 
development. We listened last week to the Presidential lecture by the President of Botswana. He 
indicated how, as Botswana graduated, this was challenging, but it was possible  and, as we look at 
Botswana today, we are encouraged by their exp erience.  With your indulgence, I revert to my 
request of yesterday, supported by other Members, to organize a retreat on "state intervention in 
support of the industrial sectors". This issue affects a whole range of Members, including LDC  
Members . If for l ogistical reasons holding this retreat is not possible in July, then it could be just 
after the summer.  
4.38.  The representative of Jamaica  delivered the following statement:  
4.39.  We thank Zambia for their presentation on behalf of the LDC Group. Jamaica fully suppor ts 
the LDCs ' request.  With LDCs accounting for about 1  per cent  of global trade there is no graduating 
LDC whose  size, influence  and reach in global trade can put the global trading system at risk to 
justify a rejection of the transition modalities requested by the proposal. As a small developing 
economy whose economic development process is being assisted by  trade preferences, Jamaica fully 
understands the substantial dislocation that a policy change can present to the national economic 
and social development goals in the absence of a mechanism to facilitate smooth economic landing 
into a more competitive field of global trade. Against this bac kground , Jamaica calls on Members to 
approve the proposal of the LDC Group.  Let us assist LDCs in their efforts to bring value and benefits 
of the WTO , as well as to enhance the perception thereof , to the people and stakeholders in their 
society.  Jamaica a ligns itself with the statement delivered by the ACP Group.  
4.40.  The representative of Samoa , on behalf of the Pacific Group , delivered the following 
statement:  
4.41.  The Pacific Group aligns itself with the statement delivered by the ACP Group. In line with our 
previous statements made on this item, the Pacific Group continues to commend the LDC Group for 
its continuous efforts to bridge the views of the membership on their proposal. We also continue to 
acknowledge the needs of graduating LCDs for smooth transition measures and believe that this 
outcome can be delivered well in advance of MC13. As conveyed by the LDC Group, there is a 
possibility of delivering on this completely  - by October. We are in full support of these efforts.  
4.42.  The representative of South Africa  delivered the following statement:  
4.43.  We associate ourselves with the Africa n Group statement.  We do believe that this is one of 
the issues that can be delivered by the General Council  before MC13. We welcome the renewed 
engagement by Members to find a solution. We are optimistic that if Members engage in the next 
weeks and months, a solution can be found before MC13. We hope that the roadmap proposed by 
the LDCs is acceptable to all Members. We therefore urge all Members to engage in good faith with 
a view to find a common ground.  Even before the COVID -19 pandemic, UNCTAD warned about the 
challenges facing LDCs and these have been exacerbated by the polycrisis. This includes the climbing 
debt, which undermines their ability t o provide basic services. LDCs also remain marginalized in 
global trade. Their share of global merchandise exports has hovered around just 1  per cent  since 
2010 and their main exports leave them highly vulnerable to global crises and shocks.  There are 
multiple crises facing LDCs, existing prior to , and beyond , the pandemic, including the alarming and 
accelerating increase in global warming, natural disasters, armed conflict and related crises of 
hunger and food security. While the polycrisis impacts all cou ntries negatively, the detriment is WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  exponential for LDCs with their manifold and specific vulnerabilities. These risks  graduating LDCs 
sliding back. If we are to ensure sustainable and irreversible graduation, it is important that the 
WTO develops a mechan ism that will support the smooth transition of graduating LDCs.  
4.44.  South Africa,  therefore , supports the proposal by the LDC Group.  LDC graduation is overall a 
development issue and needs to be prioritized. We urge that the General Council  finds consensus on 
this issue way before MC13.  We see this as one of the critical aspects of the development mandate 
and is critical to deliver on the UN General Assembly Resolution 59/209 of 2004. This should not be 
limited to technical assistance and capacity building but also flexibilities in rules both in current and 
future agreements for a period to be agreed , which should be sufficiently long to enable LDCs to 
adjust.  The LDC Group worked tirelessly in the build -up to MC12, taking into account concerns that  
some delegations had raised. It is regrettable that the WTO membership could not agree on a 
favourable outcome.  Having said this, through paragraph 5 of the MC12 Outcome Document, 
Ministers clearly acknowledge the challenges faced by LDCs , including the l oss of trade -related 
international support measures after graduation and recognize the importance of WTO measures to 
address those challenges.  The current proposal on LDC graduation is a tangible effort in that direction 
that should enjoy the support of al l Members and we believe the General Council  is well placed to 
conclude on this matter well before MC13.  
4.45.  The representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following statement:  
4.46.  As Australia  said, graduating is, as ever, a matter for celebration but it is also understandable 
that people want a scheme here that smooths the path and we would have been delighted if we 
could have agreed that back at MC12, and like others we think it would be great if we can agree it 
at, or indeed before , MC13. It is an impor tant issue and we have heard what LDCs and others have 
said. I would like to thank Zambia for presenting this morning but also for all the work that Djibouti , 
Kenya , Bangladesh and others have done on this file. We welcome the fact that there are bilateral  
discussions going on, on Annex 1 , and we do recogni ze the need to move to technical discussions 
on Annex 2. We would be delighted to participate,  and we very much hear that the preference from 
LDCs would be through the  Sub-Committee on  LDCs. We would very  much support and welcome 
that. 
4.47.  The representative of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
4.48.  As we continue this process, we look forward to continuing to engage with Members. We 
thank the LDC Group for the continued engagement on this propos al. We are engaging with the LDC 
Group on Annex 1. We have provided proposals on Annex 1 . We think we can land this as soon as 
possible, if there is willingness to be pragmatic. We were ready to land this for MC12, but people 
were not pragmatic. Annex 2 will be more difficult. We stand ready to engage in meaningful 
discussions on the LDC graduation  proposal in the Sub -Committee on LDCs . 
4.49.  The representative of Barbados  delivered the following statement:  
4.50.  We fully support this proposal and look forward to a positive decision on this as soon as 
possible. It is the smart thing to do and frankly it is the right thing to do.  
4.51.  The representative of Nigeria  delivered the following statement:  
4.52.  We align ourselves with the statements by the African and  the ACP Groups . This proposal has 
been on the table for quite some time. Members raised some questions,  and it is commendable that 
the LDC  Group  responded to the questions. Nigeria is fully in support of the  LDC proposal, and we 
urge Members to do same. Supporting LDC  Members  in their request would no doubt assist them in 
addressing some of their challenges with a vie w to having a smooth transition measure especially 
to those graduating from the LDC category.  
4.53.  The representative of Brazil  delivered the following statement:  
4.54.  Brazil has consistently engaged in discussions aiming at strengthening the multilateral trading 
system and ensuring that it remains beneficial to all its Members. We believe that special and 
differential treatment  to LDCs Members plays an important role in achieving this goal.  We welcome WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  discussions on the issue of graduation. In this regard, we reiter ate our willingness to work together 
with the LDC Group to further advance on this issue.  
4.55.  The representative of Japan  delivered the following statement:  
4.56.  Japan recognizes the importance of providing special measures for developing country and 
LDC Members  to engage in the multilateral trading system in a smooth transition . Japan  has been 
providing special preferential treatment for LDC s and general preferential treatment for a wider 
range of developing country Members.  As for Annex 1 of the proposal, Japan  considers that an 
extension of special preferential tariff systems and the duration should reflect the situation of the 
providing  Member and the beneficiaries. We should therefore carefully consider the issue of 
establishing, in advance, criteria for a sp ecific extension period. We should discuss this issue, taking 
into account the viewpoints of both providing  Members  and beneficiaries . Concerning Annex 2, Japan 
is open about where this proposal should be discussed in the WTO. Japan is ready to participate  in 
evidence -based discussions on this proposal , so that we can discuss each and specific items proposed 
in a substantive manner.  
4.57.  The representative China  delivered the following statement:  
4.58.  China always attaches great importance to ensuring a smooth transi tion for graduated LDC s. 
We are looking forward to the endorsement on Annex 1 in  the July General Council meeting  and 
engaging  in the discussion on Annex 2 with a view to having a solution soon.  
4.59.  The representative of Niger  delivered the following statement : 
4.60.  My delegation aligns itself with the statement by the LDC Group and refers to its own 
statement given under the same item at the previous General Council meetings on 6 and 7 March 
2023.  The issue of LDC graduation assistance within the WTO is longstandin g, and it has received 
strong support from Members despite the fact that the LDC Group waited in vain for a favourable 
decision at MC12.  Nevertheless, in paragraph 5 of the MC12 Outcome Document, Ministers 
acknowledge d the challenges, including the loss of  trade-related international support measures 
after graduation, and the importance of measures in the WTO in addressing these challenges.  Our 
current proposal on LDC graduation seek s to address this and the LDC Group has spared no effort 
in integrating the  concerns raised by other Members.  Annex 1 of this communication is a call to 
grant LDCs unilateral trade preferences for an extended period after leaving the LDC category.  
Annex  2 proposes a discussion within the Sub -Committee on LDCs  on extending the LDC -specific 
special treatment measures for a limited time after graduation. We do not seek to create new 
flexibilities. These are already existing provisions for LDCs.  Only a few days ago, the  LDC Group 
received text ual suggestions and i deas from delegations on Annex 1.  We welcome this positive 
gesture,  and we look forward to engaging constructively with these delegations. In the meantime, 
the General Council can give the Sub -Committee on LDCs a clear mandate to review Annex 2 of the 
LDCs' proposal, prepare recommendations and report to the General Council within a set timeframe.  
The main purpose of the communication is to establish at the WTO a smooth transition mechanism 
that would provide predictability and certainty.  Extending the exis ting LDC treatment for a few more 
years after graduation will have a negligible impact on global trade. Having such a mechanism would 
also send a strong positive signal to LDCs from the entire multilateral trading system and the 
international community, an d the most recent UN Conference on LDCs held in March in Doha 
reiterated the need for this mechanism.  
4.61.  The representative of Senegal  delivered the following statement:   
4.62.  After having met the criteria set for graduation from the LDC category in 2021, Senegal  is 
aware of the challenges that are yet to be addressed by 2024. The first is to maintain our socio -
economic performance and to continue to meet the graduation thresholds at the time of the 
2024 Triennial Review, despite the impact of COVID -19 on our econo my. Indeed, some of the 
countries that have met the graduation criteria for the first time may see their performance 
deteriorate over the next three years , as a result of the pandemic's negative impact on their 
economies. To contain the effects of the COVI D-19 pandemic, the Government of Senegal introduced 
an Economic and Social Resilience Plan with a fund called "Force COVID -19" amounting to CFAF 
1,000 billion, with a view to supporting the most affected households and enterprises. The 
Senegalese Governmen t also introduced a two -year Adjusted and Accelerated Priority Action Plan WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  (2021 -2023). This Plan's main objective is to stimulate private investment, diversify growth engines, 
and strengthen economic resilience in order to achieve an average growth rate o f 8.7 per cent  over 
the 2021 -2023 period. These economic measures, together with the exploitation, from 2023 
onwards, of recently discovered oil and gas resources in Senegal, should enable Senegal  to, if not 
to improve, then at least maintain its economic performance. However, the challenge that Senegal 
will face after its graduation from the LDC category is tied to the brutal loss of the benefits of certain 
specific international support measures, such as reinforced technical assistance, preferential marke t 
access and the special and differential treatment that it receives as an LDC. So as not to compromise 
the socio -economic progress made by newly graduated countries in an economic context that is not 
always favourable, a transition period is necessary . For this reason, Senegal supports the proposal 
submitted to the General Council to extend existing trade -related support measures for an 
appropriate period. This proposal is in line with the recommendations made by the United Nations 
to ensure a smooth trans ition for LDCs that have graduated.  
4.63.  The representative of the Russian Federation  delivered the following statement:  
4.64.  We would like to thank Djibouti and the LDC  Group again for the revised communication and 
reiterate our dedication to work towards  a common solution that would benefit LDCs. We thank the 
representatives of this Group for providing us with clarifications and for their willingness to take into 
accoun t our comments and suggestions in a spirit of a constructive and mutually beneficial 
interaction.  We fully agree that the deprivation of LDCs of benefits and preferences is a serious 
challenge for them. Recognizing this, the UN has endorsed the "smooth tra nsition" principle, under 
which support measures for LDCs should be phased out gradually.  We believe that the decision on 
this issue will make a significant contribution to the preparation for MC13.  
4.65.  The representative of Indonesia  delivered the following statement:  
4.66.  Indonesia would like to again call on all Members to consider positively the proposals of the 
LDCs Group and work collectively to achieve an acceptable outcome.  We recognize the challenges 
that LDCs face during this tran sition and the need for targeted measures to ensure their continued 
development and integration into the global trading system.  As enshrined in the Marrakesh 
Agreement, this very Organization is established with a view to raise the standard of living, ensu ring 
employment and income growth . While the LDC Group continues to make efforts to apply, as the 
crisis continues to unfold, the real situation on the ground further exacerbates their challenges in 
coping with the economic impact.  Given the different leve ls of economic development and 
particularly the difficult challenges faced by LDCs, the WTO must take its role in creating rules that 
can enable Members to integrate fairly in global trade and benefit from the multilateral trading 
system. The next Minister ial Conference should give more focus and attention to LDCs and how we 
can agree collectively on the  LDCs proposal on LDC graduation.  We urge Members  to support this 
proposal and to work together to ensure that graduated LDCs are given the support they nee d to 
succeed and prosper in the global trading system.  
4.67.  The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
4.68.  India would like to thank Zambia for the proposal, which they have presented on behalf of 
the LDC Group. India would reiterate its support  for a reasonable period for the LDC graduation  and 
we hope that the revised document provides a basis for a common ground and consensus on this 
crucial issue and leads to an outcome before MC13.  
4.69.  The representative of Singapore  delivered the following stat ement:  
4.70.  My delegation wishes to reiterate Singapore's support for efforts to ensure a smooth transition 
for graduated LDCs. I believe that with flexibility and creativity, it is possible for Members to reach  
an agreement , so that we can collectively achieve  our objective of facilitating LDC Members ' 
integration into the multilateral trading system . 
4.71.  The representative of Djibouti , on behalf of the LDC Group , delivered the following statement:  
4.72.  I would like to thank delegations who have expressed support for  our proposal.  This is an 
extremely encouraging development.  We take note of the positive observations  and goodwill.  We 
would like to thank the United States  for the textual  contribution and suggestions,  and we will WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  continue to work with them closely as we move forward.  We will also continue to work in close 
cooperation with all Members in order to reach a satisfactory solution as soon as possible.  
4.73.  The Director -General  delivered the following statement:  
4.74.  I just wanted to say that when I first arrived in this Organi zation, LDC graduation was one of 
the first issues that was put in front of me . I am happy to see that since then , we have made 
considerable progress . I just wanted to thank all partie s. As you know , I will always say it  is too 
slow, that we should have been able to do this faster, but I am still grateful for the flexibility , the 
progress and the hard work on all sides.  I do agree that we can work on  this and maybe wrap it up 
before MC13.  Perhaps , if we do end up having the kind of meeting I suggested in July , this is one of 
the things that can be finali zed or worked on , or at least considerably advanced , at that meeting as 
a very specific item.  I am encouraged and I think we a re getting close. Let us  keep working.  
4.75.  The General Council took note  of the statements.  
5  WAIVERS UNDER ARTICLE IX OF THE WTO AGREEMENT  
A. CANADA  – EXTENSION OF THE WAIVER FOR THE CARIBBEAN INITIATIVE: CARIBCAN – 
DRAFT DECISION (G/C/W/826)  
5.1.  The Chairperson  said that  there was one sub -item titled "Canada – Extension of the Waiver for 
the Caribbean Initiative: CARIBCAN – Draft Decision "  and drew attention  to the draft decision 
contained in document G/C/W/826.  For this sub -item, the Chair person  of the Council for Trade in 
Goods was required to report to the General Council.  
5.2.  Ambassador Adamu Mohammed Abdulhamid (Nigeria), Chairperson of the Council for Trad e in 
Goods , delivered the following report on the Council's consideration of this matter.  
5.3.  I would like to report that, at its meeting of 3 and 4 April 2023, the Council for Trade in Goods 
considered a request by Canada to extend the waiver it currently enj oys from its obligations under 
paragraph 1 of Article I of the GATT of 1994 with respect to the establishment of duty free treatment 
to imports of eligible products into Canada from beneficiary Commonwealth Caribbean countries, as 
provided in Section 41 of  its Customs Tariff and in accordance with the CARIBCAN initiative.  The 
request by Canada was circulated in document G/C/W/826 of 21 March 2023.  The original waiver 
was initially granted to Canada under the GATT 1947 for the period 15 June 1986 until 15 Ju ne 1998.  
Under the WTO, the General Council has extended this waiver in four occasions, the last of which 
was granted on 28 July 2015, as contained in document WT/L/958, and will expire on 31 December 
2023.  The draft decision to extend the waiver that is b eing put forward today for consideration by 
the General Council has followed the procedures provided for in Article IX:3(b) of the Marrakesh 
Agreement and is contained in document G/C/W/826. At its April meeting, the Council for Trade in 
Goods considered t he request by Canada and recommended that it be forwarded to the General 
Council for adoption.  
5.4.  The Chairperson  proposed that, in accordance with the Decision -Making Procedures under 
Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed in November 1995 (WT/L/93 ), the General Council 
adopt  the draft Decision  referred to by the CTG Chair in his report.  
5.5.  The General Council so agreed .23 
5.6.  The representative of Antigua and Barbuda , on behalf of the OECS , delivered the following 
statement:  
5.7.  We also associate with the sta tement by the  CARICOM Group.  The OECS is grateful to Canada 
for its submission and presentation. We also thank Members for their support in renewing the 
extension of the waiver for the Caribbean Initiative. Canada has been a friend of the OECS going 
back several decades. Canada is an important trading partner, an important source market for 
foreign direct investment (FDI) and a major source market for tourism. Canada has also been a 
long-standing supporter of the region 's development. The CARIBCAN initiative is important to the 
 
23 The decision was subsequently circulated in WT/L/ 1166.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  continu ed development of trade relations between OECS countries and Canada, and it also makes a 
positive impact on industry and employment in our Member States. We look forward to working with 
Canada bilaterally to deepen our trading relationship, including the d iversification and expansion of 
OECS exports to Canada.  
5.8.  The representative of Guyana , on behalf of CARICOM , delivered the following statement:  
5.9.  The Group thanks Canada for its submission and presentation on the agenda item. CARICOM 
and Canada have a longstanding partnership spanning trade, diplomacy and investment. Canada is 
also a major tourism market for our region. The CARIBCAN plays a very imp ortant role in the trading 
relationship between CARICOM and Canada. It also supports jobs, sectoral development and 
economic activities in our region. In the past decade, exports from CARICOM to Canada have been 
on a downward trajectory. This further inten sified in 2020 on account of the pandemic, when exports 
dropped by roughly 14 per cent. Overall, CARICOM 's exports to Canada now are half what they used 
to be a decade ago. This is an illustration of some of the economic and developmental challenges 
facing  our region. Some of CARICOM 's main exports to Canada include precious and semi -precious 
stones; chemicals; fertilisers; beverages and spirits; clothing; mineral fuels; sea food and 
vegetables. Several of these sectors are important to rural communities an d are also vital in 
supporting the economic empowerment of women. Under item 3 , CARICOM highlighted a some of 
the data presented in the report prepared by the Secretariat related to the trade related challenges 
of SVEs. Agreements such as the CARIBCAN agre ement being discussed in this session are very 
important in providing a path for SVEs such as the CARICOM countries to play a meaningful role in 
global trade.  We again thank Canada, and we take this opportunity to also renew our commitment 
to the bonds of friendship between our region and Canada.  
5.10.  The representative of Trinidad and Tobago  delivered the following statement:  
5.11.  We align with the CARICOM Group statement on this item. We thank the CTG Chair for his 
report and Canada for its leadership on this item.  For Trinidad and Tobago, trade with Canada is a 
fundamental element of our strong bilateral relationship, and we both attach great importance to 
strengthening the multilateral rules -based trading system with the WTO at its core. The CARIBCAN 
arrangement s upports our export growth and diversification efforts and provides a boost with respect 
to other development goals, such as economic transformation and poverty and unemployment 
reduction. According to data at our disposal, Trinidad and Tobago was the large st exporter to Canada 
among CARIBCAN beneficiaries, with exports valued at US D 116 million in 2021. We note that, 
despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, the value of our exports to Canada seems to be on 
the increase, up by more than US D 52 million from US D 60 million in 2016. Thanks to the waiver, 
98 per cent  of our exports to Canada during the period in question enjoyed duty -free access to the 
Canadian market. As we seek to build resilience in our small and vulnerable economy and reduce 
longstandin g reliance on energy exports and export revenue, our leaders have identified key sectors 
for growth and diversification of the domestic economy. These include the manufacturing sector, 
with a particular focus on developing export capacity as relates to foo d and beverages. A significant 
quantity of these manufactures is exported to Canada under the CARIBCAN arrangement. It follows, 
therefore, that a notable policy goal for Trinidad and Tobago is to achieve greater utilisation of 
existing market access offere d under CARIBCAN.  In supporting the CARICOM Group statement, we 
note that CARIBCAN preferences are not only a critical development tool for Trinidad and Tobago, 
but for all CARICOM member states . Our small and vulnerable economies in the region continue to  
pursue diversification of our productive bases as a means of economic recovery and stabili zation 
post COVID -19 pandemic and as we grapple with a turbulent and challenging global context. Trinidad 
and Tobago reaffirms strong support for the continuation of  the CARIBCAN arrangement and as 
such, we thank Members for their support for the extension of the CARIBCAN waiver until 
31 December 2033.  
5.12.  The representative of Canada  delivered the following statement:  
5.13.  Canada 's Commonwealth Caribbean Countries Tariff or C ARIBCAN preference program has 
provided economic and trade development assistance to eighteen Commonwealth Caribbean 
countries and territories in the Caribbean region since 1986.  As The Bahamas, on behalf of CARICOM 
Members, indicated at the July 2022 Gene ral Council meeting, "Preferential access to the Canadian 
market ... is crucial for our region as it contributes directly and indirectly to micro and medium sized 
businesses, foreign exchange earnings and our further integration into the global economy. " This 
program is established in Canada 's Customs Tariff, and Canada has sought periodic renewals of this WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  waiver since its inception in 1986.  As a condition of the current and past waivers, Canada provides 
an annual report of trade data to the WTO General Cou ncil and remains open for consultations with 
any interested Member regarding any difficulty or matter that may arise because of the tariff 
preferences of the CARIBCAN program. As proposed in this document, Canada will continue to do 
this. We ask that this waiver request be adopted.  
5.14.  The representative of Jamaica  delivered the following statement:  
5.15.  We align ourselves with the statement delivered by Guyana on behalf of the CARICOM group. 
We thank Canada for being a long -standing partner of the Caribbean and of Jamaica.  Jamaica 
benefits significantly from the CARIBCAN regime.  Under the regime Jamaica's trade with Canada has 
experienced growth and diversification of exports and the benefit from this bilateral trade touches 
the lives of a wide cross section of the Jamaican society. Not only has the CARIBCAN regime 
improved busine ss relationship between Jamaica and Canada but it also fosters people to people 
and business to business exchanges.  This is particularly important for MSMEs.  We thank the General 
Council for the adoption of the waiver.  
5.16.  The representative of Barbados  delivered the following statement:  
5.17.  We wish to thank the General Council for adopting the waiver.  We would also wish to thank 
Canada for its continued commitment to Barbados and other Commonwealth Caribbean countries. 
Over the years the programme has been a posi tive contributor to our trade and export earnings and 
improved our economic development prospects and led to new investment opportunities for 
Barbados.  We therefore look forward to our continued relationship with Canada as well as our 
engagement within the  context of the WTO on this matter.  
5.18.  The General Council took note  of the statements.  
6  OTHER BUSINESS  
6.1  Chairpersonships of the accession Working Parties of Bhutan and Iraq  
6.1.  The Chairperson , speaking under Other Business , delivered the following statement:  
6.2.  As announced at the start of the meeting, I would like to take this opportunity to provide the 
membership with an update on the Chairpersonships on the Working Parties on the Accessions of 
Bhutan and Iraq.  In line with practice, I had asked Deputy Director -General Zhang to undertake the 
relevant consultations, on my behalf. Following these consultations and in keeping with usual 
WTO practice, I understand that there is consensus on the appointment of H.E. Dr. Desirée 
SCHWEITZER, Ambassador, Permanent Represent ative of Austria to the WTO as Chairperson of the 
Working Party on the Accession of Bhutan.  The consultations on the Chairpersonship for the Working 
Party on the Accession of Iraq are still ongoing.  I would like to take this opportunity to place on 
record my sincere gratitude to Deputy Director -General Zhang for undertaking these consultations 
on my behalf. On behalf of the General Council, I also wish to thank H.E. Dr. SCHWEITZER for her 
readiness and commitment in taking on this additional role as accessi on Working Party Chairperson.  
6.3.  The General Council took note of the statement.  
6.2  Statement by the Chair in connection with Administrative Measures for Members in 
Arrears  
6.4.  The Chairperson , speaking under Other Business , recalled that the General Council Procedures 
for Members and Observers subject to Administrative Measures in WT/BFA/132 required that, at the 
end of each meeting of the General Council, the Chair of the Committee on Budget, Finance and 
Administration provided information with regard to whi ch Members and Observers were under 
Administrative Measures.  WT/GC/M/204  
 
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  6.5.  Ambassador Bettina Waldmann (Germany), Chair of the Committee on Budget, Finance and 
Administration , delivered the following statement24:  
6.6.  The Administrative Measures applicable to Members and Ob servers in arrears have been in 
place since 1 March 2013.  
6.7.  In accordance with a decision previously taken by the General Council, I shall state all Members 
and Observers under all categories of administrative measures.  
6.8.  Before doing so, I would like to ackn owledge payments have been received from five Members 
and one Observer since my last report to you on 7 March. As a result of these payments, Liberia, 
Malawi, Niger, Senegal, and Sri Lanka are no longer subject to administrative measures. I would like 
to express my thanks to these Members for the payments received. I would also like to thank Iraq 
for the payment received. In addition, I would like to remind Members under Category III that there 
is a possibility of initiating consultations towards the establ ishment of a payment plan if that is 
helpful to them in meeting their obligations.  
6.9.  That said, as of today, 9 May 2023, there are a total of 17 Members and 9 Observers subject 
to Administrative Measures.  
6.10.  The following 4 Members are currently in Category I: Afghanistan; Congo; Ghana; and 
Suriname.  
6.11.  The following 5 Members are in Category II: Plurinational State of Bolivia; Cuba; Dominica;  
El Salvador and Uganda.  
6.12.  The following 8 Members are in Category III : Antigua and Barbuda; Central African Republic; 
Chad; Guinea; Guinea -Bissau; Papua New Guinea; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Yemen. 
Central African Republic and Chad are not compliant with payment plan terms.  
6.13.  There are no Observers in Category I.  
6.14.  The following 5 Observers are in Category II: Comoros; Ethiopia; Iraq; Lebanese Republic 
and South Sudan.  
6.15.  There are also 4 Observers in Category III: Iran; Sao Tomé and Principe; Somalia and Syria.  
6.16.  The Chairperson  noted that,  as also required by the Genera l Council Procedures, she 
request ed Members and Observers in Categories II and III of the Measures to inform the Secretariat 
as to when their payment of arrears could  be expected.  
6.17.  The General Council took note  of the statement.  
 
__________  
 
 
24 The statement by the CBFA Chair was subsequently circulated in JOB/GC/3 43. WT/GC/M/204  
 
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ANNEX  
STATEMENT BY DJIBOUTI, ON BEHALF OF THE LDC GROUP, AT THE INFORMAL OPEN -ENDED 
MEETING OF THE WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE HELD ON 4  MAY 2023  
- Djibouti  (LDC Group ) 
 
Our plans to take work forward for the LDCs are welcome in light of the deadli ne found in the MC12 
E-Commerce Decision . The Dedicated Discussions  and expected output from the Secretariat tend to 
be useful for us as we consult with our capitals. The LDC Gr oup has requested that the reinvigoration 
of the W ork Programme , particularly in line with its development dimension, prioritizes the LDCs.  
 
The Group 's submission in November 2019 summarizes key highlights of challenges for e -commerce , 
which continue to be relevant. Some elements require WTO partnerships with other institutions with 
mandates grounded in supply side assistance to LDCs. These are  the ITU, UNCTAD,  the ITC, the 
WCO and others.  
 
We also provided suggestions on the work forward, most of which have been incorporated in 
summaries of the meetings and plannin g. The LDC Group supports your plan to begin the workshops , 
which  should be based on the themes covered by the Dedicated Discussions  with the aim to provide 
us with information that will help fill knowledge gaps. However, the development aspect must be at 
the core of the themes. We hope that the workshop will be devoted to the issues and information 
sharing , as raised by the LDCs. For us, by virtue of our status and challenges, all issues under the 
Work Programme are development related. Practical informati on on what is happening on the ground 
in LDCs should be provided , so that we can begin to find practical solutions and identify the right 
partnerships in the WTO domain. It would be important to have the right balance in terms of the 
presenters and panelli sts that we will be hearing , so that we can have perspective and expertise 
from the LDCs.  
 
 
__________