WT/MIN(24)/W/3  
WT/GC/W/915/Rev.4  
G/TBT/GEN/353/Rev.5  
 
13 February 2024  
(24-1297) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  
General Council  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
DRAFT MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON STRENGTHENING REGULATORY  
COOPERATION TO REDUCE TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE  
SUBMISSION BY  AUSTRALIA; CAMEROON; CANADA; CHINA; COLOMBIA; THE EUROPEAN UNION; 
HONG  KONG, CHINA; JAPAN; JORDAN; KAZAKHSTAN; THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA; THE STATE OF 
KUWAIT; MACAO, CHINA; MYANMAR; NEW ZEALAND; NICARAGUA; NORWAY; PAKISTAN; 
SEYCHELLES; SINGAPORE; SWITZERLAND; THE UNITED KINGDOM;  
THE UNITED STATES AND THE  BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA  
The following communication, dated 13 February  2024, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegations of Australia; Cameroon; Canada; China;  Colombia;  the European Union; Hong Kong, 
China; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; t he Republic of Korea; the State of Kuwait; Macao, China; 
Myanmar; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Norway; Pakistan; Seychelles; Singapore; Switzerland; the 
United Kingdom; the  United States and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.  
 
_______________  
 
 
1.  We acknowledge that the work of the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade 
(TBT Committee) has been instrumental in advancing the implementation of the Agreement on 
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) and keeping the TBT Agreement dynamic since 1995 
particularly through the Triennial Review process. In this regard, we recognize the good practices 
developed by the TBT Committee in the areas of transparency and notifications, managing trade 
interests (e.g. specific trade concerns), decisions and re commendations (e.g. the decision of the 
Committee on Principles for the Development of International Standards1), information exchange 
(e.g. thematic sessions) and efficient use of digital tools (e.g. ePing; eAgenda).  
2.  We reaffirm that the TBT Agreement r emains relevant to modern global trade challenges and 
emerging policy concerns, including measures taken to address climate change, the digital economy 
and global health pandemics. The TBT Agreement provides a unique multilateral framework for 
regulatory c ooperation that is essential to avoid and reduce unnecessary barriers to trade. We note, 
for example, that close regulatory cooperation among Members was fundamental in addressing the 
COVID -19 pandemic by facilitating trade through the reduction or suspens ion of unnecessary 
regulatory barriers, use of international standards or temporary recognition of multiple standards, 
and decreasing unnecessary costs.  
3.  We also recognize the important role of the Committee discussing regulatory cooperation in 
promoting g ood regulatory practices for both developed and developing Members.  
4.  We recall that the TBT Committee was established with the explicit mandate of affording Members 
the opportunity to consult on any matters relating to the operation of the TBT Agreement an d the 
furtherance of its objectives.2 In this regard, we seek to promote and further enhance the 
 
1 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, para. 20 and Annex 4.  
2 Article 13.1 of the TBT Agreement.  WT/MIN(24)/W/3 • WT/GC/W/915/Rev.4 • G/TBT/GEN/353/Rev.5  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Committee's role in supporting transparency, regulatory cooperation and collaboration between 
Members within the scope of this Agreement.  
5.  In light of the abo ve, the Ministerial Conference:  
a. Affirms that regulatory cooperation helps to avoid  and reduce  unnecessary barriers to 
trade.  Cooperation assists Members in meeting cross border and global challenges, and 
builds confidence between trading partners through mutual understanding and dialogue. 
This contributes to the development of effective and efficient technical regulations and 
avoids regulatory differences and unnecessary divergence;  
b. Notes  that cooperation on emerging issues – particularly in the co ntext of international 
standards development and adoption - provides an opportunity to promote regulatory 
convergence where appropriate.  
c. Encourages  Members to engage early in exchange of comments on draft regulations and 
signal willingness to work togethe r in order to identify and mitigate potential regulatory 
differences or more trade restrictive than necessary obstacles to trade before regulatory 
changes are finalised;  
d. Urges  the Committee to enhance its Member -driven work on immediate and emerging 
regula tory challenges, including but not limited to the areas of climate change, sustainable 
development, digital economy, and human health, and stresses  the importance of 
promoting dialogue between Members, including among competent authorities and 
bodies;  
e. Underlines  the importance of transparency as a key building block for constructive 
engagement and encourages making information on all related technical 
regulations/conformity assessment procedures publicly available, continued refinement of 
related Committee  notifications and use of digital tools to improve the global trading and 
business environment;  
f. Encourages  Members, as a means of enhancing the predictability of the business 
environment and access to regulatory information, to implement the TBT Committee 
recommendation on notification formats and notification of adopted final text of 
measures3; 
g. Promotes  the further development, enhancement and adoption of digital tools, including 
ePing and eAgenda, for early engagement on TBT matters and deliver training on how to 
use these which will support the proper functioning of the TBT Agreement.  
h. Stresses  the importance of technical assistance and capacity building to address 
challenges facing developing Members, especially in the area of transparency and quality 
infrastructure; and,  
i. Promotes  international recognition arrangements for accreditation, which can facilitate the 
acceptance of conformity assessment procedures.  
6.  The Ministerial Conference supports the TBT Committee advancing work on these points in the 
context of the Tenth Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement based on proposals from Members 
(e.g. regular meetings, thematic sessions, informal meetings and working groups as necessary), 
and reporting to the C ouncil  for Trade in Goods with recommendations, as a ppropriate.  
__________  
 
 
3 G/TBT/1/Rev.15 , page 43 .