WT/GC/W/813  
 
14 December 2020  
(20-9012) Page: 1/3 
General Council  
16-17 December 2020    
 
 
PROPOSED AGENDA  
1. REPORT ON INFORMAL TNC AND INFORMAL HODS MEETINGS  
 
2. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALI, NAIROBI AND BUENOS AIRES OUTCOMES – 
STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN  
 
3. WORK PROGRAMME ON SMALL ECONOMIES – REPORT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE 
DEDICATED SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT  
 
4. THE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE ASPECTS OF COTTON  
 
A. ACTION PLAN TO ENHANCE SUPPORT FOR COTTON BY -PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN 
LDCS – DRAFT GENERAL COUNCIL DECLARATION – COMMUNICATION FROM BURKINA 
FASO ON BEHALF OF THE C4 AND C ÔTE D'IVOIRE (WT/GC/W/808)  
 
B. STATEMENT BY DEPUTY DIRECTOR -GENERAL  
 
5. TWELFTH SESSION OF THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE – DATE AND VENUE  
 
6. WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE  
  
A. REPORTS BY THE CHAIRS OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS AND THE COUNCIL 
FOR TRADE IN SERVICES (G/C/67; S/C/61)  
 
B. WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE AND MORATORIUM ON IMPOSING 
CUSTOMS DUTIES ON ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSIONS – REQUEST FROM INDIA  
 
C. REINVIGORATING THE WORK UNDER THE 1998 WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC 
COMMERCE – COMMUNICATION FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND INDIA (WT/GC/W/812)  
 
7. TRADE RELATED CHALLENGES OF THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND WAY 
FORWARD: A DRAFT FOR MC DECISION – COMMUNICATIONS FROM CHAD ON 
BEHALF OF THE LDC GROUP (WT/GC/W/806, WT/GC/W/807)  
 
8. COVID -19 AND BEYO ND: TRADE AND HEALTH – STATEMENT BY COSPONSORS OF 
WT/GC/223  
 
9. PROPOSAL ON AGRICULTURE EXPORT PROHIBITIONS OR RESTRICTIONS 
RELATING TO THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME  
 
A. DRAFT GENERAL COUNCIL DECISION - COMMUNICATION FROM ALBANIA, ANGOLA, 
AUSTRALIA, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN, BANGLADESH, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, CANADA, 
CHILE, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, EUROPEAN UNION, GRENADA, GUYANA, ICELAND, 
INDONESIA, ISRAEL, JAPAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, LIECHTENSTEIN, MALAWI, 
MALAYSIA, MAL I, MEXICO, MOLDOVA, MONGOLIA, MONTENEGRO, MYANMAR, 
NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY, PARAGUAY, PERU, THE PHILIPPINES, QATAR, SAMOA, 
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, SINGAPORE, SOLOMON ISLANDS, SWITZERLAND, THE 
SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU, 
UKRAINE, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES, VANUATU, 
AND VIET  NAM (WT/GC/W/810 /REV.2  – TN/AG/46 /REV.2 ) 
 WT/GC/W/813  
 
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B. COMMUNICATION FROM SINGAPORE (WT/GC/W/811 – TN/AG/47)  
 
10. IMPORTANCE OF MARKET -ORIENTED CONDITIONS TO THE WORLD TRADING 
SYSTEM – JOINT STATEMENT BY BRAZIL, JAPAN, AND THE UNITED STATES 
(WT/GC/W/803/REV.1)  
 
11. PROCEDURES TO STRENGTHEN THE NEGOTIATING FUNCTION OF THE WTO – 
STATEMENT BY THE UNITED STATES (WT/GC/W/757/REV.1 AND 
WT/GC/W/764/REV.1)  
 
12. STRENGTHENING THE WTO TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT AND  INCLUSIVITY – 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE AFRICAN GROUP, CUBA, AND INDIA 
(WT/GC/W/778/REV.3)  
 
13. TRIPS COUNCIL MATTERS  
 
A. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE SPECIAL COMPULSORY LICENSING SYSTEM – PARAGRAPH  7 
OF THE ANNEX TO THE AMENDED TRIPS AGREEMENT AND PARAGRAPH 8 OF THE 
DECISION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PARAGRAPH 6 OF THE DOHA DECLARATION 
ON THE TRIPS AGREEMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH (WT/L/540 AND WT/L/540/CORR.1) 
– REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRIPS (IP/C/86)  
 
B. STATUS REPORT ON THE CONSIDERATION BY THE TRIPS COUNCIL OF THE 
"PROPO SAL FOR A WAIVER FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT 
FOR THE PREVENTION, CONTAINMENT AND TREATMENT OF COVID -19" (IP/C/W/ 669) 
– STATEMENT BY THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRIPS  
 
14. WAIVERS UNDER ARTICLE IX OF THE WTO AGREEMENT1 
 
A. INTRODUCTION OF HARM ONIZED SYSTEM 2002 CHANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS – DRAFT DECISION (G/C/W/782)  
 
B. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2007 CHANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS – DRAFT DECISION (G/C/W/783)  
 
C. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2012 C HANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS – DRAFT DECISION (G/C/W/784)  
 
D. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2017 CHANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS - DRAFT DECISION (G/C/W/785)  
 
E. REVIEW OF WAIVERS PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX:4 OF THE WTO AGREEM ENT 
 
(i) Preferential Treatment in favour of Services and Service Suppliers of Least 
Developed Countries, granted on 17  December  2011 until 31  December  2030 
(WT/L/847, WT/L/ 982) 
 
(ii) Preferential tariff treatment for least -developed countries, granted on 
16 October 2019 until 30 June 2029 ( WT/L/ 1069)  
 
(iii) Cuba – Article XV:6 – Extension of waiver, granted on 7 December 2016 until 
31 December 2021 ( WT/L/1003, WT/L/1102 ) 
 
(iv) European Union – Application of Autonomous Preferential Treatment to the 
Western Balkans, granted on 7 December 2016 until 31 December 2021 
(WT/L/1002, WT/L/ 1103)  
 
(v) United States – African G rowth and Opportunity Act , granted on 
30 November  2015 until 30  September 2025 ( WT/L/970, WT/L/ 1097)  
 
1 In connection with this Item, the attention of Members is drawn to the Decision -Making Procedures 
under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed by the General Council on 15 November 1995 (WT/L/93).  WT/GC/W/813  
 
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(vi) United States – Caribbean  Basin Economic Recovery Act , granted on 
16 October  2019 until 30 September 2025 ( WT/L/1070, WT/L/ 1096)  
 
(vii) United States – Former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands , granted on 
7 December 2016 until 31 December 2026 ( WT/L/1000, WT/L/1098 and 
WT/L/1098/Corr.1)  
 
(viii) United States – Trade Preferences granted to Nepal, granted on 
7 December  2016 until 31  December 2025 ( WT/L/1001, WT/L/ 1099)  
 
15. REVIEW OF WTO ACTIVITIES  
 
 Reports of : 
 
(i) General Council ( WT/GC/W /809), Disp ute Settlement Body ( WT/DSB/ 81) and 
Trade Policy Review Body ( WT/TPR /452)  
 
(ii) Sectoral Councils (G/L/1381, S/C/60, and IP/C/87) and Committee on 
Agriculture (G/L/1380)  
 
(iii) Committees  on Trade and Development ( WT/COMTD/ 100), Trade and 
Environment ( WT/CTE/ 272), Balance -of-Payments Restrictions 
(WT/BOP/R /118), Budget, Finance and Administration ( WT/BFA/192 ), and 
Regional Trade Agreements ( WT/REG/3 1) 
 
(iv) Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology ( WT/WGTTT/ 22) 
 
(v) Committees under th e Plurilateral Trade Agreements ( GPA/AR/3, WT/L/1100 
– TCA/16)  
 
16. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS TO WTO BODIES – ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHAIR 
PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH 7.1(A) OF THE GUIDELINES (WT/L/510)  
 
17. COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION - REPORTS ON 
MEETINGS OF OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2020 (WT/BFA/189, WT/BFA/190, 
WT/BFA/191)  
 
OTHER BUSINESS  
__________  
 
2 To be issued.