WT/L/939  
 
28 November 2014  
(14-6939)  Page: 1/2  
General Council   
 
 PUBLIC STOCKHOLDING FOR FOOD SECURITY PURPOSES 
DECISION OF 27 NOVEMBER 2014 
The General Council, 
 Having regard  to paragraph 1 of Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the 
World Trade Organization (the "WTO Agreement");  
 Conducting  the functions of the Ministerial Confer ence in the interval between meetings 
pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article IV of the WTO Agreement; 
 Recognizing the importance of public stockholding fo r food security purposes for developing 
countries; 
 Noting  the Ministerial Decision of 7 December 2013 on Public Stockholding for Food Security 
Purposes (WT/MIN(13)/38-WT/L/913) dated 11 December 2013 (hereinafter referred to as the 
"Bali Decision"); 
Decides  that: 
1. Paragraph 2 of the Bali Decision shall be read as follows: Until a permanent solution1 is 
agreed and adopted, and provided that the condit ions set out in paragraphs 3 to 6 of the Bali 
Decision are met, Members shall not challenge through the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism, 
compliance of a developing Member with its obligations under Articles 6.3 and 7.2(b) of the 
Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) in relation to support provided for traditional staple food crops2 in 
pursuance of public stockholding programmes for food  security purposes existing as of the date of 
the Bali Decision,3 that are consistent with the criteria of paragraph 3, footnote 5, and footnote 5 
and 6 of Annex 2 to the AoA. 
2. If a permanent solution for the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes is not 
agreed and adopted by the 11th Ministerial Conference, the mechanism referred to in paragraph 1 
of the Bali Decision, as set out in paragraph 1 of this Decision, shall continue to be in place until a 
permanent solution is agreed and adopted. 
3. In accordance with paragraph 1.11 of the Bali Ministerial Declaration (WT/MIN(13)/DEC) 
dated 11 December 2013, the negotiations on a permanent solution on the issue of public 
stockholding for food security purposes shall be pursued on priority. 
4. Members shall engage constructively to negotiate and make all concerted efforts to agree 
and adopt a permanent solution on the issue of pub lic stockholding for food security purposes by 
31 December 2015. In order to achieve such perman ent solution, the negotiations on this subject 
shall be held in the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session ("CoA SS"), in dedicated sessions and in an accelerated time-frame, distinct from the agriculture negotiations under the Doha 
                                               
1 The permanent solution will be applicable to all developing Members. 
2 This term refers to primary agricu ltural products that are predominant staples in the traditional diet of 
a developing Member. 
3 This Decision does not preclu de developing Members from intr oducing programmes of public 
stockholding for food security purposes in accordance  with the relevant provisions of the Agreement on 
Agriculture. WT/L/939 
 
- 2 - 
 
  Development Agenda ("DDA"). The three pillars of the agriculture negotiations, pursuant to the 
DDA, will continue to progress in the CoA SS. 
5. The TNC/General Council shall regularly review the progress of these dedicated sessions. 
__________