WT/GC/W/917  
 
11 December 2023  
(23-8426) Page: 1/4 
General Council  
13-15 December 2023    
 
PROPOSED AGENDA  
1. REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE AND 
REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR -GENERAL  
 
2. THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE  
 
A. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS  
 
(i) Election of Officers  
 
(ii) Request for Observer Status by Palestine (WT/L/1171 ) 
 
3. FOLLOW -UP TO OUTCOMES OF MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES  
 
A. MC12  
 
(i) WTO Reform  – "Reform by Doing " - Statement by Chairperson 
(JOB/GC/359/R ev.2; G/L/1523 ) 
 
(ii) Paragraph 24 of the Ministerial Declaration on the WTO Response to the 
COVID -19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics – Statement by the 
Chairperson (G/L/1521 ) 
 
(iii) Paragraph 8 of the Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS  Agreement  – Duration of 
extended deadline1 
 
- Decision text on extension of the 17 June 2022 Ministerial Decision to 
COVID -19 Therapeutics and Diagnostics – Communication from South 
Africa  (WT/GC/W/913  - IP/C/W/694/Rev .1) 
 
(iv) Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  
 
- Report by the Facilitator  
 
- Challenges for digital industrialization in developing countries – 
Communication from South Africa (WT/GC/W/910 ) 
 
- Draft Ministerial Decision on the Work  Programme on Electronic Commerce 
- Communication from Australia; Canada; Chile; Costa Rica; Georgia; Hong 
Kong, China; Iceland; Israel; Korea, Republic of; Liechtenstein; Moldova, 
Republic of; Montenegro; Norway; New Zealand; Paraguay; Peru; 
Singapore; Sw itzerland; Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, 
Kinmen And Matsu; Ukraine and The United Kingdom (WT/GC/W/909 ) 
 
- Draft Ministerial Decision on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce 
– Communication from South Africa ( WT/GC/W/911 ) 
 
B. BUENOS AIRES (MC11), NAIROBI (MC10) AND BALI (MC9) ( G/RO/99 ) 
 
1 WT/L/1141  WT/GC/W/917  
 
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4. WORK PROGRAMME ON SMALL ECONOMIES – REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE  
DEDICATED SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT 
(WT/COMTD/SE/12 ) 
 
5. THE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE ASPECTS OF COTTON - PERIODIC REPORT BY THE 
DIRECTOR -GENERAL ( WT/GC/260  – WT/CFMC/DG/10  – WT/MIN(24)/1 ) 
 
6. 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 TH E TRIPS AGREEMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH ( WT/L/ 540 AND WT/L/540/CORR .1) 
– REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRIPS ( IP/C/97 ) 
 
B. PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION ON AN EXTENSION OF THE PERIOD FOR THE ACCEPTANCE 
BY MEMBERS OF THE PROTOCOL AMENDING THE TRIPS AGREEMENT (IP/C/96 ) 
 
7. COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION – REPORTS ON 
MEETINGS OF 17 OCTOBER ( WT/BFA/216 ) AND 22 NOVEMBER 2023 
(WT/BFA/217 )2 
 
8. WTO PENSION PLAN – AMENDMENT TO THE REGULATIONS ( WT/GC/W/906 )3 
 
9. LDC GRADUATION (ANNEX 2 OF WT/GC/W/807/REV.2 ) – REPORT BY THE 
CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT TO THE GENERAL 
COUNCIL ( WT/COMTD/LDC/30 ) 
 
10. PROPOSED REVISIONS TO WT/L/452  "PROCEDURES FOR THE CIRCULATION AND 
DERESTRICTION OF WTO DOCUMENTS" – COMMUNICATION FROM AUSTRALIA; 
BRAZIL ; CANADA; COLOMBIA; COSTA RICA; EUROPEAN UNION; NEW ZEALAND; 
NORWAY; SWITZERLAND; SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN, PENGHU, 
KINMEN AND MATSU; THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES 
(WT/GC/W/897/REV.1 ) 
 
11. MC13 – IMMEDIATE STEPS TO RESPOND TO FOOD INSECURITY – COMMUNICATION 
FROM SINGAPORE ( WT/GC/W/908 ) 
 
12. PROPOSED MINISTERIAL DECLARATION FOR THE THIRTEENTH MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE: STRENGTHENING REGULATORY COOPERATION TO REDUCE 
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE – COMMUNICATION FROM CAMEROON; CHINA; 
JORDAN; MACAO, CHINA; MYANMAR AND SEYCHELLES  
 
13. DRAFT MINISTERIAL DECISION ON PROMOTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND 
TRADE IN NFIDCS AND LDCS - REQUEST FROM THE AFRICAN GROUP  
 
14. DRAFT MINISTERIAL DECISION ON SPS MEASURES - REQUEST FROM THE AFRICAN 
GROUP  
 
15. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND ECONOMIC RESILIENC E – REQUEST FROM THE 
AFRICAN GROUP  
 
16. THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM TO SUSTAINABLE 
AND RESILIENT AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS – STATEMENT BY THE CAIRNS 
GROUP ( WT/GC/261 ) 
 
 
2 To be issued . 
3 To be issued . WT/GC/W/917  
 
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  17. EUROPEAN UNION REGULATION ON SUPPLY CHAINS FREE FROM DEFORES TATION 
AND FOREST DEGRADATION – COMMUNICATION FROM ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, AND PERU 
(WT/GC/W/912 ) 
 
18. INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT FACILITATION FOR DEVELOPMENT – REQUEST 
FROM CHILE AND THE REPUBLIC OF KO REA ( JOB/GC/373 ) 
 
19. ENHANCING MULTILATERAL DELIBERATIVE FUNCTION ON ENVIRONMENT -RELATED 
TRADE MEASURES AND FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - REQUEST FROM 
CHINA AND COLOMBIA  
 
20. REVIEW OF THE EXEMPTION PROVIDED UNDER PARAGRAPH 3 OF GATT 1994 
(WT/L/1165 , WT/L/1178)  
 
21. WAIVERS UNDER ARTICLE IX OF THE WTO AGREEMENT4 
 
A. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2002 CHANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS – DRAFT DECISION ( G/C/W/831 ) 
 
B. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2007 CHANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS – DRAFT DECISION ( G/C/W/832 ) 
 
C. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2012 CHANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS – DRAFT DECISION ( G/C/W/833 ) 
 
D. INTRODUCTION OF HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2017 CHANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS – DRAFT DECISION (G/C/W/834 ) 
 
E. INTRODUCTION OF  HARMONIZED SYSTEM 2022 CHANGES INTO WTO SCHEDULES OF 
TARIFF CONCESSIONS – DRAFT DECISION (G/C/W/835/Rev.1 ) 
 
F. REVIEW OF WAIVERS PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX:4 OF THE WTO AGREEMENT  
 
(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 – Extens ion of waiver, granted on 23 November 2021 until 
31 December 2026 ( WT/L/1128 , WT/L/1179)  
 
(iv) United States – African Growth and Opportunity Act, granted on 
30 November  2015 until 30  September 2025 ( WT/L/970 , WT/L/1173)  
 
(v) United States – Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, granted on 
16 October  2019 until 30 September 2025 ( WT/L/1070 , WT/L/1174)  
 
(vi) United States – Former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, granted on 
7 December 2016 until 31 December 2026 ( WT/L/1000 , WT/L/1175)  
 
(vii) United States – Trade Preferences granted to Nepal, granted on 7 December 2016 
until 31  December 2025 ( WT/L/1001 , WT/L/1176)  
 
22. INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO  - REPORT OF THE JOINT ADVISORY 
GROUP ON ITS 57th SESSION (ITC/AG(LVII)/292)  
 
4 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/917  
 
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23. REVIEW OF WTO ACTIVITIES  
 
  REPORTS OF:  
 
(i) General Council ( WT/GC/W/907 ), Dispute Settlement Body  (WT/DSB/85 ) 
and Trade Policy Review Body ( WT/TPR/509) 
 
(ii) Sectoral Councils ( G/L/1524 , S/C/64 , and IP/C/98)  
 
(iii) Committees  on Trade and Development ( WT/COMTD/103 ), Trade and 
Environment ( WT/CTE/30 )5, Balance -Of-Payments Restrictions 
(WT/BOP/R/123 ), Budget, Finance and Administration ( WT/BFA/218 )6 and 
Regional Trade Agreements ( WT/REG/34 ) 
 
(iv) Working Groups on Trade, Debt and Finance ( WT/WGTDF/22 ), and Trade 
and Transfer of Technology ( WT/WGTTT/25 ) 
 
(v) Committees under the Plurilateral Trade Agreements ( GPA/AR/6 , 
WT/L/1177  – TCA/21)  
 
24. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS TO WTO BODIES – ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE 
CHAIRPERSON PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH 7.1(A) OF THE GUIDELINES ( WT/L/510 ) 
 
OTHER BUSINESS  
 
 
__________  
 
5 To be issued . 
6 To be issued .