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WT/COMTD/SE/M/4 3 
 
3 June 2022 
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Committee on Trade and Development  
Forty -Third  Dedicated Session    
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 20 MAY 2022 
Chairperson : H.E. Ms Usha Chandnee Dwarka -Canabady  (Mauritius ) 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
B. INTEGRATING SMALL ECONOMIES INTO THE POST COVID -19 ECONOMY:  
EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES  ................................ ... 1 
- Work Programme on Small Economies: Proposal for outline of the background document  
by the Secretariat – Communi cation from Guatemala on behalf of the Group of Small,  
Vulnerable Economies (WT/COMTD/SE/W/44)  ................................ ................................ ....... 1 
C. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 5 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1.   The draft agenda as contained in Airgram  WTO/AIR/COMTD/SE/1 5 of 22 April 2022 was 
adopted .  
B. INTEGRATING SMALL ECONOMIES INTO THE POST COVID -19 ECONOMY: EFFECTS 
OF THE PANDEMIC, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES  
- Work Programme on Small Economies: Proposal f or outline of the background document by 
the Secretariat – Communication from Guatemala on behalf of the Group of Small, Vulnerable 
Economies (WT/COMTD/SE/W/ 44) 
2.   The Chairperson  recall ed that, at the 42nd Dedicated Session on Small Economies of the 
Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) held on 19 October 2021, the Dedicated Session  
agreed to a draft text for a Ministerial Decision at the Twelfth  WTO Ministerial Conference ( MC12 ) 
on the Work Programme on Small Economies. Th is draft  text, contained  in document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/42 , was submitted by El Salvador and Guatemala, on behalf of the Group of Small, 
Vulnerable Economies ( SVEs). The draft Decision contain ed, inter alia, a reaffirmation of Ministers ' 
comm itment to the Work Programme on Small Economies. Taking note  of all the work conducted to 
date, the draft Decision instructed the CTD to continue its work in the Dedicated Session on Small 
Economies under the overall responsibility of the General Council. The Dedicated Session was 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 in the multilateral trading system  (MTS) . In terms of future work 
in the Dedicated Session, the draft Decision instru cted the WTO  Secretariat 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.   She went on to say that, in November  2021, the General Council had agreed to forward the 
draft Decision to the Ministerial Conference for adoption . Members c ould therefore look forward to 
the draft text being adopted by Ministers when MC12 took place from 12 to 15 June 2022.  In the 
meantime,  the Dedicated Session had received  a communication from Guatemala, on behalf of the 
SVE Group. The communication, which was circulated in document WT/COMTD/SE/W/44 and was 
listed under the present agenda item, suggest ed that work on integrating small economies into the 
post COVID -19 economy should advance, even if the draft Decision ha d as yet not been formally WT/COMTD/SE/M/4 3 
 
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  adopted by Ministers.  The proposal note d that, in the past, the WTO Secretariat had provided 
mandated information and factual analysis in the form of background documents. Accordingly, the 
proposal contain ed an outline of a background document to be prepared by the Secretariat on the 
topic of "integrating small economies into the post  COVID -19 economy: eff ects of the pandemic, 
challenges and opportunities" . The main purpose of the present meeting  was to allow the Committee 
to consider this proposal by the SVE Group. If the Committee was in a position to agree to the 
proposal, the Secretariat c ould then begi n the preparation of the background document.  She invited 
Guatemala, and any other member of the SVE Group that so wished, to introduce the proposal.  
4.   The representative of Guatemala  explained that the proposal by the SVE Group  contained an 
outline of  a factual background document to be prepared by the Secretariat , which would provide a 
good basis for discussions on the topic of "integrating small economies into the post C OVID -19 
economy: effects of the pandemic, challenges and opportunities". Future meetings of the Dedicated 
Session would also allow members of the SVE Group to present information based on their respective 
national perspectives . Comments and contributions  from other delegations  would be welcomed as 
well. She note d that the proposal had been prepared on the basis of consultations with a number of 
Member s, and she therefore expressed hope that it could be approved at the present meeting . She 
indicated her readiness to answer  any questions on the proposal .  
5.   The representative of Cabo Verde  associated her delegation with the intervention  by 
Guatemala. She said that her country continued to be affected by major structural vulnerabilities in 
terms of food and energy security . This fragility had been further exacerbat ed by the effects of the 
COVID -19 pandemic  and the threats to food security resulting from the war in Ukraine.  Financing 
gaps for small economies had widened , and her delegation was of the view that  the aim in  the post  
COVID -19 recovery phase should be to ensure that funding was directed to specific sectors that 
would  contribute to sustainable development and the strengthen ing of  small economies' trade 
capacity.  It was in this context that her delegation support ed the proposed background document 
to be prepared by the Secretariat. She also indicated that an outcome for small economies at MC12  
would send a positive signal  to all stakeholders , and  would provide the necessary international 
support to help her country and oth er small economies recover from th e pandemic  and set a course 
towards  rapid economic growth.   
6.   The representative of Trinidad and Tobago  expressed satisfaction that the draft Ministerial 
Decision on the Work Prog ramme on Small Economies had been forwarded to Ministers for adoption. 
It was a timely reminder that  Members  were capable of seeing eye  to eye and coalescing around 
meaningful outcomes.  She thank ed Guatemala for its proactive engagement on this matter on be half 
of the SVE Group, including through the arrang ement of consultations within the Group and with 
other Members, as well as through  discussions with the Secretariat.  Trinidad and Tobago  had taken 
good note of the rationale behind these efforts to get the ball rolling on the Secretariat study on the 
topic of "integrating small economies into the post  COVID -19 economy: effects of the pandemic, 
challenges and opportunities ". Her delegation  agreed that work on the background document should 
proceed  in advance of the formal adoption of the Decision by Ministers , and believe d that the 
discussions that ha d taken place to date allowed for a sound proposed outline to guide the work of 
the Secretariat.  Given the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on SVEs such as Trinidad and 
Tobago, her delegation saw  great value in having a compilation of relevant information  and factual 
analysis, so that there could  be informed discussion among st Members on this topic. The elements 
identified in the outline were pertinent and provide d a good structure for this exercise . These 
included the identification and examination of pertinent trends ; the examination of the effects of 
rising commodity prices and supply chain disruptions in the context of the pandemic ; and the 
question of the impact of the pandemic on digitali zation and e -commerce as this relate d to the trade 
of small economies. By giving the Secretariat the go -ahead at the present meeting , it was hoped 
that the document could be completed in the coming months  so that  in-depth discussions around 
the contents of the  document could begin towards the  end of th e year. She indicated that her 
delegation intend ed to participate actively in this dialogue in the period ahead , given the importance 
it attach ed to work under the Work Programme  on Small Economies .  
7.   The representative of Sri Lanka  associate d her delegation with the intervention by Guatemala.  
Her delegation was pleased that the draft MC12 Ministerial Decision on the Work Programme on 
Small Economies  – which aimed to integrate small economies into the post -COVID -19 economy, 
tackle the challenges posed by the pandemic , and identify the challenges and opportunities for small 
economies  – was likely to receive concurrence. Sri Lanka look ed forward to Ministerial approv al of 
the Decision , particularly as it  also relate d to commencement of work on the topic  of "integrating WT/COMTD/SE/M/4 3 
 
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  small economies into the post COVID -19 economy: effects of the pandemic, challenges and 
opportunities" . It was hoped that the Decision would  inject new  life into the Work Programme and 
that Members would  be able to continue to discuss and identify solutions to better integrate SVEs 
into trade. The proposed Secretariat background document envisage d the present ation of  an array 
of findings and recommendations which would be  important  in order  to make progress on work under 
the Work Programme. Her delegation  therefore sought the concurrence of Members on the proposal 
by the SVE Group. She also noted the importance of coordination with relevant United Nations (UN) 
organi zations,  including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD ). 
Sri Lanka  believed that any new development solution s and approaches that were likely to derive 
from the Secretariat docum ent would  help chart a course of prosperity for people and their 
environment. The SVEs would  be working together with other interested Members and the 
Secretariat to make progress after MC12 based on the findings  of the background document.  
8.   The representative  of the Maldives  thank ed the Chairperson for facilitating dialogue on the 
trade -related issues identified for the better integration of SVEs into the MTS. He also thanked 
Guatemala for holding discussions with other Members , and expressed  support for the proposal 
submitted by Guatemala on behalf of the SVE Group to advance the work  on the topic  of "integrating 
small economies into the post COVID -19 economy: effects of the pandemic, challenges and 
opportunities" . As an SVE, Maldives welcome d the preparation  of the background document. He 
noted that, b efore any work was done on integration, it was important to have  an understanding of 
the long -term trends within small economies. With this understanding, a plan could be developed  
by Members to effectively account for the challenges SVEs faced before and after the COVID -19 
pandemic . This would ensure  that the work had an enduring impact beyond the shock of the 
pandemic. He added that it was also  imperative to address the challenges created by the  COVID -19 
pandemic for SVEs. To this end , developing an understanding of the short -term trends in small 
economies caused by COVID -19 was crucial. In the wake of the pandemic, economies were exposed 
to many significant exogenous shocks such as rapid digital ization, a widespread shift to e -commerce, 
disruptions to supply chains, and a cratering of the tourism sector. Developing a response to these 
shocks would  require an understanding of the full extent of their effects on SVEs. Finally, he said 
that the road  to a post  COVID -19 recovery would  bring many challenges as well as opportunities. 
Identifying the  challenges and opportunities would  be key to developing a plan to effectively address 
them. He reiterate d the call to approve the outline , so that the Secret ariat could  start work on the 
background document. He noted that the document was expected to serve as a basis for future 
discussions on the agreed topic , so that the effects of the pandemic on SVEs could  be better 
understood.  
9.   The Chairperson  opened the floor for questions or comments from Members. S he particularly 
requested Members to indicate whether they would be  able to support the proposal.  
10.   The representative of the European Union  recalled the draft Ministerial Decision of October 
2021, and in particular  the instruction to undertake work on "integrating small economies into the 
post COVID -19 economy: effects of the pandemic, challenges and opportunities ". In this context, he  
noted  that the SVE Group had submitted a proposed outline of a Secretariat background document 
on this topic . As Guatemala had explained , this document  would feed into discussions that would be  
held among st Members. It would balance information and analysis on trends and effects both in 
goods and services  trade and in foreign direct investment, addressing both challenges and 
opportunities in the post COVID -19 recovery phase. His delegation considered that such a balance 
was important . In addition,  the background document could usefully complement the vario us 
submissions that the Dedicated Session had received to date, as referenced in the draft Ministerial 
Decision.  He went on to say that , while  his delegation  was not asking for a change in the focus of 
the background document, it wished to point out that the challenges and opportunities of small 
economies were significantly affected  by a more recent crisis, namely the unjustified and illegal 
Russian invasion of Ukraine. This invasion was continuing without c onsideration of the impact that 
the war was having  – not only on Ukraine and its citizens, women and children, but also on the 
smaller economies in the MTS. The European Union  held R ussia entirely responsible for the direct 
and collateral  damage wrought up on other WTO Members by its war of choice. When considering 
the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on small economies, as well as the resulting challenges and 
opportunities, Members would also inevitably be digesting the consequences of the unjust Russian 
war in Ukraine.   
11.   The representative of China  said that her delegation appreciat ed the efforts of Guatemala on 
behalf of the SVE s in proposing the outline  of the study to be prepared by the Secretariat . Her WT/COMTD/SE/M/4 3 
 
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  delegation  believed that the outline  addre ssed the purpose of providing background information and 
factual  analysis for further discussion . She also noted that the proposal came at a time when 
COVID -19 was still present, and when the outlook for the global economy was weak , with alarming 
inflation  and disrupted supply chains. China therefore support ed the adoption of th e outline and 
wished for an early preparation of the  Secretariat  study . 
12.   The representative of the United Kingdom  indicated that his delegation was pleased to approve 
the outline of the background document  proposed by the SVE Group . The United Kingdom was  
committed to promoting SVEs ' positive, inclusive, and sustained integration into the global economy.  
He noted that the impact of the pandemic on small economies ha d been s evere, and expressed hope 
that the Secretariat  background paper w ould be the start of some very productive conversations 
about how best to integrate small economies into the post COVID -19 economy. He also regret ted to 
note that , since this work  plan was approved, there ha d been further global economic shocks which 
would  impact small economies ' integration. Russia 's illegal invasion of Ukraine was causing grave 
harm to people  – not only to those needlessly suffering and being kill ed in Ukraine, but also to people 
across the world who were feeling the effects through drastic shortages and price increases in goods 
vital for their survival. This applie d particularly to the SVEs, which  would  feel the greatest human 
catastrophe and cris is, as the World Bank and UN ha d predicted recently.  His delegation  yet again 
called on the Russian Federation to end its illegal war.  
13.   The representative of the United States  said that her delegation  support ed the small 
economies ' proposed outline of the background document to be prepared by the Secretariat. Her 
delegation  wished to take the opportunity to  thank Guatemala and the Group  of Small Economies 
for laying out their work program me very clearly, along with the research that  would  inform the 
work program me on post pandemic economic recovery.   
14.   The representative of Turkey  said that SVEs were severely affected by the COVID -19 
pandemic. Capacity constraints hinder ed their resilience to pandemics and natural disasters.  His 
delegation believed that the challenges and opportunities of the post COVID -19 recovery phase 
needed to  be addressed and  the necessary guidance provided.  In this regard, Turkey  support ed the 
proposa l by the SVE Group and the outline of the background document which would  be prepared 
by the Secretariat. In addition to SVEs, the wider Membership would also  benefit from this work.  
15.   The representative of Canada  indicated her delegation's support for the p roposal by the 
SVE Group. In the vein of economic disruption, she said that she wished to  take th e opportunity to 
state that Canada strongly condemn ed President Putin 's unjustifiable and unprovoked invasion of 
Ukraine. This invasion was causing devastating humanitarian consequences and the senseless 
deaths of innocent people. While everyone felt the effects of this turmoil, it was the poorest who 
suffer ed the most. Her delegation was  deeply concerned that this acutely threaten ed the food 
security of developing countries.  Russia was solely responsible for this crisis.  Russia ha d destroyed 
Ukraine 's ability to supply the world with food, and Russia ha d cut itself off from the global trading 
system. In addition to the widespread humanitarian and food crises, this invasion w ould also have 
a negative impact on development investments writ large. It would  set back not only progress made 
through investments in small economies, b ut also the ability to reach the Sustainable Development 
Goals more broadly. This was not just an attack on Ukraine. This was an attack on international law  
– including  the UN Charter  – as well as democracy, freedom , and human rights. Canada would  
continue  to work closely with allies and partners to promote peace and security for all states and 
their citizens.  
16.   The representative of Japan  said that her delegation support ed the outline proposed by the 
SVE Group and looked forward to reading the document  by the Secretariat . The initiative of the 
SVE Group clearly showed the importance of proceeding with the Work Programme  on Small 
Economies . However, she emphasized that Members should not  ignore other crises caused by Russia 
which significantly affected small economies. Her delegation condemned Russi a's aggression  against 
Ukraine  in the strongest term s. It clearly infringed upon Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial 
integrity , and constitu ted a seri ous violation  of international law. Japan  would continue to stand by 
Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and would work with the international community , including the 
G7, to improve the situation.   
17.   The representative of Hong Kong, China  indicated that he wished to add his delegation's 
support for the propos al submitted  by Guatemala  on behalf of the SVE Group .  WT/COMTD/SE/M/4 3 
 
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  18.   The representative of Norway  said that Russia 's aggression against its neighbour Ukraine 
would impact small economies . He reiterat ed his delegation's concern for the severe destruction and 
human suffering  being caused , and expressed Norway's full solidarity with Ukraine and the 
Ukrainian  people. His delegation  continue d to support the draft Decision on the Work Programme on 
Small Economies, to be adopted by Ministers at MC12 , and also support ed the SVE Group's proposed 
outline for the background document  to be prepared by the Secretariat .  
19.   The Chairperson  noted the positive comments made by Members on the proposal submitted 
by Guatemala on behalf of the SVE Group.  She invited the Dedicated Session to agree to th e 
proposal.  
20.   The Dedicated Session agreed  to the proposal  submitted by Guatemala on behalf of the 
SVE Group .  
21.   The Chairperson  said that the Secretariat c ould now begin the preparation of the background 
document. Given the substantive nature of the document, it would  take some time for the Secretariat 
to prepare and finalize the paper. She said that she would keep in touch with the Secretariat on this 
matter, p articularly after the summer break, in order to monitor the progress being made in the 
preparation of the document. A meeting of the Dedicated Session would  be convened once the 
Secretariat document was ready, so that Members could  begin their discussion o n the important 
topic of integrating small economies into the post COVID -19 economy.  
22.   The representative of Guatemala  said that she wished to thank Members on behalf of the 
SVE Group for the support . She also noted that her delegation had benefitted from consultations 
with the Secretariat on elements of the proposal . During these consultations, it had been brought to 
her attention that there was a shortage of staff within the Secretariat to prepare statistical 
documents like the one requested by the SVE Group. In particular, she shared her understanding 
that a team of only three individuals was responsible for the preparation of all such documents, 
including those concerning specific country grouping s. She stressed the importance of the 
Secretariat's statistical work and called on Members to look into this issue  in the appropriate 
Committee . Despite the scarcity of Secretariat resources in this area , she hoped that the background 
document proposed by the SVE Group could be finalized  soon.   
23.   The Chairperson  thanked Guatemala for bringing the matter to  the Committee's attention and 
encouraged  Members to explore  how they could help the Secretariat in this regard. In closing, she 
congratulated Guatemala and the SVE Group for having their proposal adopted, and also expressed 
appreciation to Members for their positive approach  on this matter . 
24.   The Dedicated Session  took note  of all interventions.   
C. OTHER BUSINESS  
25.   No matter was raise d under "Other Business".  
26.   The meeting was adjourned .  
 
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