JOB/GC/173  
 
7 March 2018  
(18-1429) Page: 1/2 
General Council    
 
AGENDA ITEM 2: IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E BALI, NAIROBI AND BUENOS AIRES 
OUTCOMES – STATEMENT BY THE CHA IRMAN  
WEDNESDAY, 7 MARCH 2 018 
1.1.  This item remains on the agenda to allow us to continue to follow up on the decisions 
adopted in Bali and Nairobi – and do so in an inclusive and transparent manner. Let me further 
note that, of course, at the Eleventh Ministerial Conference, Ministers also agreed on other 
decisions – some of which were an "evolution" of the Bali and Nairobi Decisions and as such, I 
have also inc luded under this item a report on the implementation of the Buenos Aires outcomes, 
where applicable.  
1.2.  Last week, on 1 March, I held a meeting with the Chairs of Regular Bodies, where we 
updated each other on the work taking place in our respective bodies, i ncluding – but not only – 
with respect to the implementation of the Ministerial mandates. As in the past, the discussions and 
inputs from that meeting are the basis of my statement today. A number of WTO bodies have not 
yet met since the start of the year,  and therefore my statement today will focus on matters where 
there have been developments since my last report to th e General Council in November. Also, we 
will deal with the Work Programme on Small Economies and with Aid for Trade under separate 
Agenda i tems.  
1.3.  Starting with TRIPS non -violation and situation complaints,  at MC11, Ministers directed the 
TRIPS Council to continue its examination of the scope and modalities for complaints of the types 
provided for under subparagraphs 1(b) and 1(c) of Article XX III of GATT 1994, and make 
recommendations to their next Session. It was agreed that, in the meantime, Members will not 
initiate such complaints under the TRIPS Agreement. Pursuant to this, the TRIPS Council took up 
its continued work on this matter at its  meeting on 27 February with a view to finding a soluti on to 
this long -standing issue.  
1.4.  In Buenos Aires, Ministers also agreed to continue and reinvigorate work under the Work 
Programme on Electronic Commerce . In line with that Decision, the General Council  will conduct its 
first review of progress at its meeting in July this year. As you would have noted, two papers by 
Chinese Taipei were circulated in the relevant bodies. I hope this will stimulate engagement in this 
area. 
1.5.  Moving now to Agriculture , at the  most recent meeting of the  Committee on Agriculture on 
20 February, Members agreed to a timetable for a review of the Bali decision on Tariff Rate Quota 
Administration, in line with its provisions. The objective of the review, which is expected to be 
comp leted in June this year, is to promote improvements in the utilization of TRQs and to enable 
Members to make recommendations to t he 12th Ministerial Conference.  
1.6.  Members also initiated discussions on the process to be followed for the review of the Nairobi 
Decision on Export Competition  and on how its outcome should be reflected. Let me just recall that 
the goal of the review, which should take place every three years, is " to ensure that no 
circumvention threatens export subsidy elimination commitments and t o prevent non -commercial 
transactions from being used to circumvent such commitments".  
1.7.  Still on export competition, since the last time I reported, more Members have circulated 
their revised draft schedules on export subsidies for agricultural products, in  line with the 
provisions of the Nairobi Decision. Additionally, Norway is the second WTO Member, after 
Australia, having its new export subsidies schedule to be certified. At the recent CoA meeting, JOB/GC/173  
 
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  other Members with scheduled export subsidy commitments also provided updates on the steps 
taken to implement the Decision.  
1.8.  Turning to the LDC Services waiver, at the recent meeting of the Council for Trade in 
Services held on 2 March, the LDC Group commended the preferential treatment notified under the 
Waiver , but stressed the need for capacity building measures to enable LDC suppliers to take 
advantage of those preferences. The Group called on notifying Members to provide technical 
assistance and to build supply capacity in LDCs, and also encouraged them to i ncrease awareness 
of the Waiver domestically. Recalling paragraph 1.6 of the Nairobi Waiver Decision, LDCs also 
advocated that Members explore what recommendations the Council might make "on steps that 
could be taken towards enhancing the operationali zation of the Waiver". There was also a call to 
take action in line with paragraph 1.5 of the Nairobi Decision.  
1.9.  The Council has received a total of 24 notifications of preferences in favour of LDC services 
and service supplier s, on the part of 51 Members.  
1.10.   And f inally, on Trade Facilitation, since my last report, 9 more Members have deposited 
their instrument of acceptance of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, bringing the total number to 
132 – with another one soon to be deposited, covering 81% of the membership.  
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