TN/CTD/28  
 
20 March 2014  
(14-1752)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Trade and Development 
Special Session    
 
 REPORT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT IN 
SPECIAL SESSION, AMBASSADOR KWOK FOOK SENG (SINGAPORE)  
TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TNC1 
 
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  1.1.  Following the TNC of 6 February, I held an open-ended series of informal meetings in 
bilateral and plurilateral format with Members to hear views on the forward agenda of the CTD-SS. 
I met plurilaterally with the Ambassadors and experts of the G90, namely, Kenya, Uganda and Lesotho, together with the African Group technical focal point, Egypt. Another 12 delegations 
inscribed for bilateral meetings with me in February, namely, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, the 
EU, Hong Kong China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the USA and Uruguay. As the 
views expressed during these initial consultations were largely preliminary, I issued a transparency 
note to this effect, informing the CTD-SS on 3 March that I was extending my availability for 
consultations in the lead up to this meeting of the GC. No further delegations sought meetings during that period. 
1.2.  In my note to Members on 3 March 2014, I reported that the views amongst delegations are 
still highly preliminary, but all colleagues who met me are committed to keeping an open mind on 
the possible elements in the Development pillar of the post-Bali work programme. In particular, 
the new coordinators among proponent delegations have indicated that they will need time to 
consult internally so as to frame their concerns, objectives and proposals for the consideration of 
Members. In this respect, I encouraged proponent delegations to revisit the three areas of outstanding work in the CTD-SS (the Cancun-28, the 6 Agreement-Specific Proposals, and the 
Category II Agreement Specific Proposals). I also noted the openness of delegations attending our 
consultations to any new ideas about the forward agenda, within the parameters of the DDA. This could include adjustments to existing proposals on the table. Many delegations appreciated the 
spirit of cooperation which led to a successful outcome for the CTD-SS in Bali, and committed to 
maintaining this positive spirit of work moving forward. 
1.3.  While no definitive outlines have yet emerge d from my consultations, I am in a position to 
highlight some key messages articulated by delega tions. For instance, delegations recognised the 
centrality of the development objective in our post-Bali conversation even as they reflect on 
possible proposals. Some elaborated that, for them, this meant helping developing countries and LDCs better integrate into the multilateral trading system. Others noted that the work programme 
we eventually agree on in the other pillars of Ag riculture, NAMA and Services might influence the 
sorts of S&DT provisions that we need to consider for developing and LDC Members. Many recalled the guidance from MC8 on the need for creative approaches, and expressed appreciation that the 
CTD-SS moved in that direction at MC9. For instance, some found the focus on an evidence-based 
discussion more useful than abstract debates ab out "what value add" a proposal might bring. 
These were the helpful aspects which many delegations saw as worth preserving. Put a different way, the delegations I met were quite clear head ed about both what went wrong and what went 
right in the past. The emphasis of many delegations was thus to preserve what went right in Bali.  
1.4.  In this regard, my suggestion as Chair is that Members in the coming weeks focus empirically 
on what problems and challenges developing and LDC Members face in today’s trading 
environment, and consider what form of adjustment to our work in the CTD-SS can best help them 
                                               
1 This document was previously issued as JOB/GC/67, dated 14 March 2014. TN/CTD/28 
 
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  address these challenges. As an outgoing Chair, I add my own voice to the call for all Members to 
embrace the new spirit we found in Bali, where we were all pulling on the same side to help our developing and LDC Members secure what they need in order to fulfil their WTO obligations and advance their integration into the multilateral trading system. My assessment of the attitudes 
amongst delegations I met is that there is a preparedness for serious engagement. For that to 
happen, we will need to have clear, tangible substance to grapple with, and not return to circuitous conceptual debates. In this respect, I noted to proponent delegations that a clear articulation of 
their concerns and interests will be an important first step for colleagues in the CTD-SS to 
understand and support their proposed agenda.   
Implementation of Bali outcomes 
 
1.5.  One final element to report is that all delegations I met also touched on the implementation 
of the Development outcomes from Bali. All felt that the creation of the Monitoring Mechanism provided a significant opportunity to advance and improve the nature of work at the WTO on 
Development. Delegations looked forward to the expe ditious implementation of this decision in the 
regular Committee on Trade and Development, noti ng that constructive work done there will 
further deepen the positive spirit of Bali. Delegations also responded affirmatively to my reminder 
that, in the same vein, we must pay equal attention to the operationalisation of the three 
Ministerial Decisions taken on LDC issues as thes e can bring tangible benefits to LDC Members. 
 
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