RESTRICTED  
  
WT/PCTF/M/9  
 
12 January 2015  
(15-0196) Page: 1/2  
Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation    
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING 
HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD 27 NOVEMBER 2014 
Chairman: H.E. Mr. Esteban Conejos (Philippines) 
 
  
1  CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF PROTOCOL OF AMENDMENT 
1.1.  The Chairman recalled that the proposed ag enda had been circulated in WTO/AIR/4394. As 
Members would have seen from the airgram, the meeting had but a single task, albeit a crucial 
one: the agreement on forwarding the proposed  protocol of amendment to insert the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement into Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement (WT/PCTF/W/28) to the General 
Council for adoption in the Council, together with the annexed TFA Agreement as contained in WT/L/931. 
1.2.  The agenda was adopted. 
1.3.  The Chairman wished to make three points: 
1.4.  First, he informed that the text circulated by the Director-General in document 
WT/PCTF/W/28 was a result of intense – and widely cast - consultations that the DG and he had 
conducted over the course of the past few days. They had heard a variety of views and listened 
very carefully to what Members had to say. The proposed language sought to find an acceptable middle ground.  
1.5.  Second, there were virtually no new elements in the text. Practically all of the language had 
already been extensively discussed in the PrepCom – multiple times. The only somewhat novel element was the removal of an end date for acceptance of the protocol – a date which had become 
impossible to meet. All other elements had already been addressed in the PrepCom – there were 
no surprise additions to what delegations had seen before.  
1.6.  Third, the text tried to achieve a bala nce between the different views – and different 
preferences – that Members had expressed in th e debate. A balance that was delicate not only 
because of the fragility of the broader deal that delegations sought to broker – and to maintain - but also because one had to be careful not to disrupt the already existing, painfully negotiated balance in the Trade Facilitation Agreement itself – a balance that had taken Members almost a 
decade to achieve. It was in this Agreement where the hard fought compromises had to be struck 
– the protocol was never meant to be the place where differences on substantive positions could be settled.  
1.7.  At the same time, the text in front of Members recognized the need for certain assurances. It 
included a number of elements that were close to the heart of developing and least-developed countries – and that had been specifically requested on their behalf. It had sometimes been 
necessary to slightly modify the language to make it acceptable to the rest of the membership – 
and compromises also had had to be found as far as placement in the text was concerned. But those concerns had been acknowledged, and he hoped that, while the language perhaps did not 
reflect everyone's ideal solution, it was an ou tcome everyone would be able to live with.  WT/PCTF/M/9 
 
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  1.8.  One had therefore come to the point where he would invite Members to agree to forward the 
proposed protocol of amendment to insert the Tr ade Facilitation Agreement into Annex 1A of the 
WTO Agreement (WT/PCTF/W/28) to the General Counc il for adoption in the Council, together with 
the annexed Trade Facilitation Agreement as co ntained in WT/L/931. This would be on the 
understanding that it would be taken up together with the draft Decision on Public Stockholding for 
Food Security Purposes, contained in document WT/GC/W/688 and the draft Decision on Post-Bali 
work, contained in document WT/GC/W/690. In th e event of there not being an agreement in the 
General Council, the proposed protocol would go back to the Preparatory Committee for further 
work. 
1.9.  It was so agreed.  
2  OTHER BUSINESS 
2.1.  No matter was raised under other business. 
2.2.  The meeting was adjourned. 
 
 
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