WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7  
 
16 October 2015  
(15-5451)  Page: 1/39  
Committee on Trade and Development 
Dedicated Session    
 
 WORK PROGRAMME ON SMALL ECONOMIES  
COMPILATION PAPER PREPARED BY THE SECRETARIAT 
Revision 
I. INTRODUCTI ON ....................................................................................................... 4  
II. MANDATE AND LEGA L FRAMEWORK ............................................................................ 4  
A. PARAGRAPH 35 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION – WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1 
(20 NOVEMBER  2001) ....................................................................................................... 4  
B. PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE WORK PROGRAMME  ON SMALL ECONOMIES FRAMEWORK 
AND PROCEDURES – WT/L/447 (1 MARCH 2002) ................................................................... 4  
C. PARAGRAPH 1.D OF THE 1 AUGUST:  2004 GENERAL COUNCIL DECISION - 
WT/L/579 ...................................................................................................................... .. 5 
D. PARAGRAPH 41 OF THE HONG KONG MINISTERIAL DECLARATION - 
WT/MIN(05)/DEC (18 DECEMBER 2005) ............................................................................... 5  
D.1 REFERENCES TO SMALL ECONOMIES IN PARAGRAPH 21 OF THE SECTION ON 
NAMA IN THE HONG KONG MI NISTERIAL DECLARATION ........................................................ 6  
D.2 REFERENCES TO SMALL ECONOMIES IN TH E SERVICES – ANNEX C OF THE HONG 
KONG MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ..................................................................................... 6  
III. DECISION S ............................................................................................................. 6  
A. MINISTERIAL CO NFERENCES  ..................................................................................... 6  
1. Work Programme on Small Economie s, WT/L/844 (17 De cember 2011) ........................... 6  
2. Work Programme on Small Economies,  WT/L/908 (7 Dece mber 2 013) ............................. 6  
B. COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT DEDICATED SESSION ON SMALL 
ECONOMIES ..................................................................................................................... 7  
1. Report to the General Council on Measures to Assist Small Economies in Meeting 
their Obligations under the Agreements on SPS Measures, TBT and TRIPS - 
WT/COMTD/SE/5 (3 October 2006) ..................................................................................... 7  
C. COMMITTEE ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES ...................................... 8  
1. Report (2010) of the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - 
G/L/937 (29 Octo ber 2010) ................................................................................................ 8  
2. Decision of the General Council of 27 July 2007 - WT/L/691 (31 July 2007) Based 
on the Draft Decision of the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures of 
13 July 2007 (G/SCM/120) ................................................................................................. 8  
IV. TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE ........................................................................... 14 
A. SMALL, VULNERABLE ECONOMIES (SVES) CONTRIBUTION FOR THE POST BALI 
WORK PROGRAMME – JOB/TNC/49 (17 June 2015) ............................................................... 14 
V. COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTUR E - SPECIAL SESSION ..................................................... 16 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  A. CURRENT MODALI TIES DRAFT .................................................................................. 16 
1. Revised Draft Modalities for Agriculture - TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4 (6  December 2008) .............. 16 
B. LATEST SVE SUBMISSIONS ...................................................................................... 18 
2. Flexibilities in the Agricultural Modalities on the Pillars of Domestic Support and 
Export Competition, Communication by the Group of Small and Vulnerable Economies 
(SVEs) - JOB/AG/16 (24 March 2011) ................................................................................. 18 
3. The Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) Modalities to Apply to Small Vulnerable 
Economies (SVEs), Communication by the Group of Small Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), 
the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Gr oup, and the African Group - JOB/AG/17 (24 
March 2011) ...................................................................................................................  19 
VI. NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS  FOR NON AGRICULT URAL PRODUCTS ............ 25 
A. CURRENT MODALI TIES DRAFT .................................................................................. 25 
1. Fourth Revision of Draft Modalities for Non-Agricultural Market Access – 
TN/MA/W/103/Rev.3 (6  December 2008) ............................................................................ 25 
B. LATEST SVE SUBMISSIONS ...................................................................................... 26 
1. Contribution to the Special and Differen tial Treatment and Technical Assistance 
Provisions on the "Horizontal Mechanism", Communication from El Salvador on behalf of 
Small Vulnerable, Economies - JOB/MA/89 ( 19 April 2011) .................................................... 26 
2. Questions to the co-sponsors of the proposal of "Ministerial Decision on procedures 
for the facilitation of solutions to Non-Tari ff Barriers", Communication from the group of 
small vulnerable economies – JOB/MA/55 (3 November 2010) ................................................ 26 
3. Questions to the co-sponsors of  the proposal of  "Negotiating Text on Liberalizing 
Trade in Remanufactured Goods", Communication from the group of small vulnerable economies – JOB/MA/56 (3 Novemb er 2010 ) ....................................................................... 27
 
VII. COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERV ICES SPECIAL SESSION ................................................. 28 
A. CURRENT DRAF T TEXT ............................................................................................. 28 
1. Elements Required for the Completion of the Services Negotiations, Report by the 
Chairman - TN/S/34 (28 July 2008) .................................................................................... 28 
VIII. WORKING PARTY ON DOME STIC REGU LATION ........................................................ 29 
1. Services - Trade-Related Concerns of Small, Vulnerable Economies in the Working 
Party on Domestic Regulation - JOB(06)/66/Rev.2 (10 July  2006)  ........................................... 29 
IX. NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES ............................................................................... 31 
A. CURRENT DRAF T TEXT ............................................................................................. 31 
1. Textual Proposal for Additional Flexibilities for Small and Vulnerable Economies 
Under Article III of the Proposed Draft Chair's Text On Fisheries Subsidies – 
TN/RL/GEN/162/Rev.1 (20 April 2011) ................................................................................ 31 
2. Textual Proposal for Additional Flexibilities for Small and Vulnerable Economies 
Under Article III of the Proposed Draft Chair's Text On Fisheries Subsidies – 
TN/RL/GEN/162 (8  January  2010)  ...................................................................................... 34 
3. Drafting Proposal on Issues Relating to Article III.4 ("Special and Differential 
Treatment of Developing Country Members") of the Fisheries Subsidies Annex to the SCM 
Agreement as Proposed by the Chair in TN/RL/W/213 - TN/RL/GEN/158 (22 May 2008) ............. 34 
X. COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT ................................................................ 35 
A. CURRENT DRAF T TEXT ............................................................................................. 35 
1. Views of the Small Vulnerable Economies on the Negotiations of Paragraph 31(III) 
of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Communication from the Small, Vulnerable Economies - JOB/TE/ 18 (1 Apri l 2011)  ................................................................................ 35
 
XI. NEGOTIATING GROUP ON TRADE FACILITATION .......................................................... 36 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  A. CURRENT DRAF T TEXT ............................................................................................. 36 
1. Draft consolidated negotiating text - TN /TF/W/165/Rev. 5 (5  November 2010) ................ 36 
XII. AID FOR TRADE TASK FORCE .................................................................................... 36 
1. Aid for Trade - WT/AFT/W/18 (15 June 2006) .............................................................. 36 
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  I. INTRODUCTION 
 Paragraph 41 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration1 instructs the Committee on Trade 
and Development (CTD) in Dedicated Session to monitor progress of the small economies' proposals in the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiating groups and other WTO bodies. At 
its Fifteenth Dedicated Session on 20 July 2006, Members requested the Secretariat to prepare a 
note based on an initial paper prepared by a group of small economies.
2 The paper was to help the 
CTD in Dedicated Session to monitor work currently underway in the WTO and in the DDA 
negotiating groups. Its aim was to track proposals made by the proponents of small economies as 
well as relevant WTO reports and draft texts circulated to date by the various Chairs of the DDA negotiating groups.
3  
 
 The paper was expanded in document WT/COMTD /SE/W/22 to reflect the state of play of all 
the small economies' issues discussed in WTO bodi es and negotiating groups since the launch of 
the Work Programme on Small Economies in 2001. To  date, five revisions have been issued to 
reflect the evolution of the texts and proposals discussed and to take stock of any WTO decisions 
reached. The fifth revision reflects only the latest texts and decisions and does not provide details of how these texts evolved since this is reflected in previous versions. The sixth revision contains 
further revisions made to the proposals since November 2010 and aims to provide Members with 
an overview of the current state of play of issu es concerning the proponents of small economies. 
The paper has been prepared under the Secretariat' s own responsibility and does not prejudice the 
right of any Member to raise other concerns or views related to the Work Programme on Small 
Economies.   
 II. MANDATE AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK 
A. PARAGRAPH 35 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION – WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1 
(20 NOVEMBER 2001) 
We agree to a work programme, under the auspices of the General Council, to examine 
issues relating to the trade of small economies. The objective of this work is to frame 
responses to the trade-related issues identified for the fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system, and not to create a sub-category of WTO Members. The General Council shall review the work programme and make 
recommendations for action to the Fifth Session of the Ministerial Conference. 
 B. PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE WORK PROGRAMME ON SMALL ECONOMIES FRAMEWORK 
AND PROCEDURES – WT/L/447 (1 MARCH 2002) 
In pursuance of this mandate, the Work Prog ramme shall be undertaken in accordance with 
the following framework and procedures:  
 
(a) The Work Programme shall remain under the overall responsibility of the General Council.  
(b) The General Council shall have the Work Programme on Small Economies (WPSE) as a 
standing item on its agenda. 
 
(c) The objective of this work is to frame re sponses to the trade-related issues identified 
for the fuller integration of small, vulnerab le economies into the multilateral trading 
system. 
 
(d) The General Council shall instruct the CTD to have a programme of work on small 
economies which will be conducted in dedicated sessions of the CTD.   
 
(e) The CTD shall report regularly to the General Council on the progress of work in the 
dedicated sessions. 
                                               
1 WT/MIN(05)/DEC. 
2 WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1. 
3 Note that the numbering of footnotes in this document may not correspond to the numbering of 
footnotes of the original documents included herein. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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(f) The Chairperson of the regular CTD shall also be the Chair for the dedicated sessions 
of the CTD. 
 
(g) The dedicated sessions of the CTD shall have an agreed calendar of meetings to 
complete the work under its mandate. 
 
(h) The CTD will hold informal meetings as necessary with a view to assisting the formal 
process in the dedicated sessions of the CTD. 
 (i) In accordance with the outcome of the programme of work in the CTD, the General 
Council shall, as appropriate, direct relevant  subsidiary bodies to frame responses to 
the trade-related issues identified by the CTD with a view to making recommendations for action to the Fifth Session of the Ministerial Conference as mandated. This does 
not prejudice the right of Members to submit for consideration proposals relating to 
the concerns of small economies to the relevant WTO bodies. 
 
(j) As and when necessary, the dedicated sessions of the CTD will work in collaboration 
with relevant subsidiary bodies. 
 (k) Members are urged to make their own contributions to the work of the CTD under its 
programme of work. The General Council shall instruct the WTO Secretariat to provide 
relevant information and factual analysis, inter alia, 
 
(i) on the impact of WTO rules on Small Economies; 
 (ii) on the constraints faced by Small Economies as well as their shortfalls in 
institutional and administrative capacities, including in the area of human 
resources; 
 
(iii) on the effects of Trade Liberalization on Small Economies. 
 
The CTD will also request information and analysis from other agencies and bodies that carry out work on small economies. 
 
C. PARAGRAPH 1.D OF THE 1 AUGUST:  2004 GENERAL COUNCIL DECISION - WT/L/579 
The trade-related issues identified for the fulle r integration of small, vulnerable economies 
into the multilateral trading system, should also be addressed, without creating a sub-
category of Members, as part of a work programme, as mandated in paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. 
 
D. PARAGRAPH 41 OF THE HONG KONG MINISTERIAL DECLARATION - WT/MIN(05)/DEC (18 DECEMBER 2005) 
We reaffirm our commitment to the Work Programme on Small Economies and urge 
Members to adopt specific measures that woul d facilitate the fuller integration of small, 
vulnerable economies into the multilateral trad ing system, without creating a sub-category 
of WTO Members. We take note of the repo rt of the Committee on Trade and Development 
in Dedicated Session on the Work Programme on Small Economies to the General Council and agree to the recommendations on future work. We instruct the Committee on Trade and Development, under the overall responsibility of the General Council, to continue the work in 
the Dedicated Session and to monitor progress of the small economies' proposals in the 
negotiating and other bodies, with the aim of providing responses to the trade-related issues of small economies as soon as possible but no later than 31 December 2006. We instruct the 
General Council to report on progress and action taken, together with any further 
recommendations as appropriate, to our next Session.  
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  D.1 REFERENCES TO SMALL ECONOMIES IN PARAGRAPH 21 OF THE SECTION ON NAMA 
IN THE HONG KONG MINISTERIAL DECLARATION  
PARAGRAPH 21 
 
We note the concerns raised by small, vulner able economies, and instruct the Negotiating 
Group to establish ways to provide flexibilities for these Members without creating a sub category of WTO Members. 
 
D.2 REFERENCES TO SMALL ECONOMIES IN THE SERVICES – ANNEX C OF THE HONG KONG MINISTERIAL DECLARATION 
PARAGRAPH 8 
 
Due consideration shall be given to proposals on  trade-related concerns of small economies. 
 
III. DECISIONS 
A. MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES 1. Work Programme on Small Economies, WT/L/844 (17 December 2011) 
The Ministerial Conference decides  as follows: 
 
We reaffirm our commitment to the Work Programme on Small Economies and take note of all the work conducted to date and duly reflected in document WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.6 
and its previous revisions. We instruct the CTD to continue its work in Dedicated Sessions 
under the overall responsibility of the General Council. Furthermore, it shall consider in further detail the proposals contained in the various submissions that have been received to 
date, examine any additional proposals that Members might wish to submit and, where 
possible, and within its mandate, make recommendations to the General Council, on any of these proposals. We instruct the General Council to direct relevant subsidiary bodies to 
frame responses to the trade-related issues identified by the CTD with a view to making 
recommendations for action and instruct the WTO Secretariat to provide relevant information and factual analysis for discussion among Members in the CTD Dedicated Session, inter alia , in the areas identified in item k of paragraph 2 of the Work Programme 
on Small Economies, and on the identification and effects of non-tariff measures on Small 
Economies. We instruct the CTD in Dedicated Session to continue monitoring the progress of the SVE proposals in WTO bodies and negoti ating groups with the aim of providing 
responses, as soon as possible, to the trade-related issues identified for the fuller integration 
of small, vulnerable economies in an appropri ate manner in the multilateral trading system. 
We instruct the General Council to report on progress and action taken, together with any 
further recommendations as appropriate, to our next Session. 
 
2. Work Programme on Small Economies, WT/L/908 (7 December 2013) 
 The Ministerial Conference decides  as follows: 
 
We reaffirm our commitment to the Work Programme on Small Economies and take note of all the work conducted to date. In particular we note that document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.6 and its previous revisions reflect the work of the Committee on 
Trade and Development (CTD) up to the Eighth Mi nisterial. We take note of the work carried 
out since 2011 including that on the effects of non-tariff measures on Small Economies and 
instruct the CTD to continue its work in Dedi cated Sessions under the overall responsibility 
of the General Council.  Furthermore, we instruct the Dedicated Session to consider in further detail the proposals 
contained in the various submissions that have been received to date, to examine any 
additional proposals that Members might wish to  submit and, where possible, and within its 
mandate, to make recommendations to the Ge neral Council on any of these proposals. 
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  We instruct the General Council to direct relevant subsidiary bodies to frame responses to 
the trade-related issues identified by the CT D with a view to making recommendations for 
action. We instruct the WTO Secretariat to provide relevant information and factual analysis for discussion among Members in the CTD's Dedicated Session, inter alia , in the areas 
identified in item (k) of paragraph 2 of the Work Programme on Small Economies and, in 
particular, the challenges and opportunities experienced by small economies when linking 
into global value chains in trade in goods and services. 
 
B. COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT DEDICATED SESSION ON SMALL ECONOMIES
4  
1. Report to the General Council on Measur es to Assist Small Economies in Meeting 
their Obligations under the Agreements on SPS Measures, TBT and TRIPS5 - 
WT/COMTD/SE/5 (3 October 2006) 
1. In paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration6, Ministers established a work 
programme under the auspices of the General Council to examine issues relating to the 
trade of small economies with the objective of framing responses to the trade-related issues 
identified for the fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral 
trading system, without creating a sub category of WTO Members.  
 2. On 1 March 2002, the General Council took note of a framework and procedures for the conduct of the Work Programme on Small Economies
7 and instructed the Committee on 
Trade and Development (CTD) to conduct this programme of work in Dedicated Sessions 
and to report regularly on the progress of its work to the General Council. This mandate was reaffirmed by the 1 August 2004 Decision of the General Council.
8 At the Hong Kong 
Ministerial Conference, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to this Work Programme and 
urged Members to adopt specific measures that would facilitate the fuller integration of small economies into the multilateral trading system.
9  
 
3. In discussions in the CTD in Dedicated Session, the proponents of small economies 
identified, as one of the trade-related issues  affecting the fuller integration of their 
economies into the multilateral trading system, their limited administrative capacities to 
implement complex rules and procedures and, in particular, to fulfil their obligations under 
the Agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).  
 
4. In documents WT/COMTD/SE/W/15, WT/COMTD/SE/W/16 and WT/COMTD/SE/W/18, the proponents suggested that they be allowed to designate regional bodies to assist them 
in the implementation of their obligations in the SPS, TBT and TRIPS Agreements and sought 
explicit approval from Members to do so. The proposals underwent two revisions
10 to take 
into account the concerns raised by other Members in the Dedicated Session and at informal and/or formal meetings of the SPS an d TBT Committees and the TRIPS Council. 
 
5. Reports from the Chairpersons of these bodies were sent to the Chairperson of the CTD in Dedicated Session. The proponents of small economies also clarified that it was not 
their intention to modify, amend or alter the balance of rights and obligations contained in 
the SPS, TBT or TRIPS Agreements and that  they, as Members, remain ultimately 
responsible for adhering to the obligations they contain.  
 
                                               
4 The Committee on Trade and Development in Dedica ted Session has issued the following reports to 
the General Council in regard to its Work Prog ramme on Small Economies:  WT/COMTD/SE/1, 
WT/COMTD/SE/4, WT/COMTD/SE/6, WT/COMTD/SE/7 and WT/COMTD/SE/7/Add.1 and; WT/COMTD/SE/8. 
5 The General Council, at its meeting of 10 October 2006, agreed to the recommendations and 
understandings contained in paragraph 6 of the report. 
6 WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1. 
7 WT/L/447. 
8 WT/L/579. 
9 WT/MIN(05)/DEC, paragraph 41. 
10 The latest versions have been circulated as  WT/COMTD/SE/W/15/Rev.2,  WT/COMTD/SE/W/16/Rev.2 
and WT/COMTD/SE/W/18/Rev.2. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  6. On the basis of the discussions that have  been held on this matter, the CTD in 
Dedicated Session considers that the use by small, vulnerable economies of regional bodies to provide technical support and assistance as  necessary could help them implement their 
obligations in the areas of SPS, TBT and TRIPS, and thereby facilitate their fuller integration 
into the multilateral trading system. Accordin gly, and in pursuance of the provisions of 
paragraph 41 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, the CTD in Dedicated Session recommends that the General Council agrees that small economies are allowed to use such 
regional bodies to assist them in the implemen tation of their obligations under the SPS, TBT 
and TRIPS Agreements. It also recommends that Members and the WTO, within its competence, when providing technical and financial assistance to support small, vulnerable economies in fulfilling their rights and oblig ations under the agreements concerned, shall 
consider the advantages of providing that assist ance to the regional body where such exists. 
It is understood that individual Members benefiting from these recommendations will continue to be legally responsible and accountable for their individual notifications and other 
obligations under these Agreements. This recommendation is without prejudice both to the 
identification of other specific measures in due course to facilitate the fuller integration of small economies into the multilateral trading sy stem and to the use of regional bodies as 
described in this report by other developing country Members.  
 C. COMMITTEE ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES 
1. Report (2010) of the Committee on  Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - 
G/L/937 (29 October 2010) 
19. A General Council Decision adopted on 27 July 2007 (WT/L/691) lays down procedures 
whereby during the period 2008-2012 the Committee will continue to grant extensions 
under Article 27.4 of the Agreement of the transition period for the elimination of export 
subsidies. Among other things, this Decision states, in paragraph 1(f), that Members benefiting from such extensions shall submit an action plan as an integral part of their 
annual updating notification in 2010. At it s regular meeting of 28 October 2010, the 
Committee conducted a review of the transparency and standstill requirements contained in this Decision as well as the action plans subm itted by the Members concerned and agreed to 
continue for calendar year 2011 the extensions of the transition period that the Committee 
had previously granted for calendar years 2003-2010.
11  
 2. Decision of the General Council of 27 July 2007 - WT/L/691 (31 July 2007) Based 
on the Draft Decision of the Committee on  Subsidies and Countervailing Measures of 
13 July 2007 (G/SCM/120) 
ARTICLE 27.4 OF THE AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES AND 
COUNTERVAILING MEASURES 
 
Decision of 27 July 2007 
 
The General Council, 
  Having regard  to Articles IV:1 and 2 and IX:1 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the 
World Trade Organization ("WTO Agreement") and Article 27.4 of the Agreement on Subsidies  and 
Countervailing Measures  ("SCM Agreement ");   
 
                                               
11 The Committee decisions continuing the extensions of the transition period for calendar year 2011 
may be found in the following documents: Antigu a & Barbuda (G/SCM/50/Add.8 and G/SCM/51/Add.8); 
Barbados (G/SCM/52/Add.8 and G/SCM/56/Add.8); Belize  (G/SCM/57/Add.8 and G/SCM/59/Add.8); Costa Rica 
(G/SCM/61/Add.8 and G/SCM/62/Add.8); Dominica (G/SCM/63/Add.8); Dominican Republic (G/SCM/64/Add.8); El Salvador (G/SCM/65/Add.8); Fiji (G/SCM/66/Add.8 and G/SCM/67/Add.8); Grenada 
(G/SCM/69/Add.8 and G/SCM/71/A dd.8); Guatemala (G/SCM/72/Add. 8 and G/SCM/74/Add.8); Jamaica 
(G/SCM/75/Add.8 and G/SCM/78/Add.8); Jordan (G/SCM/79/Add.8); Mauritius (G/SCM/83/Add.8); Panama 
(G/SCM/84/Add.8 and G/SCM/85/Add.8); Papua New Guin ea (G/SCM/86/Add.8); St . Lucia (G/SCM/87/Add.8 
and G/SCM/89/Add.8); St. Kitts and Nevis (G/SCM/90/Add.8); St. Vincent and the Grenadines (G/SCM/91/Add.8); and Uruguay (G/SCM/92/Add.8). WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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   Recalling  that the Members of the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures 
("SCM Committee" or "Committee"), as directed by the Ministerial Conference12 have granted, 
pursuant to the procedures set forth in document G/SCM/39, extensions pursuant to Article 27.4 of the SCM Agreement  of the transition period under Article 27.2(b) of the SCM Agreement  for the 
elimination of export subsidies, in respect of certain programmes of certain developing country 
Members;    
 Noting  the proposals submitted by those developing country Members to extend the 
procedures contained in G/SCM/39;
13  
  Noting  the terms of paragraph 5 of this Decision; 
 
 Recognizing  the economic, financial and development needs, as well as the capacity and 
administrative constraints, of those Members in implementing their commitments pursuant to the 
SCM Agreement  in respect of the elimination of export subsidies;   
  On the basis of  the commitment of those Members to eliminate the export subsidies in 
question not later than 31 December 2015, with no requests for extension beyond those foreseen 
pursuant to this Decision;     Decides  to adopt the following procedures.   
 
PROCEDURES FOR CONTINUATION  OF EXTENSIONS PURSUANT 
TO ARTICLE 27.4 OF THE SCM AG REEMENT OF THE TRANSITION 
PERIOD UNDER ARTICLE 27.2(b) OF THE SCM AGREEMENT 
FOR CERTAIN DEVELOPING COUNTRY MEMBERS 
 
 The SCM Committee shall follow the procedures set forth below in respect of the 
continuation of extensions pursuant to Article 27.4 of the SCM Agreement  ("SCM Article 27.4") of 
the transition period under Article 27.2(b) of the SCM Agreement  for certain programmes, 
identified in the Annex.
14   
 
1. Mechanism for continuation of extension 
(a) A Member that wishes to seek a continuation, for calendar year 2008, of the extension 
under SCM Article 27.4 for a programme listed in the Annex, shall submit a request to 
that effect to the SCM Committee not later than 3 September 2007. The request also shall include a reference to the WTO document containing the corresponding updating 
notification covering calendar year 2006, which the Member shall have submitted to 
the SCM Committee pursuant to 1(d) of G/SCM/39.
15  
 
(b) Not later than 26 October 2007, Members of the SCM Committee shall agree to 
continue the extensions, for calendar year 2008, for programmes listed in the Annex 
in respect of which requests have been submitted pursuant to 1(a) and for which the Committee has verified, in its annual review conducted pursuant to G/SCM/39
16, that 
the transparency and standstill requiremen ts under G/SCM/39 were fulfilled during 
2006.  
 
(c) As provided for in SCM Article 27.4, the continuation of extensions by the SCM 
Committee pursuant to these procedures shall be subject to annual reviews in the form of consultations between the Committee and the Members receiving continuations of extensions. These annual reviews shall be conducted on the basis of 
                                               
12 Ministerial Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns, (WT/MIN(01)/17), 
paragraph 10.6.   
13 See documents G/SCM/W/535 and G/SCM/W/537 and addenda.   
14 The programmes eligible for continuations of ex tensions under these procedures are programmes 
providing export subsidies in the form of full or partia l exemptions from import duties and internal taxes for 
which the SCM Committee continued extensions of the tr ansition period under SCM Article 27.4 for calendar 
year 2007 pursuant to the procedures in G/SCM/39. 
15 At the regular meeting of the Committee in April 2007, these Members were reminded to submit their 
updating notifications by 30 June 2007.   
16 The procedures in G/SCM/39 shall cease to be effective upon comple tion of this 2007 annual review. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  annual updating notifications from the Members in question, as referred to in 2(a). 
The purpose of the annual reviews shall be to verify that the transparency and standstill requirements set forth in 2 and 3 are being fulfilled.   
 
(d) During the period 2008-2012, Members of the SCM Committee shall agree to continue 
the extensions pursuant to these procedures, subject to verification through annual reviews as provided for in 1(c) that the transparency and standstill requirements set 
forth in 2 and 3 are being fulfilled.
17 The "last authorized period" referred to in the last 
sentence of SCM Article 27.4 shall not extend beyond 31 December 2013, and the final two-year phase-out period provided for in the last sentence of SCM Article 27.4 shall end not later than 31 December 2015.   
 
(e) A Member receiving a continuation of an extension under these procedures shall take, 
from 1 January 2008, the necessary internal steps with a view to eliminating export 
subsidies under the programme before the en d of the final two-year phase-out period 
provided for in the last sentence of SCM Article 27.4. These steps shall include consultations with relevant government bodies and organisations and any necessary 
technical and/or legal assessments. In addition, from 1 January 2008 and in no case 
later than 31 December 2009, the Member shall notify each beneficiary under the programme indicating that no export subsidies within the meaning of SCM Article 3.1(a) will be granted or maintained beyond the end of calendar year 2015.   
 
(f) A Member receiving a continuation of an extension under these procedures shall 
provide, for transparency purposes, an action plan for eliminating export subsidies 
under the programme, as an integral part of the annual updating notification 
submitted for the annual review to be conducted in 2010.
18 As part of this review, the 
SCM Committee shall undertake a mid-period assessment of each programme for 
which it has continued an extension under these procedures.  During this mid-period 
assessment, the SCM Committee shall take stock of the steps undertaken as of that point by the notifying Member pursuant to  1(e), and shall discuss the action plan 
provided by the Member.   
 
(g) A Member receiving a continuation of an extension under these procedures may 
request the WTO Secretariat to provide technical assistance for eliminating export 
subsidies under the programme.  
 2. Transparency 
(a) The annual updating notifications shall follow the agreed format for subsidy 
notifications under SCM Article 25 (found in G/SCM/6/Rev.1). Beginning with the updating notifications covering calendar year 2008, notifying Members also shall provide information regarding the actions they have taken pursuant to 1(e) and 1(f).  
 
(b) During the annual reviews by the SCM Committee referred to in 1(c), notifying 
Members can be requested by other Members to provide additional detail and 
clarification with a view to maintaining transparency in respect of the scope, coverage 
and intensity of benefits (the "favourability") of the programmes in question
19 and the 
form of the subsidies provided thereunder; and in respect of the actions taken 
pursuant to 1(e) and 1(f). Any information provided in response to such requests shall 
be considered part of the notified information.   
 
                                               
17 This extension mechanism shall cease to be effe ctive upon completion in 2012 of the annual review 
by the Committee to continue the extensions for calendar year 2013, such that there will be no basis for requests for extension beyond those foreseen in this Decision.   
18 The action plan shall indicate how the Member intends to eliminate export subsidies under the 
programme not later than the end of the final two-year ph ase-out period provided for in the last sentence of 
SCM Article 27.4, including information as to legislative changes, administrative amendments and/or other procedures as may be necessary, and wh ether any of these actions have been undertaken or are in the process 
of being undertaken, including how the individual be neficiaries have been noti fied pursuant to 1(e). 
19 The scope, coverage and intensity of benefits of the programmes in  question will be determined on 
the basis of the legal instruments underlying the programmes.   WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 11 - 
 
  (c) A Member receiving a continuation of an extension under these procedures shall 
ensure transparency in respect of the final two-year phase-out period provided for in 
the last sentence of SCM Article 27.4 by submitting updating notifications under paragraph 2(a), which shall be subject to annual review by the Committee.   
 
3. Standstill 
(a) Through the end of the final two-year phase-out period provided for in SCM 
Article 27.4, the programmes for which extensions are continued under these 
procedures shall not be modified so as to make them more favourable than they were as at 1 September 2001, as specified in th e notified information previously submitted 
pursuant to the procedures in G/SCM/39. The continuation of an expiring programme 
without modification shall not be deemed to violate standstill.  
 (b) The verification of standstill in respect of the scope, coverage and intensity of benefits 
(the "favourability") of the programmes sh all be based on the notified information 
referred to in 1(c), 2(a), 2(b) and 3(a).   
 
4. Product graduation on the basis of export competitiveness 
Notwithstanding these procedures, Articles 27.5 and 27.6 shall apply in respect of export 
subsidies for which extensions are continued pursuant to these procedures.  
 
5. Members listed in Annex VII(b) which reserved rights pursuant to the procedures in 
G/SCM/39 
(a) This Decision does not prejudge rights of Annex VII Members. 
 
(b) If, during the period 2008-2015, the per capita GNP of a Member that reserved rights 
under paragraph 6(b) of G/SCM/39
20 reaches the level provided for in Annex VII(b) of 
the SCM Agreement such that the Member is no longer included in Annex VII(b), that 
Member shall be able to make use of these procedures as from the date at which its per capita GNP reaches that level and for th e remainder of that period. The effective 
date for the standstill requirement referred to in 3(a) shall be the year in which that 
Member's GNP per capita reaches the level provided for in Annex VII(b) such that it is 
no longer included in Annex VII(b).   
                                               
20 The Members that reserved rights, and the prog rammes in respect of wh ich these rights were 
reserved, are identified in documents G/SCM/N/74/BOL & G/SCM/N/74/BOL/Suppl.1, G/SCM/N/74/HND, G/SCM/N/74/KEN, and G/SCM/N/74/LKA. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 12 - 
 
  ANNEX 
LIST OF PROGRAMMES ELIGIBLE FOR CONTINUATION OF EXTENSIONS 
UNDER THE PROCEDURES21, AND DOCUMENT REFERENCES FOR THE 
EXTENSION DECISIONS BY THE SCM COMMITTEE 
COVERING CALENDAR YEAR 2007 
 
 
Antigua & Barbuda 
• Fiscal Incentive Act Cap 172 (December 1975) (G/SCM/50/Add.4) • Free Trade and Processing Zone Act No. 12 of 1994 (G/SCM/51/Add.4)  
Barbados 
• Fiscal Incentive Programme (G/SCM/52/Add.4) • Export Allowance (G/SCM/53/Add.4) 
• Research & Development Allowance (G/SCM/54/Add.4) 
• International Business Incentives (G/SCM/55/Add.4) • Societies With Restricted Liability (G/SCM/56/Add.4) 
 
Belize • Fiscal Incentives Act (G/SCM/57/Add.4) • Export Processing Zone Act (G/SCM/58/Add. 4) 
• Commercial Free Zone Act (G/SCM/59/Add.4) 
• Conditional Duty Exemptions Facility unde r Treaty of Chaguara mas (G/SCM/60/Add.4) 
 
Costa Rica 
• Free Zone Regime (G/SCM/61/Add.4) • Inward Processing Re gime (G/SCM/62/Add.4) 
 
Dominica • Fiscal Incentives Programme (G/SCM/63/Add.4)  
Dominican Republic 
• Law No. 8-90 to "Promote the Establishment of New Free Zones and Expand Existing Ones" 
(G/SCM/64/Add.4) 
 
El Salvador • Export Processing Zones and Marketing Act, as amended (G/SCM/65/Add.4) 
 
Fiji • Short-Term Export Profit Deduction (G/SCM/66/Add.4) • Export Processing Factories/Export Processing Zones Scheme (G/SCM/67/Add.4) 
• The Income Tax Act (Film Making and Audio Visual Incentive Amendment Decree 2000) 
(G/SCM/68/Add.4) 
                                               
21 Programmes for which the SCM Co mmittee continued extensions of the transition period under SCM 
Article 27.4 for calendar year 2007 pursuant to the procedures in G/SCM/39.  It is recalled that the eligibility criteria in G/SCM/39 on the basis of which the original extension decisions pursuant to those procedures (for 
calendar year 2003) were taken for the listed programmes were as follows (footnotes omitted):   
 "Programmes eligible for extension pursuant to  these procedures, and for which Members shall 
therefore grant extensions for calendar year 2003 [...], are export subsidy programmes (i) in the form of full or partial exemptions from impo rt duties and internal taxes, (ii) which were in existence not later than 
1 September 2001, and (iii) which are provided by developing country Members (iv) whose share of world merchandise export trade was not greater than 0.10%, (v ) whose total Gross National Income ("GNI") for the 
year 2000 as published by the World Bank was at or below US$20 billion, (vi) and who are otherwise eligible to request an extension pursuant to Article 27.4, and (vii) in respect of which these procedures are followed."   
 It is further recalled that, in respect of the above eligibility criteria, G/SCM/39 also provided that:   
 
"The criteria set forth in these pr ocedures are solely and strictly fo r the purpose of determining whether 
Members are eligible to invoke these procedures.  Member s of the Committee agree that these criteria have no 
precedential value or relevance, direct or indirect, for any other purpose."   WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  Grenada 
• Fiscal Incentives Act No. 41 of 1974 (G/SCM/69/Add.4) • Statutory Rules and Orders No. 37 of 1999 (G/SCM/70/Add.4) • Qualified Enterprises Act No. 18 of 1978 (G/SCM/71/Add.4) 
 
Guatemala • Exemption from Company Tax, Customs Duti es and Other Import Taxes for Companies 
under Special Customs Regimes (G/SCM/72/Add.4) 
• Exemption from Company Tax, Customs Duties and Other Import Taxes for the Production 
Process Relating to Activities of Managers and Users of Free Zones (G/SCM/73/Add.4) 
• Exemption from Company Tax, Customs Duties and Other Import Taxes for the Production 
Process of Commercial and Industrial Enterprise s Operating in the Industrial and Free Trade 
Zone (G/SCM/74/Add.4) 
 
Jamaica 
• Export Industry Encouragement Act (G/SCM/75/Add.4) • Jamaica Export Free Zone Act (G/SCM/76/Add.4) 
• Foreign Sales Corporation Act (G/SCM/77/Add.4) 
• Industrial Incentives (Factory Construction) Act (G/SCM/78/Add.4)  Jordan 
• Partial or Total Exemption from Income Tax of Profits Generated from Exports under Law 
No. 57 of 1985, as amended (G/SCM/79/Add.4) 
 
Mauritius 
• Export Enterprise Scheme (G/SCM/80/Add.4) • Pioneer Status Enterprise Scheme (G/SCM/81/Add.4) 
• Export Promotion (G/SCM/82/Add.4) 
• Freeport Scheme (G/SCM/83/Add.4)  Panama 
• Official Industry Register (G/SCM/84/Add.4 
• Export Processing Zones (G/SCM/85/Add.4)  
Papua New Guinea 
• Section 45 of the Income Tax (G/SCM/86/Add.4)  
St. Kitts and Nevis 
• Fiscal Incentives Act No. 17 of 1974 (G/SCM/90/Add.4)  St. Lucia 
• Fiscal Incentives Act No. 15 of 1974 (G/SCM/87/Add.4) 
• Free Zone Act, No. 10 of 1999 (G/SCM/88/Add.4) • Micro and Small Scale Business Enterprises Act, No. 19 of 1998 (G/SCM/89/Add.4) 
 
St. Vincent & Grenadines • Fiscal Incentives Act No. 5 of 1982, as amended (G/SCM/91/Add.4) 
 
Uruguay • Automotive Industry Export Promotion Regime (G/SCM/92/Add.4) WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  IV. TRADE NEGOTI ATIONS COMMITTEE 
A. SMALL, VULNERABLE ECONOMIES (SVES) CONTRIBUTION FOR THE POST BALI 
WORK PROGRAMME – JOB/TNC/49 (17 June 2015) 
 
Submission from Guatemala on behalf of the SVEs Group 
The following communication is being circulated at the request of the delegation of Guatemala, on 
behalf of the SVEs Group. 
 
_______________ 
  
INTRODUCTION 
 
Recalling  Paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration that provides:  
 
"We agree to a work programme, under the auspices of the General Council, to examine issues relating to the trade of small economies. The objective of this work is 
to frame responses to the trade-related issues identified for the fuller integration of 
small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system, and not to create a sub-category of WTO Members. The General Council shall review the work programme 
and make recommendations for action to the Fifth Session of the Ministerial 
Conference."
22 
Recalling  the proposals and work undertaken up to now, contained in document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.6.  
 
Stressing  the particular economic conditions of the small, vulnerable economies such as: 
exposure to natural disasters, narrow economic base, small domestic markets, high level of 
poverty, high external debt, and negligible shares  in Agricultural and NAMA world trade, minimal 
share of global fisheries catch, small participation in services global trade, low FDI, among others.   
Recalling  the Bali Ministerial Decision on the Work Programme on Small Economies where 
Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the work programme and instructed the General Council 
and subsidiary bodies to frame responses to the tr ade-related issues identified by the CTD with a 
view to making recommendations for action.
23 
 
Recalling Paragraph 1.11 of the Bali Ministerial Declaration that provides: 
 
"… we instruct the Trade Negotiations Committee to prepare within the next 
12 months a clearly defined work program on the remaining Doha Development Agenda issues".
24  
The SVEs group submits the following contribution  to the definition of the Work Programme:  
 
GENERAL PRINCIPLES  
The following are the general principles that SVEs believe should be an integral part of the 
Post-Bali Work Programme:  
1. Development dimension of the Doha Development Agenda is central.  
 2. Basic principles for the negotiation process: Bottom-up, transparent and inclusive 
process, Member driven process and less than full reciprocity. 
 
                                               
22 Doha WTO Ministerial Declaration. WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1, 20 November 2001. 
23 Work Programme on Small Economies, Minist erial Decision (WT/MIN(13)/33 or WT/L/908). 
24 WT/MIN(13)/DEC. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 15 - 
 
  3. Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) should be an integral component in all areas 
of the Work Programme.  
4. SDT for the SVEs: enhanced flexibilities for SVEs on all elements of Agriculture, NAMA 
and services, as well as in any other component of the Work Programme of our interest.  
 
5. SVEs believe in building future work on  the basis of the agreed mandates and the 
stabilized flexibilities contained in the Draft Modalities of 2008 and 2011.  
 
6. Balanced outcome according to the level of  ambition and contributions of Members. If 
as a result of the negotiations there is a loweri ng of the level of ambition, SVEs flexibilities and 
contributions will also have to be revisited in that same way. 
 KEY ELEMENTS  
 
Flexibilities captured for SVEs in Rev.4 and Rev.3 are the basis for future work. 
 
The level of ambition in Agriculture is central to the Round. Progress should be made across 
all negotiating areas in the Post-Bali Work Programme.   Agriculture: 
 
Market Access : Enhanced flexibilities for SVEs, Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), 
Special products, Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) and TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4
25, Paragraphs 65, 112, 
127, 130, 144, 157, 158.  
 Domestic Support : Enhanced flexibilities for de minimis, overall trade-distorting domestic 
support (OTDS), Blue Box. (TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4 paragraph 10, 32, 50 and JOB/AG/16). 
 
Export Competition : 
 
• Enhanced Flexibilities in Export Credits
26, Export prohibitions and restrictions27, 
Food Aid28, and State Trading Enterprises29. (JOB/AG/16). 
 
• Cuba’s proposal on Export Credits.30   
 
NAMA: 
 
Market Access : Enhanced flexibilities. (Including specific flexibilities for Fiji, Bolivia, and 
Gabon) TN/MA/W/103/Rev.3, para.13.  
 
Participation in sectorial initiatives should remain on a voluntary basis. 
 General Concerns on Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) : Especially the NTMs identified in the 
Secretariat’s Studies: WT/COMTD/SE/W/26/Rev.1 and WT/COMTD/SE/W/28. 
 Services: 
 
Market Access : Flexibilities contained in Paragraph 8 of Annex C of the Hong Kong 
Declaration Articles XIX.2 and in the Guidelines and Procedures on the Negotiations in Trade in Services.  
 
Domestic regulation : Enhanced SDT for SVEs. 
 
                                               
25 TN/AG/W/4/Rev4. Revised Draft Modalities for Agriculture. 
26 TN/AG/W/4/Rev4. Paragraph 5 of Annex J, and JOB/AG/16. 
27 Idem, paragraphs 180, and JOB/AG/16. 
28 Idem,  paragraph 12 of Annex L, and JOB/AG/16. 
29 Idem, paragraph 6 of Annex K, and JOB/AG/16. 
30 TN/AG/GEN/31. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 16 - 
 
  We reiterate that targeted technical assistance  as agreed in paragraph 10, Annex C of the 
Hong Kong Ministerial should enable developing countries to participate effectively in the negotiations.  
Fisheries Subsidies:  
 
Additional Flexibilities for Small and Vulnerable  Economies under article III of the proposed 
draft Chair’s text on fisheries subsidies, base d on the SVEs' proposal (TN/RL/GEN/162/Rev.1). 
 We reiterate that the referred proposal seeks some additional flexibility for SVEs with 
respect to the proposed exemptions to the prohibited subsidies under Article I. 
 
TN/RL/GEN/162/Rev.1 sought some additional  flexibility for SVEs with respect to the 
proposed exemptions to the prohibited subsidies pr oposed under Article I, in the context of a core 
set of forms of disciplines of fisheries subsidies and fisheries management related criterion easily 
enforceable in developing countries.  
 
In the context of the current recalibration of  ambition across all areas, the SVEs are willing 
to engage on a discussion of special and differe ntial treatment based on minimum disciplines on 
fisheries subsidies to address overcapacity and overfishing are agreed to. SVEs note that transparency alone will not address the sustainability concerns that underpinned the mandate for 
the fisheries subsidies negotiations. 
 V. COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE - SPECIAL SESSION 
A. CURRENT MODALITIES DRAFT  
1. Revised Draft Modalities for Agriculture - TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4 (6 December 2008) 
II. MARKET ACCESS 
A. TIERED FORMULA FOR TARIFF REDUCTIONS 
63. Developing country Members other than those specified in paragraph 65 below shall 
reduce their final bound tariffs in eleven equal annual instalments over ten years in accordance with the following tiered formula: 
 
(a) where the final bound tariff or ad valorem equivalent is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 30%, the reduction shall be 2/3 of the cut for developed country 
Members in paragraph 61(a) above; 
 (b) where the final bound tariff or ad valo rem equivalent is greater than 30% and 
less than or equal to 80%, the reduction shall be 2/3 of the cut for developed country 
Members in paragraph 61(b) above;  (c) where the final bound tariff or ad valorem equivalent is greater than 80% and 
less than or equal to 130%, the reduction shall be 2/3 of the cut for developed 
country Members in paragraph 61(c) above; and 
 
(d) where the final bound tariff or ad valorem equivalent is greater than 130%, the 
reduction shall be 2/3 of the cut for developed country Members in paragraph 61(d) above. 
 
65. Those small, vulnerable economies
31, including those among them which are ceiling 
binding and homogenously low binding countries, which choose to exercise the option set 
                                               
31 The Members concerned are those that meet the criteria set out in paragraph 151 and are listed in 
Annex I. As is made clear in the Agreed Framework,  Small Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) are not meant to 
create any sub -category of Members. Bearing that principle in mind, the following Members could also be 
deemed to be eligible for this treatment, should they choose to avail themselves of it, despite not being 
members of the SVE Group per se  given that this treatment could be deemed to be broadly comparably 
appropriate:  Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria (plus ot her Members that can provide data that WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 17 - 
 
  forth in paragraph 130 below shall be entitled to moderate the cuts specified in paragraph 
63 above by a further 10 ad valorem percentage points in each band.  D. SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT 
Special Products 
 
129. Developing country Members shall be entitled to self-designate Special Products 
guided by indicators
32 based on the criteria of food security, livelihood security and rural 
development. There shall be 12% of tariff li nes available for self-designation as Special 
Products. Up to 5% of lines may have no cut. The overall average cut shall, in any case, be 11%.* 
 
*  A number of developing country Members have expressed reservations concerning the numbers specified in this paragraph, noting also that this 
may be affected by what is decided in other areas of the text. 
130. In the case of small vulnerable econom ies, including those among them which are 
ceiling binding and homogenously low binding countries, they may, if they choose to do so, 
apply the moderated tariff tiered formula for SVEs provided for in paragraph 65 above plus 
the Special Product entitlement outlined above. Alternatively, they may chose not to apply the tiered formula but simply meet an overall average cut of 24% through having in effect 
opted to designate as many tariff lines as they choose as Special Products. The tariff lines so 
chosen need not be subject to any minimum tariff cut and need not be guided by the 
indicators.   
Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) 
 144. [In the case of SVE's referred to in footnote 11 (see footnote 20 of this compilation) to 
these modalities, they may apply the maximum remedy provided for above even if this 
would otherwise entail breach of a pre Doha  bound tariff, provided that the maximum 
increase over a pre-Doha bound tariff does not exceed 20 ad valorem  percentage points or 
20% of the current bound tariff, whichever is higher, for up to a maximum of (10-15)% of 
tariff lines in any given period. This would be provided that all other relevant conditions for 
application of the measure have been met.   
145. For developing country Members other than those referred to in the preceding 
paragraph, they may apply the maximum remedy provided for above even if this would otherwise entail breach of a pre-Doha bound tariff provided that (a) the maximum increase 
over the pre-Doha bound tariffs would be no more than 15 ad valorem  percentage points or 
15% of the current bound tariff, whichever is the higher; (b) the maximum number of products for which this provision would be invoked would be no more than 2-6
33 in any 
given period; and (c) this would not be permissible for two consecutive periods. All other 
provisions would be applicable.]  
 G. SMALL, VULNERABLE ECONOMIES 
157. For the purposes of this Agreement, th is term applies to Members with economies 
that, in the period 1999 to 2004, had an average share of (a) world merchandise trade of no more than 0.16% or less, and (b) world trade in non-agricultural products of no more than 
0.1% and (c) world trade in agricultural products of no more than 0.4%. 
 
                                                                                                                                               
show that they meet the criteria in paragraph 147). Additionally, Bolivia shall have access, exceptionally, to 
treatment equivalent to that provided for in paragr aph 142. As an exception, Suriname shall rebind its 
agricultural tariffs on a line by line basis at the le vel of the average bound tariff of Antigua and Barbuda, 
Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and 
the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago resulting from these modalities. 
32 See Annex F. 
33 For the purposes of this provision a "product" is identifiable at the 6-digit level of the Harmonized 
System (HS) nomenclature, but with the understanding that this can entail a maximum of [4 - 8] tariff lines per product  below that 6-digit level. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 18 - 
 
  158. Developed country Members and developing country Members in a position to do so 
shall provide enhanced improvements in market access for products of export interest to Members with small, vulnerable economies.  
159. More specific provisions are to be found  in relevant sections of this document. 
 
B. LATEST SVE SUBMISSIONS  
2. Flexibilities in the Agricultural Modalitie s on the Pillars of Domestic Support and 
Export Competition, Communication by the Group of Small and Vulnerable Economies 
(SVEs) - JOB/AG/16 (24 March 2011) 
1. This proposal is submitted with the object ive of securing flexibilities for those Small 
Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), including non resident delegations, that are not currently listed as 
Net Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs).
34  
 
2. The SVEs believe that in the agricultural negotiations, the special circumstances and 
characteristics of our members should be taken into account, in compliance with the mandate outlined in paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration which refers to the Work Program on 
Small Economies, as well as paragraph 41 of the Hong Kong, Ministerial Declaration which 
Ministers instruct the Dedicated Session of the CTD to "monitor progress of the small economies' 
proposals in the negotiating and other bodies, wi th the aim of providing responses to the trade-
related issues of small economies as soon as possible".  
 
3. It is widely acknowledged that the Agriculture sector remains a major component of economic activity in rural areas in developing countries, especially the smallest among them. It 
generates employment, meets food security obje ctives, and can be a vital source of foreign 
exchange earnings. In this sense, the importance of obtaining flexibilities for our members in the 
pillars of domestic support and export competitio n becomes an essential part of the balance that 
we are seeking from these negotiations. 
 4. In contrast with the considerable distor ting support provided by some Members, our 
countries are amongst those who have given relatively small amounts of support to their 
agricultural sector although an important percenta ge of it is represented by small and subsistence 
farmers. In most cases this is due to the financial constraints faced by our countries which prevent us from providing subsidies to our farmers, as well as the constraints derived from the Uruguay 
Round, in this area, for small countries like ours. In this sense, we believe that there are some 
flexibilities in the pillars of domestic support and export competition that should also be granted to 
our countries, in order to achieve a balanced outcome. 
 
5. In putting our proposal forward, we would like to stress that our countries recognize the enormous amount of work which has gone into the agriculture negotiations and believe that the current Draft Modalities contained in document TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4 are a good reflection of the work 
that has been done in this area throughout the years. 
 6. In this sense, we would not be seeking to reopen whole issues, but that the flexibility that 
we are pursuing can be reflected in the form of footnotes as presented below, as has been utilized 
before in the text. We believe that this proposal will not harm in any way the balance of these negotiations as members of our group represent a very small share of global agricultural trade. 
 
Specific proposals : 
 
Paragraph 10, amend the footnote as follows : 
 
"2 Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia , Cameroon, Congo (Brazzaville), El Salvador, Fiji , 
Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Maldives, Nicaragua , Nigeria, Suriname  and 
Swaziland shall have access also to this provision." 
 
                                               
34 Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, El Salvad or, Fiji, Grenada, Guatem ala, Guyana, Maldives, 
Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea and Suriname. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 19 - 
 
  Paragraph 50, include a footnote as follows: 
 " … .  For least-developed country Members and for NFIDCs these limits shall be 75% and 25% respectively.*" 
 
* Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, El  Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, 
Guyana, Maldives, Nicaragua, and Suriname shall have access also to this 
provision. 
 Paragraph 180, amend the footnote as follows:  
 
"
29 Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia , Cameroon, Congo (Brazzaville), El Salvador, Fiji,  
Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Maldives, Nicaragua , Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, 
Suriname  and Swaziland shall have access also to this provision." 
 
Annex J Paragraph 5, includ e a footnote as follows: 
 
"5.  Notwithstanding the terms of paragraphs 3(a) and 4(a) above, Least-developed and net 
food-importing developing countries as listed in G/AG/5/Rev.8 shall be accorded differential and more favourable treatment comprising allowance for a repayment term in respect of them of between 360 and 540 days for the acquisition of basic foodstuffs*…" 
 
* Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, El  Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, 
Guyana, Maldives, Nicaragua, Papua New Gu inea and Suriname shall have access 
also to this provision. 
 Annex L Paragraph 12, include a footnote as follows: 
 
"12.  Monetization of in-kind food aid in non-emergency situations shall be prohibited except where it is in conformity with the provisions of paragraph 11 above and, as a means to meet direct 
nutritional requirements of least-developed and net food-importing developing country members*, 
it is necessary to fund the internal transporta tion and delivery of the food aid to, or the 
procurement of agricultural inputs to low-income or resource-poor producers in, those Members."  
* Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, El  Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, 
Guyana, Maldives, Nicaragua, Papua New Gu inea and Suriname shall have access 
also to this provision. 
 
3. The Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) Modalities to Apply to Small Vulnerable 
Economies (SVEs), Communication by the Group of Small Vulnerable Economies 
(SVEs)
35, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group, and the African Group36 - 
JOB/AG/17 (24 March 2011) 
1. The Group of Small Vulnerable Economies ( SVEs), the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) 
Group, and the African Group take note of do cuments TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4 and TN/AG/W/7 prepared 
by the former Chairman of the Committee on Ag riculture (Special Session), Ambassador Crawford 
Falconer. The Groups acknowledge the efforts of the current Chair, Ambassador David Walker, to find balanced solutions in the framework of the Agriculture negotiations. 
 
2. It should nonetheless be recalled that the G- 33, on behalf of the SVEs, made a submission 
in February 2009 (TN/AG/GEN/29) which sought, among other things, to address the issues raised in paragraph 5(b) of the document TN/AG/W/7 on the SSM. It remains the case that the specific 
modalities to be applied to SVEs have not been discussed. 
 3. The SVEs, ACP, and the African Group Member s wish to recall that, since July 2008, there 
have not been any real discussions regarding the specific treatment for SVEs on the SSM. Since 
that time, on behalf of its SVEs Members, the G-33 presented two documents regarding the 
                                               
35 This submission is without prejudice to the nego tiating positions of the Group of Least-Developed 
Countries.  It is recognised that, in accordance with the establ ished principle of differe ntiated treatment, LDCs 
shall have more flexible treatment than SVEs. 
36 This submission is without prejudice to the negotiating positions of the SVEs, ACP and the African 
Group.  Countries reserve the right to submit further proposals elaborat ing on Group or individual needs. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 20 - 
 
  treatment for the SVEs within the SSM. These are: TN/AG/GEN/29, " G-33 Proposal on the 
Treatment of SSM Provided to the SVEs ", dated 10 February 2009 and JOB/AG/6, " G-33 
Submission on the SSM: Flexibilities for SVEs ", dated 4 March 2010. These submissions should be 
read in conjunction with the present document. 
 
4. It has been the understanding of the SVEs, ACP, and the African Group Members that emphasis would first be on finding a solution for developing countries, in general, before 
proceeding to outline the specific treatment for the SVEs, taking into account that it has generally 
been recognized by the WTO membership that SVEs should have more flexible treatment within the SSM.  
5. The SVEs, ACP, and the African Group present this document to clarify the position of the 
SVEs on various elements of the SSM and in order to address sub-paragraphs 5(b) and (c) of document TN/AG/W/7 and is without prejudice to the positions regarding the general solution for 
other developing countries. This submission is made pursuant to the mandate of paragraph 35 of 
the Doha Ministerial Declaration and paragraph 42 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, to frame responses to the trade-related issues identified  for the fuller integration of the SVEs into the 
multilateral trading system. 
 6. The rationale and structure of the SSM shou ld be agreed on the basis of the elements 
contained in the document TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4. Whilst some of the paragraphs on the SSM are 
unbracketed, important gaps remain, including in respect of the treatment for the SVEs. In that 
regard, any future revised draft modalities should include the following elements in order to close those gaps and address the needs of SVEs: 
 
New Paragraph 133 bis 
 
In the case of SVEs referred to in footnote 11 to  these modalities, the volume-based SSM shall be 
applied on the basis of a rolling average of impo rts in the preceding three-year period for which 
data are available (hereafter "base imports"). On this basis, the applicable triggers and remedies 
shall be set as follows: 
 
(a) where the volume of imports during any year exceeds 110% but does not exceed 
115% of base imports, the maximum addition al duty that may be imposed shall not 
exceed 25% of the current bound tariff or 25 percentage points, whichever is higher; 
 (b) where the volume of imports during any year exceeds 115% but does not exceed 
120% of base imports, the maximum addition al duty that may be imposed shall not 
exceed 40% of the current bound tariff or 40 percentage points, whichever is higher; 
 (c) where the volume of imports during any year exceeds 120% of base imports, the 
maximum additional duty that may be impo sed shall not exceed 50% of the current 
bound tariff or 50 percentage points, whichever is higher. 
 
The above triggers and remedies shall apply notwithstanding that the pre-Doha bound rate may be 
breached, subject to the limitation in paragraph 144.  
New Paragraph 135 bis 
 
In the case of SVEs referred to in footnote 11 to these modalities, the price-based SSM shall be 
applicable where the c.i.f. import price of the sh ipment entering the customs territory of the SVEs 
Member concerned, expressed in terms of its domestic currency falls below a trigger price equal to 
90% of the average price for that product for the most recent three-year period preceding the year of importation for which data is available, provided that, where the Member’s domestic 
currency, has at the time of importation, depreciated by at least 10% over the preceding 
12 months against the international currency or currencies against which it is normally valued the import price shall be computed using the average exchange rate of the domestic currency against 
such international currency or currencies for the three-year period referred to above. 
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 21 - 
 
  New Paragraph 136 bis 
 
In the case of SVEs referred to in footnote 11 to these modalities, the price-based SSM remedy shall apply on a shipment-by-shipment basis. The additional duty shall not exceed the difference 
between the import price of the shipment concerned and the reference
37 price. 
 New Paragraph 138 bis 
 
In the case of SVEs referred to in footnote 11 to these modalities, paragraph 138 shall not be applicable.  
Paragraph 144 
 
 In the case of SVEs referred to in footnote 11 to these modalities, they may apply the 
maximum remedy provided for above even if this  would otherwise entail breach of a pre-Doha 
bound tariff, provided that the maximum increase over a pre-Doha bound tariff does not exceed 75 ad valorem percentage points or 75% of the bound tariff, whichever is higher, for up to a 
maximum of 30% of tariff lines in any given period. This would be provided that all other relevant 
conditions for application of the measure have been met.
38  
                                               
37 See Footnote 26 of TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4. 
38 The Plurinational State of Bolivia is not in a position to support these numbers at this stage and 
remains with the pre-July 2008 position of the Group. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 22 - 
 
  ANNEX I 
SMALL, VULNERABLE ECONOMIES 
 1. The data are based on the methodology that was used to prepare a previous Secretariat 
paper on shares of WTO Members in world non-agricultural trade, 1999-2004 (TN/MA/S/18). 
Individual Members' data were extracted from  the United Nations Comtrade database on 
6 June 2007. World export and import totals, excl uding significant re-exports were taken from the 
Secretariat's International Trade Statistics Report 2006. This time period has been updated to 
2000-2005 and a cif-fob adjustment has been app lied to world exports by commodity group to 
derive respective world imports, but this does not change the overall results
39. The country 
averages are calculated on the basis of the years for which data are available.  
 
2. A small, vulnerable economy is defined as one whose average share for the period 1999-2004 (a) of world merchandise trade does not exceed 0.16% and (b) of world NAMA trade 
does not exceed 0.10% and (c) of world agricultural trade does not exceed 0.40%. 
 3. The attached table does not include those Members that are defined as least developed 
countries by the United Nations Economic and Social Council and those Members for which no data 
are available.
                                               
39 Cif-fob factors were estimated based on the ratio of imports to  exports for a matched group of 
reporters in Comtrade. World imports by commodity grou p were derived by applying these cif-fob factors to 
the WTO's world exports by commodity group and aligni ng the resulting figures to the WTO's world total 
imports  Intra-trade of the 25 EC member St ates was then subtracted from the totals.  
  WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7  
 
- 23 -  Share of total merchandise trade 
(%) Share of world agriculture (AOA) 
trade (%)  Share of non-agri culture (NAMA) 
trade (%) 
WTO Member Total 
(exports + 
imports Exports Imports Total 
(exports + 
imports Exports Imports Total 
(exports + 
imports Exports Imports 
Worlda 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 
Albania 0.019 0.008 0.029 0.050 0.008 0.087 0.017 0.008 0.026 
Antigua and Barbuda 0.004 0.001 0.007 0.011 0.000 0.020 0.004 0.001 0.006 
Armenia 0.015 0.010 0.019 0.040 0.018 0.060 0.013 0.010 0.016 
Barbados 0.013 0.005 0.020 0.037 0.022 0.050 0.011 0.004 0.019 
Belize 0.006 0.004 0.008 0.023 0.029 0.017 0.004 0.001 0.007 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of  0.032 0.032 0.032 0.102 0.143 0.065 0.028 0.025 0.030 
Botswana 0.057 0.061 0.053 0.075 0.030 0.116 0.056 0.065 0.048 
Brunei Darussalam 0.050 0.078 0.025 0.029 0.000 0.056 0.053 0.086 0.023 
Cameroon 0.036 0.038 0.035 0.112 0.140 0.087 0.032 0.032 0.032 
Cuba 0.063 0.034 0.089 0.240 0.223 0.256 0.052 0.022 0.080 
Dominica 0.002 0.001 0.002 0.007 0.005 0.008 0.001 0.001 0.002 
Dominican Rep. 0.068 0.018 0.113 0.154 0.115 0.189 0.063 0.011 0.111 
Ecuador 0.110 0.112 0.108 0.326 0.515 0.154 0.098 0.087 0.107 
El Salvador 0.051 0.026 0.075 0.173 0.136 0.206 0.044 0.018 0.068 
Fiji 0.014 0.010 0.018 0.047 0.055 0.040 0.012 0.007 0.017 
Gabon 0.031 0.046 0.017 0.026 0.004 0.046 0.032 0.051 0.015 
Georgia 0.014 0.009 0.020 0.052 0.044 0.060 0.012 0.006 0.018 
Ghana 0.057 0.044 0.067 0.221 0.302 0.144 0.047 0.027 0.063 
Grenada 0.003 0.001 0.004 0.009 0.006 0.012 0.002 0.001 0.004 
Guatemala 0.086 0.053 0.116 0.319 0.416 0.231 0.072 0.030 0.110 
Guyana 0.010 0.009 0.010 0.037 0.052 0.024 0.008 0.007 0.010 
Honduras 0.041 0.026 0.056 0.190 0.223 0.160 0.032 0.013 0.049 
Jamaica 0.044 0.024 0.063 0.114 0.091 0.136 0.040 0.020 0.059 
Jordan 0.079 0.052 0.104 0.198 0.120 0.269 0.071 0.049 0.092 
Kenya 0.052 0.037 0.065 0.215 0.314 0.126 0.041 0.019 0.062 
Kyrgyz Republic 0.011 0.010 0.012 0.029 0.032 0.026 0.010 0.009 0.011 
Macao, China 0.049 0.049 0.048 0.055 0.013 0.093 0.050 0.053 0.046  
  WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7  
 
- 24 -  Share of total merchandise trade 
(%) Share of world agriculture (AOA) 
trade (%)  Share of non-agri culture (NAMA) 
trade (%) 
WTO Member Total 
(exports + 
imports Exports Imports Total 
(exports + 
imports Exports Imports Total 
(exports + 
imports Exports Imports 
Mauritius 0.037 0.032 0.041 0.096 0.102 0.090 0.034 0.028 0.038 
Moldova, Rep of  0.018 0.013 0.022 0.089 0.132 0.051 0.013 0.006 0.021 
Mongolia 0.013 0.011 0.014 0.025 0.017 0.033 0.012 0.011 0.013 
Namibia 0.030 0.030 0.029 0.072 0.073 0.070 0.028 0.028 0.027 
Nicaragua 0.023 0.012 0.034 0.102 0.129 0.079 0.018 0.004 0.031 
Panama 0.038 0.016 0.059 0.105 0.091 0.114 0.035 0.011 0.056 
Papua New Guinea 0.032 0.042 0.023 0.070 0.086 0.056 0.030 0.040 0.022 
Paraguay 0.032 0.022 0.042 0.173 0.280 0.077 0.023 0.005 0.040 
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.002 0.001 0.003 0.006 0.002 0.009 0.002 0.001 0.003 
Saint Lucia 0.004 0.001 0.006 0.016 0.009 0.022 0.003 0.001 0.005 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.002 0.001 0.003 0.011 0.009 0.012 0.002 0.000 0.003 
Sri Lanka 0.102 0.092 0.112 0.249 0.284 0.217 0.095 0.081 0.107 
Suriname 0.009 0.009 0.011 0.017 0.007 0.027 0.009 0.009 0.010 
Swaziland 0.019 0.018 0.019 0.068 0.082 0.056 0.015 0.014 0.016 
The FYR of Macedonia 0.033 0.026 0.039 0.076 0.069 0.083 0.027 0.024 0.030 
Trinidad and Tobago 0.086 0.102 0.071 0.086 0.072 0.098 0.088 0.107 0.071 
Uruguay 0.047 0.044 0.050 0.209 0.333 0.096 0.037 0.025 0.048 
Zimbabwe 0.037 0.037 0.039 0.151 0.280 0.067 0.030 0.021 0.037 
a Excludes intra-EC trade (25 member  States) and significant re-exports. 
Source: All data are from the United Nations Comtrade data base except for world totals , which are WTO estimates. 
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 25 - 
 
  VI. NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS FOR NON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS 
A. CURRENT MODALITIES DRAFT 1. Fourth Revision of Draft Modalities for Non-Agricultural Market Access – 
TN/MA/W/103/Rev.3 (6 December 2008) 
Small, Vulnerable Economies 
 
13. With the exception of developed Members, those Members having a share of less than 
0.1% of world NAMA trade for the reference period of 1999 to 2001 or best available data as 
contained in document TN/MA/S/18 may apply the following modality of tariff reduction instead of the formula modality which is cont ained in paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 above.  
 
(a) Members with a bound tariff average of non-agricultural tariff lines
40:  
 
(i) at or above 50% shall bind all of their non-agricultural tariff lines at an average 
level that does not exceed an overall average of 30%; 
 
(ii) at or above 30% but below 50% shall bind all their non-agricultural tariff lines 
at an average level that does not exceed an overall average of 27%;   
 
(iii) at or above 20% but below 30 shall bind all their non-agricultural tariff lines at 
an average level that does not exceed an overall average 18%; and 
 
(iv) below 20%, shall apply a minimum line-by-line reduction of 5% on 95% of all 
non-agricultural tariff lines or bind at the overall average that would result from 
that line-by-line reduction.    
 
As an exception, Bolivia shall not be required but is encouraged to apply the modalities in 
paragraph 13.  
 
As an exception, Fiji shall be  deemed to fall under (a)(i). 
 
As an exception, Gabon shall engage in GATT Article XXVIII negotiations to reach the overall 
target average of 20%.  
 
(b) All tariff lines shall be bound on 1 January of the year following the entry into force of 
the DDA results at initial bound rates. As an exception, Fiji shall have the flexibility to maintain 10% of non-agricultural tariff lines unbound.   
 
(c) The initial bound rates shall be established as follows: for bound tariff lines the 
existing bindings shall be used, and for unbound tariff lines the Member subject to this modality will determine the level of the initial binding of those tariff lines.   
 
(d) The overall binding target average shal l be made effective at the end of the 
implementation period as follows:  the tariff reductions shall be implemented in 
11 equal rate reductions. The first reduction shall be implemented on 1 January of the 
year following the entry into force of the DDA results and each successive reduction shall be made effective on 1 January of each  of the following years, except for lines 
covered under 13(e) where the first reduction shall be implemented on 1 January of 
the year following completion of the grace period.  
 
(e) For those Recently Acceded Members applying this modality, a grace period of 3 years 
shall be applied on those lines on which accession commitments are not fully 
implemented before entry into force of the DDA results. This grace period shall begin as of the date of full implementation of the accession commitment on that tariff line.  
 
                                               
40 See document TN/MA/S/4 and Corr.1 for the bound tariff averages of Members. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 26 - 
 
  (f) All duties shall be bound on an ad valorem basis. Existing bindings on a non ad 
valorem basis shall be converted to ad valorem equivalents on the basis of the methodology outlined in document TN/MA/20. 
 
B. LATEST SVE SUBMISSIONS 
1. Contribution to the Special and Differe ntial Treatment and Technical Assistance 
Provisions on the "Horizontal Mechanism", Comm unication from El Salvador on behalf of 
Small Vulnerable, Economies - JOB/MA/89 (19 April 2011) 
Special and Differential Treatment 
 Paragraph 7 bis 
 
SVE's shall be granted an additional period of [ 40] days to present the written response, referred 
to in paragraph 7 of this Decision. 
 
General conditions on Specia l and Differential Treatment 
 
The Horizontal Mechanism shall not be applicable in so far as SVEs are concerned, until two years 
after the beginning of the implementation period.   
Technical Assistance 
 
Technical assistance  
1.  Members agree that technical assistance in using the mechanism shall be provided to SVEs. 
It shall take the following forms:   
(i) In case of a requesting Member, necessary assistance for the formulation of a request 
and assessment of possible solutions. 
 (ii) In the case of a responding Member, appropriate assistance to analyze the request 
received, for the formulation of responses and exploration of possible solutions.  
 General conditions of Technical Assistance 
 
2.  Technical assistance under this paragraph shall be (a) demand driven (b) available at all the stages of the procedure and (c) fully take into account the rights and obligations of Members 
under the WTO Agreement. 
 3. Implementation of technical assistance and/or capacity building agreed as part of a mutually 
agreed solution shall be monitored by the Committee on Trade and Development. 
 
4.  The WTO Secretariat shall incorporate these Procedures into its technical assistance and capacity building programmes related to non-tariff measures. 
 
2. Questions to the co-sponsors of the proposal of "Ministerial Decision on 
procedures for the facilitation of solutions to Non-Tariff Barriers", Communication from 
the group of small vulnerable economies – JOB/MA/55 (3 November 2010) 
1) While understanding that the objective of this mechanism is to establish procedures of a 
conciliatory nature, with a view to promoting mutually acceptable solutions to Members' concerns regarding non-tariff barriers, we understand that SVEs may be frequently targeted through this 
mechanism as many have limited export base and therefore, imports play an important part of 
their trade. In this regard, would proponents envisage special consideration for SVEs in the application of the Mechanism?  
 
2) Do proponents envisage the possibility of extending the period of response contained in 
Article 7 of the Decision, taking into account the limited resources of some countries and the 
process of internal consultations that should take place once the mechanism is invoked, as one 
possible provision of SDT? WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 27 - 
 
   
3) Given that Article 12.2 of the SPS Agreement already contemplates a consultation mechanism for the resolution of SPS trade related measures, and since the SPS Committee is already discussing its implementation, what is the relationship of the Horizontal Mechanism with 
the SPS mechanism that is currently being discussed?  
 3. Questions to the co-sponsors of  the prop osal of  "Negotiating Text on Liberalizing 
Trade in Remanufactured Goods", Communicati on from the group of small vulnerable 
economies – JOB/MA/56 (3 November 2010) 
1) It is noted that the proponents have indicated that remanufacturing is a growing area for 
many developing countries. However, many SVEs comprise small delegations, have capacity 
constraints and, in some cases are not represented in Geneva. How do the proponents envision 
that the creation of an additional Work Programme under the WTO structure can facilitate SVEs' participation in this area? 
 
2) Is it envisaged that the Work Programme on Remanufacturing would have a previously agreed review period to ensure that it is working properly, that the original intentions are being 
met and that small countries are able to participate effectively in the Work Programme? 
 3) Within the possible implementation of this de cision, how do proponents envisage the issues 
of capacity building and transfer of technology for developing countries, including SVEs to ensure 
that they effectively bene fit from this decision? 
 4) Given that remanufacturing incorporates "pro duct life extension" processes for goods that 
are at the end of their life-cycle, can the prop onents elaborate on environmental impact on 
remanufacturing products? What are the proponents views on environmental levies to ensure that 
used and remanufactured products do not pose harm to the health and environment of SVEs?  
 
5) How do the proponents envisage the implem entation of these modalities for remanufactured 
goods insofar as there is no intent to have a separate tariff line for such products? How is it envisioned that domestic Customs authorities would differentiate between goods that are 
remanufactured and those that are re-used, repaired , reconditioned, refurbished, etc? In order to 
facilitate the consideration of this proposal taking into account the aforementioned, is an eventual definition/identification of remanufacturing tariff lines envisioned? 
 
6) Given that different countries have different consumer protection legislation regarding warranties and conditions of return, could the proponents elaborate on the envisioned process 
where importers act as re-distributors for goods? Will such entail greater burden on regulatory 
authorities in small developing countries? Is there a possible mechanism to minimise any potential additional burden?  
7) Taking into account the importance of the exceptions contained in Article XX of GATT 1994 
to protect health and life of people and the co nservation of scarce natural resources, amongst 
others, would proponents consider the possibility  of including a reference in the body of the 
decision in the sense that "nothing in this decisi on shall undermine Members' rights and obligations 
under Article XX of GATT 1994"? WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 28 - 
 
  VII. COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES SPECIAL SESSION 
A. CURRENT DRAFT TEXT 1. Elements Required for the Completion of  the Services Negotiations, Report by the 
Chairman - TN/S/34 (28 July 2008)
41   
ANNEX 
 
Elements Required for the Completion of the Services Negotiations 
 
10. Members shall continue to give due consideration to proposals on trade-related concerns of small economies. In recognizing their special situation, further liberalization shall be in accordance with their development needs. 
                                               
41 At the meeting of the Special Session on 23 July  2008, the delegations of Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua 
and Venezuela expressed their disagree ment with this annex and requested that their position be registered. 
For that purpose, the following text has been provided by the delegation of Venezuela on behalf of Bolivia, 
Cuba and Nicaragua, with the request that it appear in this Annex. It has not been subject to any discussion by other delegations at the Special Session. 
"There is no consensus on a new text on services. Various delegations consider that there is no mandate 
to agree on elements that go beyond the points ag reed by all Members in the Hong Kong Ministerial 
Declaration and that there is no obligation to make co mmitments at the highest possible level. Any language 
that modifies Members' current obligations has no bi nding force. However, there is total agreement on 
immediate implementation of any treatment in favour of the least developed countries and the small and 
vulnerable economies." 
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 29 - 
 
  VIII. WORKING PARTY ON DOMESTIC REGULATION 
1. Services - Trade-Related Concerns of Sm all, Vulnerable Econ omies in the Working 
Party on Domestic Regulation - JOB(06)/66/Rev.2 (10 July 2006) 
Proponents : Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Domi nica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, 
Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Maur itius, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, St. Kitts 
and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.  
Small, vulnerable economies recommend that the following elements be included in any future 
disciplines on domestic regulation in services.  III. RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS THE CONC ERNS OF SMALL, VULNERABLE ECONOMIES 
 
A. GENERAL PRINCIPLES  
(i) These disciplines shall not affect nor limit a Member's right to regulate, and shall not 
prevent or prescribe the development and ad option of future legislation to meet 
Members' national policy objectives. 
 
(ii) Developing country Members shall implement the disciplines that require adjustment 
of existing domestic regulation and/or the adoption of new implementation mechanisms to the extent consistent with their financial, administrative and 
institutional capabilities and according to their size and level of development.  
 (iii) Developing country Members shall be accorded adequate time frames to upgrade their 
legislative, regulatory, administrative and institutional capacity to implement these 
disciplines. Members shall provide technical assistance and capacity-building assistance in order to help developing country Members to develop such capacity.  
 
(iv) These disciplines shall apply to a Member 's measures only to the extent that these 
affect sectors, sub-sectors and modes of supply covered by the respective Member's schedule of commitments. 
 
(v) These disciplines shall not prevent a Member from establishing measures or 
mechanisms to support the development of regional economic integration. 
 
B. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS  
(i) The establishment of qualification requirem ents by the competent authorities shall not 
be limited to the recognition and verification of specific diplomas, test scores or the like, but shall include where possible, the o pportunity to fulfil such requirements by 
the recognition and verification of releva nt experience and other education methods 
for establishing a provider's competence to supply the respective services. 
 (ii) To ensure that qualification requirements do not in themselves constitute barriers to 
trade, Members shall provide technical assist ance and capacity building assistance in 
order to help developing country Members and their suppliers meet such requirements. 
 
C. QUALIFICATION PROCEDURES  
(i) Fees charged by the competent authorities should not be an impediment in 
themselves to practising the relevant activity. Developing country Members are not 
precluded from recovering fees where fees  are utilised to meet national policy 
objectives. 
 
(ii) Procedures for the verification of qualifications shall be limited to those required to 
establish the minimum qualifications required for supplying the service. 
 
(iii) Members shall ensure that its competent authorities provide for clear and practical 
mechanisms for recognizing as being comparable, education or experience obtained, WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 30 - 
 
  requirements met, or licences or certifications granted in the territory of another 
Member.  
 (iv) To ensure that qualification procedures do not in themselves constitute barriers to 
trade, Members shall provide technical assist ance and capacity building assistance in 
order to help developing country Members and their suppliers meet such procedures. 
 
D. LICENSING REQUIREMENTS 
 
(i) Fees charged by the competent authorities should not be an impediment in 
themselves to practising the relevant activity. Developing country Members are not 
precluded from recovering fees where fees  are utilised to meet national policy 
objectives. 
 
(ii) To ensure that licensing requirements do not in themselves constitute barriers to 
trade, Members shall provide technical assist ance and capacity building assistance in 
order to help developing country Members and their suppliers meet such 
requirements. 
 E. LICENSING PROCEDURES  
(i) Members shall ensure that licensing procedures applied by its competent authorities 
are of minimal complexity and entail mi nimal costs for meeting requirements and 
fulfilling procedures for entry into export markets. Members may grant reduced 
licensing and other related fees to service providers from developing country 
Members.  
 
(ii) To ensure that licensing procedures do not in themselves constitute barriers to trade, 
Members shall provide technical assistance and capacity building assistance in order to help developing country Members and their suppliers meet such procedures. 
 
F. TECHNICAL STANDARDS  
 
(i) Members shall in reasonable time publish a notice in a publication, print or electronic, 
and notify other Members through the Secretariat, of the establishment and 
application of measures relating to national or international technical standards relating to services and service providers. 
 
(ii) Members shall, where requested, grant other Members, especially developing country 
Members, technical assistance on mutually agreed terms and conditions regarding the establishment of technical standards and participation in the international 
standardizing bodies in the area of services. 
 (iii) As a matter of good practice, Members involved in the development and application of 
measures relating to plurilateral standards, and standards developed and applied by 
non-governmental standardisation bodies should ensure maximum transparency of relevant processes for the benefit of other Members.  
G. TRANSPARENCY 
 
(i) Members shall ensure access for service suppliers of other Members to relevant 
information on legislative, regulatory and administrative measures relating to 
qualification requirements and procedures , licensing requirements and procedures, 
and technical standards.  
 
(ii) Members shall ensure the establishment of appropriate, transparent and accessible 
administrative and judicial channels for reviewing decisions. 
  WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 31 - 
 
  IX. NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES 
A. CURRENT DRAFT TEXT 1. Textual Proposal for Additional Flexib ilities for Small and Vulnerable Economies 
Under Article III of the Proposed Draft Ch air's Text On Fisheries Subsidies – 
TN/RL/GEN/162/Rev.1 (20 April 2011) 
I. INTRODUCTION 
 
1. The co-sponsors of this proposal are all proponents of the WTO Work Programme on Small 
Economies which has its mandate in Paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration
42 and 
Paragraph 41 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Mandate.43 The co-sponsors recall WTO document 
TN/RL/W/242 which represents the statement delivered by Barbados on behalf of Small and 
Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) under item 15(c) of the Chair's roadmap for discussions on fisheries 
subsidies (Annex VIII, TN/RL/W/236).    
2. SVEs recall the Hong Kong mandate for fisheries subsidies, which calls on Members to 
"strengthen disciplines on subsidies in the fisheries sector, including through the prohibition of 
certain  forms of fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and over-fishing ...".  We also 
recall the Chair's roadmap for discussions which calls on the Negotiating Group to "work to identify 
those  subsidies that contribute to overcapacity of ov er-fishing, with a view to determining which of 
these should and should not be prohibited , while considering at the same time how to effectively 
address the needs and particularities of developing members ".  
 
3. SVEs highlight the following special characterist ics and peculiarities of SVEs, in the fisheries 
context:  
 
- As per data presented in Annex I of this proposal, a majority of the SVEs have a share 
of global marine wild capture less than 0.1%. The magnitude of subsidies typically 
provided by SVEs is small and, at this stage in their development, many SVEs are not 
even in a position to provide subsidies. In this context, it is well-known that SVEs have a negligible impact on overcapacity and overfishing.   
 
- In contrast, several SVEs are characterised by heavy economic dependence on the 
fisheries sector. Thus, any disciplines would have profound implications for the maintenance of basic livelihoods, economic survival and sustainable development.   
 
- SVEs require the necessary policy space to provide subsidies of small magnitudes in 
the future, to be better equipped to harvest their own resources, within sustainable 
limits. 
 
4. SVEs reiterate their commitment towards finding fair solutions in the debate on fisheries subsidies negotiations.  We believe that those Members that have had a history of providing the 
highest magnitude of harmful subsidies should bear  the greatest burden in these disciplines.   
                                               
42 "We agree to a work programme, under the ausp ices of the General Council, to examine issues 
relating to the trade of small economies. The objective of  this work is to frame re sponses to the trade-related 
issues identified for the fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system, and not to create a sub-category of WTO Members. Th e General Council shall revi ew the work programme and 
make recommendations for action to the Fift h Session of the Ministerial Conference." 
43 "We reaffirm our commitment to the Work Prog ramme on Small Economies and urge Members to 
adopt specific measures that would facilitate the fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system, without creating a sub-category  of WTO Members.  We take note of the report of 
the Committee on Trade and Developm ent in Dedicated Session on the Wo rk Programme on Small Economies 
to the General Council and agree to the recommendations on future work. We instru ct the Committee on Trade 
and Development, under the overall responsibility of the General Council, to continue the work in the Dedicated Session and to monitor progress of the small economies'  proposals in the negotiat ing and other bodies, with 
the aim of providing responses to the trade-related issues  of small economies as soon  as possible but no later 
than 31 December 2006. We instruct the General Council to report on progress and action taken, together with any further recommendations as approp riate, to our next Session."   WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 32 - 
 
  5. The SVEs have attempted to incorporate their special circumstances in the current 
architecture of the proposed Chair's text44, as is proposed in Section II below, for the consideration 
of all Members.  
II. PROPOSED TEXTUAL REVI SIONS TO ARTICLE III.2(B) OF CHAIR'S TEXT, ANNEX 
VIII, TN/RL/W/213  
(b) In addition, subject to the provisions of Article V:   
 
(1) Subsidies referred to in Articles I.1(d), I.1(e) and I.1(f) shall not be prohibited.    
(2) (i) Subsidies referred to in Article I.1(a) and I.1(c) shall not be prohibited provided 
that they are used exclusively for marine wild capture fishing employing decked 
vessels not greater than 10 meters or 34 feet in length overall, or undecked vessels of 
any length.  OR 
 
(ii) Subsidies referred to in Article I. 1(a) and Article I.1(c) should not be 
prohibited for those developing country  Members whose percentage share in 
world NAMA trade is not more than 0.1% and whose percentage share of 
global marine wild capture is not more than 1%.  
 
(3) For fishing and service vessels of such Members other than the vessels referred to in 
paragraph (b)(2), subsidies referred to in Article I.1(a) shall not be prohibited provided that (i) the vessels are used exclusively for marine wild capture fishing 
activities of such Members in respect of particular, identified target stocks within their 
Exclusive Economic Zones ("EEZ"); (ii) th ose stocks have been subject to prior 
scientific status assessment conducted in accordance with relevant international 
standards, aimed at ensuring that the resulting capacity does not exceed a 
sustainable level; and (iii) that assessment has been subject to peer review in the relevant body of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization ("FAO").
45  
 
III. TECHNICAL NOTES TO EXPLAIN THE PR OPOSED REVISIONS UNDER SECTION II 
 
- Share of world NAMA trade less than 0.1% is a criterion used for the treatment of 
SVEs under Paragraph 13 of the December 2008 NAMA text, TN/MA/W/103/Rev.3 and 
one of the criterion used for the definition of an SVE under Annex I of the December 2008 Agriculture, TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4. One of the benefits of using this 
criterion is that it is obtained from texts where the definition of an SVE is stabilized in 
the context of the Doha round of negotiations.   
 - All Members with a share of world NAMA tr ade less than 0.1% also have a share of 
global fisheries catch less than one percent, as per FAO's average estimates for 
2006-2008. In fact, 23 out of the 28 countries in the list in Annex 1 (inclusive of the 03 landlocked countries) have a share of global fisheries catch less than 0.1% each.   
 
IV. CONCLUDING REMARKS  
The SVEs have accepted all forms of other disciplines on fisheries subsidies proposed in the Draft 
Chair's Text, including through enhanced transparency disciplines, an actionability clause and even through the concept of the proposed Article I.2. In addition, the SVEs have accepted the principle of conditioning Special and Differential Treatment exemptions on a core set of 
fisheries-management related criterion easily enforceable in developing countries. This proposal 
only seeks for some additional flexibility for SVEs with respect to the proposed exemptions to the prohibited subsidies under Article I.   
                                               
44 For ease of reference, textual ch anges proposed by SVEs in this do cument are in bold and underlined 
form and elements of the Draft Chair's text replicat ed here are not presented in underlined form.   
45 If the Member in question is not a member of the FAO, the peer review shall take place in another 
recognized and competent international organization. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  ANNEX 1 
 
List of SVEs with Share of World NAMA Trade of less than 0.1% and whose 
percentage share of global marine wild capture is not more than 1% 
 
Non-LDC WTO Developing Country 
Members with Share of World 
NAMA trade less than 0.1% (See 
Note 1 below) Share of World NAMA trade 
(Average of period 1999-
2004) Share of global total catch 
(marine wild capture fishing 
only), Average of period  
2006 – 2008)  
(See Note 2 below) 
Antigua and Barbuda  0.004 0.004 
Barbados  0.011 0.003 
Belize  0.004 0.028 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of 
(landlocked) 0.028 n/a 
Cuba  0.052 0.034 
Dominica  0.001 0.001 
Dominican Rep. 0.063  0.016 
Ecuador  0.098 0.487 
El Salvador  0.044 0.046 
Fiji  0.012 0.051 
Grenada  0.002 0.003 
Guatemala  0.072 0.022 
Guyana  0.008 0.054 
Honduras  0.032 0.018 
Jamaica  0.040 0.018 
Jordan  0.071 0.001 
Kenya  0.041 0.159 
Mauritius  0.034 0.009 
Mongolia (landlocked) 0.012 n/a 
Nicaragua  0.018 0.032 
Panama  0.035 0.264 
Papua New Guinea  0.030 0.270 
Paraguay (landlocked) 0.023 n/a 
Saint Kitts and Nevis  0.002 0.001 
Saint Lucia  0.003 0.002 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  0.002 0.005 
Trinidad and Tobago  0.088 0.015 
Uruguay  0.037 0.131 
Note 1 Data compiled from WTO document TN/M A/S/18, as referenced in Paragraph 13 of 
TN/MA/W/103/Rev.3, 8 December 2008. The above list is also contained in Annex I, TN/AG/W/4/Rev.4, 8 December 2008. 
Note 2 Statistics relating to global fisheries catch for the average period 2006-2008 have been directly 
obtained from the FAO. Statistics in relation to share of global fisheries capture for the Members 
referenced as "landlocked" was not available primarily due to these Members being landlocked countries, with little marine wild capture fishing activity. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  2. Textual Proposal for Additional Flexib ilities for Small and Vulnerable Economies 
Under Article III of the Proposed Draft Ch air's Text On Fisheries Subsidies – 
TN/RL/GEN/162 (8 January 2010) 
 
II. PROPOSED TEXTUAL REVISIONS TO ARTICLE III.2(B) OF CHAIR'S TEXT, 
ANNEX VIII, TN/RL/W/213  
(b) In addition, subject to the provisions of Article V:   
   (1) Subsidies referred to in Articles I.1(d), I.1(e) and I.1(f) shall not be prohibited.    
(2) (i) Subsidies referred to in Article I.1(a) and I.1(c) shall not be prohibited 
provided that they are used exclusively for marine wild capture fishing 
employing decked vessels not greater than 10 meters or 34 feet in length 
overall, or undecked vessels of any length. OR 
 
(ii) Subsidies referred to  in Article I.1(a) and Ar ticle I.1(c) should not 
be prohibited for those developing  country Members whose percentage 
share in world NAMA trade is not more than 0.1% and whose 
percentage share of global marine wild capture is not more than 1%. 
 
(3) For fishing and service vessels of such Members other than the vessels referred to in 
paragraph (b)(2), subsidies referred to in Article I.1( a) shall not be prohibited provided that (i) the 
vessels are used exclusively for marine wild capture fishing activities of such Members in respect 
of particular, identified target stocks within their Exclusive Ec onomic Zones ("EEZ"); (ii) those 
stocks have been subject to prior scientific status assessment conducted in accordance with relevant international standards, aimed at ensuring that the resulting capacity does not exceed a 
sustainable level; and (iii) that assessment has been subject to peer review in the relevant body of 
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization ("FAO").
46  
 3. Drafting Proposal on Issues Relating to Article III.4 ("Special and Differential 
Treatment of Developing Country Members") of the Fisheries Subsidies Annex to the 
SCM Agreement as Proposed by the Chair in TN/RL/W/213 - TN/RL/GEN/158 (22 May 2008) 
Proponents:  ACP and SVEs Groups 
 
6. In line with the above considerations, it is suggested to modify Article III.4 as follows:   
 
III.4.1 "Members recognize that developing country Members, especially least-developed 
countries and small, vulnerable economies, will face serious challenges in complying with the 
requirements of this Annex, in particular as regards the conditions and criteria set forth in 
this Article and in Articles V ("Fisheries Management") and VI ("Notifications and 
Surveillance").   
 
III.4.2 Members recognize that the ability of de veloping country Members, especially least-
developed countries and small, vulnerable economies, to adopt, implement and sustain 
measures necessary for complying with the requ irements of this Annex may depend on the 
effective and timely provision of technical assistance by Members to developing country 
Members in accordance with their demands and needs. Members recognize that developing 
country Members will have different implementation needs and capacities and to this end, 
developing countries which indicate a need for technical assistance shall be provided with 
such assistance through bilateral processes, through new and/or existing WTO technical 
assistance and support mechanisms and through other mechanisms of relevant international 
and regional organisations.   
 
III.4.3 The Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures shall establish a 
Sub-Committee dealing exclusively with issues related to technical assistance and support 
                                               
46 If the Member in question is not a member of the FAO, the peer review shall take place in another 
recognized and competent international organization.   WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  programs under this Annex, specifically as regards fisheries management systems and 
measures related thereto. The Sub Committee shall coordinate the requests from developing 
country Members for technical assistance and support programs and shall review the 
effectiveness of the technical assistance provided to developing country Members.47 The 
Sub-Committee shall periodically report its findings to the Committee on Subsidies and 
Countervailing Measures and the Committee on Trade and Development.48  
 
X. COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT 
A. CURRENT DRAFT TEXT 1. Views of the Small Vulnerable Economies on the Negotiations of Paragraph 31(III) 
of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Co mmunication from the Small, Vulnerable 
Economies
49 - JOB/TE/18 (1 April 2011) 
1. This proposal sets out the views of the Group of Small, Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), in the 
negotiations derived from paragraph 31 (iii) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, aimed at "the 
reduction or, as appropriate, elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to environmental goods 
and services."   
 
2. This proposal is also premised on the recognition that the Doha Round is centered on the 
needs and interests of developing countries, and on the fact that in the Doha Declaration Ministers recognized that every country has the right to take measures deemed appropriate for, inter alia, the protection of the environment, provided that  these measures do not constitute a means of 
arbitrary discrimination between countries where the same conditions prevail.
50 
 3. Being widely acknowledged that the SVEs fa ce special circumstances among developing 
countries due, inter alia , to their minimal participation in world trade, limited natural resources, 
severe fiscal constraints, and, in most cases, their  vulnerability to natural disasters, the SVEs believe that in the trade and environment negotiations, the special circumstances and 
characteristics of their members should be duly taken into account, in compliance with the 
mandate outlined in paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration which refers to the Work Program on Small Economies, as well as paragraph 41 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration in which Ministers instructed the Dedicated Session  of the Committee on Trade and Development 
(CTD) to "monitor progress of the small economies' proposals in the negotiating and other bodies, 
with the aim of providing responses to the trade- related issues of small economies as soon as 
possible" .  
 
4. The SVEs hereby draw the attention of the Members to their need for special and differential treatment, that in line with the mandate cont ained in paragraph 50 of the Doha Ministerial 
Declaration, would allow us in turn to meet the objective of paragraph 51 which states that 
sustainable development should be part of th e outcome of the negotiations on trade and 
environment.   
5. For this reason, our Group is interested in ensuring that any outcome in this negotiation 
effectively strikes a balance between market acce ss, environmental benefits and the legitimate 
objective of our Members to maintain policies that will allow our sustainable development. 
Moreover, due recognition should be given to the fact that many developing countries, including 
SVEs, contribute least to the degradation of the environment, but suffer most of its negative consequences.  
 
                                               
47 The Sub-Committee, in consultation with the developing Member concerned, shall identify any 
additional needs of that Member fo r technical assistance and every effo rt shall be made to ensure that 
appropriate technical assistance is provided to that Member. The role of the Sub-Committee shall not be to determine the validity of a developing co untry's request for te chnical assistance. 
48 Future discussion would be required on the procedures to be followed if a developing country member 
does not receive the requested technical assistance.  
49 This communication is without prejudice to the final position that the SVEs will take regarding 
negotiations on trade and environment, including with regards to paragraph 31(iii) of the Doha Ministerial 
Declaration. The SVE Group and its individual members, reserve the right to submit  further comm unication on 
this issue. 
50 From paragraphs 3 and 6 of th e Doha Ministerial Declaration. WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 36 - 
 
  6. In any event, the SVE Group wishes to reiter ate its strong opposition to any sectoral type 
market access approach to the negotiations on tr ade and environment, particularly to those on 
paragraph 31 (iii). In this respect, the Group maintains that these negotiations cannot and shall 
not adversely affect the flexibilities that have b een agreed for SVEs in other negotiating areas of 
the Doha Development Agenda, such as in NAMA and Agriculture.  
 7. Finally, the SVEs would like to stress and reiterate the importance of technical assistance, 
capacity building and transfer of technology in these negotiations. 
 XI. NEGOTIATING GROUP ON TRADE FACILITATION 
A. CURRENT DRAFT TEXT 
1. Draft consolidated negotiating text - TN/TF/W/165/Rev. 5 (5 November 2010) 
ARTICLE 15:  PREAMBLE/CROSS-CUTTING MATTERS 
 
[1.1 [Small [and vulnerable] [economies]] developing [and least developed] countries which are 
Members of a customs union or a regional economic arrangement may adopt regional approaches to assist in the implementation of their ob ligations under the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
including through the establishment and use of regional bodies.] 
 XII. AID FOR TRADE TASK FORCE 
1. Aid for Trade - WT/AFT/W/18 (15 June 2006) 
 Proponent:  Barbados 
 
 III. SCOPE FOR AFT  
 
 9. In general, AFT should cover the following:   
• Trade Policy and Regulations, (i.e. regional and multilateral negotiations, 
standards, implementation of trade ag reements, trade policy and planning);  
 
• Trade-Related Infrastructure (i.e. transport and storage, communications, 
energy, trade facilitation, etc);  
 
• Trade Development (i.e. trade  promotio n strategy and implementation, market 
analysis and development);  
 
• Productive Supply-Side Constraints, (i.e. banking and financial services, 
research and development and innovation; business and other services, 
agriculture, forestry, fishing, industry and mining, tourism etc.); and  
 
• Trade Adjustment (abnormal adjustment  resulting from severe adverse trade 
shocks). 
  IV. PRIORITY AREAS FOR INTERVENTION 
 
 A. TRADE POLICY AND REGULATIONS  
 B. TRADE ADJUSTMENT 
  C. TRADE-RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE  
 D. TRADE DEVELOPMENT 
  E. PRODUCTIVE SUPPLY-SIDE CONSTRAINTS  
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
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  V. A PRIVATE SECTOR AID FOR TRADE PROGRAMME 
 
29. A special effort should be made to ensure the involvement of the private sectors in both developed and developing countries and to connect them to each other. 
 
30. The scope of a Private Sector Aid For Trade Programme should relate to activities capable of supporting private sector efforts to export. The identification of gaps in current 
Official Development Assistance in the trade-re lated field would be an appropriate starting 
point.  31. The delivery and monitoring of Private Sector AFT programmes should be vested in an 
organization agreed between interested multilateral and bilateral donor agencies and sector 
specific representative institutions on a country basis or, where appropriate, on a regional basis. 
 
32. AFT participants should aim for a feasible programme of assistance that is based on professional diagnostic studies and needs assessments and on arrangements for a 
monitoring system using mutually agreed benchmarks. Improving coherence and 
coordination of action among multiple donors should also be part of this approach.   33. An existing international trade-related or ganization that has a comparative advantage 
in this field, and also enjoys the confidence of developing countries, should be given 
responsibility for managing the programme. On the recipient side, the executing agency could be the agreed representative institut ion such as regional development banks. 
 
VI. VOLUME AND NATURE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT 
 
A. MOBILIZING ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES 
 34. According to the paragraph 57 mandate, additional funding is required. Between 1994-2004, development aid has been decreasing as debt relief became an increasing part 
of ODA. It would be important therefore that current aid budgets are not depleted in order 
to support AFT but rather additional resources would be tapped to add "new money" to ODA budgets.  
 
35. The pledges so far for 2010 are promising but the challenge remains to realize additionality.  In this respect, it is essential that in finalizing commitments to the provision of 
these resources that long-term sustainability of the AFT process and predictability in the 
provision of funds are assured.  B. NATURE OF AFT FINANCIAL SUPPORT 
 
36. In order to avoid an increase in the debt burden of developing countries, particularly LDCs and small, vulnerable developing countries, aid-for-trade financial support should be 
provided primarily in the form of grants. However, for certain high cost physical 
infrastructure projects, these could be co-financed with long-term concessional loans from other multilateral financial institutions (e.g., regional development banks and the World 
Bank). Such loans should be on terms no less favourable than those of IDA or IFAD. 
 
37. Funding should also not involve any burdensome conditionalities.  The latter should be limited to monitoring and governance. 
 
38. With regard to the financial instruments, there is as much a need for budgetary support that is available for sector-wide approaches on a multi-annual basis, as for specific 
"project financing". Budgetary support in situations of fiscal imbalance and balance of 
payments deficit ensures macroeconomic stability through quicker disbursement and a focus on the areas of adjustment most in need. It  facilitates the development of projects by 
ensuring the correct macroeconomic environment. 
 C. DURATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AFT FUNDING  WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 38 - 
 
  39. The problems related to supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure must be 
tackled on a sustainable basis. This essentially implies that projects must be developed and implemented over many years and be funded on a multi-year basis. AFT funds would therefore have to be replenished periodically according to an agreed schedule, and 
procedures would have to be established to ensure this. 
 40. Access to these funds would also have to  be guaranteed and predictable, and to 
achieve this purpose, some agreement between donors and recipients would be needed to 
provide such security. In this context, some consideration could be given to strengthening the role of multilateral sources in the provision of the additional resources.  
VII. MONITORING AND GOVERNANCE OF AFT  
 A. MONITORING MECHANISM 
 
41. The role of the WTO in monitoring an d evaluating performance of AFT programmes 
should be paramount, and this responsibility co uld be assigned to its highest Council and its 
subsidiary bodies (particularly the Commi ttee on Trade and Development). The Joint 
WTO/OECD Database on TRTA/CB already constitutes a useful monitoring tool which could be further enhanced by improved supervision of the collection and processing of information. In addition, a mechanism would be needed to assess the impact of AFT. Monitoring should 
permit the involvement of recipients, donors and other interested parties. 
B. GOVERNANCE MECHANISM  
42. The wide range of bilateral, regional and multilateral mechanisms now in operation 
would suggest that the AFT governance mechanism should first explore the comparative advantage of existing institutions and seek to improve functioning where gaps exists.  
 
43. Several forms of assistance suffer from in sufficient resources as well as a lack of 
coordination between the institutions managi ng the projects. These weaknesses should be 
avoided in AFT. 
 
44. There is need for credible mechanisms for delivering AFT and ways of improving existing national and regional mechanisms must be found.  Regional development banks 
should play a key role in this area. 
 45. Any governance structure should ensure WTO involvement as well as provide for 
adequate coordination where gaps have been observed. The effective participation of WTO 
Members or their representatives – which again could be the regional development banks should be assured. It should also draw into the process international and regional financial agencies, the private sector, bilateral donors along with experts, and other interested 
parties. There should be an agreed administ rative framework with agreed principles of 
management and allocation of funds. Institutional conditionalities should be avoided.  
C. ELIGIBILITY 
 
46. In terms of country coverage, AFT should address the relevant needs of all WTO 
developing-country Members with priority to LDCs, SVEs and acceding small developing 
countries.  VIII. PROCESSES TO IDENTIFY TRADE-RELA TED NEEDS AT THE IN DIVIDUAL COUNTRY 
LEVEL 
 47. In view of the wide variation in country situations, a country-specific approach to 
needs assessment will be necessary in order to identify both the priority needs of individual 
countries and the additional assistance required in each case. This effort should take into account the needs of the private sector.  
 
48. For countries that are part of a region al integration scheme and would wish their 
national approaches to be complimented by a regional needs assessment approach, the latter should also be undertaken. 
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 
 
- 39 - 
 
  49. Aid for Trade should allow policy flexibilities and national ownership as mandated in 
the Paris Declaration of June 2005. Adopted at the High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (March 2005) the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness has been prepared with broad participation from development practitioners, through a process coordinated by the High 
Level Forum Steering Committee.  The declaration outlines a set of joint commitments and 
targets for governments and multilateral donors to reach over the next five years.  
 
__________