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3 March  2017 
(17-1285) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Trade and Development    
 
 CURRENT AND FUTURE P ERSPECTIVES ON TRADE  AND DEVELOPMENT  
COMMEMORATIVE EVENT TO MARK THE 100TH SESSION OF THE   
COMMITTEE ON TRADE A ND DEVELOPMENT  
24 November 2016  
Report by the Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Development  
1.1.  A commemorative event to ma rk the 100th Session of the Committee on Trade and 
Development (CTD) was held on 24 November 2016 . The theme of the event was "Current and 
Future Perspectives on Trade and Development".  The event was chaired by Ambassador 
Christopher Onyanga Aparr (Uganda) , the Chairman of the CTD. It consisted of an opening session 
with a keynote address by the WTO Director -General , Mr.  Roberto Azevêdo . The Dep uty 
Secretary -General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD ), 
Mr Joakim Reiter,  also m ade a statement during the opening session . This was  followed by two 
substantive sessions . The first session addressed  current perspectives over 20 years of trade and 
development  since the CTD  held its first meeting  in 1995 . The second session  took a 
forwa rd-looking perspective and explored what remains to be done  to ensure that trade works 
even better as a tool for development . In a closing session, the Chairman shared some thoughts 
on the work of the Committee going forward.  
Opening Session  
1.2.  In his keynote  address, WTO Director -General Roberto Azevêdo  indicated that the 100th 
Session of the CTD was a milestone for the Committee , for the WTO and for the broader trade and 
development community.  He noted that, throughout history, trade had proven to be a power ful 
pro-development and anti -poverty tool. The multilateral trading system would continue to play an 
important role in this regard, and the CTD would remain a focus for this work.  He highlighted  the 
CTD's role in reviewing the WTO's technical assistance ac tivities , and in the Aid for Trade initiative . 
Other areas of the CTD's mandate were also noted , in particular  with respect to reviewing the 
application of special and differentia l treatment provisions,  oversee ing the WTO's Work Programme 
on Small Economie s, helping to implement the WTO's Work Programme on E -Commerce, 
contributing to enhancing transparency in preferential trade arrangements, and reviewing 
Member's duty -free and quota -free market access schemes for least developed countries (LDCs). 
He believ ed that Members needed to keep building on the achievements of the multilateral trading 
system  with respect to the development dimension . In this regard, he emphasized the need to 
maintain  the momentum behind capacity building work, to increas e the day -to-day integration  of 
developing Members in the system through training and technical assistance , and to deliver new 
trade reforms and agreements .  
1.3.  In his statement, UNCTAD Deputy Secretary -General Joakim Reiter  observed that the 
opening of trade and investme nt in recent decades was the result of a conscious international 
effort, based on the recognition of the important benefits and opportunities that would arise. He 
emphasized the power of trade to transform the lives of people, and in this regard noted its 
contribut ion to the reduction of poverty witnessed in the past 20 years.  In addressing recent 
anti-trade sentiment, he recognized that many marginalized and vulnerable people  had not been 
provided with  the possibility of benefiting from trade. It was noted  that a lack of inclusiveness 
came with a risk of eroding the legitimacy of trade policy , and that a  more balanced assessment of 
the effects of trade was required in order to find the proper solutions. He indicated in this context WT/COMTD/ 92 
 
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  that there was a need for  complementary policies – including competition policies, consumer 
protection, skills development and good governance – in order to enhance the benefits of trade 
and counter the side effects. In closing, he shared his view that there was still ample scope for a 
forward -looking trade and development agenda.  In this regard, he  pointed to the importance of 
the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement  (TFA) , as well as to the need to unleash the power of digital 
trade, and to tackle fisheries subsidies. He called for t rade to deliver on an ambitious 2030 Agen da 
for Sustainable Development.  
Session 1: Current perspectives over 20 years of trade and development  
1.4.  The panel of Session 1 comprised the following speakers : (i) Ambassador Eloi Lao urou 
(Benin) ; (ii) Ambassador Marc Vanheukelen (E uropean Union); (iii) Mr. Marcus Bartley Johns 
(Senior Trade Specialist , World Bank  Group ); (iv) Mr. Jaime de Melo  (Emeritus 
Professor,  University of Geneva , and Scientific Advisor, Foundation for International Development 
Study and Resear ch (Ferdi) ). 
1.5.  Ambassador Eloi La ourou outlined several issues  which he believed were important to 
address in order to allow developing countries to enhance their participation in international trade, 
in particular in the context of global value chains. Thes e included issues relating to improved 
market access, special and differential treatment , sanitary and phytosanitary measures, domestic 
support  and export competition  in agriculture , trade facilitation and the implementation of the 
services waiver  for LDCs. In addition, he pointed to the need to address infrastructure and 
capacity constraints in developing countries in such areas a s transportation, banking and 
e-commerce , and the need to ensure appropriate  regulatory framework s. He highlighted the 
importanc e of the Aid for Trade initiative and the Enhanced Integrated Framework, and also put 
emphasis on the benefits of pursing regional integration initiatives. Some of the other issues he 
highlighted included the need for developing countries to diversify thei r production and export 
base, the critical role of training and capacity building, as well as the uses of trade information and 
statistics. He provided examples of some value chains in Africa, and also highlighted the need for 
developing countries to be in  a position to offer goods and services with sufficient added value. He 
shared his view that the further integration of developing countries into global value chains  would 
contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  
1.6.  Ambassador Marc Vanheukel en noted that a number of challenges remained in ensuring that 
the benefits of trade were more widely and evenly distributed. He outlined  some of the E uropean 
Union's contributions to address these challenges, including in the context of Aid for Trade, as well 
as with regard to the Generalized System of Preferences and the Everything but Arms initiative for 
LDCs. Trade costs were mentioned as a n important challenge  to address . He also expressed the 
commitment of the European Union to ensuring that the inter ests and needs of developing 
Members continue d to be at the core of the WTO's work. In this regard, the developm ent-related 
outcomes from the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference and the 2015 Nairobi Ministerial Conference 
were highlighted , including the benef its of the TFA. A number of other  areas for discussion with 
development potential were also mentioned, including e -commerce, global value chains, fisheries 
subsidies, domestic support in  agriculture , as well as  services . It was suggested  that special and 
differential treatment  needed to be seen as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Attention 
was drawn to  the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular the role of trade as 
a means of implementation. It was  additionally indicated that  trade was only one of many factors 
that potentially impacted on  inequality. Furthermore, t rade needed to be complemented by 
domestic measures to ensure an equitable distribution of benefits .  
1.7.  Mr. Marcus Bartley Johns  provided a n overview of the increase i n developing countries ' 
participation in international  trade in recent decades  – including in the context of South -South 
trade . He highlighted how trade had benefitted many developing countries and regions and had 
contributed to poverty  reduction . In this context, he outlined a number of linkages between trade 
and poverty reduction , but also noted that poverty remained high  in some developing regions, 
including in particular in Sub -Saharan Africa . Commenting on some of the challenges that 
developing countri es continued to face in enhancing their participation in international trade, he 
pointed to high trade costs as a particular problem , and also expressed concern with recent weak 
global trade growth. He believed that more needed to be done to restore trade growth and lower 
trade costs, as well as to deepen the poverty impact of integration policies . With regard to the 
latter , he indicated that there was a role for both trade po licy and complementary reforms. He also 
emphasized the need to improve the enablin g environment in conjunction with trade reforms. WT/COMTD/ 92 
 
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  Among his other points, he believed that it was important to understand and manage the risks 
that the poor face d in responding to trade opportunities . He also highlighted the role of data in 
informing policy makers , and in this regard called for more effort to collect data and build capacity 
to use data from different sources . 
1.8.  Professor Jaime de Melo  recognized the value  of WTO membership, while also  noting that the 
single undertaking principle had posed difficulties at times for some developing Members . In 
addition, he believed that special and differential treatment provisions needed to be  made more 
effective . He underlined the importance of initiatives taken unilaterally, including in the context of 
non-reciprocal preferential schemes, which he indicated could also provide benefits for developing 
countries and enhance their participation in international trade. An overview of some 
non-reciprocal preferential schemes  was provided , and some of the concerns of b eneficiaries with 
regard to preference erosion  were explained . The importance of simplify ing the rules of origin  in 
preferential schemes  was also emphasized . High trade costs were highlighted as another challenge 
for developing countries, and the TFA was w elcomed in terms of its potential benefits . Particular 
emphasis was placed on the benefits to landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) in terms of 
reducing trade costs. The linkages between the TFA and the Aid for Trade initiative  were also 
noted . Professor  de Melo additionally highlighted the linkages between trade and the environment , 
and suggested that Members could pay more attention to these linkages, including in the context  
of trade liberalization. Finally, he outlined the importance of assisting s mall and medium -sized 
enterprises ( SMEs ) in developing countries  participate in global trade . 
Session 2: Looking ahead – what remains to be done  
1.9.  The panel of Session 2 comprised the following speakers : (i) Ambassador  Syed Tauqir Shah 
(Pakistan); (ii) Ms Débor a Ponce ( Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Guatemala); (iii) Mr John 
Drummond ( Head of the Trade in Services Division , Organization for Economic Cooperation and 
Development ); and (iv) Ms Hanne Melin (Director of Global Public Policy, eBay).   
1.10.   Ambassador Syed  Tauqir Shah  emphasized  the importance of the development dimension of 
the multilateral trading system , and t he potential of the CTD as a forum for Members to discuss 
the developmental aspects of various trade -related issues. He considered technology and 
innovation to be powerful tools for development, and suggested  in this regard that the C TD could 
engage in discussions on the linkages between trade and transfer of technology. He also indicated 
that not all developing countries had as yet been able to acti vely and efficiently participate  in 
global value chains , and in  this light  suggested  that another theme for work in the CTD could be 
on making these value chains  work for development . He went on to highlight  the opportunities for 
growth, development and in novation  provided by e -commerce. While noting that e -commerce 
permitted enterprises in developing countries to overcome logistical and geographical challenges in 
terms of access to market s, he also stressed the need for the gains from the digital revolutio n to 
be shared inclusively and transparently. He believed that the CTD needed to  continue to discuss 
the benefits and challenges of e-commerce for developing countries.  With regard to the 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development, his suggestion was that the  CTD could contribute to the 
identification of ways in which the WTO could support the achievement of the Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs), and then monitor that contribution.            
1.11.   Ms Débora Ponce  believed that development needed  to remain central  to the WTO's work. 
Noting that trade had been identified in the SDGs as a tool for development, she suggested  that 
the WTO should  consider  issues relating to  their implementation , and that Members needed to  
determine how the Organization  could contribute to the fulfilment of the SDGs. Turning to the 
CTD, she noted  that the Committee faced challenges in fulfilling its mandate as a focal point for 
the consideration and coordination of development work in the WTO. She gave some examples 
relating, inter alia , to procedural delays and challenges associated with enhancing the interaction 
of the CTD with other Committee s. It was noted that horizontal conversations on development 
issues formed  an important  part of the CTD's work , and some overlap with the work of o ther WTO 
bodies was unavoidable. She also believed that Members could benefit in Committee discussions 
from the expertise of the Secretariat. On the Monitoring Mechanism on Special and Differential 
Treatment , which was established at the Bali Ministerial C onference in 2013, disappointment was 
expressed that the Mechanism  had as yet not been made operational  through a written 
submission . She invited Members to work with her delegation in order to operationaliz e the 
Mechanism. F inally, the role of technical a ssistance in promoting the integration of developing 
Members into the multilateral trading system was highlighted.  WT/COMTD/ 92 
 
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  1.12.   Mr John Drummond  noted that open markets for trade and investment  served as drivers of 
economic growth  and poverty reduction . He emphasiz ed the importance of global value chains  in 
the global  economy, and indicated that the removal of constraints to the efficient functioning of 
these value chains  could generate important benefits for developing countries. In this context, he 
listed a number of elements which he believed were pertinent, including the ratification of the TFA, 
enhancing the ability of SMEs to comply with national and international standards, simplifying  rules 
of origin, and  expand ing access to trade information . He also pointed to the importance of the 
agricultural sector for development . Noting that current agricultural trade and domestic policies 
were creating significant distortions to world markets , he highlighted  the need for agricultural 
reforms . The contribution of services t o economic growth and development  was additionally 
outlined . It was noted that s ervices reforms constituted an important source of reduction of trade 
costs. He also indicated that an effective approach to trade and development required  attention to 
domesti c policies , so as to ensure that the potential benefits of open markets were translated into 
development gains . Finally, he suggested a number of issues that the CTD could address in its 
future work, including the gains to countries from further market int egration, as well as the 
foregone benefits from not participating in further integration.  
1.13.   Ms Hanne Melin  predicted that internet platforms that enable d trade  would play an 
increasing role in the export strategies  of developing countries . She believed that it was in the 
interest of  developing countries  to leverage the potential of such platforms , particularly for their 
micro  and small enterprises . She also emphasized the importance of internet platforms in reducing 
trade costs, and noted that technology was  allowing individuals to participate in international trade  
– both as entrepreneurs and as consumers  – to an extent not previously seen. While highlighting 
the need for governments to ensure access to technology, she stressed that the gains from 
technology -driven trade could only be realized when markets remained open. She believed that 
the WTO c ould contribute to enhancing technology -driven trade  by, inter alia , supporting an open 
global retail marketplace , and working to further advance trade facilitation  issues. She also 
suggested that the WTO could enhance cooperation with the Universal Postal Union, and 
discussions could be held on how postal services could become a n integral  part of a global 
transportation infrastructure , so as to assist micro and smal l enterprises  in particular . In her 
concluding remarks , she observed that UNCTAD's e -Trade for All initiative had the potential to 
assist developing countries in addressing many of the challenges they faced in their efforts to 
increase  their participation in e-commerce.  
Discussion and Closing Session  
1.14.   A number of d elegations share d their thoughts and perspectives in the context of the theme 
of the commemorative event. The representative of Brazil emphasized the importance of including 
the agricultural  sector  in discussions on trade and  development , and also remarked that recent 
anti-trade  sentiment had been expressed in a number of  countries that had benefitted from trade  
in the past . The representative  of Paraguay believed that the TFA would bring benefits t o LLDCs , 
but also believed that more discussions needed to take place in the WTO on how to assist LLDCs 
enhance their participation in international trade . The representative  of Senegal suggested a 
number of areas in which the CTD could focus its future wo rk, including with regard to the 
imple mentation of Ministerial Decisions  in favour of developing Members  and LDCs , the Work 
Programme on E -Commerce, and the development of South -South trade . The representative  of 
Uganda indicated his delegation 's interest to explor e ways to operationalize the  Monitoring 
Mechanism  on Special and Differential Treatment . He expressed concern with the trend of 
Aid-for-Trade flows, particularly with respect to LDCs, and underscored the challenges LDCs faced 
with regard to produc tive capacity . He also outlined the difficulties experienced  by LDCs in 
participating in e -commerce, and suggested that these issues could be discussed by Members . 
1.15.   In his closing remarks, t he Chair man highlighted  the importance of the CTD as a focal point 
for the consideration and coordination of work on development in the WTO. He invited all Members 
to participate actively in the work of the Committee , with a view to  achieving concrete outcomes 
and results. With regard to issues on which there remained no consensus in the CTD on how to 
move forward, he encouraged delegations to re-focus their efforts , either  by revising their ideas, 
or finding other areas where there could potentially be consensus on a way forward.  
 
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