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WT/PCTF/M/15  
 
13 December 2016  
(16-6810) Page: 1/2 
Preparator y Committee on Trade Facilitation    
 
 MINUTES OF THE MEETI NG 
HELD IN THE CENTRE W ILLIAM RAPPARD 24 NOVEMBER  2016 
Chairman : H.E. Ms . Mariam Md. Salleh (Malaysia ) 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  WTO Deputy Director General Yi  welcomed delegations to the meeting. He informed that, in 
the absence of the outgoing Preparatory Committee (PrepCom)  chairperson , who had  already left 
Geneva, it was his pleasure to open the session and to guide Members through the  first agenda 
item, dedicated to the confirmation of the appointment of the chai rperson -designate. Once this 
had been accomplished, he would  hand over to the new chair person . 
1.2.  He then recalled that the pro posed agenda for the session had  been circulated in 
WTO/AIR/PCTF/6/Rev.1. As delegations would  have noticed from the airgram, there were  three 
main items to address:  First, delegations would  be invited to formally elect a new PrepCom 
chairperson . After that, the Committee would  revert to its regular business of receiving the 
notifications of category commitments that Members had submitted since the last Committee 
meeting. This was going to be followed by an informal working session where delegations would  be 
updated on (a) the overall state of notifications, with a particular focus on the ones related to 
categories B and C,  (b) progress with respect to the ratification  process, and (c) several 
Secretariat activities, especially work on the notifications database and on events relating to 
technical as sistance and capacity building.  
1.3.  The agenda was adopted . 
2  CONFIRMATION OF APPO INTMENT OF CHAIRPERSO N-DESIGNATE  
2.1.  WTO Deputy Director General Yi  recalled that,  at its meeting on 3 October  2016, the General 
Council (GC) had taken note of the statement by the GC Chairperson , informing delegations of the 
consensus on the appointment of Ambassador Mariam M ohammed  Salleh as chairperson  of the 
Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation. In line w ith that development, he therefore now 
wished  to propose that the PrepCom formally elect ed Amba ssador Salleh as its new chair person . 
2.2.  It was so agreed . 
2.3.  WTO Deputy Director General congratulated t he Chair person  on her election and handed over 
the chairmanship of the meeting. He wished Ambassador Salleh all the best for her new 
assignment.  
2.4.  The new PrepCom Chair person  expressed her pleasure to accept the appointment and to take 
on the new assignment.  She remarked that she had  a long -standing familiarity with trade 
facilitation matters, going all the way back to the beginning of dedicated WTO engagement on the 
issue. She welcome d the opportuni ty to revert to the file at a  special period whe n Members ' efforts 
were finally about to bear fruit. She very much look ed forward to working with all delegations . 
2.5.  The first matter she would like to address was  a standing item of all PrepCom sessions. It 
related  to the category notifications  received from the member ship. WT/PCTF/M/1 5 
 
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  3  RECEIPT OF CATEGORY  NOTIFICATIONS  
3.1.  The Chairperson  informed that the Committe e had received several new category 
submissions since it had last met . 
3.2.  The list of new notifications covered submissions from the following Members : Zimbabwe  
(WT/PCTF/N/ ZWE/1), Madagascar  (WT/PCTF/N/ MDG/1) and Chad  (WT/PCTF/N/ TCD/1). 
3.3.  The Committee received  the notifications.  
3.4.  The Chairperson  observed that, looking at the input obtained, the i ncrease of new 
notifications had  slowed down. As far as the category A submissions were concerned, where one 
now stood at 90 contributions, th at development was to be expected since the Committee had 
already come close to the total number of such notifications that were due by the time the 
Agreement enter ed into force. Most developing countr ies ha d notified their respective designations 
by now, and the Committee had even received several notifications from LDCs (despite them 
having an additional year to present their input). The Committee certainly appreciate d Members ' 
efforts in e xpediting t heir domesti c processes.  
3.5.  What was less encouraging, on the other hand, was the corresponding figure for categories B 
and C. There, numbers were still lagging behind. With Chad's new input, only 6 notifications for 
each of the two categories  had been receiv ed. She therefore like d to recall that all developing 
countries wishing to benefit from the flexibilities set out in section II of the Agreement were 
required to (i) notify their category B and C designations, (ii) give indicative implementation dates, 
and, for category C commitment s, and (iii) provide information on required assistance  by the time 
the Agreement enter ed into force. With that moment now being close – and getting closer with 
every deposited acceptance instrument – she urged all delegations wh ich ha d not yet tabled their 
category B and C notifications to ha nd them in as soon as possible.  
3.6.  The Committee took note of the Chair person 's report.  
4  INFORMAL OPEN -ENDED WORKING SESSIO N 
4.1.  This part of the meeting covered a n update by the Secretariat on (i) the latest  state-of-play 
with respect to category A, B and C notifications  and the acceptance of the amendment protocol . 
The Secretariat further informed of work on the notifications database and on technical assistance 
and capacity building initiatives.  
4.2.  It was conducted in informal mode . 
4.3.  The Committee  took note  of the statements made.  
5  OTHER BUSINESS  
5.1.  The Chairperson  noted that, with there not being any particular matter to address under 
other business, she thanked all de legations for their statements.  
5.2.  The Preparatory Committee took note  of the statements made.  
5.3.  The meeting was adjourned . 
 
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