WT/MIN(15)/W/10  
 
12 November 2015  
(15-5984)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: English  
 
 SUBMISSION BY EGYPT ON PART III OF THE NAIROBI DECLARATION 
 
The following communication, dated 11 November 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Egypt. 
 
_______________ 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 This submission is being made by the delegation of Egypt following the discussions at the Informal 
Heads of Delegation meeting on the 6 of Nove mber 2015 concerning Part III of the Nairobi 
Declaration.   
Egypt believes that Part III of MC10 Outcome relates to the future work of the WTO; i.e relates to 
Post Nairobi and not Post Doha. The answer to how to move forward after Nairobi is enshrined in our constitution; the Marrakech Agreement, on the principle of assisting developing countries especially LDCs to have their fair share of international trade as an enabler for their efforts to 
achieve sustainable development. This principle was clearly confirmed by all Members and on the 
highest level in the recently adopted 2030 Agenda in goals 2.a & b, 10.a, 17.10 and 17.11.  
More specifically, Egypt suggests the following concrete elements in response to the Facilitators 4 
questions contained under Item 4 of their Report (JOB/TNC/55 dated 29 October 2015).  
1  ON THE FUTURE OF THE DOHA WORK PROGRAM 
1.1.  The Doha Work Program can only be conclu ded once all mandates by Ministers are fulfilled, 
or if parties collectively agree on concluding it. Regular and Negotiating Work is still within the parameters of the Doha Round and the subsequent Ministerial Declarations and Decisions, all of 
which constitute the legal basis for WTO work either before or after Nairobi. Nevertheless, as we 
mentioned on 6 November, we should also find a way forward to secure our collective engagement, and that would be by bridging be tween the current process and the work program 
that we can collectively agree to its elements and timeframes. 
2  ON THE FUTURE OF THE WTO 2.1.  We need a clear message reflecting our commitment to the Multilateral Trading System and 
emphasizing the WTO pivotal and central role in that system, while pointing out the multi-
functions of the WTO both as the main negotiating multilateral mechanism for rules-setting and also its role in trade governance. 
2.2.  Egypt believes that Part III should act as a "bridge" that would take us post Nairobi, based on 
a clear assessment on the level of progress achieved so far in different tracks and in the Doha 
Work Program as a whole. Such assessment sh ould be finalized by the end of 2016 and 
negotiations on the outcome and way forward should be done throughout 2017 in preparation for 
MC11 where a Hong-Kong format Ministerial Declaration can take the WTO forward. WT/MIN(15)/W/10 
 
- 2 - 
 
  3  ON THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES  OF FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS 
3.1.  Egypt strongly believe that principles derived from the Marrakesh Agreement, and recently 
confirmed by our Heads of States in 2030 Agenda namely; Special and Differential Treatment, Less than Full Reciprocity in order to allow developing countries to enhance their share in international 
trade, remains the overarching principles in trad e liberalization regardless of the Work Program 
and should be clearly reaffirmed. 
4  ON OTHER ISSUES 
4.1.  Egypt believes that some issues mentioned in the Facilitators Report could be taken into 
discussions under existing bodies and mandates. We  acknowledge the importance of some of the 
issues raised like food security and RTAs, however, we are convinced that our focus should be mainly on the unfinished business to achieve substantial progress on issues of great importance 
and relevance to all of us like Agriculture, Services, NAMA and NTBs. 
In conclusion, we see such a bridging approach providing a good way forward that ensures the 
continuity of the negotiations on agreed legal basis and references, as issues will be clearly 
identified and progress assessed, provides for a clear yet short timeframe for more focused, 
intensive and substantive discussions within two years up to the subsequent Ministerial Conference, and allows for a collectively agreed vision on a way forward that takes all views on 
board and provides a sound legal basis for the wo rk of our Organization and the multilateral 
regime as a whole. 
_________