JOB/GC/72  
 
11 December 2014  
(14-7230)  Page: 1/3  
General Council 
10-11 December 2014    
 
 AGENDA ITEM 3 – IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALI OUTCOMES 
STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN 
Delegations will recall that, both at our July and October meetings, I provided a report on the 
implementation of all the Bali Decisions. As I no ted earlier, the adoption of the three fundamental 
decisions on 27 November has effectively put us back on track in implementing all the mandates 
that our Ministers have given us in Bali.    I this spirit, I convened a meeting with Chairs of regular bodies – in particular those with direct 
Bali mandates – on Wednesday last week, to revi ew our work in all areas and in particular the 
work taking place in direct follow-up to the mandates in the Bali Ministerial Decisions.  
Allow me therefore to give you an overview of wh ere things stand in all areas – and I will start 
with the five decisions on regular work.  
On TRIPS non-violation and situation complaints , the TRIPS Council discussed the matter at 
its meetings in February, June and October. Base d on a submission from the United States, the 
Council had an intensive exchange of views regard ing the merits of applying such complaints to 
the TRIPS Agreement at its last meeting. This said , delegations still need to address the Ministerial 
mandate, that is to prepare recommendations on scope and modalities for this kind of disputes. 
The Council will revert to this matter at its next meeting, with the aim of being in a position to agree on and submit its recommendations in a timely manner for the next Ministerial Conference. 
 
On the Work Programme on E-Commerce , as you know there is a separate item on our agenda 
on the review of progress in the work programme, in line with the Bali Ministerial Decision. We 
also have a separate item on the Work Programme on Small Economies , which is a standing 
one on the GC agenda, so relevant updates will be provided under these two respective items.  On Aid for Trade , work is continuing in line with the Work Programme for 2014-2015. An integral 
part of this biennial work programme is the Fifth Global Review of Aid for Trade which will be held 
at the end of June 2015. The theme of the Re view is "Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, 
Sustainable Growth". The Director-General officially launched the monitoring and evaluation 
exercise that underpins the Review at the General Council meeting of 21 October. It is an 
extensive exercise based on a series of self -assessment questionnaires, addressed to partner 
countries, donors, regional economic communities and transport corridors, and South-South 
partners, as also a call for case stories – and I note that the deadline for the submission of 
responses to the questionnaires and for submitting case stories is the end of December.    On Trade and Transfer of Technology , work has continued in the Working Group, in accordance 
with the Bali mandate. The Chairman of the Working Group has informed me that the work 
undertaken, including a well-received Workshop whic h was held in June, is fully reflected in the 
Annual Report, which we will take up later in the Agenda. 
 
Moving now to the Decisions in the DDA Bali Package - and starting with Agriculture . 
 
The regular meeting the Committee on Agricultur e held on 13 November included an item on 
"Implementation of Bali Outcomes". Under this item Members considered follow-up on Bali outcomes on TRQ administration and export competition.   JOB/GC/72 
 
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  The Bali Decision on TRQ administration  requires the notification of TRQ fill rates. In 2014 the 
CoA discussed options for notification of TRQ fill rates in March, June, July and November. Based on these discussions, at the request of the Chairp erson, the Secretariat circulated on 26 November 
a modified Table MA.2 notification format (G/A G/W/137). Some Members have already started to 
report TRQ fill rates using the proposed format. 
 According to the Bali Declaration on Export Competition  dedicated discussions on export 
competition should occur on an annual basis. The 2014 dedicated discussion took place in June 
and concluded with the circulation of the revised Secretariat document in September and subsequent addendum in October. In the November CoA meeting, the Chair announced the launch of preparations for the second dedicated discussion on export competition which should take place 
during the 2015 June meeting of the Committee on Agriculture. On 26 November 2014 the Chair 
circulated the export competition questionnair e along with a summary of suggestions she had 
received on how to increase the number and improve the overall quality of replies to this 
questionnaire. Members' replies to the questionnaire and relevant notifications will be compiled in 
a revised Secretariat background document which will form the basis of discussions next year.  
Regarding Cotton , as you know, in line with the Bali Ministerial Decision, this work takes place in 
the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture,  and it is therefore under the umbrella of the 
TNC. On the more specific development assistance aspects of cotton, we will hear shortly from the 
Director-General – under Item 6 of our Agenda. 
 
On Trade Facilitation , I would like to very much welcome the announcement that Hong Kong, 
China has just deposited its instrument of acceptance for the Protocol of Amendment.  This is 
certainly a very positive sign, and fully in the spirit of the Decision that the General Council 
adopted on 27 November.  
Moving now to Development and LDC matters , and starting with the Monitoring Mechanism 
on Special and Differential Treatment , the Bali Decision stipulates that the Monitoring 
Mechanism will act as a focal point within the WTO to analyse and review the implementation of S&D provisions. The Monitoring Mechanism operates in a Dedicated Session of the CTD, which is to 
meet twice a year, with additional meetings conv ened, as appropriate. The monitoring of special 
and differential provisions in the Mechanism is to be undertaken on the basis of written inputs or submissions made by Members, as well as on the basis of reports received from other WTO Bodies 
to which submissions by Members could also be made.  Two dedicated sessions have been held 
this year; one in July and the second more recently on 27 November. No written proposals have as yet been submitted by Members, and the Chair, at both the meetings, while highlighting the 
elements of the Bali Decision has called on Members to make written submissions in order to make 
the Mechanism operational.  On LDC matters, and regarding Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs , as mandated by 
paragraph 1.10 of the Bali Ministerial Decision, the Committee on Rules of Origin has, at its 30 
October meeting, reviewed the developments in preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from LDCs. In the context of the review, the Committee took note of the rules associated to a 
preferential scheme being implemented by Chile and also heard a presentation about the WTO 
database on Preferential Trade Agreements. A report of that review was circulated for consideration by the General Council in document G/RO/76.   
 
Still on rules of origin, on a matter not related to the Bali Outcomes but to the Harmonization Work 
Program, I would highlight here the exchange of letters between the Chairman of the Committee on Rules of Origin and myself, which has been circulated in G/RO/W/152.  In that exchange of 
letter, I informed the Chairman of the consultations I had with Members on the issues raised in his 
letter, and that the general sense from my consultations was that Members would wish the Committee on Rules of Origin to continue its work on all the issues as it deems necessary, without 
the matter being referred to the General Council at this stage. 
 Back to the Bali Outcomes, the Decision on Duty-free Quota-free market access for LDCs  
calls upon developed-country Members that have no t yet provided DFQF access for at least 97% of 
products originating from LDCs to improve their existing DFQF coverage, prior to MC10. Developing countries have also been encouraged to provide DFQF access to LDC products. The Bali Decision also instructs the CTD to continue to annually review the steps taken to provide DFQF 
market access to the LDCs, and report to the General Council for appropriate action. To aid in its JOB/GC/72 
 
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  review, the Secretariat, in close coordination with Members, prepared a report on Members’ DFQF 
market access for LDCs at the tariff line level ba sed on their notifications. The CTD conducted this 
annual DFQF review at its 27 November meeting on the basis of the Secretariat report. This report, the first of its kind, was well received by Members. It contains the current status of DFQF access 
provided by all developed Members to the LDCs, as well as the DFQF coverage provided by the five 
developing countries that have so far adopted LDC DFQF schemes. The report demonstrates that most developed Members grant either full or significant DFQF access to the LDCs and that the 
degree of access provided by the developing countries is also significant. 
 And finally, concerning the Operationalization of LDCs Services Waiver , let me report that the 
Services Council deliberations on the organization al arrangements of the High-Level meeting have 
been advancing quite considerably – through an in formal meeting earlier this week; and with an 
open-ended informal meeting scheduled on Friday to finalize the organizational arrangements.  
Notionally, at least at the informal level, as one of you noted in our last discussion, a date has 
been proposed for a High-Level meeting and that is 5 February 2015, if agreeable to all Members. 
The LDC Coordinator highlighted to us however that the meeting, if it proceeds as scheduled on 5 
February, would be technically more than 6 months from the date the collective request was 
submitted, which was 21 July. To avoid any suggestion from any quarter that somehow we are not respecting the Ministers' direction to ensure that the High-Level meeting shall be held 6 months after submission of the collective request, I will  work with the Chair of the Council for Trade in 
Services, to absolutely ensure that there is a consensus that we deem the date of 5 February for 
the High-Level meeting to be fully co mpliant with the Ministers' wishes. 
 
This concludes my update on the implementation of the Bali Decision. Shortly, we will go into the 
specific items of our agenda which, at a first gl ance, might look as being all different pieces.  
However, taking a closer look, it becomes clear that they are actually pieces of a single jigsaw 
puzzle that do fit. But they do all have to fit to paint the complete picture. And the picture that 
emerges tells a credible story about the WTO core functions: enforcing rules, monitoring implementation, ensuring that trade and development move hand in hand, providing technical assistance, alongside the negotiating function.  All in  all, I believe that we have a very good story 
to tell as this year draws to a close. And this is thanks to the efforts of the Director-General, and of 
each and every Member – whether serving as Chai rpersons in WTO regular and negotiating bodies 
or as active participants in the discussions in each WTO body. 
 
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