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WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72  
 
30 September 2014  
(14-5522)  Page: 1/13  
Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries 
Seventy-Second Session    
 
 NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 30 JUNE 2014 
Chairperson: Ambassador Roderick Van Schreven (Netherlands) 
 
A. ADOPTION OF TH E AGENDA .................................................................................... 1  
B. TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY-BUILDING 
INITIATIVES FOR LEAST- DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ........................................................... 1  
-  WTO Technical Assistance and Training to the Least-Developed Countries: Oral 
Report by the Secretariat ................................................................................................... 1  
-  An Update on the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF): Oral Report by the EIF 
Executive Secretariat ......................................................................................................... 5  
C. MARKET ACCESS FOR LEAST DEVELOPED CO UNTRIES ............................................. 9  
-  Duty-Free Quota-Free Scheme by  Chile (WT/CO MTD/N/44) ............................................ 9  
D. OTHER BUSINESS .................................................................................................. 10  
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA 
1. The Chairman said that the draft agenda of the meeting was contained in document 
WTO/AIR/4326. He invited Members' attention to the requests made by UNCTAD and the World 
Bank to make statements under other business. He added that UNCTAD would like to make a 
report on the Workshop it had organized on 9 Ap ril 2014 relating to the Decision on Preferential 
Rules of Origin adopted by Members at the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference held in Bali in December 2013 (MC9). The World Bank intended to make a statement on its new programme to 
support the implementation of the Trade Facili tation Agreement (TFA) adopted by Members at 
MC9.  
2. The Sub-Committee adopted the draft agenda contained in WTO/AIR/4326. 
 
B. TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY-BUILDING INITIATIVES FOR LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
- WTO Technical Assistance and Training to the Least-Developed Countries: Oral Report 
by the Secretariat 
3. The Chairman recalled that according to the Work Programme for the LDCs 
(WT/COMTD/LDC/11/Rev.1), the Sub-Committee was required to monitor the WTO technical 
assistance support provided to the LDCs. Pursuant to this mandate, the Sub-Committee considered this item on an annual basis. He invited the Secretariat to make a report on this item. 
 
4. The representative of the Secretariat (Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation) said 
that the fuller integration of LDCs into the mult ilateral trading system (MTS) had been one of the 
main priorities of the technical assistance pr ovided by the WTO. The WTO biennial technical 
assistance and training plan (hereafter the Plan) attached special priority to the LDCs. The LDCs 
had been invited to 57% of the activities organized in 2013 – a progression of 5 percentage points compared to 2012; they had been benefitting fr om the growing proportion of the assistance WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  provided to them on a global basis, either face-to-face training or through e-learning programmes. 
He noted that the LDCs had participated more actively in the e-learning programmes in 2013 compared to the previous year. This developmen t was a positive indication for LDCs' increased 
participation in WTO's technical assistance (TA) activities as e-learning constituted the first step in 
the progressive learning strategy (PLS) aimed at building and sustaining long-lasting human 
and institutional capacities in the beneficiary countries.   
5. He continued by saying that some of the global activities were specifically designed for the 
LDCs, such as the three-week Introduction Course and the Advanced Thematic Courses for the LDCs. Priority had also been given to the Afri can continent in the implementation of WTO TA 
activities, where two thirds of LDCs were located. He pointed out that the LDCs in Africa had been 
invited to participate in 60% of the activities held in this region in 2013.  
 6. He went on to say that the LDCs had continued to receive priority in the long-term 
Internship Programmes as well as the Referenc e Centres (RCs) programme of the WTO. There 
were mainly three internship programmes, namely: the Netherlands Trainee Programme (NTP), the Mission Internship Programme (MIP), and the Regional Coordinator Internship (RCI). Apart 
from these programmes, under China's LDCs and Accessions Programme (the China Programme), 
established in July 2011, interns were being trained every year; one of the two interns selected under this programme in 2013 came from an LDC, as did 13 out of 22 MIPs and 11 out of 15 NTPs. In addition, three out of eight Regional Coordinator interns were from the LDCs. Overall, 60% of 
the long-term interns represented the LDCs in 2013. The Secretariat had been assisting the LDC 
interns to work on specific trade issues, including identifying the TA needs of their respective countries. 
 
7. He highlighted the point that the LDCs had also been the primary focus of the RCs 
programme in 2013; Eight RCs installed or upgraded were either in the LDCs or in the Secretariat 
of African IGOs which had a number of LDCs as th eir members. That partly explained the reason 
for increasing participation of LDCs in the e-learning programme. One third of participants completing e-learning courses in 2013 came from the LDCs – a significant progression of 40% compared to 2012.  
 
8. In conclusion, he pointed out that the LDCs were also beneficiaries of academic 
support-related activities of the WTO. In this regard, LDCs were benefitting from the extended 
WTO Chairs Programme (WCP). An LDC academic institution was selected for WCP, and would 
receive WTO support in the next four years. He underlined the need for more research and academic discourse on WTO topics as it would st rengthen knowledge and enhance capacity in the 
LDCs. 
 9. The representative of Colombia underlined the importance of national TA activities, which 
could be tailor-made to national needs. She enquired from the Secretariat as to how many national 
TA activities were conducted in the LDCs in 2013 and what were the themes/topics of those 
activities.  
10. The representative of Uganda, on behalf of the LDC Group, thanked the Secretariat for its 
comprehensive report on trade-related technical a ssistance (TRTA). He recalled that the Decision 
on Measures in Favour of Least-developed Countries adopted in 1993 recognized the particular 
need for TA and capacity building support for th e LDCs. Further, WTO Ministers reiterated their 
commitment to assist the LDCs improve their participation in the MTS.   11. He noted that since the launch of the Doha Round, the WTO TRTA had grown substantially. 
The WTO had also been involved with mechanisms  such as the Enhanced Integrated Framework 
(EIF) and Standards and Trade Development Facili ty (STDF). He acknowledged the priority that 
was being attached to the LDCs in the delivery of TRTA. In this regard, he stressed that such 
assistance should be provided to the LDCs on a sust ainable basis, for it to have a lasting impact on 
their capacity to benefit from the MTS.   
12. He said that the main objective of WTO's TRTA was to enhance human and institutional 
capacity in the LDCs. The three-week Introduction  Course for LDC governme nt officials as well as 
Geneva-based courses and Regional Trade Policy Courses (RTPCs) had been useful. He underlined 
the need for increased participation of LDCs in intermediate and advanced levels of training in the 
WTO which could help the LDCs formulate better trade policies as well as help their effective WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  participation in the activities of the WTO. He hoped that the WTO would continue to be flexible in 
the application of progressive learning strategies so as to facilitate the participation of LDC officials in various training programmes.    
13. He underlined the importance of fostering long-term institutional capacity and knowledge 
building in the LDCs. In this regard, he said that one possible avenue would be to consider holding RTPCs in the LDCs; regular training exercises th at resulted from such courses would increase 
human and institutional capacity as it would involve a wide range of stakeholders such as 
government agencies, academia, research institutions and the private sector. He added that holding RTPCs in the LDCs could also enhance collaboration between the LDC academic institutions and the WTO. While acknowledging the existing pr ocedure on the selection of the location of 
RTPCs, he requested Members to consider LDC ve nues for RTPCs when this issue would be taken 
up in future consultations.  
14. He noted that one of the most important initiatives that had been taken under the biennial 
Plan was the various Internship Programmes, at it gave exposure to LDC government officials and created increased capacity on WTO matters. Both th e NTP, as well as the MIP, had proved to be 
useful. He thanked all donors for their generous support to these programmes; he requested them 
to further strengthen this support. He also invited Members' attention to the request that these internship programmes fund at least one official from each LDC Member each year, so as to build sustained capacity in the LDCs.  
 
15. He expressed appreciation for the fact that the LDCs were entitled to three national activities 
per year, as against two activities offered to other developing countries. He noted that the 
utilization of such assistance remained low in the LDCs, due to several factors. In this regard, he 
pointed out that organizational costs often prevented the LDCs from making full use of those entitlements. He urged donors to give positive co nsideration to address this problem, including by 
earmarking funds with a view to facilitating the LDC governments to host national activities. He 
asked the Secretariat to take note of this request.   16. In conclusion, he suggested that the advanced trade policy course for the LDCs, introduced 
under the latest biennial Plan, should take place on a regular basis, if possible once a year. This 
would enable LDC officials to get specialised training on ever-evolving WTO negotiations including on issues such as operationalization of the LDC Services Waiver, Preferenti al Rules of Origin, and 
the implementation of the TFA.  
 17. The representative of Nepal associated himself with the statement made by Uganda, on 
behalf of the LDC Group. He said that all forms of WTO's TA helped LDCs to build their trade 
capacity and enhance their understanding of WT O matters. He expressed appreciation for the 
establishment of WTO RCs in different LDCs. His delegation viewed the biennial Plan as an important document for carrying out TA in a tran sparent and predictable manner; the efficacy of 
the Plan would depend on the resources made av ailable for its smooth implementation. He echoed 
the point made that well-timed and adequate funding was essential for timely and effective implementation of WTO's TA activities. He urged do nors to continue their support so as to avoid 
disruption of planned activities. In conclusion, he hoped for a successful implementation of the 
current biennial Plan.  
18. The representative of Benin associated himself with the statement made by Uganda, on 
behalf of the LDC Group. He welcomed the Secretar iat update on the TA provided to the LDCs. He 
expressed gratitude to donors for their support wh ich enabled the WTO to undertake activities in 
favour of LDCs, and urged them to continue their assistance to meet the ever increasing needs of 
LDCs.  
 19. He underlined the importance of the WCP, which helped build the research capacity of 
academic institutions on trade and development issues. He also emphasized the need for 
appropriate follow-up of the Chairs Programme so as to maximize the gains from the activities generated under such Programme. He hoped that the Chairs Programme would foster better 
linkages between national academic institutions in LDCs with institutions at bilateral as well as 
regional level.  20. The representative of Mali considered the Secretariat update useful as it provided 
clarifications on various support activities in favo ur of LDCs. His delegation  was a beneficiary of the WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  internship programmes in the WTO; such opportunities helped build capacity on WTO issues. He 
thanked the donors for their continued support  which enabled the Secretariat to undertake 
activities in favour of LDCs. He associated himself with all the suggestions made by Uganda, on behalf of the LDC Group. 
 
21. The representative of Bangladesh considered the TA of the WTO to be of critical importance 
in enhancing human and institutional capacity in the LDCs. He underlined the importance of an 
inclusive process in the implementation of WTO’s TRTA  activities so as to facilitate the participation 
of all LDC candidates in those activities. In view  of the special needs of the LDCs, he suggested 
that Members develop criteria to increase the scope of selection of LDC candidates in WTO’s TA activities. He expressed concern with the low utilization of national TA activities by the LDCs. He 
was of the view that the scope of such activities should be widened and revamped. His delegation 
was ready to work with the Secretariat to make the programme more worthy. In conclusion, he reiterated the point made by Uganda, on behalf of LDC Group, that at least one official from each 
LDC should get an internship opportunity each year.  
 22. The representative of Vanuatu associated hims elf with the statement made by Uganda, on 
behalf of the LDC Group. His delegation attached importance to the WCP. In this regard, he noted 
that 14 institutions had been selected as WTO Chairs at the start of the programme. He enquired as to whether the number of WTO Chairs had been reduced to seven. Since no institution so far 
had been selected as WTO Chair from the Pacific region, he called upon the Secretariat to select 
one from this region. He called upon development partners to allocate adequate resources for this 
programme.  
23. The representative of Tanzania associated he rself with the statement made by Uganda, on 
behalf of the LDC Group. She expressed appreciation for the short- as well as long-term 
programmes being undertaken by the Secretariat under the biennial Plan. She emphasized the 
need for strengthening the internship programm es of the WTO. In this regard, she invited 
Members’ attention to the resource constraints of the LDC Missions in Geneva, which necessitated continuous support in the form of regular interns in the Missions. She urged the Secretariat to take 
necessary measures so as to increase the number of mission interns as it would help LDC Missions 
to participate better in the work of the WTO. Sh e hoped that requests for mission interns by LDC 
Missions in Geneva would be given favourable consideration by the Secretariat.   
24. The representative of Haiti associated himself with the statement made by Uganda, on 
behalf of the LDC Group. He enquired as to whether the Secretariat could organize video 
conferencing courses for universities in the LDCs, similar to those undertaken for some developing 
country universities in the past. 
 25. The Chairman noted some of the questions and issues raised by the LDCs at the meeting, 
which included: (i) consideration of LDCs as venue for RTPCs; (ii) consideration for selecting at 
least one intern per LDC each year; (iii) earmarking of funds to facilitate national TA activities in 
the LDCs; (iv) strengthening academic support programmes in LDCs, including the WCP; and (v) possibility of conducting courses through Video Conference facility. He invited the Secretariat 
to respond to the queries from the LDCs including the points that he had identified. 
 26. The representative of the Secretariat responded to the questions and clarifications made by 
Members. He said that the number of national TA activities held in LDCs in 2013 would be 
available in the WTO's annual TA report which woul d be issued shortly. The themes of national 
activities had been identified by the beneficiary countries. In this regard, he recalled the consultations undertaken with each regional grouping in 2013; some regions had identified certain 
priority areas like SPS, TBT, Services, Agriculture and NAMA, which were duly taken into account 
by the Secretariat in implementing the TA activities in those regions. With a view to making the best use of limited human resources, the Secretaria t preferred not to organize general training as 
national activities since information through such trainings could be obtained from regional trade 
policy courses, advanced trade policy courses and through e-learning training. National activities were envisaged on specific topics which could not be undertaken otherwise. With respect to 
funding of expenses relating to national activities, he said that all costs relating to the participation 
of WTO resource persons were borne by the Secret ariat. However, the expenses relating to the 
organization of the event at the national level were not covered by the WTO. He was of the view that such expenses and other facilities could be borne by the national authorities in a cost-effective 
manner.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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27. He noted the request from the LDCs for flexible application of the progressive learning 
strategy (PLS) so as to increase the participatio n of LDC officials in WTO training courses. He 
reiterated that the Secretariat had already shown flexibility in facilitating the participation of LDC 
officials who had not been able to meet all the prerequisites on reasonable grounds. He 
encouraged the LDCs to take maximum benefits from each phase of the PLS. He added that the LDCs had been the largest beneficiary group of WTO's long-term internship programmes, which 
demonstrated that the Secretariat had not been rigid in the selection of LDC candidates. He also 
noted the request from the LDC Group to consider LDC capitals as possible venues for RTPCs. He recalled that RTPCs had been held in LDC locations in the past. He explained the selection procedure of RTPC locations which were done on a competitive basis. He encouraged the LDCs to 
submit their applications for conducting RTPCs.  
 
28. With regard to the request from the LDC Group to ensure one intern per LDC each year, he 
said that accommodating such a request would be difficult in view of financial constraints, as well 
as physical capacity constraints in the Secretariat. In addition, candidates from LDCs fulfilling all prerequisites for such internship programmes were not always available. He drew attention of the 
LDCs to the invitation to be sent out to delegations for the 2015 Internship Programmes. He 
encouraged the LDCs to carefully review the invitation, and submit applications accordingly. He also pointed out that the various internship programmes in the WTO had covered almost all LDCs over the past couple of years, and that some of the LDCs had benefitted several times, helping 
build cumulative capacity in these countries to deal with WTO matters. 
 29. With regard to the WCP, he clarified that seven new Chairs had been added to the 
programme, in addition to the 14 Chairs which had been selected in the first phase of the 
programme. The funding support from the Netherland s had made it possible to extend the WCP to 
a new group of seven institutions. He underscored the need for regular interaction between the 
WTO Secretariat and the WTO Chairs. He hoped that activities under the WCP should result in 
better linkages between the academic work and trade policy formulation. In this regard, he invited Members' attention to a case study issued under the aegis of WCP concerning exports of mango by Senegal. The study showed how Senegal had adapted to the SPS requirements of its export 
markets and thus was gaining access to those markets for its mangoes. He reiterated that the 
LDCs stood to benefit from the academic support programme of the WTO. He noted that some regions had not yet benefitted from the WCP; only seven Chairs had been selected out of 
77 candidates in the latest phase and that only a few LDCs had competed in the process. 
Nevertheless, one LDC had already been identifi ed with which the WTO would soon engage.  
 
30. He was pleased to note the appreciation of  the LDC Group with the advanced thematic 
course for the LDCs organized for the first time in 2013. He would draw the attention of his colleagues to the request made by the LDC Group to continue such courses every year. He also welcomed the suggestion from the delegation of Haiti to conduct video conferencing courses for 
universities in Haiti, and would get in touch with the delegation later to further discuss this. 
 31. The Chairman suggested that the Sub-Committ ee take note of the oral report of the 
Secretariat, as well as of the statements made. He encouraged the LDCs to make maximum use of 
the products offered by the Secretariat.  
32. It was so agreed. 
 
- An Update on the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF): Oral Report by the EIF 
Executive Secretariat 
33. The Chairman recalled that according to the Work Programme for the LDCs, the EIF 
Secretariat had been briefing the Members of the Sub-Committee on an annual basis. He noted 
that the Sub-Committee attached high importance to the EIF which supported trade capacity 
building in the LDCs. He invited the Executive Director of the Executive Secretariat of the EIF to 
take the floor.  
34. The Executive Director of the Executive Secretar iat of the EIF provided the meeting with an 
update on the EIF's work and achievements since its October 2013 report to the Sub-Committee. 
He said that the EIF had continued to make progress on trade mainstreaming as well as on the creation of national institutional structures to conduct analytical work as well as in obtaining and WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  managing Aid-for-Trade resources. He recalled th at Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTISs) 
and DTIS Updates (DTISUs) helped LDCs identify trade opportunities and constraints; these studies also proposed measures to unlock LDCs' trade potential. He said that 31 DTISUs and eight DTISs had been approved, of which eight DTISUs and five DTISs had been completed. He 
explained that one of the essential components of the DTIS exercise was the preparation of action 
matrices that formed the basis for the preparation of Tier 2 projects aimed at building productive capacity in the LDCs. Twenty-seven such projects in 20 LDCs had thus far been supported. 
 
35. He continued by saying that the EIF's capacity-building efforts had achieved a considerable 
degree of success, as evidenced by the increased ca pability of LDCs to take ownership of their 
trade and development agenda and of the EIF processes. The EIF Secretariat continued to 
organize targeted workshops for the focal points as well as national implementation units in 
various regions covering Africa, Asia and the Pacific EIF countries, which included important topics such as trade mainstreaming, gender and trade as  well as monitoring and evaluation. Stakeholder 
engagement modules on the private sector and ci vil society had been rolled out in three pilot 
countries, namely: Burkina Faso, Nepal and Zambia.  
36. He said that the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) had been added to the EIF Board 
(hereafter Board) as a new observer, in light of the preeminent role of tourism in the economies of 
the LDCs. He hoped that the UNWTO would bring its substantive knowledge and expertise in the 
area of tourism to help LDCs in achieving thei r development objectives through tourism trade.  
 
37. He went on to say that the High-Level Minist erial Breakfast organized on the sidelines of 
MC9 had reinforced the high level of commitment to the EIF from the LDCs, donors and the 
agencies. At MC9, Members had underscored the key coordination role of the EIF in relation to the 
implementation of the TFA, as well as that of ot her Ministerial Decisions, such as the one relating 
to the operationalization of the LDC Services Waiver as well as the one on cotton.  
 
38. He announced that in order to reach a wider range of stakeholders, through an effective 
communications and outreach programme, the EIF would revamp its website and would make it accessible in three languages, namely: English, French and Portuguese. It had also initiated 
analytical and publications activities; the first set of such activities included a study on SPS 
Measures in partnership with the STDF and on tourism services in cooperation with UNWTO. The second set of activities included analytical work on the role of the EIF vis-à-vis  the Istanbul 
Programme of Action for the LDCs (IPoA) for the decade 2011-2020, as well as the Post-2015 
Development Agenda. Work had also been initiated for delivering results in conflict and post-conflict environments. 
 
39. He drew Members' attention to the funding situ ation of the EIF Trust Fund, pointing to an 
imminent funding gap due to a combination of a growing number of Tier 2 projects and dwindling 
of existing resources. The funding situation wa s further compounded by the inability of some 
donors to make disbursements to the EIF Trust Fund on a timely basis. However, he acknowledged 
the new contributions of nearly US$10 million from Finland and Sweden, which enabled the total Trust Fund to exceed the target of US$250 million set at the Pledging Conference held in 
Stockholm in 2007. He noted that the EIF Executive Secretariat and the EIF Trust Fund Manager 
were making efforts to diversify funding sources,  by reaching out to non-traditional donors in 
addition to long-standing supporters.  
 
40. In conclusion, he said that the EIF was preparing for a comprehensive evaluation. In this 
regard, the inception report submitted by the eval uator had been formally endorsed by the Board. 
The formal evaluation would begin in July 2014. The evaluation, he suggested, would be critical for 
the programme, as it would provide an opportunity for the EIF partnership to make an informed 
decision on its future. The EIF had organized its Board meeting in an LDC (The Gambia) on 19 June 2014 which was the first of its kind. It had provided an opportunity for the partnership to 
ensure enhanced ownership of the programme by the LDCs as well as to interact with stakeholders 
in the region and to observe results on the ground.  
41. The representative of Uganda, on behalf of the LDC Group, recalled that the year 2015 
would be a pivotal year for the EIF, as the programme would undergo a comprehensive evaluation. 
He noted from the latest EIF Annual Report that 90% of the LDCs had completed their Tier 1 projects and had included trade in their national development plans, thus leveraging resources to 
promote increased synergies between trade and other sectors of the economy. He said that Tier 2 WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  projects, of which the EIF supported 27 so far, se rved to build on this work by implementing 
priorities identified in the DTISs. He took note of the guidelines recently adopted at the Board meeting in The Gambia on the time-bound completion of DTIS and DTIS updates. He reiterated that the DTIS process should conclude within a stipulated time-frame. In this regard, he asked 
whether any time-frame had been envisaged in those guidelines for completing the full cycle of the 
DTIS or DTISUs.  
42. He noted that while the EIF was currently  being implemented in 46 LDCs and three 
graduated LDCs (Cabo Verde, Maldives and Samoa), it had never been envisaged to work in more than 40 LDCs. The implementation of Tier 1 and Ti er 2 projects meant that LDCs were beginning 
to reap the benefits of targeted support which led to increased requests for Tier 1 and Tier 2 
project-support. He expressed some concern that if the support to the EIF Trust Fund was not 
enhanced from its current level, the Prog ramme would fail to meet its objectives. 
 
43. While expressing appreciation to development partners for their efforts in making the EIF an 
important vehicle for the coordinated delivery of  trade capacity-building interventions, he 
underlined the need for the replenishment of EIF resources for successful implementation of 
projects. He urged all partners to consider interim means of enhancing resource flows to the EIF 
such as, inter alia , through bridge funding, so as not to lose the current momentum. He 
commended the EIF Executive Secretariat for its resource mobilization initiatives.   
44. With regard to the comprehensive evaluation of the EIF, he said that the LDCs had already 
submitted comments to the consultants. Since the evaluation constituted an important step in the life-cycle of the EIF programme, its methodology would be critical. In this regard, he cautioned 
against over-engineering of expectations on the programme’s impact on parameters such as 
economic growth and poverty reduction, especially in light of the short one-and-a-half year period 
of the programme following the Medium Term Revi ew (MTR). He urged Members to recognize, as 
was the case in the MTR, that the EIF’s success would often be indirect and not highly visible; 
though efforts should be undertaken to make those successes more visible. He expressed hope that the evaluation would recommend more practical ways to make the next phase of the EIF more pragmatic and successful, with increased ownershi p of the programme at the national level.  
 
45. In conclusion, he made a suggestion on the EIF governing structure. In order to enhance the 
participation of Geneva-based delegates in the activities of the EIF, he proposed that the LDC 
Board members be accompanied to the Board meetings by their respective Geneva-based 
delegates, in order to keep the LDC Group fully informed of developments in the Board, as well as to ease the burden of the capital-based LDC Board members. He looked forward to a post-2015 
phase of the EIF.  
 46. The representative of Nepal commended the EIF programme, especially for its role in 
enhancing LDCs’ supply-side capacity and trade infr astructure building. He considered the Tier 1 
projects to be effective in laying foundations for institution building and mainstreaming the trade 
agenda into the national development plans. The DTIS under the Tier 1 support had helped LDCs identify their export potential. The Tier 2 proj ects, which focused on implementing the action 
matrix suggested by the DTIS, had been helping LDCs strengthen their trade capacity.  
 47. He thanked the donors to the EIF Trust Fund, and encouraged them to increase support for 
the EIF. He thanked the delegations of Finland and Sweden for their recent contributions to the EIF 
Trust Fund. He welcomed the comprehensive eval uation of the EIF programme that was being 
undertaken. He expressed hope that the LDC Grou p’s comments on the inception report, approved 
at the recent Board meeting in The Gambia, would form the basis of the evaluation. He proposed 
that the evaluation should not only explore the rationale for extending the EIF beyond its current 
mandate, but should also suggest key measures and improvements that would help secure adequate funding for the smooth functioning of the programme beyond 2015.  
 
48. Recalling the recognition of the EIF’s potential role in implementing the TFA adopted at MC9 
as well as in the operationalization of the LDC Services Waiver and in enhancing cotton exports, he 
proposed that the evaluation explore appropriate modalities for the EIF to engage in these areas. 
He also urged development partners and the agencies (mentioned in the modalities for negotiations on Trade Facilitation) to involve the EIF in the coordination processes of their own initiatives so as to achieve synergies. In conclusion, he reiterated the EIF's relevance in the 
implementation of the Post-Bali Work Programme, the IPoA and in the ongoing discussion on UN's WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  Post-2015 Development Agenda. He hoped that the evaluation of the EIF would take a 
forward-looking approach as to how the EIF could be  best positioned to respond to these emerging 
priorities.  
49. The representative of Bangladesh expressed appreciation for the work being undertaken by 
the EIF Secretariat for the benefit of the LDCs. He said that lessons learned through the 
implementation of the EIF Programme over the past years should be taken into consideration in 
the ongoing evaluation for it to deliver better results in the future. His delegation was in support of 
a simpler EIF framework which could further facilitate accessing the intended benefits from the Programme. He was of the view that an appropri ate balance between the process and the efforts 
on the ground was essential with a view to ensuring better value for the EIF resources. He pointed 
out that the preparation of the DTIS for his country had been taking an unusually long time which 
was neither efficient nor helpful for the LDCs. He asked for a shortened process for the completion 
of DTIS and other EIF activities. He also underlin ed the need for enhanced national ownership in 
the EIF process with a view to achieving maximum benefits from the programme. 
 50. In conclusion, he stressed the importance of enhanced and sustained level of resources so 
as to adequately meet the needs of LDCs identified  in the DTISs. He added that given the size of 
the population and the resource scarcity in the LDCs, the scale of assistance in the EIF programme should be broadened to address the needs of LDCs beyond 2015.   
51. The representative of Mali associated himself with the statement made by Uganda, on behalf 
of the LDC Group. His delegation was awaiting th e results of the ongoing evaluation of the EIF 
programme. He recalled that the LDCs had raised a number of issues with respect to the initial 
report on the evaluation, and hoped that the view s of the LDCs on the ongoing evaluation would 
be taken on board. He stressed the need for enhanced funding, in particular to ensure smooth running of the programme in the coming years. In conclusion, he said that his authorities might 
revert to the inception report of the evaluator once they had completed reviewing it. 
 52. The representative of Benin thanked donors for their support to the EIF Programme, and 
urged them to continue extending such support for the benefit of the LDCs. He associated himself 
with the statement made by Uganda, on behalf of the LDCs. In particular, he endorsed the 
suggestion for the involvement of Geneva-based LDC delegations in the EIF activities in Geneva. He stressed that the regular flow of information between the EIF Secretariat and the Geneva 
Missions as well as with other partners was essential for the success of the programme. He also 
encouraged the EIF Secretariat to organize regula r interactions between all stakeholders of the 
Programme. In conclusion, he requested the EIF Secretariat to provide an update on the state of 
the Tier 2 project proposal that his Government had submitted recently. In this regard, he 
suggested that the EIF Secretariat provide period ic updates to the LDC missions once a project 
proposal was submitted since this would help the missions respond to queries from their capitals.  
53. The Chairman noted the questions and comments made by the LDCs on the implementation 
of the EIF Programme, which included: (i) establishment of a specific time-frame for the 
completion of the full cycle of DTIS and DTISUs; (i i) desire for more funds in relation to the needs 
that could arise after 2015; (iii) no duplication with other TA programmes; (iv) better 
communication between the EIF Secretariat and other stakeholders; (v) consideration of steps to further enhance national ownership of the EIF Programme; and (iv) specific request from the 
delegation of Benin on its Tier 2 project. He invited the Executive Director of the Executive 
Secretariat of the EIF to take the floor.  54. The Executive Director of the Executive Secret ariat of the EIF responded to the questions 
and comments raised at the meeting. With regard to the specific query from the delegation of 
Benin on its Tier 2 project proposal, he said that the Secretariat was working on it and that the project would be submitted to the Board within a week. He also explained the process as well as 
the approval cycle of the Board in relation to pr oject proposals received from the LDCs. He said 
that once a project proposal was received, some necessary information was needed before the project could be submitted for the Board’s approval . This information collection might take some 
time, since a number of parties were involved. Once a Tier 2 project was submitted to the Board, it 
would normally take 20 days (i.e. no objection through electronic means) for it to get the approval of the Board. The EIF Secretariat was considering fixing an internal deadline to be able to complete the project review and the project approval pr ocess within a specific period of time.  
 WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  55. He noted the suggestion from the delegation of Benin to enhance the level of communication 
between the EIF Secretariat and the LDC missions in Geneva, in particular after the submission of projects by the LDCs. He also took note of the suggestion made by the delegation of Bangladesh 
for having a timeline for the delivery of DTIS. In this regard, he invited Members’ attention to the 
recent adoption of a decision by the Board, which, inter alia , would streamline the DTIS process. 
Timelines had been envisaged in all steps of the DTIS process. He hoped that the agencies or 
other entities responsible for the preparation of the DTIS would comply with that decision, and 
that eventually the time required for the co mpletion of the DTIS would be reduced.  
 56. He went on to say that the donors would await the result of the comprehensive evaluation of 
the Programme before considering additional fundin g for the EIF Trust Fund. He reiterated that the 
suggestions and comments received from the LDC Gr oup on the inception report submitted by the 
evaluator had been fully taken on board, prior to the adoption of the inception report at the Board 
meeting on 19 June 2014. In conclusion, he consid ered useful the suggestion of the LDC Group on 
the participation of Geneva-based missions to join the LDC Board members at the Board meeting. 
He would include this issue on the agenda of th e future Board meeting and would seek to present 
a favourable case to the Board.  
 
57. The Chairman suggested that the Sub-Committee ta ke note of the oral report made by the 
Executive Director of the Executive Secretariat of the EIF, as well as of the statements made. He 
noted that some important work was being undertaken in the EIF in the coming months. In 
particular, he looked forward to the conclusion of the ongoing Evaluation of the EIF. 
 58. It was so agreed. 
 
C. MARKET ACCESS FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
 
- Duty-Free Quota-Free Scheme by Chile (WT/COMTD/N/44) 
 
59. The Chairman said that the notification made  by Chile on its duty-free quota-free market 
access scheme for LDCs was circulated as WT/COMTD/N/44. In accordance with the established 
procedure, the Council for Trade in Goods had re ferred the notification to the Sub-Committee. He 
invited the representative of Chile to introduce the notification.  
60. The representative of Chile invited Members' attention to the notification (WT/COMTD/N/44) 
circulated in April 2014 concerning the customs duty elimination scheme by Chile for the 48 
UN-designated LDCs. The scheme had already entered into force. He said that the scheme, which 
was a unilateral (i.e. non-reciprocal) tariff preference scheme, eliminated custom duties on imports 
of goods originating from LDCs, excluding wheat, wheat flour and sugar. He added that the benefit of the scheme would be implemented in three consecutive stages.   
61. He reiterated Chile's commitment to the MTS, and the importance of its development pillar. 
In fact, the customs duty elimination scheme for the LDCs responded to the recent Decision on "Duty-Free and Quota-Free (DFQF) Market Access for Least-Developed Countries" adopted by 
Members at MC9. In order to benefit from this scheme, he requested the LDCs to submit 
information on their respective certification bodies as soon as possible to the Chilean authorities, since the application of preferential treatm ent would require compliance with the scheme's 
procedures and certificate format. 
 62. The representative of Uganda, on behalf of the LDC Group, expressed sincere appreciation 
to the Government of Chile for adopting a DFQF market access scheme for LDC products in line 
with the decisions adopted by Members at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference as well as the Bali 
Ministerial Conference. He considered the scheme as comprehensive, with the coverage of duty-free tariff lines exceeding 97%.  
 
63. He recalled that the LDCs had been asking for enhanced market access opportunities for 
their products since the creation of the WTO. He noted that Chile had joined several other 
developing countries in providing significant market access measures in favour of LDCs. He also 
took note of the DFQF-related notifications made by different developed and developing Members. He encouraged the remaining Members to provide DFQF market access for all products originating from LDCs in a manner that ensured stability, security and predictability. He urged, in particular, 
developed Members to include products of commercial interest to LDCs in their market access WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  schemes. He commended Members that had already attained the 97% DFQF coverage for LDCs, 
and encouraged other Members to work towards the same target. He also stressed that preference-granting countries effectively implemen t notification requirements, and make publicly 
available the utilization rates of their DFQF schemes. 
 
64. He acknowledged the recent submission by Chil e concerning rules of origin requirements 
associated with its DFQF scheme (WT/COMTD/N/ 44/Add.1). Although the LDCs had not yet been 
able to examine those documents, he hoped that such requirements would be simple, so as to 
facilitate exports from LDCs. He encouraged Member s to meaningfully reform their rules of origin, 
on the basis of the Decision on Preferential Rule s of Origin adopted by Members at MC9, with a 
view to making them simple, objective and transparent. In conclusion, he put on record the 
appreciation of the LDC Group to the Government of Chile for its generous DFQF scheme for LDCs. 
He looked forward to seeing greater engagement of the LDCs with Chile.  
 
65. The representative of Nepal expressed sincere a ppreciation to the Government of Chile, for 
adopting a DFQF scheme for the LDCs. He considered this initiative encouraging for all LDCs and 
an important step towards implementing Annex F of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration. He 
requested other developing Members to take steps similar to that of Chile, and to provide LDCs 
with similar market access opportunities in line with the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration.  66. He hoped that the LDCs would be able to make best use of this scheme. He pointed out that 
the rules of origin provisions played a crucial role in the optimal use of any DFQF scheme. Hence, 
DFQF schemes alone would not be able to produce the desired results unless supported and complemented by simple, predictable and export-fri endly rules of origin. He urged the Government 
of Chile to introduce simplified and less cumbersome rules of origin criteria that could facilitate 
exports from LDCs.  In addition, he emphasized th e need for strengthening supply-side capacity in 
the LDCs so as to make full use of any pref erential scheme undertaken in favour of LDCs.  
 
67. The representative of Bangladesh thanked the Government of Chile for its DFQF scheme for 
LDC products. The LDCs were encouraged by this initiative, as it would augur well for the 
implementation of the Decision on DFQF market access for LDCs taken by Ministers at the 
Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. He noted that most of the information relating to the scheme 
was available in Spanish. His delegation might have further comments on the scheme once information was made available in English. He invited other Members to come up with similar 
initiatives like the one taken by Chile. He underlined the importance of timely notifications of DFQF 
schemes undertaken by Members, which could provid e clarity and enhance transparency of market 
access measures taken in favour of LDCs. He also underscored the need for simple rules of origin 
provisions to facilitate exports from LDCs.  
 68. The Chairman commended the delegation of Chile for its generous initiative, which would 
encourage other Members to extend similar prefer ences to the LDCs. He also underlined the need 
for further progress in the area of rules of origin. He noted that Members would be able to engage 
further on this scheme as per the procedures laid out in the Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements. He suggeste d that the Sub-Committee take note of the 
notification made by Chile contained in WT/COM TD/N/44, as well as of the statements made.  
 69. It was so agreed. 
 
D. OTHER BUSINESS 
70. The Chairman invited the representative of UNCTAD to take the floor.  
 
71. The representative of UNCTAD briefed Members on the Rules of Origin Workshop held in 
UNCTAD on 9 April 2014, entitled “Way Forward on  the WTO Ministerial Decision on Preferential 
Rules of Origin”. The meeting had been organize d with the funding support from the Government 
of the Netherlands. The objectives of the meetin g were threefold: first, to brainstorm on the 
content of the Decision on Preferential Rules of  Origin adopted by Members at MC9; second, to 
explore the possible actions that could be taken by the international community to support the 
LDCs in the implementation of the MC9 Decision on Preferential Rules of Origin; and third, to 
brainstorm on the mandate provided by the MC 9 Decision to the WTO Committee on Rules of 
Origin, with a view to building on to the existing preferential rules of origin applicable for the LDCs.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  72. He continued by saying that the meeting had been attended by some 70 participants, 
among whom 22 were from the LDCs. Participants included representatives from developing countries as well as from international organizations such as World Customs Organization (WCO), WTO, UNDP and private sectors. Two papers from the UNCTAD Secretariat were presented at the 
meeting; the first related to the value of the MC9 Decision, and the second focused on the lessons 
learned in the drafting of rules of origin provisions. He said that although the MC9 Decision was "best endeavour" in nature, it provided a number of technical details and some novelties which 
could be used as a guidance to build on to the existing rules of origin applicable for the LDCs.  
 73. He underlined the importance of flexible rules of origin so as to facilitate exports from LDCs. 
In this regard, he cited the example of Cambodia  which had witnessed an improvement of its rate 
of utilization of the EU preference scheme, in part icular for bicycle and clothing exports, following 
the introduction of EU’s revised rules of origin  in 2011. The experience of Cambodia had shown 
that favourable changes in rules of origin could trigger a market response in building productive 
capacities in LDCs.  
 74. He said that follow-up actions to the Workshop were being undertaken. The UNCTAD 
Secretariat was undertaking a joint research alon g with the LDC Group. He reiterated that the 
UNCTAD, in collaboration with WTO and WCO, would continue to support the LDCs in the implementation of the MC9 Decision. In this regard, he hoped for continued support from the Government of the Netherlands. He also underlined the need for similar workshops prior to the 
meeting of WTO’s Committee on Rules of Origin later this year, as this would help LDCs build 
capacity in discussing their challenges from using existing rules of origin requirements. In conclusion, he said that UNCTAD was in the process of finalizing its report on the meeting which 
should be completed soon. 
 75. The representative of Uganda, on behalf of  the LDC Group, expressed appreciation to 
UNCTAD, especially to Mr. Stefano Inama for his dedi cation to assist LDCs in the work related to 
rules of origin. He thanked UNCTAD for holding th e Workshop on 9 April 2014. He recalled that the 
LDC Group had indicated at the last meeting of the WTO Committee on Rules of Origin that it would soon come up with a paper on rules of or igin highlighting the challenges that the LDC 
exporters were facing in accessing markets. He hoped that the joint research by UNCTAD and the 
LDC Group would provide further input into the discussions in WTO.   
76. The representative of Benin thanked UNCTAD for organizing the Workshop, which had 
helped LDCs comprehend the technical issues involved with preferential rules of origin. He also 
expressed gratitude to the Government of Netherlands for providing financial support for this 
Workshop. He endorsed the view that simple rules of origin could help achieve improved market 
access for LDC products. His delegation would remain engaged with the UNCTAD and the WTO, as well as with LDCs' trading partners to make fu rther progress in the area of rules of origin.  
 
77. The Chairman suggested that the Sub-Committee take note of the report made by UNCTAD, 
as well as of the statements made. 
 
78. It was so agreed. 
 
79. The Chairman invited the representative of the World Bank Group to take the floor. 
 
80. The representative of the World Bank Group (WBG) said that the WBG had recently 
established a new Trade Facilitation Support Programme (hereafter Programme), explicitly 
designed to help developing countries, in partic ular the LDCs, reform their trade facilitation 
practices in a manner consistent with the main components of the TFA adopted by WTO Members 
at MC9. The financial commitments to the Prog r a m m e  h a d ,  s o  f a r ,  t o t a l l e d  U S $ 3 0  m i l l i o n .  T h e  
donor partners included: Australia, Canada, the EU, Norway, Switzerland and the United States. 
This new Programme intended to help developing countries reform their trade facilitation laws, 
procedures, processes and systems to make them consistent with the TFA. The Programme would also complement project interventions with the development of knowledge, learning and 
measurement toolkits and initiatives.  
 81. He went on to say that the Programme would draw on the WBG’s extensive experience, 
working with countries across the world on trade facilitation reforms. It had already been working 
with many WTO Members, and had implemented more than 120 customs and border management WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  projects over the past 20 years. He underscore d the importance of collaboration with other 
international agencies in delivering assistance, with the aim of ensuring effective coordination among donors.   
82. He gave examples of some specific activiti es that the WBG had envisaged in support of 
developing countries through this new Programme. Su pport was available to deal with some of the 
immediate priorities that the LDCs would be faci ng in the implementation of the TFA, including 
scheduling of commitments and developing timeline s for implementation of various provisions of 
the TFA, reviewing the needs assessment already undertaken in identifying gaps for further reforms, strengthening national trade facilitation committees, reviewing, revising and drafting trade-related laws and regulations to ensure they  aligned with the TFA. The programme could also 
support more complex tasks relating to harmonization of trade procedures and documents to 
reduce time and cost to trade, integration of  risk-based management systems into border 
inspections and clearance processes, review of inter-agency coordination as well as support for the 
single window systems. He added that the WBG envisaged working across all aspects of the TFA, 
both through this Programme and through other trade facilitation work of the WBG.   
83. In conclusion, he said that the WBG was developing a list of initial partner countries for this 
Programme. He invited the LDCs interested in participating in this Programme to contact the WBG Geneva Office or their respective country offices of  the WBG. He looked forward to partnering with 
LDCs on this important issue. 
 
84. The representative of Uganda, on behalf of the LDC Group, expressed appreciation for the 
Programme that had been put in place by the WBG to extend TA in the context of the 
implementation of the TFA. Since the presentation was made under Other Business, he could not 
consult the Group on this Programme. Nevertheless, he looked forward to having a detailed discussion with the WBG on the terms within which the LDCs could access support under the 
Programme, including ascertaining as to whether the support would be limited to software support 
(i.e. policy-oriented assistance) or would cover other assistance projects as well.  85. The representative of Tanzania thanked the WBG for its new Programme to help developing 
countries implement the TFA. She enquired as to whether the Programme would be limited to 
providing software support or would also cover hardware support (i.e. infrastructure development). She noted that the funds availa ble so far under the new Programme were not 
significant enough to address some of the infr astructure needs of the LDCs which many LDCs 
would need to attend to in view of the implementation of the TFA.  
86. The representative of Benin welcomed the new Programme of the WBG, and hoped that the 
LDCs would receive a special focus in the implementation of this Programme. He also hoped that 
the Programme would be able to meet the TA and ca pacity-building needs identified by the LDCs in 
the area of trade facilitation. He informed Members that his Government had organized a Trade 
Facilitation Needs Assessment Workshop from 2 to 6 June 2014. His authorities would closely 
follow the Programme and other support programmes with a view to meeting the identified needs of his country. 
 
87. The representative of the World Bank Group reit erated that the LDCs would be a priority of 
this new Programme, which was designed as a rapid response facility to address the needs arising 
from the implementation of the TFA. With resp ect to the scope of the new Programme, he said 
that it would be a gateway to prepare the ground for larger projects relating to trade facilitation. A country might access support from this programme which could help design a multi-million dollar customs reform programme, addressing the requir ements arising from the TFA and even could go 
beyond the TFA if that was what a country wanted  to do. He noted that a large amount of funds 
were being provided by the WBG, as well as by other multilateral institutions and bilateral donors in the area of trade facilitation. In conclusion, he expressed his readiness to discuss the 
Programme in more detail with the LDC Group at the earliest opportunity.  
 88. The Chairman suggested that the Sub-Committee take note of the statement made by the 
representative of the WBG, as well as of the statements made by Members. 
 89. It was so agreed. 
 WT/COMTD/LDC/M/72 
 
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  90. The Chairman said that the next meeting of  the Sub-Committee was tentatively scheduled 
for early November 2014. The exact date and time would be issued in due course. 
 91. The meeting was adjourned. 
 
 
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