G/C/59  
 
21 July 2017  
(17-4012) Page: 1/2 
Council for Trade in Goods    
 
WORK PROGRAMME ON EL ECTRONIC COMMERCE  
REPORT BY THE CHAIRP ERSON OF THE COUNCIL  FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNC IL 
As agreed by the Council for Trade  in Goods at its meeting of 30  June 2017, I hereby make, under 
my own responsibility as Chairperson, the following factual report to the General Council . 
 
Pursuant to the 2015 Ministerial Decision1 instructing the General Council, inter alia , to hold 
periodic reviews of the Work Programme on Electronic Comme rce in its sessions of December  2016 
and July  2017, based on the reports submitted by the WTO  bodies entrusted with the 
implementation of the Work Programme, the Council for Trade in Goods placed the issue of the 
Work Programme on Electronic Commerce on the agenda of its meetings held on 15  April, 14  July 
and 17  November  2016, and of its meetings held on 6  April and 30  June 2017. At these meetings, 
the Chair invited delegations to express their opinions and to make suggestions as to how to work 
on the preparation of the periodic reviews to be held in the  General Coun cil at its sessions of 
December  2016 and July  2017.  
 
This report only concerns the CTG meetings that took plac e on 6  April and 30  June 2017.2 
 
At the meeting of 6  April 2017, the interim  Chairperson informed delegations that, in addition to 
the proposal put forward by Chi na and Pakistan at the November  2016 meeting3, three  additional 
submissions had been circulated to delegations as JOB  documents under the General Council , the 
Goods, Services, and TRIPs  Councils , and the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD).4 
Following his invitation to the proponents and to other delegations to express their opinions on 
these communications and on any other relevant matter they believed important in the context of 
electronic commerce and trade in goods, 27  delegations took the floor. In the view of the interim  
Chairperson, this demonstrated that Members' interest in E -Commerce discussions had 
significantly increased at the CTG -level. 
 
Nevertheless, and despite Members' interest in E -Commerce discussions, a n important number of 
delegations indicated their wish to identify the goods -related is sues in E -Commerce as potential 
deliverables at MC11 while a number of other delegations continue d to raise the development 
component and request ed a further clarification  of definitions before they would give consideration 
to E-Commerce.  
 
During the course of  the discussions a significant number of delegations pointed out the be nefits 
and opportunities that E -Commerce could provide to developing countries, least developed 
countries (LDCs), and small and medium -sized enterprises. They also referred to the fact that the 
digital economy had developed significantly over several decades although only limited progress 
had been achieved at the WTO  itself. Some others reiterated th at trade facilitation and 
transparency in E -Commerce regulations could be a good start for negotiations and identified 
e-signatures, e -certification, e -authentications , and paperless trade , as possible areas where 
                                                
1 Document  WT/L/977 . 
2 The factual report to the General Council concerning the discussions on E-Commerce  that took plac e at 
the 15  April and 14  July 2016 meetings is contained in document  G/C/57. The factual report to the General 
Counc il concerning the meeting of 17  November  2016 is contained in document  G/C/58.  
3 JOB/GC/110/ Rev.1 – JOB/CTG/2/ Rev.1 – JOB/SERV/243/ Rev.1 – JOB/DEV/39/R ev.1. 
4 JOB/GC/115  – JOB/CTG/3 – JOB/SERV/247 – JOB/IP/20 – JOB/DEV/41; JOB/GC/116 – JOB/CTG/4 
JOB/SERV/248 – JOB/IP/21 – JOB/DEV/42; AND JOB/GC/117 – JOB/CTG/5 – JOB/SERV/249 – JOB/IP/22 – 
JOB/DEV/43 . G/C/59  
 
- 2 - 
 
  progress could be made and an outcome be achieved. Delegations also spoke of  the importance of 
sharing  their experiences, and of an exchange of information and best practices , so as to allow 
Members to learn from one another. With regard to the moratorium, some Members indicated that 
it should be made permanent while others argued that  it should only be extended.  
 
Other  delegations referred to the digital divide and the stark differences in capacities and 
supporting infrastructure among Members , and sought an increased focus on bridging the digital  
gap. Several of these delegations also noted that the issue of insufficient infrastructure had 
hindered LDCs from taking advantage of E -Commerce opportunities in the first place . 
 
At the CTG  meeting of 30  June 2017 I recalled the four  proposals that had b een submitted by 
various delegations on this issue under the General Council , the Goods, Services , and 
TRIPs  Councils, and the CTD5, and invited delegations to express their opinions and to make 
suggestions as to how to work on the preparation of the perio dic review to be held in the General  
Council at its session of July  2017. The 16  delegations that intervened showed again that there is 
an increased interest in E -Commerce and a range of views were expressed with regard to the 
scope of discussions at the C TG level. The issue of development and sharing experiences and 
practices to develop E -Commerce was again highlighted by various delegations, while others 
emphasized a need to intensify and deepen the discussion in a concrete and focused way in light of 
MC11. 
 
Among the proponents, one  delegation referred to its experience with "pilot zones" located in th e 
customs free -zones to develop and facilitate E -Commerce; another identified various topics raised 
by Members, such as e -signatures, ITA  expansion, and the  extended moratorium; and another 
said that the discussion on trade in goods and E -Commerce shou ld be intensified. One delegation 
encouraged discussion on the existing WTO  rules, E -Commerce provisions in RTAs, and on how 
MSMEs could be integrated into the global economy through E -Commerce.  One delegation 
indicated that E -Commerce had changed the way of doing business and highlighted that the 
WTO could and should play an important role in promoting an E -Commerce -friendly trading 
environment, and announced th at it had recently circulated two  proposals on E -Commerce at the 
General Council, the Goods, Services, and TRIPs Councils, and the CTD.6 
 
Among other delegations that intervened, some observed that all papers included horizontal and 
cross-cutting topics th at required further exploration, including possibilities offered by 
E-Commerce to MSMEs, e -signatures, security, and privacy, and that some of these themes 
related not only to goods but also to services. Other  delegations highlighted again the 
development aspects of E -Commerce, the challenges faced by developing and least developed 
Members, the digital divide, internet access and interconnectivity, the need to frame discussions 
on the type of measures required to develop capacity , as well as on the policies  and efforts 
required to develop the necessary infrastructure and global integration. These delegations also 
referred, once again, to the need to revisit the proposals to include the development aspects and 
special and differential treatment, as well as an  exchange of information, experiences, and 
regulatory measures with a view to developing the E -Commerce discussion further.  
 
__________  
                                                
5 JOB/GC/110/R ev.1 – JOB/CTG/2/R ev.1 – JOB/SERV/243/R ev.1 – JOB/DEV/39/R ev.1; JOB/GC/115  – 
JOB/CTG/3 – JOB/SERV/247 – JOB/IP/20 – JOB/DEV/41; JOB/GC/116/R ev.2 – JOB/CTG/4/R ev.2 – 
JOB/SERV/248/R ev.2 – JOB/IP/21 /Rev.2 – JOB/DEV/42/R ev.2; and JOB/GC/117 – JOB/CTG/5 – JOB/SERV/249 
– JOB/IP/22 – JOB/DEV /43. 
6 JOB/GC/128 – JOB/CTG/7 – JOB/SERV/264 – JOB/IP/24 – JOB/DEV/45 and JOB/GC/129 – JOB/CTG/8 
– JOB/SERV/265 – JOB/IP/25 – JOB/DEV/46 .