JOB/GC/119  
 
1 March 2017  
(17-1246) Page: 1/2 
General Council    
 
 AGENDA ITEM 4: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALI AND NAIROBI  OUTCOMES  - 
STATEMENT BY THE CHA IRMAN  
MONDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 2017 
1.1.   This item remains on the agenda so that we can continue to follow up on the decisions 
adopted in Bali and Nairobi – and to do so in an incl usive and transparent manner.  My report today 
will be short, as several WTO bodies have not yet met since our meeting in December. As always, 
I will then open the floor to delegations you wish to comment on implementation matters.  
1.2.   Starting with the so -called decisions on "regular work",  as Member s are aware, I reported on 
progress in the implementation of the Work Programme on e -commerce  and in particular on 
consultations with Member s at the last GC meeting. My report was subsequently circulated in 
docume nt WT/GC/W/728. The next GC review of progress on the Work Programme will be in July, 
in line with the Nairobi Decision.  
1.3.   On Aid for Trade , the CTD met in Aid for Trade session on 10 February. Updates were 
provided by Member s and Observers on their Aid -for-Trade activities.  Ambassador Gyan Chandra 
Acharya, Under -Secretary -General and High Representative, addressed the meeting and gave an 
overview of the work of UN Office for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries 
and Small Island Develop ing States.  The Secretariat provided an update on the submissions 
received on the AfT monitoring and evaluation exercise and preparations for the Global Review.  A 
workshop on trade cost indices and how these are being integrated into Aid -for-Trade 
programm ing was also held immediately prior to the Committee meeting.   
1.4.   Moving to Agriculture, with respect to Export Competition , there was a significant 
development since my last report in December. As the D irector -General  also noted at the HODs 
meeting last Thu rsday, Australia submitted to the WTO Secretariat a draft modification to Section 
II of Part IV of its Schedule to eliminate its export subsidy entitlements, pursuant to the Nairobi 
Ministerial decision on Export Competition. This draft was circulated to Member s on 22 February, 
as per the 1980 Procedures for Rectification and Modification of Schedules.  
1.5.   Australia is the first Member  to take this step and I hope this will encourage other Member s 
with scheduled export subsidy entitlements to also submit as so on as possible their draft revised 
schedules for the elimination of such entitlements, pursuant to the timelines set out in the Nairobi 
Ministerial Decision.  
1.6.   Let me also note here that the next Dedicated Discussion on Export Competition will take 
place d uring the June meeting of the Committee on Agriculture.  The annual questionnaire on 
export competition was circulated in  October 2016, with a deadline of 31 March 2017 for replies. 
The Chair of the Committee on Agriculture sent a reminder to delegations la st week.  
1.7.   And finally, let me remind you that the monitoring of the implementation of the Nairobi 
Ministerial Decision on cotton takes place during the dedicated discussion on cotton held on a bi -
annual basis in the context of the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session. The last dedicated 
discussion took place in November 2016 and the next one is planned for July 2017.  JOB/GC/119  
 
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  1.8.   Regarding development and LDC issues , the Committee on Rules of Origin has continued 
discussions to follow up on all aspects of the Na irobi Ministerial Decision on preferential rules of 
origin for LDCs . Member s held informal consultations at the end of 2016 and will meet formally on 
2 and 3 March. Some developed country preference granting Member s have informed the 
Committee, by the end of 2016, of the efforts that they are making to implement the Decision. 
The Committee has approved modalities for the calculation of utilization rates and has asked the 
Secretariat to prepare a first report indicating the rates of utilization of preference s by each LDC in 
22 specific sectors. The Committee is also close to agreeing on a new template for the notification 
of preferential rules of origin for LDCs, which, once used by Member s, should make a great 
contribution to promoting a better understanding  of preferential rules of origin applicable to LDCs.  
1.9.   Duty-Free Quota - Free market access for LDCs, for which the annual review was conducted 
in November last year, remains a standing item on the CTD's agenda. And similarly, the Services 
waiver for LDCs is  a standing item on the CTS's agenda – for which the next meeting is scheduled 
in mid -March.  
1.10.   And finally, on the Monitoring Mechanism on S&D,  let me just recall that no written 
submissions have yet been made and that at recent meetings, Member s have shared  their 
thoughts and perspectives on why the Monitoring Mechanism has as yet not been tested, and 
possible ways forward in this regard. The next meeting of the Monitoring Mechanism is scheduled 
to be held in June 2017.  
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