RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
8 February  2018 
(18-0869) Page: 1/14 
Sub-Committee on Least Developed Countries  
Eighty -First Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 3 OCTOBER  2017 
Chairperson: Ambassador Monique  T.G. Van Daalen  (Netherlands)  
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. MARKET ACCESS FOR LE AST DEVELOPED COUNTR IES ................................ .............  1 
- Market Access for Products and Services of Export Interest to Least Developed 
Countries (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/65)  ................................ ................................ ........................  1 
C. TRADE -RELATED TECHNICAL AS SISTANCE AND CAPACIT Y-BUILDING 
INITIATIVES FOR LEAS T DEVELOPED COUNTRIE S ................................ ...........................  6 
- WTO Technical Assistance and Training to the Least Developed Countries: Oral 
Report by the Secretariat  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 6 
D. ACCESSION OF LEAST D EVELOPED COUNTRIES  ................................ .......................  9 
- State of Play in the Accession Working Parties and WTO Post -Accession Support: 
Oral Report by the Secretariat  ................................ ................................ ..............................  9 
- LDC-related WTO Accessions Events in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 20 -22 March 2017 
(WT/COMTD/LDC/25), and Nairobi, Kenya, 28 -30 August 2017 (WT/COMTD/LDC/26)  .................  9 
E. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 14 
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1. The Chairperson  said that the agenda  for the Eighty-First Session of the Sub-Committee  on 
Least Developed Countries  (hereinafter the Sub -Committee) was contained in document 
WTO/AIR /COMTD/LDC/ 8/Rev.1 .  
2. The representative of  the United Nations Industrial Development Organization  (UNIDO) said 
that, under the Agenda item "Other Business",  he intended to provide  the Sub -Committee with  
some information relating to LDC-related meetings organized by UNIDO.  
3. The agenda was adopted . 
B. MARKET ACCESS FOR LE AST DEVELOPED COUNTR IES 
- Market Access for Products and Services of Export Interest to Least Developed 
Countries (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/6 5)  
4. The Chairperson  recalled that according to the Work Programme for the Least Developed 
Countries (LDCs) , the Secretariat ha d been preparing a report  every year to facilitate the annual 
review of market access for LDCs. Th e 2017 LDC market access report  was contained in document 
WT/COMTD/LDC/W/65. She invited the Secretariat's Economic Research and Statistics Division 
(ERSD)  to present the main points of the Secretariat Note . WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 2 - 
 
  5. The representative of the Secretariat  (International Trade Statistics Section , ERSD ) provided 
an overview of the evolution of LDC exports of goods and commercial services during the 
2005-2016 period. LDC exports of goods and services had grown at an annual average  rate of 
6.4%  between  2005 and 2016, slightly more than the exports of other developing economies. 
However, this strong performance of the LDCs had been due to high export growth in the first part 
of the period . In recent years, export growth in the LDCs had been underperforming . Between  
2010 and 2016, the average annual growth rate had been  negative  (-0.02% ) for the LDCs a s 
compared to  2.1% for other developing economies. He explained that unf avourable developments 
in the prices of primary commodities continue d to have an adverse impact on the export growth of 
LDCs.   
6. He said that LDC exports of goods and commercial services had decreased by 3.9%  in 2016 . 
While LDC goods exports had decreased by  3.8%, LDC commercial services exports had decreased 
by 4.3 %. LDCs had furthermore  recorded an overall trade deficit of US$92.9 billion in 2016 , more 
than nine times higher than in 2005 (US$9.8 billion) . He noted  that the share of LDCs in world 
exports of goods and services had decreased from 0.93% in 2015 to 0.91% in 2016. While their 
share in world goods exports had remained at 0.99%, their share in world services exports had 
decreased from 0.70% in 2015 to 0.66% in 2016.  
7. He went on to elaborate on de velopments in merchandise trade. Merchandise exports 
(imports) of LDCs had declined from US$155 billion (US$236 billion) in 2015 to US$ 145 billion 
(US$228 billion) in 2016 . Exports of manufactures  had decrease d from US$55 to US$51 billion. 
The LDCs' share of world merchandise exports had slightly declined to 0.94%  in 2016 , while  their 
share in world exports of  manufactures had remained at 0.5%.  The merchandise trade deficit of 
LDCs had slightly increased from US$81 billion in 2015 to a new record level of US$83 billion in 
2016. Among the LDCs, t he biggest trade deficit in 2016 had been registered by exporters of 
agricultur al products  (US$33 billion), followed by exporters of manufactured goods (US$22 billion). 
Also LDC oil exporters , which  had had a positive trade balance in the years 2005-2014, had 
experienced a US$11 billion deficit in 2016 , almost four times higher than in 2015.  
8. He continued by saying  that the d evelopment  for merchandise trade  was more positive in 
volume terms. In 2016, the volumes of LDC merchandise exports  and imports  had expanded  by 
7.5% and 1.0% , respectively . This positive growth in trade volumes contrasted the decline in trade 
values, which were, inter alia , driven by pric e developments. He said that  the export prices for 
most major commodity groups had continued to fall in 2016, albeit  on a smaller scale than in 
2015. While  energy prices , which included prices for fuels, had dropped by 18% in 2016, p rices for 
agricultural raw materials a s well as  minerals and non -ferrous metals  had decreased only slightly.  
In contrast, prices of food and beverages had registered  a slight  increase, mostly due to 
unfavourable weather conditi ons in several  parts of the world.  
9. He proceeded  by commenting on the t op ten LDC exporters and importers  of merchandise. 
In 2016, Bangladesh , with a n LDC export  share of 24%,  had been the top exporter among the 
LDCs, followed by Angola (17%) and Myanmar (8%). Export concentration remained high  as the  
top ten LDCs had  represented 76% of LDC merchandise exports in 2016.  The top three importers 
in 2016  had been  Bangladesh (18%), Angola (8%) and Myanmar (7%). The top ten importers had 
accounted for around two thirds  of LDC imports in 2016 , which represented  a significant increase 
in import concentration compared to 2005 . He also highlighted the positive trade performance of 
Myanmar, which had been able to considerably  increase its share in LDC trade since 2005.  
10. He went on to say that the drop in fuel prices had led to significant changes in the 
merchandise export structure of the LDCs between 2005 and 2016. Due to a lower value of fuel 
exports, the share of primary products in LDC merchandise exports had decrease d from 73% in 
2005 to 49% in 2016 . In contrast,  the share of manufactured products had increased from 21% in 
2005 to 40% in 2016 , driven largely by an increase in  the share of clothing products from 13% in 
2005 to 29% in 2016. T he share of agricultural products (agricultural raw materials and food) in 
LDC exports had increased from 11% in 2005 to 13% in 2016.  
11. He further  mentioned that f or six out of around 1 ,500 Harmonized System (HS) headings , 
the LDCs had represented more than 70% of world exports in 2016.  In yarn (HS 5307), cobalt 
(HS 2605) and jute (HS 5303), the LDCs had a world market share of more than  90%.  
Furthermore, the LDCs had a market share of around 80%  in cloves (HS 0907) and tin ores 
(HS 2609), and around 70%  for Vanilla (HS 0905) . WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 3 - 
 
  12. He went on to say that t he European Union (EU)  had b een the top destination for LDC 
merchandise exports in 2016 with a share of 31%, followed by  China ( 21%)  and the United States 
(11%). In terms of product categories, the EU  had been the top destination for agricultural 
products and manufactures , while Chin a had been the most important export market for fuels and 
mining products .  
13. He proceeded by elaborating on developments in trade in commercial services . Between  
2005 and 2016, commercial services exports  had been  expand ing at an average rate of 12% per 
year in LDCs , compared to 8% in other developing economies and 5% in developed economies . 
However, in 2016, LDC commercial services exports had declined by 4%. LDC services imports had 
been follow ing a similar pattern but  had experienced a more pronounced drop of 6% in 2016.  
14. He said that Myanmar had been the top LDC exporter of commercial services in 2016 with a 
share of 12 .3%, followed by Cambodia (12 .1%) and Tanzania (11.6 %). On the import side, Angola 
(19%), Bangladesh (13%) and Myanmar (6%) had been the  top three traders. In 2016, the top 
ten leading exporters had accounted for almost 70% of the LDCs'  services receipts. Imports were 
similarly  concentrated , with the top five importers accounting for  about half of LDCs' services 
payments.  
15. He highlight ed the increasing importance of tourism for the LDCs. T he number of 
international tourist s visiting LDCs had increased from 10 million arrivals in 2005 to 28 million  
arrivals in  2015.  In terms of trade, LDC travel exports had increased from US$5 billion in 2005  to 
US$17 billion in 2016, represent ing 54% of LDC services exports.  He noted that LDC travel exports  
had been expand ing more rapidly than LDC exports of manufactured goods, agricultural products 
and fuels and mining products . The rapid growth of travel exports was in line with the growth of 
the hotels and restaurants sector , which had been the fastest growing sector in LDCs'  GDP. He 
mentioned that South -South trade  was of particular importance for tourism in LDCs as 
intra-region al tourist arrivals  accounted for 85% of tourists in LDCs in Asia and 63% of tourists in 
LDCs in Africa . 
16. The representative of the Secretariat  (Market Access Intelligence Section, ERSD) elaborated 
on market access conditions for the LDCs. He noted  that the  LDCs benefitted from better market 
access than other developing countries. In 2015, the international trading community had granted  
to LDCs  duty-free market access o n 65% of  tariff lines  as compared to 50% in the case of 
developing countries. Furthermore, the LDCs had also benefitted from improved market access 
over time with the proportion of duty -free lines worldwide increasing from 49% in 2005 to 65% in 
2015. He noted that  Australia, Switzerland, Norway and New  Zealand offer ed full duty-free access  
to the LDCs. A number of other Members provided duty -free access on more than 98% ( Chile, EU, 
Canada and Japan) and 90% (China, India, Iceland and Korea) of their respective  tariff lines . 
17. He went on to comment on the number of national tariff lines  of preference -granting 
Members  with imports originating in LDCs. He said that the EU and China constituted important 
markets for LDCs' export diversification as they imported products from LDCs under 4,300 and 
3,300 tariff lines, respectively.  The LDCs en joyed meaningful preferential market access in both 
markets as only a small proportion of these tariff lines were most-favoured -nation ( MFN) duty 
free. 
18. He also presented estimates for trade -weighted average tariffs faced by the LDCs when 
exporting to preference -granting Members. A ssum ing full preference utilization  by the LDCs, the 
trade -weighted average tariff was zero for  Australia, Chile, EU, New Zealand, Norway and 
Switzerland and below 1% for Canada (0.1%), China (0.3%), Japan (0.1%) and 
Chinese  Taipei (0.8%).  
19. He concluded by informing the Sub -Committee that the  Secretariat would issue a revision of 
the document  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/65 . The revision concerned  Annex Table 6 and would re vise 
information regarding the duty -free coverage of the LDC preferenc e schemes of the EU and the 
United States.  He clarified  that under the EU's Everything B ut Arms (EBA) scheme, alcoholic WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 4 - 
 
  beverages and sugar were not dutiable, and that the duty -free coverage for LDCs under the 
United  States' GSP scheme was 82.4%.1 
20. The repr esentative of Cambodia , on behalf of the LDC Group , took the opportunity  to 
congratulat e the Chairperson  on her election  as the Chair early in the year , and express ed 
confidence in her leadership. He also e xpressed appreciation for the Note by the Secretariat.  
21. He said that t he LDCs remain ed marginal participants in world trade. The ir share in global 
exports of goods and services ha d declined to 0.91% in 2016.  He expressed concern that the LDCs 
would not be able to meet the target of a 2% share in world exports  by 2020 as foreseen by the 
Istanbul Programme of Action for the LDCs (IPoA) and the Sustainable Development Goals  (SDGs) . 
He noted that t he exports of LDCs continue d to be concentrated in oil and other primary 
commodities, which made the LDCs  vulnerable to price fluctuations in these commodities. He 
highlighted that the LDCs' trade deficit had increased from US$10 billion i n 2005  to US$93 billion  
in 2016.   
22. He continued by expressing  his concern about the continuing negative trend in services  
trade. He noted that in  2016, LDC services exports had dropped  by 4% and the LDC share in world 
services exports had remain ed at only 0.7%. He stressed the need for the  LDCs to strengthen their 
production base in services  as the LDC s' average share of commercial services in GDP was only 
41%, compared to above 50% for middle -income countries.  It was essential that Members 
support ed the LDCs in their efforts to industrialize and to expand their production capacities in 
services , includin g through technical assistance (TA) and preferential market access.  
23. He said that Aid for Trade, targeted at building infrastructure  and productive capacity , 
played a key role in lowering trade costs and enhanc ing the competitiveness of LDC firms. A 
priorit y in this respect was to close the digital divide  so that LDCs could fully benefit from the 
potential of services trade and e -commerce . He said that t he Note showed that in  LDCs, only 18% 
of the population were using the internet, while 81% of the populati on in developed economies 
were doing  so. Furthermore, o nly 0.1% of global computer and information serv ices exports 
originate d in LDCs.  
24. He underlined  that p referential market access could play a critical role in  helping firms from 
LDCs to enter international markets. He welcome d the progress achieved in the implementation of 
the Nairobi Decision on Preferential Rules of Origin.  He called upon Members to continue their 
collaboration in t he Committee on Rules of Origin  and to increase their e fforts to implement the 
provisions of the Nairobi Decision in order to make preferential rules of origin simple and 
transparent.  He emphasized that more efforts in terms of TA and capacity building were needed to 
help services suppliers from LDCs take adva ntage of the commitments made by Members under 
the LDC Services Waiver  and increas e their participation in services trade.  
25. The representative of Benin  congratulated the Chairperson on her role as the Chair of the 
Sub-Committee , and wished her success in ac complishing her mandate. He expressed his concern 
regarding  the drop in LDC exports, the resulting trade  deficit and the increasing marginali zation of 
the LDCs. He emphasiz ed that the LDCs faced many constr aints and called for the Member s' 
collaboration in a number of areas, including to make progress on duty-free and quota -free ( DFQF ) 
market access and preferential rules of origin , as well as to  address  non-tariff measures, which 
hampered the  exports of LDCs . He further emphasiz ed the need  to focus on access to finance and 
to obtain results in the negotiations on domestic support in agriculture . He hoped that Members  
would be able to obtain results at the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference ( MC11 ) in Buenos 
Aires, Argentina , which would con tribute to LDCs'  sustainable development.  
26. The representative of  Afghanistan  said that his Government had  opened a separate  WTO 
mission alongside its UN mission  in order to fully benefit from WTO Membership. He considered it 
important for Afghanistan to work closely with other Members  in order to address its challenges as 
well as to  better integrate into the multilateral trading system  (MTS) . He drew Members' attention 
to the particular trade challenges of landlocked LDCs . He mentioned that Afghanistan  was facing 
challenges regarding transit  through its neighbour ing countries, specifically regarding the  
implementation of GATT Article V  (Freedom of Transit) . He called on Members , especially  transit 
                                                
1 The revised Note ( WT/COMTD/LDC/W/65/Rev.1 ) was issued on 2 4 October 2017.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 5 - 
 
  countries , to treat landlocked LDCs  in a favourable way . He a lso suggested carrying out a study 
focusing on the  trade and  market access challenges of landlocked Members.  
27. The representative of the European Union  expressed her appreciation for the wealth of 
useful data and analysis  contained in the Note . She welcomed the extended coverage given to 
LDCs' services trade , which complement ed Members' efforts to make progress in this area.  
28. While  progress had been achieved by the LDCs in integrat ing into the MTS since 2005,  she 
noted with concern the stagnating LDC share in world trade of below 1%, and the continuing 
decrease of their export  values  in 2016.  On a positive note, she remarked that the negative trend 
in export values w as hiding  an increase in the volume of LDC merchandise exports (7.5%).  She 
deplored that the participation of the LDCs in global trade remained marginal , and that important 
discrepancies persist ed amongst them. She expressed concern about the export concentration  of 
LDCs, particularly of those in Africa,  in price-volatile commodities such as  fuels and mining 
products. She further noted with concern that the majority of the LDCs were running chronic trade 
deficit s, which had been exacerbated by the decline in exports.  
29. She underscore d the importance of providing DFQF  market access to LDC products  and 
welcomed that most developed Members  were providing almost  full DFQF market access. She was  
encouraged by the growing number of emerging economies  that provid ed preferential treatment to 
the LDCs. However , she believed  that more could be done in this respect  and call ed on these 
Members to consider further improving their market access  for the LDCs . 
30. She went on to say that t he EU had been a pioneer in providing DFQF market access to all 
LDC products . She thank ed the Secretariat for  rectifying th e information  in the Note in  this 
respect. She confirm ed that the only tariff s that the EU applied to LDC exports under its EBA 
programme  were on arms and ammunition.  She noted that the EU remained the top destination 
for LDC exports of agricultural (27%) and manufactured products (51%). She further mentioned  
that the revision of the EU's Generaliz ed System of Preferences in  2014 had reduced the number 
of beneficiaries, thereby generating additional preferential space for LDC exports.  She welcome d 
the increasing number of Members' notifications pursuant to  the LDC Services Waiver. However, 
she noted with concern the downward trend in LD C services exports since 2014  and the negligible 
share  of LDCs in global services exports.  
31. She stressed  that, in addition to market access, Aid for Trade remained  essential to help the 
LDCs build productive and institutional capacity , and reduce  infrastructure gaps.  Referring to the 
bridging of the digital divide, she highlighted that the EU and its member States remained the 
world's leading provider of Aid for Trade ; in 2015, out of an overall Aid for Trade of €13 billion , 
€2.4 billion  had gone  to the LDCs.  
32. She concluded by emphasiz ing that the needs of the LDCs should be prioritiz ed before 
turning attention to the needs of other Members . She called for  more ambitious commitments 
towards the LDCs in the context of South -South cooperation. The EU would continue  making the 
case for greater support for the LDCs, including from emerging  economies.  
33. The Chairperson  thank ed the Secretariat for the Note, and Members for their statements. 
She noted  that, a s indicated by the Secretariat, a revision of the Note would be circulated in due 
course to correct a few inaccuracies. She said that t he review of market access conditions for the 
LDCs was a core element of the Work Programme of the Sub -Committee. She trusted that the 
Note, and the discussion in the Sub -Committee , were making an important contribution to improve 
Members' understanding of the  factors that shape d LDC trade.  
34. She noted that  due to the unfavourable developments in the prices of primary commodities, 
the LDCs had been experienc ing negative export growth since 2014 . The share of the LDCs in 
world exports of goods and services had further declined to 0.91% in 2016. She said  that it would 
be challenging for the LDCs to get close to a 2% share in world exports by 2020, as envisaged  by 
the IPoA and the SDGs . The weak export performance of the LDCs was also reflected in their high 
trade d eficit (US$93 billion ). 
35. She was  encouraged by the progress of LDC exporters of manufacturing products. 
Manufacturing products had account ed for about 40% of LDC merchandise exports  in 2016  as WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 6 - 
 
  compared to 21% in 2005. While she noted the  downward trend in LDC services exports, she was  
encouraged by  the positive trend in tourism over the previous  decade. LDCs had experienced a 
high growth of intra -regional tourist arrivals and had doubled their share in world travel exports to 
1.4% in 2016. Noting also  the limited contribution of services to the GDP of the LDCs, she saw the 
need for continu ous efforts at national and international levels to strengthen export diversification 
in the LDCs.  
36. She noted that Members had taken steps to implement the provisions of the Nairobi Decision 
on Rules of Origin for LDCs  and work was ongoing on the LDC Services Waiver. She hoped that the 
efforts by Members to further improve preferential market access would help the LDCs diversify 
their exports and increase their participation i n international trade.  She suggest ed that the 
Sub-Committee take note of the Secretariat Note contained in WT/COMTD/LDC/W/65, as well as 
the statements made.  
37. It was so agreed . 
C. TRADE -RELATED TECHNICAL AS SISTANCE AND CAPACIT Y-BUILDING INITIATIVES  
FOR LEAST D EVELOPED COUNTRIES  
- WTO Technical Assistance and Training to the Least Developed Countries: Oral Report 
by the Secretariat  
38. The Chairperson  recalled that  the Work Programme for the LDCs mandate d the 
Sub-Committee to monitor capacity -building initiatives ta ken in favour of LDCs. She said that 
Members had been  receiv ing yearly  update s from the Secretariat on WTO's TA and training 
provided to the LDCs. She invited the Secretariat to report on  the activities undertaken in favour of 
LDCs during  2016. 
39. The representative of the  Secretariat  (Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, 
ITTC) said that the LDCs were given priority in WTO's Biennial  TA and Training Plan. A lot of 
support was provided to Sub -Saharan Africa, where the majority  of the LDCs were located . 
Referring to  the annual performance report on TA and training for 2016 (WT/COMTD/W/225), he 
pointed out  that LDCs were invited to 72% of activities  and represented one third of  overall TA 
beneficiaries .  
40. He recalled that since 2013 , the Secretariat had been implementing the Progressive 
Learning Strategy (PLS), offering courses at three levels ( introduct ory, intermediate and 
advanced) . Following demands from the LDCs, the Secretariat had been offering more 
intermediate level courses  that were specifically geared towards the ir needs . In 2 016, the 
Secretariat had organiz ed four Geneva -based activities for LDCs , namely,  an introduction course 
and three intermediate thematic courses  on trade in services statistics, development issues and  
intellectual property rights. Participants in these thematic courses had provided positive feedback , 
expressing appreciat ion for  the focus on issues of direct importance to the LDCs . Regarding 
national and regional activities , he said that requests from L DCs had been receiving  priorit y. In 
this respect, he  mentioned  that the Secretariat continued to receive  fewer  requests  than it w ould 
be able to accommodate.  
41. He went on to update Members on the Reference Centre (RC) Programme, which allow ed 
developing countries and LDCs to access  from their capital s WTO databases, publications and 
training materials . Here again , priority  was given to  the LDCs , which were provided IT equipment  
and benefitted from  training on how to operate RCs. More than a th ird of about 120 RCs were  
located in LDCs. In 2016, RCs had been established or upgraded in  six LDCs (Bangladesh, Benin, 
Bhutan, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia) .  
42. He briefed Members on the participation of LDCs in three internship programmes, namely,  
the Netherlands Trainee Programme (NTP), the French and Irish Mission Internship Programme 
(FIMIP), and the Regional Coordinator Internship (RCI) P rogramme. In 2016, LDC participants had 
accounted for more than half of participants ( 9 out of 16) in the NTP; fo r about two thirds of 
participants (11 out of 18) in the FIMIP and for about half of participants in the RCI. He reminded 
Members  that the selection of candidates was based on the nominations by Members a s well as  on 
candidates'  qualifications.  Looking ahe ad, h e noted  that the Secretariat  had received about WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 7 - 
 
  150 applications from over 50 Members  for internships in 2018 , and that it would conclude the 
selection process before the end of the year.  
43. He continued by  encouraging  Members to participate in  e-learning , which often constituted 
an eligibility criterion  for face-to-face training. He highlighted that e -learning helped increase the 
reach of WTO TA and was an effective tool for knowledge transfer. In 2016, 3,323  LDC participants 
had registered in e-learning course s represent ing one third of all participants. He was  pleased  to 
note that LDCs in Africa were the biggest users of e -learning . He concluded by informing the 
Sub-Committee that consultations had been taking place as part of the  preparation s for WTO's TA 
Plan for 2018 -19. He reiterated that LDCs would continue to be accorded priority in the 2018 -19 
Plan. 
44. The representative of Cambodia , on behalf of the LDC Group , thank ed the Secretariat for the 
report. He welcomed  the fact that LDCs continue d to be a priority in the delivery of WTO TA 
activities . He said that WTO TA buil t institutional and human capacities , which help ed the LDCs 
better participate in the MTS. LDCs had  benefitt ed from Geneva -based introduction and 
intermediate courses for LDCs.  He highlighted  the usefulness of the internship programmes in 
building WTO -related capacity of young government officials  and a ddressing  human -capacity 
constraints of LDC Missions.  He called on the Secre tariat to continue the prioritiz ation of LDCs in  
its TA activities. He thank ed donors  for their contributions  and urge d them to  continue  providing 
such support . 
45. The representative of Afghanistan  expressed appreciation for the Secretariat's  
capacity -building work, which had benefitted his colleagues from capital. He encouraged the 
Secretariat to organiz e more regional activities , which would facilitate the participation of 
candidates from LDCs as it would be easier for them to obtain visas. He also mentioned that , in 
some cases , candidates from LDCs had not been able to meet the qualification criteria.  Noting  the 
human resource constraints in LDCs, h e emphasized  the importance of showing flexibility 
regarding the qualifications of candidates from LDCs when selecting participants for courses.  
46. The representative of Bangladesh  congratulated  the Chairperson on her role as the Chair of 
the Sub -Committee . He associated his delegation with the statement made by Cambodia on behalf 
of the LDC Group. He thank ed the Secretariat for establishing a RC in Dhaka, which had  become a 
useful  source of information for researcher s, academia as well as trade practitioners. He 
highlighted  the effectiveness of the internship programmes, both the NTP  and FIMIP , in building  
LDC capacit ies to better integrate into the MTS . Since not every LDC Member  was benefitting from 
an intern in a given  year, he request ed the Sub -Committee to take initiative so that each LDC 
delegation could get the support of at least one intern  per year . 
47. The representative of Bhutan  said that his Government  had been benefitt ing from various TA 
and capacity -building activities . He thanked the Secretariat and donors for the support  provided , 
and urged them to continue doing so.   
48. The representative of Yemen  thank ed the Secretariat for its  effort s to prioritiz e the TA and 
capacity -building needs of the LDCs. He regretted that Yemen, due to the current circumstances, 
had not been able to benefit from national activities as had been the case in the recent past. He 
expressed his appreciation to the Secretariat  for taking full consideration of Yemen's participation 
in regional and Geneva -based activities. He hoped that a national event could be planned in the 
near future.  
49. The representative of the European Union  thanked  the Secretariat for the report. She 
underlined the importance of trade -related TA in supporting developing Members and LDCs to 
participate effectively in the MTS. She said that t he EU had been, and would continue to be, a 
staunch supporter  of trade -related TA . In an environment of limited resources, she welcome d the 
efforts made by both the Secretariat and beneficiaries to enhance the efficiency and impact of 
WTO TA. She also welcome d the continu ing prioritiz ation of LDCs  in the TA  Plan for 2018-19. 
50. The representative of Mozambique  congratulate d the Chair person  on her role as the Chair  of 
the Sub -Committee . She thanked the Secretariat for the TA provided to LDCs and to countries in 
Sub-Saharan Africa.  In 2016, Mozambique had benefitted from the establishment of a  WTO RC, 
which was valuable for the Ministry of Industry and Trade, other trade -related  and academic WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 8 - 
 
  institutions, as well as the  private sector. She said that her Government  had been devoting efforts 
to benefit from t he opportunities prov ided by WTO TA, resulting in a  higher number of participants 
in courses  and internship programmes . She, however, pointed out that her Government faced 
difficulties in making use of three national activities per year because Portuguese was no t an 
official WTO language . A second barrier was  the expenses related to interpretation  and 
refreshments  which were to be covered by the Government . Other LDCs might face similar 
difficulties and this could be one of the reasons for lack of demand for national activities by LDCs. 
She concluded by encourag ing the Secretariat to  continue with its TA activities  as they  proved  
beneficial for the LDCs . 
51. The representative of Sudan  congratulated the Chairperson on her role as the Chair of the 
Sub-Committee . He said that Sudan  had been benefitting from various types of activities , including 
regional courses . He expressed appreciation to the Secretariat for preparing Government officials  
for WTO accession . He hoped that further courses at the  national level could be organiz ed in this 
respect . 
52. The representative of Benin  associated his delegation with the statement made by Cambodia 
on behalf of the LDC Group . He t hanked the Secretariat for the various TA and training activities 
organiz ed to the benefit of  Benin. In 2016, Benin had  two mission  interns , which  had been  truly 
beneficial for its small mission . The capital stood to benefit following their return.  He thanked the 
Secretariat for the support provided to the  RC in Benin and for organiz ing national activities. He 
concluded by thanking development partners  for providing the resources that allowed  carrying out  
LDC-related activities , including  in Benin.  
53. The representative of Zambia  associated his delegation with the statement made by 
Cambodia on behalf of the LDC Group. He thanked the WTO and development  partners for the  
technical and capacity -building support provided to the LDCs. Zambia n officials  had benef itted 
from a number of programmes , including face-to-face trainings in Geneva, e -learning courses, 
national workshops as well as internship programmes. He highlighted that the  internship 
programmes were highly beneficial for small delegations faced with human resource  constraints. 
Echoing  the comment made by Bangladesh, he  encourag ed the WTO and development  partners to 
consider extending internship programme s to all LDCs . 
54. The Secretariat  thanked the delegations for their appreciation of the Secretariat 's work.  
Regarding the two issues raised by the representative of Afghanistan, he mentioned that the 
Secretariat had little control over visa issues. The Secretariat normally provided for a  three -month  
preparatory period  to allow undertaking necessary admini strative procedures. He expressed regret 
that visa problems had prevented some candidates from attend ing the activities . The Secretariat 
tried to address those issues to the extent it had  an influence over them. He said that it was 
important to maintain a balance between Geneva -based,  regional and national activities . In 
regional activities, it was possible to address , together with regional cooperation partners,  the 
issues that were specific to the regions.   
55. Regarding the issue of providing more flexibility with respect to  qualifications  of LDC 
candidates , he suggest ed having a closer cooperation between the Secretariat and those Members 
whose candidates had faced difficulties in meeting the selection criteria . It would be hard for the 
Secretariat to apply flexibility  to certain groups in the selection process . He stressed that it was 
important that participants, particularly in intermediate and advanced courses, were at  the same 
level in order to allow for a d iscussion that benefi tted everybody.  
56. He said that a flexibility that the Secretariat had been providing  was to invite interns on a 
priority basis from Members where national activities could not be organiz ed. He called on the 
LDCs to identify  the officials  that need ed to be trained . He stood ready to discuss with delegations 
after the meeting what could be done in terms of e -learning or other training programmes so that 
candidates could meet the selection criteria.  
57. Regarding the possibility of offering internship s to all LDCs  raised by the representatives of 
Bangladesh and Zambia , he stressed that not all LDCs had been  nominating candidate s for 
internships , including in the ongoing selection process for 2018.  He urged LDC delegations to 
transmit invitation letters to capitals and to nominate candidates who fulfil led the selection criteria. 
He also said that f or Members where national activities could not be held , such as Yemen and WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 9 - 
 
  Afghanistan , the Secretariat had organized activities in countries nearby  such as Jordan or Egypt . 
He said the Secretariat was willing to continue explor ing such pragmatic solutions.  
58. He went on to say  that the Secretariat tried to be pragmatic regarding the language issue  
raised by the representative of Mozambique. The Secretariat had been sending 
Portuguese -speaking colleagues to national activities when ever these colleagues  had the 
appropriate competency for the activity. In the past, a few  sub-regional activities for 
Portuguese -speaking countries in Africa had been organiz ed. Depending on the availability  of 
funds, this was an option that could be further explored. He also said that national activities 
require d only minor cost sharing from governments , and that donors in capitals could provide 
complementary financial support  in this respect .  
59. Replying to the representative of Sudan, he said that ITTC, in cooperation with the 
Accessions Division , was ready to provide the Government  with further support for its WTO 
accessions, as well as with programmes  addressing post-accessio n challenges.  
60. The Chairperson  thank ed the Secretariat for its report , and expressed appreciation to 
Members for the ir active participation. She was  pleased to note that the LDCs remain ed a priority 
beneficiary of WTO trade -related TA. She  was encouraged b y the good number of activities that 
specifically addressed the needs of the LDCs . In 2016, LDCs had been invited to 72% of all TA 
activities organiz ed. She hoped that the LDCs would continue  taking advantage of the various 
activities offered to them by th e WTO.  She suggest ed that the Sub -Committee take note of the 
report made by the Secretariat , as well as the statements made.  
61. It was so agreed . 
D. ACCESSION OF LEAST D EVELOPED COUNTRIES  
- State of Play in the Accession Working Parties and WTO Post -Accession Support: Oral 
Report by the Secretariat  
- LDC-related WTO Accessions Events in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 20 -22 March 2017 
(WT/COMTD/LDC/25), and Nairobi, Kenya, 28 -30 August 2017 (WT/COMTD/LDC/26)  
62. The Chairperson  said that a ccession was a core element of the Wo rk Programme for the 
LDCs and of high importance to the work of the Sub -Committee. It was in the Sub -Committee, 
where Members had developed a set of guidelines to facilitate LDC accessions.  She invited the 
Secretariat to brief the Sub -Committee on the stat e of play in the LDC s' accession working parties  
(WPs) , post -accession support as well as on two LDC -related accession events in Cambodia and 
Nairobi.  
63. The representative of the Secretariat  (Accessions Division)  congratulated the Chair person  on 
her appointm ent as the Chair  of the Sub -Committee . She commended the work of the 
Sub-Committee in promoting and facilitating LDC accession s, which was a strategic priority for the 
WTO.  
64. She said that 36 Members had acceded the WTO under Article XII of the WTO Agreemen t 
(Article XII Members), thereby increasing WTO Membership from 128 in 1995 to 164 in 2017. WTO 
Members covered 98% of world trade , of which  17.8%  were accounted for by Article XII Members. 
While no LDC had been able to join the WTO between 1995 and 2003, nine LDCs had acceded to 
the WTO  since 2004. In this respect , she pointed to  the positive role played by the 
Sub-Committee, and particularly the LDC accession guidelines it had developed in 2002 and 2012, 
in facilitating and accelerating LDC accessions.  
65. She went on to elaborate on the length of the accession process. T he average length of 
9 LDC accessions had been 12 and a half years, as compared to more than 10 years for all 
36 WTO accession s. In contrast, the average l ength of the accession process following the first WP 
meeting  was only  five years and four months for LDC accessions , and six years and seven  month s 
for all completed accessions . She explained that the first step  in the accessi on process, the 
preparation  of the  Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime  (MFTR), had been taking acceding 
governments a long time. The MFTR was  the base document for acceding government s to start WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 10 - 
 
  discussions with WTO Members . She highlighted that the  LDCs, and some other acceding 
governments , had faced big difficulties in preparing the MFTR.  
66. She continued by describing  the r esults achieved in nine completed LDC accession s. 
Article  XII LDC Members had made significantly higher market access commitments  than original 
LDC Members. They had bound close to 100% of their tariffs, while original LDC Members had a 
binding coverage of 54%. Also, Article  XII LDC Members had an average bound tariff rate of 22% 
as compared to 65% for original LDC Members . In servi ces, Article XII LDC Members had made 
commitments in 87 subsectors, while original LDC Members had made commitments in only 
20 subsectors. She commended Article  XII LDC Members for their high level of commitments . She 
said that i n addition to market access  commitments,  specific commitments on WTO rules 
constituted a second pillar of accession negotiations. She noted that for a number of WTO 
Agreements , such as on Trade -Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights ( TRIPS ), Technical 
Barriers to Trade ( TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary ( SPS) measures , Article XII LDCs had been 
granted transition  periods to implement certain  obligations.  
67. She highlighted that the commitment to join the WTO helped acceding governments to 
pursue  domestic reforms. She emphasiz ed the positive performance of governments which had 
acceded to the WTO. Most LDCs that had gone through the accession process  had displayed faster 
trade and GDP growth, more resilience in crises, increased competiveness and greater 
attractiveness to foreign direct investment ( FDI). However, she also indicated that for a few Art icle 
XII LDC  Members , domestic issues  had affected their economic performance.  She noted that 
among the nine LDCs that had completed the accession process, Cape Verde and Samoa had 
graduated from LDC status in 2008 and 2014, respectively, while Vanuatu was  recommended for 
graduation in 2020.  
68. She also said that many acceding governments would like to use the accession process to 
promote structural reforms with the objective of export  diversification. She noted that for at least 
half of 30 Article XII Members , the export basket ha d widened  after their accession.  In this regard, 
more detail s were available in the 2016 Annual Report on WTO Accessions by the Director -General 
(WT/ACC/28 ). 
69. She noted  that the 21 ongoing accessions were concentrated in three  regions, namely  the 
Greater Horn of Africa, Middle East and  Central Asia. While s ome WTO accessions had started long 
time ago , applications from LDCs had been more recent. In December  2016, Members had 
accepted the applications by Somalia and Timor -Leste.  
70. She went on to elaborate on the state of play of the seven ongoing LDC accessions. She 
noted that in 2017 , the activity level of LDC accessions ha d increased, as there had been activity 
in five accession processes as compared to two in 2016.  Comoros  was at an advanced stage of its 
accession process . The accession WP of Comoros had been established in 2007. In 2013, Comoros 
had submitted its MFTR. In December 2016, the first WP meeting had been held. She commended  
the political commitment of the Government to conclude the accession , and the intensive work 
undertaken by its accession team  under the leadership of  the Vice -President. She said that the 
high-level political commitmen t had been  a main reason for the good progress that had been 
achieved . Next steps included a third WP meeting  on 12 October 2017 , and the conclusion of 
bilateral market access negotiations.   
71. Regarding the accession of Sudan, she said that it was the oldest  LDC accession process as 
the WP had been  established in 1994 . Following a long period of no activity,  the Government had 
announced the reactivation of the accession process at the General Council meeting in July 2016. 
Since then, two WP meetings had been held and good progress had been  made. Next steps 
included the submission of responses by Sudan to questions from Members and the holding of a 
fifth WP meeting.  
72. Regarding the accession of Ethiopia , she was pleased  to report that following a five -year 
period  of no activity, recent developments indicate d that the Government  would like to reactivate 
the accession process. Discussion s between the Trade Minister and the Secretariat had taken place 
in Addis  Ababa , Ethiopia,  in April 2017  and at the Regional Dialogue in Nairobi, Kenya, in 
August  2017. In September 2017, the Ambassador of Denmark had been appointed as the Chair  of 
Ethiopia's accession WP. She hoped that a WP meeting could be held in early 2018.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 11 - 
 
  73. Regarding the accession of Somalia,  she said that the accession WP had been established in 
December 2016 . The new Government, which had been formed in February 2017, had announced 
that WTO accession was a priority. Somalia had also participated in the Nairobi Regional Dialogue  
in August  2017, and their  chief negotiator had visited  the WTO in September  2017 for  bilateral 
meetings and to participate in the Public Forum. Next steps included the submission of  the MFTR 
and to hold the first WP meeting in 2018 . 
74. Regarding the accession of Timor -Leste, she said that  the accession WP had been 
established in December 201 6. In June 2017, the Government  had submitted its MFTR. In 
September 2017,  the Ambassador of  Portugal had been appointed  as the Chair  of Timor -Leste's 
accession WP. Next steps included a Secretariat mission to Timor -Leste to assist the Government 
in the prepar ation of  initial offers and other documents, as well as to hold a first WP meeting in 
early 2018.   
75. Regarding the accessions of Bhutan and Sao Tomé and Principe, she noted that the 
respective WPs had been inactive for several years. She also mentioned  that South Sudan  had 
expressed its interest to join the WTO . At the Nairobi Regional Dialogue in August  2017, the 
participating Minister  from South  Sudan had  indicated that its Government was in the process of 
preparing the application for WTO accession.  
76. She went on to  highlight the  challenges in the context of LDC accessions  which included  
capacity and hum an resource constraints, as well as the fact that some LDCs were in post-conflict  
situations or had obtained statehood in the recent past. She remarked  that for relativ ely new 
countries such as Timor -Leste and South  Sudan,  the accession process would be  part of their 
nation -building exercise.  
77. She highlighted that acceding LDCs benefitted from a range of TA activities . Accession was a 
priority in WTO's TA Plan  and in the China's  LDCs and  Accession s Programme  (China Programme) . 
The Secretariat assisted ac ceding LDCs in preparing access ion documentation , and 
accession -specific support was furthermore provided by other development partners and 
international institutions. She also mentioned  that under the framework of post -accession 
implementation support, th e Secretariat was supporting acceded LDC Members to implement their 
commitments according to their transition period s. 
78. Referring to the China Programme, she said that the Fifth China  Round Table had been hel d 
in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from 20 to 23 March 201 7. The theme of the Round Table had been 
"Best Practices on the Accession of LDCs". The  participants  had included seven acceding  LDCs, 
seven  Article XII LDC  Members  and six other Members. The outcome document, entitled 
"Siem Reap Statement ", was contained in document WT/COMTD/LDC/25 . 
79. She went on to elaborate on the Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the Greater Horn 
of Africa, whic h was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from  28 to 30 August 2017. The target countries of the 
activit y had been  four acceding LDCs , namely,  Comoros, Sudan, Somalia  and Ethiopia,  as well as  
South Sudan. The Dialogue  had focused on the synergies between regional integration efforts and 
WTO accession.  The outcome document, entitled " Fostering synergies and coherence between 
regional integration and the multilateral trading system  through WTO accessions " was contained in 
document WT/COMTD/LDC/26. She further mentioned that the Dialogue had been  followed by  a 
training  activity on WTO accession s for government officials of Somalia and South S udan.  
80. Regarding u pcoming  accession  activities , she said that the Sixth China Round Table would 
be organiz ed in Buenos Aires , Argentina,  on 9 December , prior to MC11 . The theme of the event 
would be "Strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system  and building a network to 
promote accessions" . She remarked that given the appreciation by acceding LDCs for experience  
exchanges, the event would aim at further strengthen ing networking and mentoring relationship s 
among acceding governments.  
81. The represen tative of Cambodia , on behalf of the LDC Group, thank ed the Secretariat for the 
comprehensive report  on the state of play in ongoing LDC accessions. He welcome d the recent 
progress in the accessions of Comoros, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Timor -Leste  and pledged  the 
Group's  support for the conclusion of the accession of Comoros at MC11 . He called on Members to WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 12 - 
 
  follow the LDC accession guidelines  in accession negotiations and continue their efforts to 
accelerate ongoing LDC accessions.  
82. He said that the  China Round Table in Siem Reap had provided useful lessons and best 
practices regarding negotiation techniques , LDC accession outcomes and  the post-accession phase . 
He also said that the Nairobi Dialogue had constituted a  good opportunity for acceding LDC 
governments such as Comoros, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan to review the state of play in their 
accession processes , as well as to discuss  the needs for TA and capacity building . 
83. He thank ed the Secretariat for the valuable assistance and expertise provided to acceding 
LDCs. He also thank ed develo pment partners , including China  as well as friends of accessions, for 
their support and TA . He further expresse d appreciation  for the  support provided by the Asian 
Development Bank, United Kingdom' s Department for In ternational Development , Enhanced 
Integrated Framework , Islamic Development Bank , Intergovernmental Authority on Development , 
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development , World Bank Group  and the WTO . He 
encourage d development partners to continue providing support to acceding LDCs. He concluded 
by calling for an early conclusion of  ongoing  LDC accessions  in order to increase the  inclusiveness 
of the MTS. 
84. The representative of Bangladesh  thanked the Secretariat for the report . He raised a 
question relating to the market access commitments by acceded LDCs. He recalled  that the 2012 
LDC accession guidelines  contained market access benchmarks. H e wondered to what extent these 
benchmarks w ere met in the negotiations between Members and the acceding LDCs.  
85. The representative of Benin  thanked the Secretariat fo r the report , including  for a detailed  
historical background. He associated his delegation with the statement made by Cambodia on 
behalf of the LDC Group . He emphasize d that accession  to the WTO remained  a lengthy and 
complex  process  for LDCs , particular ly due to  their constraints  in terms of human and financial 
resources . For this reason, it was important  to implement the LDC accession guidelines  to facilitate  
and accelerate  the accession  process  for LDCs. He concluded by highlighting the importance of TA 
for an effective LDC a ccession process , as well as the usefulness of Dialogues , as facilitated by 
China,  which provided for  experience sharing among acceding and recently acceded LDCs . 
86. The representative of China  thanked the Secretariat for the comprehensive report. She was  
encourag ed by the progress made in LDC accessions . As a strong supporter of LDC accessions , her 
delegation looked forward to continue  worki ng constructively with the Secretariat and acceding 
governments. She congratulate d Cambodia and Keny a for successfully hosting the Round T able 
and the Regional Dialogue, respectively, where China had the opportunity to share experiences 
and information with other participants. She said that her delegation  had been working closely 
with the Secretariat to prepare the upcoming Sixth China Round T able in Buenos Aires . The Round 
Table would  support ongoing accessions, including through establi shing a network of accession 
negotiators. She encourage d Members to participate in the Round Table , as well as  in the network 
foreseen to facilitate LDC accessions.  
87. The representative of  Afghanistan  congratulated the Secretariat , especially the Accessions 
Division , for their achievements , and expressed appreciation for the support that his Government 
had received so far. He called on Members to work towards the expeditious completion of the 
remaining LDC  accessions . He was looking forward to specific suppor t and TA for Afghanistan in its 
post-accession era.  
88. The representative of Yemen  expressed appreciation for the Secretariat's support . He 
commended the Secretariat for the  initiative to establish a  network of former negotiators . Having 
particip ated in the Regional  Dialogue  in Nairobi, he highlighted the usefulness of the experience 
sharing among acceding LDCs and recently -acceded Members. He wished that Comoros could 
meet the ambitious goal of concluding its accession by MC11, and expressed his solidarity  to all 
acceding LDCs for their accession processes.  
89. The representative of Sudan  expressed appreciation for the Secretariat's  support for LDCs, 
including to his Government . He associated his delegation with the statement made by Cambodia 
on behalf of the LDC Group. He said that while Sudan's  accession process had started in 1994 , it 
had been dormant for more than 12 years for reasons not related to the WTO. He reiterated the WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 13 - 
 
  commitment of his Government to improve relation s with Members at all levels. He noted that his 
delegation and his colleagues in capital were working hard and collaborating with Members in the 
accession WP, especially to overcome remaining technical issues . He hoped that with the support 
of the Accessions Di vision , remaining obstacles would be taken off Sudan's road to WTO accession.  
90. The representative of Somalia  congratulated the Chairperson on her role as the Chair of the 
Sub-Committee . She  expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Accessions Division  to help the 
LDCs. She associated her delegation with the statement made by Cambodia on behalf of the LDC 
Group . She said that an accession was a complex and time -consuming exercise . Effective 
participation in the accession process required human and insti tutional capacity. She noted that 
her Government 's application to start the accession process had been accepted in 2016 . As a 
post-conflict country with untapped potential , Somalia was eager to take the next steps in the 
accession process and continue  its development.  
91. She continued by elaborating on Somalia's  situation  before civil war . Since  its inception as 
Africa's first democracy in 1960 , Somalia had held a progressive stance as a newly independent 
country. The pre -civil war years had seen  a proliferat ion of infrastructure developments  and new 
legislation . Strong legislation and regulations, as well as investment and trade , had been key 
drivers of economic growth. She highlighted that Somalia was looking forward to a similar golden 
period.  
92. She said tha t, following  the civil war and different stages of reconciliation and interim 
governments , Somalia had regained its position in the international community. She highlighted 
the change in the political landscape and the peaceful transition to a new government in early 
2017. The new gov ernment was  committed to promote growth and sustainable development by 
adopting policies which support ed productivity , employment creation and development , as well as 
the eradication of poverty, hunger and illitera cy.  
93. She went on to mention that Somalia had a new, internationally competitive  investment law , 
provid ing investors with flexible incentives. She noted that the government  had established a good 
cooperation with the international financial institutions , including the World Bank , International 
Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank. The Memorandum of Economic and Financial 
Policies had been updated , and a comprehensive roadmap for currency reform had been  
established. A national development plan was being  established.  
94. In terms of security, the national army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM ) 
had defeated A l-Shabaab  as a military force and nearly all areas under its control ha d been 
liberated. They were grateful to AMISOM and all other nations that were helping Somalia to 
achieve security . She highlighted that the returning Diaspora  were spearheading the economic 
recovery by bringing their talent and wealth back to the country. She underlined  that Somalia was 
joining the WTO not only for economic development, but also for the security and stability of the 
region.  
95. The representative of Ethiopia  congratulat ed the Chairperson  on her role as the Chair of the 
Sub-Committee . He associate d his delegation  with the statement made by Cambodia on be half of 
LDC Group , as well as with  the remarks made by the representative of Bangladesh on market 
access benchmarks in accession negotiations . 
96. Referring to the high market access commitments made by the nine Article XII LDC 
Members, he stressed that onerou s demands from Members, combined with LDCs' own 
development  constraints , were making  accession challenging. He thanked Members for the 
solidarity and flexibility shown  in facilitating  LDC accession s. Nevertheless, challenges remained in 
fully implementing the sp irit of the LDC accession guidelines . He said that the guidelines  were 
there to ease the accession process for LDCs, by urging Member s to exercise restraint and take 
into account the development level of LDCs when seeking market access concessions and 
commitments . 
97. He went on to state that his Government had the  firm belief that being a Member of the 
WTO ensured benefits from the MTS, and would support its development al efforts . He said that 
progress on the supply side, was necessary in order to make  trade work for effective development . 
He was  aware that besides market access, a functioning institutional framework and supply side, WT/COMTD/LDC/M/81  
 
- 14 - 
 
  such adequate infrastructure , were required to  facilitate the movement of goods and services. 
Therefore,  his Government was engaging in reforms alongside  its accession process , and was  
working  towards  achieving  the SDG s and the "Agenda 2063, The Africa We Want". He concluded 
by highlighting the importance of the development dimension of the MTS. 
98. The representative of the Secretariat  thanked the delegations for the warm words extended 
to her , and to her team. She said that helping LDC accession s meant supporting national agenda s 
that could go beyond WTO accession . Regarding the question raised by the representatives of 
Bangladesh and Ethiopia, she said that the  accession guidelines had played a positive role  for LDC 
accessions . Since the ad option of the guidelines, nine LDCs had accede d to the WTO , which  
illustrat ed the guidelines'  effectiveness. She further mentioned that t he Secretariat had not 
undertaken any particular analysis regarding the benchmark s contained  in the 2012 accession 
guidelines  and respective outcomes . It was difficult to assess the e xact role played by the 
benchmarks  in market access negotiations as the latter were confidential . However, Members had 
indicated that the benchmarks had  been playing a role in accession negotiations.  
99. The Chairperson  thank ed the Secretariat for the report , and Members for their statements.  
She said that a ccession of LDCs to  the WTO was central to the development dimension and the 
inclusiveness of the MTS. It was encouraging to note that 36 out of 47 LDCs were WTO Members 
and that this number was likely to increase in the near future. The positive performance of 
Article  XII LDC Members highlighted that WTO accession was a stepping stone on the development 
path of LDCs.  She suggest ed that the Sub -Committee take note of the report made by the 
Secretariat , as well as the statements made.  
100.  It was so agreed . 
E. OTHER BUSINESS  
101.  The repre sentative of the UNIDO  joined others in congratulating the Chairperson for her role 
as the Chair of the Sub -Committee.  Referring to the  High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable 
Development, held in July 2017, he noted that the UN Secretary -General' s report on progress 
towards the SDGs underscored the need for renewed investment to build needed  infrastructure in 
the LDCs  and ensure the doubling of industry' s share of GDP in LDCs by 2030. The report 
furthermore stressed the need for a stronger commitm ent to partnership and cooperation to 
achieve the SDGs . 
102.  He went on to say that i n recognition of the importance of partnerships , and the need for 
increased investment, the 7th UNIDO LDC Ministerial Conference would be dedicated to the theme 
titled "Buildin g global partnerships: Enhancing growth and inclusiveness in LDCs". He noted  that 
the Conference would take place in Vienna  from 23  to 24 November 2017. It would aim to identify 
innovative finan cing solutions for LDC s' industrial development.  
103.  Recalling that 33 out of 4 7 LDCs are in Africa , he informed  the Sub -Committee o f a 
high-level meeting that had taken place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly  (GA) which  
was entitled  "The Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa: From political commitm ent to 
actions on the ground". African leaders, heads of UN agencies , representatives of international 
finance institutions and the private sector had reaffirm ed their commitment to a broad -based 
international partnership to support Africa' s industrializat ion in a socially inclusive and 
environmentally sustainable manner.  He concluded by noting that UNIDO, in cooperation with the 
African Group , would  organiz e a briefing session on the event at the WTO on  6 October 2017 . 
104.  The Chairperson  thanked the represent ative of the UNIDO for his statement. She wished the 
LDCs as well as other Members all the best in their  preparations for MC11 . She hoped that the 
Conference would take some positive steps to further help the LDCs integrate into the MTS. She 
would  follow the developments closely  and continue to remain in touch  with Members  in Geneva to 
hear about their priorities for the Sub-Committee. She noted that the  next meeting of the 
Sub-Committee was tentatively scheduled for the first quarter of 2018. The exact date and agenda 
would be circulated in due course.  
105.  The meeting was adjourned . 
__________