WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/COMTD/SE/M/24 
8 January 2013 
 (13-0055) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Twenty-Fourth Dedicated Session   
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 19 NOVEMBER 2012 
 
Chairperson:  H.E. Ms. Elin Østebø Johansen (Norway)1 
 
 
A.  ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ......................................................................................................... 1  
B.  FOLLOW -UP TO THE MINISTERIAL DECISION ON SMALL ECONOMIES TAKEN AT THE 
WTO'S EIGHTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE (WT/L/844) ............................................................. 1  
-  STATEMENT BY BARBADOS ON BEHALF OF SMALL ECONOMIES  ................................................. 1  
C.  OTHER BUSINESS  ......................................................................................................................... 3  
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The draft agenda for the meeting was cont ained in Airgram WTO/AIR/4045, issued on 
9 November 2012.  The agenda was adopted.  
B. FOLLOW -UP TO THE MINISTERIAL DECISION ON SMALL ECONOMIES TAKEN AT THE WTO 'S 
EIGHTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE (WT/L/844 ) 
- STATEMENT BY BARBADOS ON BEHALF OF SMALL ECONOMIES  
2. The Chair recalled the Decision in document WT/L/844 taken by Ministers at the WTO's 
Eighth Ministerial Conference concerning the Work  Programme on Small Economies.  She said the 
Decision instructed the WTO Secretariat to provide  relevant information and factual analysis for 
discussion among Members in the Committee on Trade and Development's (CTD) Dedicated Session 
in the areas identified under item "k" of paragr aph 2 of the 2002 Work Programme on Small 
Economies (WT/L/447).  She said that in their Decision, Ministers had also asked the Secretariat to identify non-tariff measures (NTMs) and their e ffects on small economies.  In this regard, a 
background paper which provides an initial overvie w of such measures had been circulated in 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/26 and had been discussed at a July  2012 meeting of the Dedicated Session.  The 
minutes of that meeting were contained in document WT/COMTD/SE/M/23. 
3. The representative of Barbados said she was speaking on behalf of the Small, Vulnerable 
Economies (SVEs).  She said that since the WTO's Eighth Ministerial Conference in December 2011, 
SVEs have continued to work on several issues of im portance to the group.  SVEs continue to believe 
                                                      
1 The meeting was chaired by H.E. Ms. Elin Østebø Johansen (Norway), the Chair of the 
General Council, who stood in for the Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Development, 
H.E. Dr. Anthony Mothae Maruping (Lesotho).  As was explained, Ambassador Maruping had recently 
relinquished his official duties in Geneva, and had requested Ambassador Johansen to chair the 24th Session of 
the Dedicated Session. WT/COMTD/SE/M/24 
Page 2 
 
 
  that the CTD Dedicated Session is critical for the progression of the SVE Work Programme and that it 
is an essential forum for identifying issues which could assist with the fuller integration of SVEs into 
the multilateral trading system.  She emphasized  that in 2011 Ministers instructed the WTO 
Secretariat to provide relevant information and factual analysis for discussion among Members in the 
CTD's Dedicated Session on the areas identifie d under item "k" paragraph two of the Work 
Programme on Small Economies and on the identifica tion and effects of NTMs on small economies.  
She explained that in fulfilling this mandate, SVEs  continue to work with the WTO Secretariat, 
particularly with regard to identifying the effect s of NTMs on small economies.  She said that at the 
last session of the CTD's Dedicated Session in Ju ly 2012, discussions took place on the effects of 
NTMs on SVE exports.  SVEs have since had a disc ussion on the preliminary findings circulated in 
the Secretariat's background note WT/COMTD/SE/W/26/Rev.1 on Non-Tariff Measures and SVEs and have been actively engaged with the Secretaria t about how to proceed with a factual study on the 
same.  Based on the Decision taken by Ministers, SVEs now ask that the Secretariat build on the 
preliminary findings and prepare a study on the identification and effects of NTMs on small economies.  This work would be under the ma ndate of the CTD and would seek to make 
recommendations for action.  She thanked the CTD a nd its subsidiary bodies and the WTO Secretariat 
for its support and said that SVEs remained comm itted to continuing the work under the mandate of 
the CTD. 
4. The representative of El Salvador said her delegation wished to endorse the statement made 
by Barbados on behalf of small economies.  She said small economi es faced important challenges in 
benefitting appropriately from the world economy.  She added that the global economic crisis had 
worsened and was now adversely affecting trade and growth.  She explained that WTO Members 
recognize that further efforts are needed to help small economies integrate as best as possible into the 
multilateral trading system, thereby also benefitting more from international trade flows. She 
emphasized that an important tool to achieve th is objective in the WTO was the Work Programme on 
Small Economies approved in 2002 as a result of the ma ndate of the Doha Ministerial Conference.  In 
the same way, she said, Ministers have continually  strengthened this mandate in their meetings in 
Hong Kong and at the last two Ministerial meetings in Geneva.  She referred to the mandate for the 
CTD in Dedicated Session on small economies wh ich was agreed during the Eighth Ministerial 
Conference and which focused on work to be comple ted in time for the Ninth Ministerial Conference 
planned for the end of 2013.  She said that this ma ndate was clear and relevant  and that it focused on 
specific technical subjects of great interest for c ountries with small economies such as El Salvador.  
She expressed thanks for the work  which has been started by the WTO Secretariat and supported 
taking a factual approach in regard to the work on NTMs.  El Salvador believed that once this 
information was provided to all Members, work could start on analysing the effects of such measures.  
This would be very useful for the discussions in  Dedicated Session with other WTO Members.  In 
conclusion, she said El Salvador would like to ex press its readiness to continue the work of the 
Dedicated Session in 2013 so that Members would be able to discuss NTMs as well as other subjects 
requested by Ministers as part of the mandate given during the Eighth Ministerial Conference.  
5. The representative of Dominica said he was speak ing on behalf of the member states of the 
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OEC S) and that the OECS countries supported the 
statement made by Barbados on be half of SVEs.  He said the OECS  states are amongst the smallest 
and most vulnerable Members of the WTO and the multil ateral trading system.  He explained that the 
OECS states are fully cognizant of the structur al challenges and difficulties which small economies 
face in respect to their efforts to integrate into the global economy and specifically into the 
multilateral trading system.  He emphasized that the OECS placed significant value on the WTO's 
Work Programme on Small Economies as well as  on the mandate emanating from MC-8 in 
December 2011.  He added that his delegation looked forward to the work to be undertaken by the 
Secretariat on non-tariff barriers and that OECS memb er states also look forward to working with the 
Secretariat and the rest of the Members in coming up with proposals to assist small economies to 
integrate into the trading system.   WT/COMTD/SE/M/24 
 Page 3 
 
 
  6. The representative of Jamaica said his delegation also wished to endorse the statement made 
by Barbados as well as the comments made by El Salvador and Dominica.  He added that Jamaica 
very much looked forward to the work which woul d be undertaken by the Secretariat on NTMs.  He 
said this could help accelerate the Work Progr amme on Small Economies so that countries like 
Jamaica could fully benefit from future provisions.  
7. The Chairperson thanked Members for their interventions and said that she believed the 
Dedicated Session now had a better idea as to what ki nd of further research could be conducted to 
assess the effects of NTMs on the exports of SVEs . The Dedicated Session took note of the proposal 
by Barbados.  
C. OTHER BUSINESS  
8. Since no item had been raised under "Other Business," the Chairperson adjourned the 
meeting.   
 
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