JOB/TNC/52  
 
4 August 2015  
(15-4031)  Page: 1/2  
Trade Negotiations Committee    
 
 TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE 
FRIDAY, 31 JULY 2015 
Report by Chairman of the TNC 
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1.1.  In my report to the General Council on Tuesday I gave my view that delivering a work 
program by today's deadline was highly unlikely given the gaps which still needed to be bridged. 
I called on Members to keep working to see what could be achieved. We have done that. We have worked hard since then, as indeed we have since January.  
1.2.  I have met with a large number of Members to discuss a range of issues. The Chairs have 
continued meeting. And Members have continued consulting among themselves. However, despite 
all of this activity, I must report that we have not seen the progress we need to deliver a work program, as mandated, by today's deadline.  
1.3.  This conclusion should not come as a surprise. Since the beginning of last month, I have 
cautioned that if the tough political calls were not made, our efforts would not be successful. These political calls have not been made, and we have not seen sufficient flexibility in Members' 
positions. 
1.4.  This work has to be Member-driven, and so  the Negotiating Groups must be the engine room 
of this process. That is where the work progra m should have emerged – not from the Chairs or 
from me.  
1.5.  We all heard the reports of the Chairs and, as of today, we do not have a proposed work 
program on the table. And unless we witness a veritable miracle in the next few hours, this will remain the case. 
1.6.  So Members must now face the reality of the situation. We will not be able to deliver on the 
instructions given to us by Ministers to deliver a "clearly defined" work program on the remaining DDA issues by July 2015. So the question that we must now face is: What's next? How do we 
move forward? 
1.7.  At midnight tonight the mandate to deliver the work program will lapse. I have been clear in 
my view, which I think is widely shared, that while this is a very disappointing result, it should not become an obstacle to achieving outcomes in Nairobi in December. This missed deadline does not 
represent a barrier to delivering in Nairobi – but it should be a wake-up call about our prospects 
for success.  
1.8.  In recent months we have had excellent engagement on the DDA issues – engagement at a 
level that we have not seen for many years. Yet still we have not made sufficient progress to 
deliver a work program. Substantive progress to wards convergence has remained very limited. 
There are still huge differences in expectations. The red lines do not overlap. 
1.9.  We will need to see a step-change in Member s' flexibility and political engagement if we are 
to make progress. JOB/TNC/52 
 
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  1.10.  When Members return in September we will have approximately two and a half months 
before the Ministerial Conference. We will need to  move on from questions of process and instead 
put an intense, relentless focus on substance. I can see potential outcomes in a number of areas, particularly on the LDC issues, but it will depend on how fast we can move in the second half of 
the year.  
1.11.  I think the most important thing we can do  today is send a united message that we are all 
committed to delivering real outcomes in Nairobi – and that this is our number one priority. From 
my consultations and from everything I have heard from Members, I think there is unanimity on 
this point. Indeed, I have been heartened to hear  from Members that they are ready to seriously 
reflect during the summer break and to return in September more committed to focus on the substantive issues.  
1.12.  Just like we did in the lead up to Bali, we will have to roll up our sleeves and be ready to 
work intensely. And, while we are not where we wanted to be, we have laid some very strong, 
solid foundations for our future work.  
1.13.  It is clear from my consultations and from the Chairs' reports that Members are committed. 
Serious efforts have been made to try to move things forward. There has been more willingness to explore different approaches and to consider proposals or ideas.  
1.14.  I have been pleased to see a number of papers put forward in recent days, including from 
the ACP and the G-90. I was particularly pleased to see the G-90's submission providing detailed 
textual suggestions on S&D. This is invaluable. It gives us a basis for further discussions and could be a major contribution to the outcomes in Nairobi. We will need to see more such initiatives after 
the summer. Putting clear proposals on the table will be essential in spurring meaningful 
discussions on substance, narrowing down the gaps and starting to shape the outline of the final outcomes. 
1.15.  And as we look to the task ahead, I think we should be confident. We know that we can 
deliver. We did it in Bali, and we showed it again in the last few days. We concluded two decades of negotiations on Monday when Members approv ed the accession of Kazakhstan. And last week, 
with the breakthrough on expansion of the ITA, we set the stage for the WTO's first tariff-cutting 
agreement in 18 years. It shows that we are negotiating. And it shows that Members are prepared to use innovative approaches to achieve results.  
1.16.  We should take inspiration from this. As I said at the General Council, it was not easily 
achieved. Until just a few weeks ago it looked im possible. The breakthrough required political will 
and compromise. These are the ingredients which we need to bring to other areas of our work – both from the participants in the ITA, and others.  
1.17.  So, while we have missed a deadline today, this is not the end of our discussions on what 
we can achieve in Nairobi, or on the DDA issues more broadly. Rather, this is where the really tough work starts.  
1.18.  I urge you once again to come back in September with ideas on substance. If you come 
back with the same positions we will not see any further progress. Take the time to talk to your Capitals, test your red lines, reflect on the red lines of others, and come back with a broader sense of what might be doable from your perspectiv e. Better still, come back with proposals. 
1.19.  In addition, we must be prepared to tackle all of the issues on the table. We simply won't 
have the time to sequence our work. We will need to engage on all fronts immediately – and 
particularly the LDCs issues. 
1.20.  We still have a real chance of delivering meaningful outcomes in Nairobi. So please do 
everything you can to be ready to seize that opportunity in September.  
1.21.  Thank you for listening.  
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