RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/LDC/M/80  
 
28 Augus t 2017 
(17-4551) Page: 1/10 
Sub-Committee on Least Developed Countries  
Eightieth Session    
 
 NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 19 MAY 2017 
Chairperson: Ambassador Monique  T.G. Van Daalen  (Netherlands)  
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. ARRAN GEMENTS TO FACILITAT E THE PARTICIPATION OF LEAST 
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE ELEVENTH MINI STERIAL CONFERENCE: 
BRIEFING BY THE SECR ETARIAT  ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
C. MARKET ACCESS FOR LE AST DEVELOPED COUNTR IES ................................ .............  3 
- Market Access for Products and Services of Export Interest to Least Developed 
Countries (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 and WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64/Add.1): Update by the 
Secretariat on Recent Trends in LDC Trade ................................ ................................ .............  3 
D. TRADE -RELATED TECHNICAL AS SISTANCE AND CAPACIT Y-BUILDING 
INITIATIVES FOR LEAS T DEVELOPED COUNTRIE S ................................ ...........................  6 
- An Update on the Enha nced Integrated Framework (EIF): Oral Report by the EIF 
Executive Secretariat  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  6 
- Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF): Briefing by the STDF 
Secretariat on Recent Activities Relatin g to LDCs  ................................ ................................ .... 8 
E. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 10 
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1. Opening the meeting, t he Chairperson  thanked Members for electing her as the Chair of the 
Sub-Committe e on Least Developed Countries (hereinafter the Sub -Committee) and paid tribute to 
her predecessor Ambassador Roderick van Schreven for his leadership. She said that the agenda  
for the Eightieth  Session of the Sub-Committee was contained in document 
WTO/AI R/COMTD/LDC/ 7. 
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 the UNIDO programme, in partic ular on Africa . 
3. The agenda was adopted . 
B. ARRANGEMENTS TO FACI LITATE THE PARTICIPA TION OF LEAST DEVELO PED 
COUNTRIES IN THE ELE VENTH MINISTERIAL CO NFERENCE: BRIEFING B Y THE 
SECRETARIAT  
4. The Chairperson  noted that  the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) would take 
place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 1 0 to 13 December 2017. She said that as had been the 
policy for previous Ministerial Conferences, the LDCs w ould receive special suppo rt for their 
participation in MC11 . She invited  Deputy Director -General  Mr. David Shark , Chair of the WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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 Secretariat's MC11  Task Force , to brief the Sub -Committee  on arrangements to facilitate the 
participation of LDCs in the Ministerial Conference.  
5. The representative of the Secretariat  (Chair of MC11 Task Force ) said that  a Trust Fund ha d 
been established  to provide assistance to the LDCs in their participation in MC11. The Trust Fund 
would cover  travel, accommodation and per diem for three  people per delegation  (head of 
delegation and two officials) . He noted that, following pa st practice , the host country would cover 
accommodation cost s if the resources  of the trust fund were not sufficient .  
6. He said that the Secretariat had received five confirmations of contribution to the Trust Fund 
and was working on getting  additional fund s from other Members. He indicated that the funding 
needs for MC11 would be higher , as comp ared to the Tenth WTO  Ministerial Conference in Nairobi , 
due to higher travel costs for African LDCs. He noted that LDC Members  subject to Category II I 
administrativ e measures  would not be eligible for support  through the  Trust F und.  
7. Regarding logistics, h e said that a letter of invitation w ould be sent to the LDCs in due 
course with all logistics -related information . The Secretariat would be in charge of booking the  
flights and hotel r ooms for  LDC delegates  to be funded by the Trust Fund. They  would be 
accommodated in the Sheraton Hotel. In order to allow LDC delegations with more than three 
delegates to stay in the same hotel, the Sheraton  was providing  a time-limited offer in the form of 
a block booking of 300 rooms for non -funded LDC delegates. He noted that t he Sheraton offered 
discounted rates for LDC delegations as part of this offer. He underscored that this was a time -
limited offer and that the number of block ed rooms for non -funded LDC delegates would decrease 
over time. He encouraged interested LDCs to make reservations as soon as possible. The 
cancellation policy was flexible and r eservations could be c ancelled without charge until 
9 November 2017.  
8. Regarding  hotel payment, h e said that the value added tax (VAT) of 21% would be 
reimbursed if payment was made by foreign credit card or bank transfer. He noted that hotel 
booking and payment were to be made  by credit card. He indicated that further communication 
with the Sheraton was required regarding the possibility of paying through bank transfer. He also 
mentioned that a dedicated o ffice set up by the Government  of Argentina  could assist Members 
with problems they encountered.   
9. He recalled that the Secretariat had already sent a communication with all relevant 
information to Permanent Missions on 24  March 2017. This briefing provided Members an 
opportunity to discuss and raise any questions they might have.  
10. The representative of Cambodia , on behalf of the LDC Gr oup, congratulate d the Chairperson  
on her election as the Chai r of the Sub -Committee. He took the opportunity to thank Members, 
particularly the Netherlands, for funding capacity -building activities for the LDCs on WTO issues . 
Training on  rules of origin  had been instrumental to achieve tangible results such as the Nairobi 
Decision on Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs. The LDCs looked  forward to a continuation and 
expansion of funding for further capacity building.  
11. He thanked the Secretariat for the bri efing on the a rrangements to facilitate the  participation 
of LDCs in MC11. He inform ed Members that the LDC Group was planning to have a n LDC Trade 
Ministers ' Meeting back to back with MC11. In this regard, he request ed logistical support from the 
Secretar iat. He thanked the Secretariat for their assistance and looked forward to discuss ing the 
details of the arrangements.  He concluded by  thank ing those Members  which  had indicat ed to the 
Secretariat that they would contribute to the Trust Fund. He hoped that  more Members would  
make contributions  to the Trust Fund in order to facilitate the participation of the LDCs in MC11.  
12. The representative of Switzerland  thanked the Secretariat for the briefing. Highlight ing the 
importance of ensuring maximum LDC participa tion at MC11 , he announced  that his Government  
had decided to contribute CHF  50,000 to the Trust Fund. He hoped that the contribution w ould 
enable the LDCs to participate in the Ministerial Conference  and help contribute to a more inclusive 
multilateral tr ading system  (MTS) . 
13. The representative of Bangladesh  congratulat ed the Chair person  on her election as the Chair 
of the Sub -Committee. He associate d his delegation  with the statement made by Cambodia on WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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  behalf  of the LDC Group . He expressed his appreciation  to the Government of Argentina for 
hosting the Ministerial Conference  in Buenos A ires. He expressed his gratitude to Members for 
funding the participation  of LDC delegations  in MC11.  He noted that  the Secretariat had  so far  
arranged one preliminary briefi ng session for the LDC Group. He stressed on the need to arrange 
further  briefing sessions on logistical arrangements to facilitate the smooth participation of LDC 
participants .  
14. He noted that the Sheraton Hotel had  allocated 300 rooms in the form of a block booking for 
non-funded LDC  delegates . He mentioned that the hotel had asked for a credit card when his 
delegation requested  a booking . In this regard, he highlighted  the difficult y for LDC delegation s in 
using credit card s for booking s. He recalled that  at the Tenth WTO  Ministerial Conference  in 
Nairobi , some arrangements had been made by the host country to facilitate the booking by LDC 
delegations. He requested that the host country and the Secretariat  work on an arrangement  to 
facilitate booking s by L DC delegations  at the Sheraton . 
15. The representative of the European Union  (EU) congratulat ed the Chair person  on her 
election . She highlight ed the importance of effective participation of LDCs  in MC11 and that 
Members should support the LDCs . She said that t he EU was planning  to make a contribution to 
the Trust Fund and was in  discussion s with the Secretariat about  the necessary  formalities . 
16. The representative of the Secretariat  said that, as in the past, the Secretariat would assist 
the LDC Group in the orga nization of the LDC Trade Ministers ' Meeting. He mentioned that 
excellent facilities were in place for such meetings. He said that the Secretariat looked forward to 
working with the LDC Group , as well as other groups , on the organi zation of such meetings d uring 
MC11.  
17. Regarding the request of Bangladesh for more briefing sessions, he indicated that  further 
briefings would be organized  jointly with the host government for the entire Membership in 
conjunction with the General Council meeting s in July  and Novem ber; and that there would be 
opportunities for meetings with individual delegations. He noted  the Secretariat's availability to 
discuss logistical issues for MC11 with the LDC Group upon request.  
18. Regarding the use of credit card ver sus other forms of guara ntees, he said that the office of 
the Argentinean coordinating committee might be able to facilitate the communication between 
delegations and the hotel. He recalled that the role of the government was to facilitate , but that 
the guarantee for the booking was to be provided by delegations.  
19. He concluded by thanking the EU and Switzerland for identifying themselves as two of the  
five Members that had indicated  that they would be  making contributions  to the Trust Fund. He 
noted that th ese Members were at diffe rent stages in their internal processes. The Secretariat 
would officially announce the donors to the Trust Fund at an  appropriate time.  
20. The Chairperson  thank ed the Deputy Director -General  for the briefing and Members for their 
interventions. She stressed that t he participation of LDCs in Ministerial Conferences was essential 
to guarantee the inclusiveness of the WTO. She noted that t he WTO ha d been successful in this 
respect in the past , with support from  the donors  and the Secretariat . She was  confident t hat this 
would also be the case for MC11 . She joined the LDCs in thank ing those Members which had  
already indicated their plans to contribute to the Trust Fund. She encourage d other Members to 
consider making contributions to enable the participation of LD Cs in MC11.  She suggest ed that the 
Sub-Committee take note of the briefing by the Secretariat, as well as the statements made.  
21. It was so agreed . 
C. MARKET ACCESS FOR LE AST DEVELOPED COUNTR IES 
- Market Access for Products and Services of Export Interest to Lea st Developed 
Countries (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 and WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64/A dd.1): Update by the 
Secretariat on Recent Trends in LDC Trade  
22. The Chairperson  recall ed that at its last meeting , the Sub-Committee had considered the 
Secretariat Note titled "Market Access for Products and Services of Export Interest to LDCs" WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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 contained in document WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 and its Addendum. Before proceeding with th e 
agenda item, she noted  that there had been an inadvertent error  in the header of the first column 
of Annex Table 6  in document WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64.  Instead of preference granting country, the 
header should read as preference granting Member.  She noted that t he Secretariat would  circulate 
a Corrigendum to this effect.  She continued by recalling discussions at the previous S ub-
Committee meeting. Members had expressed their concern about the decrease in LDC exports due 
to falling prices of primary commodities and that the participation of LDCs in global trade remained 
marginal. She invited the Secretariat's  Economic Research a nd Statistics Division  (ERSD)  to 
provide the Sub -Committee with an update on the most recent trends in LDC trade and market 
access.  
23. The representative of the Secretariat  (International Trade Statistics Section , ERSD ) began 
with an update  of the development s in world merchandise trade. World merchandise trade had 
decreased by 3 % in 2016 , reflect ing weak investment spending  and the continuing decline  in trade 
of fuels and minin g products.  In 2016, exports had decreased for  fuels and mining products  (-
14%) and  manufacture s (-2%), but had registered a slight  increase for agricultural products  (1%).  
24. He highlighted the strong influence of commodity prices on merchandise trade in value 
terms . He said that t he export prices of all major commodity groups , except of food and 
beverages , had continued to decline  in 2016, even though on a much smaller scale than in 2015. 
Prices of food and beverages had registered a n increase of 1% in 2016 , mostly due to 
unfavourable weather conditions.  Minerals and non -ferrous metals had been subject to an average 
price decrease of 5%  in 2016; while  prices had decreased for tin, zinc, lead and iron ore, they  had 
significantly increased for uranium, nickel, and copper . Energy prices  had fallen by 18%  on 
average  in 2016;  prices for natural  gas ( -34%)  and coal ( -14%)  had recorded substantial drop s, 
while prices for crude petroleum had increased by 18%. 
25. He went on to elaborate on the trends in trade for the LDCs. In 2016, merchandise exports 
and imports of LDCs had decrease d by 6% and 3%, respectively . He said that the  lower  export 
growth of the LDCs as compared to the world had been due to the ir concentration in  fuels and 
mining products . He noted  that the LDCs' merchandise trade deficit had increased from  
US$81  billion in 2015  to a new recor d deficit of US$83 billion  in 2016 . The LDCs' share in world 
merchandise exports had declined from 0.97% in 2015 to 0.94% in 2016 , while the LDCs' share in 
world merchandise  imports  had increased to 1.45%. The LDCs' share in developing country 
exports and imports had stood at 2.2% and 3.6%  in 2016, respectively .  
26. Regarding LDC sub -groupings, he  said that  only LDCs that predominantly exported 
manufactured products had register ed positive export growth in 2016 (+9%). LDC exporters of 
agriculture ( -1%), oil ( -21%)  and non-fuel minerals ( -18%)  had experienced negative export 
growth. He further noted that the  trade deficit  had been  highest for LDC exporters of ag ricultural 
products  (US$33 billion ), followed by LDC exporters of manufactures (US$22 billion ), non-fuel 
minerals  (US$13 billion ) and oil (US$11 billion) . He pointed out that it was the second year in a 
row that LDC oil exporters had recorded  a trade deficit after more than 15 years of trade 
surpluses.  
27. He proceeded to describe  trends in services trade for the LDCs. In 2016, LDC services 
exports had decreased by 4% to US$32 billion , while LDC services imports had decreased by 6%  
to US$65 billion. As a result , the share of LDCs in world exports and imports had declined to 
0.66% and 1.38%, respectively . He sai d that travel exports, which were  the main services export 
category for the LDCs, had decreased by 3% in 2016 . However, he pointed out that the trend 
looked more positive in the medium term. LDC travel exports had been 163%  times higher in 2016 
than in 201 0, and had been expand ing more rapidly than LDC exports of agricultural products, 
fuels and mining products , and manufactures .  
28. The representative of the Secretariat  (Market Access Intelligence Section , ERSD ) provided  
an update on market access for the LDCs based on two indicators used to measure the 
implementation of the S ustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . He explained that t he first indicator 
measured the share of tariff lines exported by LDCs that could enter international markets duty  
free. He highlig hted that the LDCs had benefitted from increased duty -free market access over the 
last decade.  While in 2005 close to 50% of LDC products had entered international markets  duty 
free, 65% of LDC products had done  so in 2015 .  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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  29. He explained  that t he second in dicator measured the average tariff applied by developed 
Members  to selected products from LDCs. He stated that  tariffs on prod ucts originating from LDCs 
were, on average, very low due to duty -free and quota -free (DFQF) schemes with a few 
exceptions. In 20 15, the LDCs had faced an average tariff of 0.9% on agricultural products, 3.2% 
on textile products and 6.5% clothing products . He noted  that market access to developed 
Members in terms of tariffs had been stationary between 2011 and 2015 . 
30. The representati ve of Cambodia , on behalf of the LDC Group,  expresse d appreciation for the 
quality of the Secretariat N ote. She expressed concern regarding the decline in LDC exports and 
the marginal share of the LDCs in world trade.  She stressed the importance of market access, 
export diversification and industrialization to help the LDCs decrease the ir dependenc e on 
commodities and price fluctuations  of the latter . 
31. Referring to Table 7 of the Note , she suggested including  statistics on all Members that 
offered preferenti al treatment to LDCs, even where there was no duty -free scheme in place. In the 
area of services, she expressed her interest  on learning  more about efforts by preference -granting  
Members to build awareness in LDC s regarding preferences available under the LDC Services 
Waiver . She called on Members to notify  preferences and stressed the need for continued technical 
assistance and infrastructure support , so that the LDCs could  benefit  from the Waiver. She call ed 
on Members to pay more attention to the integra tion of  the LDCs into the MTS. She concluded by 
highlight ing that MC11 constituted an  opportunity to achieve implementable results for  the LDCs 
and that the  LDCs were ready to collaborate with Members to  obtain successful outcomes at MC11 .  
32. The representat ive of Benin  congratulat ed the Chair on her election  and thanked the 
Secretariat for the presentation . He associated himself with  the statement made by  Cambodia on 
behalf of the LDC G roup. He expressed his concern that the  LDCs'  share in global exports w as 
below 1%, which was  significant ly lower than  the 2%  target foreseen by the Istanbul Programme 
of Action  for the LDCs  to be achieved by  2020. He reflected on what could be done to increase the 
exports from the LDCs, including technical assistance, preferen tial market access or the 
prioriti zation of certain sector s. He stressed th e importance of finding an appropriate solution given 
the current situation . 
33. He went on to point out that the growing trade deficit of the LDCs had ramifications in terms 
of industr ialization, productivity and poverty reduction. He emphasized  the need to reflect on 
special and differential treatment with a view to addressing trade balance  issues  and possible 
actions that c ould be taken to assist the LDCs.  
34. He concluded by highlightin g the importance of utilization  of preferences granted to the 
LDCs. He asked that measures be taken so as to ensure that LDCs could better harness 
preferential market access provided to them.  He recalled that the  LDCs had submitted a proposal 
for a study ( "clinical examination") to diagnose the situation  with the respect to the 
implementation of the DFQF market access provided to them . He called on Members to assist in 
enabling such a study to gauge the LDCs'  needs in terms of preferen tial market access and 
thereby enabl e them to better take advantage of  the various preferences available  to them .  
35. The Chairperson  thank ed the Secretariat for the update and Members for their statements. 
She noted that the Work Programme for the LDCs identifie d market access as  a systemic issue of 
interest to the LDCs. She trusted that the regular discussions in the Sub -Committee were making  
an important contribution to enhance Members'  understanding of the market access conditions and 
other factors that shape d LDC trade.  She no ted that i n 2016, the trade performance of LDCs had 
continued to be negatively affected by falling prices of primary commodities, in particular of oil. 
The share of LDCs in world mercha ndise exports had further declined to 0.94%  and their  
merchandise  trade  deficit  had widened to US$83 billion . She said that t hese negative trends 
highligh ted the increased need of the LDCs to diversify their exports.  She suggest ed that the 
Sub-Committee take note of the update provided by the Secretariat, as well as the state ments 
made.  
36. It was so agreed . WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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 D. TRADE -RELATED TECHNICAL AS SISTANCE AND CAPACIT Y-BUILDING INITIATIVES  
FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  
37. The Chairperson  recalled that t he Work Programme for the LDCs mandate d the 
Sub-Commi ttee to monitor capacity -building initiativ es taken in favour of the LDCs to promote 
information flows and coordination. She said that the Secretariat s of the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework  (EIF) and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), two Aid -for-Trade 
initiatives of high importanc e to the LDCs , would provide reports on their activities in this respect.  
- An Update on the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF): Oral Report by the EIF 
Executive Secretariat  
38. The Chairperson  said that t he EIF was a flagship Aid -for-Trade programme exclusi vely 
designed for the LDCs. She invited the Executive Director of the EIF Executive Secretariat  to 
provide the Sub -Committee with  an update on the activities of the EIF.  
39. The representative of the  EIF Executive Secretariat  (Executive Director) welcome d the new 
Chair of th e Sub Committee. He noted that the meeting was well -timed as it allowed him to update 
the Sub -Committee on the EIF Board and Steering Committee meetings , which had taken place  
earlier th at month.  He recalled that the  EIF was a dedicated mech anism for LDCs and recently 
graduated  LDCs. The EIF was a framework designed for effective coordination, cooperation and 
delivery amongst development partners , which  was made possible through the generous support 
of donors to the EIF Trust Fund.  
40. He update d the Sub -Committee on the situation of the EIF Trust Fund. The Trust Fund had 
received  US$27.3 million  out of  the US$90 million pledged by donors . Around US$7 million ha d 
already been committed to  new EIF projects, including on institutional support proje cts in 
Afghanistan and Madagascar,  as well as projects aimed at addressing supply -side constraints in 
tourism in Djibouti and in e-commerce in Bhutan.  He said that o ne of the EIF's new project 
modalities, the Sustainability Support Grant , had become effect ive in August 2016 . Since then, 
projects ha d been approved for  Burkina Faso, Cambodia and Comoros, while a number of other 
countries' projects were being finalized.  
41. He went on to note that the EIF Trust Fund had about US$20 million available for allocatio n. 
He said that  the EIF Board , at its last meeting,  had approved a set of criteria for the prioritization 
of EIF funding following the principle of ''no EIF country is lef t behind'', while ensuring high -quality 
and great impacts for upcoming Tier 2 project s. He mentioned that t hese criteria w ould be 
reviewed by the end of 2018 when the funding situation of the EIF would become  clearer.  
42. He highlighted the importance of the mobilization of further resources for the LDCs' trade 
development . In this respect, the Executive Secretariat would revise its fundraising strategy and 
strengthen its human resources to raise additional funds for the LDCs.  He explained that the EIF  
furthermore  aimed at support ing the  LDCs to raise Aid-for-Trade resources at the country lev el. To 
support this process , the Executive Secretariat  had conducted a stud y on best practices on 
resource  leveraging in LDCs and had held a thematic workshop on how to leverage support to 
country programmes. A guide on the leveraging of resources would be made available to EIF 
stakeholders  in the near future .  
43. He noted  that the EIF Board,  at its meeting in December 2016,  had approved more flexible 
guidelines for Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTIS s). These new guidelines emphasized  
national ownershi p, sustainability, efficiency and inclusive stakeholder consultation , and put  a 
greater focus on mobilizing resources for DTIS implementation, job creation, inclusive trade, 
regional integration and private sector development.  
44. He went on to say that the ke y thematic focus of the EIF Steering Committee meeting of 
4 May 2017 had been to increas e linkages in development and policy planning between trade and 
agriculture. He said that, i n addition to hearing from the practical experiences in Burundi, the 
meeting  had highlighted an ongoing project financed by the Food and Agriculture Organization 
(FAO) in collaboration with the EIF to better align the processes of the African Union's 
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme  (CAADP) with those on the trade side 
through EIF mechanisms. He further mentioned that a  joint study by the STDF  and the EIF looking WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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  at how sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues were analysed  in DTISs, was officially released at 
the EIF Steering Committee meeting, and was availab le on the websites of the EIF and the STDF.  
45. He continued by emphasiz ing that t he EIF consistently strive d for high levels of effectiveness 
of interventions as well as providing good value for money. In this respect, the Executive 
Secretariat, with support from the Department for International Development  of the Government 
of the United Kingdom , had developed a draft Value for Money Framework . He noted that the  
revised Framework would  be presented at the next EIF Board meeting , which would  be held in 
Cambodi a in October 2017.  
46. He said that a series of regional workshops had been organized in Africa, Asia as well as in 
the Pacific. These workshops had provided platforms  for information and experience sharing 
among stakeholders from different  EIF countries. He noted that there had  been strong demand for 
further opportunities for peer-to-peer experience sharing.  
47. He went on to  note that the EIF was a founding member of th e UNCTAD -led "eTrade for All " 
initiative . He said that EIF had participated in the lau nch of t he eT rade for All portal and supported 
the participation  of LDCs in the UNCTAD E -Commerce Week 2017. He indicated  that t he EIF , with 
the technical support from UNCTAD, would assist a number of LDCs in conducting e Trade  
readiness assessments.  
48. He continued b y showcas ing the impact of the EIF through the gum arabic project, which 
supported Mali to achieve four SDGs: The planting of three  tons of acacia trees  on 10,000 hectares 
of land contributed to poverty reduction (SDG 1), sustainable agricultural practices  (SDG 2), 
economic empowerment of women (SDG 5) and halting desertification (SDG 12).  The project 
cover ed six regions in Mali  and fed  into regional efforts to create a "Great Green Wall " to halt the  
advance of the Sahara desert.  The project ha d more than 3 70,000 indirect beneficiaries  (80% 
women) who depend ed on the production of gum arabic.  
49. He proceeded  to thank H.E. Ms Yvette Stevens , Ambassador  of Sierra Leone,  for her 
engagement and leadership as former Chair of the EIF Board, and welcom ed H.E. Mr Eloi Laourou , 
Ambassador of Benin,  as the new Chair of the EIF Board . He also thank ed Cambodia for its critical 
role as the LDC Coordinator at the WTO, as well as the entire LDC Group for their continued 
support  and su bstantive contribution . He further  thank ed the donors to the EIF Trust Fund for the ir 
generous contributions at the EIF Pledging Conference and their su bstantive engagement in the 
design of the EIF Phas e Two, including the EIF Medium -Term Strategic Plan 2016 -2018.  He 
concluded by inviting Members to take a look at the Strategic Plan , which was accessible on the  
new EIF website. He believe d that the new website together with the new Management 
Information System (MIS) provided user -friendly and enhanced  access to information.  
50. The representative of Cambodia , on behalf of the LDC Group,  thanked the EIF Executive 
Secretariat for the update and highlighted the importance of the EIF for the LDCs to sustainably 
develop through trade. He thanked the EIF and the STDF for the ir analytical work on SPS issues in  
DTISs .  
51. He continued by expressing support for the  EIF's Medium -Term Strategic Plan  2016-2018. 
He noted that an  important dimension of the Plan was  to measure concrete results with respect to 
the four overarching  objectives of the Plan: strengthen institu tions and pol icy mechanisms, reduc e 
supply -side constraints, leverag e resources, and promot e gender equality and inclusive trade.  He 
recall ed that the availability of resources was an important d eterminant  for the success of th e Plan 
and the EIF program me. He called on donor Members to fully commit to P hase Two of the EIF.  
52. He concluded by expressing the LDCs'  commitment  to work closely with the EIF and their 
development partners to further enhance the efficiency of the EIF process. He thank ed Members 
for th eir support to the EIF Programme. He hoped that the partnerships to be established between 
the LDCs  and other stakeholders involved in P hase Two  would be fruitful and sustainable.  
53. The Chairperson  thanked the EIF Secretariat for its report and Members for t heir 
statements.  She said that t he EIF continue d to play a n important role in helping the LDCs take 
advantage of the opportunities offered by the MTS. She noted  that the EIF  Executive Secretariat  
was taking a number of steps to mobilize further resources f or the EIF and the LDCs. She WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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 encourage d Members to consider providing support to the EIF Trust Fund so that the LDCs w ould 
continue to fully benefit from the EIF process. She suggest ed that the Sub -Committee take note of 
the report provided by the EIF Executive Secretariat, as well as the statements made.  
54. It was so agreed . 
- Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF): Briefing by the STDF Secretariat 
on Recent Activities Relating to LDCs  
55. The Chairperson  said that t he STDF was a capacity -building initia tive to help developing 
countries enhance their capacity to comply with international SPS measures. She mentioned that 
the LDCs were among the main beneficiaries of the STDF, which was why the Sub -Committee ha d 
been considering this item on a periodic basi s. She invited the  Secretary of the STDF  to provide 
the Sub -Committee with  an update on the activities relating to LDCs. She noted that a film on food 
safety in the cocoa value chain  would be shown before concluding the agenda item . 
56. The representative of t he STDF Secretariat  said that the STDF was a  global partnership to 
build SPS capacity  and had been  established by five organizati ons: FAO, World Bank, World Health 
Organization (WHO), WTO , and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) . He mentioned that 
the STDF Secretariat was housed by the WTO in the Agriculture and Commodity Division.  He 
highlighted the importance of the agricultural sector for the LDCs and its impact on poverty 
reduction as compared to other sectors. In some LDCs , between 50 -70% of the  labour force was 
working in the agricultural sector. He stated that, due to slower growth of agricultural exports of 
LDCs as compared to the world, SPS issues were important area s to work on.  
57. He said that t he STDF help ed developing countries and LDCs to improve market access by 
assisting them in the prepar ation and implement ation of  SPS projects  to comply with  international 
standards set by the s tandards setting  bodies under the SPS Agreement: Codex Alimentarius 
Commission (Codex) , International Plant Prot ection Convention (IPPC) , OIE . In 2016, STDF 
projects had focused on food safety (12 projects), plant health (7), animal health (1) and 
cross-cutting SPS issues (3).  
58. He continued by providing two examples of STDF projects  in LDCs . In Ugand a, flower 
produc ers had been experiencing significant  losses due to the interception of flowers when 
entering international markets such as the EU . The STDF project had helped build an inspection 
programme for pests and diseases and established a training programme , invol ving both the public 
and private sector. The project benefitted 6,000 people  working in the flower sector , the majority 
of which were women. He said that  the public -private sector collaboration was a success factor for 
the project. Positive impacts of the project , which had also been confirmed by an external 
evaluation, included a great  decrease  in the number of interceptions , the establishment of a 
streamlined inspection  and export certification  system , and the training of more than 100 people. 
He stated t hat, as a result of the project , the jobs of Uganda flower producers had been secured 
and market access was maintained.  
59. He proceeded to say that in Nepal , the STDF had developed a project to help ginger farmers 
to produce safe and high -quality ginger , including for export. The project had been co -funded by 
the EIF and implemented by the FAO. Ginger farmers had been facing several problems, including 
low yields due to the  presence of pests and diseases , as well as  the lack of a ginger washing 
facility. Furth ermore, f armers had not been able to access high -value marke ts but had been 
export ing low-value  ginger to India through informal channels. He said that t he project had tackled 
these problems through a public -private partnership  (PPP) approach. The initial results ha d been 
very promising as harvest losses had been reduced by 30%  and the  income of ginger farmers had 
increased  by 60%. The project had trained m ore than 2 ,000 farmers , the majority of which were 
women,  and had  also resulted in  lower us e of pestic ides, benefitting the health of farm workers. A 
new ginger washing facility , which had been financed by t he EIF, was supporting more than 8 ,000 
households  and employing 200 people.  
60. He continued by explain ing the two types of financing provided by the STDF.  Project 
preparation grants  (PPGs) provided  seed funding of up to US$50 ,000 to help LDCs turn good ideas 
into sustainable projects  through technical support, e.g. feasibility studies, prioritization tools or 
project formulation, or mobilization of donor fu nds. The STDF provided also a number of project WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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  grants to help countries deal with SPS issues and improve market access. He mentioned that the 
STDF website contained all relevant i nformation , including  on eligibility criteria  and how to apply 
for funding . 
61. Since its creation, the STDF had  funded 76 projects and 81 PPGs, of which 59 had benefi tted 
LDCs. He recalled the STDF's target of allocating at least 40% of project  resources  to LDCs o r 
other low -income countries. He noted that this percentage  currently s tood at 65% . He highlighted 
that the STDF, in addition to partners and donors , was collaborating with a range of other 
organi zations such as the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the UNIDO, as well as with  six 
independent developing country experts , three of which were  coming from LDCs  (Haiti, Senegal 
and Zambia) .  
62. He expressed appreciation for the support by 17 donors amounting to US$52 million  and 
highlighted that the STDF had  generated US$23 million in additional resources through projects.  
He emphasi zed the high demand on the STDF and that  many projects were in the pipeline , 
including for several LDCs  (Togo, Liberia, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia) . He stressed that unless the 
STDF  receive d additional contributions by its next Working Group meeting in Octob er 2017, it 
would be difficult to approve many of these projects.  
63. Referring to the intervention of the EIF Executive Director, he recalled that the 
Sub-Committee had been updated on the joint EIF -STDF study on SPS issues in DTISs at its 
meeting on 13 Apri l 2016 . He pointed out  that the study stimulated collaboration with key SPS 
institutions, including the FAO, and informed the development of new DTIS guidelines.  
64. He said that the STDF, i n addition to being a funding mechanism, was also a knowledge 
platform  and a coordination mechanism. In the past, t he STDF had done work on PPPs and on the 
prioriti zation of  SPS needs. More recently , the STDF had  done work on trade facilitation in an SPS 
context, looking at how to reduce SPS -related trade costs and, at the s ame time , reinforce  health 
protection. He highlighted the main recommendations coming out of this work. LDCs could achieve 
quick wins by improving transparency  on rules and procedures, streamlining and  simplifying 
regulations , implement ing risk-based  appro aches for inspections , improving  coordination between 
SPS and customs authorities and includ ing SPS controls in national single windows . Departing from 
a sound SPS paper -based system , the move towards SPS electronic certification could bring 
further gains  in the longer term . He mentioned Australia and New Zealand as front runners in this 
area. 
65. He went on to elaborate on  ongoin g STDF work. In June 2016, the STDF had held a seminar 
on electronic SPS certification , including discussions of the challenges and o pportunities for 
developing countries. He said that information on electronic SPS certification was available on the 
STDF website.1 He mentioned  that the STDF would organize an information session on the 
transition from paper -based to digital SPS systems  at the Aid for Trade Global Review 2017 on  
12 July 2017. He further pointed to an ongoing discussion in the STDF  Working Group on good 
regulatory practice in the SPS area. In comparison to the TBT area, less work had been done in 
the SPS area on good regula tory practice. He stated that p rogress in this  area could  help facilitate 
safe trade.  
66. The representative of Cambodia , on behalf of the LDC Group, thanked the STDF Secretariat 
for its presentation. He highlighted the importance of the STDF to build the capa city of the LDCs in 
implementing international SPS standards. He appreciated that , so far, 59 PPGs had benefitted 
LDCs. He thanked donors for their contributions to the STDF  and looked forward to receiving more 
support from the STDF  so as to continue  worki ng towards improving market access for LDCs.   
67. The representative of the STDF Secretariat  showed a film on food safety in the cocoa value 
chain. The film illustrated SPS challenges in the cocoa chain by showing the journey of the cocoa 
bean from the plantat ion to the final product.2 
68.  The Chairperson  thanked  the STDF Secretariat for the briefing and Members for their 
statements. She said that n on-tariff measures such as SPS regulations serve d important public 
policy objectives  but c ould inhibit  market access  for firms from LDCs, particular ly small and 
                                                
1 Available at: http://www.standardsfacility.org/SPS -eCert   
2 The film is available on the STDF websit e: http://www.standardsfacility.org/stdf -film-cocoa   WT/COMTD/LDC/M/ 80 
 
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 medium -sized enterprises . She was  encoura ged to hear that the STDF allocated  over 60% of its 
projects resources to LDCs, and therefore fully m et its target of allocating at least 40% of project 
resources to LDCs and other low -income countries.  
69. She encourage d the LDCs to continue making use of the Facility to build their SPS capacity 
in order to better exploit market access opportunities offered to them. She also encourage d 
Members to consider providing support to  the STDF to the benefit of LDCs and other developing 
countries. She  suggest ed that the Sub -Committee take note of the briefing made by the STDF 
Secretariat, as well as the statements made.  
70. It was so agreed . 
E. OTHER BUSINESS  
71. The representative of the UNIDO  congratulate d the Chairperson on her election as the Chair 
of the Sub -Committee. Pointing to  the fact that 34 out of the 48 LDCs were African countries, he 
intended to brief the Sub -Committee on the  United Nations General Assembly  (UNGA) Resolution 
(A/RES/7 0/293, 25 July 2016) proclaim ing the period 2016 -2025 as the Third Industrial 
Development Decade for Africa  (IDDA III) .  
72. He said that in t his Resolution, the UNGA called upon the African Union Commission,  the 
New Partnership for Africa' s Development, the E conomic Commission for Africa, and, specifically , 
the UNIDO , to develop, operationalize and lead the implementation of the programme for  the 
IDDA  III. He stated that t he programme would  include , inter alia , support in the areas of trade 
capacity building, agribusiness value chain development  and productive diversification . He further 
noted that t he resolution  invited UNIDO to foster partnerships with other relevant entities in the 
UN System, while also strengthening PPPs with a range of stakeholders . The UN GA also invite d the 
international community, particularly bilateral and multilateral partners, global and regional 
financial institutions, in particular the World Bank, the IMF and the African Development Bank to 
ensure their full support.  
73. He highlighted t hat the implementation of the IDDA III Resolution was a priority for UNIDO, 
which was working at different levels, in support of countries and with all entities referred to in the 
resolution, towards its success. He mentioned that a  first progress report would be submitted to 
the GA in September 2017.  
74. The Chairperson  thanked the representative of the UNIDO for his statement. She i nform ed 
the Sub -Committee that t he next meeting was tentatively scheduled for 3  October  2017 and that 
the date w ould be confirme d in due course.  
75. In the absence of any other business, t he meeting was adjourned . 
 
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