JOB/GC/125  
 
19 May  2017 
(17-2727) Page: 1/2 
General Council    
 
AGENDA ITEM 2: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALI AND NAIROBI  OUTCOMES  - 
STATEMENT BY THE CHA IRMAN  
THURSDAY , 18 MAY  2017 
1.1.  This item was introduced on the agenda by one of my predecessors to continue to follow up 
the Ministerial decisions adopted in Bali and then Na irobi – and to do that in an inclusive and 
transparent manner. In the same spirit, and to effectively fulfil the mandates, I suggest that we 
keep this item on the agenda and that I continue to provide a report on implementation matters at 
our meetings, whe re updates are available.  
1.2.  On 2 May, I met with the newly appointed Chairs of Regular Bodies to discuss 
implementation issues and to review our collective agenda this year. We had a productive 
exchange, and I would like to thank them for their cooperation a nd for the work they are taking 
forward in their respective bodies. Their updates from that meeting form the basis of my 
statement today.  
1.3.  Starting with the so called "regular work", and concerning the decision on TRIPS non -
violation and situation complaint s, the TRIPS Council has discussed the matter at each of its 
meetings since MC10, including at its last meeting in March. Members remained divided on 
whether such complaints should apply to TRIPS, whether there was a need to establish scope and 
modalities and whose task it would be to propose possible elements for scope and modalities. The 
incoming Chair will continue to explore options for possible ways forward with delegations before 
and at the TRIPS Council's next meeting in June.  
1.4.  Regarding the decision on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, discussions have 
been taking place in the Goods Council, the Services Council, the TRIPS Council and the CTD based 
on a number of submissions which were circulated in some or all of these four bodies.  In line with 
the Nairobi Decision, we will have a review of progress in the work programme at the General 
Council meeting in July.  
1.5.  Regarding Aid for Trade, the next CTD Aid for Trade session and accompanying works hop will 
be held on 30 -31 May. This workshop is a s tepping stone to the 2017 Global Review of Aid for 
Trade, themed "Promoting Trade, Inclusiveness and Connectivity for Sustainable Development", 
that wi ll be held on 11 -13 July 2017. And I understand the Director -General wishes to intervene on 
this matt er at the end of my statement.  
1.6.  Moving now to Agriculture and with respect to Nairobi Decision on Export Competition, the 
second dedicated discussion on export competition will take place during the June 2017 meeting of 
the Committee on Agriculture. As in the p ast, the discussions will be held on the basis of the 
Secretariat's background document on export competition which was circulated on 10 May. This 
document is based on the replies to the export competition  questionnaire received from 
33 Members, which is c omparable to the response rate in 2016.  
1.7.  With respect to the implementation of the Bali Decision on TRQ Administration, several 
Members are reporting fill rates. According to the Decision, a review of the operation of that 
Decision should begin no later tha n the end of 2017.  
1.8.  And as far as the implementation of the Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security 
Purposes is concerned, no Member has sought to use the interim solution, therefore the JOB/GC/125  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Committee on Agriculture has not been called upon to take ac tion and no information has been 
provided by Members in the context of the monitoring foreseen.  
1.9.  Regarding Development and LDC issues: Duty -Free Quota Free market access for LDCs, 
which was among the Bali Decisions, remains a standing item on the agenda of the CTD, and 
discussions will continue at the next CTD meeting, which will be held in June.  
1.10.   The situation remains unchanged with respect to the Monitoring Mechanism on Special and 
Differential Treatment, where no written submissions by Members have yet bee n made. In recent 
meetings, a number of Members have shared their thoughts and perspectives on why the 
Monitoring Mechanism is not being tested and also what they see as possible ways forward. The 
next meeting of the Monitoring Mechanism will be held in Ju ne. 
1.11.   Concerning Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs, several preference granting Members have 
informed the Committee on Rules of Origin of the efforts they are making to reform their rules of 
origin and align them to the provisions and guidelines of the M inisterial Decision. In the 
Committee, Members also adopted a new template for the notification of preferential rules of origin 
for LDCs. The templates must be submitted by all preference -granting Members by 30 June 2017. 
All preference -granting Members wi ll submit information using the template, even if notifications 
were made in the past - this will ensure that updated and comparable information is available. The 
Committee had adopted a methodology for the calculation of utilization rates and the Secretar iat 
has therefore prepared a first draft report of utilization rates in LDC duty -schemes. The format of 
the Report is being fine -tuned in collaboration with preference -granting Members so that it may be 
discussed later in the year. Discussions on these and  other related aspects of the Ministerial 
Decision will continue throughout 2017 in the Committee.  
1.12.   On the operationalization of the LDC services waiver, at the March meeting of the Council 
for Trade in Services, LDCs focused on the preferential treatment notified by one Member, who 
then provided several answers and indicated that it would follow -up on the remaining questions 
bilaterally.  The LDC Group also called on all preference -grantors to provide technical assistance 
aimed at building supply capacity in LDCs, and to undertake initiatives to raise awareness of the 
waiver preferences domestically. The tally of notifications of preferences for LDC services and 
service suppliers received by the Council for Trade in Services is 24, with the new notification  
submitted by Panama; as the Operationalisation of the LDC Services Waiver is a standing item on 
its agenda, the Council will take up the new notification, and the waiver more generall y, at its next 
meeting in June.  
1.13.   And finally, work on Trade Facilitation continued to advance. Six additional Members 
completed their ratification process since the Agreement entered into force on 22 February, 
bringing the overall number of acceptance instruments to a current total of 118.  
1.14.   Progress was also made on the notific ation side with five Members submitting input on their 
commitment designations since the Agreement's entry into force, mo stly with respect to 
categories  B and C. While this marks a welcome step in the efforts to bring those notifications up 
to the level of  category A input, there is still a considerable amount of catching up to be done. 
Notifications are still outstanding on other part s of the Agreement, such as on A rticles 1:4 on 10:4, 
10:6, 12:2 and 22.  
1.15.   Work will continue in the newly established Trade Fa cilitation Committee, a regular body 
under the Goods Council, which held its inaugural session on 16 May. Members will be updated on 
progress of work in the Committee in the format used in other CTG subsidiary bodies, such as via 
annual reports.  
1.16.    I hope t hat the positive trajectory of WTO work on Trade Facilitation will continue and urge 
all Members to do their best in fulfilling their commitments so that we can move this important 
agenda forward.  
__________