RESTRICTED  
  
WT/PCTF/M/2  
 
7 April 2014  
(14-2177)  Page: 1/11  
Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation   
 
 MINUTES OF THE MEETING 
HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD 10 MARCH 2014 
Chairman: H.E. Mr. Esteban Conejos (Philippines) 
 
 1  INTRODUCTION 
1.1.  The Chairman recalled that the proposed agenda for the meeting had been circulated in 
WTO/AIR/4253, containing two main items:  Member s would first be invited to formally adopt the 
work plan and meeting schedule they had already informally agreed upon at the meeting of the 
Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation (PCTF) on 24 February. Following that, the Committee 
would set initial steps to put the agreed plan into  practice by starting substantive work. In line 
with Members' request, the PCTF would follow a sequenced approach and would focus on the legal 
review before moving on to the other parts of the mandate.  
1.2.  The agenda was adopted. 
2  FORMAL ADOPTION OF WORK PLAN AND SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS AGREED UPON BY 
MEMBERS AT THE INFORMAL, OPEN-ENDED SESSION OF 24 FEBRUARY (WT/PCTF/W/2) 
2.1.  The Chairman recalled that the proposal he had made at the meeting of 24 February 
regarding the work plan and meeting schedule wa s based on Members' suggestions and had found 
their acceptance. Consequently, it had been circulated as an official document (WT/PCTF/W/2). Given that an entire meeting had already been dedicated to its discussion, and that he had not 
heard any objections to what had emerged from that  session in terms of a proposed work plan and 
schedule, he did not intend to re-open the floor for a debate on specific elements. He invited Members to formalize the informal accord already achieved last month by officially adopting 
document WT/PCTF/W/2.  
2.2.  The representative of Lesotho, speaking on behalf of the African Group, did not have a 
problem with what the Chairman had outlined. There were, however, a few things that the 
Chairman had referred to in the informal meetin g as issues he would report back on to the 
Preparatory Committee, such as the taking of minutes of the meeting. He sought clarity on how the minutes of the meeting would be done.  The footnote in the airgram stated that there would be a summary of the deliberations of the present m eeting, but this needed to be expanded on. 
Another issue which had been raised by the Afri can Group was the invitation of capital-based 
officials to participate in the Preparatory Committee meeting, which was quite important. He further wanted it recorded that the Preparatory Committee would work sequentially, as had been 
stated by the Chairman in his remarks.     
2.3.  The representative of Dominica, speaking on behalf of the ACP Group, said that the ACP 
Group had indicated at the meeting of 24 February that they would study the proposed work plan 
and meeting schedule and would come back in time  for the next meeting with reactions, which 
they now had and wanted registered in the reco rds.  The ACP Group, the African Group and the 
LDC group, as well as a number of other developi ng countries that had spoken on 24 February had 
requested several key elements to be covered as the Preparatory Committee proceeded with its 
work pursuant to the Bali Ministerial (MC9) Decision on Trade Facilitation. WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  2.4.  Firstly, they had requested that work be conducted in accordance with a sequenced 
approach, beginning with the legal review.  Secondly, they had indicated that the limited capacities of many developing country delegations, particular ly LDCs and small delegations, and their ability 
to participate effectively should be taken into account, especially in light of the other meetings that 
would be taking place in parallel, in pursuit of other MC9 mandates.  They had also emphasised 
that consultations with capital would be a critical  element, an indispensable part of the process, 
and that time for those consultations would need to be factored into the Preparatory Committee's 
meeting schedule. The ACP Group, along with th e African Group and the LDC Group had asked for 
support from the WTO and donors to enable partic ipation of capital-based officials at as many 
meetings of the Preparatory Committee as possi ble. The ACP Group had also requested that 
acceding Members and relevant institutions that supported the Committee's work should be 
allowed to participate as observers. 
2.5.  They understood from the Chairman's conclu ding remarks at the meeting of 24 February, and 
also from his opening statement at the present meeting, that the Committee would proceed with 
work sequentially, beginning with the lega l review. The Committee would accommodate the 
concerns that had been raised about scheduling of meetings, the issue of observers and support 
for capital-based officials. 
2.6.  His delegation and the ACP Group would like  that the work plan and schedule of meetings 
that had to be adopted in the present formal session would make specific reference to sequencing, taking into account the limited capacities of LDCs and small delegations as well as the need for time to consult with capitals and to address the issue of assistance for capital-based officials to 
attend the meetings.  He asked whether the issue of observers, including acceding countries, could 
be resolved by holding the meetings in formal mode. 
2.7.  The representative of India said that during  the last meeting, there had been a couple of key 
elements that all Members had agreed to and wh ich the Chairman had described in detail in his 
concluding remarks. However, the work plan that had been circulated did not clearly reflect some 
of these elements including the one that his delega tion had raised concerns about, the sequencing 
of work. The work plan said that the Committee wo uld take up those three items of work, but it 
was not mentioned whether they would be taken up in that particular order. His delegation would be grateful if that could be reflected clearly in the work plan. 
2.8.  Regarding the issue of keeping minutes and re cords both in formal and informal mode, if the 
legal review, for example, was going to be done  in informal mode, then it was even more 
important that a record be kept of those discussions because these records would form the basis of a clear understanding of the Trade Facilitation Agr eement at a later stage when it would have to 
be implemented. One of the key functions that ha d been assigned to the Committee was to ensure 
that it prepared for the efficient operation of the Agreement, and a clear understanding of the terms of the Agreement was one of the things that  would contribute clearly to that. Therefore, 
minutes and record-keeping were important elements that should be reflected clearly in the work 
plan. As had been mentioned by previous speakers , there also needed to be a clear understanding 
in the schedule that there would be enough time  available for delegations, particularly small 
delegations, to consult with their capitals and to reflect on whatever suggestions were made 
during the preceding meetings.   
2.9.  The representative of Argentina said that the Chairman had stated at the outset of the 
meeting that sequencing would be taken into account, and his delegation saw this as positive, 
particularly taking into consideration the very meagre human resources of most delegations.  
2.10.  The idea would be to take minutes of the Preparatory Committee meetings.  It stated in the 
work plan and meeting schedule that the Prepar atory Committee would be following the rules of 
the General Council which specifically said that it was important that records be kept of all 
discussions in formal mode.  Therefore, he hoped that there would be agreement that everything done in this Committee would be done in formal mode  or, if it were in informal mode, that a record 
would be taken of the informal discussions. WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  2.11.  The representative of Uganda, speaking on behalf of the LDCs, requested that the 
statement Uganda had made during the inform al meeting of the Preparatory Committee on 24 
February be reflected as a record of this meeting.  According to footnote 1 of the airgram, it was 
intended to provide a summary of the discussions after the meeting. The LDCs had requested that 
proceedings of all meetings be recorded and that  minutes be prepared and circulated. This would 
play a fundamental role not only in promoting transparency and inclusiveness, but also for future reference, in case there were misunderstandings in interpretation. The LDCs also requested that 
there would be a formal adoption of General Council rules of procedure as governing the conduct 
of business in the Preparatory Committee.  Given the nature of this exercise, it was important for capital-based officials to participate in meetings of the Preparatory Committee. Therefore, they requested the Secretariat to fund the participation of LDCs in the meetings. Their participation 
would be instrumental in aiding the expeditious en try into force of the Agreement.  They welcomed 
the offer of the EU in this regard and encouraged other partners to do likewise. 
2.12.  At the meeting of 24 February, Uganda, spea king on behalf of the LDCs group, had joined 
other delegations in congratulating Ambassador Conejos on his appointment as Chair of the 
Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation. They had thanked him for his comprehensive report and associated themselves with the statement made  by Dominica on behalf of the ACP group and 
Lesotho on behalf of the Africa group.  
2.13.  The credibility of the process would largely depend, not in part, on how the developed 
country members fulfilled their commitments in Section II of the TF Agreement. Uganda commended those members that had already taken bold steps in making specific commitments on 
allocating funds for the provision of assistance an d support for capacity building. They encouraged 
others who were still in reflection mode to do likewise.  
2.14.  The Director-General had coined a phrase which had gained currency, speaking of the 
“interconnectivity of issues”. Discussions in this committee must bear this principle in mind. In that 
vein, they urged members to take proactive steps in ensuring that the LDC decisions emanating out of the Bali Ministerial Conference, though non-binding and in some cases containing best 
endeavour language, were implemented in a mean ingful way with the view to promoting the 
economic growth and development of the we akest and most vulnerable members of the 
multilateral trading system. 
2.15.  With regard to specific issues, as members developed their work plan regarding the new 
Agreement, they ought to take into account the need of LDCs and other small and less resourced 
missions to participate fully in the work of the committee. They therefore called for a sequenced  
as opposed to a parallel approach to the three issues in the mandate so that members would finish 
one activity before proceeding to the next, starting with  the legal review and then moving on to 
other activities thereafter. 
2.16.  Further, given the nature of the exercise , it was important for capital-based officials to 
participate in meetings of the Preparatory Committ ee. To this end, they requested the Secretariat 
to fund the participation of LDCs. Their participation would be instrumental in aiding the expeditious entry into force of the Agreement.  
2.17.  They had taken note of the recommendation in the Chair's report to follow the rules of 
procedure of the General Council and urged members to formally adopt these rules. In addition, 
they recommended that the proceedings of all meetings of the committee, both formal and 
informal be recorded. That would promote transparency and inclusiveness.   
2.18.  Lastly, they took note of the Norwegian pr oposal regarding the protocol of amendment. It 
would be useful to consider this and all other proposals that would be tabled at the right moment when the Preparatory Committee would be considering possible elements of the Protocol.  
2.19.  Uganda had an issue for the chair to reflect upon. The process upon which he was presiding 
over was built upon the foundation of the Doha Declaration, which left them wondering where this left the principle of the single undertaking. Did it preserve it or not?  WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  2.20.  The Chairman was requested to take into account the need for small and less-resourced 
missions to fully participate in all meetings of the Preparatory Committee and to that end, there 
should be no competing scheduling of meetings. Ther e had been an indication that, in addition to 
the proposals that had been submitted Members, there would also be an opportunity to have a 
read-through of the Agreement. Would this take plac e, given that it had not been explicitly stated 
in the work plan?  The question of sequencing  as opposed to the parallel approach was not 
reflected in the work plan either.   
2.21.  The representative of Cuba supported the previous interventions regarding the importance 
of sequencing, which could not be over-stated. It should be reflected in the work so that small 
delegations could actively participate in all discussions.  It was crucial that there were records of all meetings. India had made it very clear that this matter was important to ensure that there 
were no misinterpretations of what had been said. There should not be summaries of the 
meetings. Rather, as had been the case on previous  occasions, minutes could be written up on the 
screen as discussions took place so that there would be a record of everything said.   
2.22.  The representative of Tanzania expressed his delegation's support for what had been said 
on behalf of the LDCs, as well as for comments made by Lesotho.  During the informal meeting of 
the Committee on 24 February, Tanzania had noted its concern regarding participation of capital-
based officials in Preparatory Committee meetings. Capital-based officials needed to be part of the 
Committee's work in order to expeditiously conclude work on trade facilitation. It should be remembered that they were part of the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation and this request should not be seen as something new.  It was no secret that many LDC delegations were thinly 
represented.  The involvement of capital-based offi cials would not only increase efficiency, it would 
ease the workload resulting from too many co mpeting meetings being scheduled by different 
Committees in this house. Tanzania requested the Secretariat to facilitate and support the 
participation of these officials. 
2.23.  During the last informal meeting Members had flagged the need for sequencing the 
Committee's work, i.e., to first work on the legal scrubbing, second, on the drafting of the protocol 
and third, on the receipt of Category A notification s. Tanzania supported this approach.  They also 
supported the view to have proceedings of this Committee recorded in the form of minutes. These issues had been captured in the Chairman's summary  at the end of the last meeting.  Some of the 
details were missing from the work plan in document WT/PCTF/W/2, dated 24 February 2014. 
They would like to see them addressed appropriately. 
2.24.  Another issue which had come up at the last meeting was the relationship between the 
Trade Facilitation Agreement and paragraph 47 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration as it related to 
the Single Undertaking. The principle of the Sing le Undertaking should be preserved so as to 
assure development as it was contained in the DDA. All meetings of the Preparatory Committee should be conducted in formal mode.  That was the best way to guarantee that deliberations of the 
Committee were recorded for posterity.    
2.25.  The representative of Venezuela supported  the sequencing of discussions, the need to 
record the outcome of the meeting, whether it would be in formal or informal mode, and the need 
to have enough time so that capitals could proper ly evaluate the outcome of these meetings.  They 
also wanted to know the schedule of meetings sufficiently in advance.   
2.26.  The representative of Peru raised a question regarding the situation for Spanish-speaking 
countries which were using the Spanish-language version of the text. How would the sessions 
proceed – would there be a translation of the text  or would the English version be provided first 
and then the French and Spanish versions? How did the Chairman plan to take these needs into consideration? Obviously the text would be in English, but could there be a Spanish version?   
2.27.  The representative of Jamaica associated himself with the statement made by Dominica on 
behalf of the ACP Group.  They also wanted to  underscore the principle of sequencing, which was 
fundamental to ensuring the effective participation of small delegations in the work of the Committee. Jamaica also wanted to emphasise that provisions should be made for the participation 
of capital-based representatives in Committee meetings, as well as of observers. WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  2.28.  The representative of Bolivia supported the idea that there should be greater clarity in the 
work plan and meeting schedule in terms of sequen cing.  Secondly, minutes of the meeting should 
be recorded and this should apply to both formal and informal modes. The Committee should take into consideration the situation of small economies when organizing its meetings, and do so in a 
way that allows for consultations to take place with capital.   
2.29.  The representative of Nigeria endorsed the statements made by Lesotho on behalf of the 
African Group, by Uganda on behalf of LDCs and by  Dominica of behalf of the ACP on the need for 
transparency, inclusiveness and full participation of all Members. Nigeria also shared the concerns 
of small delegations. They further supported the idea of keeping a record of meetings, as well as the sequencing of issues and the participation of capital-based officials in Committee activities.   
2.30.  The representative of the European Union stated that the EU could fully support the 
proposed work plan and meeting schedule. It was im portant that all delegations, even the smallest 
one, had time to dedicate the necessary resources to this exercise. Therefore, they could support a sequenced approach between the legal scru bbing and the drafting of the protocol. 
2.31.  The European Union had already been providing funding for the participation of officials 
from capital and they would continue to do so this year. They trusted that due advantage would be taken of the possibilities offered by this funding. 
2.32.  The Preparatory Committee had one major task given to it by Ministers: to adopt a protocol 
of amendment by 31st July 2014. The Committee wo uld have to keep that deadline in mind. 
Consequently, it was of the utmost importance that the Committee stuck to the methods and the deadlines that were fixed in the Chairman's work plan. 
2.33.  With respect to the request from some Members for detailed minutes, the work of the 
Preparatory Committee largely consisted of procedural and technical discussions. Work had not been carried out in formal mode when the substanc e of the TF Agreement had been negotiated.  It 
seemed strange to now have formal discussions and detailed records for work which was not even 
substantive. Rather than having minutes of di scussions on commas and renumbering, there should 
be a pragmatic and feasible approach.   
2.34.  There had to be a document that allowed delegations to duly report to capitals what had 
happened at the meeting. This did not need to be  formal minutes. Rather, it should be a summary 
of the discussions containing all relevant points raised. Members should opt for something falling short of formal minutes in order to not overburden the process with something that was not 
essential. His delegation trusted the Chairman's judgement on these procedural matters, which 
were totally in the Chair's remit.   
2.35.  The representative of Zimbabwe supported the comments made by Lesotho on behalf of the 
African Group and by Dominica on behalf of the ACP Group regarding the issue of sequencing and 
transparency. There should also be the participation of capital-based officials in meetings, as well as a timeline for all the items under the work programme.   
2.36.  The representative of Australia supported the work plan circulated in document 
WT/PCTF/W/2.   
2.37.  As some Members had mentioned, the Co mmittee had discussed additional issues in the 
informal meeting in late February on how it would conduct its work. One element was the taking of 
records. Here, there was an on-screen format for this which was ready to go. This format had 
served Members very well in the NGTF sessions. It  allowed for records of informal meetings to be 
taken in the most efficient way possible. Meetings should be conducted in the most efficient way 
depending on the tasks tackled. This would involve the flexibility of accommodating both formal 
and informal modes. Australia was supportive of the informal mode with Members' comments being recorded and circulated in summary on-screen format, which would be the most efficient 
way forward.  
2.38.  With regard to sequencing, Australia had no reservations about taking up the legal scrub 
first. The current work plan did not preclude that . Therefore, there was no necessity to include a 
specific reference to it in that plan. Australia had come to the meeting with the expectation of WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  starting the legal review. They looked forward to  m o v i n g  o n t o  t h a t  t a s k  o n c e  t h e  p r e l i m i n a r y  
discussions were finished. 
2.39.  Australia agreed with trying to plan the meetings as much as in advance as possible to allow 
delegations to prepare for the meeting. This woul d also include Members submitting documents in 
advance where ideas for changes or proposals were  to be made.  Throughout this process, the 
Committee needed to keep in mind the deadlines that had been given by Ministers for completing these tasks. Work should be carried out in the most efficient way possible.   
2.40.  The representative of the United States su pported the intervention made by Australia. The 
US was prepared to go through the proposals that had been circulated and hoped that the meeting 
would get to them in an efficient and rapid way. His delegation supported the work plan put forward by the Chairman and was prepared to work  on that basis. While the plan might not be 
optional, it was based on the discussions Members' had had at the last meeting and struck a very 
balanced approach between all the views expresse d. The Chairman had done an excellent job of 
taking the concerns and views on all sides into account and of coming up with an approach that 
would be workable and pragmatic and would lead to the most efficient way forward. 
2.41.  There seemed to be requests for a level of formality that far exceeded what had gotten the 
Members through the actual negotiations. That was not something that his delegation would 
support.  There had been agreement at the 24 Februa ry meeting that the work plan was consistent 
with the instructions from Bali. The legal review would merely comprise rectifications of a purely formal character, which would largely consist of formatting questions and issues relating to commas, indents, letters and the like. That begg ed the question of why one should have this 
formalisation approach which was not in keeping with the task at hand. Members had agreed to 
minimize the legal scrub to rectifications of a purely formal character and there was no Member supportive of going beyond that. 
2.42.  The work plan laid out by the Chairman and articulated in the Chair's opening remarks was 
fully consistent with the task at hand and the Committee should not get distracted by other purposes that were not on its agenda. The Committee had deadlines, which could be met if it 
worked hard and was focused, but if Members got bogged down in the process, the Committee 
would not achieve all that had been asked of it by the Ministers. He looked forward to moving 
rapidly to a discussion on the commas and paragraph markers because it was important work and the Committee needed to get to it.   
2.43.  The representative of Mexico expressed su pport for the process outlined by the Chairman.  
The work plan and meeting schedule reflected the elements which had been discussed in the 
February meeting in a balanced way. Mexico was open to the element of sequencing that several 
delegations had referred to. A possible solution to  formalising approval of the work plan and 
schedule of meetings could be to explicitly in clude the element of sequencing in the first 
paragraph. No delegation had spoken out against this principle and in this way, the Committee 
would be able to formally approve the plan at th is meeting. The Committee should progress on the 
work entrusted to it and meet its objectives in order to comply with its mandate. 
2.44.  The Committee's work was not carried out in isolation. The subsequent phase of work in the 
second half of the year, setting up a work programme for the remainder of the Doha Round, 
depended on the Committee's compliance with its mandate. Therefore, the PCTF should avoid 
complicating the exercise. 
2.45.  Observership for acceding countries and international organizations involved in trade 
facilitation work should be on an ad hoc basis for international bodies. There should be no 
limitation with regard to acceding countries. 
2.46.  The proposal for minutes of formal and informal meetings could lead to the impression that 
the Committee was entering into a negotiation. That was not the case. A legal scrub and work on 
cleaning up the legal language was not a negotiation. It was a work exercise that was customarily done for all negotiated agreements. After the Uruguay Round, where an entire year had been spent on the legal scrubbing of the texts, there had been no minutes of those proceedings. It was 
necessary to be able to send a reflection of the Committee's discussions to capital, but in order to 
be efficient and practical, one should have some kind of consolidated document of the proposals WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  made as well as of suggestions that arose during the meetings, rather than minutes. This would 
result in an evolving consolidated text which reflected the progress of the discussions and which 
could be sent to capital.  
2.47.  The representative of Colombia considered the work plan proposed by the Chairman to be 
appropriate and acceptable as it reflected the natu re of the work that had been entrusted to the 
Committee.  The practical and pragmatic approach of the work plan would be the watchword of the Committee and would also respect the mandate received from the Ministers.  It was important to 
have a good record of the work being done in the Committee, particularly to be able to share it 
with capitals. The Chairman had already advanced that process by arranging for a compilation text to be displayed on-screen. It was a good format that had been used in the past and had shown its 
usefulness. It was a good way of reflecting the discussions on a given subject and his delegation 
would have no problem in continuing with that format as a means of having a record of the 
proceedings. 
2.48.  While supportive of sequencing, it would be  necessary to keep work moving effectively as 
the deadlines in the mandate had to be respecte d. The Committee could not spend all of its time 
on one component of the mandate, it had to ensure that the entire mandate was completed. 
2.49.  Colombia was grateful for the offers to assist in facilitating the participation of capital-based 
officials in meetings. It would be important to  know the timetable for future meetings.    
2.50.  The representative of Cameroon said th at there were some details missing from the 
Chairman's balanced picture. The statements made by the African Group, the ACP and the LDCs, 
as well as by India, were very much to the poin t, despite the reactions of some delegations, and 
were supported by his delegation.   
2.51.  A number of delegations had announced that  they would provide the necessary resources to 
fund the participation of capital-based officials and that was very useful to know because 
delegations had to come at a specific time and th ey needed to know what they were expected to 
do. As there would undoubtedly be many informal meetings in the intervening time, these delegations should not come to waste their time or to use up a travel budget, but to actually 
engage in constructive work. The legal scrubbing  exercise would take time and was full of 
subtleties and small delegations would need to be  able to attend and to meet the requirements 
effectively. The concerns raised by delegates on this issue should be taken on board.  
2.52.  The representative of Paraguay stated th at his delegation agreed with the work plan 
submitted by the Chairman as it reflected a prac tical and balanced approach. They also supported 
Peru's intervention regarding translations. This was something that needed to be solved as the Committee moved through the legal scrubbing. His delegation supported observership for acceding 
countries. Paraguay agreed with the on-screen format of record taking and supported the 
sequenced approach in view of the short time-frame  for completing work by 31 July of this year.  
2.53.  The representative of Guatemala expressed his delegation’s agreement with the proposed 
work plan, which very pragmatically reflected what had been agreed at the February meeting.  
Some points of the work plan could be strengthen ed, as had been noted by a number of Members.  
With regard to minutes, there was a need for a record of the discussions, but Guatemala was open as to the way in which these records could be kept. They could work with the Chairman’s proposal 
in this regard which would allow Members to keep capitals up to speed. Guatemala firmly 
supported the intervention made by Peru regard ing the issue of translations and of having a 
Spanish version of the text. They had found some parts of the Spanish text that they did not 
entirely agreed with and yet this was the text that they would have to use and which would be 
binding on their country. Was there any plan concerning translations?   
2.54.  They also supported sequencing, like the vast majority of Members. With regard to 
sequencing, there was the issue of notifications of categories A, B and C commitments. A technical 
and legal read-through of the text had shown that there were various ways of  interpreting many of 
the provisions and consequently, there could be various ways of notifying. His delegation was committed to meeting the time-frames established by Bali. This process could be as simple or as 
complicated as Members wanted to make it, bu t the Committee needed to get down to work.  WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  2.55.  Therefore, while supporting sequencing, there was a need to analyse how it would be done.  
For example, they had found 28 different phrases which had established obligations in the text.  
Sometimes they virtually said the same thing, but the terms were in a different order and obviously this gave rise to some confusion.  They  also found 140 different obligations at all levels, 
in paragraphs and in sentences and they needed to know how the Committee would work on this 
issue. This would take time and there was not much time before the end of July.   
2.56.  The representative of Japan said that the Committee had to finish all the tasks mandated to 
it by the Ministerial Decision according to the mandated time-schedule.  Given the time remaining, 
this process needed to be finished as soon as possible. Therefore, his delegation fully supported the Chairman's opening statement and work plan. The work plan was well-balanced and reflected the outcome of the discussions of the meeting of 24 February. Japan took note of the concerns 
regarding sequencing, the participation of capi tal officials, and the keeping of minutes. The 
Committee should move to the next phase, the task of legal review, and it should take a pragmatic and practical approach to conducting the review . The approach of using the screen had worked 
well during the negotiation phase and it would work well for this phase of work as well. It further 
had the advantage that capital officials were very familiar with this format . There was no need for 
a formal record of the meeting as formal record-keeping did not work well. The on-screen format, 
on the other hand, had worked very well. The Committee should move to the next phase as soon 
as possible.   
2.57.  The representative of Malaysia made a st atement on behalf of ASEAN.  ASEAN appreciated 
the extensive consultations and preparatory work that the Chairman had done to take the 
Committee thus far. Having concluded the Trade Facilitation Agreement in Bali, it was now all the 
more important that Members pressed on both in Geneva and in capitals with the necessary work to bring the agreement into force.  
2.58.  ASEAN agreed with the work plan put fo rward by the Chairman because ASEAN recognised 
that the Trade Facilitation Agreement was part of the set of balanced outcomes that addressed the 
needs of all Members. ASEAN also recognised its value. The meaningful implementation of this 
Agreement would further advance initiatives that  many Members, including ASEAN, were already 
undertaking to simplify customs procedures in the flow of goods across borders. ASEAN was therefore committed to the expeditious implementa tion of this multilateral binding Agreement 
which also provided capacity support to developing countries and least-developed countries to help 
them implement the Agreement. ASEAN was respectful  of the timelines agreed by Ministers in Bali 
and would work constructively with the Chai rman and other Members throughout the legal 
scrubbing exercise and other urgent work set out for the Committee. 
2.59.  Speaking for Malaysia, it was important that the Committee made progress and kept within 
the timeline as mandated. Malaysia was open to what the approach would be, but there was a need to start with the work on legal scrubbing as businesses were watching and they had high 
hopes of seeing this Agreement implemented. Her delegation was open to the format used for 
keeping records of the meetings.   
2.60.  The representative of Hong Kong, China su pported the Chairman's proposed work plan and 
statement. It was pragmatic and balanced. They had no problem with sequencing and were fine if 
some Members desired further clarity on that. However, Ministers had given a deadline of 31 July 
to complete all three elements of the work. It  would therefore be of concern if the Committee 
seemed to be getting bogged down in one element.   
2.61.  Regarding capturing the progress, the on-screen method had worked well during the actual 
negotiations. The legal scrubbing should be very technical and it was questionable whether there 
was a need for complete clarity and whether it was worth to record who said what exactly.   
Minutes took weeks to produce and they cost a lot of money, and Hong Kong China would be 
reluctant to follow that route if there were other equally effective ways of doing it, which would be available almost instantaneously.   
2.62.  The representative of Saudi Arabia considered that the way of taking notes which had been 
used during the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation was a useful one. There was no need to 
conduct meetings in a formal mode. Members had us ed and were familiar with the informal mode 
for negotiations. The legal review was part of that process and the Committee should continue the WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  same practice.   
2.63.  The Chairman stated that there was basic agreement with the fact that the Committee was 
going to conduct its work in a sequential approach. As evidence of that, in his introductory 
remarks, he had stated that "in line with Members' request, we will follow a sequenced approach 
and focus on the legal review before moving on to the other parts of our mandate." That was very 
clear. The disagreement, or the concern, seemed to be with why this sequencing had not been specified in the work plan. The reason for that was that the work plan should capture only the 
main elements and principles of the planned mode  of operation. There should be room left for 
those elements and principles to be specified an d articulated as the Committee's work progressed.  
It was not appropriate at this very early stage of work to come out with a very prescriptive approach to the work as it might be necessary to change the plan again. The Committee was going 
to adopt the sequential approach. There was no need to capture this in the work plan because this 
would be the way in which the Committee would proceed in any case. 
2.64.  With regard to the method of record-k eeping, according to the work plan, the Committee 
would adopt a combination of both formal and informal approaches. The beauty of an informal 
approach was that Members would not be compelled to come out with established positions, reading from pre-prepared statements. Delegations would be able to respond flexibly to proposals 
from the floor and that would mean a lot in terms of moving work ahead. According to WTO rules, 
there were no minutes for informal meetings. Furthermore, if Members were to insist on minutes, those minutes would have to come out before the next meeting of the Committee could be held. Considering that this would take weeks, given the am ount of effort that their preparation took, this 
would slow down the work of the Committee considerably. If there was not the time constraint of 
having to conclude work by 31 July, it would not be such a problem to have minutes. But since there was a specific deadline and the preparation of minutes took a long time, this could slow 
down progress significantly.   
2.65.  During the legal review, the Committee would adopt a process that would give delegations 
an almost immediate summary of the discussions. This format had also been adopted during the 
actual negotiations of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and Members had seen that it worked well. 
It accurately captured the proceedings. The on -screen summary of discussions would be available 
almost right after the meeting. It could be sent to  capitals and they could have a record of what 
had been discussed, which essentially would be tec hnical aspects, only rectifications of a formal 
character that did not affect the substance. There would not be a formal line-by-line verbatim 
reproduction of what had been said, as in minutes, as this would not achieve the objective. The suggestion would be to try the on-screen approach and to see along the way how it worked.  The 
work plan was as flexible as possible so that the Committee could adopt changes as it went along.  
He urged Members to give the summary record a chance to work. 
2.66.  He thanked the European Union for their expression of support regarding the request by 
many Members for the participation of capital-based officials. This would entail some kind of 
coordination between those providing assistance and those who needed this type of support. It 
was envisaged to bring those officials for a meeting as soon as technically feasible. The possibility of attending subsequent meetings would be explored. There would be coordination with the 
European Union and with delegations wishing to bring their capital officials to see how it would be 
operationalized.  
2.67.  The concern expressed regarding effective participation in meetings was adequately 
captured in the work plan, which requested Members to submit their proposals way in advance of 
the meeting, if possible, precisely to allow Members to come prepared. The work plan language was quite explicit on that point in that it stated that "subsequent meetings will then be held on a 
regular basis with every effort being made to ensure appropriate lead up and preparation time 
between sessions and to respect capacity constraints especially those of small delegations.  In this 
context, Members are requested to submit their contributions well in advance, ideally no later than a week before the meeting in which they want to see them addressed." That was the reason the 
four proposals being discussed today had all been submitted way in advance, at least one week 
before. The work plan did address this concern and it was specifically reflected in the schedule of 
meetings.   WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  2.68.  The work plan also addressed translation matters, perhaps not in a very specific manner, 
but it contained the following reference: "Attention will be paid to ensuring linguistic accuracy in all official WTO languages." The question was how this would be operationalized. There was no decision at this point, but an initial approach could be for the Committee to come out with French 
and Spanish translations after the discussions had been completed and every written proposal had 
been considered. At that point, the Committee would have a good idea of what the exact changes would be and these changes would be put into both the Spanish and the French translations.  
2.69.  The issue of observers had been addressed in  the work plan as well, reflecting the outcome 
of the extensive consultations he had undertaken ov er the course of almost three weeks. It stated 
that "Opportunity will be given to international organizations such as, in particular, the Annex D's to participate in meetings if and as requested by Members which they will decide on a case-by-
case basis." It would be up to Members to indicate which organization they would like to have 
present for a particular meeting and this suggestion would then be put to the general membership for a decision. Requests would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. 
2.70.  Regarding the request for a consolidated document containing all proposals, the proposed 
summary of proceedings would offer this as it contained the various proposals, side-by-side. This summary was a tool to better understand the proposals. This approach should be given a chance 
to see how it worked and if it met the Committee's needs and requirements. 
2.71.  With regard to the specific scheduling of meetings, the work plan made reference to this, 
while perhaps not very specifically. It said that "An open-ended session will be held on 10th March to formally adopt the work plan agreed on 24th February and to commence substantive work.  
Subsequent meetings will then be held on a regular basis with effort being made to ensure 
appropriate lead-up and preparation time." It reflects the attempt to respond to the needs of Members in terms of their resource constraints in trying to schedule the meetings. Reference was 
further made to there being a combination of formal and informal meeting elements. 
2.72.  This part of the current session had been conducted in formal mode, and everything that 
had been said up to now, including all views about the specifics that Members would have wanted 
to see indicated in the work plan, would be recorded in the minutes.   
2.73.  The representative of Cameroon requested assurance that his delegation had the right to 
make proposals, including verbal proposals during  the meetings, and, depending on the situation, 
whether he could ask for a French version of a document that would be submitted on a case-by-
case basis.  
2.74.  The Chairman stated that Members retained the right to make proposals both in written and 
verbal form. Substantive discussions at this meet ing would take place without prejudice to any 
proposals that Members might submit before 31 March. Such proposals would be given the same 
latitude and same full hearing that the four proposals already on the table would receive.     
2.75.  The Chairman proposed the adoption of th e work plan and schedule of meetings as set out 
in document WT/PCTF/W/2, subject to the interventions made. 
2.76.  There were no objections.  
2.77.  The work plan and schedule of meetings were formally adopted.    
3  LEGAL REVIEW OF THE TRADE FACILITATI ON AGREEMENT FOR RE CTIFICATIONS OF A 
PURELY FORMAL CHARACTER THAT DO NOT AFFECT THE SUBSTANCE OF THE 
AGREEMENT 
3.1.  This part of the meeting was conducted in informal mode.  
3.2.  The Committee took note of the statements made. WT/PCTF/M/2 
 
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  4  OTHER BUSINESS 
4.1.  The Chairman noted that the Committee had not been able to go through all suggestions 
presented by Members, and that there were more proposals to come. As a result, it would be 
necessary to extend the duration of Preparator y Committee sessions. He was also mindful of the 
approaching deadlines, which required the Committee to expedite its work. At the same time, he 
was aware that Members needed sufficient time to prepare and that resource constraints had to be considered, especially those of small delegations.  For those reasons, he proposed that the next 
meeting of the Preparatory Committee be held from 7-9 April. Details on its precise structure 
would be communicated in due course. 
4.2.  It was so agreed. 
4.3.  The Preparatory Committee took note of the statements made. 
 
4.4.  The meeting was adjourned.  
 
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