WT/MIN(13)/10  
 
3 December 2013  
(13-6600)  Page: 1/4  
Ministerial Conference 
Ninth Session 
Bali, 3-6 December 2013  Original: English/French  
 
 LDC TRADE MINISTERS' MEETING 
BALI, INDONESIA, 2 DECEMBER 2013 
MINISTERIAL DECLARATION 
The following communication, dated 2 December 2013,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Nepal on behalf of the LDCs.  
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 We, the Ministers of the Least Developed Countries,  
 
Meeting  in Bali on December 2, 2013 on the eve of the Ninth session of the WTO Ministerial 
Conference (MC9, December 3-6, 2013);   
 
Underlining  the importance of the multilateral trading system embodied in the WTO and the need 
for meaningful and effective integration of Least Developed Countries in the multilateral trading system;  
 
Expressing concern  that the prolonged lack of progress on most of the issues of the Doha 
Development Agenda undermines the aspiration of LD Cs to gain the development benefits of fair 
and equitable trading system;   
 Emphasizing that development is central to the success of MC9, and crucial for the credibility and 
efficiency of the multilateral trading system; 
 Urging  Members to consider all possible means to help LDCs improve their participation in world 
trade;  
 
Underlining  WTO’s important role in the effective implem entation of the trade related priorities in 
the Istanbul Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2011-2020;  
 
Recalling the Declaration adopted by LDC Trade Ministers' during the Eighth WTO Ministerial 
Conference in 2011; 
 
Duty-free-quote-free (DFQF) mark et access and Rules of origin 
 
Urge for the adoption of the proposed Decision on Duty-free and Quota-free market access for 
LDCs (JOB/TNC/33). Reaffirm the need for full an d early implementation of Decision 36 of Annex F 
of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration on measures in favour of LDCs. In this regard, urge developed countries, and developing countries declaring themselves in a position to do so, to 
further improve duty-free and quota-free market access for products originating from all LDCs; 
 Request Members to adopt the decision on preferential rules of origin (JOB/TNC/24/Rev.1) and 
adapt and develop their rules of origin frameworks in line with the decision, with a view to further 
enable LDCs to make meaningful use of preferences afforded to them. Also, invite Members to consider a more comprehensive and binding outcome on preferential Rules of origin for LDCs in line with LDCs’ detailed submission (TN/C/W/63);   
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  Cotton 
 
Reaffirm the importance of cotton in the economy of many LDCs and our concern with regard to the inability of Members to implement the Hong  Kong mandate which requires an ambitious, 
expeditious and specific treatment of the cotton issue.  
 Therefore urge Members to resolve this issue as so on as possible in the spirit of the mandate on 
this issue as contained in the Decision adopted by the General Council on 1 August 2004, the 
Hong Kong Declaration and the basic mandate to be given in Bali building on the progress made in the draft modalities on agriculture of December 2008;  
Express our appreciation to bilateral and multilateral donors for their assistance to the cotton 
sector in LDCs and stress the importance of effect ive and better aid targeted to LDC producers and 
exporters of cotton, taking into consideration and establishing a useful link with existing 
mechanisms such as  the Aid-for-Trade (AfT) initiative.  
 Services 
 Call upon Members to adopt the proposed decision  on the operationalization of the LDC Services 
Waiver (JOB/TNC/25/Rev.1). Also urge Members to (i) assist LDCs expand their export base in 
services by granting commercially meaningful pr eferences to LDC services and service suppliers;  
(ii) provide information on steps taken to o ffer commercially-meaningful preferences to LDC 
services and service suppliers, on an annual basis, to the Council for Trade in Services; (iii) remove any market access barrier, including domestic regulatory and administrative barriers 
and other relevant measures that may impede current or potential LDC services exports; and 
(iv) make the proposed high level meeting successful with concrete offers to the LDCs on the basis of LDCs’ collective request;   
 
Trade Facilitation 
 Reaffirm our readiness to engage constructively to resolve the remaining issues in Trade 
Facilitation and hope that a Trade Facilitation Agreement will adequately take into account the 
interests and concerns of LDCs. Underline that LDCs should only be required to undertake commitments consistent with their individual de velopment, financial and trade needs or their 
administrative and institutional capabilities and that LDCs would in no ways be obliged to 
undertake investments in infrastructure projects. Also stress that, with a view to ensuring that LDCs acquire sustainable implementation capacity , the implementation of the measures notified 
under Category C by the LDCs should be conditional on the provision of sustained, adequate and 
effective technical and financial assistance;   Emphasize the importance of effective and operational provisions on Special and Differential 
Treatment that ensure delivery of targeted technical and financial assistance and capacity building 
on a sustainable basis necessary to acquire full implementation capacity;  
Agriculture and Development issues 
 
Recognize the importance of agriculture to the economies of least developed countries and 
emphasize on the need of greater market access for LDCs as well as elimination of trade distorting 
support measures by developed countries. Support the works done in the areas of food security, 
TRQ administration and export competition, including provision to exercise utmost restraint with regard to any recourse to all forms of export subsidies and all export measures;    
 
Call upon Members to adopt the proposed Decision on Monitoring Mechanism on Special and Differential Treatment (JOB/TNC/34). Stress on the need to make the Mechanism effective so as to 
strengthen the effectiveness and implementation of S&D provisions of multilateral WTO 
Agreements, Ministerial and General Council Decisions;  
Request MC9 to provide guidance to work on all S&D provisions including the 28 Agreement 
specific proposals (Cancun 28) in accordance with the mandate of paragraph 44 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration;    WT/MIN(13)/10 
 
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  TRIPS 
 
Welcome the Decision by the Council for TRIPS to extend the transition period under TRIPS Article 66.1 until 1 July 2021, and reiterate the need for full and unconditional flexibilities to 
pursue development objectives in the LDCs, including with a view to creating a viable technological 
base;   
Invite Members to agree on the parameters including the definition of technology transfer as well 
as improved format for reporting under Ar ticle 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement, which inter alia , can 
contribute towards effective monitoring of the implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement; 
 
Accession 
 
Reiterate that accession of LDCs remain a priori ty for the membership, and reaffirm commitment 
to facilitate and accelerate negotiations with acceding LDCs. Welcome the General Council's decision of 25 July 2012 (WT/L/508/Add.1) which further strengthens, streamlines and 
operationalizes the 2002 LDC accession guidelines. Urge the full implementation of all aspects of 
the Decisions by all WTO Members with due consideration to the specific circumstances and development objectives of acceding LDCs. Emphasize the need to monitor the faithful implementation of these decisions (WT/L/508 an d WT/L/508/Add.1), and to that end urge the 
General Council and the Sub-Committee on LDCs to  regularly review accession of LDCs. Urge 
Members to continue giving priority attention to  concluding the ongoing accession proceedings as 
rapidly as possible; 
 
Welcome the conclusion of Yemen accession negotiations to WTO, and the Working Party Decision of 26 September 2013 and look forward to its form a l  a d o p t i o n  a t  M C 9 .  H o p e  t o  s e e i n g  Y e m e n 
taking its seat as a full-fledged LDC WTO Member as soon as possible;  
 LDC Work Programme 
 
Welcome the revised Work Programme adopted by Members in July 2013 
(WT/COMTD/LDC/11/Rev.1), and call upon them to implement the Work Programme so as to advance all issues of systemic concern to LDCs in the multilateral trading system;  
 
Trade related technical assistance 
 
Underline the need for strengthened human and institutional capacity in LDCs to deal with issues 
relating to the multilateral trading system. In this regard, request Members to consider earmarked resources for LDCs to make full use of the products such as national activities. Also request Members to further strengthen the internship programmes including the provision for allowing one 
intern per LDC each year to assist the resource-constrained Geneva Missions;  
 Aid for Trade 
 Welcome the deliberations held during the Fourth  Global Review of Aid for Trade, and underline 
the importance of continued Aid-for-Trade work under the auspices of WTO, especially to help 
integrate LDCs in the context of international trade increasingly shaped by Global Value Chains. 
Emphasize the need of development partners’ compliance with their commitments to mobilize additional resources to allow for the predictable,  effective and sustainable implementation of the 
AfT, with particular focus on the LDCs. Urge donors to provide support necessary for the 
implementation of national and re gional aid for trade strategies;  
 Reemphasize that Aid for Trade should make qualit ative change in the trade capacity of LDCs, in 
particular addressing supply-side and trade-related infrastructure constraints and economic 
diversification;   
Enhanced Integrated Framework  
 
Express appreciation for the support and assistance  provided by the EIF Secretariat, development 
partners and partner agencies to the LDCs and emphasize the continued relevance of the EIF as 
highlighted by the Medium Term Review conducted in 2012; WT/MIN(13)/10 
 
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Call upon development partners to extend the EI F beyond 2015 and scale up their support to the 
programme in a substantial and meaningful manner, so that all LDCs in various stages of EIF process can continue to make use of the facilities under it. Also, urge development partners to 
honour their commitments to deliver resources;   
 Underline the need for speedy implementation of EIF, including time bound completion of 
DTIS/DTIS updates and simplification of the procedure for project approval;  
 Post Bali WTO works 
 
Reiterate the importance of early conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) for an 
ambitious and development-friendly outcome giving pr iority to the issues of interest to LDCs and 
call upon all the WTO members to fully commit themselves to the successful conclusion of the DDA 
building on the progress already made; 
 Request Members to resolve longstanding LDC issues without linking those to the full conclusion of 
the single undertaking of Doha Round; 
 Urge members to refrain from introducing ‘new i ssues’ before the DDA is concluded as any attempt 
to introduce new issues would divert the requ ired attention of the membership away from 
addressing issues of the development round;  
 Express concern over the proliferation of plurilat eral approaches, which are against the spirit of 
multilateralism and stress that creating agreements outside the multilateral framework of WTO will 
have serious systemic implications and will not take on board the interests of LDCs;  
WTO Director-General 
 
Pay tribute to the outgoing Director General of the WTO, Mr. Pascal Lamy, for his great efforts to advance DDA negotiations. Congratulate the ne w Director-General, Mr Roberto Carvalho de 
Azevêdo, for his appointment and commend his dedication and tireless efforts to advance the 
negotiations in the WTO and his appreciation for LDC issues in the multilateral trading system.  
 
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