RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/M/87  
 
16 May 2013  
(13-2574)  Page: 1/18  
Committee on Trade and Development 
Eighty-Seventh Session    
 
  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 4 MARCH 2013 
Chairperson: H.E. Ms. Marion Williams (Barbados) 
 
A. ADOPTION OF TH E AGENDA .................................................................................... 2  
B. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND 
DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................................. 2  
C. OBSERVERS ............................................................................................................. 2  
(i) Request for attendance of ad hoc observers  ................................................................. 2  
(ii) Request for observer status by the Economic Community of Central African States  ............ 2  
(iii) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the League of Arab States, 
the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Gulf Organization for 
Industrial Consulting, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, the Common Fund for Commodities, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) 
and the Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Developpement  ...................................................... 3
 
D. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND TRAINING ............................................................. 3  
-  Operationalization of the results-based management monitoring and evaluation 
system (JOB /TC/5) ........................................................................................................... 4  
-  Implementation of planne d activities for 2013 .............................................................. 5  
-  Preparation of the 2014-2015 technical assistance and tr aining pl an ................................ 6  
E. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT - WORK IN THE COMMITTEE ON THE BASIS OF 
THE CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDING STATEMENT FROM THE EIGHTH MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE (WT/MIN(11)/11) ..................................................................................... 6  
-  Operationalization of the CTD's mandate: a proposal to deliver outcomes based on 
the MC8 mandate - proposal from China, Cu ba, Ecuador, India and the African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192) ......................................................................................................... 7  
-  Supporting ministers' guidance for focused work in the Committee on Trade and 
Development - proposal from Australi a, Chile, Colombia and Singapore 
(WT/COMTD/W/191) ......................................................................................................... 9  
F. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE - DECISION OF 17 DECEMBER 2011 (WT/L/843) ........... 12  
-  Workshop on "E-commerce, Development and SMEs" (8-9 April 2013) - statement 
by the Chairperson ........................................................................................................... 12 
G. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE .................................................. 12  
-  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) notifica tion of Customs Union – communication 
from China, Egypt and In dia (WT/COMT D/W/175) ................................................................ 13 
-  Notification of the Agreement on Trad e in Goods between the Association of 
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Korea ........................................................................ 14 WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  -  Notification of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement  between India 
and Korea (Goods) ........................................................................................................... 15 
H. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MECHANISM FOR 
PREFERENTIAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS ........................................................................ 15  
I. REVIEW OF STEPS TAKEN TO PROVIDE DUTY-FREE AND QUOTA-FREE 
MARKET ACCESS TO LEAST- DEVELOPED CO UNTRIES ..................................................... 15  
-  Better utilization of the market access prov ided to LDCs under duty free and quota 
free - communication from Nepal, on beha lf of the LDC Group (WT/COMTD/W/194) .................. 15 
J. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON 
LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ..................................................................................... 18  
K. OTHER BUSINESS .................................................................................................. 18  
 
 A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA 
1. The Committee was informed that the draft agenda for the 87
th Session of the Committee 
on Trade and Development (CTD) was contained in document WTO/AIR/4081 circulated on 22 February 2013, and that a matter would be raised under "Other Business" concerning the CTD's 
mandate to keep under continuous review the participation of developing country Members in the 
multilateral trading system.  
2. The agenda was adopted as amended. 
B. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND 
DEVELOPMENT 
3. The Committee elected Ambassador Marion Williams of Barbados as the Chairperson of the 
CTD for 2013. Appreciation was expressed for the work of the outgoing Chairperson, Ambassador 
Mothae Anthony Maruping of Lesotho. 
C. OBSERVERS 
(i) Request for attendance of ad hoc observers 
1. The Chairperson recalled that, at previous sessions of the CTD, Members had agreed to 
invite a number of intergovernmental organization s on an ad hoc, meeting-by-meeting basis.  
These included the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Cooperation Organization  (ECO), the Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee 
Corporation, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the African Union (AU), the Organization of the 
Islamic Conference (OIC), the South Centre, th e Pacific Islands Forum, the United Nations 
Environment Programme (UNEP), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and 
the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). She said that, following the decision taken at 
the previous meeting of the Committee, the or ganizations had been invited to the present 
meeting.  She proposed that these organizations be  invited to the next formal meeting of the CTD. 
2. It was so agreed.  
(ii) Request for observer status by the Economic Community of Central African States 
3. The Chairperson said that a request had been received from the Economic Community of 
Central African States (ECCAS) for observer status in the CTD. The communication, dated 
3 December 2012, came from the Secretary General of ECCAS, and was addressed to the 
Director-General of the WTO. She went on to say that she was aware of the discussions that had taken place in the CTD on the issue of observer status. She was also aware that the Chair of the 
General Council had been holding consultations on matters relating to observer status in the 
organization. The request from ECCAS had, nevert heless, been brought to Members' attention for 
their consideration. WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  4. The representative of Cameroon expressed his hope that the request from ECCAS could be 
considered positively by the Committee. 
5. The representative of Egypt said that his delegation could accept ECCAS' request on an 
ad hoc basis. 
6. The Committee agreed to grant ECCAS observ er status on an ad hoc basis.   
(iii) Further consideration of requests for observer  status by the League of Arab States, the 
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Gulf Organization for 
Industrial Consulting, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, the Common 
Fund for Commodities, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) and the Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Developpement 
7. The Chairperson said that the positions of delegations were on the record. She reiterated 
that she was aware of the discussions that had taken place on this issue in the CTD, as well as the 
informal consultations that the Chair of the General Council had been holding. She was also aware that some Members had requested that the CTD Chairperson hold independent consultations on 
this matter, and that consultations had been held by her predecessors. She indicated in this regard 
that she was willing to work with Members, if they so wished, to try to help find convergence on a way forward. Members were also encouraged to consult amongst themselves. She suggested that 
the Committee revert to this matter at its next meeting. 
8. It was so agreed. 
D. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND TRAINING 
9. The Chairperson invited the Deputy Director-Gen eral in charge of development issues to 
speak first under this agenda item. The floor would then be given to representatives of the 
Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) to provide further information to Members on technical assistance (TA) issues.   
10. The Deputy Director-General said that, in 2012, the ITTC had strengthened its measures 
to improve the content, delivery and management of TA. She wished to mention four of the ITTC's 
measures in particular. The first measure was the introduction of a new, five-year, e-learning 
strategy. The second measure was concerned with improved partnership terms for the delivery of 
TA. These were based on shared cost for TA delivery, with a movement away from ad hoc cost-sharing and towards systematic cost-sharing arrangements. The third measure was to improve coordination within the Secretariat in the delivery of TA. The fourth measure was the 
introduction of results-based management (RBM).  These measures had contributed to reducing 
pressure on the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (GTF), thereby enabling the Secretariat to carry forward enough resources to not disrupt or delay the implementation of 
activities in 2013. 
11. She went on to provide details of the e-learning programme. She informed the Committee 
that 33 on-line courses had been made ava ilable on a permanent basis in 2012. Over 
6,500 individuals had enrolled in these courses, re presenting an increase of 33% relative to the 
previous year. Of the specific subjects covered, the highest number of participants was registered 
in the courses on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and on trade in services. Participants from LDCs accounted for 30% of the total. With regard to the regional distribution of participants, 39% 
were from Africa, 26% from Latin America and 20% from Asia and the Pacific. A new course 
methodology titled "My Course" was finalized and made available at the end of 2012. The aim was to guide participants in identifying gaps in their WTO knowledge and accordingly selecting the 
appropriate training material. The five-year e-le arning strategy, which had been approved by 
senior management, would allow the WTO to provide a comprehensive and diverse training programme. The programme would remain responsive  to the changing needs of beneficiaries and 
would guarantee maximum returns of the resources invested, in line with RBM. WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  - Operationalization of the results-based management monitoring and evaluation 
system (JOB/TC/5)  
12. The Director of the ITTC recalled that Members had been briefed at the informal CTD 
meeting of 27 June 2012 on the Secretariat's effo rts to design an RBM monitoring and evaluation 
(M&E) system. Referring to document JOB/TC/5, she said that the design of the system had now 
been completed. The M&E system was the Secretariat's strategic tool for achieving targeted results and outcomes relating to TA. The system was designed to provide a continuous flow of information 
to measure the progress being made towards achieving the expected results. It served three key 
purposes. The first was to provide the ITTC with a framework for measuring progress towards the achievement of results and outcomes. The second  was to strengthen the ITTC’s capacity to 
improve the performance and management of TA acti vities. The third purpose was to enable all TA 
services and their results to be measured against stated objectives, so as to provide accountability 
to Members and other relevant stakeholders.  
13. She informed the Committee that the forms used  by the ITTC to collect data and monitor 
progress towards achieving outputs - the Back-to-Office Report (BTOR), the Participants 
Evaluation Form (PEF), the Regional Activity Re quest (RAR) form and the National Request Form - 
had been amended and aligned with the new M&E framework, as well as with the OECD's 
Development Assistance Committee (DAC) criteria. This had been done in order to include 
emphasis on the monitoring of progress toward s achieving outcomes. The new National Request 
Form, found in Annex I of document JOB/ TC/5, replaced the one found JOB/TC/2.  
14. The diagram contained in document JOB/TC/5 outlined the M&E system, which was 
premised on three key stages. The three stages were planning, implementation, and evaluation. 
During the planning stage, lessons from previous M&E exercises would be reviewed, as would consultations with Members and partner agencies. Where appropriate, relevant actions would be 
incorporated into the planning of TA activities. Stakeholders would be mapped and categorized so 
as to understand who they were and how to engage with them. A needs assessment would be undertaken every two years to confirm or re-design the TA services. The TA activities would be 
designed using the Logframe - which was the main  planning tool within the M&E framework - and 
would take into account the budget. Turning to the implementation stage, she said that the Logframe would be used as the basis for monitoring and evaluating the delivery of the TA services. The PEFs and the BTORs would be used to measure the progress made towards achieving the 
outputs recorded in the Logframe. An internal repo rt would be prepared every 6 months to analyze 
performance. Once the internal reporting and review was completed, a final report would be disseminated more widely to external stakeholders and Members.  
15. She went on to say that the evaluation stage focused on analyzing targeted results or 
outcomes. Evaluations would be undertaken on a bi ennial basis. In the context of the 2014-2015 
Technical Assistance and Training Plan (TA Plan), the Secretariat would present refined outcomes 
with indicators to measure progress during 2014 and 2015. The evaluation would cover four areas. 
The first area was concerned with a specific level of the progressive learning strategy (PLS). The second area had a course focus in order to determine the value and quality of a specific course. In the third area, the focus was at the country level, so as to determine the readiness of a given 
country to apply WTO Agreements and rules, as well as to clarify the context in which participants 
worked. General capacity building was the focus of the fourth area. The purpose here was to 
determine countries' abilities to build national  consensus on WTO issues and, for acceding 
countries, to determine preparedness for WTO accession. 
16. In terms of next steps, she said that the intention was to further develop the framework 
online. The ITTC's TA database would be made more interactive, in particular with the creation of a 
dashboard for internal and external use. All the TA forms, including the National Request Forms, 
would be provided online. The objective was for the M&E system to be fully implemented as an online system by the end of 2013.   
17. The representative of Nepal, on behalf of the LDC Group, expressed appreciation for the 
focus on better aligning TA with capacity gaps. He was encouraged to note the LDCs' present share 
of TA, and hoped that the share would increase  further in keeping with the LDCs' needs and 
requirements. He stressed the importance of TA for developing countries, and especially LDCs.  WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  18. The representative of Nigeria said that the planning stage of the M&E system was 
p a r t i c u l a r l y  i m p o r t a n t .  I n  t h i s  l i g h t ,  h e  w i s h e d  t o  k n o w  m o r e  a b o u t  t h e  f o r m a t  o f  t h e  n e e d s  
assessment exercise. He also noted the three challenges that were listed in document JOB/TC/5, and expressed particular concern with the challeng e of obtaining funding for external evaluations. 
Finally, he asked whether some information could be shared on the utilization of the national 
activities.   
19. The representative of Cameroon said that the WTO's TA activities had led to some tangible 
results. He wished to raise, however, some concer ns about the procedures in place with respect to 
some activities. He indicated firstly in this regard that capital-based officials were often not given proper information about TA activities. Second, he said that some officials working in Geneva had 
not had appropriate training before taking up their current positions, and were not able to benefit 
from appropriate training whilst in Geneva.   
20. The representative of the United States expr essed support for the Secretariat's work on 
the M&E system. He indicated that he wished to make a few comments on the system. He noted 
firstly that, since each country would request different forms of TA for different purposes, it was 
not immediately clear in the context of RBM ho w the ITTC would measure the achievement of 
results on a larger scale. In this light, he suggested that it would be useful to provide a brief 
linkage to higher-level ITTC goals. His delegati on also recommended the inclusion of a paragraph 
on benchmark data as part of the implementati on stage of the M&E system. He added that the 
formative evaluation should make explicit some mechanism for mid-stream course correction. Finally, while praising the online data dashboard, he noted that the key would be in ensuring 
widespread and consistent usage.   
21. The representative of Mexico emphasized the importance of evaluating TA activities. He 
wished to know, however, how the evaluation wo uld take into account beneficiaries' comments 
and opinions, as well as the needs that were specified by countries.   
22. The representative of Guinea said that her delegation supported the M&E system. She 
emphasized the importance of TA for developing countries, and particularly the LDCs. 
23. The Director of the ITTC said that the planni ng stage of the M&E system, and in particular 
the issue of needs assessment, was critical. In this regard, she said that the Trade Policy Review 
(TPR) process had been used in the past as a wa y of identifying countries' needs. This approach 
needed to be complemented with other methods. For this purpose, the new National Request Form 
had been developed. Henceforth, rather than requ esting the beneficiaries to mark the areas where 
they believed they needed assistance, the beneficiaries would be asked to describe the particular problems they were facing. This would enable a more targeted response. The Secretariat also 
intended to make more use of the information available from partner organizations when 
identifying countries' needs. Furthermore, the lessons learned in the implementation of TA 
activities would be used in the formulation of future activities. The comments and suggestions of 
beneficiaries of TA activities would also be taken into account. She added that it was important to 
target not only government officials in the provision of TA, but other stakeholders as well. Finally, she indicated that the ITTC was willing to discuss with Members how the M&E system could be further improved.  
24. The Committee took note of all interventions. 
- Implementation of planned activities for 2013 
25. The Director of the ITTC said that the focus in  2013 was to ensure that TA activities were 
implemented without any disruption and were sequen ced to match the needs of beneficiaries. As in 
past years, particular emphasis would be placed on providing assistance to African countries and to LDCs. The Progressive Learning Strategy (PLS) wo uld continue to be applied, while e-learning 
usage would increase. She added that selections would be made in 2013 of the host universities 
for the regional trade policy courses for English-speaking African countries, the Latin American region, the Arab region and the Caribbean region . In addition, 2013 was the fourth  year of the 
WTO Chairs Programme (WCP) and, on the basis of th e findings of an evaluation to be undertaken, 
a decision would be made as to what would happen to the programme after 2013. In this regard, a 
meeting with the WCP Advisory Board would be held in the course of the year. She went on to say WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  that an official communication would be sent shortly to Members to provide the link to the new 
National Request Form. The intention was for Members to start using the new form as of 1 April 2013, and to eventually phase out the old form. Finally, she informed the Committee that, 
in order to facilitate the preparation of the 2014-2015 TA Plan, the ITTC would be holding 
consultations with Members. This matter woul d be elaborated on under the next sub-item. 
26. The Committee took note of the intervention. 
- Preparation of the 2014-2015 technical assistance and training plan 
27. The Head of the ITTC's TA Coordination, Partnerships and Internship Programmes Section 
said that the ITTC had embarked on preparations  of the 2014-2015 TA Plan. The intention was to 
have the Plan ready before the end of July 2013. To this end, the ITTC had started consultations with divisions within the Secretariat as to what activities could be undertaken in 2014 and 2015. 
Consultations with Members, mainly through the regional groupings, would shortly be held to gain 
a better understanding of needs. Partner institutions would also be contacted to ensure that there was coherence in planned activities. In order to guide the discussions with the regional groupings, 
a questionnaire would be prepared and shared with Members. The ITTC's regional desks, as well as 
the various divisions within the Secretariat, would also play a role identifying the needs of each 
region. A draft TA Plan would be prepared on the basis of these processes. He went on to list a 
number of key elements that would form part of the Plan, including the PLS, e-learning, RBM, 
partnerships, regional approaches, national seminars, internship programmes and the WTO reference centres. The intention was to go for quality rather than quantity, and to build on lessons learned regarding what had worked and what hadn't worked in the past. The programmes would 
be specific and focused in order to respond to identified needs. Finally, he noted that there was a 
need to maintain some flexibility in the preparation of the Plan, given that the outcome of the Ninth Ministerial Conference (MC9) was not known at the present time. 
28. The Committee took note of the intervention. 
E. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT - WORK IN THE COMMITTEE ON THE BASIS OF THE 
CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDING STATEMENT FROM THE EIGHTH MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE (WT/MIN(11)/11) 
29. The Chairperson recalled that, at the Eighth Ministerial Conference (MC8), Ministers had, 
inter alia , reaffirmed the link between trade and development and called on Members to fully 
operationalize the mandate of the CTD as a focal point for development work. The CTD had been 
directed to report the results of its work under the MC8 mandate to Ministers at the 9th Session. 
30. She said that the MC8 mandate had been discusse d at each of the formal CTD meetings in 
2012. In addition, the CTD Chairperson had held several informal consultations in the course of 
2012 to hear views and suggestions on what specifically could be done by the CTD under this 
mandate. On several occasions, the Chairperson had invited Members to consider submitting written proposals on concrete areas of work for the CTD, since written proposals were more 
conducive to focused discussion, and would also ensure a Member-driven process. The two written 
submissions that had been discussed at the 86
th Session were reflected under the present agenda 
item. One submission - by China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group - was contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192. The other submission - by Australia, Chile, Colombia and Singapore 
- was contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191. She recalled that the discussions at the last CTD 
meeting had indicated that Members needed more time to consider the proposals contained in the two submissions. She also informed the Committee th at copies of an informal paper containing an 
additional proposal for work in the CTD under the MC8 mandate had been placed in the meeting 
room by Barbados, on behalf of the Group of Sm all, Vulnerable Economies (SVEs). In concluding 
her opening remarks, she stressed the short time  remaining before MC9, when the CTD was to 
report. In this light, there was a need for the Committee to make quick progress in identifying 
what work would be undertaken under the MC8 ma ndate. Her intention was to continue with 
informal consultations as necessary so as to allow progress to be made.  WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  - Operationalization of the CTD's mandate: a proposal to deliver outcomes based on 
the MC8 mandate - proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group (WT/COMTD/W/192) 
31. The Chairperson invited the co-sponsors of the three proposals contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/192 to take the floor first.  
32. The representative of Egypt said that the co-sponsors had presented their proposals at the 
86th Session, and looked forward to Members' comments.   
33. The representative of the United States said that his delegation had comments on the each 
of the three proposals contained in the submission. He indicated that the US welcomed the 
first proposal, which was constructive and had the potential to yield information that would be a valuable resource to Members. The proposal requested the Secretariat to update its document with 
an objective and analytical listing of the special and differential treatment (S&D) provisions, 
identifying the measures that had been taken and put forward to operationalize them. His delegation supported this statement of work and ur ged the Secretariat to provide its update within 
this framework. 
34. With regard to the second proposal, he said that Members were in agreement that the CTD 
was the focal point on development matters in the WTO. That being said, the US viewed the 
proposal as unnecessary, and had concerns that it could be disruptive to the functioning of the 
WTO's system of Committees. Specifically, the US questioned the added value of this proposal in consideration of the resource burden it would create by mandating the CTD to take on such reporting. While other WTO bodies addressed a wide range of issues that might relate to 
development, they did so in areas where they ha d the requisite technical expertise to address the 
issue at hand, such as within the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures or the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade. The same Members represented in the CTD were also 
represented in other WTO bodies. Given how closely trade and development issues were 
intertwined, the US also had concerns that it could be difficult to separate out the work of other Committees into strictly development issues. While coordination with other bodies might be 
necessary on certain issues, adding an additional layer of Committee review simply because an 
issue might have a development nexus was not the be st use of the CTD’s time or resources. It was 
also unclear what the specific problem was that needed to be addressed through recommendations to the General Council. The proponents were reques ted to identify specific examples of problems 
that they had encountered which would call for this. 
35. Turning to the third
-d proposal, he said that his delegation believed that the parties to a 
regional trade agreement (RTA) should work together to the extent possible so that individual 
RTAs could be reviewed in a timely manner, providing valuable information to the membership as 
a whole. However, although this proposal was stat ed as a recommendation, in so much as it could 
be used to push all developing countries to notify their RTAs under the Enabling Clause, his 
delegation could not agree to it. The US had made it very clear that it had no quarrel with any 
developing country notifying a qualifying agreement under the Enabling Clause. However, not all RTAs qualified under the Enabling Clause. Ultimately, it was up to individual Members to comply with WTO notification and reporting requirements , including those in the Transparency Mechanism 
(TM) for RTAs. 
36. The representative of Australia began by indicating his delegation's support for the first 
proposal. On the second proposal, he said that th e operational details of how it would work needed 
to be explored further. He inquired in this  regard how the CTD would collect the required 
information from other WTO bodies. To elaborate, he asked whether these bodies would prepare reports to the CTD in addition to their existing annual reports. If this were the case, the reports to 
the CTD would need to be negotiated by Members. His delegation wondered whether the 
proponents had taken into account the impact on the workloads of the Committees that this would create. Furthermore, the same Members that participated in CTD meetings also participated in the meetings of other WTO bodies. If any Member beli eved that there was a lack of information on a 
specific development-related issue in the CTD, it could bring the matter to the Committee's 
attention. With regard to the third proposal, he said that his delegation encouraged cooperation between parties to RTAs in any way that improved the timeliness of their notifications and the 
utility and value for Members of the RTAs TM. Further details on the underlying concerns would WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  help his delegation better understand the proposal. He also noted that changes to the operation of 
the RTAs TM were beyond the mandate of the CTD alone. 
37. The representative of Nigeria said that the proposals were within the mandate of the CTD. 
He noted that Members had no difficulty with the first proposal. As for the second proposal, which 
called on the CTD to report on the development-related work of other WTO bodies, he noted that 
more discussion was necessary. Informal consultations by the Chairperson would be useful in this regard. 
38. In relation to the first proposal, the representative of Japan said that he wished to remind 
Members that discussions on S&D provisions were taking place in the Special Session of the CTD. 
With regard to the second proposal, he suggested that Members needed to be cautious on the relationship between WTO bodies, in particular  given the expertise of each body. On the 
third proposal, he said that his delegation's position was that the Negotiating Group on Rules 
(NGR) was the appropriate body to discuss such a pr oposal, which related to the functioning of the 
RTAs TM.   
39. The representative of the European Union ex pressed support for the first proposal. She 
indicated, however, that her delegation had concer ns with the second proposal, as it appeared to 
be calling for the CTD to have an oversight role in the work of other WTO bodies. She stressed the 
difficulties in delineating development activities, given the broad range of activities of WTO bodies 
that could potentially contribute to development. With regard to the third proposal, she said that the EU undertook an internal coordination process on matters relating to notifications and information provision. While there was a cert ain logic to the proposal, she requested the 
proponents to provide more information on how the proposal could add value, and how such a 
recommendation could be operationalized. She said that her delegation was available for any informal exchanges with the proponents. 
40. The representative of Cuba emphasized the importance to developing countries of the 
threeproposals, and called on the Committee to take concrete action in this regard. 
41. The representative of Egypt said that what he had heard from Members on the three 
proposals was encouraging. No objections had been raised on the first proposal, while a number of 
delegations had requested further information and clarity on the other proposals. With regard to the second proposal, he noted that the US had concerns that a new layer of review might be introduced. He did not believe that this would be the case. In his delegation's view, the fact that 
there was presently no coherent reporting on the development-related work in other WTO bodies 
undermined what the organization was delivering on development. Even though the CTD was the 
focal point for development-related issues in the WTO, the Committee was not informed on all the 
development-related work taking place in the organization. In this light, the objective of the 
second proposal was to encourage transparency through an annual overview of what the WTO was doing on development. The envisaged factual report ing could be done by the Secretariat of each 
body. The purpose was not for the CTD to become an oversight body, but simply for the 
Committee to fulfil its existing mandate. He also clarified that the envisaged reporting went beyond issues relating to S&D provisions alone. 
42. Turning to the third proposal, he noted the US' concern that the proposed recommendation 
could push all developing countries to notify under the Enabling Clause. However, he did not 
believe that this would happen. The proposal di d not state that Members should jointly notify 
under the Enabling Clause. Rather, the proposed recommendation by the CTD concerned all 
notified RTAs. To clarify why the recommendation needed to come from the CTD, he said that the 
CTD was the only Committee in the WTO discussing the unresolved matter of the three RTAs notified under both GATT Article XXIV and the Enabling Clause. The proposal aimed to avoid 
problems of a similar nature in the future, bu t did not specify that the matter needed to be 
resolved in the CTD. This was a compromise in the proponents' position, and was a demonstration of their willingness to engage in good faith to find a solution. In conclusion, he said that the three proposals had been thought through thorou ghly. The proponents were willing to engage 
further with Members to shed  light on the proposals.  WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  43. The Chairperson indicated that the Committee could agree to the first proposal, which 
called for an update to the Secretariat document on the implementation of S&D provisions. She 
added that discussions on the second and third proposals could continue at a later stage.   
44. The Committee took note of all interventions and agreed with the proposal for the 
Secretariat to update its paper on the implementation of S&D provisions.   
- Supporting ministers' guidance for focused work in the Committee on Trade and 
Development - proposal from Australia, Chile, Colombia and Singapore 
(WT/COMTD/W/191) 
45. The Chairperson invited the co-sponsors of the proposal contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/191 to take the floor. She also invited Barbados to introduce the informal paper 
which had been placed in the meeting room. 
46. The representative of Australia said that his delegation continued to have an interest in 
practical and concrete items of work in the CTD that could be reported to Ministers at MC9. The 
co-sponsors of the proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191 had received several 
positive indications of interest from delegations to undertake the proposed work. The proposal was 
to provide a platform for Members to deliver focu sed presentations on their experiences in using 
trade for development, and the challenges and su ccesses they had experienced. The co-sponsors 
intended to continue their consultations with Members on the proposal, and would keep the 
Chairperson and the Committee updated on this effort. The co-sponsors would also continue to take an active interest in other proposals made with regard to the MC8 mandate. 
47. The representative of Barbados said that th e proposal by the SVEs called for the CTD to 
conduct an annual workshop on development issues on the margins of one of its regular meetings.  
The workshop would provide an opportunity for developing countries, of their own volition, to share their experiences on issues of direct releva nce to them, within the framework of a selected 
topic. The SVEs viewed the convening of such an inclusive and informal forum as a pragmatic step 
in enhancing the work of the CTD. The proposed workshops, which were seen by the proponents as being complementary to other proposals being discussed, would help Members to better 
understand countries’ experiences in a particular area. Holding the discussions outside the regular 
Committee meetings would allow for a richer inte raction and for inputs from Members on all 
existing and emerging areas that were of releva nce to development, without prejudicing Members’ 
positions.  
48. It was proposed that the general topic or theme of the workshop be determined in the 
CTD, six months prior to the workshop. It was also proposed that special consideration be given to the views of developing countries, including SVEs and LDCs, in determining the theme of the 
workshop and in formulating the agenda. The propon ents were open and flexible as to how such a 
modality could be improved, including the possibility of the Secretariat narrowing down the topic to one or two areas which Members could thereafter refine. In closing, she indicated that the 
proponents looked forward to collaborating with Members in further refining and strengthening the 
proposal. She also informed the Committee that the proposal would shortly be circulated as a formal CTD document.
1 
49. The representative of Egypt welcomed the informal paper introduced by Barbados. In his 
view, the three submissions complemented each other. Presentations on country experiences could 
be made during a workshop. The background do cument for the workshop could be the CTD's 
report on the development work taking place in the WTO. 
50. The representative of Nigeria said that th ere seemed to be similarities between the 
proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191 and the proposal that Barbados had 
introduced. He noted, however, that it was nece ssary to ensure that developing countries and 
LDCs had the capacity to participate in the prop osed discussions. He also wondered whether it 
would be possible for a consolidated document to be prepared on the work to be undertaken by the Committee under the MC8 mandate. 
                                               
1 The proposal was subsequently circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/195. WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  51. The representative of India said that it was not in the CTD's mandate to exchange country 
experiences. A workshop was a more appropriate forum for such discussions. The e-learning 
courses could also be enriched with information on country experiences. Finally, noting that there appeared to complementarities between the three submissions, he suggested that it would be 
useful if all the proponents met informally so as to reach a common understanding. 
52. The representative of Ecuador said that the proposal introduced by Barbados could be 
enriched with elements of the proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191, and in 
particular paragraph 5 of that submission.  
53. The representative of Nepal said that it was encouraging that Members had agreed to the 
first proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192. While his delegation was open to further 
discussions on the remaining two proposals in that submission, in principle Nepal supported efforts 
t o  m a k e  t h e  C T D ' s  w o r k  m o r e  e f f e c t i v e .  H e  e x p l ained that, in his delegation's view, the three 
proposals in the submission were guided by the mo tivation to make the CTD function as the focal 
point for the coordination and consideration of development-related issues in the WTO. Members 
needed to gain a better understanding of what work the WTO was undertaking on 
development-related issues, and how this work coul d be made more effective. He went on to say 
that his delegation had taken note of the proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191. As 
for the proposal contained in the informal paper introduced by Barbados, he said that it could be 
taken positively. He indicated that it would be useful if the proponents of the various submissions could identify the complementarities in the proposals. 
54. The representative of El Salvador said that his delegation was pleased that Members had 
agreed to the first proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192. Turning to the proposal by 
the SVEs, he said that it sought to ensure th at time and attention was devoted to individual 
development issues faced by developing countri es. The proponents believed that the proposed 
workshops would contribute significantly to st rengthening the work of the CTD. First, the 
discussions would take into account different viewpoints and would look at the contribution to development of the issue under discussion. The flex ible and open format would enable Members to 
benefit from experiences and studies, as well as from information on ongoing projects and 
initiatives relating to the topic being discussed. All information gained through the discussions would provide Members with valuable input that coul d be used by authorities in capitals to meet 
development needs. He also noted the comments made on the potential complementarities of the 
SVEs' proposal with the proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191. Finally, he indicated 
the willingness of his delegation, and other delegations in the SVEs Group, to contribute to a meaningful outcome to MC9 which would strength en the link between trade and development. 
55. The representative of the Dominican Republic welcomed the agreement on the first 
proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192. With regard to the second proposal in that 
submission, she indicated that further discussion was required. She also expressed her support for 
the proposal by the SVEs, and suggested that th ere could possibly be some dovetailing with the 
proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191. 
56. The representative of South Africa said that the implementation of the proposals contained 
in document WT/COMTD/W/192 would contribute to operationalizing the mandate of the CTD as 
the focal point for development issues in the WTO. Turning to the SVEs' proposal, she said that it 
would be forwarded to her capital. As a preliminary comment, however, she indicated that the proposal seemed to represent a good basis for further work. With regard to the proposal contained 
in document WT/COMTD/W/191, she said that there were positive aspects to it. However, she also 
raised a number of questions. First, she queried whether the implementation of the proposal would 
help Members to enhance their development prospects or their participation in the multilateral 
trading system. She also wished to know what  outcome the proponents envisaged from the 
country presentations. While the sharing of country  experiences was useful, it did not differ much 
from the TPR exercise. Furthermore, country presentations would not take Members forward towards a concrete goal, and would not meet th e MC8 mandate. In light of her comments, she 
suggested that further work was necessary on the proposal. Her delegation was open to consider 
merging relevant aspects of the various proposals.    
57. The representative of China said that the SVEs' proposal would be transmitted to his 
capital. As a preliminary comment, he said that the proposal appeared to have some common 
elements with the proposals contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192, and that these could WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  possibly be merged. On the proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191, he said that while 
his delegation was open to the sharing of country  experiences, it was important for Members to 
not lose sight of the CTD's other important work. Finally, he indicated China's willingness to continue to discuss the various proposals that had been made, which a view to achieving concrete 
results on development issues. 
58. The representative of the European Union said that a key role of the CTD was to explore 
the linkages between trade and development. The Committee could make a contribution by 
focusing on some clearly identified issues, and in this regard the proposal contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/191 could add value. The SVEs' proposal demonstrated a similar interest to engage in topical discussions, which her delegation supported. The EU stood ready to explore how the two proposals could be brought closer together. 
59. The representative of Jamaica said that each of the proposals on the table had merit. He 
encouraged Members to examine the proposals furt her in order to extract the essential elements. 
He expressed particular support for the SVEs' pr oposal, and suggested that the proposed annual 
workshop could be held during Geneva Week. 
60. The representative of Japan indicated that his delegation would study the SVEs' proposal, 
as well as the proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191. 
61. The representative of Pakistan said that the various proposals on the table had common 
elements. She believed that there was converge nce on the idea of the sharing of country 
experiences in workshops on the margins of CTD meetings. The topics for discussion would need to be agreed to by Members. However, the objective was not for the status quo to be maintained. 
Rather, recommendations would need to be formulated. She suggested that Members should look 
at the challenges faced by developing countries in making trade work for development. While a discussion of S&D provisions could be incorporat ed in the workshops, such a discussion alone 
would not provide the full picture of the li nkages between trade and development.   
62. The representative of the United States reit erated his delegation's concerns with the 
second and third proposals contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192. With regard to the SVEs' 
proposal, he indicated that it would be reviewed in  his capital. On this proposal, he said that his 
delegation supported the idea of having focused discussions on trade and development, but also had some specific questions. He firstly asked wh y the proposal suggested that workshops be held 
on an annual basis, rather than upon request. Second, he wished to know why discussions on a 
topic for a workshop needed to take place six months prior to the workshop. He also asked what 
prevented Members from putting their issues on the agenda of the CTD or its Dedicated Session. 
He next turned to the proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/191. His delegation believed 
that this was a helpful proposal. While it was clear that the contours would need to be worked out, 
his delegation appreciated that the proposal left Me mbers with significant flexibility to discuss their 
individual experiences in using trade in the se rvice of development. The proposal could also 
provide a useful platform for Members to gain valuable insights on the relationship between trade 
and development. 
63. The representative of Egypt said that he wa s encouraged that many Members had pointed 
to the comment elements in the proposals under consideration. He noted that the SVEs' proposal 
mentioned that development-related issues were discussed in several WTO bodies. This was why 
the proponents of document WT/COMTD/W/192 had called for the preparation of a report by the 
CTD to reflect the WTO's work on development. He went on to say that his delegation wanted a 
concrete outcome for developing countries at MC9. The CTD could make a contribution in this 
regard. 
64. The Chairperson said that there were possible synergies between the proposals under 
consideration. She indicated that further discussions would be required to assess how best these 
could be addressed in order to have an outcome that would add value. Discussions would continue in informal consultations.  
65. The representative of the United States said  that his delegation wished to have the 
opportunity to hold bilateral consultations with the proponents of the SVEs' proposal before 
engaging in informal consultation s convened by the Chairperson. WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  66. The Chairperson said that this was appropriate, as the proposal from the SVEs would still 
need to be circulated as a formal document. She would subsequently determine an appropriate 
time for her informal  consultations.   
67. The Committee took note of all interventions.  
F. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE - DECISION OF 17 DECEMBER 2011 (WT/L/843) 
- Workshop on "E-commerce, Development and SMEs" (8-9 April 2013) - statement 
by the Chairperson 
68. The Chairperson said that the CTD's discussion on electronic commerce (e-commerce) 
since the beginning of 2012 had been in relation to the 17 December 2011 Decision taken at MC8, 
which was contained in document WT/L/843. 
69. She recalled that, at the 86th Session, the Committee had agreed that a workshop on 
"E-Commerce, Development and SMEs" would be held on 8 and 9 April 2013. In this regard, she 
informed the Committee that the Secretariat ha d been working on the preparations for the 
workshop and had recently circulated a background paper which was contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/193. The paper was available to Members and to the public through the WTO's 
website. Since the workshop was open to the public, arrangements were being made for the 
participation of individuals who did not have an official WTO badge. A programme for the two-day 
event would soon be posted on the WTO's website. The programme would include presentations by 
several inter-governmental organizations active in the area of information and communication technologies. Representatives from the private sector would also be present, as would government officials from telecommunications regulato ry agencies in developing countries. 
70. The Committee took note of the statement by the Chairperson.  
G. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE 
71. The Chairperson said that she wished to provide Members with a brief update on the RTAs 
notified under the Enabling Clause that were to be considered in the CTD's Dedicated Sessions on 
RTAs. 
72. She firstly informed the Committee that for a number of RTAs – namely, RTAs between 
India and Nepal, India and Afghanistan, India an d Bhutan, and India and ASEAN – the full set of 
data needed to complete the factual presentation s had not been submitted by the parties.  The 
Secretariat was also still waiting to receive the data relating to the accession of Rwanda and Burundi to the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community Customs Union, which 
were due by 8 March 2013. She urged the parties to these Agreements to provide the data as soon 
as possible. 
73. Turning to the India-Malaysia Agreement, sh e said that the Secretariat had thus far 
received comments from India on the draft factual presentation that was sent to the parties. This 
Agreement was scheduled to be considered in a Dedicated Session of the CTD in June 2013. With regard to the India-MERCOSUR Agreement, she said  that she wished to inform Members that the 
delegation of Uruguay, on behalf of the MERCOSUR State Parties, had requested a postponement 
of the consideration of the Agreement, which had been scheduled to be considered in the CTD's Dedicated Session in June 2013. It was the Secretariat's understanding that India was agreeable to postpone the consideration of the India-MERCOSUR Agreement. The Secretariat would remain in 
touch with MERCOSUR and India on a possible future  date for the consideration of the Agreement.  
This information would be shared with the Committee when available.   
74. With regard to other Agreements notified under the Enabling Clause, the Secretariat had 
established contact with the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) concerning Panama's 
accession to the LAIA. The Secretariat had also established contact with the Members that were 
parties to the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAF TA), in light of Afghanistan's ratification of 
SAFTA. The Secretariat would remain in touch with these Members in the context of eventual 
updates to the notifications of the RTAs in question. She went on to say that there remained one RTA notified under the Enabling Clause that had not been ratified by all the parties. This was the WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
- 13 - 
 
  Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA).  Following the procedures of the Committee on 
Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA), a factual presentation of an RTA falling in this category would only be drafted after the Agreement had been ratifi ed by all the parties. The parties to PICTA were 
urged to inform the Secretariat as soon as all ratifications were complete. 
75. Finally, she recalled that, at the 86
th Session, Members had been informed that the 
delegation of Uruguay had submitted to the Secr etariat a number of biennial reports from past 
years on measures taken by member countries of  the LAIA under the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo. 
Some of these reports had been previously circul ated as GATT or WTO documents, but it turned 
out that a few had not, as the Secretariat had not previously received them. In this context, she 
informed Members that the five reports that had not previously been circulated had now all been circulated in Spanish, and could be found  in documents WT/COMTD/76, WT/COMTD/77, 
WT/COMTD/78, WT/COMTD/80 and WT/COMTD/81. So me of the translations of these documents 
had also been circulated, and the others would follow soon. 
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) notification of Customs Union – communication 
from China, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175) 
76. The Chairperson said that the first sub-item under the present agenda item concerned the 
GCC Customs Union notification. The sub-item also referred to the communication from China, 
Egypt and India which was circulat ed in document WT/COMTD/W/175. 
77. The representative of India said that there were clear similarities between the three RTA 
notifications listed as sub-items under the presen t agenda item. He appreciated that they were 
being taken up together. He said that he wished to clarify that his delegation had not requested 
the insertion of an agenda item, but rather to reta in the sub-items, in keeping with past practice 
that an item was retained on the agenda until discussions were exhausted and Members decided by consensus to drop the item. He therefore requested the continued appearance of these 
sub-items on the CTD's agenda until Members addressed the issues arising from the dual 
notifications of the three RTAs under GATT Arti cle XXIV and the Enabling Clause. His delegation 
hoped that, during the discussion at the presen t meeting, substantive engagement would be 
observed from those delegations that had so far avoided engaging on issues of serious concern to 
developing countries.  
78. He went on to say that the GCC countries had in the past indicated that it was their 
prerogative to notify their Agreement under the Enabling Clause, since they were all developing 
countries. The TM for RTAs stated that the CRTA was the implementing body for RTAs notified 
under GATT Article XXIV, while the CTD was the im plementing body for RTAs notified under the 
Enabling Clause. Since the GCC countries had requested a change in the notification status of their 
RTA from GATT Article XXIV to the Enabling Clause , their Agreement needed to be considered 
under the Enabling Clause. It was not appropriate for any Member to object to this or state that the Agreement was incorrectly notified. This was a matter which had obvious systemic 
implications. The delegations of China, Egypt and India had listed the issues in document 
WT/COMTD/W/175.  
79. He said that some delegations saw a difference between GCC Customs Union on the one 
hand, and the India-Korea and ASEAN-Korea Agreements on the other. While it was true that the 
GCC Agreement was a customs union and the other two were not, it was important for Members to 
recall that the RTAs TM laid out the same procedures for customs unions as well for other RTAs. Furthermore, since all three RTAs had been "dually notified" under GATT Article XXIV and the 
Enabling Clause, none of them were covered by th e existing procedures contained in the RTAs TM. 
He said that this was an important development issue which had serious implications for the participation of developing countries in the multilateral trading system. A lack of substantive 
engagement on the systemic and specific issues would undermine the role of the CTD as the focal 
point for development issues. In conclusion, he reiterated his request for the three sub-items to remain on the agenda for the next meeting. 
80. The representative of Egypt expressed su pport for the intervention by India and 
emphasized the rights of developing countries under the Enabling Clause. He looked forward to a 
substantive discussion on the issues that had been raised by China, Egypt and India.   WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  81. The representative of the United States sought clarification from the Chairperson as to 
whether the three sub-items listed under the present agenda item were being taken up separately 
or together. 
82. The Chairperson responded that the three sub-items were being taken up separately. 
83. The representative of the United States said that his delegation continued to have 
concerns with the present sub-item being listed on the agenda. The sub-item had fulfilled its 
purpose of informing Members of the notification  made, and needed be removed from the agenda. 
He regretted that this matter had taken up so much of the Committee’s time over the past few 
years. These were the types of issues that took  time, resources, and attention away from other 
pressing development matters. The US had stated it s position on this issue clearly and there was 
no need to rehash those points. It was hoped that the Committee could move forward 
constructively, recognizing that the GCC Customs Union was not an issue of dual notification. The 
GCC Customs Union had been incorrectly notified as  an Enabling Clause Agreement. This had been 
subsequently corrected, and the Agreement was in the pipeline to be reviewed in the CRTA, in line 
with the procedures of the RTAs TM. The US considered this issue closed, and continued to request 
that the sub-item be removed from the CTD's agenda.   
84. He added that the US had no quarrel with any developing country notifying a qualifying 
agreement under the Enabling Clause. However, this was not what the GCC Customs Union 
notification issue was about. The GCC Customs Union notification concerned a customs union, which made it different from non-customs union RTA notifications. With regard to the content of document WT/COMTD/W/175, his delegation had not seen any specific issues relating to the GCC 
Customs Union notification. The paper appeared to be seeking a systemic discussion of RTAs, 
particularly with regard to the issue of dual notifications. However, as had already been mentioned on many occasions, the GCC Customs Union notification was not a dual notification. In concluding, 
he once again expressed his hope that the Committee could move beyond this matter and focus on 
other areas of the CTD's work. 
85. The representative of China associated himsel f with the interventions by India and Egypt. 
He said that it was not his delegation's intention to prolong the present discussion. Rather, China 
was seeking a satisfactory solution that appropriately addressed its concerns. The joint submission by China, Egypt and India was designed to he lp Members enhance their understanding of the 
systemic and specific issues arising from the dual notification of the GCC Customs Union, with a 
view to facilitating an expeditious solution. In this regard, he said that it was firstly important that 
the rights of developing Members under the Enabling Clause be respected. The Enabling Clause was one of the effective tools for developing countries to better integrate into the multilateral 
trading system and to achieve their development go als. Paragraph 2(c) of the Enabling Clause was 
being increasingly used by developing countries to  foster sound relationships and engage in trade 
liberalization with each other. This trend needed to be encouraged. Second, the central role of the 
CTD in development-related issues needed to maintained and strengthened. The GCC issue, which 
concerned the application of the Enabling Clause, wa s certainly within the competence of the CTD. 
While it might be necessary for the CTD to consult with other relevant bodies in the WTO, this did not mean that the matter should simply be passed on to these bodies.  
86. In closing the discussion under this sub-item, the Chairperson clarified that the CTD had 
been following the practice of maintaining an item on the agenda if any Member so requested.    
87. The Committee took note of all interventions.   
- Notification of the Agreement on Trade in  Goods between the Association of Southeast 
Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Korea 
88. The Chairperson said that the second sub-item under the present agenda item concerned 
the notification of the ASEAN-Korea Agreement. 
89. No Member took the floor under this sub-item. WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
- 15 - 
 
  - Notification of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement  between India 
and Korea (Goods) 
90. The Chairperson said that the third sub-item under the present agenda item concerned the 
notification of the India-Korea Agreement. 
91. The representative of the United States said that his delegation continued to have 
concerns with the sub-items addressing the ASE AN-Korea and India-Korea notifications being 
listed on the agenda. These sub-items had fulfi lled their purpose of informing Members of the 
notifications made, and should have already been  removed from the agenda. The issue of dual 
notification was directly linked to the functioning of the RTAs TM and went beyond the CTD alone. 
92. The Committee took note of the intervention.   
H. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MECHANISM FOR PREFERENTIAL 
TRADE ARRANGEMENTS 
93. The Chairperson said that she wished to pr ovide Members with a brief update on the 
preferential trade arrangements (PTAs) that we re to be considered in the CTD's Dedicated 
Sessions on PTAs. She firstly informed the Committee that, on 15 January 2013, the EU had 
notified its trade preferences for Pakistan under th e TM for PTAs. The notification was circulated in 
document WT/COMTD/N/41. The Secretariat was in contact with the EU concerning the information 
needed for the preparation of the factual presentati on on the PTA. Much of the required data were 
already with the Secretariat, so it appeared at the present time that the PTA could be considered in a Dedicated Session of the CTD broadly within the timelines indicated in the PTAs TM. With regard to the thee PTAs that had been previous ly notified under the TM - namely, PTAs being 
implemented by India, China, and Chinese Taipei  - there had been no significant developments 
since the last report to the Committee. In particular, the full set of data required for the preparation of the factual presentations of the three PTAs had not yet been provided to the 
Secretariat. She urged the notifying Members to provide the required data as soon as possible. 
94. The representative of the European Union confirmed that her delegation was in touch with 
the Secretariat in the context of the informatio n required for the preparation of the factual 
presentation on the EU's trade preferences for Pakistan. She urged other delegations that had 
made notifications under the PTAs TM to similarly provide the Secretariat with the required information.    
95. The Committee took note of the intervention.   
I. REVIEW OF STEPS TAKEN TO PROVIDE DUTY-FREE AND QUOTA-FREE MARKET 
ACCESS TO LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
- Better utilization of the market access pr ovided to LDCs under duty free and quota 
free - communication from Nepal, on be half of the LDC Group (WT/COMTD/W/194) 
96. The Chairperson said that an item concerning  the Hong Kong Decision on duty-free and 
quota-free (DFQF) market access for LDCs had been on the CTD's agenda since early 2006. Under 
this item, delegations had provided information on the steps they were taking, or had already 
taken, to provide DFQF market access to LDCs. Written communications by some Members had also been considered. For the present meeting, a communication from Nepal, on behalf of the LDC 
Group, was reflected under this agenda item. She invited the representative of Nepal to introduce 
the communication, which was contained in document WT/COMTD/W/194. 
97. The representative of Nepal, on behalf of th e LDC Group, recalled that, at the time when 
the WTO was established, Members had recognized the need for positive efforts designed to 
ensure that LDCs secured a proper share in the growth in international trade. To this end, 
Members had pledged to offer special support to LDCs. The Uruguay Round Decision on Measures in Favour of LDCs recognized the specific needs of  this group of countries in the area of market 
access and identified preferential market access as  an essential means for improving LDCs’ trading 
opportunities. The issue of DFQF market access for LDCs had been on the table since 1996 and had been recognized as a means of meaningfully integrating LDCs into the international trading WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
- 16 - 
 
  system. Ministers had expressed commitment to duty-free access at every WTO Ministerial 
Conference. As early as the 1997 High-Level meeting in Geneva, Members had indicated their intention to improve the access to their markets for LDCs' exports. In the UN Millennium Declaration of 2000, it had been agreed that a policy of DFQF access for LDCs' exports would be 
adopted. At the Doha Ministerial Conference in 2001, Members committed themselves to the 
o b j e c t i v e  o f  D F Q F  m a r k e t  a c c e s s  f o r  p r o d u c t s  o r i g i n a t i n g  f r o m  L D C s  a n d  t o  t a k e  m e a s u r e s  t o  ensure progressive improvements in LDCs' ma rket access. At the Hong Kong Ministerial 
Conference in 2005, Members decided that developed countries and developing countries declaring 
themselves in a position to do so would provide DFQF market access for at least 97% of products originating from LDCs, defined at the tariff line level, by 2008 or no later than the start of the 
implementation period. Members also agreed to progressively achieve 100% DFQF market access. 
98. He went on to say that enhanced market access had been a continued call from the LDCs. 
Without easy market access, LDCs' trade volu mes could not increase and their continued 
marginalization could not be reversed. They would not be able to achieve the minimum 7% of 
annual GDP growth, which was a target set to reach the graduation criteria by 2020. Given the 
continued concentration of LDCs' exports on a limited number of products, enhanced market access conditions became all the more significant. Such conditions would help to increase export 
earnings, and also provide better livelihood means for the poor. Since the launch of the Doha 
Round, progress had been made in the provision of  DFQF market access. Most developed Members 
provided DFQF market access for 100%, or close to 100%, of LDCs' products and thus met the 
terms of the Hong Kong Decision. Progress had al s o  b e e n  m a d e  w i t h  r e g a r d  t o  t h e  c o n d i t i o n s  
accompanying GSP schemes, through which most DFQF preferences were granted to LDCs. In 
addition, a number of developing countries had announced DFQF market access of varying degrees 
to LDCs' products. However, as was acknowledged in the Istanbul Programme of Action adopted 
by the 4
th UN Conference on LDCs in 2011, a full realization of the Hong Kong Decision had not 
been achieved. There was a need for the timely implementation of the Decision.  
99. The Hong Kong Decision specified that Members were to notify the implementation of their 
DFQF schemes annually to the CTD. The CTD would annually review the steps taken to provide 
LDCs with DFQF market access and report to the General Council for appropriate action. The review of DFQF market access for LDCs was a stan ding item on the CTD's agenda. However, full 
and complete information was not available on the implementation of DFQF market access. This 
was why the LDC Group had circulated the communication under consideration. The Group 
requested developed Members, as well as those developing Members declaring themselves in a position to do so, to submit information on the latest line-by-line tariff treatment of LDCs' products 
at the next CTD meeting. Members were also requested to submit information on plans for 
implementing the DFQF Decision. In concluding, he requested that the communication under consideration remain on the agenda for the next meeting. 
100.  The representative of the United States said that his delegation fully supported efforts to 
promote transparency with regard to information available on preference programmes. That being 
said, he believed that there was already a considerable amount of information available to Members, for example through the Database on PTAs. In this light, he requested the Secretariat to 
identify for Members the data maintained by the WTO. He went on to say that, in addition to the 
information available to all Members through the WTO databases, the US provided full transparency with regard to its preference programmes through information contained not only on 
the website of the Office of the US Trade Repr esentative, but also on the website of the US 
International Trade Commission (USITC). The USITC website contained detailed information regarding the US' tariff schedule and preferen ce programmes impacting imports from LDCs. Two 
options for searching through the data were prov ided. The user could either pull up the actual 
Harmonized System (HS) schedule, or find inform ation using the USITC’s tariff search tool.   
101.  He said that the US was fully committed to implementing its DFQF obligations consistent 
with the Hong Kong Decision, but believed that it was important to do so carefully, taking into 
consideration the potential impact of DFQF on the US' developing country and LDC trading 
partners that already had access to the US mark et through preference programmes. He explained 
that the US used trade preference programmes to  assist developing countries through enhanced 
access to the US market. A key goal of US preference programmes was to assist LDCs and other 
low-income countries to increase their competitiv eness in the US market. Trade preferences could 
help poor countries gain a foothold in the US market upon which they could build and expand, 
including into other global markets. The US recognized that LDCs and low-income countries were WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  unique and that one size did not fit all. In th is light, the trade preference programmes and 
technical assistance offered had been tailored to target specific development needs.  
102.  There were three sets of US trade preference programmes that benefited LDCs. These 
were the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme, the African Growth and Opportunity 
Act (AGOA), and the Haiti Trade Preference Programmes - which included the Haiti Economic Lift 
Programme (HELP) Act, the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement 
(HOPE) Act and the Caribbean Basin Trade Part nership Act (CBTPA). Each trade preference 
programme provided duty-free access to benefici ary country products entering the US market 
under specific tariff lines covered by the respective programme. The GSP scheme benefited 44 LDCs, as well as 83 non-LDC developing countries. The programme provided duty-free access for 1,500 products for LDC beneficiaries only, in addition to the 3,500 products which were duty 
free for all GSP beneficiary countries. AGOA was available to the 49 countries of Sub-Saharan 
Africa, though each country needed to me et the eligibility requirements. Currently, 
39 Sub-Saharan African countries - including 26 LDCs - qualified for benefits under AGOA. The 
Haiti Trade Preference Programmes benefited Haiti, the only LDC in the Western hemisphere.  
103.  In 2011, 99.2% of non-oil imports entered the US duty free from AGOA LDC beneficiaries. 
In the same year, 98.2% of all imports entered the US duty free from Haiti. Any potential negative 
impact on LDC and developing country trading partners that already had access to the US market 
would need to be carefully weighed against the potential benefits to LDCs such as Bangladesh and Cambodia, which did not currently have such access. The US had structured its preference programmes in a targeted way to address development objectives and taking into account specific 
development needs, which varied across LDCs. Structuring and implementing the US' DFQF 
commitment would also need to reflect the US' goals and varying interests across the full range of developing country trading partners that could be impacted either positively or negatively. 
104.  The representative of Canada said that Canada had met its DFQF commitment since 2003. 
Canada provided duty-free access on all products - with the exception of over-access and 
supply-managed dairy, poultry and egg products, which covered 101 tariff lines. The current 
number, which was 98.6%, was slightly different from the figure of 98.8% which was reported in 
the Database on PTAs. He explained that the percen tage of tariff lines that were duty free varied 
slightly from year to year, when the overall number of tariff lines changed. However, there had been no change in product coverage for the LDCs.  
105.  The representative of India said that his delegation saw the communication under 
consideration as a useful reinforcement of the developmental imperatives in the negotiations in the 
run-up to the Bali Ministerial Conference. The information being sought by the LDCs would enable 
Members to understand the implementation of the Hong Kong Ministerial mandate which, in a 
first stage, specified the provision of DFQF market access for at least 97% of products originating from LDCs. Developing Members were to have appropriate flexibility in the 97% coverage. India, 
despite its domestic sensitivities, had on 1 October 2012 completed five years of implementation 
of its DFQF scheme - known as the Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme. Through the Scheme, India provided 94% preferential duty acce ss to products of export interest to LDCs. Of 
the covered lines, 85% were duty free while the remaining 9% had a specific margin of 
preference.  Furthermore, the Scheme covered products which comprised 92.5% of global LDC 
exports. 
106.  He went on to say that a comparison of LDCs' average exports over the first, three years 
after the implementation of the DFTP Scheme to the three-year average exports before the 
implementation of the Scheme showed a 63% increase.  India was working to take further liberalization measures within the Scheme by exam ining both the coverage and the rules of origin. 
While most developed country Members and some developing countries had implemented their 
DFQF commitments under the Hong Kong Decision , some key Members were still to implement 
them. One of the key developed Members seemed to have provided only 82.4% coverage under its GSP scheme, despite talks of a review of the GS P for the last seven years. India supported the 
LDC Group's proposal for Members to provide information on the implementation of their DFQF 
schemes. However, the more important task at hand was to implement the commitments of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration. When the credibility of the multilateral system was at stake, it 
was imperative for Members to deliver on one of the most crucial pillars of the development 
Round. WT/COMTD/M/87 
 
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  107.  The representative of Australia said that the communication under consideration was a 
useful and practical contribution to a debate on an important issue. His delegation welcomed the 
focus on transparency and believed that the propos al had the potential to be useful and practical 
for the LDCs. Australia had been providing DFQF market access to LDCs - on all tariff lines with 
simple rules of origin - since 2003. He believed that information concerning Australia's scheme for 
LDCs was easily accessible. His delegation was favourable to continuing the discussion on the 
issues raised in the communication. In relation to the information being sought in the 
communication, he suggested that it would be useful if the relevant WTO databases, including the 
Database on PTAs, could be explored to see what was already available. The databases of other agencies, notably the International Trade Centre  UNCTAD/WTO (ITC), might also be a useful 
source to explore. He additionally suggested that  a presentation to the Committee could focus on 
the key LDC export markets.   
108.  The representative of Nepal expressed apprecia tion to the delegations that had provided 
data and information on the implementation of DFQF market access for LDCs. The LDCs' objective 
was to get complete information as provided for in the Hong Kong Decision. It was perhaps 
possible to obtain data from different sources, but it was obligatory for Members implementing DFQF market access to provide the information to the CTD. The LDCs were simply exercising this 
right for the sake of transparency. He hoped that  Members would be willing to discuss this issue 
with more clarity at the next CTD meeting.  
109.  The Chairperson said that some useful recommendations had been made, particularly by 
Australia. She invited Members to explore what information was already available. She indicated 
that discussions would continue at the next CTD meeting.  
110.  The Committee took note of all interventions.   
J. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON LEAST-DEVELOPED 
COUNTRIES 
111.  The Chairperson said that she had been informed that consultations had led to the 
proposal for Ambassador Steffen Smidt of Denmark to serve for another year as Chairman of the 
Sub-Committee on LDCs.   
112.  It was so agreed. 
113.  The representative of Nepal, on behalf of the LDC Group, welcomed Ambassador Smidt's 
re-appointment as Chairman of the Sub-Committ ee on LDCs. The LDC Group looked forward to 
working with Members in the Sub-Committee, particularly in updating the Work Programme for 
LDCs.   
K. OTHER BUSINESS 
114.  The Chairperson said that a matter was being raised under "Other Business" concerning 
the CTD's mandate to keep under continuous review the participation of developing country 
Members in the multilateral trading system.  It had been the CTD's practice to hold a discussion on 
this subject every two years or so. On previous o ccasions when this item was placed on the CTD's 
agenda, the Secretariat had updated its statistical background paper on the participation of developing countries in global trade, in order to assist Members in their discussion. The last such discussion by the CTD on this subject had taken place in November 2011. She proposed that the 
CTD have another discussion on the subject at it s last meeting of 2013, for which the Secretariat 
would once again update its background paper using the most recent trade statistics.  
115.  It was so agreed. 
116.  The meeting was adjourned.  
 
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