RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
12 January  2017 
(17-0214) Page: 1/14 
Sub-Committee on Least Developed Countries  
Seventy -Ninth Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 19 OCTOBER  2016 
Chairperson: Ambassador Roderick Van Schreven  (Netherlands)  
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. MARKET ACCESS FOR LEAST  DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  ................................ .............  1 
- Annual Review of the Developments in Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs in the 
Committee on Rules of Origin: Oral Report by the Secretariat  ................................ ...................  1 
- Market Access for Products and Services of Export Interest to Least Developed 
Countries (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 and WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64/Add.1) ................................ ........  3 
C. ACCESSION OF LEAST D EVELOPED COUNTRIES  ................................ .......................  8 
- State of Play in the Accession Working Parties and WTO Post -Accession Support: 
Oral Report by the Secretariat  ................................ ................................ ..............................  8 
D. FOURTEENTH SESSION O F THE UNITED NATIONS  CONFERENCE ON TRADE 
AND DEVELOPMENT (UNC TAD), NAIROBI, KENYA  (17-22 JULY 2016)  ...........................  10 
- Report by the Coordinato r of the Least Developed Countries in the UN System  ................. 10 
E. FOLLOW -UP TO MINISTERIAL DE CISIONS/DECLARATIONS  ................................ .. 12 
- Follow -up to Mini sterial Declarations and Decisions Taken in Favour of Least 
Developed Countries (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/62)  ................................ ................................ .......12 
F. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 13 
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1. The Chairma n said that the agenda  for the Seventy -Ninth  Session of the Sub-Committee on 
Least Developed Countries (hereinafter the Sub-Committee) was contained in document 
WTO/AIR /COMTD/LDC/ 6. He mentioned  that under "Other Business", the Coordinator of the LDC 
Group  intend ed to provide the Sub -Committee  with a report on the "South -South Dialogue on 
LDCs and Development" , which had been held  in Annecy from 19 to 20 September  2016. 
2. The agenda was adopted . 
B. MARKET ACCESS FOR LE AST DEVELOPED COUNTR IES 
- Annual Review of the Developments in Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs in the 
Committee on Rules of Origin: Oral Report by the Secretariat  
3. The Chairman  recalled that as per Ministerial Decisions, the Secretariat was to provide the 
Sub-Committee with a report on the outc ome of the annual review undertaken by t he Committee 
on Rules of Origin (CRO)  on 22 September 2016. He invited  the Directo r of the Market Access 
Division  to provide a report on the deliberations of the CRO. WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
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  4. The representative of the Secretariat  (Director, Market Access Division)  recalled that the 
report  was being made to the Sub -Committee in accordance with the requirements of the Bali and 
Nairobi Ministerial Decisions on preferential rules of origin for LDCs. The Decisions require d the 
CRO to annually revi ew the developments in preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from 
LDCs as well as the implementation of  the decisions.  She noted that  a written report on the annual 
review of 22 September 2016 had been  forwarded to the General Council (G/RO/W/ 164/Rev.2).  
5. She highlighted three  points  regarding developments in preferential rules of origin applicable 
to imports from LDCs . First, Kazakhstan had notified its preferential rules of origin for LDCs in 
September 2016 (G/RO/N/148 /Rev.1 ). Second, at the a nnual review , the delegation of the 
European Union (EU)  had presented its  new system of self -certification of origin for registered 
exporters from LDCs, called the "REX" system , which  would  be introduced as of January 2017 
(RD/RO/44). Third,  Norway and Swi tzerland w ould also apply the same system.  
6. She recalled that the Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements  (PTA) of 
2010 require d preference -granting Members to notify annually their imports from beneficiaries at 
the tariff -line level. At the annual review, the CRO  had noted that import data was not available for  
a number of Members  and had urged those Members to work with the Secretariat to complete the  
submission of data as per the PTA Transparency Mechanism . She noted that  the Nairobi De cision 
further asked Members to agree on modalities for the calculation of utilization rates  by the 
Secretariat. She said that Members  had considered a background note by the Secretariat 
proposing a modality  and that further discussions would take place in  informal consultations.  
7. As regards  transparency and the notification of preferential rules of origin, she said that the 
CRO had reviewed the status of notifications and discussed a new template for notificati ons 
proposed by the LDC Group. As t he Nairobi D ecision require d Members to adopt a template, a 
revised draft  from the LDCs  would be discussed in informal consultations.  Finally, she recalled  that 
the Nairobi Decision require d preference -granting Members to inform the CRO of  the measures 
being taken to implement the provisions of the Ministerial Decision. In the case of developed 
preference -granting Members , that submission was due before the end of 2016. In the case of 
developing  preference -granting  Members , it was due when they d eclared  themselves in a  position 
to implement the Decision. The Chairman of the CRO had called on all preference -granting 
Members to initiate their internal consultations as soon as possible so that th ose submissions  could 
be made  within the prescribed periods.  
8. The representativ e of Tanzania  thanked  the Secretariat for the report and its  support for the 
work on the notification template and the modalities for calculating utilization rates. He expressed 
appreciat ion for the flexibility shown by  Members in this process. He called o n Members  that had  
not yet done so , to notify  import  data so that work could  continue. He also called on developed 
Members to notify by 31 December 2016 the measures being taken  to implement the provisions of 
the Nairobi Decision.  
9. The representative of Benin, on behalf  of the LDC Group, said that the LDCs had had 
intensive discussions with their partners  at the annual review in the CRO  in order to have an 
effective follow -up on the Decision s and to add further results to those obtained to date. He 
highlight ed the importance of simple and  predictable rules of origin  for facilitating market access 
for LDC products. He also underlined the importance of notifications for enhanced  transparency on  
preferences, including on  regulatory provisions. He stressed that t he December deadline  for 
notifications by developed preference -granting Members was imminent , and that more work was 
required to make  further  progress. Recalling that the CRO  had discussed the structure and format 
of notifications , he confirmed that the LDCs would  soon submit a  revised draft template for 
notifications. He stressed that the LDC s had certain expectations based on  the Bali and Nairobi 
Decisions  and that Members should work towards achieving a good outcome on preferential rules 
of origin . Looking forward to the  Eleventh  WTO Ministerial  Conference (MC11) , he urged  Members  
to take into account  the interest s and concerns of the LDCs so that trade could  be a tool for 
promoting development, growth and poverty reduction  in LDCs . 
10. The Chairman  thanked t he Secretariat for its report and Members for their statements. 
Preferential rules of origin was an area where continuous progress had been achieved in the recent 
past. He was encouraged to hear that Members were engaging in constructive discussions in the  
CRO to make progress in the implementation of the Bali and Nairobi Decisions. He encourage d 
Members to continue their efforts in improving rules of origin conditions in order to further WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
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  facilitate the utilization of preferences by the LDCs. He further noted that the deadline for 
notifications by developed Members was the end of 2016. He suggest ed that the Sub -Committee 
take note of the rep ort provided by the Secretariat  as well as the statements made.  
11. It was so agreed .  
- Market Access for Products and Ser vices of Export Interest to Least Developed 
Countries (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 and WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64/A dd.1) 
12. The Chairman  recalled that according to the Work Programme for the LDCs, the Secretariat 
had been preparing a document every year to facilitate the annual  review of market access for 
products originating from LDCs. Th e 2016 LDC market access Note  was contained in document 
WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 and its addendum. He said that the Note provide d a concise summary of 
recent developments in LDC trade. At the same tim e, it addresse d requests by Members to provide 
more detail on trade flows of individual LDCs. In particular, the addendum contain ed statistics for 
individual LDCs on their top five products as well as top five markets for the years 2005 and 2015.  
He invite d the Secretariat's Economic Research and Statistics Division to present the main points 
of the document.  
13. The representative of the Secretariat  (International Trade Statistics Section) provided an 
overview on the evolution of LDC exports of goods and comme rcial services during the 2005-2015 
period . LDC exports had grown  by an annual average of 7.6% between 2005 and 2015, slightly 
more than the exports of other developing economies. He highlighted that this faster export 
growth of LDCs  had been  due to higher  growth rates in the first part of the period. Between  2005 
and 2010, the average annual growth rate had been 14.7% for LDCs and 11.2% for other 
developing economies. In contrast, between 2010 and 2015, annual export growth had been  only 
0.9% in LDCs as co mpared to 3.6% in other developing economies. He said that in 2015, LDC 
exports of goods and commercial services had decreased by 20.1%, down to US$ 195.5 billion, 
while LDC imports ha d decreased by only 7.5% to US$ 303.6 billion, resulting in an overall tra de 
deficit of US$ 108.1 billion in 2015. Since 2005, the overall trade deficit of LDCs had increased by 
more than 11 times in nominal terms.  
14. He explained that after 2011, the growth in LDC exports had been constrained by 
unfavourable developments in the pri ces of commodities  such as fuels and mining products , on 
which LDCs depended more than other developing economies.  The weighted average price of 
commodities had been halved since 2011 and prices, especially those of fuels, had dropped  
significantly  in 2015 . For export ers, the decline in prices had been partially mitigated  by an 
increase in the US$ exchange rate. He explained that the reason s for the decline in commodity 
prices were structural. Lower investment due to macroeconomic uncertainty and the  rebalancing of 
the Chinese economy had been reducing the demand for minerals and fuels, while world supply  
had been increasing  as many extraction projects were reach ing maturity.  
15. He went on to note that i n 2015, merchandise exports of the LDCs  had contracted by 25%. 
As a consequence, the share of LDC s in world merchandise exports had dropped to 0.97%, for the 
first time below 1% since 2007. Merchandise imports of LDCs had declined by 9% in 2015  and the 
LDCs'  share in world merchandise imports had slightly increas ed to 1.5% in 2015. Regarding 
manufactured goods, he mentioned that the LDCs' share in world exports had stood at 0.4% in 
2015.  
16. He proceeded by commenting on the q uarterly evol ution of LDC  merchandise exports . 
Growth rates of merchandise exports had been n egative in all quarters of 2015. The negative 
trend in merchandise exports had slowed down in the first two quarters of 2016 due to positive 
export growth of manufactured products. LDC  manufacturing  exports had increased  by 6% in the 
first quarter of 2016 and by 4% in the second quarter  as compared to the previous year's 
quarters.  Exports of the two other product groups, i.e. agricultural products and fuels and mining 
products , had decreased in the first two quarters of 2016.  Exports of fuels and mining pro ducts 
had the highest negative growth rates with -39% in the first quarter of 2016 and -25% in the 
second quarter of 2016.  
17. He went on to highlight that the trade development in volume terms had been  more positive 
than in value terms. In volume terms, LDC m erchandise exports had grown by 7.9% in 2015, WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
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  while imports had expanded by 3.1%. In comparison to 2005, the export volume had increased by 
almost 50%, while the import volume had more than doubled . 
18. He pointed out that t he LDCs'  merchandise trade deficit had reached a record level of 
US$87 billion in 2015, 44% higher than in 2014 and 134% higher than in 2013. In 2015, 
oil-exporting LDCs had registered a merchandise trade deficit of US$ 12 billion , compared to an 
average surplus of US$ 38 billion  during the pr evious nine years. It had been the  first trade deficit  
of LDC oil exporters  in 15 years . LDC exporters of  manufacturing and agricu ltural products  had 
recorded a US$34 billion and US$ 20 billion trade deficit  in 2015 , respectively.  
19. He went on to comment on t he evolution of the merch andise export structure of LDCs , which 
was, inter alia , significantly influenced by the drop in the prices of primary commodit y. The share 
of primary products in total exports of LDCs had shrunk from 73% in 2005 to 58% in 2015. The  
share of manufactured products , on the other hand , had  increased from 21% in 2005 to 35% in 
2015, reflecting  an increas ed importance of clothing exports. The share of agricultural products in 
LDC exports had increased from 11% in 2005 to 13% in 2015.  The LDCs'  top ten export products 
(HS-4-digits)  covered 5 8% of LDC merchandise exports in 20 15, significantly less than the 
respective 68% in 200 5. Petroleum oils (HS 2709) had been  the top export product in both 2005  
and 2015 , accounting for 48% and 28% of me rchandise exports, respectively. The importance of 
clothing products had increased between the 2005 and 2015.  In 2005,  four clothing products 
belonging to the top ten list had accounted for 11% of LDC exports . In 2015, the top ten products  
had included six  clothing  products constituting 20% of LDC merchandise exports.  
20. He continued by remarking on the geographic structure of LDC exports in terms of top ten 
destination markets. While in 2005  the EU had been the LDCs' top market with a share of almost 
30%, China had been the top destination in 2015 with a market share of 33% . In terms of product 
categories, China had been the most important export market for fuels and mining products  while 
the EU had been the top destination for agricultural products and manufa ctures  in 2015.  
21. He went on to highlight  trends in commercial services trade. B etween 2005 and 2015, LDC 
exports of commercial services had increased by an average annual growth rate of 14% as 
compared to 5% of developed economies. LDC  exports of commercial  services had reached 
US$36  billion in 2015, up from US$9.5 b illion in 2005. African LDCs and Haiti  had accounted for 
58% of overall LDC  services exports in 2015. Seven LDCs in Asia had accounted for  40% of 
services exports in 2015 as compared to 30% in 20 05. Since 2005, services exports had been 
growing at an annual rate of 18% in Asian LDCs, 13% in African LDCs and 10% in Island LDCs.  
22. Referring to their share in LDC services trade, h e noted  that Myanmar (12%), Cambodia 
(11%) and Tanzania (10%) had been th e leading LDC services exporters in 2015, while Angola 
(25%), Bangladesh (12%) and Ethiopia (6%) had been the leading services importers.  Regarding 
export growth by services sector, he mentioned that r apid growth in travel exports  reflected 
increasing infl ows of international tourists to leading LDC travel exporters. He noted that  
international tourist arrivals had increased  by 52% to Myanmar and by 6% in Cambodia in 2015.  
He further noted  that the structure of services  exports was  different between LDCs an d developed 
economies. In 2015, travel had accounted for  50% of LDC services exports, while the export 
structure of developed economies had been  more diversified.  
23. The representative of the Secretariat  (Market Access Intelligence Section) provided an 
overvi ew of the trends in  market access  for LDCs . In terms of duty-free lines under LDC schemes 
in 2014 , four Members  had fully duty -free LDC scheme s (Australia, Switzerland, Norway and 
New Zealand). In the case of Chile and the EU, the share of duty -free lines was 99% or close to 
100%. The share of duty -free lines was above 95% for Canada and Japan and close to 95% for 
China and India. Both China and India had extended the coverag e of their LDC schemes in 2014.  
24. He went on to highlight  the number of national tari ff lines with LDC imports  in 2014 . The 
LDCs ha d been exporting to the EU under more than 4,000 tariff lines, whereas for Chile the 
number of lines had been  close to 500. In the case of Chile, all 500  tariff lines were MFN dutiable  
while the LDC scheme  provided LDCs with duty -free access on all of those lines. The LDCs had 
exported products pertaining to more than 2,000 lines to Canada, including around  1,000 lines  
that were MFN dutiable but duty -free under Canada's  LDC scheme . WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
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  25. He concluded by  elaborat ing on the trade -weighted average tariff s faced by the LDCs . In 
2014, the trade -weighted average tariff of Chile, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland had been  
zero. For Australia, Canada and the EU it had been  close to zero. For the remaining Members, the 
trade -weighted average had been  higher than zero.  Referring to the trade -weighted average tariff 
of the United States , he clarified that the presented number  only took into account Member s' LDC 
scheme but no t other preferential schemes that also benefi tted eligible LDCs.  
26. The Chairman  noted the decline in  the price s of commodities  as well as the increase in LDC 
exports  of tourism services and clothing  products . Giving an example of a 3D printer producing  
clothes, he indicated that labour employed in the clothing sector w ould face the challenge of 
digitisation in the future . He underlined that i nnovation was necessary  to stay  competitive  in trade . 
He further said that the LDCs faced the additional challenge  to upgrade in value chains , and to add 
more value in secto rs other than clothing.  
27. The representative of Benin , on behalf of the LDC Group,  thanked the Secretariat for the 
Note, which  he considered was of high quality provid ing useful information . He said that t he data 
showed that the LDCs remained  in a critical situation  in terms of their participation in international 
trade. He emphasize d that market access  for goods and services constituted a priority interest for 
the LDCs . He called  on Members to ensure the effective implementation of duty-free and 
quota -free ( DFQF)  market access  in line with decisions  taken by Members . 
28. He encouraged the Secretariat to continue providing Members information on market access 
for goods and services for LDCs. As a general observation, h e pointed out that the Note could have 
present ed the  different factors that determined market access  for the LDCs , and the measures that 
had been recommended during the examination of the last Secretariat Note on this issue. This 
approach would have facilitated a cross -cutting analysis to better under stand the trade profile of 
the LDCs as well as  to assess the  difficulties that the LDCs were facing . He further noted the use of 
mirror statistics due to the lack of statistics by some Members , which did not  help in presenting  an 
objective trade profile fo r the LDCs and developing economies .  
29. He noted the slower export growth  witnessed by the LDCs  between 2010 and 2015 . While 
LDC services exports had increased by 1% in 2015, LDC goods exports had decreased by 23.7% 
and had accounted for less than 1% of worl d exports in 2015. These trends resulted in trade 
deficits , which were more pronounced  in goods than for services . He expressed concern  that only 
four LDCs had  a positive trade balance in terms of goods  and few LDCs ha d been able to reduce 
their trade deficit. He called on Member s to address this deteriorating  situation by implementing  
effective  DFQF market access  for LDC products . 
30. He was pleased to see that a number of Members provided DFQF market access on at least 
97% of their tariff lines . He called  on other Members  to do so as well . He stressed the need to 
carry out a clinical examination of DFQF market access , for which  the LDCs were  in consultation 
with relevant delegations. He was  encouraged  to see that by the end of September  2016, 
23 Members  had notified services preferences for LDCs in line with the Decisions on the LDC 
services waiver.  
31. He noted that  the LDCs' top five export markets included  three developing economies – 
China , India and Thailand . He welcomed the joint initiative by the Secretaria t and China to 
organize the South -South Dialogue , which was important to  support  the LDCs in foster ing 
South-South cooperation and investment  in order to reinforce the ir productive base. Based on the 
recommenda tions of the Dialogue, the LDC G roup was in the process of  drafting a roadmap  that 
would  be submitted to  their partners  for their comments .  
32. He welcomed the Secretariat's capacity -building courses targeted at LDCs such as the 
intermediate course held in October 2016 , and the course on services trade s tatistics scheduled for  
November 2016.  He recommend ed that, in order for countries to  further  benefit, after the course 
the participants should be involved in activities that would allow them to apply what they ha d 
learned and to maintain professional cont acts with the Secretariat , other international agencies as 
well as other participants.  He mentioned that the LDCs remained open to discussing  how the 
Sub-Committee could contribute to tracking the benefits from these activities for the LDCs. He 
requested t hat the presentation  by the Secretariat be distributed so that Members  could properly 
assess the trade situation of  the LDCs.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
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  33. The representative of the European Union  thanked the Secretariat for the detailed and useful 
Note. She welcomed the progress achie ved by the LDCs in their effort s to integrat e into the 
multilateral trading system ( MTS), noting that the share of LDCs in world trade had increased from 
2005 to 2015. D espite some negative elements in the years 2014 and 2015, the 7.9% increase in 
export  volume s in 2015 was  a positive element. She regret ted that the participation of LDCs in 
global trade remain ed marginal  and that the exports of LDCs remained dependen t on a limited 
number of products , particularly fuels and mining products . She noted with co ncern that  the fall in 
prices of these commodities  over the last two years ha d resulted in a steep reduction  in the value 
of LDC exports  and in a further increase  in the chronic trade deficit of the majority of the LDCs.  
34. She welcomed the progress that had  been achieved by developed and developing Members 
in providing DFQF access to LDCs. At the same time, she  stressed that more could be done in this 
area. She underlined  that DFQF market access had always been a priority for the EU and that the 
EU's DFQF sc heme ha d resulted in the EU being the number one destination for  LDC exports of 
agricultural products (31%) and  manufactured products (54%). The EU's new Generaliz ed Scheme 
of Preferences  (GSP), which  had entered into force  in 2014, reduce d the number of b eneficiaries to 
those that need ed it the most , thereby  generat ing more preferential space for LDC exports. She 
believed that market access alone was not enough and expressed the EU's continued commitment 
to the Aid-for-Trade  Initiative  and the Enhanced Int egrated Framework ( EIF), which  were essential 
to support  the LDCs in building productive and institutional c apacit ies and closing  infrastructure 
gaps. She concluded by saying that the EU would continue working  closely with internati onal 
partners to help th e LDCs  further integrat e into the  MTS. 
35. The representative of Senegal  thanked the Secretariat for the Note and the addendum . He 
associated  his delegation  with the statement made by Benin on behalf of the LDC  Group . He 
suggested that non-tariff barriers be i ncluded in the next edition of the Note , as they were 
important market access obstacles for products from LDCs.  
36. The representative of the United States  thanked the Secretariat for the Note. He expressed 
concern about the decrease  in LDC exports due to global macroeconomic trends, including 
reductions in commodity prices. He believed that it was useful to draw on some encouraging 
trends in services trade, where LDC services exports , in some cases , had outperformed exports by 
other developing economies  and developed economies . He was also encouraged that the 
composition of LDC exports showed some movement in the direction of manufactured goods.  
37. He looked forward to continuing to engage with the LDC Group on the ir trade  issues. He said 
that there was potential  for discussions at the WTO  on the questi on of preference utilization . His 
delegation would be willing to engage with other delegations and share ideas on this issue . Certain 
impediments to utilization m ight be examined in a way that  could help address som e of the 
challenges highlighted in the Note. 
38. The representative of Bangladesh  thanked the Secretariat for the Note. He noted that d uring 
the last two years , LDC exports had been falling  with the decline in prices of primary commodit ies 
being  the main reaso n. However, he pointed out that  manufactur ing exports had also decreased in 
terms of both value and share . He questioned whether  the LDCs could reach a 2% share in global 
exports by 2020, a target set by both the Istanbul Programme of Action ( IPoA) and the  
Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ). He recalled that in the LDC Group's submission on its 
post-Nairobi priorities  (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/63 ), the Group  called on Members to hold a discussion 
in the Sub -Committee on how to reach th is target . 
39. He continued by highlight ing the importance of strengthening infrastructure  in LDCs  for 
benefit ting from preferential market access and for e xport competitiveness. Aid for T rade was 
important for develop ing infrastructure in the LDCs and infrastructure should be addressed by  all 
Aid-for-Trade fora.  Regarding the presentation by the Secretariat, he underlined  that it would be 
useful if the Secretariat provided  the import -weighted tariff rate faced by the LDCs in developing 
and developed economies , which  would allow a better as sessment of the preferences granted . 
Referring to Table 7  (Duty -free market access under LDC schemes in selected Members, 2014) , he 
indicated that the weighted applied duty of 8.2% shown  for the U nited States  would  be lower  if 
one took into account the duty-free access enjoyed by the African LDCs under certain  preferen ce 
scheme s. WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
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  40. The representative of Tanzania  associated his delegation  with the statement by Benin on 
behalf of the LDC  Group . He thanked the Secretariat for the briefing on the  key features and  
trends of LDC trade . He noted the continuing decline in the exports  of LDCs, which resulted from 
the LDCs'  lack of diversification and the ir weak capacity to add value. He mentioned cumbersome 
procedures to benefit from preference s, as well as  stringen t regulations and standards  as factors 
that could explain  this declining trend .  
41. He appreciated  the ongoing efforts in the WTO to improv e market access and make  
preferences more meaningful and beneficial to the LDCs. He agree d with the view  expressed by 
the L DC Coordinator  to undertake a  clinical examination of DFQF market access to better  
understand the decline  in LDC exports. He indicated that certain  procedures and rules of origin 
related to market access preferences  made it easier for  the LDCs to export lo w value -added 
products rather than products with a higher value added.  He called on all Members to work 
together towards achieving the  2% target for the  LDCs' share in global exports  by 2020.  
42. The representative of Norway  thanked the Secretariat for the Note. Regarding the data on 
destinations for LDC exports , he asked whether the data captured  the re-exporting of LDC exports 
by developed markets. He indicated that there was a potential loss of export value to the LDCs if 
the destination  country did not add value but only re-exported the LDC product. This  would be a 
relevant  issue in terms of market access and trade policy.  
43. The representative of China  thank ed the Secretariat for the comprehensive  Note. He said 
that China was committed to implement relevant WT O decisions , including expand ing DFQF market 
access for  the LDCs. Since 10 December 2015, China ha d applied zero -tariff on 97% of the tariff 
lines for 33 LDCs  which had diplomatic ties with China and had  completed the exchanges of notes. 
The gradual implem entation of zero -tariff treatment ha d greatly enhanced export s from LDCs to 
China. Since 2008, China ha d been the biggest export destination for the LDCs. As the Note 
pointed out, China had import ed about one third of total LDC export s in 2015.  He conclude d by 
indicating that  his authorities were in the process of  preparing an updated  notification on its DFQF 
scheme for LDCs . 
44. The representative of Haiti thanked the Secretariat for the Note. He underlined that  a lot 
remain ed to be done to better integrate th e LDCs  into the world economy. He called on developed 
Members , and developing Members in a position to do so , to implement the Decision s on 
preferential rules of origin  and on the LDC services waiver.  He supported the request from the LDC 
Coordinator  and t he delegation of Senegal to include the issue of non -tariff barriers  in the next 
edition  of the Note. He appreciated the intervention by the delegation of the United States  
concerning the  effective utilization of preferences given to LDCs , and by the deleg ation of 
Bangladesh concerning the infrastructure deficit in LDCs  which hindered the LDCs ' effective 
utilization of  preferences.  
45. The representative of the Secretariat  said that the data  available for the LDCs would not 
allow detail ed analyses such as on re-exports. He explained that data availability was not coherent 
across LDCs and, in many instances, would not allow the use of data reported by the LDCs. 
Therefore, m irror data, i.e. data reported by the trading partners of the LDCs, were frequently 
used fo r individual LDC statistics on the ir top products and destinations and for certain aggregate 
statistics . He underlined that the Secretariat used data reported by the LDCs  whenever possible . 
Mirror data was used as an alternative only when reported data or a good estimate was  not 
available . 
46. The representative of Senegal  encouraged the LDCs to notify trade data to the WTO in line 
with existing obligations so that less mirror data would be needed in the preparation of future 
Notes .  
47. The Chairman thank ed Member s for their statements. He noted that m arket access issues 
constitute d an important element of the LDC Work Programme. He trusted that the analysis of LDC 
trade and market access conditions was making an important contribution to  the review in the 
Sub-Comm ittee. He noted the decline in LDC trade in 2014 and 2015, and the LDCs' continued 
reliance on commodities. He acknowledged positive developments in services trade, particularly 
tourism, and in DFQF market access a s well as preferential rules of origin . He also noted  that six 
out of the top ten LDC export products were related to clothing, which showed the importance of WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
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  this sector for the LDCs. He was encouraged that during the WTO Public Forum 2016 much 
attention had been paid to the clothing sector, incl uding on aspects such as competitiveness, 
responsible business and decent work.  
48. He highlighted the importance of discuss ing challenges in a broader context, which included  
issues  related to  non-tariff barriers. It would be challenging for the international  community to 
achiev e the SDG target of a 2% LDC share in global exports  by 2020, which would require the 
LDCs to significantly outperform other economies in terms of export growth.  He suggest ed that the 
Sub-Committee take note of the Secretariat Note cont ained in  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 and 
WT/COMTD/LDC/W/ 64/Add.1  as well as the statements made.  
49. It was so agreed . 
C. ACCESSION  OF LEAST DEVELOPED C OUNTRIES  
- State of Play in the Accession Working Parties and WTO Post -Accession Support: Oral 
Report by the Secretariat  
50. The Chairman  recalled  that accession was one of the  core element s of the WTO Work 
Programme for the LDCs and of high importance to the work of the Sub -Committee. It was in the 
Sub-Committee, where Members had produced a set of guidelines to facilitate LDC accessions. He 
recalled that i mportant progress ha d been made in the previous  year. The accession packages of 
Afghanistan and Liberia had been  adopted at the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference  (MC10) in 
Nairobi in 2015 . After concluding their domestic ratifi cation processes, the two LDCs had formally 
joined the WTO in July 2016. At the time of the meeting, 36  out of 48 LDCs were  Members of the 
WTO. He invited the Accessions Division  to brief the Sub -Committee  on the state of play in the 
LDC's accession Working Parties and on activities carried  out in the context of WTO post -accession 
support.  
51. The representative of the Secretariat  (Officer -in-Charge, Accessions Division) recalled  the 
Doha Ministerial Declaration to "facilitate and accelerate negotiations with a cceding LDCs ". She 
highlighted that  the Sub -Committee had played a key role in  facilitating LDC accessions, including 
through its work on the LDC access ion guidelines of 2002 and 2012 . She noted that among the  36 
Governments  that had gone through the acces sion process pursuant to Art icle XII of the 
Marrakesh Agreement  establishing the WTO  (Article XII Members) , 9 had been LDCs.  
52. She went on to elaborate on  the experiences of the two most recently acceded LDCs , Liberia 
and Afghanistan, who completed their accession negotiations at MC10 . She explained the so-called  
"Liberian model" , a term coined from the fast -tracked accession process of Liberia . Following the 
submission of Liberia's Memorandum of Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) in the beginning of 2015, 
the acces sion process in the Working Party had been fina lized in nine months which  included five 
two-week technical working sessions with the Secretariat and three Working Party meetings.  
53. She indicated that the accelerated finalization of Liberia's accession had f ive main 
ingredients  for success : a strong political commit ment of the acceding government ; readiness for 
prompt WT O-consistent legislative reform;  a strong negotiating team  and good internal 
coordination;  the leadership of the Working Party Chairperson ; and efficient coordination with 
Members ("Friends of Liberia") and the Secretariat.   
54. She continued by presenting the commitments undertaken by nine acceded LDCs , which 
exceeded those of  original Members. Article XII LDC Members had bound  100% of their tarif fs with 
an average bound rate of 22%, while original  LDC Members had a binding coverage of 54% and an 
average bound rate of 65%.  Article XII LDC Members ha d also undertaken more comprehensive 
services commitments than original Members but less than other A rticle XII Members. She said 
there had been a  positive link between  WTO accessions and Article XII LDC Members ' economic 
development in terms of trade and GDP growth, resilience to crisis, competitiveness and 
attractiveness to FDI. She also mentioned that two Article  XII Members, Cabo Verde and Samoa, 
had graduated from LDC status following their accession s. Another LDC – Vanuatu – had been 
recommended for graduation.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
- 9 - 
 
  55.  Regarding the state of play in accessions, she said that 19 accession Working Parties wer e 
in pro gress . Among the six ongoing LDC accessions , a strategic focus was on Comoros and Sudan, 
with the target of concluding their accessions by MC11 . Following Comoros'  submission of  its MFTR 
in 2013 and  intensive technical work, the first W orking Party meeting was scheduled  for 
2 December 2016.  The resumption of the accession process of Sudan was announced at the 
General Council meeting in July 2016. Sudan was to update its MFTR  and a third Working Party 
meeting was scheduled for Decembe r 2016 after 12 years of inactivity.  
56. She went on to provide the state of play in other ongoing LDC accessions . Concerning  
Bhutan and Ethiopia, there had been no activity since mid -2008 and early 2012, respectively. 
Equatorial Guinea, after a period of dormancy, had expres sed interest in  receiving Secretariat -led 
technical assistance  for preparing the MFTR in early 2017. There were no documentary inputs to 
initiate the accession process  of Sao Tomé and Principe . In addition, two LDCs (Somalia and 
Timor-Leste) were in the pr ocess of submitting their application s for WTO membership, while 
South Sudan  was interested in re -submitting its a pplication for O bserver status.  These applicati ons 
would be circulated to M embers once the documentation was complete.  
57. Regarding technical ass istance and support, she recalled that a ccession  was one of the 
priorities in WTO's technical assistance and training  plan. In addition , support was provided 
through China's LDCs and Accessions Programme ( China Programme ). In this respect, she 
informed that Cambodia would host the Fifth Ch ina Round Table  on WTO accessions  in 
March  2017. She noted that the Secretariat provided accession -specific support , including  through  
technical working sessions to prepare or update the LDCs' accession documentation as we ll as 
through o utreach to key stakeholders such as members of parliament and academia. Additional 
support had been provided by "Friends of Accessions " during the accessions of Liberia (Swedish 
National Board of Trade) and Afghanistan (USAID).  
58. Recognizing t hat "WTO accession is difficult , but membership is harder", she briefly reported  
on the Secretariat's post-accession implementation support , which had its roots in an LDC Group 
proposal submitted earlier in the Sub -Committee . The support included four pill ars: (i) the 
development of specific post -accession implementati on strategies during the finaliz ation of the 
accession packages; (ii) speciali zed training on WTO post -accession (e.g.  in Summer 2016 for  
Afghanistan  and Liberia ); (iii) best practices on WTO post-accession  based on experience s of 
Article XII M embers  (WT/ACC/27) ; and, (iv) internal post -accession implementation and 
monitoring to ensure smooth handover from the Accessions Division to other operational divisions.  
59. The representative of Chinese Ta ipei, on behalf of the  Article XII Members, thanked the 
Secretariat for the report. She encouraged the acceding LDCs to work closely with the Secretariat , 
and especially to follow the successful model of Liberia  in order to exp edite their accession 
process es. She believed that all Members were ready to engage in the LDC accession Working 
Parties . She wished to see more  LDCs join ing the WTO in order to enhance  their integrat ion into 
the MTS.  
60. The representative of Benin , on behalf of the LDC  Group , thanked t he Secretariat for the 
presentation and for the support granted to the LDCs during the accession process. He 
congratulat ed Afghanistan and Liberia for the intensive work that had led to their WTO accession. 
Accession to the WTO was essential to integrate i nto international trade. He urged  Members to 
follow  the LDC accession  guidelines in accession negotiations . He also called on Members to 
provide capacity -building  support  so that the LDCs  could follow the process successfully . He 
suggested that the meeting s of the LDC accession Working Parties be scheduled in a manner so as  
to avoid overlaps with other key meetings in the WTO to facilitate  the participation of LDC 
Members.  
61. The representative of China  thanked the Secretariat for the comprehensive report and 
expressed appreciation for the excellent work of the Accession s Division for the LDCs.  The 
integration of the LDCs into the MTS was essential for the development dimension and the 
inclusiveness of the WTO. He said that China ha d always been supportive of the accession of LDCs, 
and w ould continue providing  technical support under the China Program me. He urged Members to 
show necessary flexibility  in LDC accession negotiations , in accordance with the LDC accession  
guidelines.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
- 10 - 
 
  62. The representative of Afghanistan  conveyed her G overnment's appreciation to Members and 
the Secretariat for all the support that had been accorded to Afghanistan during its accession 
process. Her Government was committed to  actively participate in the work of the WTO.  
63. The Chairman  thanke d the Secretariat for the presentation , and Members for their 
statements. He said that t he accession of LDCs to the WTO contribute d to further enhancing the 
inclusiveness of the MTS. The importance of LDC accessions was also recogniz ed by the 
international  community. The Political Declaration of the Midterm Review of the IPoA urged WTO 
Members to continue their efforts to accelerate the accession n egotiations of LDCs to the WTO.  He 
hoped that the activities carried out during the access ion process and as pa rt of post -accession 
support were helping the LDCs to better integrate into the MTS and foster inclusive economic 
development. He urged all Members to intensify their efforts to conclude the ongoing LDC 
accession negotiations as early as possible. In doing  so, it was important that Members follow ed 
the LDC accession guidelines.  He suggest ed that the Sub -Committee take note of the report made 
by the Secretariat as well as the statements made.  
64. It was so agreed . 
D. FOURTEENTH SESSION O F THE UNITED NATIONS  CONFERE NCE ON TRADE AND 
DEVELOPME NT (UNCTAD), NAIROBI , KENYA (17 -22 JULY 2016)  
- Report by the Coordinator of the Least Developed Countries in the UN System  
65. The Chairman  recalled that t he Fourteenth Session of the UNCTAD (UNCTAD 14) was held in 
Nairobi from 17 to  22 July 2016. He said that it was of the Sub -Committee's interest to hear about 
the outcomes on issues of importance to the LDCs. He invite d the Coordinator of the LDCs in the 
UN System to provide a report on UNCTAD 14. 
66. The representative of Bangladesh , on behalf of the LDCs in the UN System, stresse d that 
UNCTAD and WTO should complement each other in addressing trade and development 
challenges. The LDCs considered the  outcome of the UNCTAD 14 to be a historic success . All 
LDC-related issues had been succ essfully incorporated in the outcome document. He highlighted 
the collective efforts during the negotiations by the Group of 77  and China and  thank ed its Chair 
(Jamaica) and V ice-Chair (Tanzania) , as well as  the WTO LDC Coordinator (Benin) , for their 
proac tive and supportive roles.  
67. In terms of achievements, he highlighted  that UNCTAD  member States had agreed  on 
strengthening the focus of UNCTAD on the trade and development needs of the LDCs across all 
areas of its mandate. UNCTAD's work on DFQF  market acce ss, preferential r ules of origin and the 
LDC service s waiver would be continued . While taking note of the significant progress  made  
toward s realizing DFQF market access for all products from all LDCs, member States  had 
encouraged further improvement in thi s direction. It had also  been agreed that cotton issues 
would be given special focus in UNCTAD's future work. He stressed that it  was important for the 
LDCs to bring th e consensus reached in UNCTAD to the WTO to achieve tangible benefits in the 
near future . 
68. He recalled that the Midt erm Review of the IPoA had identified that the number of LDCs  
meeting the graduation criteria  was far below  the target. He stressed that t his was an area where 
the LDC s needed support from the international community. He welcomed  the commitment to 
strengthen UNCTAD's assistance to the  LDCs in progressing towards and preparing for graduation 
from the LDC category, including strategies for facilitating a smooth transition, a clear 
understanding of the post -graduation environment and  challenges and of the need to build 
productive capacities, and promoting the structural transformation necessary for post -graduation 
sustainable development.  
69. He recalled the target set by the IPoA and the SDGs to increas e the LDCs' share in world 
exports from 0.97% in 2015 to 2% by 2020 . He underlined  that t he UN CTAD 14 outcome stated 
that trade was an engine  for development and that efforts were needed to achieve further success 
in this regard. UNCTAD ha d also been mandated to continue and strengthen training and 
capacity -building in the LDCs, in accordance with the IPoA. He further said that a ccession to the 
WTO remain ed a considerable challenge for several  LDCs, and that UNCTAD  14 had renewed WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
- 11 - 
 
  UNCTAD's mandate to provide assistance in the WTO accession pr ocess.  He also underlined the 
importance of post -accession support.  
70. He also said that his delegation , in its national capacity and as LDC coordinator, had made 
sustained efforts to revitaliz e the interg overnmental machinery  (IGM)  and the consensus -building  
pillar of the UNCTAD , which was crucial for supporting developing countries , and in particular the 
LDCs, in attaining the SDGs . In this respect, he  highlighted  that the most significant achievements 
in the UNCTAD 14 outcome  included reaching consensus on the revitalization of the IGM through 
the establish ment of  two new inter-governmental expert groups, consensus on having agreed 
conclusions  in regular sessions of  the Trade and Development Board , and having a midterm review  
of the UNCTAD 14 outcome . He als o expressed satisfaction that several key issues for developing 
countries as well as the LDCs such as in the areas of tax evasion, technology transfer, the 
establishment of a technology bank for the LDCs, debt restructuring, ensuring policy space and 
recog nizing common but differentiated responsibilities, had been incorporated in the outcome 
document after intense negotiations.  
71. He underlined that t he outcome at UNCTAD 14  had only been possible due to intense and 
concerted efforts from the G roup of 77  and China, including the LDC Group, as well as positive 
consideration of the EU, the JUSCANZ  Group  and Group D in UNCTAD. He noted that in a recent 
letter  to Bangladesh , the Secretary -General of UNCTAD had expressed his desire to work together 
to revitalize the IGM and strengthen the synergies among the three pillars of UNCTAD (research 
and analysis, technical assistance and consensus -building ) so that UNCTAD c ould fully contribute 
to the broader work of the UN on development.  
72. He recalled that at the LDC Ministe rial Meeting  in Nairobi on 16 July 2016, both the UNCTAD 
Secretary -General and the High Representative for the LDCs, Landlocked Developing Countries and 
Small Island Developing States (UN -OHRLLS)  had underscored the uphill challenges to be faced by 
the LDC s for achieving the SDGs.  The UNCTAD 14 o utcome expressed the international 
community's willingness and consensus to strengthen support to the LDCs for achieving the SDGs 
and the goals of the IPoA.  
73. The representative of Benin , on behalf of the WTO LDC Grou p, associated his delegation  with 
the statement made on behalf of the LDC Coordinator in the UN. He underlined the importance of 
the outcome achieved at UNCTAD 14 and  called upon all Members  and stakeholders to contribute 
to its effective implement ation. He further stressed the need for coordination among UNCTAD, 
WTO and other institutions to exploit synergies in their work . He noted  that the LDC component of 
the UNCTAD 14 outcome support ed the WTO decisions taken in Bali and Nairobi , and that further 
produ ctive capacity building was needed to help the LDCs draw benefits from the measures 
foreseen by the UNCTAD 14 outcome . 
74. The representative of the United States  thanked the representative of Bangladesh for the  
report on the UNCTAD  14 outcome , which was  impor tant in the context of the Sub-Committee . He 
expressed  satisfaction  that, despite a difficult negotiating process,  member  States , through a 
collective effort,  had been able  to achieve consensus on a mandate for UNC TAD over the next four 
years. Though the m andates and competencies of UNCTAD and the WTO were distinct, there could 
be useful synergies. He believed  that the UNCTAD 14 outcome document la id a useful basis for 
exploring such synergies. His delegation saw value in the type of work that UNCTAD c ould 
contribute  to, particularly  in initiatives like the eTrade for All I nitiative . 
75. The representative of Canada  thanked the representative of Bangladesh  for the report and 
for raising awareness of this important conference at the WTO. She was pleased to hear t hat the 
outcome was considered a historic success and hope d that this positive momentum would 
continue. She underlined the need to ensure that the membership in UNCTAD and in the WTO  
continue d to speak to one another to make the best connections,  while res pecting the mandates of 
each institution.  
76. The representative of Haiti thanked the representative of Bangladesh for the report. His 
delegation believed that the results  of UNCTAD 14  were important for  developing countries  and for 
the LDCs in particular. He noted that the implementation of the Agenda 2030 lied at the heart of 
the outcome document. Referring to paragraph 8 of the WTO Nairobi Ministerial Declaration, h e 
stressed that it was important that the WTO contributed to the achievement of the SDGs and t hat WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
- 12 - 
 
  Members discussed how the  WTO should  proceed  in this regard, including by considering proposals 
for the implementation of the SDGs.  
77. The representative of the European Union  thanked the representative of Bangladesh for his 
report , and congratulated the LDCs on their constructive role in the UNCTAD negotiations. She said 
that the EU had also been closely involved  in the negotiations  and noted that the collaborative 
approach of all groups helped reach a satisfactory outcome . She drew attention to UNCTAD's 
renewed mandate to continue working on issues of specific interest to LDCs, notably on 
investment and trade facilitation.  
78. The representative of Japan  thanked the representative of Bangladesh for his report  and 
echoed the comments by the U nited States, Cana da and the EU. His delegation had also been 
deeply involved in the negotiations of the outcome document of UNCTAD 2014. While negotiations 
had been difficult , member States  could overcome difference s in the end achieving a  historical 
outcome. He stated tha t UNCTAD was an important international organization,  which was in charge 
of trade and development.  Although the WTO and UNCTAD had different  functions, it was 
important to make good use of both organizations  and create as many synergies as possible in 
order to continue  having fruitful discussions  on trade and development issues.  
79. The Chairman  thanked the LDC Coordinator in the UN System for its report and Members for 
their statements. He was  encouraged to see that the outcome document ask ed UNCTAD to 
streng then its special focus on the trade and development needs of the LDCs across all areas of its 
mandate . The outcome document show ed that LDC issues remained  at the core of UNCTAD's work 
mandate for the next four years. He was happy to note that UNCTAD w ould continue working  on 
issues that are being  pursued by the LDCs in the WTO such as trade facilitation, e -commerce and 
technology transfer . He agreed that  coordinated efforts were needed from development partners 
to achieve the SDGs, especially for reaching the target of a 2% LDC share in global exports by 
2020.  He suggest ed that the Sub -Committee take note of the report provided by the Coordinator 
of the LDCs in the UN System as well as the statements made.  
80. It was so agreed . 
E. FOLLOW -UP TO MINISTERIAL DE CISION S/DECLARATIONS  
- Follow -up to Ministerial Declarations and Decisions Taken in Favour of Least 
Developed Countries (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/62)  
81. The Chairman  recalled  that the Sub -Committee had  been discussing this item for some time. 
At the Sub -Committee  meeting in June 2016, he had  reported on the consultations that had been 
carried out to find common ground on whether further work was possible , building on the Note by 
the Secretariat. Since then, some consultations had been undertaken to see whether positions of 
Members could converge on a way forward. However,  at the time of the meeting,  there was no  
agreement to commission further work on this topic.  
82. He was aware that the LDCs would like to have more information included in the Note 
regarding the implementation o f decisions taken in favour of LDCs and to identify the difficulties 
that need ed to be addressed. He was  equally aware of the viewpoints of other Members that a 
number of LDC implementation issues were dealt with by other WTO bodies and that there was 
always an opportunity to seek more information directly from Members as en visaged by the WTO 
Work Programme  for the LDCs (WT/COMTD/LDC/11/Rev.1) .  
83. The representative of Benin  thanked the Chairman for his report. He noted that Members 
were not yet at a point of  consensus in terms of what should be done in line with the request from 
the LDCs. He explained that the LDCs needed a report that indicated  the decisions and the 
declarations adopted in favour of LDCs, their level of implementation and the constraints that 
hindered progress in  their effective implementation. Th e current Note provided a  basis on which an 
effective  follow -up should be carried out. He also stressed that the LDCs, given their limited 
capacit ies and human resources,  could not follow  all activit ies by other WTO bodies and that it 
would be useful to have  a summar y document , as the one  propos ed, that would allow  them to 
assess the different issues in one single forum, like the Sub -Committee . It was important to have 
a report that was not just factu al, but also  analytical. He concluded by saying that the LDCs would WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
- 13 - 
 
  like to continue consultations with other Members in order to agree on the best approach possible 
to make progress on this matter.  
84. The Chairman  thanked the representa tive of Benin for his statement . He said that t he Note 
by the Secretariat represent ed an important work , giving  a holistic view of what ha d been 
accomplished in favour of LDCs. He encourage d delegations to remain engaged with one another 
to see the possibility of further work o n this issue. He remained availabl e for consultations if 
required. He suggested that the Sub -Committee could  come back to this issue at an appropriate 
time in the future . He suggest ed that the Sub -Committee take note of th e statement  made.  
85. It was so agreed . 
F. OTHER BUSINESS  
86. The Chairman  recalled that  a "South -South Dialogue on LDCs and Development" had been  
held in Annecy from 19 to 20 September  2016. The event constituted a pillar of the China 
Programme , and was organized by the Secretariat in cooperation wi th China. He invited the LDC 
Coordinator  to provide a  report on the event.  
87. The representative of Benin , on behalf of the LDC  Group , highlighted  that the South -South 
Dialogue was an important activity for the LDCs. He expressed gratitude to the Government o f 
China, as well as the Secretariat,  for their support  in organizing the event. He said that the 
Dialogue had seen intense  discussions in seven thematic sessions, cover ing all areas of interest to 
the LDCs. Discussions had benefitted from the participation  of developing economies and 
international organization s such as the International Trade Centre ( ITC), UNCTAD  and WTO , and 
had led to recommendations  for the LDCs and for the ir partners. The LDCs were in the process of 
preparing a  roadmap to ensure the eff ective follow -up on this activity. He suggested that the 
proceedings of the Dialogue be circulated in English as well as in French . He looked forward to 
continued Chinese support and the holding of a similar activity in 2017.  
88. The representative of China  expressed appreciat ion for  the statement by the LDC 
Coordinator . He thanked the Secretariat for its work regarding the  organiz ation of  the South -South  
Dialogue. He underlined that the LDCs were an indispensable force at the WTO, which  had 
contributed to the MTS over the past decades. China had  established the China Programme in 
2011 under the Aid-for-Trade  Initiative , with a view to helping the LDCs better participate in and 
benefit from international trade and global value chains. He said that, i n the previo us five years, 
the Programme ha d played a n effective role in facilitating the LDCs' integration into the MTS. He 
underlined the need for collaboration as the global economy and trade were going through a 
difficult period. He said that China was ready to wo rk with other Members to further strengthen 
South -South cooperation within the WTO framework and would continue providing  necessary 
assistance according to  its capacity.  
89. The Chairman  thanked the LDC Coordinator  for the briefing . He was glad to hear that the 
Dialogue had seen substantive discussions with good pa rticipation from the LDCs, South -South 
partners  and multilateral agencies . He was also happy to see increased efforts to further enhance 
South -South cooperation . He thanked China  and the Secretariat, particularly the Development 
Division, for their support in organizing the event . He suggest ed that the Sub -Committee take note 
of the briefing by the LDC Coordinator  as well as the statement made . 
90. It was so agreed . 
91. The Chairman  thanked Members for their s upport during his chairmanship. He highlighted 
the importance of the LDCs as a constituency  in the WTO and for the inclusiveness of the MTS. He 
thanked the Development Division for its support and professionalism during the last t hree years. 
He also thank ed Ambassador  Laourou from Benin for his engagement and successful work as LDC 
Coordinator .  
92. The representative of Benin , on behalf of the LDC Group, thanked the Chairman for his  
leadership,  dedicat ion and  professionalism , as well as for  his availability fo r the LDCs.  He noted 
that, under his chairmanship, results  had been obtained and progress had been made on WT/COMTD/LDC/M/79  
 
- 14 - 
 
  important matters , including the establishment of  provisions support ing Phase Two  of the EIF . He 
also thanked the Development Division for its suppor t.  
93. Before concluding, t he Chairman  said that his delegation would organiz e an informal 
workshop on a subject of importance for the LDCs  to mark the end of his chairmanship.1 
94. In the absence of any other business, t he meeting was adjourned . 
 
 
__________  
                                                
1 The workshop entitled "Challenges and Opportunities for SMEs from LDCs to participate in 
International Value Chains" was held on 15 November 2016.