RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/M/10 4 
 
 
19 March  2018 
(18-1644) Page: 1/21 
Committee on Trade and Development  
104th Session    
 
  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 15 NOVEMBER  2017  
Chairman: H.E. Mr. Taonga Mushayavanhu (Zimbabwe)   
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ ....................  2 
B. OBSERVERS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  2 
(i) Request for attendance of ad hoc observers  ................................ ................................ .. 2 
(ii) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the League of Arab States, 
the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Gulf Organization for 
Industrial Consulting, the Organization Internationa le de la Francophonie , the Common 
Fund for Commodities, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) 
and the Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Développement  ................................ .......................  3 
C. REPORT OF THE 51ST SESSION OF THE JOINT  ADVISORY GROUP ON TH E 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO (I TC/AG/(LI)/268)  ..............................  3 
D. TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N AND TRAINING  ................................ .............................  4 
- Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training 2016 
(WT/COMTD/W/225)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  4 
- Biennial Technical Assistance and Training 2018 -19 (WT/COMTD/W/227/Rev.1)  .......................  5 
E. TRADE AND DEVELOPMEN T – WORK IN THE COMMITTE E ON THE BASIS OF 
THE CHAIRMAN'S CONCL UDING STATEMENT FROM  THE EIGHTH MINISTERI AL 
CONFERENCE (WT/MIN(1 1)/11)  ................................ ................................ .....................  7 
- Comm ittee on Trade and Development M andate: Focal Point for Consideration and 
Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO – Proposal from Barbados, Beliz e, 
China, Cuba, Ecuador, India, and the African Group (WT/COMTD/W/208)  ................................ .. 7 
- 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)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  7 
F. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  ................................ ....................  9 
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union – Communication 
from Ch ina, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  ................................ ................................ ..12 
- Notification of the Agreement on Trade in Goods between the Association of 
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Korea  ................................ ................................ ......... 12 
- Notification of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India 
and Korea (Go ods) ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 12 
G. WORK PROGRAMME ON EL ECTRONIC COMMERCE  ................................ .................  14 
- E-commerce Elements for MC11 – Communication from China (JOB/GC/142, 
JOB/CTG/9, JOB/SERV/271, JOB/DEV/49)  ................................ ................................ ............. 14 
H. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MEC HANISM FOR 
PREFERENTIAL TRADE A RRANGEMENTS  ................................ ................................ ........  17 
I. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE  STEPS TAKEN TO PROVI DE DUTY -FREE AND 
QUOTA -FREE MARKET ACCESS T O LEAST DEVELOPED CO UNTRIES  ................................ . 17 WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  J. PARTICIPATION OF DEV ELOPING COUNTRIES IN  THE MULTILATERAL 
TRADING SYSTEM (WT/C OMTD/W/230)  ................................ ................................ ....... 19 
K. DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2017 (WT/COMTD/W /231)  ................................ ..... 20 
L. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 21 
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1. The Chairman  said t hat the draft agenda for the 10 4th Session of the Committee on Trade 
and Development (CTD) was contained in document WTO/AIR/COMTD/12 circulated on 
3 November 2017 .  
2. The representative of the United States  indicated  his del egation's concern with a number of 
matters relating to  the issuance of agenda s for CTD meetings  and the preparation for  these  
meetings. He explained that, even though the agenda for the present meeting had been issued on 
3 November, his delegation had exper ienced difficulties in accessing it online until 7 November. In 
order to allow sufficient time for delegations to prepare for meetings , he requested that the 
four-week rule for the issuance of the agenda be reinstated, in accordance with the CTD's r ules of  
procedure. After Members were provided with an initial  agenda four weeks before a meeting , they 
should still be able  to inscribe items  until the time that the agenda  for the meeting  was circulated, 
ten days prior to  the date of the meeting . He added that, according to the rules of procedure, the 
documents for a meeting also needed to be circulated when the agenda was circulated . However, 
in the present case, the Secretariat report on the participation of developing economies in the 
global tra ding system, as well as the CTD's draft annual report for 2017, had been issued  after the 
circulation of the agenda. This had not provided  Members with enough time to properly consider 
these documents. His delegation was  also concerned that the recent noti fication by some members 
of the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)  – contained  in document WT/COMTD/N/53  
and introduced under "Other Business" at the last meeting – did not appear on the agenda for the 
present meeting.  In addition, he made refer ence to the unofficial room document RD/DEV/155 , 
and indicated that it was unclear where it fitted on the agenda, since it contained a summary of 
the Chairman's update on both r egional trade agreements (RTAs)  and p referential trade 
arrangements (PTAs) , and  the title of the document did not match any particular agenda item . In 
closing, he expressed appreciation for the Secretariat's engagement and openness in discuss ions 
on these issues with his delegation.    
3. The Chairman  suggested  that the issues  raised by  the U nited States  could  be taken up under 
"Other Business". He indicated that he also wished  to raise a matter under "Other Business" , 
concerning the work being undertaken by the Secretariat on a publication titled "Mainstreaming 
Trade in the Sustainable Development Goals".    
4. The agenda was adopted  as amended.  
B. OBSERVERS   
(i) Request for attendance of ad hoc observers  
5. The Chairman  recalled that, at previous sessions of the CTD, Members had agreed to invite 
a number of intergovernmental organizations on an ad hoc meeting -by-meeting basis. These were 
the Arab Maghreb Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Economic 
Community of West African States, the Economic Cooperation Organisation, the Inter -Arab 
Investment Guarantee Corporation, the  Islamic Development Bank, the African Union, the 
Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the South Centre, the Pacific Islands Forum, the United 
Nations Environment Programme, the West African Economic and Monetary Union, and the World 
Intellectual Proper ty Organization.  These organizations had been invited to the present meeting. 
He proposed that the same organizations be invited to the next formal meeting of the CTD.  
6. It was so agreed . WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  (ii) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the Le ague of Arab States, the 
Organis ation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Gulf Organization for Industrial 
Consulting, the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie , the Common Fund for 
Commodities, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exportin g Countries (OAPEC) and the 
Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Développement  
7. The Chairman  said that the positions of delegations were on the record. He indicated that , if 
there were no changes in positions to extend observer status to any of the applicants, the 
Committee would take note and revert to the requests at the next meeting.  
8. It was so agreed . 
C. REPORT  OF THE 51ST SESSION OF THE JOINT  ADVISORY GROUP ON TH E 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO (I TC/AG/( LI)/26 8) 
9. The Chairman  said that the report of the 51st Session of the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) on 
the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO (ITC) , held on 10 July 2017,  was contained in ITC 
document ITC/AG( LI)/268. He invited Ambassador Frances Mary Lisson of Australia, the 
Chairperson of  the 51st Session of the JAG, to introduce the report . 
10. The Chairperson  of the JAG  provided an overview of the discussions that had taken place at 
the JAG meeting. She noted , inter alia , that the ITC’s role within the Geneva trade hub was 
recognized by both the WTO Director -General and the Secretary General  of the United Nations 
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) . The Executive Director of the ITC had outlined 
the continued strong demand for ITC services – including with regard t o a pipeline of projects 
valued at over US$ 200 million, and a delivery in 2016 of US$ 85 million – while a number of 
high-level speakers  had shared their thoughts and experiences . With regard to the ITC's Annual 
Report for 2016, which was presented to the JAG, she said that the ITC had delivered on its 
targets, with 85% of country -specific interventions channelled to LDCs, Sub -Saharan Africa, 
landlocked developing countries, small i sland developing states, small vulnerable economies, and 
post-conflict and fragile states. The ITC continued to prioritize marginalized segments of society, 
including through its work on the SheTrades  initiative.  She went on to say that delegations at the 
JAG meeting had expressed appreciation for the ITC's focus on priority countries, and for the 
organization's continued emphasis on promoting inclusive and sustainable trade and economic 
growth. There was recognition of an improvement in internal coherence and evaluation, a nd of the 
ITC's efforts to collaborate with various partners and promote synergies between the private 
sector and government actors. In terms of thematic focus, delegates highlighted value -chain 
development, South -South trade and regional integration, export promotion and diversification, 
reducing non -tariff measures , and trade facilitation. Support was expressed for a number of 
initiatives , including SheTrades and the Export Potential Map. The ITC’s work on tourism, 
e-commerce and e -learni ng was also appreciated. With regard to small and medium -sized 
enterprises (SMEs), t he 2016 edition of the SME Competitiveness Outlook  was welcomed.  
11. On areas for further improvement, the ITC was asked to strengthen efforts to ensure that 
deliverables rema ined tailored to the context of clients. Delegations also requested that work on 
trade and investment support institutions (TISI) development receive complementary support , in 
order  to provide better services for SMEs. The  ITC was invited  to continue its efforts to diversify its 
funding mechanisms . In the second part of the meeting, the JAG was presented with the 2017 
Annual Evaluation Synthesis Report , and with the outline of the new Strategic Plan for the 
2018-2021 period . The discussion on  the evaluatio n showcased the findings of the past year , while 
synthesiz ing lessons learn ed and provid ing recommendations to ITC management for future 
operations. Overall , the results were positive , and the ITC was found to be on track in terms of its 
core business and management approach. It was noted that the  programmatic approach had been 
progressively integrated into new project design, and the organization's comparative advantage in 
supporting SMEs in their efforts to internationalize  was confirmed . With regard to t he Strategic 
Plan, the discussion centred on ensuring that the new strategy linked the ITC’s interventions to the 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focused on customized approaches to the specific trade 
and development needs of clients, and prioritized  results and impact. Delegations were invited to 
further contribute to the consultative process.  In closing, she listed  a number of events taking 
place during the WTO's Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) in which the ITC would participate . 
These included the Trade and Sustainable Development Symposium, the launch ing of both a trade 
helpdesk for SMEs and a cotton portal, and an event concerning S heTrades in Argentina  and the WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  promot ion of  an inclusive trade agenda. The ITC would also support a declaration on gender  and 
trade. 
12. The representative of Japan  expressed appreciation for the ITC’s efforts to realize  
sustainable economic growth through inclusive trade. She commended the organization  for its 
active and tangible work on the ground , and welcomed the positive results achieved . Her 
delegation looked forward to further collaboration with the ITC .    
13. The representative of the European Union  appreciat ed the ITC's cooperation with her 
delegation, and congratulated the organization on  its recent performance . She noted with 
satisfaction  the increasing focus of assistance to LDCs and other countries most in need , as well as 
the ITC's wo rk in such areas as women's economic empowerment.  
14. The Committee took note  of the report of the 51st Session of the JAG and forwarded  it to the 
General Council for adoption.   
D. TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N AND TRAINING  
- Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training 2016 (WT/COMTD/W/225 ) 
15. The Chairman  said that the Annual Performance Report on Te chnical Assistance and Training 
2016 was contained in document WT/COMTD/W/225. He invited a representative of the Institute 
for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) to introduce the report.    
16. The representative of the ITTC said that the report was structured around three principal 
sections . There was firstly a section on the main  developments in technical assistance (TA) in 2016 
compared to the previous year . Another section addressed the implementation of the TA Plan and 
the main features of th e TA provided in 2016, while a third section look ed at the evaluation of 
performance in 2016. As part of his summary of the main developments in 2016, he observed 
that, while the volume of activities and related expenses remained stable , the Secretariat ha d 
been obliged to tap into its financial reserves , in light of a decrease in resources . He indicated that 
progress continued towards the full implementation of a TA management system based on results, 
and pointed to an improvement in the substantive content of the TA offer, including through a 
number of new courses. Turning to the implementation of the Biennial Technical Assistance and 
Training Plan (TA Plan) for the 2016 -2017 period , he informed the Co mmittee that 274 activities 
were delivered  in 2016 , and the Secretariat was also involved in 40 other activities. A total of 
18,600 participants were trained, representing an increase of 25% compared to 2015. About 43% 
of the participants were women. As in  previous years, priority continued to be given to Africa and 
the least developed countries (LDCs). Half of the TA provided had a general scope, while the 
specific subjects most in demand were sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, technical 
barriers t o trade (TBT), market access for goods and trade -related aspects of intellectual property 
rights (TRIPS). In terms of languages, the most significant evolution was the increase in the 
proportion of activities offered with interpretation in at least one oth er language. Finally , he 
provide d an overview of the section concerning the evaluation of performance  – which  he noted 
was positive overall, and was focused on the four Key Results identified in the TA Plan. The 
Committee was informed that Key Result 1 was  the most successful, with 71% of its targets met. 
This was followed by Key Result 2 at 50%, Key Result 4 at 39%, and Key Result 3 at 25%.    
17. The representative of India emphasized the importance of TA for developing countries . He 
commended the Secretariat for having maintain ed the volume of TA activities i n 2016, and for 
having tailored the TA activities  to beneficiaries’ priorities. He also welcomed the focused approach 
adopted by the Secretariat in the TA activities and hope d that this approach would continue  in the 
future.  
18.  The representative of Sri Lanka  welcomed the success of the TA activities  in 2016. He 
highlighted the importance of the WTO's TA for beneficiary  countries, and invited the Secretariat to 
provide technical  support to Sri Lanka for the development of a trade remedy system. He noted 
with interest the significant rise in the number of participants in online courses, as well as the 
success of the  intermediate trade policy courses. He also stressed the importanc e of the internship 
programmes  – particularly for small missions like his own , which had a l imited number of officials 
covering WTO matters.    WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  19. The representative of Egypt  welcomed the ITTC's  effort s in the context of decreasing  TA 
resources. He recognized  the importance of TA activities in enhancing the capacit y of developing 
countries , and encouraged the ITTC to continue its work in this regard . 
20. The representative of China  welcomed the TA  performance in 2016, while also noting the 
decrease in TA resources. She pointed to the significant rise in the number of participants in TA 
activities , and appreciated the continued effort s of the ITTC  to address Members' needs and 
concerns. She also expressed  China's support for the WTO's  TA activities and for the new TA Plan  
for the 2018 -2019 period .       
21. The Committee took note of the Annual Performance Report on Technical As sistance and 
Training for 2016 , and of all interventions . 
- Biennial Technical Assistance and Training 201 8-19 (WT/COMTD/W/227/Rev.1 ) 
22. The Chairman  said that the TA Plan for the 2018-2019 period was contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/227/Rev.1. The ITTC had prepared the Plan in full consultation with Members. 
Three preparatory documents were used during the consultation process. The first , which was an 
option paper on a feasibility study for a fee -paying training scheme, was contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/226. The second  paper, contained in document WT/COMTD/W/228, was  an 
assessment by the Secretariat of the Advanced Trade Policy Course  (ATPC) . The third preparatory 
document, which was an option paper on enhancing the language mix in TA activities, was 
contained in doc ument WT/COMTD/W/229. It was his understanding that the Committee on 
Budget, Finance and Administration (CBFA) would consid er the financing of th e Plan at its meeting 
on 16 November 2017 . He invited a representative of the ITTC to introduce the Plan.  
23. The representative of the ITTC recalled several  informal meetings with Members that had 
been held in the course of 2017 to discuss the preparation of the TA Plan. He noted  that the recent  
external evaluation of the WTO's TA, as well as the management response to the evaluation – 
which had been considered  at the 101st Session  of the CTD  – had provided key inputs into the 
preparation of the Plan. A firs t version  of the Plan had been circulated in document 
WT/COMTD/W/227  and was discussed with Members . Based on Members' comments, the 
Secretariat had circulated a revision of the Plan, as contained  in document 
WT/COMTD/W/227/Rev.1. This document was discussed at the CBFA meeting of 6 November, and 
was up for consideration at the present meeting. He said that the Plan aimed to reach its 
objectives by identifying four Key Results . In the context of th e Plan, the Secretariat intended  to 
continue promoting TA activities that focu sed on the implementation of WTO Agreements, while 
also continuing to  review and refine its internal results -based management tools and related 
processes, and apply ing more comprehensively the Progressive Learning Strategy. The Secretariat 
was additionally  aiming to make further improvements to its e-learning programme , its 
pedagogical methods, and its use of value -adding partnerships and Trade Policy Review follow -ups. 
The logframe had also been revisited to improve the relevance of the performance indicators 
chosen. He added that the Secretariat was seeking to carry out the actions outlined in its response 
to the external evaluation  – including  by looking into the link  between TA and gender issues, the 
availability of course  offerings in all three languages , and revising the ATPC – and would continue 
to engage with Members on issues raised in the evaluation. The Secretariat also wished to address 
the constraints arising  from the limited availability of suitable training rooms in the WTO campus. 
In closing, he indicated  that the Plan had bee n prepared on the assumption that TA resources 
would be stable during the next biennium, thereby allowing approximately the same level of TA 
activity  to be maintained  as in previous years.   
24. The representative of the European Union  emphasized the importance of the WTO's TA in 
enabling developing countries and LDCs to p articipate effective ly in the multilateral trading s ystem  
(MTS) . She also welcomed the efforts by the Secretariat and beneficiaries to enhance the 
efficiency and impact of TA activities , and expressed her hope that TA activities in the next 
biennium would target the main goals and the main beneficiaries, while remaining within the 
planned budget.  
25. The representative of Singapore  recalled two gender -relevant recommendations  which had 
been put forward by the external evaluators . The first , which was Recommendation 11 , was to 
continue to monitor and report on  the participation of women and men with a view to addressing WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  remaining gender imbalances of participation in WTO TA. The second – Recommendation  19 – was 
to take every opportunity to integrate issues of gender equality and the empowerment of women 
into TA prog rammes and training material in the context of emerging initiatives on social and 
poverty implications of trade, including the SDGs.  Her delegation understood and supported the 
need to facilitate the participation of women in TA activities, and therefore e ncouraged the 
Secretariat to continue to make efforts to ensure that this goal was achieved. In this regard, she 
expressed her support for Recommendation 11. With regard to Recommendation 19, she noted 
from section 3.3.1 of the TA Plan – which concerned TA  and gender issues – that the Secretariat 
was proposing  to introduce modules on trade and gender , with a view to raising awareness and 
enhancing the aptitude of policymakers to incorporate gender considerations in their trade policy 
development or negotiat ions. In this regard, she believed that some caution needed to be 
exercised. She explained that gender did not feature  in the WTO Agreements, and there was 
presently no consensus or full understanding of the role of gender vis-à-vis the making of trade 
rules. The proposed module s could therefore influence substantive discussions  on the matter , 
which were still in their nascent stages. In this light, her delegation wished  to know more about 
the elements that would be included in the proposed modules  in the context of e -learning, the 
APTCs and the Regional Trade Policy Courses (RTPCs). She also sought information on how the 
proposed modules would tie in with the TA mandate , and  how the content would be separated 
from any potential substantive discussi ons at the WTO  on the subject . 
26. The representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  believed  that the TA Plan allowed for the 
implementation of TA activities in a transparent and predic table manner. He recogniz ed the crucial 
role of the WTO' s TA activities in  enhancing  Membe rs' capacities , and called on  the Secretariat to 
continue its efforts to improve the efficiency of the TA programmes , based on lessons learn ed and  
on the priorities identified by ben eficiaries . 
27. The representative of Norway  appreciated that the TA Plan took into account several issues 
raised  by his delegation,  including with regard to the inclusion of a suitable results framework . His 
delegation believed that  priority should be accorded to the utilization of Trade Policy Reviews 
(TPRs) as a s ource for enhanc ed assistance . At the same time, in view of the financial situation, 
lower priority should be given to exploring opportunities for external parties to participate in 
learning programmes. He explained that it could be problematic to fund activities involving 
external parties with allocat ions for development cooperation.   
28. The representative of Swaziland  expressed appreciation to the ITTC for the TA delivered, as 
well as to donors for their support.  
29.  The representative of the United Sta tes recognized  the results achieved  by the ITTC in a 
challenging  financial environment . He noted the improvements brought to the TA programmes, 
such as the development of new courses and the use of e -learning , and highlighted the 
effectiveness of e-learning as a means of delivering training . He also indicated that his delegation 
had a similar view to that expressed by Singapore on the trade and gender modules, and the need 
to exercise caution in areas where consensus had not been reached  in the WTO . In this regard, he 
wished to know more about the elements of the proposed modules .  
30. The representative of Cambodia , on behalf of the LDC Group, expressed appreciation for the 
WTO's TA activities and for the new TA Plan. He indicated the Group's commit ment to working 
closely with the ITTC and development partners to further enhance the efficiency of TA activities.  
31.  The representative of India noted that the consultations undertaken by the Secretariat with 
Members in order to reflect their priorities in t he new TA Plan  represented a bottom -up approach . 
He believed that s uch an approach  would contribute to helping Members to implement existing 
WTO Agreements and make use of existing benefits relating to  these agreements.  
32. The representative of Kenya  highlighte d the benefits of the WTO's TA activities . He 
welcomed the new TA Plan and hoped that his country would be able to take advanta ge of the 
training and capacity -building opportunities offered by the WTO. In closing, he thanked the 
Secretariat and the donor s for their effort s.   
33. The Director of the ITTC  said that the way the section on TA and gender  issues  had been 
drafted in the TA Plan , reflected an appreciation of the need to exercise caution in this area of WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  work. The Secretariat would pilot a module on trade and gender , and would revert to Members 
with concrete suggestions and findings , while also  seeking further guidance. She additionally  
welcomed the positive comments  by Members , and their support for the WTO's TA activities.   
34. The Committee  adopted  the Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan for 2018 -19. 
E. TRADE AND DEVELOPMEN T – WORK IN THE COMMITTE E ON THE BASIS OF TH E 
CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDIN G STATEMENT FROM THE  EIGHTH MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE (WT/MIN(1 1)/11)  
35. The Chairman  recalled that, at the Ei ghth Ministerial Conference (MC8), Ministers had, 
inter alia, reaffirmed the positive link between trade and development and called for focused work 
in the CTD. Ministers had called on Members to fully operationalize the mandate of the CTD as a 
focal point  for development work. In this regard, there were two proposals for consideration at the 
present meeting . The first proposal  – contained  in document WT/COMTD/W/208  and submitted by 
Barbados, Belize, China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group – was for the CTD to report 
on the development -related work taking place in other WTO bodies. The  second proposal  under 
consideration  – submitted by China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group – was contained 
in document WT/COMTD/W/192. Although t here were three proposals in this document, only one 
remained outstanding. Th e remaining proposal in document WT/COMTD/W/192 was for the CTD to 
make a recommendation for parties to RTAs to  submit their notification and information 
requirements jointly.  
36. He went on to say  that the two documents  had been appearing on the CTD's agenda for 
quite some time . Despite the informal consultations held by past CTD Chairs, no substantive 
progress had b een made.  With regard to document WT/COMTD/W/208, he recalled that, at the 
last CTD meeting, a number of proponents had reiterated their position, while some other 
Members had reminded the Committee of their concerns with the proposal, and had called for t he 
circulation of a revised proposal. As for document WT/COMTD/W/192 , he recalled that the 
proponents  had indicated at the last meeting their willingness to consider the circulation of a new 
document, which would contain only the remaining  proposal. He als o informed the Committee that 
he had convened an informal consultation with the proponents on 2 October 2017, in order to 
ascertain progress with respect to the circulation of the new document. The delegations that 
attended had indicated that the proponents would still need time to discuss the matter amongst 
themselves in order to determine a way forward. The sa me message was conveyed when the 
matter was discussed at the informal, open -ended CTD meeting held on 6 November. He hoped 
that some progress c ould be reported at the present meeting.  
- Comm ittee on Trade and Development M andate: Focal Point for Considerat ion and 
Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO – Proposal from Barbados, Belize, 
China, Cuba, Ecuador, India, and the African Group (WT/COMTD/W/208)  
- Operationalization of the CTD's Mandate: a P roposa l to Deliver Outcomes based on the 
MC8 Mandate – Proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192)1    
37. The representative of India recalled the CTD's mandate from MC8, a s well as elements of the 
terms of reference  (TORs)  of the CTD, as contained in document WT/L/46.  He explained that the 
proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/208 was a simple paraphrasing of the CTD's TORs, 
which specified  that the CTD served as a focal point for consideration and coordination of 
development work in the WTO . In addition, p aragraphs 3 and 4 of the TORs indicated that the CTD 
was to report to the General Council for appropriate action on matters relating to the review of the 
application of special provisions in favour of developing Members and LDCs, as well as in the 
context of any quest ions regard ing their use or application . He believed that it w as appropriate for 
the CTD to report regularly on the development -related work taking place in other WTO bodies , 
while providing the necessary recommendations to the General Council on achieving  better 
coordination within the WTO on development issues. He also indicated that , while  he did not 
                                                
1 The discussion concerning documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192 is presented 
together in this Note, since the Chairman noted in the course of the discussion  under the first sub -item that 
Members' interventions related to both submissions , and in this light invited continue d interventions on both 
submissions  together . WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  understand the concerns expressed by some Members on the overarching mandate g iven to the 
CTD in the proposal , his delegation was willing to discuss the mat ter with these  Members  in a 
small -group setting . In concluding his intervention on this proposal , he requested that the 
sub-item concerning document  WT/COMTD/W/208 be maintained on the CTD 's agenda.  
38. He went on to say that he also wished to provide an update on the remaining proposal 
contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192. With regard to this proposal, he said that the 
Transparency Mechanism for RTAs (RTA TM) provided for several notifications to be carried out by 
Members parties to RTAs. In order to avoi d misunderstandings and to help ensure a timely 
consideration of RTAs, and hence the smooth operation of the TM, it was important for the parties 
to submit their notification and information requirements jointly. He recalled that, at the last CTD 
meeting, the Committee was informed that the proponents were holding consultations in order to 
submit a revised document containing only the remaining proposal. Progress was being made in 
this regard. H e also clarified that there would not be any changes to the remaining  proposal itself. 
Finally, he reiterated the openness of the proponents to engage in informal consultations with 
interested Members in order to reach consensus on this issue. He requested that the sub -tem 
relating to document WT/COMTD/W/192 remain on  the CTD 's agenda.    
39. The representative of Egypt , on behalf of the African Group, supported the intervention  by 
India,  and expressed appreciation to  the Chairman for the informal consultations that had been 
held on this issue . He indicated that the proponents were still discussing amongst themselves how 
to move forward on the remaining proposals contained in documents WT/COMTD/W/192 and 
WT/COMTD/W/208, and requested that the two submissions remain on the CTD's agenda.  
40.  The representative of China  expressed support  for the interventions by India and Egypt,  
and welcomed the informal consultations that were held by the Chairman . She indicated  that the 
issues contained in documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192  were of relevance for 
developing countries and the MTS. With respect to the proposal i n WT/COMTD/W/208, she 
explained that the CTD was the focal point for consideration and coordination of development 
issues in the WTO , and that the proponents were simply aiming to fulfil Minis ters' instructions to 
fully operationalize the mandate of the CTD. It was not only a matter of ensuring the good  
functioning of the CTD, but also ensuring the effectiveness of the political guidance from MC8. 
Turning to  the remaining proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192, she expressed 
support for the initiative to circulate a r evised document. She said that the dual notification  of 
RTAs remained an important issue, and Members needed to  give attention to the proposal. The 
communication from China, Egypt and India, circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/175 , further 
elaborated on the systemic and specific issues arising from dual notification s, with a view to 
finding an appropriate  solution.  
41. The representative of the European Union  indicated that her delegation's position on the 
remaining proposals contained in documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192 remained 
the same as had been outlined in past CTD meetings. She welcomed the willingness of the 
proponents to engage in informa l consultations . 
42. The representative of the United States  appreciated  the Chairman's effort s to help find a 
way forward on the  remaining proposals . He pointed out that several years had passed since the 
proposals had been submitted, which was sufficient time f or other Members to have fully 
considered them. Furthermore t he proponents had not taken any initiative to advance their ideas. 
In this light, he believed that it was time for the proponents to practice what they had been 
pointing to  in other WTO bodies , either by revising their proposals or by removing the item s 
relating to these  two documents from the CTD's agenda . Turning  specifically to the remaining 
proposal  contained  in document WT/COMTD/W/192, he said that the U nited States  had repeatedly 
shared  the view that the proposal sug gested a diminishing of Members ' substantive rights and 
obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). In his delegation 's view, 
there was no prospect for consensus on this matter in either the CTD  or the Committee on 
Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA). The only outcome from the proposal would be to provide one 
Member with the right to prevent others  from availing of an exception to the GATT under the 
Enabling Clause , or from comply ing with the notifi cation obligations under the Enabling Clause . He 
believed  that this would be prejudicial to that Member in the face of any dispute settlement 
proceedings regarding a particular agreement . The proponents had so far failed to address this 
concern, and h is delegation looked f orward to seeing how these issues  would be reconciled . WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  43. The representative of Japan  said that she wished to echo the comments made by the 
European Union  and the U nited States . Her delegation once again called for the active and serious 
engagement of the proponents if they wished to make progress on the proposals.  
44. The Chairman  encouraged continued engagement among Members in order to try and make 
progress , and i ndicated his willingness to work with delegations  in this regard . He recalled that the 
practice in the CTD was to maintain an item on the agenda if any Member so requested. Therefore, 
as there were such requests, the sub -items relating to the two proposals would be maintained on 
the CTD's agenda.  
45. The Committee took note  of all inter ventions.  
F. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  
46. The Chairman  said that he wished to provide Members with a  brief update on RTAs notified 
under the Enabling Clause. He indicated that for Egypt's accession to the Common Market for 
Eastern and Southern Africa ( COMESA ), the parties had been requested to provide the data for the 
preparation of the factual presentation by 6 June 2017. The Secretariat had thus far received data 
from Egypt, Seychelles, and Swaziland. With regard to the agreement between the D ominican 
Republic and Panama, the Secretariat had received data and had started preparing the factual 
presentation. Concerning Afghanistan's accession to the South Asian Free Trade Agreement 
(SAFTA), the Secretariat had still not received the data from the  parties, which had been 
requested by 22 December 2016. The Secretariat had received data only from Bangladesh for the 
original SAFTA notification. Turning to the Arab Mediterranean Free Trade Agreement (Agadir 
Agreement ) between Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and  Tunisia, he said that a draft factual presentation 
had been sent on 11 April 2017, without the tariff or trade information from Tunisia . Comments, 
which were requested by 23  May 2017, had been received from Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Data 
had also been re ceived from Tunisia , but the negative lists of Tunisia and Egypt were yet to be 
sent. As for the agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Singapore, he 
indicated that a draft factual presentation had been sent to the parties. However, the S ecretariat 
was still waiting to receive complete data from the GCC parties. Data had been received  from 
Singapore, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, and the Secretariat was presently seeking further 
clarification from Bahrain and Kuwait. Data on preferential tarif fs and exceptions to 
most-favoured -nation ( MFN) rates had also not been received from the other GCC parties.  
47. Turning to the accession of Rwanda and Burundi to the East African Community, he said that 
the Secretariat was await ing comments on the draft factual presentation, which had been 
requested by 16 June 2014. For a number of other RTAs – namely, RTAs between India and Nepal, 
India and Afghanistan, India and Bhutan, and Cuba and El Salvador – no data had been submitted 
by the parties. He urged all the parties to these agreements to provide the data as soon as 
possible. He went on to say that there remain ed one RTA notified under the Enabling Clause that 
had not been ratified by all the parties. This was the Pacific Island Count ries Trade Agreement  
(PICTA ). Following the procedures of the CRTA, a factual presentation of an RTA falling in this 
category would only be drafted after the agreement had been ratified by all the parties. The 
parties to PICTA were urged to inform the Secr etariat as soon as all ratifications were complete d. 
He also informed the Committee of two newer notifications. The first concerned the  India-Thailand 
agreement , which had been notified on 18 June 2017 in document WT/COMTD/N/54. The parties 
to this agreeme nt had been requested to submit the required data by 10 November 2017, but so 
far no data had been received. The second concerned the agreement between MERCOSUR and the 
Southern African Customs Union, which had been notified on 19 July 2017 in document 
WT/COMTD/N/55 . The parties had been requested to submit the required data by 
11 December  2017.  
48. He continued by noting that , on 2 October  2017, he had convened an informal consultation 
with Members that had notified RTAs, as well as PTAs, which were to be considered in Dedicated 
Sessions of the CTD, but had yet to submit the full set of data or information to the Secretariat. 
Representatives from the Secretariat had attended this meeting  to clarify the data and information 
requirements, and to answer any questions. He expressed hope  that this consultation had been 
useful, and would help in expediting the submission of the required data and information. Finally, 
with regard to  LAIA, he recalled that a notification on behalf of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, 
Paraguay and Uruguay – members of LAIA – circulated in document WT/COMTD/N/53, was 
introduced under “Other Business” at the last CTD meeting. Members had been informed that th is WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  document contained 16 individual notifications – one for each of the a greements concluded under 
the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo over the period 1 January 2016 – 31 December 2016. According to 
the document, these notifications had been submitted pursuant to the individual obligation of WTO 
Members to notify instruments conclude d under paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause, and in 
compliance with sections D to G of the RTA  TM, without prejudice to notifications submitted 
individually by LAIA members to the CTD or the CRTA. He added that issues relating to the LAIA 
agreements had been discussed previously in the CTD and in the CRTA. The E uropean Union  had 
also recently circulated additional questions which had been considered at the CRTA meeting of 
9 November  2017.  He also noted  that the CRTA Secretariat had been in touch with LAIA  countries 
and had sought clarification on certain aspects of the LAIA agreements that had been notified.  
49. The representative of the United States  expressed appreciation for the Chairman's effort s to 
report regularly to the Committee on progress in the imp lementation of the RTA TM. He believed 
that discussion in the CTD on this matter would be enhanced by a better reflection on the agenda 
of the content and purpose of the Chairman's report. He explained  that the report made reference 
to the various steps inv olved in the implementation of the RTA  TM, and pointed to the obligations 
that some Members had not yet met. Noting that the Committee had a role in address ing these 
issues , he requested the Chairman to henceforth provid e a detailed  agenda item that would more 
accurately reflect the report provided , as was done in the CRTA. This would allow Members to have 
a better preview of what was expected from them. He also urged the parties to the RTAs, referred 
to by the Chairman in his report  to provide the required data as soon as possible , so as to allow 
the preparation of factual presentation s on these RTAs. He went on to say that he was surprised 
that notifications of RTAs under the Enabling Clause were not listed  under the present agenda 
item. In this regard,  he requested that the CTD follow the practice in other WTO bodies , by 
ensuring that each notification submitted to the Committee  be reflected on the agenda for the first 
meeting aft er the submission was made.  This would allow  Members to take note of the submission 
and ask  questions if appropriate. He emphasized the importance of respecting the timeline s set out 
in the RTA  TM, since waiting for sporadic Dedicated Sessions of the CTD to include the items 
concern ing these notifications on the agenda was not consistent  with the transparency framework 
of the Mechanism . He also noted more generally that his delegation had observed a wide 
divergence in practice between the CTD and the CRTA , and the relevant Secretariat staff,  in the 
implementation of the RTA TM . He suggested that the CTD Chairman, along with the CRTA 
Chairman and relevant Secretariat staff , undertake internal consultations to compare the policies 
and practices relating to the implementation o f the RTA TM. His delegation would follow up on this 
matter with the intention of ensuring that the Mechanism  was implemented consistently across the 
two bodies.  
50. He then turned to the notification circulated by a number of LAIA countries , contained  in 
document WT/COMTD/N/53. He explained that his delegation had some comments on the 
notification, and had expected it to be listed under the present agenda item. While appreciating  
the notification, his delegation  wished to raise some initial  questions  on procedural and substantive 
elements , and revert to the matter as a formal agenda item at the next meeting . He went on to 
say that he did not  fully un derstand the intention of the LAIA countries  that had  submitted this 
notification. In particular, he wished to better understand what had been  notified and why these 
Members had chosen  this manner  of notification. The cover note of the document contained 
language which  his delegation  believed was internally contradictory , and the information provided 
in the notification template was different from what was provided in the cover note. Furthermore , 
his delegation was confused by the issuance of one notification with one document symbol for 
what had been explained in the cover not e as 16 individual notifications, but which was in fact five 
separate agreements with a variety of LAIA countries , and not the same Members for each 
notification. His delegation looked forward to discussing t hese concerns in greater detail  – given  
that thi s notification was different from  any notification his delegation was familiar with , and that  a 
consolidation in this manner seemed to undermine the transparency goals at the heart of the 
notification itself.  
51. With regard to the issue of what was being  notified, he sought c larity on whether the 
notification  represented entire agreements , or parts of agreements . He also wished to know 
whether the intent was the same for all the agreements referred to in the document, or if the 
intent differed among the f ive separate agreements. With regard to the indication by the notifying 
Members at the last CTD meeting  that the notification conformed to the common notification 
format  contained in document WT/COMTD/63, he shared his d elegation's view  that the notificati on 
template was for individual agreements , and not for five unrelated agreements in one document. WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  Noting that the practice in the CRTA  on the numbering and tracking of notifications had greatly 
improved the transparency for Members, he recommended that the CTD follow this practice , since 
Enabling Clause notifications seemed to be given random numbers  – which  made more difficult the 
tracking of subsequent changes, modifications, accessions , and t he final implementation reports. 
He said that he was raising these issues at the present time , in light of his understanding that LAIA 
members had sought assistance from Secretariat staff in prepar ing the notification. His delegation 
had also met with Secretariat  staff in an attempt to get answers to its questions, but had been 
unable to. He believed that this indicated a lack of clarity that the Committee needed to address. 
In closing, he expressed  appreciation for the effort by LAIA members to pursu e the notification of 
their instruments, but also indicated that the progress made through dialogue on this issue over 
the years could  be stalled if the Committee continued to be confronted with notifica tions that were 
confusing  or unclear.  Some of his delegation's concerns related to the notifying Members' intent, 
while other concerns were with respect to an inconsistent handling of RTA notifications across WTO 
bodies.  
52. The representative of the European Union  thanked the Chairman for his update. She said 
that her delegation  was presently considering the notification concerning the MERCOSUR -SACU 
agreement , and might have questions on it at a later date . With regard to LAIA, she recalled the 
European Union 's questions that were circulated in the CRTA in document WT/REG/W/109, as well 
as the LAIA replies contained in document WT/COMTD/W/224. The European Union  had also 
submitted follow -up questions in document WT/REG/W/124. She believed  that the notification  
contained in document WT/COMTD/N/53 was a positive step in the ri ght direction , as it facilitate d 
the European Union 's understanding of the wide network of LAIA agreements. Notwithstanding 
this, the European Union  had some questions on the format and cont ent of th e notification, which 
was different from standard notifications. She noted that the practice in the CRTA was for an 
individual number to be assign ed to each notified RTA. This allowed Members to track subsequent 
changes to the RTA, while linking these changes  to the underlying agreement – or what the 
European Union  referred to as the "mother agreement".  In light of this , the European Union  did 
not know how to interpret the notification  by the LAIA countries , and sought  clarification on the 
extent to which the document contained references to  subsequent changes to an underlying RTA.  
She explained that her delegation's follow -up questions circulated in the CRTA aimed, among other 
things, to identify LAIA members'  underlyi ng RTAs, and to determine whether these RTAs had 
been notified. She added that the European Union  was open to discuss the LAIA replies to these 
follow -up questions at a joint dedicated technical session of the CTD and CRTA. This would address 
the concern o f the LAIA members that wished to discuss the matter  in the CTD.  
53. The representative of Uruguay  recalled that her delegation  had submitted a notification  – 
circulated  in document  WT/COMTD/N/53  – on behalf of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay 
and Uruguay. The document, which had been introduced under "Other Business" at the last 
meeting, contained 16 individual notifications that corresponded to each of the agreements 
concluded under  the 1980  Treaty of Montevideo for the period covering 1 January 2016 – 
31 December 2016. These notifications were submitted  under the individual obligations of WTO 
Members to notify the instruments concluded under paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause and in 
compl iance with sections D to G of the RTA TM, without prejudice to notifications submitted 
individually by LAIA member states to the CTD or the CRTA . She added  that LAIA m embers were 
committed to the transparency required by the RTA TM for the notification of agreements. This 
was why LAIA members did not have any problem with the inclusion of the LAIA n otification  on the 
CTD agenda. She thanked the European Union  and the U nited States  for their comments on the 
notification , and reques ted that  they be provided  in writing to LAIA members. She also indicated 
that the LAIA members were presently considering t he European Union 's follow -up questions  
circulated  in the CRTA . 
54. The representative of Brazil  supported  the observations by Uruguay concerning LAIA 
members ' commitment to transparency. He said that the comments by the European Union  and 
the U nited States  would be duly relayed to his capital. He added that Brazil's commitment to 
transparency was embodied in the circulation of  the notification contained in document 
WT/COMTD/N/53, which was submitted using the standard format of notification. In doing so, LAIA 
countries  aimed to address some of the concerns raised by other Memb ers on the manner in which 
the LAIA agreements were being notified to the CTD. He exp ressed his delegation's  readiness to 
respond to specific questions on the agreements included in th e notification, as provided for in 
paragraphs 16 and 18 of the RTA  TM. With regard to the procedural issue s raised by the United 
States , he indicated that  the LAIA members were willing to f ollow the Committee's  procedure s. WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  55. The representative of Egypt  indicated that he wished to make an interven tion on the Agadir 
Agreement . He said that Egypt had recently provided the Secretariat with the negative list 
requested , and was currently working with the Secretariat on the transposition of this list from 
Harmonized System (HS) 92 to HS 07.  
56. The representative of Argentina  expressed support for the comments by Uruguay and Brazil 
concerning LAIA members' commitment to transparency. He indicated  the readiness of his 
delegation  to engage in any dialogue on th e notification  contained in document WT/COMTD/N/53 . 
57. The representative of Chile emphasized  the commitment to transparency of the LAIA 
members . He expressed his delegation's willingness to engage in dialogue on the notification 
contained in document WT/COMTD/N/53, and  to provide all relevant  information.   
58. The Chairman  encouraged Members to work together, with a view to finding a way forward 
on issues relating to the LAIA agreements.  He also indicated that he had taken note of the 
procedural suggestions  by the US.           
59. The Committee took note  of the Chairman's updat e, and of all interventions . 
60. Turning to the listed sub -items under the present agenda item, the Chairman  recalled that 
the issues surrounding the three RTAs notified under both GATT Article XXIV and the Enabling 
Clause had been discussed at the informal, open -ended CTD meeting that he had convened on 
6 November 2017. While he had encouraged Members to use th e opportunity to explore possible 
ways forward, he had noted that positions still remained the same. He had nevertheless 
encouraged continued engagement among Members in order to find a way forward.  
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union – Communication from 
China, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  
- Notification of the Agreement on Trade in Goods between the Association of Southeast 
Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Korea  
- Notification of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement bet ween India 
and Korea (Goods)2 
61. The representative of India indicated that his intervention related to the three sub -items 
under the present agenda item. He noted that the systemic concerns that were raised by China, 
Egypt and India over the legal and procedural implications of the dual notification of the GCC 
Customs Union under both the Enabling Clause and GATT Article  XXIV were pertinent even now, 
but th ey remained unaddressed. Some Members had expressed the view that the systemic 
concerns raised in document WT/COMTD/W/175 were outside the scope of the CTD, and needed to 
be discussed in the Negotiating Group on Rules. The view of his delegation was that t he CTD was 
the appropriate forum to consider the questions arising from RTAs with a dual notification. Pointing 
to the terms of reference of the CTD contained in document WT/L/46, he noted that the CTD was 
designated to serve as a focal point for considera tion and coordination of work on development in 
the WTO and its relationship to development -related activities in other multilateral agencies. He 
added that the Committee could consult with other WTO bodies in addressing the systemic 
concerns raised in doc ument WT/COMTD/W/175. This was in keeping with paragraph 3 of the 
CTD's TORs,  which entrusted the Committee to review periodically, in consultation as appropriate 
with the relevant bodies of the WTO, the application of special provisions in the Multilatera l Trade 
Agreements and related Ministerial Decisions in favour of developing country Members, and in 
particular LDC Members, and report to the General Council for appropriate action.  
62. He went on  to outline some of the issues raised in document WT/COMTD/W/1 75 which he 
believed needed to be addressed . He indicated firstly that Members needed to consider the legal 
and procedural implications of notifying the GCC Customs Union on the basis of the Enabling 
Clause and GATT Article XXIV, without either notificatio n being withdrawn. Members also needed 
                                                
2 The discussion with respect to the three sub -items is presented together in this Note, since the 
Chairman noted in the course of the discussion under the first sub -item that Members' i nterventions related to 
all three sub -items , and in this light invited continued interventions on the three sub -items together . WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  to consider the role of the CTD and the CRTA in considering an RTA that was notified under both 
provisions. He additionally pointed to the question of how the CTD should deal in the future with 
RTAs between developing  Members that were notified under the Enabling Clause , insofar as this 
relate d to the fulfilment of paragraphs 1 and 4 of the CTD 's TORs.  There was also the issue of 
whether a Member could notify an RTA under a specific legal provision  unilaterally  – witho ut the 
consent of the other parties to the RTA  – and whether a notification could be made on behalf of all 
the parties to the RTA under another legal provision . Furthermore, the implications  arising from 
Members retaining a notification under the Enabling Clause  – but not conducting a factual 
consideration of the RTA in the CTD  – needed to be addressed, as did the question of how this 
would figure specifically in the case of the GCC Customs Union , where a factual review had been 
scheduled . In concluding, he indicated that the three sub -items under the present agenda item 
should remain on the CTD's agenda until the systemic and specific concerns arising from "dually 
notified" RTAs were addressed.  
63. The r epresentative of the European Union  said that it was important to clarify the legal and 
procedural questions arising  from an agreement being notified by parties under different legal 
provisions.  She felt that a pragmatic solution to the notifications in qu estion  was needed , and 
indicated that any substantive discussion on th e matter should take place in the framework of the 
implementation of Paragraph 28 of the Nairobi Ministerial Declaration. In addition, she emphasized 
the importance of making a distinction between the different notifications . With regard to the GCC 
Customs Union notification , she repeated  the European Union 's position  conveyed at previous CTD 
meetings  that a customs union could not be notified under the Enabling Clause. In that r espect, 
she urged the GCC parties to withdraw their notification under the Enabling Clause. As for the 
notifications of the ASEAN -Korea and India -Korea agreements, she called on the parties to these 
agreements to make  efforts to find a pragmatic solution.  
64. The representative of the United States  said that he largely agreed with the comments by 
the European Union.  He additionally pointed out that the GCC parties' notification under GATT 
Article XXIV was presently going through a process in the CRTA . The parties had submitted data to 
the Secretariat and a factual presentation had been drafted for circulation in the CRTA. The 
Secretariat was currently waiting for comments from the parties. I n this respect , he questioned the 
need to discuss the matter in  the CTD . With regard to document WT/COMTD/W/175, he believed 
that the issue raised of how to proceed with the consideration of RTAs notified under both the 
Enabling Clause and GATT Article XXIV was an interesting one. However, he also noted that 
neither I ndia nor ASEAN members had fulfilled their obligations by providing the data necessary 
for the preparation of the factual presentations on the ASEAN -Korea and India -Korea agreements. 
Once the factual presentations were prepared, Members could discuss how t o move forward with 
the consideration of these agreements.  The intention of his delegation was to ask each of the 
parties to these agreement s that had not submitted  the data to provide information on the status 
of data submission . He stressed that it would  only be possible to discuss the question of the venue 
for the consideration of these agreements after the parties had submitted the required data.       
65. The representative of Korea  said that he wished to repeat  the points made by his delegation 
at the informal , open -ended  meeting held on  6 November . He noted that issues relating to dual 
notifications of RTAs  had appeared on  the CTD 's agenda for several years, and that his delegation  
had engaged in discussions with interested Members , and with CTD Chairs, with a view to 
resolving  the matter . He recalled that Kore a had duly notified its RTAs – and in particular the 
ASEAN -Korea and India -Korea agreements  – in accordance with GATT Article XXIV and GATS 
Article V, and in compliance with the RTA  TM. He believe d that a Member had a right to decide 
under which provisions it would notify the RTAs it had concluded . It was also possible that the 
parties to an RTA would agree upon this during their negotiations or notification preparation. 
Furthermore, while the Enabling Clause  was designed to allow developing  Members to accord 
differential and more favourable treatment to each other , he was unsure  whether the  
ASEAN -Korea and India -Korea agreements  fell into this category. With regard to RTA notifications,  
he indi cated that there were some systemic issues listed in document WT/COMTD/W/175 and 
other submissions , and emphasized the need to find an appropriate approach to address the 
matter . In this regard, he expressed some doubt on the possibility of a separate cons ideration  in 
the CRTA and in the CTD , and shared his view that all RTAs should be cons idered in a 
comprehensive way in the same body, irrespective of whether the y covered trade in goods or 
trade in services. He also pointed to the mandate in P aragraph 28 of the Nairobi Ministerial 
Declaration, and indicated that the timing was right to discuss RTA notification  issues. He 
suggested that the items concerning dual notification s be removed from the CTD's agenda , at least  WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  during the discussions on t he transformation of the current provisional RTA TM into a permanent 
mechanism.        
66. The Committee took note  of all interventions .   
G. WORK PROGRAMME ON EL ECTRONIC COMMERCE  
- E-commerce Elements for MC11 – Communication from China (JOB/GC/142, JOB/CTG/9, 
JOB/SERV/271, JOB/DEV/49)   
67. The Chairman  recalled that , at earlier meetings of the CTD in 2017 , the Committee had 
considered a number of communications relating to the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce . 
At the present meeting, a communication from Chin a, contained in document JOB/DEV/49,  was 
listed on the agenda. He invited China to introduce the communication .   
68. The representative of China  said that her delegation  had introduced  an earlier  
communication contained in document JOB/DEV/39/Rev.1 – titled "Aiming at the 11th Ministerial 
Conference" , and co -sponsored with Pakistan – in a number of WTO bodies. In this context, and i n 
order to ensure the inclusiveness of the MTS, China had emphasized that e -commerce discussion s 
in the WTO should be based on  the mandate of the 1998 Work Programme on Electronic 
Commerce , and should have the development dimension at its core. China had also proactively 
shared with Members its experience on measures taken to develop e -commerce in order to 
facilitate progress in this area at MC11 . Based on Members' inputs and concerns raised in previous 
discussions, China had submitted the communication contained in document JOB/DEV/49, titled 
"E-commerce elements for MC11" . This newer communication highlighted elements of interes t to 
most Members. Her delegation  hoped that the elements of this communication would form part of 
the MC11 outcome on e-commerce, and could serve as building blocks for future work. She 
propose d that, in light of the cross -cutting nature of e -commerce, these elements could be 
explored in a dedicated session  of the General Council , or in a body to be agreed upon by all 
Members. She hoped  that positive consideration would be given to some specific elemen ts of this 
communication  – including  the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions , the 
facilitation of cross -border e -commerce, transparency, and development and cooperation.  
69. She indicated that she wished to elaborate further on the elemen ts of the communication 
relating to development and cooperation. In this regard, she said that the experience of several 
Members had shown that e -commerce was conducive  to development  – including  by helping 
farmers and micro, small, and medium -sized enterprises (MSMEs) in remote  areas to better 
integrate into domestic and international trade markets. She added that discussions on 
e-commerce at the WTO  needed to take into account the specific needs of developing Members 
and LDCs , and enhance their abili ty to benefit from e -commerce, including through the principle of 
special and differential treatment. Given the complexity of e -commerce issues and the different 
development levels of Members, she suggested that Members could cooperate on areas of 
common i nterest , and jointly explore how to make progress on e-commerce issues at MC11 and 
beyond , so as to allow the MTS to maintain its relevance in this area. In closing, she noted that 
China had also introduced this communication at the November 2017 meeting of the Council for 
Trade in Goods ( CTG), and indicated her delegation's willingness to further discuss the issues 
raised in the communication  with interested Members .   
70.  The representative of the European Union  indicated that she wished to briefly present a 
communication contained in document JOB/GC/140  and its revisions , which her delegation had 
co-sponsored with a number of other Members. The communication proposed the establishment of 
a Working Party on E -Commerce to address cross -cutting issues. Th e Working Party would conduct 
preparations for , and carry out negotiations on , the trade -related aspects of e -commerce on the 
basis of proposals by Members. The draft ministerial decision contained in the communication was 
neutral with respect to substance,  and it would be up to Members to bring their issue of interests 
with respect to any trade -related aspects of e -commerce. This approach would ensure that any 
matter which was important to a Member, or a group of Members, could be discussed and 
negotiated. The co -sponsors believed that this was a constructive way to proceed, which took into 
account the sensitivities that existed across the Membership, and built upon the debate in the 
previous two years. The suggestion was not to adopt a pre -set agenda, but r ather to allow 
Members to collectively build a negotiating agenda.  WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  71. The representative of Chinese Taipei  said that he wished to introduce two communications 
that his delegation  had recently circulated in the CTD in documents JOB/DEV/45  and JOB/DEV/46. 
He said that he would not repeat the full content of the communications , as they had already been 
presented in the Council for Trade in Services (CTS)  meeting  in October , and the CTG in 
November . Turning first to document JOB/DEV/45 , he said that the commu nication aimed to 
identify the fundamental differences between e -commerce and traditional trade in the context of 
the so-called “atoms -bits transformation”  For the digital -trade world, it was more important to 
think about how to remove trade barriers for b its rather than atoms. Additionally, it was essential 
to have a better understanding of the new features of trade under the digital revolution. With 
regard to the second communication, contained in document JOB/DEV/46, he said that it 
presented  major diffi culties associated with e -commerce market access. These difficulties included 
accessibility, connectivity, and transparency. The accessibility issue addressed  whether each 
e-commerce operator had an equal opportunity of being seen online, and thus had acce ss to 
potential customers. The connectivity difficulty relat ed to the lack of sufficient  infrastructure to 
connect to potential buyers  or sellers. The transparency difficulty referred to regulatory barriers, 
whereby the requirements to comply with differen t regulations and standards induced significant 
costs for e -commerce operators. He went on to stress the importance of reciprocal equal access 
and the removal of accessibility blocks in order to ensure  greater fairness. Increasing access to ICT 
infrastructure was  also a key factor in addressing the digital divide, while making regulations 
transparent were important to businesses preparing to enter into possible future markets. In 
closing, he indicated  that the two communications were not relevant  to e-commerce discussions in 
the context of MC11, but aimed simply at clarifying  some fundamental issues relating to  
e-commerce, while facilitating future discussions at the WTO.   
72. The representative of India recognized that e -commerce had become a major driver of 
international economic activity and international trade. In India, e -commerce was transforming the 
way business was being conducted, and represented one of the fastest growing segments of the 
economy. However, the growth of e -commerce activities had given birth to new challenges, both 
for domestic and cross -border trade. These included issues relating to consumer protection , the 
sale of counterfeit goods and services, the safety of online payments, e -authentication procedures 
and digital signature s, taxation, as well as other challenges relating to shortages of skilled 
manpower, human resource development and logistics. As rules on these issues were still evolving  
in most developing countries , his delegation believed that it was premature to discus s rule -making 
on e-commerce  at the WTO . Instead, discussions on e -commerce should be exploratory and 
confined  to the non -negotiating mandate of the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce . Since 
the WTO bodies mandated to implement the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  had 
highlighted a number of technical issues which still required deliberation , he believed that 
Members should endeavour to expedite discussions  on these issues.   
73. His delegation was not in favour of setting up a horizontal mechanism su ch as a  Working 
Group on E-Commerce, as this could result in a top -down approach. He highlighted the merit s of 
the bottom -up approach reflected  in the Nairobi Ministerial Decision , which called for  work on  
e-commerce to continue based on the existing mandate and guidelines , and on the basis of  
proposals submitted by Members in the relevant WTO bodies. Concerning the issue  of the venue 
for discussion , his delegation felt that the General Council was already mandate d to discuss all 
cross-cutting issues r elating to e -commerce. He pointed to the importance of not confusing the  
gains from  e-commerce with the likely benefits of rule -making on e -commerce , as doing so could 
leave many Members behind. He also indicated that d iscussion on e-commerce in t he CTD needed 
to focus on how to address  the development needs of developing countries. In closing, he said that 
the existing Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  was comprehensive in scope , and allowed 
for an examin ation of all trade issues relating to global e -commerce, taking into account the 
economic, financial and development needs of developing countries. Given that the growth of 
digital trade and e -commerce were technology -dependent, a critical component of discussions had 
to be on how to ensure an adequate  transfer of technology.    
74. The representative of South Africa , on behalf of the African Group, indicated that the Group 
had submitted a communication contained in JOB/GC/144, which reflected the Group's views on 
deviat ing from the current structure of the  Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  and its 
exploratory nature . She urged Members to engage substantively in the ongoing process led by the 
Chairman of the General Council on the future of work on e -commerce.  WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  75. She requested that the statement delivered b y the African Group at the June 2017 CTD 
meeting be reflected in the minutes of the present meeting.   
76. This statement, as reflected in the Minutes of the 103rd session of the CTD, went as follows: 
The representative of South Africa, on behalf of the Africa n Group, recalled that the African Group 
had been approaching the exploratory discussion s under the Work Programme on E -commerce 
from a perspective that had given paramount importance to the development implications of 
e-commerce, taking into account the economic, financial, and development needs of developing 
countries. She indicated that the Group would be interested in an exchange of views and 
experiences on the basis of the current Work Programme on E -commerce. For the  Group, the 
immediate priority of the Committee should be a fuller assessment of the wide -ranging disruptions 
that would result from the fourth industrial revolution, the growth of digital trade and e -commerce. 
In that respect, discussions in the CTD under  the Work Programme should take up issues that 
would prioritize the needs of developing countries and LDCs, especially the challenges to and ways 
of enhancing their participation in e -commerce. For exporters of electronically delivered products, 
these chal lenges included, inter alia , the improvement of access to infrastructure and transfer of 
technology, as well as the movement of natural persons.  
77. She went on to suggest that discussion on e -commerce should be framed around measures 
that foster inclusion and  equitable development for all developing and least developed countries. 
Specifically for the African Group, critical areas of interest for future discussion on e -commerce 
included the reality of increasing digital inequality, the importance of digital rig hts, the existing 
extremely high market concentration levels in the current global e -commerce space, and the range 
of attempts at a national level to shape digital flows in order to influence trade and affect national 
digital catch -up. Addressing these iss ues would help African governments explore their own policy 
options, with a view to achieving Africa’s longstanding developmental objectives of industrial 
development, structural transformation and employment, in the context of the profound changes 
brought  on by the so -called "Fourth Industrial Revolution".  
78. The representative of South Africa indicated that the tabling of submissions in the CTD was 
in line with paragraph 1.1 of the 1998 Work Programme, and consistent with paragraph 1 of the 
Nairobi Decision on e-commerce. She said that continental integration, structural transformation 
and industrialization were the overriding priorities for Africa, as had been laid out by African Trade 
Ministers. She made reference in this regard to the Continental Free Trad e Area (CFTA), as well as 
to Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, and emphasized the need for work undertaken at the 
multilateral level to support Africa’s continental integration agenda. With regard to e -commerce, 
she said that the African Group approached th e exploratory discussions under the 1998 Work 
Programme from a perspective that gave paramount importance to the development implications 
of e-commerce, taking into account the economic, financial, and development needs of developing 
countries. In this lig ht, she believed that several issues that were included in the proposals under 
consideration were better suited for discussion in the CTG, the CTS or the TRIPS Council. 
Furthermore, some of the issues fell outside the scope of the 1998 Work Programme, or w ere 
being taken up extensively in other international organizations. She urged the proponents to refine 
their proposals in order to make them specific to the body where discussions should take place, as 
per the Work Programme.3 
79. She went on to say that the African Group wanted the CTD to take up issues that placed at 
their centre the needs of developing countries and LDCs. She highlighted in this regard the 
importance of addressing ways of enhancing the participation of developing countries in 
e-commerce, an d the associated challenges. A number of examples were provided, including with 
respect to infrastructure, industrialization and workforce skills. It was noted that the potential 
benefits of e -commerce for developing countries could not be assumed or asser ted. It was pointed 
out, inter alia , in this regard that fixed broadband penetration remained at 0.7% in Africa and the 
LDCs, and Africa was the only region in the world where broadband penetration remained below 
20%. Bringing about socially equalizing eff ects would not be possible when only some had access 
to digital technology – whilst others had partial or no access, and also had no rights over the 
technology. According to the UNCTAD , four countries accounted for 80% of business -to-business 
(B2B) e -comme rce, which was the largest form of e -trade. With regard to business -to-consumer 
                                                
3 The points in this paragraph, and the following two paragraphs, were originally made at the 101st 
Session of the CTD. They wer e subsequently reflected in the Minutes of the 103rd Session at the request of the 
delegation of South Africa.  WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  (B2C) e -commerce, the Middle East and Africa together accounted for only 2.5%. Accordingly, 
discussions in the CTD had to address the asymmetrical nature of the existing global  e-commerce 
space, in order to enable Africa to become e -commerce ready. One of the overriding questions of 
the African Group was how to build an inclusive growth and equitable development trajectory for 
all developing countries and LDCs. She encouraged Me mbers to share their experiences on 
measures employed to develop capabilities in the digital economy. In closing, she expressed the 
commitment of the African Group to engage in a comprehensive discussion in the CTD on all issues 
relating to the development  implications of e -commerce.  
80. In closing her intervention, the representative of South Africa, on behalf of the African 
Group, highlighted some elements of the African Group's statement delivered on the March 2017 
CTD meeting, and reflected above. She noted  that a number of issues contained in the proposals 
on e-commerce would be better suited for a discussion in the other relevant bodies, such as the 
CTG, the CTS and the TRIPS Council. This statement also indicated that at least two submissions 
on e-commerc e did not cover the most important elements in the Work Programme under 
development. Furthermore, some of the issues fell outside the scope of the 1998 Work 
Programme, or were being taken up extensively in other international organizations. Therefore, 
the proponents were urged to refine their proposals in order to make them specific to the body 
where discussions should take place, as per the Work Programme.  
81. The Committee took note  of all interventions .   
H. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MEC HANISM FOR PREFERENTIAL 
TRADE ARRANGEMENTS  
82. The Chairman  said that he wished to provide Members with a brief update on the PTAs that 
were to be considered in Dedicated Sessions of the CTD. He firstly informed Members that the 
factual presentation on the U S' trade pref erences for Nepal was circulated on 13 November in 
document WT/COMTD/PTA/3/1 . Members would soon be invited to submit any questions they 
might have on this PTA , which would be considered in a Dedicated Session in 2018. With regard to 
other PTAs that had be en notified since the establishment of the Transparency Mechanism for 
PTAs, he said that the situation had not substantially changed since his last report . In particular, 
there were five PTAs for which the Secretariat had still not received the full set of  data or 
information required for the preparation of factual presentations. These were the PTAs being 
implemented by China, India, the Russian Federation, Thailand and Chinese Taipei. He urged the 
notifying Members to provide the required data and information as soon as possible. In closing, he 
repeated what he had said earlier concerning th e informal consultation convened on 
2 October  2017 with the Members that had yet to submit the full set of data or information 
regarding the RTAs and PTAs they had notified. In particular, h e recalled that representatives from 
the Secretariat were present at the consultation to clarify the data and information requirements, 
and to answer any questions. He once again expressed his hope that th e consultation had proven  
useful, and that it would help to expedite the submission of the required data and informat ion. 
83. The Committee took note  of the Chairman's update.   
I. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE  STEPS TAKEN TO PROVI DE DUTY -FREE AND QUOTA -FREE 
MARKET ACCESS TO LEA ST DEVELOPED COUNTRI ES 
84. The Chairman  said that the Bali Decision on DFQF market access for LDCs , contained in 
documents WT/MIN(13)/44 and WT/L/919, instructed the CTD to continue to annually review the 
steps taken to provide Duty-free and Quota -free ( DFQF ) market access to the LDCs, and report to 
the General Council for appropriate action. To aid in  the review, the Secretariat was instructed to 
prepare, in close coordination with Members, a report on Members' DFQF market access for LDCs, 
at the tariff line level based on their notifications. Accordingly, a Secretariat report on DFQF had 
been prepared  annually since the Bali Ministerial Conference. Given that the report needed to be 
prepared in close coordination with Members, the practice these past years had been for the 
Secretariat to circulate a draft report, which was considered by Members at an i nformal, open -
ended meeting and subsequently circulated for discussion at the last formal session  of the year.  
85. However , as h e had explained at the informal, open -ended meeting held on 
6 November  2017, because of a divergence of views between some Members on the scope and WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
- 18 - 
 
  coverage of the report, the Secretariat was not able to c irculate its report for consideration at the 
present session . In spite of the discussion that had taken place in a small -group consultation that 
he had convened just before the informal, open -ended meeting on 6 November , these divergent 
views remained . In particular, Bangladesh's  position on what should be the scope and coverage of 
the report remained unchanged from what had been outlined at t he 100th Session . The position 
was that reference s in the Secretariat report to two preference programmes being implemented by 
the U nited States  – namely, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Caribbean 
Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) – went beyond the scope of the report , because these were 
not intended specifically or exclusively for the LDCs. Although these preference programmes had 
been referenced in previous Secretariat reports, Bangladesh's view was that the y should 
henceforth not be included. The U nited States ' position, on the other hand, was that these 
programmes were benefit ing some LDCs . They were therefore relevant to the scope and coverage 
of the Secretariat report, and should be maintained . He explained that, while his informal 
consultations had helped to clarify Members' positions, they had not permit ted the situation to be 
unblocked. It was for this reason that there was no Secretariat report for consideration at the 
present meeting. Nevertheless , an item concerning the CTD's annual DFQF review was included on 
the agenda , and Members could therefore have a discussion on the matter . 
86. The representative of Bangladesh  expressed disappointment that the Secretariat had not 
been able to circulate its annual DFQF  report  for consideration by the CTD. Recalling that his 
delegation had already shared its views on this matter in 2016, he indicated that his expectation 
had been that Members would have  realize d the importance and relevance of the observations 
made  by Bangladesh , and would have  reach ed consensus on the report. He reminded Members of 
the language contained in the Hong Kong and Bali DFQF Decisions , and indicated that the scope 
and objective of the Secretariat report on DFQF market access for LDCs were clear. In particula r, 
his delegation believed that the report had to fo cus on the steps taken to implement the se two 
decisions . While h is delegation appreciated that some Members were providing  preferential market 
access to group s of developing countr ies, which sometimes inc luded LDCs, it was questionable 
whether these initiatives  should be included in the Secretariat report. He believed that an  
important consideration  in this regard was whether there was a declaration of intent in th ese 
preferential schemes to support LDCs. If there was a declaration of intent, then there might be 
merit in includ ing such  schemes in the report, if all Members were agreeable. However , if there 
was no declaration of intent to support LDCs, there was no reason to incl ude these  schemes in the 
report, as doing so would undermine the purpose and objective of the report. In this regard, he 
pointed specifically to AGOA and CBT PA, since his delegation was convinced that these schemes 
did not contain such a declaration of intent. Given that the purpose and objective of the report 
required specificity as to which schemes should be referred to, he shared his delegation's view that 
the report needed  be prepared without a mention of AGOA or CBTPA.   
87. The representative of the United States  appreciat ed the Chairman's effort s to try and find a 
solution that was acceptable to all Members . He said  that his delegation  could  continue to accep t 
the compromise  that it had accepted in the three previous years , which was to includ e in a table 
the US' Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme, supplemented with additional  text 
in a footnote which clarified the United States ' preference schemes. Consider ation could also be 
given to  the possibility of deleting the acronym GSP from the title of the table , and listing the three 
additional US program mes – AGOA , CBTPA and the trade preferences for Nepal – in the body of 
the table, given that  all these program mes were notified to the WTO  and appeared in the Database  
on PTAs . However , the United States  could not join consensus to approve a report that would not 
provide specific information on all of the US ' preference program mes that had LDC beneficiaries , 
as doing so would be mis leading and unfair. Recalling the language from the Bal i DFQF Decision 
which instructed the Secretariat to prepare a report on Members' DFQF market access for LDCs, he 
stressed that the purpose of the report was to provide transparency. If Bangladesh could not stand 
by the previous compromise on the report , the United States  would not hold itself to that 
compromise either . He recalled that t he Bali DFQF Decision used the language "for LDCs", and not 
"the LDCs" or "all LDCs" . This meant that any notif ied scheme that benefitted any LDC should be 
included not only in the text  of the report , but also in the table. Additionally, his delegation would 
reject any proposal to include Members' opinions of other Members' schemes in a Secretariat  
report, as this would be inappropriate and would call into question the Secret ariat's neutrality.   
88. The representative of the European Union  recalled that the E uropean Union  provid ed DFQF 
market access for all products from LDCs, except for arms and ammunition. This made the 
European Union  the most important destination for LDC  agricultural and manufactured products. WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
- 19 - 
 
  She also indicated that the EU's GSP scheme , as revised in 2014,  had reduced the number of 
beneficiaries, thus generating more space for LDC exports. She welcomed the progress in the 
provision of DFQF market access by both developed and developing Members. It was noted in this 
regard that  most developed countries were now provid ing close to full DFQF  market access for LDC 
products . Her delegation additionally welcomed the  growing number of emerging economies that 
were providing preferential treatment to LDC products , and encouraged them to continue to do so 
in light of their growing importance as a destination for LDC exports.   
89. The representative of India said that he wished to repeat the position  that his delegation  had 
expressed  at the small -group informal consultation held on 6 November, as well as at the informal, 
open-ended meeting  held on the same day . In particular,  he supported the views expressed by 
Bangladesh,  and indicated that his delegation was not convin ced of the relevance of AGOA and 
CBTPA for the Secretariat report.  
90. The Chairman  encouraged Members to continue to discuss the matter in order to find a way 
forward . He expressed his hope that a compromise could be found, so as to allow the Secretariat 
report to be issued in future years for the benefit of Members.  
91. The Committee took note  of all interventions . 
J. PARTICIPATION OF DEV ELOPING COUNTRIES IN  THE MULTILATERAL TRA DING 
SYSTEM  (WT/COMTD/W/230)   
92. The Chairman  said that the CTD  had a mandate to keep under continuous review the 
participation of developing country Members in the MTS. He recalled that it had been agreed a t the 
101st Session  that the CTD's discussion under this agenda item would take place after  the 
Secretariat update on  the participation of developing economies in the global trading system was 
completed. He informed the Committee that the update had been circulated in document 
WT/COMTD/W/230,  and invited representatives of the Economic Research and Statistics Division 
(ERSD) to briefly introduce the report.  
93. In their presentation, t he representative s of the ERSD  provided a broad overview of the 
information contained in the Secretariat paper. With respect  to trade developments over the 
2014-2016 period, it was noted, inter alia , that developing economies ' share of  merchandise 
export and imports  had declined by 1 percentage point , and stood respectively at 42.5% and 
39.7% in 2016. Weak economic activity in both developed and developing regions  – coupled  with 
the fall in energy and commodity prices  – explained  a decline in export earnings , which had also 
reduced the capacity of some developing economies to import . Africa n and Middle East ern 
economies had been particularly affected by the fall in  merchandise exports , while the export 
contraction in developing economies in Asia and Europe was less pronounced . South -South trade 
continued to account for an important share of developing economies' merchandise trade  – around  
50%. This was mainly explained by the key role of trade in  manufactured products , particularly 
between Asian economies . With respect to commercial services, the Committee was informed that 
developing economies' contribution to world exports of commercial servic es had risen from 29.9% 
in 2014 to 30.5% in 2016, while d eveloping economies' participation in world imports of 
commercial services had increased from 38% to 38.3%. Although w eak merchandise trade and 
overcapacity in the shipping sector had led to heavy lo sses in the transport sector of developing 
economies , enhanced air connectivity and cheaper air fares had allowed developing economies to 
benefit from 41 million more tourists in 2016 relative to 2014. China played a leading role in 
boosting the tourism se ctor growth in neighbouring Asian economies, while North ern African 
economies had experienced a drop in travel earnings. It was noted  that Asian economies were the 
main contributors to developing economies' participation in the other commercial services 
category . 
94. An overview was also provided of the participation of developing economies in g lobal value 
chains (GVCs ), based on the data available in the  Trade in Value Added (TiVA) database , which 
was maintained by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and  Development (OECD) and the 
WTO. It was explained that participation in GVCs could be broken down into backward participation 
– corresponding to the value added from inputs that were imported in order to produce 
intermediate or final goods and services for  export – and forward participation, which captured the 
domestic value added  contained in inputs sent to third economies for further processing and WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  exporting through a value chain. The GVC participation index, derived from the TiVA database, 
illustrated th e multiple value added exchanges taking place within international production. The 
report provided information on the total forward and backward participation of the developing 
economies available in the TiVA database , as well as information on participati on in the computer, 
electronic and optical equipment industry. The data showed that the Philippines played a major 
role in electronics supply chains, with 30% of its trade in that sector taking place within GVCs. In 
general, the countries showing the highe st degree of vertical specialization had low forward 
participation in GVCs, which confirmed their focus on activities at the end of the information 
technology (IT) and electronics production chains. This was the case for East Asian economies like 
Malaysia,  Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as for economies such as China and Mexico where 
processing trade was predominant. Korea and Chinese Taipei showed strong participation in 
IT-related GVCs, while the development of Costa Rica within GVCs was largely due to th e presence 
of global technology corporations in the country. Among African economies in the TiVA database, 
Morocco was the most involved in electronics GVCs.  In addition, using tradi tional trade statistics, it 
was shown that some labour -intensive final ass embly activities in Asia had shifted from China to 
other low -cost neighbouring economies .    
95. The representative of the United States  believed that it was necessary  to go beyond  
aggregate data when considering the information in the Secretariat report.  He noted that the 
report described how specific changes affected certain regions. For example, the fall in energy 
prices affected some regions more than others. In addition, giving examples from Africa, he 
observed  that experiences differed even within a part icular region . Finally, he observed that half of 
trade between developing economies was attributable to exports to other developing economies, 
and in this regard underlined  the importance of South -South trade.  
96. The representative of the European Union  expressed appreciation for the information 
contained in the Secretariat report and echoed the suggestion by the U nited States  to go beyond 
aggregate data when reading the report. She welcom ed the information provided on the 
participation  of developing economies  in GVCs.  
97. The representative of Japan  said that th e report contained factual information on developing 
economies' involvement in global trade  and in GVCs. She noted that a realistic picture of global 
trade could be provided through the use of the TiVA database, and pointed in particular to the 
snapshots of Asian value chains. She went on to say that trading was no longer about final 
consumer goods. Technology  – particularly  ICT – had expanded connectivity, and had made it 
possible to share information and communication in factories in different countries, and to provide 
services across the globe. ICT also allowed MSMEs to gain access to the global market. She 
recall ed that, in 2017, Me mbers had discussed these realities on various occasions  – including  at 
the Aid -for-Trade Global Review, during which  many key aspects were highlighted , such as the 
importance of private resource  mobilization , trade facilitation, digital trade, and a good regulatory 
environment with policy consistency and transparency. In closing, she expressed hope  that this 
exchange of ideas and best practices  would be pursued , in order to make trade more inclusive and 
achieve worldwide sustainable economic growth.  
98. A representative of the ERSD  said that the Secretariat was working on the development of 
quality statistics, with a view to improving the coverage of the TiVA database. It was  hoped that 
the update d database would help generate additional information concerning the participation of 
developing economies in GVCs.  
99. The Committee took note  of the Secretariat paper , and of all interventions.     
K. DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2017  (WT/COMTD/W/231)  
100.  The Chairman  recalled that a fax was sent to Members on 8  November  2017, indicating that 
the CTD's draft annual report had been circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/231. It was noted 
that the draft contained a number of square brackets relating to some items, including with 
respect to discussions to take place at the presen t meeting. The square brackets would be 
removed a s part of the process of adopting the report, and the discussion that had taken place  at 
the present meeting would be appropriately reflected in the report. Noting that Members had been 
requested to submit i n writing any comments on the draft annual report by 13 November 2017, he 
informed the Committee that no substantive comments had been received on the report .   WT/COMTD/M/ 104 
 
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  101.  The Committee adopted  its annual report for 2017.4 
L. OTHER BUSINESS  
102.  The Chairman  recalled  that, at the beginning  of the m eeting, the United States  had indicated 
that it wished to raise some concerns relating to procedural matters, and had request ed that CTD 
agendas be henceforth circulated four weeks in advance of a meeting, as laid out in the CTD's  
rules of procedure. He recalled that he had s uggested that these issues could be taken up under 
"Other Business" . However , he understood that the United States  had already had the opportunity 
to make its interventions earlier in the meeting .  
103.  The representative of the United States  confirmed that his delegation had already had the 
opportunity to make its interventions earlier in the meeting . 
104.  The Chairman  said that he wished to say a few words  for the benefit of Members  on the 
timeframe for the issuance of agendas for CTD meeting s. He noted  that the practice in the CTD for 
several years now had been to issue agendas ten days before a meeting, similar to what was 
mentioned in the General Council's rules of procedure. Howe ver, the CTD's rules of procedure, 
contained in document WT/COMTD/6 – and which was to  be read in conjunction with the General 
Council's rules of procedure contained in document WT/L/161 – did indeed specify a four-week 
period for the issuance of meeting n otices . He referred in particular to Rules 2, 3 and 4 of the 
CTD's rules of procedure, and observed that adherence to these rules would mean that the agenda 
for a meeting would close four weeks before a meeting, and documentation for the meeting would 
also need to be circulated before the agenda was issued. He noted that this would require quite a 
bit of advance preparation for Members  and the Secretariat.  
105.  The representative of the United States  indicated that he wished to share some information 
on the practices in other WTO bodies. He noted in particular that, in some cases, while a draft 
agenda was issued a number of weeks in advance of a meeting, this did not necessarily mean the 
close of the agenda . The closing of the official agen da was still ten days prior to the meeting. This 
was a way for Members to be informed of what could be expected to be on the agenda of a 
meeting several weeks in advance, but without facing a situation in which the agenda  was already 
closed .  
106.  The Chairman  recall ed that he had indicated at the beginning of the meeting that he wished 
to raise a matter under "Other Business" concerning the work being carried out by the Secretariat 
on a publication titled "Mainstreaming Trade in the Sustainable Development Goals". He informed 
the Committee that the  Secretariat  publication would offer insigh ts on the role of trade and the 
WTO in achieving the SDGs in all three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. It would 
also provide guidance on how to mainstream trade to expand economic opportunities for poverty 
reduction , and how countries could  get organized to deliver on the SDGs. Work on th e publication 
was well advanced, and the Secretariat was aiming to launch it in the first half of 2018. Members 
could consider inviting  the Secretariat to make a presentation of the publication at a future C TD 
meeting.  
107.  The Committee took note  of all interventions.  
108.  The meeting was adjourned . 
 
__________  
                                                
4 The report was issued in document WT/COMTD/96  and WT/COMTD/96/Corr.1 .