RESTRICTED  
  
WT/GC/M/154  
 
15 January 2015  
(15-0277)  Page: 1/16  
General Council 
27 November 2014   
 
 MINUTES OF THE MEETING 
HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD ON 27 NOVEMBER 2014 
Chairperson: H.E. Mr Jonathan T. Fried (Canada) 
1  PUBLIC STOCKHOLDING FOR FOOD SECURITY PURPOSES, PREPARATORY COMMITTEE 
ON TRADE FACILITATION – PROTOCOL OF AMENDMENT, AND POST-BALI WORK 
1.1.  The Chairman noted that the agenda1 contained three items: Public Stockholding for Food 
Security Purposes, the Protocol of Amendment to insert the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) 
into Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement, and Post-B ali work. He proposed to take up those three 
items together, including any action that the General Council would take. 
1.2.  On that understanding, the General Council adopted the agenda. 
1.3.  The Chairman said that following the develo pments in recent weeks, intensive consultations 
had taken place, in several different configurat ions between delegations and with the Director-
General, in Geneva and in capitals, to establish whether the understanding reached by two Members could be translated into an agreement by all Members.  
1.4.   Those consultations had included a meeting at the level of Heads of Delegations that had 
taken place on 24 November. He recalled that, at  that meeting, the draft texts of two General 
Council decisions had been circulated: one on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, and one on the Protocol of Amendment concerning Trade Facilitation.  
1.5.   At the HODs meeting on 24 November, a draft text referring to the understanding that the 
work on all Bali mandates would be resumed immediately, and that the date of July 2015 would be set for Members to agree on the work program mand ated in para. 1.11 of the Bali Declaration had 
also been distributed. 
1.6.    However, in the subsequent consultations held by the Director-General and himself with a 
wide range of Members, it had become clear that there had been a wish to see the two decisions 
circulated on 24 November accompanied by a third decision of the General Council, urging the 
immediate resumption of work in other areas and fo rmally clarifying that the deadline to agree on 
the work program mandated in the Bali Declaration was then July 2015. Therefore, a HODs meeting had been held on 26 November where th e draft text of the third decision had been 
circulated, together with the revised statement that he would make shortly. The draft decision on 
Post-Bali work was also before the General Council. Therefore, Members had three documents – three draft decisions in fact – for the General Council's consideration. 
1.7.   A meeting of the Preparatory Committee on Tr ade Facilitation (PCTF) had just been held and 
Members were all aware of its outcome. For the re cords of the General Council meeting, he invited 
the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee, Ambassador Esteban Conejos (Philippines), to briefly 
make his formal statement to the General Council about the action that had been taken by the 
Preparatory Committee. 
                                               
1 The proposed agenda was circulated in document WT/GC/W/686/Rev.1. WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  1.8.  Amb. Conejos (Philippines), Chairman of the Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation, 
recalled that Members had agreed to forward the proposal for a decision by the General Council on 
adopting the Protocol of Amendment to insert the Trade Facilitation Agreement into Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement as set out in WT/PCTF/W/28, with the understanding that the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement to be inserted into Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement was the legally 
scrubbed text of the Agreement adopted by the Committee in the three WTO languages on 10 July 
and circulated in document WT/L/931, and that th is text therefore constituted the annex to the 
proposed Protocol submitted to the General Council. This had been done in the understanding that 
the decision on the protocol would be taken up together with the draft Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, cont ained in document WT/GC/W/688 and the draft 
Decision on Post-Bali work, contained in document WT/GC/W/690. In the event of there not being 
an agreement in the General Council, the proposed Protocol would be back to the Preparatory 
Committee for further work. It was with great pleasure that he therefore forwarded this to the Council for further action. 
1.9.  The Chairman, on behalf of the Gene ral Council, thanked Ambassador Conejos for his 
leadership, his efforts over the past few months and for his perseverance. There was more work 
ahead for the Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation. 
1.10.  He believed the General Council was then in a position to take action on those matters. He 
read the following statement which had been circulated2 on 26 November: 
"I wish to draw your attention to: 
 
-  the draft Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, contained in document 
WT/GC/W/688; 
 
- the draft Decision on the Protocol of Amendm ent to insert the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
into Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement, contained in document WT/PCTF/W/28; and 
 
- the draft Decision on Post-Bali work, contained in document WT/GC/W/690. 
 With respect to Trade Facilitation, I also draw your attention to the Category A notifications received so far, and circulated in the series  of documents carrying the symbol WT/PCTF/N. 
 
In accordance with the Bali mandate, the General Council has to annex the Category A notifications to the Trade Facilitation Agreement. Th e text of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, as 
you will recall, is contained in WT/L/931.  
 The Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, as I said, is in document 
WT/GC/W/688. By adopting the Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes we are 
not prejudging the nature of the permanent solution nor the legal instrument to give effect to it, to be agreed by Members in the course of the negotiations.  
With respect to the Decision on Post-Bali work, circulated in document WT/GC/W/690, Members 
are collectively acting on the premise that the entire Bali Package can and must be pursued and that all Members will engage constructively on the implementation of all the Bali Ministerial 
Decisions in the relevant WTO bodies, and on the preparation of the clearly defined work program 
on the remaining DDA issues mandated in para. 1.11 of the Bali Ministerial Declaration, with a new deadline to agree on the work program by July 2015.  
 
Therefore, in adopting the three Decisions on Pub lic Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, on 
the Protocol of Amendment for Trade Facilitation,  and on Post-Bali work simultaneously, we are 
reaffirming the entirety of the Bali Ministerial mandates, including the priorities that Ministers 
identified at Bali. 
 Let us now turn to the formal action by the General Council. 
 
                                               
2 The Chairman's statement was subsequent ly circulated in document WT/GC/165. WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  I propose that: 
 - the General Council adopts the draft Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security 
Purposes in document WT/GC/W/688; 
 
-  the General Council adopts the draft Decision  in Document WT/PCTF/W/28 and the Protocol 
of Amendment to insert the Trade Facilitation Agreement into Annex 1A of the WTO 
Agreement contained therein, and opens the Protocol for acceptance; in so doing, the 
Category A notifications shall be deemed to be annexed to the Trade Facilitation Agreement; 
 - the General Council adopts the draft Decision on Post-Bali work, in document 
WT/GC/W/690." 
 
1.11.  The General Council so agreed.
3  
1.12.  The Chairman expressed his deep satisfaction  with the positive resolution of the issue and 
congratulated all delegations for their constructive engagement and open mind. On behalf of the 
General Council, he thanked most sincerely the Director-General for his determination, his 
indefatigable spirit and boundless patience. The history of the Multilateral Trading System and of 
the WTO had certainly not been without challenges. But the fact that through negotiations Members had been able – with different degrees of difficulty – to overcome those moments of 
impasse, spoke of the strength and importance that the system held for its Members and would 
continue to hold in the future. 
1.13.  The Director-General said that this was a very important moment for the WTO. By agreeing 
those three decisions, Members had put themse lves back in the game. They had put their 
negotiating work back on track – that meant all the Bali decisions: trade facilitation, public 
stockholding, the LDC package, the Decisions on Agriculture, Development, and all of the other 
elements. They had given themselves the chan ce to prepare the Post-Bali work program. 
1.14.  But, crucially, during that process, Members had seen a renewed commitment to the 
multilateral system. That would not have happened without the commitment and political will of all 160 WTO Members. They had shown the willingness to compromise – and a real commitment to the multilateral system. So he wanted to take that opportunity to thank everybody for the restraint 
and flexibility that they had shown in recent days.  
1.15.  It had been a tough period for the negotiating work, but Members had gotten the right 
result. Nevertheless, he thought they would all agr ee that they needed to find an easier way of 
doing that. While they had seen renewed commitmen t to the WTO, the truth was that they needed 
to avoid repeatedly putting themselves in that posi tion. They had lost precious time since July, and 
it went without saying that they could not wait another two decades to deliver further multilateral 
outcomes. They had to think about how they could operate in a more efficient way. 
1.16.  The size and diversity of the organization was not an impediment to that. The consensus 
rule – which would never disappear – was not an impediment either. Members had shown in Bali that they could deliver. They then needed to  figure out how to deliver more and faster.  
1.17.  Members should be pleased that their work was back on track. But that was where the real 
work began. They had to make that breakthrou gh meaningful by seizing the opportunities for 
progress that it provided.  
1.18.  Members might have just finished one journey – but they should then start another. They 
had just adopted texts which said that work would start immediately. And, that meant immediately. The dictionary definition was: without delay, instantly, at once, without lapse of time. 
So that was what they would do.  
                                               
3 The Decisions have been circulated as WT/L/939 (P ublic Stockholding for Food Security Purposes), 
WT/L/940 (Protocol of Amendment to insert the Agreemen t on Trade Facilitation into Annex 1A of the WTO 
Agreement) and WT/L/941 (Post-Bali Work). WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  1.19.  Members had committed to engage constructively on all of the Bali decisions and the work 
program on the remaining DDA issues. It was clear that Members placed real priority there and so they should get to work straight away.  
1.20.  He would be convening a meeting with the Negotiating Group Chairs the following day to 
ask them to bring Members together immediately to begin resuming work in all of those areas. It 
was important that Members started planning for 2015 as soon as possible. They had a new deadline for the work program of July 2015. Ther efore, there was not any time to lose. The 
Chairman of the General Council would also be moving straight away to take forward the decisions 
which came under the regular bodies of the General Council. 
1.21.  On Public Stockholding, Members were commi tted to following an acce lerated timeframe. He 
trusted that they would then deliver that commitment and work constructively together towards 
finding a permanent solution. They had a target date to conclude the negotiations: 
December 2015. Therefore, again, there was no time to lose. 
1.22.  On Trade Facilitation, the adoption of the Protocol of Amendment had been an essential step 
– it allowed the process of implementation to begi n. But that was just one of many steps needed 
to take it forward. It was very positive that 50 Category A notifications had already been received, including the first from an LDC Member. That was a large proportion of the potential total given 
that developed Members were not eligible. All Members then should work closely with their capitals 
to begin the process of ratification. Two thirds of Members should deposit their instruments of acceptance for the Agreement to come into force. He urged all Members to push forward the ratification process in their capitals.   
1.23.  The adoption of the Protocol was also significant because it meant that the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement Facility was then operational. He  thanked the many donor Members and Annex D 
organizations who had shown strong support for the Facility. Members would be giving the 
Secretariat resources to ensure that the Facility was a success, but for that initiative to thrive and 
succeed, it would need buy-in from all of them.  
1.24.  Since its launch in July, many Members had already expressed their willingness to make 
contributions to the Facility. He asked them to further strengthen their bilateral programs and to 
provide all the support they could to the Facility . They should ensure that LDCs and developing 
countries received the necessary help to reap the full benefits of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. Through the Facility they would continue to work closely with other organizations such as the 
World Bank, the WCO, UNCTAD, the OECD, the ITC and others. Many developing country Members 
had already benefitted from assistance programs provided by those organizations, and he encouraged that work continue alongside, and in support of, the new Facility.  
1.25.  So there was a lot of work ahead to honour what Members had decided at the meeting. 
There were only two weeks until the December meeting of the General Council and he urged 
Members to make the most of the momentum and use the following two weeks to plan their way 
forward. Members should aim, by the time of the General Council on 10 December, to have a clear 
sense of what lied ahead – and a plan for taking th eir work forward in the New Year. They had just 
delivered on a promise they had made in Bali. It was then time for them to make it count. 
1.26.  The Chairman said that, at the General Council meeting on 10-11 December, Members 
would have the next opportunity to follow-up on the work taking place in WTO regular bodies in 
implementing the Bali mandates. He would conven e a meeting with the Chairs of the relevant 
bodies the following week, and he would report to  the Council under the specific agenda item, as 
he had done in July and October. 
1.27.  The representative of Kenya, on behalf  of the ACP Group, commended the Chairman and 
the Director-General for the consultations he had been undertaking with the Members which had 
made it possible to present the package for adoption, and the US and India for their constructive 
role in resolving the impasse. The ACP Group supported the package as put forward then. 
1.28.  On the Bali Public Stockholding Decision , the ACP Group welcomed the improvement on the 
clarification of the peace clause which should remain in force until a permanent solution was put in WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  place. The Group also welcomed the target date  of 31 December 2015 for the adoption of an 
agreement on a permanent solution on the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes. 
1.29.   On the Decision on Trade Facilitation – Protocol of Amendment, the ACP Group was very 
pleased that some of its textual proposals had been taken on board in the Trade Facilitation 
Decision. The adoption of the Trade Facilitation package should then allow the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement Facility to be operationalized. The Group urged their donor partners to generously contribute resources to the Facility which would complement the efforts of the developing and 
least-developed countries in the implementation of their commitments under the TFA. The Group 
also urged the Director-General to reach out to donor institutions with a view to soliciting their contribution towards realizing the objectives of the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility. 
1.30.  On the Post-Bali work program, the ACP Group endorsed the separate decision on the 
extension of the Post-Bali work program deadline to 31 July 2015. The Group placed high 
importance to resuming work on the mandate from Ministers to define a Post-Bali work program. The Group looked forward to expedite work in th at regard notwithstanding the agreement then to 
move the deadline forward to July 2015. 
1.31.  Members had done a lot of work. Useful idea s had been floated in their informal discussions 
since February which they could build on to fina lize the Post-Bali work program. The ACP Group 
was ready to engage constructively. In October, the Group had already tabled a document before 
the TNC which had highlighted the principles that it considered as paramount in defining the Post-Bali work program. The Group had also welcomed the Director-General's initial thinking conveyed in various meetings about developing  a modalities-type work program. 
1.32.  The representative of Uganda, on behalf of the LDCs, thanked the Director-General for his 
diligence and tireless efforts. The delegations that had also engaged in serious consultations to 
arrive at where Members were then, deserved to be commended as well. 
1.33.  The LDC Group was fully cognisant of the fact that that achievement was an outcome of 
painstaking negotiations and compromises between the concerned parties. Members should give full recognition and congratulate those countries that had ensured that millions of their 
countrymen and women would not be left to go hungry. 
1.34.  The LDC Group supported the deal that had been drafted and presented to Members and 
the Group joined the consensus in endorsing the adoption of the Protocol of Amendment of the 
TFA, the General Council Decision on Public St ockholding for Food Security Purposes, and the 
General Council Decision on the all-embracing Post-Bali work. 
1.35.  It was worth recalling that during the previous deliberations in the PCTF, the LDC Group had 
pointed out the fears of its members arising of the uncertainty about the sources of funding to 
facilitate the implementation of the TFA. The Gr oup had then acknowledged and associated itself 
with the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility that had been established and had been launched to provide one of the sources of funding. That co uld not have been the best outcome but the LDC 
Group believed it would be used as a stepping stone to address the requisite requirements and 
challenges posed by the need for assistance and support for capacity building.  
1.36.  The LDC Group was pleased to note that the Decision of the General Council captured some 
of the fundamental elements that it had wanted done such as reference to para. 47 of the Doha 
Ministerial Declaration and prioritization of the LD C issues. The Group could live with the language 
on assistance and support for capacity building which gave a degree of assurance it had been 
looking for. It may not have been seen as the best deal but it was nevertheless the one that put 
Members back on track to negotiate legally binding and meaningful LDC-specific outcomes. 
1.37.  He stressed that, by next year the LDC Group should know whether or not Members had 
been genuine when they talked about getting back  to business with the expected determination to 
conclude the Doha Round. The Group did not want to believe that the TFA had been the only 
substance that some Members had wanted to see concluded out of the DDA. 
1.38.  He also wished to remind Members that on 28 November 2014, in the Council for Trade in 
Services, Members would have yet another occasion to discuss the implementation of another Bali WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  Decision. He recalled that the LDC Group had submitted its collective request on the 
operationalization of the LDCs Services Waiver on 21 July 2014. The Group was seeking to hold a 
high-level meeting in mid-January 2015 consistent  with para. 1.2 of the Waiver Decision where 
non-LDC Members in a position to do so would indicate areas where they would grant preferences. 
The Group therefore looked forward to the particip ation of all non-LDC Members in that high-level 
meeting for them to grant meaningful preferences to LDCs consistent with the Waiver Decision. 
1.39.  The LDC Group welcomed the decision on the Post-Bali work and took note of the fact that 
all issues in the Bali Package where legally bind ing outcomes could not be achieved, including LDC 
issues, would be prioritized. That should then le ad Members on a track where they should be able 
to craft a work program which would enable them to conclude the remaining elements of the Doha Round without introducing new issues, and with development at the centre. 
1.40.  All Members should strive and work towards the graduation of all LDCs, which was probably 
what informed the Ministers in Doha to seek to  put the LDC issues at the heart of the work 
program. They should continue, with positive efforts designed, to ensure that developing countries 
and especially the least-developed countries sk ewed a share in the growth of world trade 
commensurate with the needs of their economic deve lopment. They should not let that chance go 
to waste. The Group had learned that when a system  consistently failed to deliver for any of its 
members, when a section of its members perpetually dwelt in abject poverty and hunger and with 
dreams far from their reach, time came when the status quo was challenged. They should not f o r g e t  t h a t  n e g o t i a t e d  o u t c o m e s  t h a t  w e r e  h e a v i l y  t i l t e d  i n  f a v o u r  o f  o n e  p a r t y  w o u l d  n o t  b e  sustainable. 
1.41.  The representative of Lesotho, on behalf  of the African Group, thanked the Chairman and 
the Director-General. He said that Members ha d come a long way to reach that momentous 
occasion. The Bali and Post-Bali journey had not been easy, yet it was in this journey that great 
lessons were learned. The African Group hoped that as Members got themselves up to engaging in 
other Post-Bali Decisions, such lessons would not be cast out into oblivion but should guide their path in the following phase of their journey. 
1.42.  Some of those lessons included the importance of ensuring that the outcomes were fully 
negotiated by all Members with sufficient time for consultations and an accompanying conducive environment. Moreover, through cooperation and th e spirit of partnership, the WTO could thrive 
and deliver balanced outcomes with all Members across the developed and developing country-
divide making essential contribution and thereby striking win-win beneficial outcomes. On the road 
to Bali and thereafter, a great deal of empathet ic listening had also been witnessed including 
during consultations which had resulted in that day's Decisions. Those were some among the many 
great lessons that the African Group had found valuable.  
1.43.  The African Group certainly could not discount  the fact that there were also areas where the 
organization could do better. Every effort should be made to ensure that WTO negotiations were 
truly inclusive and transparent in every possible way.  
1.44.  The African Group welcomed the momentous adoption of the Protocol of Amendment on the 
TFA, Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, and the General Council Decision on Post-Bali work. The adoption of those texts was the first step that would lead to the realization of the 
objectives set out therein. There was no doubt that a lot of time and effort had gone in those 
milestones. The Group therefore commended the Chairman, the Director-General, and the whole 
Membership in those efforts. 
1.45.  While recognizing that nothing was absolute and that there was always room for 
improvement, it sufficed to mention that the milestone had once and for all sealed the unencumbered operation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility which fell within the bracket 
of what he characterised as empathetic listening to  the concerns of Members. In that setting, the 
African Group took the opportunity to launch an appeal to the Donor Community to furnish the TFAF with the requisite funding – echoing a call th at had just been made by the Director-General. 
1.46.  The African Group looked forward to engaging  constructively with Members in the context of 
other steps on the decisions adopted including on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  and on Post-Bali work and to build on those successes in the context of the Post-Bali work 
program. 
1.47.  The representative of Jordan, on beha lf of the Arab Group, expressed the Group's 
appreciation for the hard work undertaken by the Director-General and the WTO Members in 
resolving the impasse in relation to Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes and the 
Implementation of the TFA. Those decisions did not only mark the end of the impasse but also 
reaffirmed Members' commitment to the Multilateral Trading System and reflected their 
determination to maintain the vital role of the World Trade Organization in global trade. In that 
context, he reiterated the commitment of the Arab Group to engage constructively in the work ahead on the implementation of the Bali Decision s. The Arab Group looked forward to a timely 
conclusion of the Post-Bali work program by the July 2015 deadline. 
1.48.  The representative of the Dominican Repub lic, on behalf of the IGDC, expressed the Group's 
satisfaction that Members had been able to reso lve their differences which put them back on the 
right track with the adoption of the three Decisi ons. The IGDC had always stressed the importance 
of the Multilateral Trading System for developing countries, particularly the smallest and more 
vulnerable. By the actions of the Members that da y, they had shown that the system could recover 
even from serious setbacks in the negotiating pillar. He highlighted the commitment of the 
developing countries to immediately resume work on the implementation of all the Bali decisions, 
and to prepare a clearly defined work program for the conclusion of the DDA, focusing on the priorities of developing countries. The IGDC was de termined to finalize the Post-Bali work program 
by July 2015, and urged all Members to engage with the same determination. 
1.49.  The representative of Myanmar, on behalf  of ASEAN, extended ASEAN's deep appreciation 
to the PCTF Chairman for his comprehensive an d insightful report. ASEAN had been a strong 
supporter of the Multilateral Trading System und er the WTO. The Group had been working closely 
with the rest of the WTO Membership to advance the negotiating agenda culminating in the 
success at MC9. 
1.50.  ASEAN was strongly committed to the implem entation of all MC9 decisions. The Group was 
therefore delighted to see that the positive outcome of tireless consultations manifested through 
the draft of the GC decisions to adopt the Protoc ol of Amendment of the TFA and to clarify the 
peace clause on Public Stockholding for Food Se curity Purposes. ASEAN also commended the PCTF 
in reaching a consensus on the GC Decision and the Protocol of Amendment that day. It was a 
genuine achievement not only for all Members but also for the credibility of the WTO as a body for 
negotiating multilateral trade agreements.  
1.51.  Resuming work on the Bali Implementation  and the formation of the work program towards 
the conclusion of the DDA would bring tangible benefits to all Members. ASEAN did not wish to see 
any further delay in the implementation process of the Bali Decisions each of which had a separate timeline or provision agreed to by the Ministers. It had been almost a year since Bali. Members 
needed to redouble their efforts to ensure the ex peditious implementation of all Bali Decisions in 
the immediate future. 
1.52.  The representative of Chinese Taipei, on behalf of the RAMs Group, thanked the Chairman 
and the Director-General for the strenuous efforts made over the past few months in trying to 
break the recent deadlock. It was the collective efforts of Members to reconcile the impasse by 
showing goodwill and flexibility which the RAMs Group believed would help renew the credibility of the organization and pave the way towards the fu ll implementation of the Bali Package.   
1.53.  The RAMs Group firmly supported the three GC Decisions on Public Stockholding, the TFA, 
and Post-Bali work, and welcomed in particular th e decision on the immediate resumption of Post-
Bali work. The Group reaffirmed its commitment to the Multilateral Trading System and called 
upon all Members to build on the solid foundations laid down by the previous lengthy negotiation 
process, specifically the 2008 modalities, and to engage constructively to move the process forward.  
1.54.  The representative of Indonesia, on behalf of the G-33, appreciated the Director-General's 
tireless efforts in finding ways not only to break the recent impasse but also to navigate through 
critical moments by building consensus so that Members could all return to negotiation mode. The WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  G-33 welcomed recent developments of which it hoped would pave the way for the full 
implementation of all Bali Decisions and move forward to the negotiations to conclude the rest of the DDA as mandated in Bali. 
1.55.  The G-33 welcomed the GC Decision on Pub lic Stockholding for Food Security Purposes as 
contained in document WT/GC/W/688. It, inter alia , clarified the application of the interim 
mechanism for Public Stockholding agreed in Bali which should remain in place until a permanent solution was agreed by Members. 
1.56.  The G-33 also welcomed the Decision to intensify discussions on finding a permanent 
solution by December 2015 and to establish a dedicated session for that purpose. The Group reiterated that such a permanent solution should benefit all developing countries stated in footnote 1 of the GC Decision on Public Stockhol ding for Food Security Purposes irrespective of 
whether they had Public Stockholding Programs in place. It called on all Members to engage 
constructively in finding a permanent solution in the dedicated sessions under the COA special session. 
1.57.  The G-33 joined other Members in renewing their shared commitment to immediately 
resume work on the implementation of all Bali Decisions including to agree on the Post-Bali work program by July 2015 as contained in document WT/GC/W/690. As Members advanced the Post-
Bali work, the Group reiterated that the Rev.4 text, which captured almost a decade-long 
negotiation and represented a delicate balance of gains and compromises, should serve as the basis for developing the Post-Bali work program on Agriculture and for development to remain the centrepiece of Doha. 
1.58.  The G-33 recalled its proposal on SP and SSM which had been tabled in July 2014 for the 
Post-Bali work program. That proposal captured the elements of special and differential treatment 
that were critical for food security, livelihood  security and rural development in developing 
countries. Thus, the Group looked forward to having constructive and substantive discussion with 
all Members as soon as possible without further delay. 
1.59.  The representative of Dominica, on behalf of CARICOM, thanked the Director-General for his 
efforts at finding ways out of the impasse that had hindered Members' progress over the last few 
months and in ensuring transparency and inclus iveness in the process. CARICOM welcomed the 
resolution of the impasse which had paved the way, hopefully, for the immediate resumption of work on the implementation of the Bali Mini sterial Decisions and mandates. The Group was 
particularly pleased with the decision on Post-B ali Work including the development of a Post-Bali 
Work Program as mandated by Ministers.  
1.60.  The CARICOM Group attached high importance to a number of elements that would be in 
the work program and thus it urged all Members to utilize the current high level of zeal, 
enthusiasm and determination for maintaining the credibility of the WTO in undertaking the necessary commitment and work for the achievemen t of a meaningful Post-Bali work program, 
that consisted of elements that would benefit all WTO Members, in particular its smallest and most 
vulnerable. 
1.61.  On behalf of the OECS, he thanked the Ch airman and the Director-General for listening to 
the Group's call during consultations for a separate and stand-alone Decision on the development 
of the Post-Bali Work Program by July 2015. The Group looked forward to meaningful engagement 
on the work program in due course. 
1.62.  The representative of Guatemala, on be half of the SVEs, thanked the Chairman and the 
Director-General for their tireless efforts in finding ways to break the recent impasse and for the 
statements and detailed explanations on the prop osal to solve the impasse at the organization. 
The SVEs had received with satisfaction the good news on the breakthrough on Trade Facilitation 
and Public Stockholding for Food Security Purpos es. The Group was confident that the event would 
allow Members to move forward on their pending work at the WTO.  
1.63.  The SVEs were particularly geared to accele rate the work on the implementation of all Bali 
Decisions, especially those related to the SVEs Work Programme conducted in the Dedicated WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  Session of the Committee on Trade and Developm ent. The Group also welcomed the immediate 
resumption of work on the negotiating agenda with a view to finalizing it by 31 July 2015. 
1.64.  Regarding the Post-Bali work program, the SVEs looked forward to real, constructive and 
meaningful engagement from all Members, including in the issues of interest to the SVEs. In 
particular, Members should take as a basis for continuing negotiations the flexibilities that had 
already been stabilized in the main negotiating areas. 
1.65.  The representative of Paraguay, on behalf  of the LLDCs, expressed his appreciation to the 
adoption of the three decisions, particularly th e Protocol of Amendment to insert the TFA to 
Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement which opened the Protocol for acceptance. The LLDCs were willing to see their timely implementation including the Facility for Technical Assistance and Cooperation that would allow effective trade facilitation in their countries and in their transit 
neighbours. 
1.66.  The Second UN Conference on LLDCs held in  Vienna had again recognized trade facilitation 
as an element of priority to the Group. The TFA was also linked with other priorities of the Vienna 
Program of Actions as trade, investment and structural transformation, in order to achieve the 
overarching goal of sustainable development. In  the Conference in Vienna, the Group had also 
encouraged international organizations to help LLD Cs to assess their needs in implementing the 
TFA and other relevant trade facilitation measures . Therefore, he expressed appreciation to the 
WTO Secretariat and to the Director-General for their continued support and for having participated in the Second UN Conference on the LLDCs. 
1.67.  The LLDCs welcomed the three Decisions Members had adopted at the meeting, particularly 
for their contribution to their trade facilitation objectives, and for the resumption of the 
negotiations through Members' commitment to the Post-Bali work and the LDC issues. The Group thanked the Director-General for the efforts and the role he had played to facilitate that process. 
1.68.  The representative of the United States was delighted to be able to move past the 
difficulties of the past few months and to again tu rn Members' attention to the future of the WTO. 
He thanked the Chairman, the PCTF Chairman, an d the Director-General for their guidance and 
leadership during an uncertain and tense period. Th ey had very rightly pointed out the perils that 
had confronted the Multilateral Trading System . They had focused attention and a sense of 
urgency that had contributed to helping Members find a way past what had been undeniably a period of crisis. 
1.69.  He also extended his appreciation to Ambassador Prasad and the Government of India, for 
their partnership in finding a way forward. India and the United States sometimes had different perspectives within the organization. But it was good that they had been able to work 
constructively together, in a positive spirit, to  achieve something important that day and to get 
important work back on track. The decisions Memb ers had just taken meant that they could begin 
to recover the spirit of Bali. The United States was committed to moving forward ambitiously with 
all elements of the Bali Package.   
1.70.  It was of course particularly momentous that Members had crossed a critical milestone in 
implementing the first multilateral trade agreem ent since the WTO came into being – the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement.  The United States then looked forward to engaging with other Members, 
at all levels of development, to ensure that th ey reached the prescribed threshold for the TFA to 
enter into force as soon as possible. His delegation also looked forward to continuing its efforts to extend bilateral assistance in connection with implementation of the TFA. 
1.71.  Members all knew that a resumption of work to develop a Post-Bali work program for the 
DDA would necessarily dominate much of their wo rk in the coming months. They were ready for 
that work, though they could have no illusions about how difficult that would be. The United States 
continued to be convinced that a spirit of fresh thinking was going to be essential if they were to 
succeed in that task.   
1.72.  That day was a time for celebration, but he thought there was also value in Members taking 
time to remind themselves just how close they had come to a truly terrible breakdown within the 
institution. Ultimately, they had been able, collectively, to stare into that abyss and pull WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  themselves back from the precipice.  But they had been reminded of the fragility of that endeavour 
of which they were all a part. They had been reminded that they had a lot to lose.  The lights at the WTO, very clearly, were back  on. But Members could do even better. He urged them to build 
on that day's positive moment and recommit themselves to a productive, well-functioning, and 
collaborative WTO. 
1.73.  The representative of India said that th e adoption of three important Decisions by the 
General Council that afternoon on Public Stockholdi ng for Food Security Purposes, the Protocol of 
Amendment to insert the Trade Facilitation Agreem ent into Annex 1A of the Marrakesh Agreement, 
and on the Post-Bali work, was a clear testimony to the fact that if Members showed understanding towards each other's concerns and demonstrated political will, it was possible to find a solution that met their common needs and interests. 
1.74.  Her delegation wished to thank the Membership for their cooperation and efforts towards 
enabling that outcome. In particular, she thanked Ambassador Michael Punke, his DPR 
Mr Christopher Wilson, and the Government of the Un ited States for their efforts in achieving that 
breakthrough. She also thanked the Director-Gener al for his deft handling of the situation since 
July. 
1.75.  It was indeed an important milestone in the history of the WTO as Members had agreed to 
annex the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, the first multilateral agreement since the WTO had 
been established.  
1.76.  Looking ahead, India would urge the Membership to engage constructively in advancing 
discussions on all the Bali Ministerial Decisions. Members would need to re-double their efforts to 
prepare a clearly defined Post-Bali work program on the remaining DDA issues as mandated in 
para. 1.11 of the Bali Ministerial Declaration. 
1.77.  The adoption of a permanent solution on th e issue of Public Stockholding for Food Security 
Purposes was an important objective for India. Her delegation urged the Membership to engage on 
that subject in the spirit of the de cision adopted by them that day.  
1.78.  As Members resumed their work towards ac hieving a balanced and successful conclusion of 
the DDA in accordance with the mandate given by their Ministers, they could not afford to lose 
sight of the development dimension. On its part, India would engage constructively with them in 
the coming days to seek balanced outcomes that yielded the development dividend of the Round. 
1.79.  The representative of Turkey joined his colleagues in thanking and congratulating the 
Chairman, the PCTF Chairman and all WTO Members for their determined efforts in order to find a 
solution to break the recent impasse and put the mu ltilateral trade negotiations on track. He also 
thanked the Director-General, and expressed appreciation for his tireless efforts and his immense 
patience to accommodate different interests, requests and sensitivities. It was then time to work 
hard to complete the Members' remaining tasks, namely the implementation of all the Bali decisions, including defining the Post-Bali work program. Time was a constraint but he was 
confident that if they committed themselves sincerel y, they could do it before the target date – 
July 2015. He underlined that the proposals subm itted by the G-33 in July 2014, concerning SP 
and SSM was on the table for the Post-Bali work program. He hoped that those proposals would be received with a constructive approach from all Members. He also expressed a particular interest, 
for obvious reasons, to the completion of their planned work in time to crown it with success and 
substance at MC10, wherever it would take place. 
1.80.  The representative of Hong Kong, China thanked the Chairman, the Director-General and 
the PCTF Chairman for all the hard work that th ey had done to make those decisions possible.  
Having to chart the way forward in the midst of so many uncertainties had not been an easy task, but they had pressed ahead nonetheless, engagi ng Members in the dialogue and helping them 
reconcile the differences. The fact that Members we re finally able to forge a consensus owed much 
to their tireless efforts. 
1.81.  Hong Kong, China had always cherished the outcome of multilateral negotiations and knew 
how much energy, political will and compromise had gone into the process that had eventually 
produced the Bali Package. Being a party to the Ministerial Decisions, her delegation deemed it its WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  responsibility to implement them all and felt ve ry much encouraged to see that many Members 
had gone the extra mile for that common cause so that they could already get back on track despite the difficulties Members had faced in the last few months. 
1.82.  The TFA, which promised tremendous benefits to the global economy and valuable technical 
assistance to developing countries, was then open for acceptance. Members had also achieved 
greater clarity on the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes. With a more solid roadmap in hand, they were one significant step closer to concluding the Doha Round. 
1.83.  But as the Director-General had said, Members were embarking on another journey. While 
they were keen to sustain that day's momentum, she did not wish to underestimate the challenges of drawing up a clearly defined work program in half a year's time. Understandably, each Member 
would have their own ambitions and sensitivities, bu t they should not forget that they also shared 
a bigger common interest – the Multilateral Tradin g System. She hoped that the constructive spirit 
they just witnessed would continue to guide thei r discussions, so that maybe in not too distant a 
future, they would once again be able to celebrate the success of their collective labour. 
1.84.  The representative of the European Union thanked the Director-General for his, once again, 
extremely valuable efforts towards building the convergence needed among Members, the PCTF 
Chairman and the Chairman for their precious work, and all Members for their positive spirit of 
engagement that had allowed them to reach the results of that day. 
1.85.  It was certainly a very important day in the history of the WTO and of the Multilateral 
Trading System. The message from Geneva that day was twofold: the WTO had taken three decisions – each one important on its own merits, and even if things could not be easy at that 
place and setbacks might happen, Members were ready and able to sit down and work through 
their differences. Over the previous weeks the WT O had been very much in the spotlight and some 
again had believed that failure had been inevitable – but they had been proven wrong.  
1.86.  Those decisions did not only implement the landmark Bali agreements, they also confirmed 
the WTO's role as the centre of international trade policy. The TFA was a key achievement in that respect. It would smoothen trade, bring more transparency to traders and help developing 
countries become more involved in global trade flows. The European Union would support 
developing countries to implement and would contribute to the necessary funding to ensure that all Members moved into the right direction. They all then needed to expedite the ratification 
process in order to allow the agreement to enter into force as soon as possible. Furthermore, 
notifications of Category A commitments were on a good way and the European Union encouraged 
those countries that had not yet done so to notify their commitments quickly. 
1.87.  He was also pleased with the result achi eved on public stockholding. The European Union 
had always considered food security an internatio nal priority and had actively supported efforts to 
find suitable solutions at the WTO. 
1.88.  Members then needed to turn their atte ntion to Post-Bali and the DDA negotiations. The 
European Union remained a strong believer in the benefits of multilateral trade agreements and 
considered the conclusion of the DDA a strategic pr iority. It was high time that they agreed on a 
work program that would put them on a clear, rea listic and credible path towards the conclusion of 
the Round. His delegation welcomed the next steps of work announced by the Director-General 
and the Chairman. It shared the view that the real work started then and looked forward to 
actively engage with all Members in pushing their negotiations forward in the coming months. 
1.89.  The representative of Uruguay congratu lated the organization and its Members for the 
important step they had taken that day. Undoubtedly, there was still a lot of work to be done and 
a lot of issues to be resolved. Agriculture had been  an important issue in the past, in the present, 
and would be in the future. Therefore, Uruguay urged all Members not to evade their 
responsibilities – Members' serious involvement was needed to achieve a true reform in the area of 
agriculture international trade. They also needed to take steps to show that the least-advantaged 
among them could benefit from the Multilateral Trading System. With that spirit in mind, his delegation had joined the consensus with the view to continuing with the reforms that the 
Multilateral Trading System needed to make. They needed clear, transparent, predictable, and WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  balanced rules to enable development to go hand in hand with trade ensuring that it was a tool for 
development. 
1.90.  He thanked the Director-General for his tire less efforts, for his transparency and honesty in 
his dialogues with all Members in order to achieve the partial results that they were celebrating 
that day. Very relevant and important issues still remained in the DDA. Uruguay was prepared to 
start that work immediately. He assured the Dire ctor-General that he could count on the support 
of his delegation in that difficult path that they still had ahead of them that would hopefully lead to 
the further strengthening of the Multilateral Trading System. 
1.91.  The representative of China welcomed the three General Council Decisions which would 
break the impasse and get Members back on the normal track. China readily supported the 
statements delivered by Indonesia, Dominican Repu blic and Chinese Taipei on behalf of the G-33, 
IGDC and RAMs respectively. His delegation highly appreciated the tireless efforts of the Director-
General, the Chairman, the PCTF Chairman and the entire membership in bridging the gaps, 
building the consensus and making all that possible.  
1.92.  Those decisions once again proved the enduri ng vitality of the Multilateral Trading System 
as it had survived the seemingly insurmountable crisis. That reminded China of the simple truth, "as long as there is one percent hope, we should make one hundred percent effort ". Any attempt 
to give up or deviate from the multilateral system could lead Members nowhere. 
1.93.  The overwhelming voices in the room th at day were supportive of adopting the three 
decisions simultaneously. With such action, the confidence among Members was timely reinforced thus restoring the credibility of the WTO negotiating function. 
1.94.  Those decisions were not easily come by, and the past months of impasse had left Members 
with bitter lessons. The Greek Philosopher Heraclitus had said, " one cannot step into the same 
river twice ", but Members might make the same mistake tw ice. In order not to do so, they needed 
to have deep reflections and focus their work on the following areas: First, Members should 
immediately and fully implement the whole Bali Package, including the TFA and the newly adopted Decision on public stockholding for food securi ty purposes. Second, Members should immediately 
resume the discussions on Post-Bali work program and complete a clearly defined work program 
by July 2015. Third, development should be central to their work. Issues of the Bali package where legally binding outcomes could not be achieved, including LDC issues, should be pursued on priority. 
1.95.  As a large developing trading nation, China firmly supported the centrality of the 
multilateral system in global trade liberalization. His delegation was willing to take responsibilities commensurate with its capabilities and joined other Members in renewing their shared 
commitment to finish the Post-Bali Work Program by the next summer break and to conclude the 
Doha Round as quickly as possible. 
1.96.  The representative of Sierra Leone associated her delegation with the statements made by 
Uganda (LDCs), Lesotho (African Group) and Kenya (ACP Group). Sierra Leone wished to give the 
perspective of a small country at the bottom of the ladder in the whole process. Her delegation was particularly pleased that almost one year after Bali, Members could then actually begin the implementation of its outcome. 
1.97.  There was a saying in her country that when elephants fought, it was the grass that 
suffered. As an LDC, her delegation had felt th at way over the past few months but was pleased 
that Members could then move on. 
1.98.  Sierra Leone had always maintained that it was disappointed with the LDC Package from the 
Bali Outcome which had fallen short of its expectations to have binding obligations towards LDCs. Her delegation was counting on the goodwill of all partners who, in no uncertain terms, had 
repeatedly expressed in the General Council and beyond their commitment to assist LDCs in their 
quest to graduate from the LDC status. She looked  forward to having the expression of goodwill 
transform into binding actions for LDCs in the future initiatives of the WTO. WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  1.99.  Sierra Leone recognized the importance of trade for development. That was the reason why 
trade featured prominently in the agenda for prosperity, her delegation's blueprint for transforming Sierra Leone to middle-income status by 2035. The Bali Package offered her delegation, through the TFA, the opportunity to remove bottlenecks that had hitherto impacted free flow of goods to 
and from the country. She looked forward to assistance as defined in Section II of the TFA to 
enable Sierra Leone to fully implement that agreement.  
1.100.  The LDC component of the package opened  up markets for goods and services from the 
country. Sierra Leone trusted that the implementation of the Bali Package would contribute 
positively to some of its objectives in its agen da for prosperity. She looked forward to further 
action that would be included in the Post-Bali work program that would take into account the special needs of LDCs and served to furthe r her delegation's goals for development. 
1.101.  The representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia thanked the Director-General for his 
tireless efforts that had gained consensual support of the membership. He also thanked those 
Members who had played a leading role to overcome the impasse. What had been achieved that 
day had shown Members how trusting each other could restore the credibility of the Multilateral 
Trading System. What they had adopted was a ve ry important step to move forward and to 
intensify their efforts to continue the work in preparing a clear Post-Bali work program on the 
other remaining DDA issues in a timely manner. Time was running fast. They needed to begin 
inhaling success and exhaling failure. Saudi Arabia reconfirmed its commitment to the Multilateral Trading System and the WTO. 
1.102.  The representative of Japan joined the statements made by his colleagues to celebrate the 
adoption of the three Decisions. He thanked the Di rector-General and the Chairs for their efforts. 
Japan was looking forward to that breakthrough – the major progress that Members had finally achieved that day. With all Members, his delegation was ready to commit immediately, in a 
constructive spirit, to the Post-Bali work. He appealed to his colleagues for a pragmatic and 
realistic approach when they tackled the tasks before them. 
1.103.  The representative of Tanzania aligned his delegation to the statements made by the ACP, 
African and LDC Groups. He commended the leadersh ip of the Chairman and the Director-General 
for their endurance throughout the impasse – a difficult and trying time. He also commended the delegations of India and the United States for showing their willingness to reach an understanding and for giving away their strong positions for the sake of retaining the strength of the WTO as the 
only home for Multilateral Trade. That spirit should be encouraged. The same spirit of flexibility 
had been further demonstrated by the groups of  LDCs, Africa and ACP as well as the entire 
Membership of the WTO through their efforts in enhancing cooperation and strengthening 
multilateralism. He was tempted to believe that within the same spirit, Members should be able to 
expeditiously implement the work progra m of the MC9 Ministerial decisions.  
1.104.  The representative of Brazil thanked the Director-General for his truly decisive efforts. He 
also thanked the Chairman and the PCTF Chairman for their very important contribution to the 
process. His delegation welcomed the decisions Members had just taken. 
1.105.  Brazil had notified its Category A Commitments early on and its Government and private 
sector attributed particular importance to TFA implementation. His delegation saw those Decisions 
not only as an end in themselves but even more so as a means to get Members back to work.  
1.106.  He noted that Brazil had never lost hope. As he had said many times before, his 
delegation's preferred way ahead had been going back to the full Bali Package including – very 
importantly – the Post-Bali work program. In th at regard, since Members had lost 6 months in 
2014, it was only logical that they gave themselves then an equivalent period until July 2015 to prepare that work program. 
1.107.  Members could count on Brazil's determination on its historical and never interrupted 
commitment to the Multilateral Trading System as they prepared to promptly engage in a 
conversation that should lead them to finally re-launch the Doha Process and to thereby reach concrete and relevant results for all of their countries as well as for the advancement of the global 
economy as a whole with central attention to the needs of development and the resulting priority 
for all 3 pillars of Agriculture which had been left lagging behind for much too long. WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  1.108.  The representative of Barbados wished to align her delegation with the statements of the 
ACP, SVEs and CARICOM. Barbados joined others  in congratulating the Chairman, the Director-
General and the WTO Members in finding an acceptable solution to the impasse they had faced, particularly as it related to food security, and looked forward to the implementation of the Bali 
decisions, with priority being given to LDC issu es. Her delegation continued to believe that the 
Multilateral Trading System had the potential for delivering benefits for small and vulnerable economies provided they were given special consideration. While that had not happened in the 
case of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, Barbados nevertheless welcomed the conclusion of the 
negotiations and valued the efficiencies from trade facilitation. Given her delegation's circumstances, however, it would need to adopt ne w strategies which could permit it to derive net 
benefits from its commitments. Since the impasse had been overcome, she trusted that Barbados 
could look forward to serious engagement by all Members towards the completion of the Post-Bali 
work program by 31 July 2015, and for the negotiated flexibilities for SVEs becoming a part of the final outcome. Barbados pledged its continued support for those efforts. 
1.109.  The representative of Chile wished to exte nd deep-felt thanks to the Director-General and 
to the Chairman for the results and the very ap propriate way in which the delicate process had 
been led. Fortunately, the goodwill of Members had not only made it possible to overcome the 
impasse but had also paved the way to move forward in the commitments taken on in Bali and the 
DDA. Chile also thanked the PCTF Chairman and th e Chairpersons of the different committees for 
their contribution to the process. 
1.110.  Whilst Members got back on the road, they needed to maintain a commitment to 
development translating into social policies the be nefits that international trade brought to growth 
and production. It was therefore very important to ensure that the process was linked to what simultaneously was being carried out by other organizations in the international system in favour 
of development, cooperation and peace.  
1.111.  He also noted two days earlier, the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly had 
adopted by consensus a draft resolution on international trade and development which in addition 
to highlighting the importance of international trade, also stressed the lack of progress in the Doha 
Round negotiations, recognized the relevance of Bali and also urged Member States to timely implement all the Bali decisions. The UN Secretary-General would indeed be presenting the next General Assembly a report in that regard which would specifically mention that matter. He hoped 
that the report would also include positive elemen ts which were the very fruit of the work of the 
Membership. 
1.112.  Over the past 6 months during which the Bali process had been paralysed, Members had 
seen their Director-General make tireless efforts visiting different countries and participating in 
different international forum. His systemic and realistic message had been that emphasis should be put on development. Chile took those messages into consideration.  
1.113.  Several important things had happened over the past month at the global level. There 
would be a diverse and complex agenda in the future with the challenges from the new economy, the new forms of production and the digita l environment, employment, the demographic 
challenge, environment, energy, to mention but a few. The organization should place itself in that 
context and also think of the challenges Members ha d to overcome in the future so that it could 
really play a before those systemic challenges an d contribute to the governance of globalization. 
1.114.  Chile was pleased that the three decisions adopted were bringing Members closer to the 
objective sought in Bali. They were not only coming up with an Agreement which would make 
trade flows more expeditiously, benefitting in particular the developing Members. All the commitments taken on in the Bali Mandate had also been put on equal footing. With that, 
Members were taking a fundamental step in achiev ing the DDA. Their task was now to go back to 
work immediately. Chile was fully ready to star t working without any delay together with all 
Members and with a constructive spirit. 
1.115.  The representative of Cameroon supporte d the statements made by Kenya and Lesotho. 
Cameroon wished to pay tribute to the Chairman and the Director-General for all the consultations 
that had taken place that had led to the Decisions that Members had just adopted. His delegation congratulated all Members for all the concessions and commitments. As others had said, the road WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  had not been an easy one. There was now room for hope and the Bali momentum was under way 
again. 
1.116.  Whilst fully supporting the consensus, Cameroon urged Members to keep up the 
constructive spirit so that the achievement was something that would speed up results with the 
DDA. It was high time to put development in all shapes and forms at the very heart of the Round 
especially when the Post-2015 Development Agenda was being prepared. It was his hope that under such conditions the low-income countries would be sustainably included in the Multilateral 
Trading System. 
1.117.  The representative of Korea thanked the Chairman, the PCTF Chairman and particularly 
the Director-General for their ardent efforts and unwavering leadership in facilitating a 
compromise. Those efforts had led Members to overcome the stalemate that had paralysed the 
organization's negotiating function for almost five months. Korea strongly welcomed the adoption 
of the three General Council Decisions on the Pub lic Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, the 
TFA Protocol, and the Post-Bali work. Those Decision s would bring the Post-Bali work back on track 
including the implementation of all the Bali decisions and the establishment of the Post-Bali work 
program. As the Director-General had indicated, that also demonstrated the renewed and collective commitment of WTO Members for the Multilateral Trading System. 
1.118.  However, there was no room for complacency. Members needed to give a sober reflection 
over what had happened over the past months and, more importantly, over how to make sure such a crisis would not happen again. Moreover, they all were aware of the existence of many icebergs still in the water that they had to cross – although they had managed to avoid the 
asteroid headed towards them. As they had agr eed that day, they had to resume their work 
immediately to implement all the Bali Decisions, and to establish the Post-Bali work program as an important step to conclude the Doha negotiations. They all needed to engage constructively with a 
spirit of compromise. Korea would do its part in their joint endeavours. 
1.119.  The representative of the Solomon Islands associated his delegation to the statements by 
Kenya on behalf of the ACP, and Uganda on beha lf of the LDC Group. He thanked the Director-
General for his stewardship of those negotiations during the past months. His delegation welcomed 
the compromise arrived at on the critical issues of Trade Facilitation and Public Stockholding. Crucially, the resolution of the impasse cleared the way for progress on a range of issues of importance to the entire membership, and indeed to LDCs and Small Economies. 
1.120.  The Solomon Islands had never wavered in its belief that the Multilateral Trading System 
was fundamental to the creation of rules that took account of the interests of all countries. It was for that reason that his Minister had strongly supported the outcome that Members had achieved 
at Bali. While his delegation was heartened that they had decisively taken steps to put back on 
track the outcomes of the Ninth Ministerial Conference, it saw that day's General Council as a necessary yet insufficient down-payment on the Doha Development Agenda. The collective relief 
that had been expressed that day should amplify th eir interests in making additional steps forward 
towards achieving real economic advancements for developing countries, and in particular the weakest amongst them.  
1.121.  Members needed to soberly accept the step they had taken that day. Moreover, they 
should turn their attention to developing a Post-Bali work program that was relevant, 
development-enabling, focused and one that attach ed the highest priority to the needs of LDCs 
and Small Economies. In that regard, he wished to highlight a few areas which should be 
frontloaded with respect to the implementation of the Bali Decisions, and also as they related to 
the establishment of the work program. 
1.122.  With respect to implementation of Bali Decisions, the Solomon Islands invited Members to 
recall the "Decision on Measures in Favour of Least-Developed Countries" as elaborated in Annex F 
of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration. The deci sion mandated identified Members to ensure that 
preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from LDCs were transparent and simple, and contributed to the facilitation of market access. Goodwill amongst Members and tariff reductions 
without streamlined and flexible rules of origin would not contribute to increased exports from 
LDCs. It was for that reason that his delegation urged Members who had committed themselves to establishing preferential rules for LDCs to move with dispatch towards fulfilling their commitment.    WT/GC/M/154 
 
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  1.123.  With respect to the Services Waiver, the Solomon Islands urged Members to expeditiously 
move towards the operationalization of a waiver that enhanced real market access in sectors of export interest to LDC services suppliers.  
1.124.  On Trade Facilitation, his delegation wished to urge that meaningful technical and financial 
assistance be made available as soon as possible to assist small countries, like the Solomon 
Islands, in building the capacity necessary to implement the Agreement. That should be pursued 
as a collective priority of the responsible Members and the Secretariat. Those resources would be a 
meaningful demonstration of the commitments made and necessary for small economies to take 
advantage of the benefits promised under the TFA. 
1.125.  His delegation made those points to assist Members in collectively refreshing their minds 
on the commitments already undertaken by them, so that the decisions on food security and trade 
facilitation were not seen as standalone outcomes, but reflective of elements of an incomplete, yet 
balanced negotiated outcome arrived at in Bali. 
1.126.  The representative of Swaziland aligned wi th the statements delivered by Kenya on behalf 
of the ACP, Lesotho on behalf of the African Gr oup, and Paraguay on behalf of the LLDCs. She 
conveyed to the Director-General Swaziland’s appr eciation for his concerted and sustained efforts 
at resolving the impasse.   
1.127.  Swaziland welcomed the breakthrough ac hieved on the substantive issues of Trade 
Facilitation and Public Stockholding for Food Se curity. While her delegation joined others in 
applauding the fresh impetus that the breakthr ough signified, she looked forward to the 
implementation and augmentation of technical assistance programs. For her delegation, the 
matching of words with deeds would go a long way to bridge the credibility gap that had ensued 
after the Members' return from Bali.  
1.128.  While Swaziland commended and offered support for the Decisions, her delegation wished 
to equally record that Members had achieved that day only a down-payment on a broader 
commitment that they had taken with respect to development. More specifically, the consensus reflected in the tabled Decisions should act as a pivot to redirect their efforts to addressing the 
central issues that continued to frustrate the integration of the poorest into the global economy.  
1.129.  On their collective responsibility for the next phase of negotiations - the Post-Bali work 
program – it was clear that the promises of Doha had not been realized. Indeed, some might argue that they had been cast aside. In moving forward, Members had a collective responsibility to 
ensure that their efforts were firmly grounded in "first principles" – their every action should be 
directed at ensuring the rules they sought to establish were fair, equitable and development-enhancing. 
1.130.  Her delegation saw that day as a weigh station along the road to fulfilling the Doha 
mandate. Members should recall their instructions given to them in 2001 and ensure that the route they plotted fully aligned with their greater charge which was the Doha mandate. 
1.131.  The representative of Costa Rica thanked the PCTF Chairman and the Director-General for 
all their efforts, and congratulated all Members for the breakthrough. He supported the statements 
by Chile Korea and Hong Kong, China. 
1.132.  The General Council took note of the statements. 
 
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