REST RICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/M/99  
 
 
9 November 2016 
(16-6153) Page: 1/21 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Ninety -Ninth Session    
 
   
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 8 JULY  2016 
Chairman: H.E. Mr. Christopher Onyanga Aparr  (Uganda ) 
 
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 Ar ab States, 
the Organization 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 Exporting Countrie s (OAPEC) 
and the Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Développement  ................................ .......................  3 
C. TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N AND TRAINING  ................................ .............................  3 
- Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training 2015 
(WT/COMTD/W/216)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  3 
- Update on the external evaluation of the WTO's trade -related technical assistance – 
statement by Norway on behalf of the S teering Committee of the Evaluation  ..............................  5 
D. 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 ) ................................ ................................ .....................  6 
- Committee on Trade and Development mandate: focal point for consideration 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)  ................................ .. 6 
- Operationalization of the CTD's mandate: a proposal to deliver outcomes based on 
the MC8 mandate – proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and th e African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  8 
E. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  ................................ ....................  9 
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of  Customs Union – communication 
from China, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  ................................ ................................ ..10 
- Notification of the Agreement on Trade in Goods between the Association of 
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Korea  ................................ ................................ ......... 11 
- Notification of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India 
and Korea (Goods)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 11 
- Generalized Sys tem of Preferences – Notification by Norway 
(WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.5/Corr.1 and WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.6)  ................................ .................... 12 
F. COMMUNICATION FROM U RUGUAY ON BEHALF OF THE LATIN AMERICAN 
INTEGRATION ASSOCIAT ION (LAIA) ( WT/COMTD/W/217 – WT/REG/W/105)  ............  12 
G. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MEC HANISM FOR 
PREFERENTIAL TRADE A RRANGEMENTS  ................................ ................................ ........  15 
H. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DA TABASE ON PREFERENTI AL TRADE 
ARRANGEMENTS – PRESENTATION BY THE SECRETARIAT  ................................ .............  15 WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  I. REVIEW OF STEPS TAKE N TO PROVIDE DUTY -FREE AND QUOTA -FREE 
(DFQF) MARKET ACCESS  TO LEAST DE VELOPED COUNTRIES (L DCS)  .............................  16 
- Update by the Secretariat on Members' DFQF market access for LDCs  ............................. 16 
- Draft terms of reference fo r the clinical examination of implementation of the 
Decision on DFQF market access for LDCs (WT/COMTD/W/218) – submission by Benin, 
on behalf of the LDC Group  ................................ ................................ ................................ .18 
J. OUTCOME DOCUMENT FRO M THE F IFTH MEETING OF TRAD E MINISTERS OF 
LANDLOCKED DEVELOPIN G COUNTRIES, HELD IN  GENEVA ON 23 AND 24 JUNE 
2016 (WT/L/986) – STATEMENT BY PARAGUA Y ON BEHALF OF THE G ROUP OF 
LANDLOCKED DEVELOPIN G COUNTRIES  ................................ ................................ ........  19 
K. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 20 
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1. The Chairman  said that he had met bilaterally with several delegations in the previous  
weeks to discuss the work  of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) . These meetings 
had been useful in allowing him to better understand Members' perspectives on a number of 
CTD-related issues, and in particular some of the issues on the CTD's agenda on which Members 
had yet to agree on a way forward. He expressed his willingness  to work with Members to try to 
find solutions. He also indicated that , during these meetings,  he had been interested to hear any 
thoughts from Members on what types of additional work the CTD could engage in. He explained 
that he was looking to reinvigora te the CTD's work in the context  of paragraph 29 of the Nairobi 
Ministerial Declaration. He remained open to continue to meet bilaterally with delegations to 
discuss the CTD's work,  and in this regard invited interested Members to contact him. He also 
noted that he would consider  conven ing informal meetings in small groups  or in other 
configurations in order to explore ways to make progress on specific items on the CTD's agenda. 
Turning to the draft agenda for the CTD's 99th Session  – which was contained in  document 
WTO/AIR/ COMTD/ 7 circulated on 28  June 2016 – he inquired whether there were any requests t o 
add a matter under "Other Business".  
2. The representative of Japan  said that his delegation wished to inform Members under 
"Other  Business" of a proposal co ncerning e -commerce which would shortly be circulated to the 
General Council.  
3. The Chairman  said that he would provide information  under "Other Business" on a 
commemorative event he wished to organize to mark the 100th Session of the CTD, which would 
be he ld in November 2016.  
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 Organization, the Inter -Arab 
Investment Guarantee Corporation, the Islamic Development Bank, the African Union, the 
Organisation of th e 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 Propert y 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/9 9 
 
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  (ii) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the Leagu e of Arab States, the 
Organization 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 Exporting C ountries (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. TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N AND TRAINING  
- Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training 2015 
(WT/COMTD/W/216)  
9. The Chairman  said that the Annual Perfo rmance Report on Technical Assistance and Training 
for 2015 was contained  in document WT/COMTD/W/216. He invited the Director of the Institute for 
Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) to introduce the report.   
10. The Director of the ITTC  said that the annual report contained three principal sections. There 
was firstly a section on the main evolutions in 201 5 as compared to 201 4. Another section looked 
at the implementation of the Technical Assistance (TA) Plan and main features of the TA provided 
in 201 5, while a third section was concerned with the evaluation of performance  in 2015 . She also 
noted that the structure of the annual report had changed significantly relative to previous years, 
in response to requests from Members to align the report to the TA  Plan. Turning to the main 
developments in 201 5, she said that funding had not been an obstacle to the implementation of 
activities. An amount of CHF 12.5 million had been received in new contributions, while a 
substantial carry forward from the previous y ear had also facilitated implementation. The o verall 
volume of TA activities had remained stable, although the number of national activities had fallen 
by 10% as a result of a reduction in the number of requests received from Members. On the other 
hand, t he number of regional and global activities h ad increased by 5% as compared to 2014. A 
total of 269 activities were delivered , and the Secretariat was also involved in 49 other activities.  
With regard to the implementation of results -based management (RBM),  some  progress had been 
recorded , in spite of  a lack of sufficient resources dedicated to RBM . The Secretariat was pursuing 
further work on measuring results using objective performance indicators.  Improvements were 
also being made in the course content an d offer, based on Members ' needs and priorities.  
11. With regard to the main features of the TA del ivered  in 2015, she said that a total of 
15,000  participants were trained , which represented an increase of 2% over 2014. About  43% of 
the participants were wom en. As in previous years , priority continued to be given to Africa and to 
least developed countries ( LDCs). Of the 269 activities, 39% were global activities organi zed in 
Geneva , and 19% of activities were organized in partnership with other organizations.  Technical 
assistance  was predominately delivered through national activities. In terms of subject coverage, 
115 of the activities had a general scope. The most popular subject s were market access for 
goods, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and s ervices. About 70% of the activities were 
delivered in English, 18% in French and 12% in Spanish. In the context of  the Progressive 
Learning Strategy (PLS), the highest number of activities were organized  at the intermediate level.  
The Secretariat had been  able to assign a PLS level to 91% of the activities .  
12. On the evaluation of performance in 2015, she noted that the analysis was based on the 
indicators and targets identified in the TA Plan. At the output level, the t arget was fully met for 
62% of the ind icators chosen. This include d a number of cases where the target was significantly 
exceeded. There were 14% of cases where the target was partially met , and 14% where the target 
was not met. In 10% of the cases , data were not available to draw an informed conclusion.  She 
noted that corrective measures had been introduced to address the data issue. In directing 
Members to the summary of results on pages 56 to 58 of the report, she cautioned that not all the 
results could be attributed to the WTO's TA, partic ularly at the outcome level. Furthermore, given 
that this was the first attempt to compile such information, a certain amount of trial and error was 
to be expected . She explained that t he indicators initially chosen in the TA Plan had not always WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  prove n relevant to measure results , and the targets identified in the Plan were sometimes 
unrealistic. She encouraged Members to read the full description of the evaluation of performance , 
which was found on pages 28 to 51  of the report .  
13. The representative of Sri Lanka expressed appreciation for the WTO's TA activities and 
highlighted in particular the benefits to his country of the regional trade policy courses (RTPCs), 
the e-learning activities and the internship programmes. He also noted th e importance of assisti ng 
small and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs) enhance their participat ion in international trade .  
14. The representative of Nigeria  emphasized the importance of the WTO’s assistance to  
developing countries . He highlighted  some elements from the executive summa ry of the report 
and emphasized the need to improve the situation with regard to the availability of data for 
performance evaluation. He also referred to paragraph 5.1 of the report , and indicated that there 
was scope for improvement with regard to the implementation of the new monitoring and 
evaluation system.  Noting from paragraph 5.8 that several improvements had been recorded with 
respect to the involvement of developing countries in the regular work of WTO bodies, he 
highlighted the references to Niger ia in that paragraph, as well as in paragraph 5.12. Finally, he 
noted that a compilation of feedback from beneficiaries would also be useful  to include in the 
report . 
15. The representative of Japan  said that his Ambassador was a patron of the 8th Advanced 
Trade Policy Course  (ATPC), which was a comprehensive and intensive training course . The 
Ambassador had delivered a welcoming statement on the first day of the course  – in which he had 
stressed the importance of the multilateral trading system by sharing Japa n's own experience  – 
and had hosted a reception for the participants at the J apanese mission. The Japanese delegation 
would also participate in the closing ceremony of the course . 
16. The representative of the United States  referred to the section of the repor t which dealt with 
improvements in the face -to-face offer  and noted that, according to paragraph  3.41, participants 
had to report periodically on the implementation of their action plans, and would then be invited to 
a follow -up course. In this regard, he asked for information on the current status, including on how 
many participants had been  invited back for additional training. He also noted that the success 
rate in e -learning had dropped substantially in recent years, and asked what was being done to 
address the issue.  
17. The representative of Camero on expressed appreciation for the content  of the W TO's TA 
activities, as well as for the balanced way in which the training w as delivered. In this context, he 
highlighted in particular the importance of courses d elivered in French. He also drew attention to 
some  indicators that were dropping as compared to previous years , and urged that efforts be 
made to rectify the situation.  
18. The representative of Chinese Taipei  highlighted the importance of e -commerce and trade  
facilitation, and suggested that more training activities could be organized in these areas . Drawing 
from the experience of the Asia -Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), he elaborated on the APEC 
Digital Opportunity Center, which had trained 630,000 peopl e and had thereby increased abilities 
to use  e-commerce to promote  trade in the APEC region.   
19. The representative of Guatemala  said that there were improvement s in the way the WTO's 
TA was being delivered, and the manner in which  the annual report was being  drafted. She noted 
in particular the improvements in the online courses , and additionally  highlighted the need for 
advanced courses to be delivered in Spanish . Finally, she emphasized the importance of the 
external evaluation of the WTO's TA activities.  
20. The representative of Norway  expressed appreciation for the new format of the annual 
report, and noted that a results -based presentation enable d Members to get a better picture of the 
TA provided. She said that her delegation was still assessing the informa tion in the report  and 
might revert w ith comments at a later stage.  
21. The representative of China  indicated his delegation's appreciation for the annual report and 
the WTO's TA activities. He noted that China had experienced good cooperation with the WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  Secreta riat in the implementation of the China Program me, and that it would continue to support 
TA within its capacity in the context of the S outh-South cooperation framework.  
22. The representative of the European Union  highlighted the importance of trade -related TA  
and recalled that her delegation was a proponent of multilingual training. As an example of this 
commitment, she mentioned  that the Ambassador of France to the WTO had been  a mentor for the 
advanced courses  in French . 
23. The representative of Uganda  apprecia ted the priority given to LDCs in the WTO's TA 
activities, and noted that his country had benefitted from several of these activities. He believed  
that c apacity building was one of the paths towards integration into the multilateral trading 
system.  
24. The Director of the ITTC  said that the report un der consideration had a section that  outlined 
the progress in implementing recommendations made over a number of  years. The ITTC would 
continue to keep Members informed in this regard. She also noted the success of  training in the 
area of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and indicated that a similar approach would 
be used with respect to technical barriers to trade (TBT). She agreed with  the comment by Nigeria 
on the need for involvement of beneficiaries i n the evaluation process , and in this regard hoped 
that the external evaluation would be able to bring out views from the beneficiaries . She noted 
that some of the detailed questions from delegations would be responded to after the meeting.  
25. The Committee took note  of the Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and 
Training for 2015, and of all interventions . 
- Update on the external evaluation of the WTO's trade -related technical assistance – 
statement by Norway on behalf of the Steering Committee  of the Evaluation  
26. The Chairman  recalled that the delegation of Norway had been provid ing information at 
recent CTD meetings on the external evaluation of the WTO's trade -related technical assistance. 
The information had been provided on behalf of the Stee ring Committee of the evaluation. He 
understood that Norway wished to once again provide Members with an update on the  status of 
the evaluation.  
27. The representative of Norway  recalled that, at the last CTD meeting, Members were  
informed that Saana Consultin g had been selected to perform the evaluation. Subsequently, Saana 
Consulting had prepare d a draft inception report  for comments by  the Steering Committee and the 
WTO Secretariat. The final inception report , the purpose of which was to provide a detailed 
mandate for the implementation of the evaluation,  was approved by the Steering Committee in 
May 2016. She went on to say that t he evaluation was on track. The evaluators had already visited 
Benin, and would be visiting Lao People's Democratic Republic , Para guay, Morocco, Iran, Botswana 
and Jamaica in the coming weeks . Surveys were being sent out to partner countries. It was 
expected that the draft evaluation report would  be delivered  to the S teering Committee  for 
comments by the end of August , and that the final evaluation report would  be approved by the 
Steering Committee by the end of October. The final evaluation report, together with the WTO 
management response, w ould then be presented to the CTD. She also noted that delegations had 
received an invitation  to participate in a meeting with the evaluators  on 14 July.  
28. The representative of Nigeria  asked for clarification on the format of the meeting scheduled 
for 14 July, and the type of feedback that was expected. He also wished to know whether countries 
that would not be visited would have any other opportunities to provide feedback .  
29. The representative of Benin  noted that his country had been visited in the context of the 
external evaluation, and that the experience had been positive. With regard to the dat e of 14 July, 
he noted that it would  create conflicts with meetings of other international organizations, and 
notably  the UNCTAD  XIV Conference  that would be held in Nairobi.  
30. The representative of Norway  believed  that the details of what was expected in te rms of 
feedback at the 14 July meeting had been included in the invitation to delegations. She asked if 
the Secretariat could elaborate on the preparations for the meeting. She also noted that t he WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  inception report described how the evaluators would proceed  in order  to collect as much 
information as possible.   
31. The Director of the ITTC  explained  that the date of 14 July for the meeting had been  
selected on the basis of consultations with the consultancy firm. However, the issues raised 
regarding the potential  difficulties of this date would be conveyed to the firm. It was also indicated 
that the ITTC would revert  to delegations with further information on preparations for the meeting .  
32. The representative of Nigeria  reiterated his delegation's interest in recei ving clarifications to 
the points raised by delegations . 
33. The Committee took note  of the update by Norway, and of all interventions.   
D. TRADE AND DEVELOPMEN T – WORK IN THE COMMITTE E ON THE BASIS OF TH E 
CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDIN G STATEMENT FROM THE  EIGHTH MINISTERI AL CONFERENCE 
(WT/MIN(11)/11)  
34. The Chairman  recalled that, at the Eighth 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 Memb ers to fully operationalize the mandate of the CTD as a 
focal point for development work.  He recalled that, at the 97th Session, the Committee had agreed 
to the proposal from Ecuador contained in document WT/COMTD/W/204/Rev.1, which had been 
submitted in t he context of the CTD's mandate from MC8. The proposal was for the Secretariat to 
periodically update its paper  on the implementation of special and differential treatment ( S&D) 
provisions in the WTO Agreements and Decisions.  Since the updated Secretariat document would 
be circulated soon, he said that he wished to remind Members of some elements of the proposal 
from Ecuador that had been a greed to. He noted firstly that the  purpose of the Secretariat report 
was to serve as a reference document for Members,  for use as they deem ed necessary. In 
addition, if a Member wished to propose that any particular element in the report be used as the 
basis for the inclusion of an agenda item at a CTD meeting, that Member would need to explain in 
its request the scope an d purpose of the proposed discussion.  
35. Turning to the two proposals for work under the MC8 mandate  that were to be considered at 
the present meeting , he observed that the submissions contain ing these proposals had been 
appearing on the CT D’s agenda for qui te some time . Previous CTD Chairpersons had held informal 
consultations to try to make progress on the proposals, but the situation remained unchanged. The 
proponents had been called upon to initiate informal discussions with other delegations in order to 
move the process forward. He hoped that some progress could be reported at the present 
meeting.  
- Committee on Trade and Development mandate: focal point for consideration 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)  
36. The Chairman  said that the proposal contained in document WT/COMTD/W/208 had the aim 
for the CTD to report on development -related work taking place in the WTO.  He recalled that there 
were originally two proposals which broadly had this aim , and that the proponents of the two 
proposals had decided to work together . Document WT/COMTD/W/208 was the outcome of this 
collaboration . 
37. The representative of India recalled the mandate from MC8 and n oted that the CTD had 
been reporting annually to the General Council even before MC8, as had other subsidiary bodies of 
the General Council. Therefore, in giving their instructions at MC8, Ministers had wanted more 
from the CTD than its annual report. The CTD was a special body in the WTO. It was the focal 
point for the consideration and coordination of development -related work, and therefore had an 
overarching mandate. His delegation believed that it was appropriate for the CTD to report 
regularly on the d evelopment -related work that was taking place in other WTO bodies and provide 
the necessary recommendations to the General Council on achieving better coordination within the 
WTO on development issues.  He noted that there was not much progress to report on  this matter 
since the last meeting, and requested the Chairman to continue to hold informal consultations.   WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  38. The representative of Morocco, on behalf of the African Group , said that his intervention 
related to both sub-items under the present agenda item . He believed that part of the reason why 
the two sub -items remained on the CTD's agenda was because of the challenges  that existed in 
terms of reporting and coordination on development in the WTO. The relationship between trade 
and development was one of th e central pillars  of the GATT , as well as  the Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the WTO , and the CTD had been established as the focal point for development work 
in the WTO . However, relevant decisions taken by other WTO bodies  had not been regularly 
report ed to the CTD, nor had the CTD been consulted on a range of development -related issues 
that had been taken up by these bodies. In this context, he recalled the mandate from MC8, and 
indicated his disappointment that Ministers' instructions were not being f ollowed . He expressed 
concern with  the precedent that was being set. Turning to the two remaining proposals  under 
consideration , he explained  that the objective was to reorient and refocus the work of  the CTD. It 
was important to improve intra -reporting pr ocedures and operationalize the CTD’s terms of 
reference by periodicall y review ing the  development -related work taking place in other WTO 
bodies , including negotiating bodies . The CTD would , in turn , provide guidance and appropriate 
recommendations to the General Council and to other WTO bodies on any development -related 
work. This would better link development to trade in a manner that would contribute to the 
economic development of the WTO’s developing, least developed, and small and vulnerable 
constituen cies.  
39. The representative of Barbados  said that the proposal contained in document  
WT/COMTD/W/ 208 would  effectively operationalize the CTD as a focal point for development work. 
He supported the interventions by India and Morocco, and the idea of holding i nformal 
consultations in order to achieve progress on th e matter.    
40. The representative of China  said that his intervention related to both the remaining 
proposals in documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192. Expressing support for the 
interventions by I ndia, Morocco and Barbados, he said that the CTD's function s needed to  be 
strengthened  in order to facilitate the realization of the S ustainable Development Goals. He 
suggested that the Chairman could  hold informal consultations  in order to make progress o n the 
proposals . With regard specifically to the issue of "dually notified" regional trade agreements 
(RTAs), he said that the role of the CTD in reviewing RTAs notified under the Enabling Clause 
needed  be respected. He suggested that the CTD Chairman coul d organize and chair a joint 
meeting of the CTD and the C ommittee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA)  in order to review 
the "dually notified" RTAs. He also encouraged Members to jointly notify their RTAs in the future. 
Finally, he called on Members to  take concrete action to fulfil  the mandate in Paragraph 28 of the 
Nairobi Ministerial Declaration .  
41. The representative of the United States  indicated his delegation's satisfaction that the 
Committee had agreed at its 97th Session to the proposal by Ecuador, contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/204/Rev.1. With regard to the remaining proposals contained in documents 
WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192, he said that t hese proposals ha d been on the table for 
several years, and Members were no closer to achieving consen sus than when they were first 
addressed in the Committee . The proponents had acknowledged this , and his delegation was  not 
aware of any outreach efforts to address the concerns  that had been raised . In this light, he 
questioned the value of maintaining the  two proposals on the agenda. While inviting the 
proponents to submit revised proposals if they wished, he noted that a repetition of the same 
discussion at each CTD meeting stood in opposition to the Chairman's desire to reinvigorate the 
work of the Commi ttee.  
42. The representative of Nigeria  expressed support for the intervention by Morocco . He drew 
Members ' attention to paragraphs 7 and 29 of the Nairobi Ministerial Declaration, which he 
believed were relevant for the present discussion . He also noted that  discuss ions in other WTO 
bodies of particular interest to developing countries were not regu larly reported to the CTD , and in 
this light e mphasized the need to strengthen the role of the CTD as a focal point for development 
work in the WTO.  
43. The representa tive of South Africa  supported the intervention by Morocco, and indicated that 
it would be useful for the Chairman to hold informal consultations on how to make progress on the 
remaining proposals . She request ed that the two sub -items under the present agenda item  remain 
on the CTD's agenda.  WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  44. The representative of the European Union  recalled her delegation's view that the CTD should  
further explore the positive link between trade and development  in order to implement the MC8 
mandate . This needed to be based on constructive discussions  on clearly identified topics, in line 
with the instructions from MC8 to carry out focused work. While t he proposals that had been 
agreed to so far were in line with this requirement, the remaining proposals were not. She was 
also not aware of any efforts on the part of  the proponents to take into consideration other 
Members' comments and concerns. The proposal for the CTD to report on development -related 
work taking place in other WTO bodies would give the CTD an oversight functi on for development 
issues in all aspects of the WTO's work. This went against the CTD's mandate to act as a focal 
point on development issues and carry out focused work. Members needed to  debate what this 
focused work should be, and not re -open the CTD 's mandate. As for the remaining proposal 
contained in document WT/COMTD/W/192 , she observed that the issue of RTAs with a dual 
notification should be part of the wider discussion on the implementation of paragraph 28 of the 
Nairobi Ministerial Declaration. While the Chairman of the CRTA  had acknowledged at the CRTA 
meeting of 27 June  that it was unclear where such a negotiation should take place , the CRTA 
Chairman  had also stated that it would be helpful for the CRTA and the CTD to work together in a 
more stru ctured way  – both in terms of the systemic discussion on RTAs, and with respect  to the 
regular work of examining RTAs. In closing, she said that her delegation was ready to have 
constructive discussions with a view to clarify ing issues relating to notifica tions, and in this context 
could support joint meetings of the CRTA and CTD.  
45. The representative of Benin , on behalf of the LDC Group , emphasized the Group's 
commitment to the centrality of development issue s in the WTO.  He indicated that the LDC Group 
supported the proposal under consideration, as it would allow the CTD to perform its functions as 
the focal point for development work  in the WTO . Expressing concern that Ministers' instructions 
from MC8 were not being respected, h e invited the proponents and the Members that had raised 
concerns to engage in constructive discussions, and also suggested that the Chairman could hold 
informal consultations to try to make progress on the matter.  Finally, he requested that the two 
sub-items under the present agenda item remain on the CTD's agenda until the matter was 
resolved . 
46. The representative of Ecuador  expressed satisfaction that the Committee had agreed to the 
proposal by her delegation for the Secretariat to update its document on the implementation of 
S&D prov isions in the WTO Agreements and Decisions . Her delegation believed that it was a useful 
document for Members . She also expressed support for the two remaining proposals  contained in 
documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192 , and indicated her delegation 's willingness 
to continue to work with Members to find a way forward. She requested that the two sub-items 
under the present agenda item be maintained on the CTD's agenda.  
47. The representative of the United States  said that his delegation, along with some o thers, 
had participated in small -group consultations called by previous CTD Chair persons. He noted that  
the proponents had been invited to these consultations , but many had not attended . 
48. The representative of Cuba said that her delegation supported both the remaining proposals . 
49. The Chairman  invited the proponents  of the remaining proposal in document 
WT/COMTD/W/208  to initiate informal discussions with other Members – in particular those that 
had raised questions or concerns – and to keep him informed. He a lso indicated that he would look 
into holding informal consultations.   
50. The Committee took note  of all interventions.  
- Operationalization of the CTD's mandate: a proposal to deliver outcomes based on the 
MC8 mandate – proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, In dia and the African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192)  
51. The Chairman  said that, while there were three proposals in document WT/COMTD/W/192, 
the first two proposals had already been addressed by the Committee. The first proposal, which 
was for the Secretariat to prepar e an update to its paper on the implementation of S&D provisions 
in the WTO Agreements and Decisions, had been agreed to by the Committee at its 87th Session. 
The updated Secretariat paper was circulated in June 2013 and had appeared on the CTD's agenda WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  for a number of meetings. As for the second proposal, which was for the CTD to report on 
development work in the WTO, this idea was now being dealt with in the proposal contained in 
document WT/COMTD/W/208 which had been addressed under the previous sub -item. The 
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.  
52. The representati ve of India expre ssed support for the intervention by China under the 
previous sub-item. With respect to the proposal under consideration, he said that the parties to 
RTAs had several requirements to fulfil under the Transparency Mechanism for RTAs . In order to 
help ensure a timely consideration of RTAs and the smo oth operation of the Transparency 
Mechanism, it was important for the parties to submit their n otification and information 
requirements jointly. He requested that the submission remain on the CTD's agenda for the next 
meeting , and that the Chairman hold in formal consultations.  
53. The representative of Ecuador  expressed her delegation's support for the proposal under 
consideration.  
54. The representative s of Benin , the European Union  and the United States  indicated that their 
interventions under the previous sub -item applied to the present sub -item as well . 
55. The Chairman  invited the proponents of the remaining proposal in document 
WT/COMTD/W/192 to initiate informal discussions with other Members – in particular those that 
had raised questions and concerns – and to keep him  informed. He also indicated that he would 
look into holding informal consultations .   
56. The Committee took note  of all interventions.  
E. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  
57. The Chairman  said that he wished to provide Members with a brief update on RTAs notified 
under the Enabling Clause that were to be considered in the CTD's Dedicated Sessions on RTAs. He 
firstly informed the Committee that the Secretariat was in the process of finalizing the factual 
presentation on the Agreement between Mauritius a nd Pakistan. It was envisaged that a Dedicated 
Session of the CTD could be held later in the year to consider th is Agreement. He also noted that 
there had  been one new notification of an RTA under the Enabling Clause since the last update 
provided to the C TD. In particular, the Agreement between the Dominican Republic and Panama 
was notified on 18 March 2016 in document WT/COMTD/N/49. The parties ha d been requested to 
provide the necessary data to the Secretariat for the preparation o f the factual presentat ion by 
9 August 2016. Turning to the Agadir Agreement between Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, he 
said that data ha d been received from Egypt and Jordan. The Secretariat was seeking some 
clarification on this data, and was also waiting to receive data f rom the other parties, which ha d 
been requested by 15 July 2016.  With regard to the Agreement between Singapore and the Gulf 
Cooperation Council, data ha d been received from Singapore. The Secretariat was still waiting to 
receive data from the GCC parties,  which had been  requested by 23 November 2015.  
58. He turned next to the agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 
(ASEAN) and India, and said that  while comments had been received from India on the draft 
factual presentation which was sent  to the parties in 2013, the Secretariat  was still waiting to 
receive comments from ASEAN. The Secretariat was also still waiting to receive comments on the 
draft factual presentation relating to the accession of Rwanda and Burundi to the East African 
Comm unity, which was sent to the parties in 2014.  For a number of other RTAs - namely, RTAs 
between India and Nepal, India and Afghanistan, India and Bhutan, and Cuba and El Salvador - 
the full set of data needed to complete the factual presentations ha d not b een submitted by the 
parties. He urged 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 ha d not been 
ratified by all the parties. This was the Pac ific Island Countries 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 ha d been ratified by all the parties. The parties to 
PICTA were urged t o inform the Secretariat as soon as all rat ifications were complete.   
59. The Committee took note  of the Chairman's update . WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union – communication from 
China, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  
60. The Chairman  said that the first sub -item under the present agenda item concerned the GCC 
Customs Union notification. The sub -item also referred to the communication from China, Egypt 
and India which was circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/175.  
61. The representative of India indicated that his intervention related to the first three sub -items 
under the present agenda item, since the three RTAs referenced in these sub -items had been 
"dually notified" under both the Enabling Clause and GATT Article XXIV. His delegation presum ed 
that, in a rule s-based multilateral trading system , there would be uniformity in dealing with the 
three  RTAs. The Transparency Mechanism for RTAs did  not differentiate between customs unions 
and other forms of RTAs , and the three RTAs in question were t herefore  similarly situated. It would 
serve no purpose for Members to find distinctions between the three RTAs. He noted that the 
systemic concerns that were raised by China, Egypt and India over the legal and procedural 
implications of the dual notificati on of the GCC Customs Union under both the Enabling Clause and 
GATT Article XXIV were pertinent even now, but they remained unaddressed. The systemic 
concerns relate d to the Enabling Clause, the mandate and terms of reference of the CTD , and the 
RTA Transp arency Mechanism . Specific concerns relate d to the procedures for consideration of the 
GCC Customs Union. 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 d iscussed in 
the Negotiating Group on Rules (NGR). The view of his delegation was that the CTD was the 
appropriate forum to consider the questions arising from RTAs with a dual notification.  
62. Pointing to the terms of reference of the CTD contained in documen t WT/L/46, he noted that 
the CTD was designated to serve as a focal point for consideration and coordination of work on 
development in the WTO and its relationship to development -related activities in other multilateral 
agencies. He added that the Committe e could consult with other WTO bodies in addressing the 
systemic concerns raised in document WT/COMTD/W/175. This was in keeping with paragraph 3 of 
the CTD's terms of reference which entrusted the Committee to review periodically, in consultation 
as appro priate with the relevant bodies of the WTO, the application of special provisions in the 
Multilateral Trade Agreements and related Ministerial Decisions in favour of developing country 
Members, and in particular LDC Members, and report to the General Counc il for appropriate action. 
In concluding, he indicated that the three sub -items under the present agenda item needed to 
remain on the CTD's agenda until the systemic and specific concerns arising from "dually notified" 
RTAs were addressed. He also requeste d the Chairman to hold consultations in this regard.  
63. The representative of the United States  said that his delegation continue d to have concerns 
with th e present sub-item being listed on the agenda. This sub-item had fulfilled its purpose of 
informing Memb ers of the notification made, and needed to  be removed from the agenda. He 
regret ted that this issue ha d taken so much of the Committee’s  time over the past few years. 
These were the types of issues that t ook time, resources, and attention away from other useful 
work that th e CTD  could be doing, and pose d a hindrance to the Chairman's efforts to reinvigorate 
the work of the C ommittee . The United States ( US) had stated its position on this issue clearly and 
there was no need to rehash those points at the pre sent meeting . He expressed hope that  
Members could move forward constructively, recognizing that the GCC Customs Union was not an 
issue of dual notification, but rather something to be addressed in the CRTA under the RTA 
Transparency Mechanism. He also urged the GCC parties to provide the Secretariat with their 
comments on the draf t factual presentation that had been sent to them , so that Members could 
benefit from some level of transparency on the GCC Customs  Union.   
64. He went on to say that the GCC  Customs  Union had been incorrectly notified as an 
Enabling  Clause Agreement. This was subsequently corrected, and the agreement wa s in the 
pipeline to be reviewed in the CRTA, in line with the procedures of the RTA T ransparency 
Mechanism . The US consider ed this issue closed, and continue d to request that it be removed from 
the CTD 's agenda. His delegation wished to  be very clear that it had no quarrel with any 
developing country notifying a qualifying agreement under the Enabling Clause. This was not what 
GCC Customs Union notification issue was about. As this agreement was a customs union , the 
notification was different from non -customs union RTA notifications. The US had explained its 
arguments on this agreement in detail over the past few years, and found it  of little utility to 
continue to rehash these points. He hoped that the CTD could move beyond this issue and focus 
on other work.  WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  65. The representative of the European Union  said that her delegation considered it important to  
clarify the legal and procedural que stions arising from an RTA being notified by each p arty under a 
different legal provision . She emphasized the  need to find a pragmatic solutio n for the notifications 
in question , and indicated  that any substantive discussion had to  take place in the fram ework of 
the implementation of p aragraph 28 of the Nairobi Ministerial Declaration. However, she noted that 
a clear distinction needed  to be drawn  between the ASEAN -Korea and India -Korea Agreements on 
the one hand, and the GCC Customs Union on the other. Wit h regard to the ASEAN -Korea and  
India-Korea A greements, she regretted that the parties had  been unable to find a solution. The 
European Union ( EU) agree d with Korea's position that, even when developing countries notified  
their RTAs under GATT Article XXIV, this did not undermine the Enabling Clause or the CTD . In this 
light, the EU invite d the parties to these agreements to make an additional effort to find an 
acceptable solution. She went on to say  that the GCC Customs Union  notification  was a different 
case. As had been stated at previous meetings, the EU's position was that a custom u nion could  
not be notified under the Enabling Clause , and that GATT Article XXIV wa s the only legal basis for 
the notification  of custom union s. The fact that the GCC partie s had  not as yet withdrawn their 
notification under the Enabling Clause created  doubts regarding the possibility of maintain ing 
notifications under two different legal provisions . Her delegation urged the GCC  parties  to 
withdraw their notification under th e Enabling Clause. In closing , she reiterated her delegation’s 
availability to discuss a pragmatic solution . 
66. The representative of China  expressed support for the intervention by India. He encouraged 
the Chairman to hold informal consultations on this matt er. 
67. The representative of Korea  said that his delegation’s position remained unchanged on the 
notification  issue. He believe d that Members needed to focus on finding a solution to the  
inefficiency under the current system arising from separate review proce sses for the same RTAs.  
68. The Committee took note  of all interventions.    
- Notification of the Agreement on Trade in Goods between the Association of Southeast 
Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Korea   
69. The Chairman  said that the second sub -item under the present age nda item concerned the 
notification of the ASEAN -Korea Agreement.  
70. The representative of the United States  said that his  delegation continued to have concerns 
with the  second and third  sub-items being listed on the CTD's agenda. The sub -items had fulfilled  
their purpose of informing Members of the notifications made, and needed to be removed from the 
agenda.  With respect to the issue of "dual notifications ", he indicated  that this was  directly linked 
to the function ing of the Transparency Mechanism for RTAs , and went beyond the mandate of  the 
CTD. The US was willing to discuss the functioning of the RTA Transparency Mechanism in the 
CRTA. Finally, he expressed disappointment that the transparency requirements for the two RTAs 
in question  had not been fulfill ed. 
71. The Committee took note  of the interventions.  
- Notification of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India 
and Korea (Goods)  
72. The Chairman  said that  the third sub -item under the present agenda item concerned the 
notification of the I ndia-Korea Agreement.  
73. The representative of the United States  said that his comments under the previous sub -item 
applied to this sub -item as well.  
74. The representative of India said that his statement under the first sub -item applied to the 
first three sub -items.   
75. The Committee took note  of the interventions.   WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  - Generalized System of Preferences – Notification by Norway  
(WT/COMTD/N/ 6/Add. 5/Corr.1 and WT/COMTD/N/6 /Add.6)  
76. The Chairman  said that the fourth sub -item under the present agenda item concerned two 
communications by Norway relating to its Generalized System of Preferences  (GSP)  scheme. First, 
in document WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.6, Norway had notified some updated information on its GSP 
scheme. Second, in document WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.5/Corr.1 , Members were inform ed of some 
corrections to a previous notification  by Norway , circulated in June 2013. He invited Norway to 
introduce the communications.  
77. The representative of Norway  said that  there were no changes to the underlying principles 
and structure of Norway's GSP scheme . As had been described in previous notifications, countries 
entering into a free trade agreement with Norway were no longer eligible for GSP  preferences . In 
document WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.6, Members were informed that Norway, as part of the European 
Free Trade A ssociation  (EFTA), had  entered into free trade agreements with Bosnia Herzegovina, 
Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. The notification also contained an upd ated list of countries that 
had fulfilled the procedural requirements to make use of the Norw egian GSP  scheme , as well as a 
list of countries that had  yet to submit the necessary information to make use of the Norwegian 
GSP scheme . Turning to document WT/COMTD/N/ 6/Add.5/Corr.1 , she said that this document 
contained s ome corrections to Norway's notification from June 2013. 
78. The Committee took note  of the notification by Norway.  
F. COMMUNICATION FROM U RUGUAY ON BEHALF OF THE LATIN AMERICAN 
INTEGRATION ASSOCIAT ION (LAIA) (WT/COMTD /W/217 – WT/REG/W/105)  
79. The Chairman  said that a communication had been received from Uruguay, on behalf of the 
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) . As was requested, the communication was 
circulated to Members in the CTD, as well as in the CRTA. The document references were 
WT/COMTD/W/217 and WT/REG/W/105. He noted that a discussion on the communication had 
taken  place at the CRTA meeting of 27 June 2016. He invited Uruguay to introduce the 
communication to the CTD.  
80. The representative of Uruguay  indicated that the communication would be introduce d by 
Bolivia,  on behalf of  the LAIA.  
81. The representative of Bolivia, on behalf of the LAIA , referred to the documents from the 
LAIA which were circulated annually to the CTD with the title "Report to the WTO on instruments 
concluded under the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo" . He said tha t these report s could  be used by LAIA 
member countries to meet their notification obligations in respect of instruments concluded under 
paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause, in accordance with sections D to G of the Transparency 
Mechanism for RTAs, and without prejudice to notifications submitted individually by LAIA member 
countries. He added that, in the annual reports  to the WTO , each of the LAIA member countries 
acted in an individual capacity regarding the agreements they conclude d under the 1980 Trea ty of 
Montevideo (TM80), as was clear from the introduction to these reports  and the individual 
notification datasheets which were included .  
82. He went on to say that that t he TM80 was notified to the GATT as an RTA under the 
Enabling Clause on 1 July 1982 in document L/5342. Since th at time , LAIA member countries  – 
without  prejudice to the individual notifications submit ted to the CTD or to CRTA  – had notified the 
GATT  or WTO in a consistent and uniform manner of any agreements concluded under the TM80 . 
This had been done in the biennial reports submitted between 1980 and 2011, and in the annual 
reports from 2012 onwards, so as to  comply with the RTA Transparency Mechanism. The regional 
scope and partial scope agreements concluded between LAIA member countrie s were included in 
the mechanisms provided for in Article 4 of the TM80, which s ought  to make viable the 
achievement of the countries' long -term objectives. These mechanisms were therefore legal 
instruments that affect ed the implementation of an RTA or the  operation of an RTA already 
implemented, as laid out i n section D of the RTA Transparency Mechanism , which concerned 
subsequent notification and reporting . Consequently, the WTO Secretariat was not required to 
prepare factual presentations, as was the cas e with agreements notified under section B of the 
Transparency Mechanism. However, if any WTO Member require d further information on any WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  particular aspect of agreements concluded under the TM80, he noted that paragraph 16 of the 
Transparency Mechanism  provided the opportunity to exchange views in a dedicated session of the 
CTD.  
83. In light of the information provided , and with a view to contributing to the transparency of 
the notification process with respect to agreements concluded under the TM80, the CTD Ch airman 
was requested to f orward th e communication to the WTO Secretariat , and to Members in the CTD 
and the CRTA. Furthermore, the LAIA countries believe d that the WTO Secretariat should circulate 
the documents  with the title  "Report to the WTO on instrume nts concluded under the 1980 Treaty 
of Montevideo" with the document symbol "WT/COMTD/N/ --", like notifications made within the 
framework of the CTD. He next referred to the CRTA document WT/REG/W/100/Rev.1, which 
contained a list of RTAs that had appeared  in factual presentations and had not yet been notified 
to the WTO. He indicated that the WTO Secretariat should remove from this list – as well as 
subsequent revisions of this list – all the agreements between LAIA member countries that were 
duly notified  under the paragraph 4(a) of the Enabling Clause , in accordance with sections D to G 
of the RTA Transparency Mechanism. The RTAs in question were listed  in the communication under 
consideration . 
84. The representative of the United States  said that his delegat ion had  previously made 
statements in th e CTD and the CRTA with the purpose of seeking to resolve the matter  of the large 
number of non -notified LAIA agreements. The non-notification of RTAs was a significant and 
growing concern . While the issue was not li mited to the LAIA agreements, the se agreements  
represent ed the majority of the RTAs  listed in the Secretariat’s com pilation of non -notified 
agreements. He also referred to a  room document circulated by the Secretariat in the CRTA  which 
showed that there we re 97 separate LAIA agreements in force. Some of these ha d been notified to 
the WTO as required, but most ha d not. The n otification of the TM80  was not sufficient, especially 
since the treaty itself ma de clear that the arrangements entered under it were not modifications to 
the umbrella agreement, but were separate agreements. The TM80  specifically provide d for 
regional and partial scope agreements , and did  not appear to say anything about the specific 
treatment to be given to any product or class of produc ts by any signatory. The r eport s submitted 
by the LAIA countries to the CTD were also not sufficient in terms of a notification. The LAIA 
report s had no standing in the WTO , nor could  they replace Members ' individual obligations. He 
highlighted the importa nce of Latin America as a regional market, and in this light emphasized the 
need for greater transparency, so as to allow a better understanding of the progress toward 
regional integration that had been achieved.  
85. He went on to say that the notification req uirements and the obligations found in the RTA 
Transparency Mechanism  – including  the provision of data to support the Secretariat’s work in 
preparing the factual presentation s – fell squarely on individual WTO Members , and c ould not  be 
shifted to a non -WTO Member. While drafting assistance by the Secretariat  might  be helpful , the 
notifications would  need to be issued by the individual WTO Members that were parties to the 
agreements, since notifications were the obligation  of Members . If the LAIA parties we re 
concerned about the administrative burden of facing a large number of factual presentations all at 
once after the notifications  were made , his delegation had previously indicated that it would be 
supportive of a discussion on how the notifications  might  be treated , including through the 
preparation of factual abstracts for some agreements.  He noted that the LAIA parties had not 
properly notif ied the mass of agreements that f ell under the TM80 , and they therefore had not 
been able to take advantage of fle xibilit ies when the RTA Transparency Mechanism was first 
established . If notifications were made, the US  was open to revisiting whether some kind of 
flexibility could be introduced to streamline the work. He noted  that the  LAIA parties had as yet 
not respo nded or reacted to the se suggestions, and his delegation welcome d reactions at the 
present meeting .  
86. He added that  WTO Members should be able to pose questions regarding notifications , or 
regarding  agreements that they believe d should be notified.  Consiste nt with the RTA T ransparency  
Mechanism , these Members should receive responses from the parties to such RTAs. The US had a 
long and consistent record of posing notification questions to other Members. In the case of many 
Latin American agreements, the resp onses receive d referred to LAIA practice, or a  LAIA position, 
which indicat ed that some Members believe d they c ould sidestep notification obligations by 
claiming that the decision and responsibility for notification f ell to a regional organization that was 
not a WTO Member. He noted that t his did not support transparency.  He also recalled that 
individual Members were required to submit data to the Secretariat and were subsequently  WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  provided an opportunity to review and comment on draft factual presentations before they were 
circulated. In this regard, he asked how Committee work could be carried out if the M embers that 
attend ed Committee  meetings defer red these responsibilities to a non -WTO Member . Additionally, 
in cases where other Members had  questions abou t the content of the LAIA reports, he que ried 
how individual LAIA countries would be in a position to respond , if they did not participate in the 
drafting of the report s.   
87. The representative of Argentina  expressed support for the intervention by Bolivia  and 
registered her delegation's surprise that the RTAs between LAIA member  countrie s were still 
included  in the list of RTAs which had appeared in factual presentations and had not yet been 
notified.  
88. The representative of the European Union  indicated that, while the communication from 
LAIA was a first step , her delegation still had a number of questions with respect to the LAIA 
agreements. She firstly asked the LAIA parties to clarify the exact coverage of the listed 
agreements. She explained in this regard  that it was  important to understand which of the  
agreements,  if any, could  be considered as a mere implementation of the TM80 , and which of 
them needed to  be considered as additional agreements which would merit  a separate treatment. 
She also emphasized t hat any RTA that contain ed a form of preferential treatment , as set out in 
section B.3 of the RTA Transparency Mechanism , was subject to the full examination process. 
Accessions occurring at a later stage f ell under the provisions of section B of the RTA T ransparency 
Mechanism , which meant that f actual presentations needed to  be prepared. As her second 
question, she asked the LAIA parties to clarify whether all the listed agreements  in the LAIA 
communication , in all three columns, cover ed only trade in good s. She noted that agreements that 
covered trade in services would need to be considered in the CRTA, since they did not fall under 
the Enabling Clause . Finally, she requested clarification  on the differences between  what were 
termed in the communication as  "regional agreements ", "economic complementarity agreements ", 
and "other agreements ". She also indicated that her delegation would be submitting written 
questions shortly . 
89. The representative of Australia  said that his delegation placed a high value on RTA -related 
information provided to the WTO. It was Members' individual and collective responsibility to ensure 
that there was a high degree of visibility in the trade commitments that were made outside of the 
multilateral trading system. His delegation belie ved that every Member deserved to be fully 
informed of any new and significant trade commitments that were made  by other Members in any 
context. The preparation of factual presentations and their examination was the preferred format 
for such an exercise. He emphasized that the notification of RTA -related information needed to  be 
taken just as seriously as any other notification and transparency obligations in the WTO s ystem. 
Despite this, his delegation recognized that there were clear differences of view s between 
Members on the nature and the extent of the notification obligations relating to  their RTAs. He 
expressed  hope that Members with strong positions on these issues would engage in more 
targeted and constructive discussions . He suggested that discussi ons should focus on how 
Members could  work to bridge any notification gaps . The discussions would need to guide Members 
on where assistance might  be required to support compliance with the RTA Transparenc y 
Mechanism  or any other relevant notification oblig ations.  
90. The representative of Canada  noted that, at the CRTA meeting of 27 June , as well as at the 
present meeting, Members had posed some substantive questions on the information contained in 
the LAIA  communication . He registered his delegation's interest  in the responses to these 
questions, which had not yet been provided . 
91. The representative of Brazil  supported the interventions by other LAIA parties . He said that 
regional and part ial scope agreements concluded between LAIA member  countries were  part of a 
mechanism foreseen under Article 4 of the T M80. As such, they constituted legal instruments that 
affected the application or functioning of an RTA. There was therefore no requirement for the 
preparation of factual presentations. He reaffirmed that the LAIA member  countries  had notified in 
a cons tant and uniform manner  the progress in the implementation of the T M80 – initially  in the 
biennial reports, and since 2012 in annual reports. The agreements under the TM80  could not be 
classified as  RTAs that had no t yet been notified.  
92. The representative s of Cuba and Ecuador  expressed their support for the content of the 
document under consideration .  WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  93. The representative of Bolivia  indicated  that the document under consideration also reflected 
his country's  position. He said that the comments made at the present meeting would be 
transmitted back to capitals, and to the LAIA. He emphasized that the LAIA member  countries  
were complying with  transparency requirements.  
94. The Chairman  encouraged Members to continue to discuss  this matter  amongst themselves,  
and to explore possible ways forward with a view to finding a solution.  
95. The Committee took note  of the communication, and of all interventions.  
G. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TRANSPARENCY MEC HANISM FOR PREFERENT IAL 
TRADE ARRANGEM ENTS  
96. The Chairman  said that he wished to provide  Members with a brief update on the 
preferential trade arrangements ( PTAs) that were to be considered in the CTD's Dedicated 
Session s on PTAs . He informed the Committee that the situation remained unchanged s ince the 
last report to the CTD. In particular, there were five PTAs notified since the establishment of the 
Transparency Mechanism  for PTAs  – PTAs being implemented by China, India, the Russian 
Federation, Chinese Taipei and Thailand – for which the Secre tariat had not received the full set of 
data required for the preparation of the factual presentations. He urged the notifying Members to 
provide th e data as soon as possible.   
97. The Committee took note  of the Chairman's update.  
H. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DATABASE  ON PREFERENTIAL TRAD E ARRANGEMENTS – 
PRESENTATION BY THE SECRETARIAT  
98. The Chairman  said that  the WTO's Database on PTAs (http://ptadb.wto.org ) was set up as 
an outcome of the General Council Decision of 14 December 2010  – contained in document 
WT/L/806 – which  established the Transparency Mechanism for PTAs. He believed that the 
database was useful in what it set out to do, namely to provide information – including trade and 
tariff data – on the PTAs being implemented by  Members. He said that he was encouraged when 
he heard that t he Secretariat had made further improvements to the database, particularly with 
respect to the presentation of the trade data. He had therefore invited the Secretariat to the 
present meeting to show these improvements to the Committee. Before giving the floor to the 
Secretariat, he noted that, while the Database on PTAs was certainly  useful, it could  only achieve 
its full potential if Members implementing PTAs provide d all the necessary updated in formation and 
data to the Secretariat. He therefore encouraged  all Members implementing PTAs to check what 
information concerning their PTAs was already in the database, and what information was missing , 
and to contact the Secretariat if any clarification was required in this regard. With these words, h e 
invited a representative of the Economic Research and Statistics Division to make a presentation . 
99. The representative of the Economic Research and Statistics Division  began his presentation 
by providing a br oad overview of the Database on PTAs. He noted, inter alia , that the database 
had been set up with the intention of providing comprehensive information on each PTA  being 
implemented by Members – including  information relating to legal texts, the beneficiar ies, relevant 
WTO documents , and trade and tariff data. After demonstrating how the various types of 
information could be accessed from the database, he proceeded to outline the improvements that 
had recently been made by the Secretariat. He recalled first ly that the Transparency Mechanism 
for PTAs required Members implementing PTAs to provide data to the Secretariat on imports 
entering under each preferential scheme. The Database on PTAs had, since its establishment, 
reported this import data on an aggrega te basis, where available. With the improvements, it was 
now possible to access data on imports entering under each preferential scheme at a more 
disaggregated level.  In particular, the database now provided statistics separately on imports of 
agricultural  products and non -agricultural products, as well as imports under each of the 
Multilateral Trade Negotiations categories. It was also possible to access information on imports 
from each individual beneficiary of a preferential scheme. He noted that the imp rovements allowed 
a more in -depth exploration of how the preferences granted under each PTA were being utilized.  In 
closing, he noted that information on PTAs, including the improvements he had just outlined, could 
only be reflected in the database if Memb ers implementing PTAs provided the Secretariat with the WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  necessary information and data. He invited these Members to contact him if any clarifications were 
required in this regard.   
100.  The representative of Australia  believed  that the Database on PTAs was a u seful tool. He 
wondered whether it was possible to assess, on the basis of existing data, what might be the 
potential export gains to LDCs from including  one or more  product s in a duty-free and quota -free 
(DFQF ) scheme.    
101.  The representative of Bangladesh  expressed appreciation for the improvements to the 
Database on PTAs, which he believed would also be useful for discussions taking place in the 
Committee on Rules of Origin.   
102.  The representative of Benin, on behalf of the LDC Group , welcomed the improvement s to the 
Database on PTAs.  He expressed appreciation to Members implementing PTAs for the information 
reflected in the database , and also called on them to ensure that this information was kept up to 
date. He observed that, for some Members implementing PT As in favour of LDC products, a large 
proportion of tariffs were already duty -free on a  most-favoured -nation ( MFN) basis. This cause d 
difficulties for LDCs trying to compete in these markets . In addition, he wondered why 
beneficiaries of PTA s sometimes exported under the MFN regime rather than under the preferential 
regime.   
103.  The representative of India noted that his country had yet to provide data on imports 
entering under its Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme for LDCs. However, he believed that 
the Database on PTAs was misleading  in this respect , as it showed that there were currently no 
imports taking place under the DFTP Scheme . He suggested that the Secretariat could add a 
footnote to clarify that the data in question had not yet been provided.   
104.  The representative of the Economic Research and Statistics Division  explained  that the 
Database on PTAs did not in itself provide assessments on the trade impact of tariff reduction s, or 
on the challenges faced by beneficiaries of some PTAs.  It was also difficult to explain why 
beneficiaries did not always utilize the preferences granted under the PTA, as there were 
potentially many reasons.  With regard to the comment from India, he indicated that a footnote 
would be added along the lines suggested.    
105.  The Committee  took note  of the presentation by the Secretariat, and of the  interventions . 
I. REVIEW OF STEPS TAKE N TO PROVIDE DUTY -FREE AND QUOTA -FREE (DFQF) 
MARKET ACCESS TO LEA ST DEVELOPED COUNTRI ES (LDCS)  
106.  The Chairman  noted that there  were two listed sub-items under th e present agenda item.  
With regard to the first sub -item, h e recalled that it had been agreed at the last CTD meeting that 
the Secretariat w ould provide a brief update at the present meeting on Members' DFQF market 
access for LDCs.  As for the sec ond sub -item, he recalled that, at the last CTD meeting, the 
delegation of Benin – the LDC Coordinator – had indicated that the LDC Group would submit a 
proposal on the terms of reference of a Secretariat study on DFQF implementation. This proposal 
had now been submitted in document WT/COMTD/W/218. Before turning to the two sub -items, he 
said that he wished to take the opportunity to remind Members that, as per the Bali Decision on 
DFQF market access for LDCs, the Secretariat w ould need to prepare an update d report on 
Members' DFQF market access for the CTD's annual DFQF review . This review would  take place at 
the next CTD meeting. He referred the Committee to the previous Secretariat report  from 2015  – 
contained in document WT/COMTD/W/214  – and invited  Memb ers that ha d DFQF schemes in place 
to consult this report and ensure that they ha d provided updated data to the Secretariat .  
- Update by the Secretariat on Members' DFQF market access for LDCs  
107.  The Chairman  invited a representative of the Economic Research  and Statistics Division  to 
provide an update on Members' DFQF market access for LDCs . 
108.  The representative of the Economic Research and Statistics Division  said that , as per the Bali 
DFQF Decision, the Secretariat prepare d a report annually on Members' DFQF  market access for 
LDCs. In this context, he indicated that he would update the information found in the previous WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  Secretariat report from 2015 – contained in document WT/COMTD/W/214  – and in particular the 
information found in the two tables in th e report.  He recalled that the first  table contained 
information on developed Members' DFQF schemes, while the second contained information on 
developing Members' DFQF schemes . With regard to the developed Members , he informed the 
Committee that the Secretariat had  received all 2016 tariff data  except with respect to Iceland and 
Japan. The data  indicated that the situation remain ed similar to what was described in the 2015 
Secretariat report, with most developed Members providing full or significant  DFQF market acce ss. 
Similar to what was reported in the 2015  report, the number of dutiable lines was somewhat 
higher for Iceland – although  the figure of 91.8% DFQF coverage was from 2014 – and the US, 
with a DFQF coverage of 82.6%. The Russian Federation's GSP sub -schem e for LDCs allow ed 
duty-free access to 37.1% of tariff lines in 2016. Turning to the developing Members, he said that 
data for the year 2016 had not yet been provided by China, India, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, 
Thailand and Turkey. With respect to th e developing Members that had provided 2016 data, he 
said that the situation remain ed unchanged relative to  what was described in the 2015 Secretariat 
report. In particular, Chile' s DFQF coverage remain ed at 99.5%, Korea's coverage remain ed at 
90.3%, and C hinese Taipei's coverage remain ed at 31%.  
109.  The representative of  the United States  said that the results of the Annual Product Review of 
the US' GSP had been recently announced . In this context , he informed the Committee that, as of 
1 July 2016, new duty -free status ha d been added for a range of travel goods – including  luggage, 
backpacks, handbags, and wallets  – for Least Developed Beneficiary Developing Countries 
(LDBDCs) of the US' GSP scheme , as well as for African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) 
countries. The products which ha d been added to the scope of the two program mes include d 
leather or textile -covered briefcases, handbags, wallets and travel bags, which ha d been excluded 
from GSP benefits since the 1970s. The MFN tariffs on these products rang ed from 4.5 % to 20 %. 
Providing duty -free treatment for these products to LDC beneficiaries and AGOA countries was an 
important decision from a development perspective, as travel goods were important products to  
encourag e further development of LDC textile industries. The US had approached this decision with 
the goal of maximum impact for development and poverty alleviation , pursuant  to the aim of the 
GSP scheme . It was b elieve d that duty -free treatment for these products to LDBDCs and AGOA 
countries w ould provide a significant boost to these countries’ efforts to increase and diversify their 
exports. The US Trade Representative (USTR) had noted that t rade preference program mes such 
as GSP and AGOA could  make a powerful contribution to lifting people out of p overty and 
supporting growth in some of the poorest countries in the world . The USTR had also indicated that 
the US had  used these program mes to give beneficiary countries vital assistance vis -à-vis more 
advanced competitors. Overall, LDBDC exports of  these products to the U S had risen fro m US$6.7 
million in 2013 to US$ 51.4 million in 2015 . This improvement was yet another demonstration of 
the US ' commitment to faithfully implement the Bali Decision to improve existing DFQF coverage 
for products originating  from LDCs, so as to provide increasingly greater market access to LDCs.  
110.  The representative of China  said that his delegation was currently in the  internal  process of 
finalizing  a notification concerning an update to China's DFQF scheme.  Efforts were being  made to 
complete the process at the earliest possible time .   
111.  The representative of Bangladesh  sought clarification as to whether the new duty -free status 
granted by the US to a range of travel goods had been extended to all LDC beneficiaries under the 
GSP scheme .   
112.  The representative of Rwanda  expressed appreciation to the US for the new duty -free status 
that had been granted to a range of travel goods.  
113.  The representative of the Economic Research and Statistics Division  said that  he wished to 
conclude by reiterating that, at the present time, the Secretariat did not have all the 2016 tariff 
data necessary to prepare a full update of the 2015 Secretariat DFQF report , contained in 
document WT/COMTD/W/214 . Noting that an updated report needed to be prepared f or the next 
CTD meeting, h e invited those Members  implementing DFQF schemes  that had not yet submitted 
updated tariff data to contact him if any clarification was needed on data requirements . 
114.  The Committee took note  of the update by the Secretariat, and of  all interventions.  WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  - Draft terms of reference for the clinical examination of implementation of the Decision 
on DFQF market access for LDCs (WT/COMTD/W/218) – submission by Benin,  on 
behalf of the LDC Group  
115.  The Chairman  invited Benin to introduce the subm ission contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/218 .   
116.  The representative of Benin, on behalf of the LDC Group , highlighted the developmental 
importance of DFQF market access for LDCs , and noted that it had been recognized by the 
international community  as key iss ue for LDCs . Recalling  the discussion that had taken place at the 
CTD's 96th Session on the merits of a clinical examination of DFQF implementation, he indicated  
that the submission under consideration presented the draft terms of reference for such an 
examination, to be carried out by the Secretariat. He believed that all Members, and not only 
LDCs, needed to play their part in the process. He went on to say that the submission wa s divided 
into four sections. The first section provide d background informati on on the clinical examination, 
emphasizing the legal foundations of DFQF market access and the decision -making procedure for 
conducting the examination. The second section set out the 11 parameters selected by the LDCs to 
direct the clinical examination. The third section propose d a methodological approach for the 
examination, while the fourth section suggest ed a timeframe for the preparation of the 
examination . According to the time frame, the results of the Secretariat study would need to be 
made availabl e no later than two months after the present meeting . He urged Members to agree to 
the proposed terms of reference . 
117.  The representative of Morocco, on behalf of the African Group , expressed appreciation for 
the recent initiative by the US to add  new duty -free status for a range of travel goods for LDBDCs 
of the GSP  scheme , and for AGOA  countries. He believed that this was yet another step in the right 
direction to further help AGOA beneficiaries and LDCs integrate into the multilateral trading 
system. He ela borated on how AGOA had contributed positively to Africa’s textiles and clothing 
industry, and in this regard expressed concern that the industry was threatened by the 
implementation of the Trans -Pacific Partnership Agreement, which would extend many of th e same 
benefits to Africa’s competitors. It was for this reason that the Africa n Group supported  the 
submission contained in document WT/COMTD/W/218. He noted that the Group was especially 
drawn to parameters 10 and 11 , particularly with respect to  the ext ent of preference erosion as a 
consequence of the entry  into force of the Trans -Pacific Partnership Agreement.  
118.  The representative of the United States  recalled  that his delegation had expressed openness 
to review a proposal on the parameters for a possibl e Secretariat study on DFQF implementation, 
when the idea had first been raised . However, the US had also cautioned that  Members should not 
expect the Secretariat to  be able to illuminate or resolve the well -known differences of views on 
this complicated i ssue.  It had also been specified that a report from the Secretariat needed to be 
balanced and fact -based, and could not include any subjective assessments or suggestions of any 
particular policy directions. While commend ing the LDC Group  for working to mo ve this work 
forward, he said that it wa s clear, both implicitly and explicitly, that the proposed terms of 
reference sought  to single out the  US market and certain products of interest , rather than take a 
comprehensive approach. He regret ted that the LDC Group  had not attempt ed to work or consult 
with his delegation  in an effort to produce a document that could achieve consensus. The US was  
not in a position to support the terms of refe rence proposed by the LDC Group, and had concerns 
about the type of ana lysis that wa s being proposed. The US had made great efforts to implement 
the commitment made at the Bali Ministerial Conference to improve DFQF market access for LDCs, 
and would continue to make such efforts. In closing, he indicated that his delegation s tood ready 
to consult with the LDC Group on this issue.  
119.  The representative of Canada  said that any terms of reference for a Secretariat study 
needed to be objective and allow for a factual examination of DFQF market access for LDCs. She 
also emphasized th at the content of the proposed study should not duplicate information that was 
already available in existing reports by the Secretariat.  
120.  The representative of China  welcome d the submission under consideration. He said that 
China attache d great importance t o the implementation of DFQF market access for LDCs, and had 
been providing 97% DFQF access since 2015. However, he also emphasized that it was necessary 
to acknowledge essential differences in the responsibilities of developed and developing Members 
in this regard . Developing Members provide d DFQF market access on voluntary basis, and faced WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  more challenges in their economic development than developed Members. In this light, d eveloping 
Members’ commitments could  not be measured in the same way  as for develo ped Members. The 
principle of " common but differenti ated responsibilities"  needed to be fully observed in the clinical 
examination. Not doing so could also discourage those developing Members that were considering 
providing DFQF market access to LDCs.   
121.  The representative of India expressed support for the intervention by China. He recalled that 
the idea for a clinical examination of DFQF implementation had been proposed at the 96th Session . 
However, owing to a lack of consensus on  the parameters, the Secret ariat had not been able to 
proceed with the study.  He went on to say that, a ccording to the Hong  Kong DFQF  Decision, 
developed  Members were required  to provide DFQ F market access  to LDCs on at least  97% of 
tariff lines . In this context, he r eferred to the Secretariat report contained in document 
WT/COMTD/W/214 , and noted that three developed Members  were yet to implement the Decision. 
For developing Members, on the other hand, the provision of DFQF market access was voluntary. 
Developing Members were also permitted to phase in their commitments and enjoy appropriate 
flexibility in coverage. He informed the Committee that, i n 2008, India became the first developing 
Member  to announce a comprehensive scheme to provide DFQF ma rket access to LDCs. India’s 
DFTP Scheme now provided  duty-free market access on 9 6% of India’s tariff lines at 6 -digit level 
of the Harmonized System,  while an additional 2.2% of lines enjoyed  preferential duties. Only 
1.8% of the tariff l ines had  been retained in the exclusion list, with no duty concessions. In 
closing , he said that his delegation’s expectation was that the Secretariat study would  diagnose 
the critical challenges in DFQF implementation , and in particular  the reasons for inadequate 
implementation by a few developed Members , which had an obligation to provide DFQF market 
access to LDCs on at least 97 % of tariff lines. It was also hoped that the study would come up with 
options for implementing the Hong  Kong and Bali DFQF decisions , taking into consideration all 
relevant aspec ts and the interests of all stakeholders.  
122.  The representative of Benin  said that the LDC Group had taken note of the comments that 
had been made on the submission . He expressed the Group's willingness to discuss the matter 
further with the Members that had made comments , so that progress could be made . 
123.  The Chairman  noted that some questions and concerns had been raised, and it was 
therefore not possible for the Committee to agree to the terms of reference for the study at the 
present  meeting. He encouraged M embers to consult amongst themselves, and also indicated his 
willingness to work with Members to explore possible ways forward.  
124.  The Committee took note  of all interventions .  
J. OUTCOME DOCUMENT FRO M THE FIFTH MEETING OF TRADE MINISTERS O F 
LANDLOCKED DEVELOP ING COUNTRIES, HELD IN GENEVA ON 23 AND 24 JUNE 2016 
(WT/L/986) – STATEMENT BY PARAGUA Y ON BEHALF OF THE G ROUP OF LANDLOCKED 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
125.  The Chairman  said that  the Fifth Meeting of Trade Ministers of Landlocked Developing 
Countries (LLDCs) was hel d in Geneva on 23 and 24 June 2016 . The outcome document from the 
meeting ha d been circulated in document WT/L/986, at the request of Paraguay. He invited 
Paraguay to make a statement on behalf of the LLDC Group .   
126.  The representative of Paraguay, on behalf  of the LLDC Group , said that  the Fifth Meeting of 
Trade Ministers of LLDCs was co -organized by the WTO and the United Nations Office of the High 
Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small 
Island Developing States  (OHRLLS) . The outcome document was a Ministerial Declaration , 
circulated in document W T/L/986.  The Ministerial Declaration welcomed the recognition of the 
special needs of LLDCs in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa 
Action Agenda , and emphasized the importance of strong synergy in their implementation. It 
contained  a clear outline of the development objectives of LLDCs , in particular  to make full use of 
their trade potential in order to promote inclusive and sustainable e conomic growth and poverty 
reduction. It called for development objectives to be sufficiently met with coordinated policies in 
areas including investment, infrastructure, logistics, technology and the energy sector. Ministers 
encouraged concerted measures and actions required to support LLDCs’ efforts to reduce WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  commodity dependence, including through enhanced value addition and the diversification of their 
export base.   
127.  He went on to say  that the Declaration highlighted t he importance of a rapid and adequat e 
implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action  (VPoA)  for LLDCs for the Decade 2014-2024, 
especially regarding the specific objectives on international trade and trade facilitation . These 
included: increasing the value added and manufactured component of LLDC exports; strengthening 
of economic and financial ties between LLDCs and other countries in the same region so as to 
increase the share of LLDCs in intraregional trade; further simplifying, harmonizing and 
streamlining border crossing and transit pr ocedures , while improving transit facilities and their 
efficiency ; and ensuring that all transit regulations, formalities and procedures for traffic in transit 
were published and updated in accordance with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement  (TFA) . 
Minist ers also called for the rapid ratification and implementation of the TFA, which ha d important 
provisions concerning  transparent and efficient transit procedures.  
128.  Finally, he noted that Ministers had called for a specific  Work Programme for LLDCs  in the 
WTO. It was envisaged that s uch a Work Programme w ould address the special needs, challenges 
and vulnerabilities of LLDCs in order to increase their participation in the multilateral trading 
system. Key areas of work would include t rade facilitation, agricul ture, Aid for Trade, services  and 
accession.  The Work Program me would help the LLDCs to have a stronger and more coordinated 
voice in the WTO , particularly on issues which contribute d to reduc ing trade  transaction costs . It 
would  be a useful platform to an alyze the challenges that LLDCs face d in their integration into 
global and regional value cha ins. In closing, he clarified that the Work Programme would not seek 
to create  a new category of membership. A concept note and a draft proposal w ould be presented  
to Members in due course, so as  to have the Work Programme as one of the deliverables for the 
Eleventh Ministerial Conference ( MC11 ). 
129.  The representative of the United States  said that his delegation had some concerns about 
developing a specific  Work Programme for LLDCs  in the WTO . He noted  that the Ministerial 
Declaration highlight ed the importance of much of the work that was already underway, such as 
the ratification and implementation of the TFA , and the study of issues related to trade in specific 
sectors, which was taking place in the CTD's Dedicated Session on Small Economies.    
130.  The representative of the European Union  said that her delegation s upport ed the VPoA, and 
particularly welcome d the focus on international trade and trade facilitation as one of the priorities, 
since this was a key issue for LLDCs. The EU believed that the VPoA adequately cover ed the 
LLDCs' needs , and therefore did  not see the need for a specific Work Programme for LLDCs in the 
WTO. She added  that the EU's trade and development  policy prioriti zed LDCs, which were the most 
vulnerable Members. These benefits were enjoyed by the LLDCs that were also LDCs. She also 
noted  that the EU was a leading provider of Aid for Trade to LDCs. In closing, she indicated that 
her delegation was r eady to discuss LLDCs' needs on a bilateral basis .  
131.  The representative of Rwanda  support ed the intervention by Paraguay. He said that the 
LLDC Ministers' meeting had recognized the constraints faced  by all LLDCs, which included 
geographical location  and tra nsit issues . He also noted that LLDCs shared common development 
aspirations,  including through structural transformation. He expressed particular appreciation for 
the participation of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in the 
Ministerial meeting.    
132.  The Committee took note  of the outcome document from the Fifth Meeting of Trade 
Ministers of LLDCs, and of the  interventions.  
K. OTHER BUSINESS  
133.  The representative of Japan  said that  he wished to inform Members of a proposal on 
e-commerce which would be submit ted shortly  to the General Council. The purpose of the proposal 
was to reinvigorate discussions under the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce. Noting  that 
e-commerce had become a powerful engine of global economic growth , he commende d the MIKTA 
countries - Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia – for the recent e -commerce workshop  
they had organized . He believed that Members needed to  start discussions on e -commerce from a 
broad perspective, aiming to identify what the WTO sho uld do to best address the issue. It was WT/COMTD/M/9 9 
 
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  important to not limit discussions to traditional issues , but to also includ e new topics surrounding 
e-commerce. The proposal that would be circulated outlined a possible  course of action  in this 
regard. In closing,  he emphasize d the importance of the development aspect s of e-commerce , and 
the relevance of the C TD under the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce.  
134.  The Chairman  said that  the 100th Session of the CTD would be held in November 2016, and 
that he wished to  mark this milestone through the organization of a special half-day 
commemorative event . He believed that it would be useful if a number of WTO Ambassadors could 
be invited to this commemorative event, to share their views on trade and development. 
Additio nal panellists could also be invited, including representatives from other international 
organizations. The intention was to hold the commemorative event back-to-back with  the CTD's 
100th Session. He indicated that the details of the event remain ed to be s ettled . Interested 
delegations wishing to discuss elements of the programme for the event  were invited to contact 
him. 
135.  The representative of the United States  expressed appreciat ion and support  for the idea to 
hold an event to commemorate the CTD's 100th Session. He suggested inviting a range of 
speakers, including from the private sector , as he believed this would contribute to making the 
event as useful as possible . 
136.  The representative of the European Union  expressed her delegation's appreciation for the 
Chairman's initiative . The EU stood ready to participate in , and contribute to , the commemoration 
of the CTD's 100th Session.   
137.  The meeting was adjourned . 
 
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