WT/GC/W/675
8 November 2013
(13-6222)  Page: 1/17
General Council 
21 November 2013   
 
GENERAL COUNCIL 
DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT (2013)1  
 The present report has been prepared in pursuance of the Procedures for an Annual 
Overview of WTO Activities and for Reporting under the WTO (WT/L/105).  
 
 Since its previous annual report2, the General Council has held seven meetings, on 
29-31 January, 25 February, 14 May, 4 June, 24-25 July, 9 September and 9 October 2013.  The minutes of these meetings, which remain in the record of the General Council's work, are 
contained in documents WT/GC/M/142 – WT/GC/M/148. 
  The following subjects are included in the report: 
 
1   WORK UNDER THE DOHA WORK PROGRAMME ............................................................. 3
 
1.1   Trade Negotiations  Committee – Reports ...................................................................... 3  
1.2   Work Programme on Small Economies – Reports ............................................................ 3  
1.3   Aid for Trade - Report by the Director -General on the Fourth  Global Review ....................... 4  
1.4   WTO Work Programme for the Least-Deve loped Countries – Report by the Chairman 
of the Sub-Committ ee on LDCs ........................................................................................... 4  
2   WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE – REVIEW OF PROGRESS ................ 5  
3   REVIEW OF THE EXEMPTION PROVIDED UNDER PARAGRAPH 3 OF THE GATT 
1994 .......................................................................................................................... ...... 6  
4   COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, FINA NCE AND ADMINI STRATION ........................................ 6  
4.1   Reports and Recommendations .................................................................................... 6  
4.2   Management of the WTO Secretaria t 2005-2013  ............................................................ 6  
5   ACCESSION MATTERS .................................................................................................. 7  
5.1   Belarus ................................................................................................................. ... 7 
5.2   Uzbekistan .............................................................................................................. . 7 
5.3   Union of the Como ros ................................................................................................ 7  
5.4   Statement by the Dominican Republic on behalf of the Informal Group of Developing 
Countries ......................................................................................................................... 7  
6   WAIVERS ................................................................................................................... . 7 
6.1   Review of Waivers Pursuant to Article IX:4 of th e WTO Agreement ................................... 7  
7   IMPROVING THE GUIDELINES FOR GRANTING INTERGOVERNMENTAL 
ORGANIZATIONS PERMANENT OBSERVER STATUS IN THE WTO – STATEMENTS 
BY THE CHAIR ..................................................................................................................  8 
                                               
1 The final version of the report will also reflect any further meeting of the Genera l Council to be held in 
2013 and items will be renumbered as necessary.  
2 The annual report of the General Council for 2012 was circulated in WT/GC/151. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 2 - 
 
  8   DERESTRICTION OF SOME GATT 1947 HISTORICAL BILATERAL NEGOTIATING 
DOCUMENTATION – DR AFT DECISION ............................................................................. 9  
9   UKRAINE'S ARTICLE XXVIII NOTIFICA TION ............................................................... 9  
9.1   Statements by ASEAN; Australia; Brazil ; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Ecuador; 
Egypt; El Salvador; European Union also on behalf of Croatia; Guatemala; Hong Kong, 
China; Iceland; Japan; Republic of Korea; New Zealand; Norway; Paraguay; Switzerland; Turkey; the United St ates; and Ur uguay .............................................................................. 9
 
9.2   Statement by the European Union ................................................................................ 9  
10   NINTH SESSION OF THE MINISTERIAL CO NFERENCE ................................................ 9  
10.1   Election of Officers .................................................................................................. 10 
10.2   Attendance of Obse rvers from Go vernme nts ............................................................... 10 
10.3   Attendance of Observers from International Intergovernmental Organizations and 
Request from the League of Arab States .............................................................................. 10 
10.4   Attendance of Non-Go vernmental Or ganizati ons .......................................................... 11 
10.5   Request for Observer Status by Palestine to the Ninth Session of the Ministerial 
Conference .................................................................................................................... . 11 
10.6   Statement by  the Chairman ..................................................................................... 11 
10.7   Information Session on Logisti cs for MC9 – Statemen t by Indonesia ............................... 12 
11   PRESENTATION BY THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION – STATEMENT 
BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ...................................................................................... 12  
12   ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION – STATEMENT BY CROATIA ........................ 12  
13   ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  FOR MEMBERS IN ARREARS ..................................... 12  
14   WTO PENS ION PLAN ............................................................................................... 13  
14.1   Election of the Chairman and Members to the Management Board .................................. 13 
14.2   Annua l Repo rt ........................................................................................................ 13 
15   INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCT AD/WTO ..................................................... 13  
16   APPOINTMENT OF THE NE XT DIRECTOR-GENERAL .................................................. 13  
16.1   Statements by the Chairperson ................................................................................. 13 
16.2   Statemen t by India ................................................................................................. 14 
17   FAREWELL TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL.................................................................. 15  
18   APPOINTMENT OF OFFI CERS TO WTO BODIES ........................................................ 15  
19   ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON ................................................................................... 17  
20   STATEMENT BY THE DIRECTOR-G ENERAL, MR ROBE RTO AZEVÊDO ......................... 17  
 WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 3 - 
 
   
1  WORK UNDER THE DOHA WORK PROGRAMME 
1.1  Trade Negotiations Committee – Reports (WT/GC/M/143, WT/GC/M/145, 
WT/GC/M/146, WT/GC/M/148) 
1.1.  Ministers at Doha established a Trade Negotiations Committee under the authority of the 
General Council to supervise the overall conduct of the negotiations (WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1).  In 
accordance with the Principles and Practices endorsed by the Trade Negotiations Committee at its 
first meeting in 2002 (TN/C/M/1), the TNC reports to each regular meeting of the General Council. 
1.2.  At the General Council meetings in February, June, July, and October the Director-General, 
as Chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committ ee, reported on each occasion on the TNC's 
activities since his previous report to the General Council.3 
1.3.  At the February meeting, the representative s of Nepal (on behalf of the LDC Group); Mexico; 
Chile; Peru; Egypt; Indonesia; Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs); Hong Kong, China; Cuba; 
Ecuador; and, Turkey spoke.  The General Council took note of the Director-General's report and 
of the statements. 
1.4.  At the June meeting, the representatives of Dominican Republic (also on behalf of the 
Informal Group of Developing Countries); Jamaica (on behalf of the ACP Group); Trinidad and 
Tobago (also on behalf of CARICOM); Plurinational State of Bolivia; Chile; Honduras; and, El 
Salvador spoke.  The General Council took note of the Director-General's report and of the statements. 
1.5.  At the July meeting, the representatives of Dominican Republic (on behalf of the Informal 
Group of Developing Countries); Cuba; Barbados (also on behalf of the Group of Small, Vulnerable 
Economies); Côte d'Ivoire; Plurinational State of Bolivia; Oman; Ghana; Jamaica (on behalf of the ACP Group); and, Indonesia spoke. The General Counc il took note of the Director-General's report 
and of the statements. 
1.6.  At the October meeting, the representatives of Nepal (on behalf of the LDC Group); Kingdom 
of Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Asian Group of Developing Members); and, Jamaica (on behalf of 
the ACP Group) spoke. The General Council took note of the Director-General's report and of the 
statements. 
1.2  Work Programme on Small Economies – Reports (WT/GC/M/143, WT/GC/M/145, 
WT/GC/M/146, WT/GC/M/148) 
1.7.  In 2002, the General Council took note of a framework and procedures for the conduct of the 
Work Programme on Small Economies, which had been agreed by Ministers at Doha (WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1, paragraph 35), under which this Work Programme would be a standing item 
on the General Council's agenda and which also provided that the Committee on Trade and 
Development (CTD) would report regularly to the General Council on the progress of work in its Dedicated Sessions on this subject.  In December  2011, Ministers at MC8 adopted the Decision on 
the Work Programme on Small Economies (WT/L/844), which reaffirmed their commitment to the 
Work Programme and further instructed the CTD to continue its work in Dedicated Sessions under the overall responsibility of the General Council.  Ministers instructed the General Council, inter alia, to report on progress and action taken, together with any further recommendations as 
appropriate, to the following Sessi on of the Ministerial Conference. 
1.8.  At the General Council meeting in February, the Chairperson of the Dedicated Session of the 
CTD reported that the proponents of SVEs have been consulting on how to proceed further in the 
area of non-tariff measures (NTMs) on SVE exports. In this regard, the proponents continued their 
research on this matter and worked on a proposal to be presented to Members at a Dedicated Session of the CTD. 
                                               
3 The Director-General's statements were subseq uently circulated as JOB/GC/38, 53, 54, 58. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 4 - 
 
  1.9.  The representative of Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs) spoke.  The General Council took 
note of the report and of the statements. 
1.10.  At the June meeting, the Chairperson of th e Dedicated Session of the CTD reported that the 
proponents of SVEs and other Members discussed the proposal made by Barbados on behalf of 
other SVEs. The proposal suggested continuing the work on the identification and effects of NTMs 
on the exports of Small Economies; and, organi zing a workshop on NTMs and Small Economies. 
The SVE proponents and other Members were discussing  some of the points raised in the proposal 
and it was hoped that a way forward could be agreed to. Ministers at MC8 had also instructed the 
CTD to report to the General Council on progress and action taken on all areas of interest to SVEs. The SVEs and WTO Members would soon start work on such a report. 
1.11.  The representatives of Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs); Plurinational State of Bolivia; 
Cuba; Dominican Republic; Jamaica; El Salvador; Nicaragua; Saint Lucia; Trinidad and Tobago; 
and Ecuador spoke. The General Council took note of the report and of the statements. 
1.12.  At the July meeting, the Chairperson of the Dedicated Session of the CTD reported that 
Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs) had presented a revised proposal circulated as document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/27/Rev.1. The proposal contained re vised language in regard to further work by 
the Secretariat concerning a factual assessment of the NTMs faced by Small Economies. She 
reported that a way forward had been found with regard to continued work on the study as 
instructed by Ministers at MC8. She also informed the Members that Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs) had proposed language for a draft paragraph for consideration at MC9 on the future of the Work Programme on Small Economies. 
1.13.  The representatives of United States; Barbados (also on behalf of the SVEs); El Salvador; 
Cuba; Trinidad and Tobago; and Jamaica spoke. Th e General Council took note of the report and 
of the statements. 
1.14.  At the October meeting, the Chairperson of the Dedicated Session of the CTD reported that 
the proponents of Small Economies had been workin g with Members in informal sessions, the most 
recent being 30 September. As proposed in document WT/COMTD/SE/W/27/Rev.1, Members had 
agreed to hold a Workshop on the Effects of Non-Tariff Measures on the Exports of Small 
Economies. Members in the Dedicated Session had also begun their consultations concerning the proposed language for a draft paragraph for consideration by Ministers at MC9 on the future of the Work Programme on Small Economies. 
1.15.  The representative of Barbados (on behalf  of the SVEs) spoke. The General Council took 
note of the report and of the statements. 
1.3  Aid for Trade - Report by the Direct or-General on the Fourth Global Review 
(WT/GC/M/146) 
1.16.  At its meeting in July, the Director-General reported on the recently concluded 4th Global 
Review of Aid for Trade and outlined the next st eps. He pointed out that the event had succeeded 
in its intention to bring together the work streams of Aid for Trade, value chains, and the Made in 
the World Initiative and to examine the implications of a world built on trade in tasks from a trade and development perspective. He also noted that  over forty statements were made by Members 
and observers in the closing plenary session, setting  out the views on the future direction that the 
initiative should take. 
1.17.  The representatives of Pakistan; European Union; China; Guinea; Canada; Nepal (on behalf 
of the LDCs); United States; Australia; Japan; and,  Barbados spoke. The Ge neral Council took note 
of the report of the Director-General and of the statements. 
1.4  WTO Work Programme for the Least-Deve loped Countries – Report by the Chairman 
of the Sub-Committee on LDCs (WT/GC/M/146) 
1.18.  In paragraph 42 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Ministers agreed that the Sub-
Committee on Least-Developed Countries would submit an agreed work programme on LDCs to the General Council. This was submitted in February 2002 and contained in document WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 5 - 
 
  WT/COMTD/LDC/11. On 28 June, the Sub-Committee on LDCs adopted a revision to this work 
programme contained in document WT/COMTD/LDC/11/Rev.1. 
1.19.  At its meeting in July, the Chairman of  the Sub-Committee on LDCs reported that the 
revised Work Programme essentially contained some modifications to appropriately reflect 
developments relating to LDCs that had taken place since 2002. The Work Programme had 
maintained the Istanbul Programme of Action into the Committee's work so that the WTO could implement the trade-related elements of the Istanbul Programme of Action in a consistent way. 
1.20.  The representatives of Nepal (on behalf of  the LDCs); and, of the European Union spoke. 
The General Council took note of the revised Work Programme on Least-Developed Countries agreed by the Sub-Committee on LDCs (WT/COMTD/LDC/11/Rev.1) and of the statements. 
2  WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE – REVIEW OF PROGRESS 
(WT/GC/M/146) 
2.1.  In line with the Declaration on Global Electronic Commerce adopted by Ministers at the 
second session of the Ministerial Conference (WT/MIN(98)/DEC/2), the General Council, in 
September 1998, adopted a Work Programme on Electronic Commerce (WT/L/274).  In 
December 2011, Ministers at MC8 adopted a Decision on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce (WT/L/843), in which they decided to  continue the reinvigoration of the Work 
Programme, and instructed the General Council to  emphasize and reinvigorate the development 
dimension in the Work Programme, particularly through the CTD.  Ministers had also instructed the General Council to hold periodic reviews, in its sessions of July and December 2012 and July 2013, based on the reports submitted by the WTO bodies entrusted with the implementation of the Work 
Programme. 
2.2.  At the July General Council meeting, Depu ty Director-General Singh, who had been dealing 
with the Work Programme on behalf of the General Council Chairman and his predecessors since 
2005, said that since the last report to the General Council, there had been a number of positive 
developments on E-commerce, particularly in the CTD and the CTS. 
2.3.  The DDG reported that the Committee on  Trade and Development had discussed the Work 
Programme in E-commerce at its meetings in March, May, and July. The CTD had also conducted a 
Workshop and in relation to this, the Secretariat had prepared a background document circulated as document WT/COMTD/W/193. He also noted that the Committee on Trade in Services had discussed the Work Programme in E-Commerce at it s informal meeting in February 2013 and at its 
formal meetings in March and June 2013. The CTS had also organized a workshop on E-Commerce 
and the Chair's report was contained in document  S/C/41. There had been no activity under the 
Work Programme in the TRIPS Council. 
2 . 4 .   F i n a l l y ,  t h e  D D G  a l s o  r e p o r t e d  o n  a n  i n f o r m a l  c o n s u l t a t i o n  h e l d ,  o n  b e h a l f  o f  t h e  G e n e r a l  
Council Chair, on 24 June where he had given an overview of the work undertaken in the respective bodies charged with carrying out the E-commerce Work Programme.  
2.5.  The Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development reported that the workshop on "E-
Commerce, Development and SMEs" was a success. A Secretariat report which highlighted some of the key discussions and findings had been circul ated to Members in document WT/COMTD/W/198. 
She noted that one main outcome of the workshop was the interplay of E-commerce with customs 
clearance issues, Trade Facilitation and Aid for Trade. She further pointed out that the workshop 
increased awareness and tackled challenges faced by governments in developing and least-developed countries in relation to these matters. 
2.6.  The Chairman drew the Council's attention to the reports of the Chairs of the Council for 
Trade in Services and of the Goods Council, contained in documents S/C/41 and G/C/53, respectively. 
2.7.  The representatives of Cuba; India; Europe an Union; Mexico; and United States spoke. The 
General Council took note of the report by the De puty Director-General and by the Chairs of the 
subsidiary bodies, and of the statements. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 6 - 
 
  3  REVIEW OF THE EXEMPTION PROVIDED UNDER PARAGRAPH 3 OF THE GATT 1994 
(WT/GC/M/143) 
3.1.  Paragraph 3(a) of GATT 1994 provides an ex emption from Part II of GATT 1994 for measures 
under specific mandatory legislation – enacted by a Member before it became a Contracting Party 
to GATT 1947 – which prohibited the use, sale or lease of foreign-built or foreign-reconstructed 
vessels in commercial applications between points in national waters or waters of an exclusive economic zone. On 20 December 1994, the United States invoked the provisions of Paragraph 3(a) 
with respect to specific legislation that met the requirements of that paragraph. Paragraph 3(b) of 
GATT 1994 calls for a review of this exemption five years after the date of entry into force of the WTO Agreement – and thereafter every two years for as long as the exemption was in force – in order to examine whether the conditions which had created the need for the exemption still 
prevailed. The General Council last considered this matter at its meeting in November 2011 at 
which it had taken note that under the two-year cycle in Paragraph 3(b) of GATT 1994, the next 
review would be held in 2013.  
3.2.  At the February General Council Meeting, th e Chairperson drew attention again to the annual 
report circulated by the United States in document WT/L/880. For the purposes of the conduct of 
the review in 2013, she proposed that the Council proceed in a manner similar to that in 2011, 
which had been based on a procedure agreed by the General Council in December 2002. 
Therefore, the statements, questions and responses from all interested delegations together with 
the annual statistical report provided by the US  under Paragraph 3(c) of GATT 1994, would form 
the basis for the current year's review. This matter would be on the Agenda of subsequent General 
Council meetings in the course of 2013 as the Chair deemed appropriate, or at the request of any 
Member. The Council would consider this matter again at its last meeting, and the subsequent review would normally be held in 2015. She also noted that, as provided in paragraph 3(e) of 
GATT 1994, the exemption was without prejudice to solutions concerning specific aspects of the 
legislation covered by this exemption negotiated in sectoral agreements or in other fora.  
3.3.  The representatives of United States; European Union; Japan; Hong Kong, China; China; 
Norway; Australia; and, Republic of Korea spoke. The General Council took note of the statements 
and agreed to revert to this item at a future meeting. 
4  COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION 4.1  Reports and Recommendations (WT/GC/M/145, WT/GC/M/146) 
4.1.  At its meeting in June, the General Council considered reports by the Committee on Budget, 
Finance and Administration on its meeting in March (WT/BFA/136). 
4.2.  The General Council took note of the stat ements, approved the Budget Committee's specific 
recommendations in paragraphs 2.2, 3.2 and 4.2 of its report in document WT/BFA/136, and 
adopted the report. 
4.3.  At its meeting in July, the General Council considered reports by the Committee on Budget, 
Finance and Administration on its meetings in May (WT/BFA/137) and in July (WT/BFA/138). 4.4.  The representatives of Canada; and, El Salvador; and, the Chairman of the Committee on 
Budget, Finance, and Administration spoke. The General Council took note of the statements, 
approved the Budget Committee's specific recommendations in paragraphs 2.6 and 6.3 of its 
report in document WT/BFA/138, including the revised infrastructure contract in document 
WT/BFA/W/298, and adop ted the two reports. 
4.2  Management of the WTO Secretariat 2005-2013 (WT/GC/M/146) 
4.5.  At its meeting in July, the Director-G eneral introduced the document WT/BFA/W/305 
concerning the management of the WTO Secretariat from 2005-2013.  
4.6.  The representative of El Salvador spoke.  The General Council took note of the Director-
General's statement and the statement of El Salvador. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 7 - 
 
  5  ACCESSION MATTERS 
5.1  Belarus (WT/GC/M/143) 5.1.  At the February meeting of the General Council, the Chairperson informed Members that, 
following consultations with members of the Working Parties and the authorities of Belarus, and in 
keeping with usual WTO practice, it had been agreed that Ambassador Selim Kuneralp (Turkey) 
would serve as Chairperson of the Working Pa rty on the Accession of Belarus, replacing 
Ambassador Bozkurt Aran (Turkey). 
5.2.  The representative of Belarus spoke. The General Council took note of the statements. 
5.2  Uzbekistan (WT/GC/M/143) 5.3.  At the February meeting of the General Council, the Chairperson informed Members that, 
following consultations with members of the Working Parties and the authorities of Uzbekistan, and 
in keeping with usual WTO practice, it had been agreed that Ambassador Choi Seokyoung 
(Republic of Korea) would serve as Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Uzbekistan.  
5.4.  The General Council took note of the statement. 
5.3  Union of the Comoros (WT/GC/M/148) 5.5.  At the October meeting of the General Council, the Chairman informed Members that, 
following consultations with members of the Working Parties and the authorities of the Union of 
Comoros, and in keeping with usual WTO practice, it had been agreed that Ambassador Luis Enrique Chávez (Peru) would serve as Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of the 
Union of Comoros. 
5.6.  The General Council took note of the statement. 
5.4  Statement by the Dominican Republic on behalf of the Informal Group of Developing 
Countries (WT/GC/M/145) 
5.7.  At the June meeting, the Dominican Republic  (on behalf of the Informal Group of Developing 
Countries) said that all accession processes should follow the principles of S&D treatment for 
developing countries, non-reciprocity, and should be based only on technical, trade and economic 
considerations. 
5.8.  The representatives of Oman (on behalf  of the Arab Group), United States, Russian 
Federation, Colombia, Cuba, and Iran (as an observ er) spoke.  The General Council took note of 
the statements. 
6  WAIVERS 
6.1  Review of Waivers Pursuant to Articl e IX:4 of the WTO Agreement (WT/GC/M/146) 
6.1.  Under Article IX:4 of the WTO Agreement "[a]ny waiver granted for a period of more than 
one year shall be reviewed by the Ministerial Confer ence not later than one year after it is granted, 
and thereafter annually until the waiver terminates." 
6.2.  At its meeting in July, the General Council considered the following waivers for review under 
Article IX:4: 
i. LDCs - Article 70.9 of the TRIPS Agreement with respect to pharmaceutical products, 
granted on 8 July 2002 until 1 January 2016 (WT/L/478) 
 
ii. Preferential treatment for least-developed countries, granted on 27 May 2009 until 
30 June 2019 (WT/L/759) WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 8 - 
 
   
iii. European Union - Application of autonomous preferential treatment to Moldova, 
granted on 7 May 2008 until 31 December 2013 (WT/L/722, WT/L/882) 
 
iv. European Union - European Union preferences to Pakistan, granted on 
14 February 2012 until 31 December 2013 (WT/L/851, WT/L/883) 
 
v. United States - Former Territory of the Pacific Islands, granted on 27 July 2007 until 
31 December 2016 (WT/L/694, WT/L/887) 
 vi. United States – Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, granted on 27 May 2009 
until 31 December 2014 (WT/L/753, WT/L/888) 
 vii. United States – African Growth and Opportunity Act, granted on 27 May 2009 until 
30 September 2015 (WT/L/754, WT/L/889) 
 viii. United States – Andean Trade Preference Act, granted on 27 May 2009 until 
31 December 2014 (WT/L/755, WT/L/890) 
 6.3.  The Chairman reported that with regard to the waiver in sub-item (i) for LDCs under the TRIPS Agreement, the Chairman of the TRIPS Co uncil noted that the exceptional circumstances 
justifying the waiver would continue to exist for least developed country Members until its expiry 
date of 2016. The Chairman also said that annua l reports on the implementation of six of the 
waivers under review had been circulated in documents WT/L/882 and WT/L/883; and, WT/L/887, 
WT/L/888, WT/L/889, and WT/L/890. 
6.4.  The representatives of the Plurinational Stat e of Bolivia; Swaziland; Lesotho; Cuba; Trinidad 
and Tobago (on behalf of CARICOM Group); Haiti; Jamaica; Barbados; Kenya; and, Saint Lucia (on 
behalf of OECS) spoke. The General Council took note of the reports and of the statements and 
agreed it would revert to the review of multi-year waivers under Article IX.4 of the WTO Agreement at its last meeting of the year.  
7  IMPROVING THE GUIDELINES FO R GRANTING INTERGOVERNMENTAL 
ORGANIZATIONS PERMANENT OBSERVER STAT US IN THE WTO – STATEMENTS BY THE 
CHAIR (WT/GC/M/143, WT/GC/M/145, WT/GC/M/146, WT/GC/M/148) 
7.1.  In November 2011, the General Council agreed  that the Chair of the General Council start a 
process of consultations on improving the guidelines for granting observer status to 
Intergovernmental Organizations in the WTO, following a communication by the Arab Group entitled "Improving the Guidelines for Granting Observer Status to Intergovernmental 
Organizations in the WTO" (WT/GC/W/643), which was then supplemented by a further 
communication in document WT/GC/W/654. 
7.2.  At the February meeting, the Chairperson reported that since the Council's December 
meeting, she had continued her consultations on this matter. She was not able to report any 
change in the positions previously expressed. Sh e encouraged the delegations to continue their 
engagement in addressing this issue. 
7.3.  The representatives of Oman (on behalf of the Arab Group); Egypt; and, Turkey spoke. The 
General Council took note of the statements. 
7.4.  At the June meeting, the Chairman reported  that he had continued from his predecessor the 
consultations on this matter. He was not able to report any changes in the positions previously 
expressed. He intended to continue these consultations and report back to the General Council as 
appropriate.  
7.5.  The representative of Dominican Republic (on behalf of the Informal Group of Developing 
Countries) spoke. The General Council took note of the statements. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 9 - 
 
  7.6.  At the July meeting, the Chairman announced that he had continued the consultations on this 
matter and reported that there had been no change in the positions previously expressed. He said 
that he would continue these consultations and report back to the General Council as appropriate. 
7.7.  The representative of Egypt (on behalf of the Arab Group) spoke. The General Council took 
note of the statements. 
7.8.  At the October meeting, the Chairman re called that he had continued consultations with 
delegations including group coordinators. He reported that this remained a complex and sensitive 
matter and that more time would be required for delegations to give it due consideration and find 
a way forward.  
7.9.  The representative of Egypt (on behalf of the Arab Group) spoke. The General Council took 
note of the statements. 
8  DERESTRICTION OF SOME GATT 1947 HISTORICAL BILATERAL NEGOTIATING 
DOCUMENTATION – DRAFT DECISION (WT/GC/M/146) 
8.1.  At the General Council meeting in July, the Chairman drew the Council's attention to the 
Draft Decision on the Derestriction of some GATT 1947 Historical Bilateral Negotiating 
Documentation concerning the Dillon Round and some negotiating material of the earlier GATT Rounds contained in document G/MA/W/111/Rev.1. He said that the decision was forwarded to the 
General Council by the Committee on Market Access through the Council for Trade in Goods 
following its meeting on 11 July 2013. He proposed that the General Council adopt the draft. The General Council so agreed.   
9  UKRAINE'S ARTICLE XXVIII NOTIFICATION 
9.1  Statements by ASEAN; Australia; Brazil;  Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Ecuador; 
Egypt; El Salvador; European Union also on behalf of Croatia; Guatemala; Hong Kong, 
China; Iceland; Japan; Republic of Korea; New Zealand; Norway; Paraguay; Switzerland; 
Turkey; the United States; and Uruguay (WT/GC/M/143) 
9.1.  At the February General Council Meeting, the Chairperson drew attention to the 
communication in document WT/GC/152 and its Addenda 1 and 2, submitted by the European 
Union on behalf of a number of Members requesting that this item be put on the agenda. 
9.2.  The representatives of European Union (also on behalf of Croatia); Uruguay; United States; 
Switzerland; Canada; Egypt; Chile; Colombia; Iceland; Singapore (on behalf of ASEAN); Turkey; Hong Kong, China; Republic of Korea; Guatemala; Brazil; Japan; Paraguay; Mexico; China; 
Norway; Australia; New Zealand; El Salvador; Ecuador and, Ukraine spoke.  The General Council 
took note of the statements. 
9.2  Statement by the European Union (WT/GC/M/146) 
9.3.  At its meeting in July, the representative of  the European Union (also on behalf of Iceland) 
made a statement on this matter. 
9.4.  The representatives of Japan; Republic of  Korea; United States; Turkey; Mexico; Canada; 
Brazil; China; Chile; Colombia; Guatemala; Malaysia (on behalf of ASEAN); Hong Kong, China; 
Uruguay; Switzerland; New Zealand; Paraguay; Norway; Australia; and Ukraine spoke. The General Council took note of the statements. 
10  NINTH SESSION OF THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE  
10.1.  At the June meeting, the Chairman recalled that, at its December 2012 meeting, the 
General Council had agreed on the date and venue for the Ninth Session of the Ministerial 
Conference, which would take place in Bali, Indonesia, from 3 to 6 December 2013.  WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 10 - 
 
  10.1  Election of Officers (WT/GC/M/145 and WT/GC/M/146) 
10.2.  At the June meeting, the Chairman recalle d that the Rules of Procedure for the Ministerial 
Conference established that "During the course of each regular session a Chairperson and three 
Vice-Chairpersons shall be elected from among the Members. He proposed that the General 
Council elect the Trade Minister of the host Government – Indonesia – to chair the Conference. He 
also proposed to invite the representatives of the other three broad groupings – Latin America and 
the Caribbean, Africa and developed countries – to consult with their constituents so that the 
Council could revert to this matter at its July meeting, and agree on the full slate of officers for 
MC9 at that time. The General Council so agreed. 
10.3.  At the July meeting, following the procedure agreed upon on 4 June, the Chairman proposed 
that the General Council would agree to elect the following presiding Officers for MC9:  
Chairman:  H.E. Mr Gita Wirjawan, Minister of Trade of Indonesia 
Vice – Chairs: H.E. Mr François Kanimba, Minister of Trade and Industry of Rwanda 
    H.E. Mr Stephen Green, Minister of Trade and Investment of the UK 
 and, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru  
 
10.4.  He noted that due to some changes in th e Government of Peru, he would communicate the 
name of the third Vice-Chair in due course.4 
10.5.  The General Council so agreed. 10.2  Attendance of Observers from Governments (WT/GC/M/145) 10.6.  At the June General Council Meeting, the Chairman suggested that past practice be 
repeated – that was to invite the Governments with  Observer Status at MC8 to attend MC9. This 
concerned therefore the governments with regular observer status in the General Council – with the due adjustments related to the accessions since MC8 – plus the following six Governments 
which had previously been granted observer status only at Ministerial Conferences: Cook Islands, 
Eritrea, Niue, San Marino, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. He proposed that the General Council agree to follow the procedure he had outlined. The General Council so agreed. 
10.3  Attendance of Observers from Intern ational Intergovernmental Organizations and 
Request from the League of Arab States (WT/GC/M/145, WT/GC/M/146, WT/GC/M/148) 
10.7.  At the June General Council Meeting, the Chairman recalled that past practice up to MC7 
had been to invite those IGOs with observer stat us in previous Ministerial Conferences to attend 
the next one. He also recalled that for MC8, consensus on repeating past practice with respect to IGOs had not been reached, and that therefore no IGOs had been invited to attend MC8. From the 
consultations he had conducted, it was clear that more time was needed to consider this issue. He 
therefore proposed to continue his consultations in different configurations, including small groups, and that the General Council revert to this sub-item at its July meeting. In addition, he informed 
Members that a request to attend MC9 had been received from the League of Arab States on 
27 May. He had intended to include consideration of this request in his consultations, and he had proposed that the General Council revert to it at its meeting in July. The General Council took note of the statement. 
10.8.  At the July General Council Meeting, the Chairman reported that from the consultations he 
carried out, it had appeared that the request from the League of Arab States was not agreeable 
yet to some Members at that time, and there was no clarity on whether the past practice with 
regard to IGO Observers, a past practice since MC7, could be repeated. He proposed that he 
continue his consultations on these matters. The General Council took note of the statement. 
                                               
4In a communication dated 6 August 2013 (WT/GC /COM/8) the Chairman announced that he had 
received information from the Governme nt of Peru concerning the change in Minister. He confirmed that the 
presiding officer from Peru would be H.E. Ms Magali Si lva Velarde-Álvarez, Minister of Foreign Trade and 
Tourism.  WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 11 - 
 
  10.9.  At the October General Council Meeting, the Chairman reported on his continued 
consultations with delegations on repeating past practice for IGO Observers and said he could 
begin to see some possible avenues that could be explored to find a way forward. In relation to the request from the League of Arab States, he said that his consultations continued to indicate that 
this was not agreeable to some Members at that time and that more consultations would be 
necessary. 
10.10.  The General Council took note of the statements.
5 
10.4  Attendance of Non-Governme ntal Organizations (WT/GC/M/145) 
10.11.  At the June meeting, the Chairman recalle d that for all previous Ministerial Conferences, 
attendance of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) had been governed by a procedure which 
had been agreed by the General Council in July 1996. He proposed to follow the procedure, with a 
deadline for registration fixed at 13 October 2013. Once the registration procedure was finalized, 
the Secretariat would circulate the list of registered NGOs to all Members. This procedure was as follows: 
(i) a limited number of accredited NGO representatives were allowed to attend only the 
Plenary Sessions of the Conference, without the right to speak; 
(ii) applications from NGOs to be registered were accepted on the basis of Article V, 
paragraph 2 of the WTO Agreement, i.e. NG Os "concerned with matters related to 
those of the WTO"; and 
(iii) a deadline was established for the registration of NGOs that wished to attend the 
Conference. 
 
10.12.  The General Council so agreed. 
10.5  Request for Observer Status by Palest ine to the Ninth Session of the Ministerial 
Conference (WT/GC/M/145, WT/GC/M/146, WT/GC/M/148) 
10.13.  At the June meeting, the Chairman drew attention to the request for Observer status at 
MC9 that had been received from Palestine in do cument WT/L/884. In accordance with customary 
practice, he would undertake consultations on this re quest and intended to revert to it at its next 
meeting. 
10.14.  The representative of the Dominican Re public (on behalf of the Informal Group of 
Developing Countries) spoke. The General Council took note of the statements. 
10.15.  At the July meeting, the Chairman said th at, based on his consultations, he assessed that 
some Members needed more time for their respective capitals to give due consideration to 
Palestine's request. He proposed to revert to th is matter at the next meeting. The General Council 
took note of the statement. 
10.16.  At the October meeting, the Chairman propos ed that, on the basis of his consultations, the 
General Council agree to grant Palestine Observer Status for MC9 on an ad hoc basis. The General 
Council took note of the statements6 and so agreed. 
10.6  Statement by the Chairman (WT/GC/M/146, WT/GC/M/148) 10.17.  At the July meeting, the Chairman report ed on the meeting held with the Chairs of the 
General Council's subsidiary bodies as part of th e preparatory process for MC9. He said that the 
meeting had focused on the progress of work in thes e bodies, in particular with respect to follow-
up to MC8. He recalled that Ministers at MC8 ha d provided specific mandates for work under the 
General Council's purview in seven stand-alone decisions. In addition, Ministers had agreed on 
work in WTO regular bodies in a number of areas, such as the focused work on trade and 
                                               
5 Including the statements by Egypt (on behalf of th e Arab Group) and the European Union referred to 
in para. 10.21.  
6 Including the statement by Egypt (on behalf of the Arab Group) referred to in para. 10.21. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 12 - 
 
  development in CTD. He noted that the Chairs were able to report that work was on track in these 
areas, and that positive results had already been achieved in some areas.  
10.18.  The representatives of European Union; Egypt (on behalf of the Arab Group); and, 
Indonesia spoke. The General Council took note of the statements. 
10.19.  At the October meeting, the Chairman info rmed the General Council of the meeting he had 
held with the Chairs of the General Council subsidiary bodies as part of the preparatory process for 
MC9. He had sought an update on their work in follow-up to MC8 mandates and preparations for 
MC9, in particular with respect to any agreed points for action or recommendations for Ministers in 
their Annual Reports. He said that the Chairs of  the General Council subsidiary bodies had been 
able to report that work was fully on track in all areas. 
10.20.  The representatives of Egypt (on behalf of the Arab Group)7 and of the European Union8 
spoke. The General Council took note of the statements. 
10.7  Information Session on Logistic s for MC9 – Statement by Indonesia 
(WT/GC/M/145) 
10.21.  At the June General Council Meeting, the representative of Indonesia informed Members 
that as part of the logistical preparation for MC9,  the Indonesian Task Force (ITF) in co-operation 
with the WTO Secretariat Task Force (WTO-TF) would hold activities in the WTO building.  
10.22.  The General Council took note of the statement. 
11  PRESENTATION BY THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION – STATEMENT BY THE 
RUSSIAN FEDERATION (WT/GC/M/143) 
11.1.  At the February meeting, the representative  of the Russian Federation invited Members to a 
presentation by Mr Andrey Slepnev, Minister for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission, 
focused on the work of the supranational regula tory bodies of the Customs Union of Russia, 
Belarus and Kazakhstan. The General Council took note of the statement. 
12  ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION – STATEMENT BY CROATIA (WT/GC/M/145) 
12.1.  At the June meeting of the General Council, the representative of Croatia announced that at 
the next General Council meeting, Croatia would be participating as a member of the European 
Union and would continue to promote and strengthen the various areas of work of the WTO. 
12.2.  The representative of the European Unio n spoke. The General Council took note of the 
statements. 
13  ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES FOR MEMBERS IN ARREARS (WT/GC/M/143, 
WT/GC/M/145, WT/GC/M/146, WT/GC/M/148) 
13.1.  In October 2012, the General Council approved a recommendation from the Committee on 
Budget, Finance and Administration regarding revised Administrative Measures for Members in 
arrears, as contained in WT/BFA/132, Annex I. Th ese new revised Measures entered into force on 
1 January 2013. These Measures required that at the end of each meeting of the General Council, 
the Chairman of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration should provide information 
with regard to which Members and Observers were under Administrative Measures; and, the 
General Council Chairperson would request Members and Observers in Categories II and III to inform the Secretariat as to when the payment of arrears might be expected. 
13.2.  At the General Council meetings in February, June, July, and October, the Chairman of the 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration provided information with regard to which 
Members were under Administrative Measures. The General Council took note of the statements. 
                                               
7 The statement by Egypt addresse d points 10.3 and 10.5, above. 
8 The statement by the European Union addressed poin t 10.3 above and the matter of participation of 
Parliamentarians at MC9. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 13 - 
 
  14  WTO PENSION PLAN 
14.1  Election of the Chairman and Member s to the Management Board (WT/GC/M/145, 
WT/GC/M/146) 
14.1.  Article 4(a) of the Regulations of the WTO Pension Plan provides, inter alia , for the election 
by the General Council of a Chairperson, four members and four alternates to the Management 
Board of the Pension Plan, each for a three-year term. 
14.2.  At the June General Council Meeting, the Chairman indicated in a communication circulated 
to delegations in document WT/GC/W/668 and Corr.1, that two members, previously elected to 
the Management Board by the General Council, were no longer available to serve on the Board; and, that it was necessary for the General Council to decide on their replacement. Accordingly, the 
Chairman proposed that the General Council elect Ms Aiko Kimura (Japan) and Mr Felipe Sandoval 
(Chile) to serve as members on the Board for the remainder of the term, i.e. until May 2014. The 
General Council so agreed. 
14.3.  At the July General Council Meeting, th e Chairman, in a communication circulated in 
document WT/GC/W/670, indicated that the Chairman to the Management Board was no longer 
available to serve on the Board. He proposed  that the General Council elect Mr Krzysztof 
Trepczy ński (Poland) to serve as Chairman of the Board for the remainder of the its term, i.e. until 
May 2014. The General Council so agreed. 
14.2  Annual Report (WT/GC/M/146) 14.4.  At the July General Council Meeting, th e Chairman of the Management Board of the WTO 
Pension Plan introduced the Annual Report of  the Management Board for 2012 contained in 
WT/L/886. 
14.5.  The General Council took note of the Annual Report and of the statements. 15  INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO (WT/GC/M/148) 
15.1.  At its October meeting, the General Council considered a report of the Joint Advisory Group 
of the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO on its Forty-seventh Session 
(ITC/AG/(XLVII)/251). The Chair recalled that, in keeping with customary practice, this report had 
been considered initially by the Committee on Trade and Development at its meeting on 17 July, 
where it had been presented by the Chairperso n of the JAG, Ambassador Karen Pierce (United 
States). The Chairman read a statement on behalf of the Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development on the Committee's consideration of the report. 
15.2.  The General Council took note of the statement and adopted the report of the Joint Advisory 
Group. 
16  APPOINTMENT OF THE NEXT DIRECTOR-GENERAL 
16.1  Statements by the Chairperson (WT/GC/M/142, WT/GC/M/144) 
16.1.  In October 2012, the Chairperson informed Members in a communication that in accordance 
with the Procedures for the Appointment of Dire ctors-General adopted by the General Council in 
December 2002 (WT/L/509), the process for appo intment of the next Director-General would 
begin on 1 December 2012. Members would have until 31 December 2012 to nominate candidates who would have until 31 March 2013 to make themselves known to Members and to engage in discussions on the pertinent issues facing the Organization.  As early as possible after the close of 
the one-month nomination period, candidates were to be invited to meet with Members at a formal 
General Council meeting at which they would be invited to make a brief presentation, including their vision for the WTO, to be followed by a question-and-answer period.  In keeping with the 
Procedures, a decision on the appointment of a new Director-General would have to be taken not 
later than 31 May 2013. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 14 - 
 
  16.2.  At the General Council meeting on 29-31 January, pursuant to paragraph 14 of the 
Procedures in WT/L/509, Members met formally with each of the nine candidates nominated for 
the post of the next Director-General, on the ba sis of modalities for the conduct of the meeting 
communicated in a fax to all delegations on 15 January, circulated to all Members on 18 January in 
document JOB/GC/28 and recalled by the Chai rperson at the beginning of the meeting. 
16.3.  At the 14 May meeting, the Chairman recalled that, in keeping with the Procedures for the 
Appointment of Directors-General adopted in December 2002 (WT/L/509), the process for the 
appointment of the next Director-General had st arted in October 2012 when delegations had been 
provided with information on the nomination phas e of the process. Following the close of the one-
month nomination period on 31 December, the nine candidates nominated by their Governments had been invited to meet with Members at a formal General Council meeting held on 
29-31 January 2013. In line with the procedures, the Candidates also had a three-month period, 
i.e. until 31 March, to make themselves known to Members and to engage in discussions on the 
pertinent issues facing the Organization. Before the beginning of the consultation process he, 
together with his colleagues in this exercise – Mr Jonathan Fried (Canada), Chair of the Dispute 
Settlement Body, and Mr Joakim Reiter (Sweden), Ch air of the Trade Policy Review Body, acting as 
Facilitators – had convened informal meetings of Heads of Delegation on 13 March and 19 March, 
respecting the principles of transparency, inclusiveness and full participation. The statement he 
had made at the meeting on 19 March could be found in document JOB/GC/39. In accordance with the process outlined on 19 March and the 2002 Procedures, three rounds of consultations had been conducted by the Facilitators and himself, starting on 2 April. In accordance with the process 
outlined on 19 March and with the 2002 Procedures, he and his colleagues had reported back to 
the Membership at Heads of Delegation meetings  at each successive stage of the consultation 
process. His statements at each of these three in formal HODs meetings – on 12 April, 26 April and 
8 May – had been circulated to all Members in documents JOB/GC/40, 45 and 50, respectively. 
Pursuant to paragraph 19 of the 2002 Procedures, he had announced to Members at an informal HODs meeting on 8 May the recommendation of the Facilitators and himself that at the Council 
meeting, Members appoint Mr Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo as the next Director-General of the 
WTO following the expiry of Mr Pascal Lamy's te rm of office on 31 August 2013. He accordingly 
recommended formally that the General Council agree to appoint Mr Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo as the next Director-General of the WTO for a period of four years as from 1 September 2013. 
16.4.  The General Council so agreed. 
16.5.  The Director-General, the Director-General  designate, and the representatives of Morocco 
(on behalf of the African Group); Nepal (on behalf of the LDC Group); Dominican Republic (on 
behalf of the Informal Group of Developing Co untries); Chinese Taipei (on behalf of the RAMs); 
Chile (on behalf of GRULAC); Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Asian Group of Developing Members); Jamaica (on behalf of the ACP Group); Trinidad and Tobago (on behalf of CARICOM); 
Oman (on behalf of the Arab Group); Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs); Brunei Darussalam (on 
behalf of ASEAN); Burkina Faso (on behalf of the C-4); Republic of Korea; Kenya; Ghana; Jordan; Canada; Russian Federation; Togo (on behalf of the Ambassadors of UEMOA); United States; Argentina; Turkey; European Union (also on behalf of Croatia); Qatar; Mozambique; Uruguay; 
China; Plurinational State of Bolivia; Japan; South Africa; Guatemala; Hong Kong; China; Egypt; 
El Salvador; Cuba; Honduras; Angola; Bangladesh; Gabon; India; Solomon Islands; Peru; Lesotho; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Namibia; Swaziland; Nicaragua; Bahrain (on behalf of 
the Gulf Co-operation Council); Ecuador; Papua New Guinea; Pakistan; Rwanda; Ethiopia (as an 
Observer); and, Iran (as an Observer) spoke. Th e General Council took note of the statements. 
16.2  Statement by India (WT/GC/M/143) 
16.6.  At the February meeting, the representative  of India raised the issue of the process to be 
followed for the selection of the new Director-General.  
16.7.  The Chairperson and the representative of Nigeria spoke. The General Council took note of 
the statements. WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 15 - 
 
  17  FAREWELL TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL (WT/GC/M/146) 
17.1.  At the July meeting, the Chairman said that this was the last meeting of the General Council 
at which the current Director-General, Mr Pascal Lamy, was present with in that capacity. The 
Chairman made a farewell statement to the Director-General.  
17.2.  The Director-General, Mr Pascal Lamy, made a farewell statement to the General Council. 
His statement was circulated as JOB/GC/55. 
17.3.  The representatives of Brazil; Japan; Moro cco (on behalf of the African Group); Singapore 
(on behalf of ASEAN); Egypt (on behalf of the Ar ab Group); Nepal (on behalf of the LDC Group); 
Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs); Peru (on behalf  of GRULAC); Dominican Republic (on behalf of 
the IGDC); Australia; Jamaica (on behalf of the ACP); Trinidad and Tobago (on behalf of CARICOM); European Union; Nigeria; Chinese Taipei; Mexico; Sri Lanka; Turkey; Canada; 
Switzerland; India; Rwanda; United States; Guinea; Cote d'Ivoire; Hong Kong, China; Norway; 
Uruguay; China; Angola; New Zealand; Argentina; Colombia; Bangladesh; Dominica (on behalf of the OECS); Korea; Chile; Oman; Kyrgyz Republic; Indonesia; Democratic Republic of Congo; 
Solomon Islands; Russian Federation; Costa Rica; Swaziland; Central African Republic; Thailand; 
Israel; Kenya; Benin; Zambia; Yemen (as an Observer); and Ethiopia (as an Observer) spoke. The General Council took note of the statements. 
18  APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS TO WTO BODIES (WT/GC/M/143, WT/GC/M/145, 
WT/GC/M/146, WT/GC/M/148) 
18.1.  At the February meeting, the Chairperson recalled that, in accordance with the Guidelines 
for Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies approved by the General Council in December 2002 
(WT/L/510), she and her colleagues – Ambassador Bashir (Pakistan), the Chair of the Dispute 
Settlement Body, Ambassador Agah (Nigeria) and Am bassdor Matus (Chile), former Chairs of the 
General Council – had conducted consultations with delegations on a slate of names for the 
appointment of Chairs to the bodies listed in Grou ps 1, 2, 4 and 5 in the Annex to the Guidelines. 
In undertaking the process set out in the Guidelines, she had put into effect the practical steps to improve their implementation in line with her st atement to the General Council in July 2012, which 
had been issued in JOB/GC/22. In line with the pr actical steps, they had started the process early, 
with a meeting in December with Group coordinators, and, since then, had consulted delegations both individually and in groups. They had also been in touch separately with various delegations and the Group coordinators. She recalled that this  process had included an informal open-ended 
Heads-of-Delegation meeting which had been held on 18 February. 
18.2.  On the basis of consultations, there wa s a consensus on the following slate of names: 
General Council 
 H.E. Mr Shahid BASHIR (Pakistan) 
Dispute Settlement Body 
 H.E. Mr Jonathan FRIED (Canada) 
Trade Policy Review Body 
 H.E. Mr Joakim REITER (Sweden) 
Council for Trade in Goods 
 H.E. Mr Moncef BAATI (Tunisia) 
Council for Trade in Services 
 H.E. Dr Abdolazeez AL-OTAIBI  
(Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) 
Council for TRIPS 
 H.E. Mr Alfredo SUESCUM (Panama) 
Committee on Trade and 
  Development H.E. Mrs Marion WILLIAMS (Barbados) 
Committee on Balance-of- 
  Payments Restrictions H.E. Ms Päivi KAIRAMO (Finland) WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 16 - 
 
  Committee on Budget, Finance  
  and Administration Mr Michael STONE (Hong Kong, China) 
Committee on Trade and  
  Environment H.E. Mr Esteban CONEJOS (Philippines) 
Committee on Regional Trade  
  Agreements H.E. Mr Francisco LIMA MENA (El Salvador) 
Working Group on Trade, Debt and  
  Finance H.E. Mr Faizel ISMAIL (South Africa) 
Working Group on Trade and  
  Transfer of Technology H.E. Mrs Wafaa BASSIM (Egypt) 
 
18.3.  In keeping with the general rule in the Gu idelines, appointments for these bodies would be 
for one year. These appointments would be made formally by the WTO bodies concerned at their 
subsequent meetings in 2013. 
18.4.  The General Council took note of the stat ement and of the consensus on the slate of names 
for the appointment of officers. 
18.5.  The Chairperson also recalled that, in line with the Procedures for the Appointment of 
Directors-General in WT/L/509, the Chair of th e General Council would conduct the process of 
appointment of the next Director-General, assist ed by the Chairs of the DSB and the TPRB who 
would act as facilitators. 
18.6.  In keeping with Paragraph 7.3 of the Guidel ines for Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies 
– the outgoing Chairpersons of the Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) and the Council for Trade in 
Services (CTS) were to conduct consultations to select Chairpersons for the bodies established under their respective Councils. In relation to this, both Chairpersons announced that they would be starting consultations for the appointment of Chairpersons of the subsidiary bodies of the 
Council for Trade in Goods and Trade in Services. 
18.7.  The General Council took note of the statements. 18.8.  At the June meeting, the Chairman report ed that Ambassador Baati (Tunisia), Chairman of 
the Council for Trade in Goods, had been recalled to capital to take up another appointment and 
was therefore no longer able to serve as Chairman  of the Council for Trade in Goods. Accordingly, 
he would be starting consultations regarding the appointment of a successor to Ambassador Baati. 
In accordance with Paragraph 7.1(b) of the Gu idelines for the Appointment of Officers in 
WT/L/510, he would be conducting these consultations with the assistance of Ambassador Fried (Canada), Chairman of the Dispute Settlement Body, and the former Chairs of the General Council. In line with the practical steps to improve the implementation of the Guidelines, contained in 
JOB/GC/22, he and his colleagues would be meet ing group coordinators, and would subsequently 
invite interested delegations to come forward to consult with them. 
18.9.  The General Council took note of the statement. 
18.10.  At the July meeting, the Chairman announced that the consultations conducted had shown 
a consensus among Members on the appointment of  Ambassador Dacio Castillo (Honduras) as 
Chairman of the Council for Trade in Goods.  Ambassador Castillo would be elected as Chairman at 
the next formal meeting of the Goods Council. 
18.11.  The General Council took note of the statement. 18.12.  At the October meeting, the Chairman reported that Ambassador Agah, Chairman of the 
Special Session of the TRIPS Council, had informed him that he would be relinquishing his post as 
Chairman at the end of September, in light of the fact that he had joined the Secretariat as 
Deputy-Director General on 1 October. Accordingly, he would be starting consultations regarding the appointment of a successor to Ambassador Agah. In accordance with Paragraph 7.1(b) of the WT/GC/W/675 
 
- 17 - 
 
  Guidelines for the Appointment of Officers in WT/L/510, he would be conducting these 
consultations with the assistance of Ambassador Fried (Canada), Chairman of the Dispute Settlement Body, and Ambassador Matus, former Chair of the General Council. In line with the practical steps to improve the implementation of the Guidelines, contained in JOB/GC/22, he and 
his colleagues would be meeting group coordinato rs, and would subsequently invite interested 
delegations to come forward to consult with them. 
18.13.  The General Council took note of the statement. 
19  ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON (WT/GC/M/143) 
19.1.  At the February Council meeting, the Chair, as the outgoing presiding officer of the General 
Council, made a statement. The General Council then unanimously elected H.E. Mr Shahid Bashir 
(Pakistan) to the Chair. 
19.2.  The Director-General, the newly-elected Ch air, and the representatives of Paraguay (on 
behalf of GRULAC); Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Asian Group of Developing Members); United States; European Union; Morocco (on behalf of the African Group); Nepal (on 
behalf of the LDC Group); Brunei Darussalam (on be half of ASEAN); Barbados (on behalf of the 
SVEs); Japan; Oman (on behalf of the Arab Group); El Salvador; Guatemala; Hong Kong; China; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Republic of Korea; Mexico; Peru; Russian Federation; and, Singapore 
spoke.  The General Council took note of the statements. 
20  STATEMENT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL, MR ROBERTO AZEVÊDO (WT/GC/M/147) 20.1.  At the 9 September meeting, the Chairman welcomed the new Director-General Mr Roberto 
Azevêdo to the first meeting of the General Council after his assumption of office on 1 September. 
The Chairman noted that he had enjoyed the supp ort of all Members of the WTO and was elected 
with consensus.  
20.2.  The Director-General, Mr Roberto Azevêdo, made a statement to the General Council.  His 
statement was circulated as JOB/GC/56. 
20.3.  The representatives of Brazil; Dominican Republic (on behalf of the Informal Group of 
Developing Countries); Morocco (on behalf of the African Group); Peru (on behalf of GRULAC); 
Nepal (on behalf of the LDC Group); Japan; Kingdo m of Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Asian Group 
of Developing Members); Brunei Darussalam (on behalf of ASEAN); Indonesia (on behalf of G-33); Mozambique (on behalf of CPLP); Jamaica (on be half of ACP); Barbados (on behalf of SVEs); 
Chinese Taipei (on behalf of the RAMS Group); Egyp t (also on behalf of the Arab Group); Ukraine; 
Cuba; Zimbabwe (on behalf of the SADC Group); Russian Federation; Togo (on behalf of UEMOA); 
Australia (on behalf of the CAIRNS Group); Montenegro; China; Mexico; United States; Argentina; New Zealand; Kenya; Oman; Republic of Korea; In dia; Switzerland; European Union; Mauritius; 
Chile; Bolivia; Canada; Norway; Bangladesh; Sri Lanka; Ghana; Ecuador; Guinea; Costa Rica; 
Rwanda; Colombia; Côte d'Ivoire; Uganda; Uruguay; Guatemala; Pakistan; Cameroon; Venezuela; United Kingdom; Algeria (as an Observer); Seychelles (as an Observer); Yemen (as an Observer); 
Bahamas (as an Observer); and, Kazakhstan (as an Observer) spoke. The General Council took 
note of the statements. 
__________