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WT/COMTD/MMSDT/M/14  
 
14 July 2021 
(21-5573) Page:  1/2 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Fourteenth Dedicated Session on the Monitoring 
Mechanism on Special and Differential Treatment    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 28 JUNE  2021 
Chairman: H.E. Dr Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha (Pakistan)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
B. MONITORING OF SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL PROVISIONS  ................................  1 
- Statement by the Chairman  ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
C. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 2 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA   
1. The draft agenda as contained in Airgram  WTO/AIR/COMTD/MMSDT/12/Rev.1 of 
18 June 2021 was adopted . 
B. MONITORING OF SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL PROVISIONS  
- Statement by the Chairman  
2. The Chairman  said that, a t the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC9) held in Bali in 
December 2013, Ministers  decided to establish the Monitoring Mechanism ( MM) on Special and 
Differential Treatment ( S&D). The Decision  establishing the MM was  contained in document 
WT/MIN(13)/45 – WT/L/920.  According to the Decision, the MM was to act as a focal point within 
the WTO to analyse and review the implementation of S&D provisions. The Mechanism was to review 
all aspects of implementation of S&D provisions with a view to facilitating the integration of 
developing and least developed Members into the multilateral trading system (MTS). The Mechanism 
operated in Dedicated Sessions of the Committee on Trade and Development ( CTD). The present 
meeting was the 14th Dedicated Session on the MM, and it appeared that the situation remained 
unchanged from the last meeting, which was held in November 2020. For one thing, the monitoring 
of special and differential provisions in the Mechanism was to be undertaken on the bas is of written 
inputs or submissions made by Members, as well as on the basis of reports from other WTO bodies 
to which submissions by Members could also be made. However, as Members were well aware, no 
written submissions had yet been made in the MM. Furth ermore, paragraph 12 of the Decision 
establishing the MM stated that "The Mechanism shall be reviewed three years after its first formal 
meeting, and thereafter as necessary, taking into account its functioning and evolving 
circumstances". This review had still not taken place. As had been highlighted by previous CTD 
Chairpersons, delegations had expressed different perspectives on the question of the review .  
3. He added that, since he had taken  over as CTD Chairman earlier in the  year, he had held a 
number o f informal consultations with Members in small groups regarding expectations for the 
Committee  in the current year. This was in line with what he had indicated to Members at the 
114th Regular Session of the CTD in March  2021.  While he would be saying more about these  informal 
consultations at the  115th Regular Session of the CTD that would be held later in the  day, he wished  
to mention at this stage that, during these consultations, several delegations had stressed the need 
to find a way to operationa lize the MM. It was certainly clear that the current situation was not 
desirable, and he therefore  wished to take this opportunity to urge Members to come to a common 
understanding on how to move forward with the MM. He also noted his intention to  work wit h 
Members in informal settings in order to explore what could be done to make the MM operational . WT/COMTD/MMSDT/M/14  
 
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  4. The representative of the United States  said that the MM  was established as a focal point 
within the WTO to analyse and review the implementation of S&D provi sions. Her delegation  
continue d to believe that the sort of analytical, fact -based approach envisioned in the Decision 
establishing the Mechanism h eld promise and could help drive more productive and specific 
discussions on the implementation of existing S&D  provisions, including the succe sses and 
challenges in utilizing them .  
5. The Chairman  said that he wished to once again urge Members to come to a common 
understanding on how to move forward with the MM.  He stood ready to work with Members in that 
regard.  
6. The Committee took note  of all int erventions.  
C. OTHER BUSINESS  
7. No matter was raised under "Other Business".  
8. The meeting was adjourned . 
 
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