JOB/GC/352  
 
25 July 2023  
(23-5052) Page: 1/3 
General Council    
 
AGENDA ITEM 3.D: MC12 - PARAGRAPH 24 OF THE MINISTERIAL DECLARATION  
ON THE WTO RESPONSE TO THE COVID -19 PANDEMIC AND PREPAREDNESS  
FOR FUTURE PANDEMICS – STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRPERSON  
MONDAY, 24 JULY 2023  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  In line with Paragraphs 23 and 24 of the MC12 Declaration on the WTO Response to the 
COVID -19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics1, a stocktaking exercise of the work of 
WTO bodies listed in the declaration is to be undertaken yearly at the General Council until the end 
of 2024, based on the reports of these bodies. Since MC12, work has continued in relevant Bodies. 
Let me provide an overview of this work for this first stock -taking exercise.  
2  GENERAL COUNCIL  
2.1.  In the General Council, my predecessor in Chair  – Ambassador Didier Chambovey (Switzerland) 
and I , have provided updates2 to Members on pandemic response and preparedness work from 
various WTO Councils and Committees during the General Council meetings in December 2022, 
March and May 2023. During this pe riod, communications from the African Group3 and India4 were 
presented and discussed . 
3  COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS AND ITS SUBSIDIARY BODIES  
3.1.  The Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) has also been discussing pandemic response and 
preparedness since last year, a s part of its MC12 implementation matters. On 25 October 2022, the 
CTG Chair requested the 14 Chairpersons of the CTG's subsidiary bodies to prepare reports5, under 
their own responsibility and with the assistance of the Secretariat, on the WTO response t o the 
Pandemic.  In addition to their respective reports:  
a. The Committee on Market Access conducted its  sixth experience -sharing session6 on 
COVID -19 related goods focusing on LDCs on 24 March 2023 and adopted a document7 
on lessons learned from the COVID -19 pandemic.  
 
1 WT/MIN(22)/31 – WT/L/1142 . 
2 WT/GC/M/202 , WT/G C/M/203  and WT/GC/M/204 . 
3 "Implementation of the Ministerial Declaration on the WTO Response to the Pandemic and Preparedness 
for Future Pandemics " (WT/GC/W/858 ). 
4 "Role of Telemedicine Services in Response to the Pandemic " (WT/GC/W/866 – S/C/W/426 ) and 
"Building a Pool of Health Professionals to Respond Effectively to Pandemics/Natural Disast ers" (WT/GC/W/867 
– S/C/W/427 ). 
5 Committee on Agriculture ( G/L/1469 – G/AG/W/228 ), Committee on Anti -Dumping Practices ( G/L/1448 
– G/ADP /31), Committee on Import Licensing ( G/L/1478 – G/LIC/W/59 ), Committee on Market Ac cess ( G/L/1459 
– G/MA/W/181 ), Committee on Rules of Origin ( G/L/1466 – G/RO/W/218 ), Committee on Safeguards ( G/L/1451 
– G/SG/276 ), Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures ( G/L/1477 – G/SPS/66 ), Committee on 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures ( G/L/1450 – G/SCM/163 ), Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade 
(G/L/1457 – G/TBT/48 ), Committee on Trade Facilitation ( G/L/1475 - G/TFA/W/89 ), Committee on Trade -Related 
Investment Measures ( G/L/1453 – G/TRIMS/13 ) and Working Party on State Trading Enterprises ( G/L/1455 – 
G/STR/31 ). 
6 More information is available here and the summary report of the session will be circulated in 
JOB/MA/152/Add.5  (to be issued) . 
7 G/MA/409 . JOB/GC/352  
 
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  b. The Committee on Trade Facilitation is looking at possible steps to further its previous 
work regarding the COVID -19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics – and 
has so far had two informal sessions o n disaster preparedness in 2023 . 
3.2.  The CTG Chairperson also prepared his own report8 on the matter . Following Members' 
suggestions, the CTG is preparing a report that would constitute an objective record of the 
discussions that have taken place in the CTG a nd its Subsidiary Bodies in line with Paragraph 24 of 
the Declaration.   
4  COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES  
4.1.  Since last year , as part of its MC12 implementation matters, the Council for Trade in Services 
(CTS) has also discussed the COVID -19 Pandemic and Prepared ness for Future Pandemics. On 
9 March 2023, Members agreed9 to organize a series of informal information -sharing sessions on 
COVID -19 and trade in services, focused on: (i) transport and logistics services; (ii) health services; 
(iii) tourism services; an d (iv) ICT and digitally delivered services. At its March and June 2023 
meetings, India presented its two communications10 related to pandemic response.  
5  TRIPS COUNCIL  
5.1.  Since MC12, the TRIPS Council has had on its agenda an item on "IP and COVID -19". Under 
this item, Members continue their practice, commenced in 2020, of sharing experiences on domestic 
COVID -related IP measures they have taken during the pandemic on the basis of a Secretariat 
compilation of such measures that is updated and maintained on the WTO website11. It has been 
agreed that any submissions and initiatives that Members raise under Paragraphs 23 and 24 of the 
MC12 Declaration would also be taken up under this agenda item.  
6  COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT  
6.1.  The Committee on Trade and Develo pment (CTD) agreed that the item on follow up to the 
MC12 Pandemic Response Declaration will remain on its agenda until the end of 2024. Some ideas 
have been shared on possible work for the CTD to undertake in the context of the Ministerial 
Declaration. Th e CTD Chair person  has encouraged Members to continue to engage and submit 
written proposals for work in the Committee. In 2022, the Committee considered  a communication12 
from the United States .  
7  WORKING GROUP ON TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY  
7.1.  At its Nov ember 2022 session13, the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology 
(WGTTT), discussed the role of transfer of technology and know -how in creating capacities to 
respond to COVID -19, and how such capacities could be leveraged to tackle other health 
emergencies, including those that are endemic to developing countries.  
 
8 G/L/1464 . 
9 It was further decided that the sessions would have balanced representation, provide for the participation 
of external stakeholders from relevant International Organi zations and the private sector, focus on the services 
trade -related aspects of the pandemic response falling within the mandate of the Council, and address the impact 
of COVID -19 on the different sec tors, the trade -facilitative measures introduced by Members in response to the 
crisis and the implications of COVID -19 specifically for LDCs.  The first session, on transport and logistics, was 
held on 13 June, and the next one, on health services, will be held in conjunction with the October cluster of 
services meetings.  See also S/C/M/152 . 
10 See Footnote 3 . 
11 See https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/covid19_e/trade_related_ip_measure_e.htm . 
12 "Responding to the COVID -19 Pandemic and Supporting Resiliency" ( WT/COMTD/W/268 ). 
13 See WT/WGTTT/M/68 . In th is context, Members also shared  domestic experiences and heard the  
perspectives from intergovernmental organizations - including in the context of the trilateral WTO, WHO and 
WIPO cooperatio n - that analysed lessons that have been learned and challenges experienced during the 
COVID  19 pandemic.  JOB/GC/352  
 
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  8  CONCLUDING REMARKS  
8.1.  Let me take the opportunity of this first stocktake exercise to thank the Chairpersons of the 
relevant WTO bodies for facilitating the effective implementation  of Paragraphs 23 and 24 of this 
MC12 Declaration. I also thank the Secretariat teams supporting them. Finally, I would like to 
commend all Members for your active engagement in this important work stream – which I will 
continue to follow.  
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