WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/COMTD/SE/M/22 
12 January 2012 
 (12-0162) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Twenty-Second Dedicated Session  
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 10 AND 13 OCTOBER 2011 
 
Chairman:  H.E. Dr. Anthony Mothae Maruping (Lesotho) 
  
A. 
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ......................................................................................................... 1  
B.  PARAGRAPH 41 OF THE HONG KONG MINISTERIAL DECLARATION : MONITORING 
PROGRESS OF THE SMALL ECONOMIES ' PROPOSALS IN THE NEGOTIATING GROUPS AND 
OTHER WTO BODIES  ..................................................................................................................... 1  
-  COMPILATION PAPER PREPARED BY THE SECRETARIAT (WT/COMTD /SE/W/22/REV.6) ................ 1  
C.  DRAFT - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TR ADE AND DEVELOPMENT DEDICATED 
SESSION TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL (WT/COMTD /SE/W/25) ........................................................ 2  
D.  OTHER BUSINESS  ......................................................................................................................... 4  
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The draft agenda for the meeting was cont ained in Airgram WTO/AIR/3809, issued on 
27 September 2011. 
2. The representative of Barbados requested that two items be added under "Other Business".  
The first concerned a proposal by CARICOM;  the se cond a paper by El Salvador relating to a review 
of the Small Economies' Work Programme. 
3. The agenda was adopted as amended. 
B. PARAGRAPH 41 OF THE HONG KONG MINISTERIAL DECLARATION : MONITORING PROGRESS OF 
THE SMALL ECONOMIES ' PROPOSALS IN THE NEGOTIATI NG GROUPS AND OTHER WTO BODIES  
- COMPILATION PAPER PREPARED BY THE SECRETARIAT (WT/COMTD /SE/W/22/REV.6) 
4. The Chairman recalled the mandate agreed in the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration 
concerning the Work Programme on Small Economi es, mainly that the Committee on Trade and 
Development (CTD) in Dedicated Session (DS) conti nue to monitor the progress of small economies' 
proposals in the negotiating groups and other WTO b odies, with the aim of providing responses to the 
trade-related issues of small economies.  He also recalled that in July 2006, at the 15th Dedicated 
Session, the Secretariat was requested to prepare a document that would assist the Dedicated Session 
in its monitoring role.  The Secret ariat was also requested to peri odically update the compilation paper 
to reflect the latest developments in  the negotiations and in WTO committees. 
5. The Chairman informed Members that the la test revision to the compilation had been 
circulated in WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.6.  He noted that the main difference between this paper and WT/COMTD/SE/M/22 
Page 2  
 
  the previous version in Revision 5 circulated in November 2010 was the addition of new proposals by 
the proponents of small economies in the area of agriculture, non-agricultu ral market access (NAMA) 
and rules for trade and environment.  He explai ned that those Members wishing to see how specific 
texts evolved in the course of the Work Program me on Small Economies and the Doha negotiations 
should refer to earlier revisions in the WT/COMTD/SE/W/22 series. 
6. The representative of Cuba said he wished to rais e a point in regard to the latest revision of 
the compilation paper.  He said his delegation t ogether with proponents of small, vulnerable 
economies (SVEs) intended to submit to the CT D DS a list of proposals which Cuba and other 
Members had presented to the Agriculture Comm ittee and also to negotiating groups on NAMA and 
trade and environment.  He also said that a proposal on e-commerce would be forthcoming.  
C. DRAFT - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT DEDICATED SESSION TO 
THE GENERAL COUNCIL (WT/COMTD /SE/W/25)  
7. The Chairman recalled the mandate agreed to  in the Hong Kong Declaration concerning the 
Work Programme on Small Economies.  He said th e CTD in Dedicated Session was to continue 
monitoring the progress of the small economies' pr oposals in the negotiating groups and other WTO 
bodies with the aim of providing responses to the tr ade-related concerns of small economies.  He 
explained that the last time the Dedicated Session ha d issued such a report to the General Council was 
in 2009.  It had been circulated as WT/COMTD/ SE/6 and had been forwarded to the WTO's Seventh 
Ministerial Conference.  He explained that the Dedi cated Session would have to make a similar report 
on its activities since 2009 to the General Counc il for forwarding to the Eighth Ministerial 
Conference.  For this reason, a draft report in document WT/COMTD/SE/W/25 had been distributed 
to Members.  The draft report summarized the activ ities of the Dedicated Session over the past two 
years and also outlined areas for future work.  He asked if any Members had any specific comments to 
make.  
8. Members had no comments on Sections I and II of the report.  In regard to Section III, the 
representative of El Salvador said he wished to propose some ideas for further developing the 
mandate for the CTD DS.  He explained that the fi rst paragraphs are similar to the language that 
appeared in the Hong Kong Declaration.  He adde d that the third paragraph, however, is where 
Ministers were to instruct the CTD under the overa ll responsibility of the General Council to continue 
its work in Dedicated Session and monitor prog ress of the Small Economies Work Programme.  He 
said the fourth paragraph stressed the importance of  providing responses to the concerns and issues 
identified by the CTD in order to adopt any appr opriate recommendations.  The Secretariat was also 
being asked to provide more factual and backgr ound information for further discussion in the CTD 
DS. 
9. The representative of Barbados said it might be a good idea to combine El Salvador's proposal 
with the recommendations proposed by CARICOM's Office of Trade Negotiation (OTN) since there 
were many similarities between the two.  She e xplained that the OTN proposed a review of the 
multilateral trading system generally as it relates to developing economies and that it sought the 
support of the G-90 countries.  The proposal was in tended to improve the understanding of the impact 
of the WTO's programmes, including its traini ng programmes and the capacity of developing 
countries to effectively negotiate trade agreements.  She added that another example of the value of a 
development review would be to examine the design of and the administrative arrangements 
applicable to TRIPS and compulsory licences.  A third example would include a technology transfer 
provision embedded in TRIPS Article 66.2.  The exer cise could also examine the contribution made 
by the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Least -Developed Countries to assist LDCs with their 
integration into the global economy and explore how  such a framework might apply to SVEs.  The 
value of conducting such a review would be to assess provisions and recommend proposals to ensure  WT/COMTD/SE/M/22 
 Page 3 
 
 
  that the multilateral trading system delivers on its original development mandate.  She added that such 
an emphasis was now more important in view  of the stalemated Doha negotiations.  
10. The representative of Honduras supported the pr oposal by El Salvador and the latter's 
proposed language for inclusion in the report.  
11. The representative of the European Union said sh e wished to seek further clarification on the 
two proposals.  In regard to El Salvador's proposal , she said that the first three sub-items were already 
covered in the current work programme.  The new pa rt would be the focus on non-tariff measures and 
their effects on small economies.  She wanted to know what the value-added would be for the existing 
work programme.  She also wanted to know the tim ing for garnering consensus on these proposals for 
the upcoming Eighth Ministerial Conference.  As per the mention by Barbados of a development 
review, she said she was struck by the comment th at the SVEs would be seeking similar levels of 
assistance as those given to LDCs.  She sought clarification on this point. 
12. The representative of Dominica said his delega tion supported the proposal and paper outlined 
by El Salvador.  
13. In response to the comments made by the Europ ean Union, the representative of El Salvador 
said his proposal included the element on non-tariff measures (NTMs) because of the recent upsurge 
in the use of NTMs.  Because such measures are bl ocking the greater participation of SVEs in the 
world economy, the proposal calls for the factual analysis to be conducted by the Secretariat for 
ensuing discussion in the CTD DS.  He believed that  this would help Members to discuss elements 
other than the Doha negotiations and address issues of  concern generally to all small economies.  As 
concerned some of the issues related to LDCs, as rai sed by Barbados, El Salv ador believed there were 
other fora where LDC issues could be addressed.  He believed that it was important that the CTD DS 
have a central role in providing reaction and responses to the issues faced by small economies.  
14. The representative of the Dominican Republic said he supported the statements made by 
Dominica and Honduras in giving their support to the proposal made by El Salvador.  
15. The representative of Nigeria said the proposal be ing discussed was a re-iteration of the Hong 
Kong Declaration.  He asked how the new proposal woul d relate to the draft report.  He also wanted 
to know how the report would then eventually be en dorsed by Ministers, i.e. a decision by Ministers 
taken at the Eighth Ministerial Conference, and one which would reflect consensus amongst the 
Members.  
16. The Chairman asked Members to examine the report and explained that the CTD in DS 
proposed that the General Council make recommends to  the Eighth Ministerial Conference.  In regard 
to how quickly the report and recommendations coul d be agreed, he said that that depended on 
Barbados and El Salvador and other interested parties.   
17. The representative of Barbados said that the propo sal by El Salvador had already been agreed 
by the proponents of SVEs.  She clarified that what came out of the OTN is a wider and deeper kind 
of proposal.  However, she said it might be possible to see if there was anything in the OTN proposal 
which could be included in the SVE proposal under discussion.  
18. The representative of the European Union said her delegation would need more time to look 
at El Salvador's proposal, especially the new empha sis on NTMs.  She also asked whether or not the 
language concerning the mandate for the work programme  could be altered with one or two additions.  
19. The Chairman said it is for the Members to fina lize the language and that he would continue 
the meeting later in the week. WT/COMTD/SE/M/22 
Page 4  
 
  D. 
OTHER BUSINESS  
20. The representative of Barbados said she wished to  raise under "Other Business" the role of the 
WTO in assisting small countries to access additional funding for aid for trade from international 
financial institutions.  She said th at many small countries had debt difficulties and that some had 
non-payment difficulties.  Others, have per capita in come hurdles.  She emph asized the importance of 
aid for trade as a way for these countries to achieve se lf-sustainability.  She elaborated that the WTO 
is one international institution which has recognized that small economies must also be given special 
and differential treatment.  In her view, the WTO could be requested to advocate for small economies 
so that they also receive special and differentia l treatment from financial institutions. She said that 
statistics show that small and vul nerable economies have had less acces s to aid for trade than other 
beneficiaries.  While she had discussed this con cern with the WTO's Director-General, she wondered 
whether or not the CTD DS could support such a request.  
21. The Chairman adjourned the meeting until Thursday, 13 October at 3 p.m. 
22. The Chairman reconvened the session on Thursd ay, 13 October 2011.  He recalled that the 
Airgram for the meeting had been adopted earlie r in the week and that Members had already 
discussed item B concerning a compilation paper by the Secretariat.  Returning to item C concerning 
the draft report of the CTD in DS to the Genera l Council in WT/COMTD/SE/W/25, he said that since 
the meeting was adjourned on Monday, Members ha d held consultations which had brought about 
some revisions to the report.  A new draft had been circulated to Members by telefax in WT/COMTD/SE/W/25/Rev.1.  He asked if any Member  would like to explain the changes that had 
made been. 
23. The representative of El Salvador said it was im portant that the report be adopted in time for 
the Ministerial Conference.  He thanked all dele gations which had contributed to the report and 
especially the language relating to the future work of the CTD in DS.  All the suggestions which had 
been made had been incorporated in to the final draft and all of the elements of the original proposal 
remained in the new revision.  The language had been simplified and was now more succinct but still 
contained the same underlying ideas and overriding obj ectives.  As concerned the last paragraph, it 
had been drafted to make it clear that the Dedicat ed Session will continue its monitoring work in the 
WTO bodies and negotiating groups.  
24. The Chairman thanked El Salvador for its efforts and the representative of the 
European Union thanked El Salvador for submitting a shorter version of the language for the report.  
She said her delegation has reviewed it and has work ed closely with the delegation of El Salvador.  
She asked about the reference concerning the CTD in  DS and whether it would monitor this work in 
WTO bodies and negotiating groups. 
25. The representative of El Salvador agreed with  the changes proposed by the EU and the 
representative of Nigeria asked about the reporti ng responsibilities of the General Council and the 
outcome declaration for the Ministerial Conference. 
26. The representative of the United States thanked El Salvador for its efforts and for its proposal.  
He welcomed the more streamlined approach of th e latest version and said he could accept it with the 
modifications as proposed by the EU.  
27. The representative of Dominica said he wished  to associate the member states of the 
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States with the proposal put forward by El Salvador and with the 
modifications seeking to strengthen paragraph seven.  
28. The representative of Honduras also supported the new version.  WT/COMTD/SE/M/22 
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  29. The representative of El Salvador wished to r espond to questions raised by the delegation of 
Nigeria.  According to him, it was clear th at the CTD in DS was to continue its work  under the overall 
responsibility of the General Council.  
30. The Chairman said it appeared that there w as agreement on the text.  He thanked all 
delegations and said that the report would cons titute the Committee on Trade and Development in 
Dedicated Session's report to the General Council and will be issued as document WT/COMTD/SE/7 
for forwarding to the Eighth Ministerial Conference.  
31. It was so agreed  and the meeting was adjourned.  
 
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