. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/COMTD/LDC/M/63 
2 March 2012  
 
(12-1211) 
Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries 
Sixty-Third Session  
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 28 NOVEMBER 2011 
 
Chairperson:  Ambassador Steffen Smidt (Denmark) 
  
A. 
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ......................................................................................................... 1  
B.  ACCESSION OF LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO THE WTO  ...................................................... 1  
-  Proposal from the LDC Group on Accession (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/52) ................................... 1  
C.  OTHER BUSINESS  ......................................................................................................................... 2  
 
 A. 
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Sub-Committee adopted the agenda, contained in WTO/AIR/3864. 
B. ACCESSION OF LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO THE WTO  
- Proposal from the LDC Group on Accession (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/52) 
2. The Chairman recalled that th e LDC Group had submitted a proposal 
(WT/COMTD/LDC/W/52) in early November, with  a view to further strengthening the LDC 
accession guidelines adopted in 2002 (WT/L/508).  Th ereafter, he had held a number of informal 
consultations with a view to reaching an outcome  prior to the Eighth Session of the Ministerial 
Conference of the WTO (MC8).  Based on the delibe rations during these consu ltations, there had been 
convergence on a draft decision on LDC accession.   At the informal consultations held on 
23 November, Members agreed that the draft decision on LDC accession be submitted to the 
Sub-Committee for its consideration.  He proposed that the draft decision on LDC accession, contained in WT/COMTD/LDC/W/53 be submitt ed to the General Council scheduled for 
30 November, with the recommendation that it be forwarded to the MC8 for its consideration.
1   
3. It was so agreed. 
4. The Chairman invited Members to make their statements. 
5. The representative of Bangladesh, on behalf  of the LDCs, expressed gratitude to the 
Chairman as well as Members for their cooperation.   The LDCs had felt encouraged to see the high-
level participation of delegations at the informal consultations.  He also thanked the Secretariat and 
other organizations that had assisted the LDC Group in this work.  The contribution made by the 
members of the LDC core group was also acknowledged. 
                                                      
1 The draft decision on LDC accession was approved at the MC8, and later circulated as WT/L/846. WT/COMTD/LDC/M/63 
Page 2  
 
  6. He stressed that the 2002 guidelines remained a useful basis for LDC accessions.  At the same 
time, he pointed out that there had been general r ecognition that some of the core provisions of those 
guidelines needed more precision.  The draft decision on LDC accession would mark an important building block in the efforts towards strengthe ning, streamlining and operationalizing the 2002 
guidelines.  He urged Members to c ontinue to remain enga ged on this issue with a view to reaching a 
fruitful outcome by July 2012.   
7. The representative of Yemen, the LDC Group's focal point on accession, thanked the 
Chairman and Members for their cooperation.  He associated himself with the statement made by the 
LDC Coordinator.  The 2002 guidelines remained u seful to guide the accession of LDCs.  However, 
accession processes of LDCs continued to remain complex and difficult.  As a result, the 2002 
guidelines needed to be improved upon.  His delegati on considered the elements of the draft decision 
important.  The provisions on establishment of be nchmarks for market access commitments on goods 
and services, consideration of multilateral framewo rks to complement the bilateral market access 
negotiations, consideration of add itional transition periods for acceding LDCs and enhanced technical 
assistance would further strengthen, streamline a nd operationalize the 2002 gui delines.  He believed 
that the draft decision on LDC accession would re vitalize the accession of LDCs.  He hoped that 
Members would begin work soon after MC8 to reach a decision within the speci fied time-f rame, i.e. 
by July 2012.   
8. The following Members took the fl oor:  Australia;  Brazil;  China;  Colombia;  Dominican 
Republic;  the European Union;  Hong Kong, China;   India;  New Zealand;  Mexico;  Nigeria; 
Norway;  Pakistan;  Thailand;  Turkey and the United States.  All these Members made brief 
interventions to welcome the consensus on the dr aft decision on LDC accession, and to thank the 
Chairman and other delegations including the LDCs, as well as the Secretariat, for making an outcome possible in time for MC8. 
9. Members reiterated their commitment to further facilitate the accession of LDCs to the WTO.  
Some Members expressed the view that the draf t decision had fallen short of expectations, but 
represented a delicate balance.  A number of Members highlighted their technical assistance 
programmes in support of LDC accessions.   
10. Members considered that the draft decision on LDC accession could be one of the important 
deliverables of MC8.  They hoped that completion of work by July 2012 would result in meaningful gains in the LDC accession process, and would furt her strengthen the multilateral trading system.   
11. The Chairman said that as agreed by the Sub-Co mmittee, he would forward the draft decision 
on LDC accession to the General Council for onward transmission to the Ministers.  He thanked 
Members for their cooperation and constructive e ngagement, and looked forward to completing 
further work in 2012. 
C. OTHER BUSINESS  
12. In the absence of any other business, the meeting was adjourned. 
 
 
__________