WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
16 September 2011  
 
(11-4497) 
Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries 
Sixtieth Session  
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 7 JULY 2011 
 
Chairperson:  Ambassador Steffen Smidt (Denmark) 
 
 
A.  ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ........................................................................................................ 1  
B.  WTO WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
(WT/COMTD /LDC/11): .................................................................................................................. 1  
(I)  Trade-Related Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building Initiatives for 
Least-Developed Countries ..................................................................................................... .... 1 
-  An update on the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Programme (JOB/DEV/11):  
Report by the EIF E xecutive Secretariat..................................................................................... 1  
-  WTO Technical Assistance and Training to the Least-Developed Countries:  Oral 
Report by the Secretariat ..................................................................................................... ....... 4 
C.  FOURTH UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
(LDC-IV) HELD IN ISTANBUL , TURKEY , FROM 9 TO 13 MAY 2011  - REPORT BY THE LDC 
COORDINATOR  ............................................................................................................................. 7 
D.  OTHER BUSINESS  ....................................................................................................................... 10  
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Sub-Committee adopted the draft agenda contained in WTO/AIR/3777. 
B. WTO WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (WT/COMTD /LDC/11): 
(I) Trade-Related Technical Assistance and C apacity-Building Initiatives for Least-Developed 
Countries 
- An update on the Enhanced Integrated Fram ework (EIF) Programme (JOB/DEV/11):  Report 
by the EIF Executive Secretariat  
2. The Chairman welcomed the presence of th e Executive Director of the EIF Executive 
Secretariat, Ms. Dorothy Tembo, at the meeting a nd requested her to provide  Members with an update 
on the EIF.   
3. The Executive Director of the EIF Executive S ecretariat thanked the Chairman for affording 
her an opportunity to update the Sub-Committee on LDCs on the progress in the implementation of 
the EIF.  She drew Members' attention to th e Note contained in document JOB/DEV/11, which 
provided an updated, as well as detailed account of the status of the EIF.  She said that her presentation would concentrate on some key issues outlined in that document.   WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
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  4. She said that a total number of 47 countries, including two recently graduated 
LDCs - Cape Verde and Maldives - were benefitting from the EIF process.  She was pleased to state 
that all administrative structure for the programme had now been put in place.  Both windows of support under the EIF Trust Fund, namely for ins titutional support and catalytic funding for priority 
projects identified in the Diagnostic Trade Integra tion Studies (DTISs), had become available for EIF 
beneficiaries.  Disbursements of committed ple dges by donors to the multi-donor EIF Trust Fund had 
continued to increase.  She was also pleased to inform Members that the number of donors to the 
Trust Fund stood at 23, with the latest entrant be ing Australia which had contributed an amount of 
$A 2 million.  Total pledges stood at US$230 milli on, and the actual amount available in the Trust 
Fund was approximately US$130 million.  She further noted that the EIF beneficiaries were making 
all efforts to leverage other financial sources th rough bilateral, regional or multilateral channels. 
5. She went on to say that Tier 1 projects had been approved for 24 beneficiaries, assisting them 
in the strengthening of their institutional structur es to support the implementation of their respective 
national programmes.  Furthermore, a number of co untries had moved forward with the identification 
and realignment of their trade priorities through updating of their DTISs.  To that effect, the EIF 
Board had approved a budget of US$2.2 million to fi nance DTIS updates for ten beneficiaries.  She 
further added that as part of the Tier 1 activities,  15 countries were in the process of building linkages 
of their trade agenda with national developmen t planning processes or other national trade and 
development initiatives.  These included:  Burk ina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African 
Republic, The Gambia, Lao PDR, Le sotho, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, 
Yemen and Zambia. 
6. She said that the EIF programme had also been  assisting countries to deliver projects to 
address supply-side constraints to trade.  Presently, 20 such projects were at different stages of development, with the first one being considered by the EIF Board on 21 July 2011.  These projects 
were aimed at supporting national poverty reduc tion efforts, covering a wide range of sectors 
targeting value addition, compliance with standard s, merchandise and services export growth, income 
generation for poor households, etc.  Some of thes e projects included the gum Arabic sector in Mali, 
tourism in Sierra Leone, honey production in Yeme n, and supporting district commercial services in 
Uganda.  The pipeline of projects was expected to  commit approximately US$45 million by the end of 
2011.   
7. She went on to say that the EIF Secretariat ha d been working with the EIF core agencies and 
other partners to respond to the immediate n eeds expressed by the LDCs.  For instance, the EIF 
Secretariat had strengthened its staffing with additi onal recruitments of country coordinators.  In 
addition, short-term support to assist EIF countri es with project development was being facilitated.  
She added that as part of a more strategic a nd sustainable approach, the EIF capacity building 
programme, initiated in April 2010, was being consolidated to make it more responsive to the needs 
of the different target groups of the EIF.  She w as also pleased to inform Members that a Coordinator 
for Monitoring and Evaluation had been appointed .  The EIF Monitoring and Evaluation framework 
was expected to be operationalized soon. 
8. She stressed that the EIF would continue to  accelerate progress with a primary focus on 
strengthening the effectiveness of the EIF na tional institutional structures to support the 
implementation of the programme at the country leve l, as well as consolidating the delivery of priority 
projects with emphasis on results.  The EIF would end eavour to ensure that a high level of visibility, 
with clear messaging of the achievements and lesso ns learnt was maintained, including through the 
EIF's communication strategy.  She underlined the need for necessary support and leadership from the 
LDCs to further consolidate the EIF process.   
9. 
She said that the EIF Secretariat, in cooperation with the WTO, had organized a special event 
on the sidelines of the recently held Fourth UN Conference on the LDCs (LDC-IV) from  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
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  9 to 13 May 2011.  The event was entitled "Building a strong and sustainable trading future for LDCs:  
market entry and capacity building".  An EIF Minist erial lunch, the theme of which was "Delivering 
Results", was also held.  The short version of the EIF film entitled "Trade Works", which captured 
some of the successes and impacts of the programme, was also premiered during that Conference.  In conclusion, she thanked Members for their continued support to the EIF.  
10. The representative of Bangladesh , on behalf of the LDCs, thanked the Executive Director of 
EIF Executive Secretariat for her report.  He appreci ated the efforts taken for the finalization of the 
EIF Strategic Plan and EIF Monitoring and Evalua tion Framework, including its operationalization.  
He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the EIF Secretariat, despite the EIF Secretariat's limited staff.  He also noted that some progress had b een made in terms of its staffing.  He underlined 
the need for adequate staff in the EIF Secretariat, including for effective collaboration with the core 
implementing partners and other stra tegic partners of the EIF to further strengthen the programme.   
11. He appreciated the efforts taken by the EIF Trust Fund Manager (TFM) to broaden the donor 
base of the multi-donor EIF Trust Fund.  He noted th at the number of donors had reached 23.  He was 
pleased to note that new funds to the EIF Trust Fund had started to roll-in.  He welcomed the decision 
taken by the Government of Australia to contribute $A 2 million to the EIF Trust Fund.  He also noted 
that contributions to the Trust Fund had amount ed to approximately US$130 million, with total 
pledges amounting to approximately US$230 milli on.  He called upon donors to further deliver on 
their pledges.   
12. He appreciated the fact that the utilization of th e EIF Trust Fund had started to increase lately.  
Under Tier 1 of the EIF Trust Fund, which was aimed at institutional capacity building for EIF 
implementation, a total of 34 projects had been  approved.  Seven of those approved projects 
represented pre-DTIS projects, three approvals were for undertaking DTISs and 24 projects were approved to support the national im plementation arrangements (NIA) to mainstream trade and to 
ensure coordinated delivery of priority activities from DTIS action matrices.  In addition, around 20 
Tier 2 projects, which were intended to strengthen LDCs' supply-side capacity, were in various stages 
of development for submission in 2011-12.  He requested the EIF Secretariat, the TFM, as well as 
other organizations to assist the LDCs to finalize their respective projects.   
13. In conclusion, he drew the attention of Member s to the challenges faced by LDCs in the EIF 
process.  While some of those challenges could be  addressed by the LDC governments, some external 
factors also deterred the implementation of EIF projects in the LDCs.  He called upon the EIF 
stakeholders to collectively address these challeng es so as to help LDCs fully benefit from the 
potential of the EIF.   
14. The representative of Japan expressed appreciation for the progress made in the EIF process.  
His Government had decided to make a contri bution of US$47,000 to the EIF Trust Fund.  He 
reiterated the commitment of his Government to the EIF process.   
15. The representative of the European Union th anked the Executive Director of the EIF 
Executive Secretariat for her efforts in accelera ting progress in the EIF process.  Her delegation 
attached great importance to the successful implemen tation of the EIF.  The EU had been a firm 
supporter of the EIF process, both through financ ial contributions, as well as through its active 
participation in the EIF governing bodies.  The EU had also been contributing in the field, including 
through acting as donor facilitators in the EIF beneficiaries.   
16. She looked forward to seeing the recommendations that would emerge from the Strategic 
Plan, on which her delegation wished to receive more information at a future meeting of the 
Sub-Committee.  She welcomed the fact that the v ast majority of the implementing entities of Tier 1 
projects, in support to national implementation a rrangements, had been the LDC governments;  she WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
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  hoped that this would also be the case for the implementation of Tier 2 projects.  She hoped for the 
speedy implementation of Tier 2 projects.  She unde rlined the importance of country ownership to 
ensure sustainability of the EIF process in the LDCs .  In conclusion, she said that her delegation 
would welcome regular updates on the implemen tation of the EIF at the Sub-Committee.   
17. The Chairman thanked all for their contributions .  He underscored the need for continued and 
strengthened partnership to make  the EIF a success.  He also emphasized the need for country 
ownership for the sustainability of the EIF process in  the beneficiaries.  He  said that in accordance 
with the Work Programme for the LDCs, the Sub-Co mmittee would revert to this item at a future 
meeting.  He proposed that the Sub-Committee take  note of the document contained in JOB/DEV/11, 
the oral report made by the Executive Director of  the EIF Executive Secretariat, as well as of the 
statements made.   
18. It was so agreed. 
- WTO Technical Assistance and Training to the Least-Developed Countries:  Oral Report by 
the Secretariat 
19. The Chairman said that according to the Work  Programme for the LDCs, the Sub-Committee 
was required to monitor the WTO technical assistance provided to the LDCs.  The item had been 
considered in the Sub-Committee on an annual basis.  He  gave the floor to the Director of the Institute 
for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), Mr. Hakim Ben Hammouda, to introduce the item. 
20. The representative of the Secretariat (Director, ITTC) made a presentation on the technical 
assistance activities carried out in favour of LDCs duri ng 2010 and at the start of 2011.  He said that 
two principles had guided the WTO's technical assistan ce for the LDCs.  First, special priority to the 
LDCs had been a regular feature of the WTO's Technical Assistance and Training Plan.  Second, 
innovation and new forms of support had continuously been explored to assist LDCs improve their 
participation in the multilateral trading system.   
21. He said that LDCs were the major beneficiaries of WTO technical assistance and capacity 
building programmes.  In 2010, LDCs were associated  with 43 per cent of all WTO activities.  Out of 
the 189 national activities, 51 were held in LDCs, representing 27 per cent of such activities.  He 
further informed Members that the LDCs had participated in 67 of the 90 regional activities 
(74 per cent) which were held by the WTO, in addition to participating in 82 per cent of global 
activities held by the WTO.   
22. He went on to say that measures had been taken to help LDCs benefit from the Progressive 
Learning Strategy (PLS).  Each year, the WTO ha d been organizing two introduction courses for the 
LDCs.  These courses were regarded as the equi valent of the module on "Introduction to the WTO" 
and enabled the LDC participants to enrol in le vel 2 activities of the WTO's Technical Assistance 
programme, including the regional trade policy courses (RTPCs).  He added that in recognition of the 
challenges relating to internet connections in some LDCs, the WTO had also made available 
CD-ROMs to the LDCs.   
23. He pointed out that the LDCs were also given priority in the internship programmes, which 
were aimed at giving them hands-on experience a nd improving their knowledge about the working of 
the WTO.  In 2010, out of the 13 trainees under the Netherlands Trainee Programme (NTPs), ten were 
from the LDCs, while nine out of the 16 interns und er the Mission Internship Programmes (MIPs) had 
also come from the LDCs.  Furthermore, the LDCs, which coordinated bodies such as the LDC 
Group, Cottton-4 etc., were assigned an intern un der the Regional Coordinator Programme (RCP) to 
address the human capacity constraints faced by those missions coordinating regional groups/bodies.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
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  24. He continued by saying that the LDCs were also  accorded priority in other programmes of the 
WTO, including the Reference Centre Programme (RFC s).  In 2010, out of the nine RFCs which were 
established or upgraded, five were in the LDCs.  The RFCs had become an indispensable tool for 
many LDCs, as they helped to keep them abreast of developments in the WTO.  These Centres were 
also increasingly being used as learning centres, including for completion of WTO online courses by 
LDC trade officials.  Moreover, the private sector an d the general public were able to access the tariff 
profiles and the commitments of WTO Members in order to assess export opportunities.  
25. He said that the LDCs would continue to re main the primary beneficiaries of the WTO's 
TRTA programme in the next biennial Technical A ssistance Plan (2012-2013).  The entitlement to 
three national activities per year would continue under th e next Plan.  Special priority to the LDCs in 
other technical-assistance activities including inte rnship programmes would also remain.  He 
requested the LDC missions in Geneva to increase aw areness in their capitals of the various TRTA 
products offered by the WTO.  He regretted the fact  that despite LDCs being entitled to three national 
activities per year, and despite his reminders to the LDCs in various bilateral meetings, a good 
number of LDCs had not made us e of this entitlement.  He underlined the importance of national 
activities which could make a positive impact on LD Cs' participation in the WTO's work.  For 
instance, a number of LDCs had had a national ac tivity on notifications in 2010, and it had been 
observed that those LDCs had made improvements in their notifications to the WTO.  In conclusion, 
he reiterated the commitment of the WTO to a dopt positive measures to enhance the capacity of 
LDCs for their effective participation in the multilateral trading system.   
26. The representative of Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDCs, expressed appreciation for the 
technical assistance and training provided by the WT O.  He then drew Members' attention to the 
following points:  first, he noted that the work in  the ITTC was currently organized on a geographical 
basis.  The issues related to LDCs were addressed wi thin the geographical context.  He requested the 
Secretariat to form a unit within ITTC to specifi cally address issues of interest and concern to the 
LDCs.  He argued that trade-related challeng es faced by the LDCs were unique and that a 
reorientation within the ITTC would allow the S ecretariat to address the LDC-specific issues in a 
comprehensive and targeted manner.  Second, he requested the Secretariat to explore the possibility of 
further enhancing funding for the MIPs, particularly  for the LDCs.  He explained that most of the 
LDCs were small in size.  Additional human resourc es were essential to play an effective role in the 
multilateral trading system.  The internship progra mmes, while being useful, were not adequate to 
meet the needs of the LDCs.  It was thus important that the Secretariat look into the possibility of 
increasing the number of internships for the LDCs.  He took the opportunity to thank donors who had 
been providing funds for the various internship programmes. 
27. The representative of the European Union noted that the LDCs had only benefited from 
27 per cent of national technical assistance activities undertaken by the WTO in 2010.  She also noted 
from the Secretariat's report that the LDCs had not  been making full use of their entitlements relating 
to such activities.  She underlined the need to make optimal use of the facility provided to the LDCs 
under the WTO's TRTA programme, which could take  care of specific implementation issues related 
to the LDCs' participation in the WTO.  In th is regard, more work could be done with active 
involvement of the LDCs in addressing the need s of LDCs, particularly in implementing WTO 
Agreements which could help them to participat e more fully in the multilateral trading system. 
28. The representative of India said that the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) 
programme had been an attempt by her Govern ment to share the fruits of socio-economic 
development and technological achievements with other developing countries.  Training or 
capacity-building programmes were one of the major activities under the ITEC.  Forty-two institutions in India conducted around 200 short-, me dium-, and long-term courses every year.  The 
training programme was demand driven and subjects select ed were of interest to developing countries 
for their professionals on a wide and dive rse range of skills and expertise.   WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
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  29. She recalled the statement made by her dele gation at the previous meeting of the 
Sub-Committee, concerning a training programme, focussing on accession, conducted by India at its Centre for WTO Studies for officials from LDCs  and selected developing countries during 
February-March 2011.  She gave further information on that programme by saying that it had been attended by 20 officials from LDCs.  Issues covere d in that programme included the overview of 
WTO Agreements, benefits of accession and membership, accession processes, evolving rules 
governing accessions, etc.  She said that in the upcom ing months, the Government of India intended 
to organize a few more training programmes on WT O issues.  For instance, a capacity-building 
programme on the WTO, with special emphasis on LDCs was being organized from 1-20 August 2011.  Similarly, specialized course s on issues such as agricu lture, services, TRIPS, 
RTAs including Rules of Origin would be held in January-February 2012.  In addition, a course on 
WTO rules, including anti-dumping, subsidies and sa feguards, dispute settlement and RTAs would be 
organized in March 2012.  She requested the inte rested LDC Members to send their nomination for 
the August (2011) programme as well as for the sub sequent courses.  Details of the courses were 
available online.  The Government of India could also provide relevant information upon request.   
30. She informed Members that the Government of India had fielded a high-level technical 
delegation in May 2010 to the Cotton-4 countries, including Nigeria and Uganda, to assess their 
technical-assistance needs.  That delegation ha d had extensive exchanges with the concerned 
stakeholders.  Based on the detaile d report provided by that delegati on, the Government of India had 
developed a technical assistance programme for cotton support in select African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda.  An amount of Indian Rs 21 crores 
over three years had been committed for the implem entation of that programme, which was made at 
the recently held Africa-India Forum Su mmit in Ethiopia in May 2011.   
31. The representative of the Secretariat (Director, ITTC) thanked Members for their appreciation 
of the technical-assistance activities being carried out by the Secretariat.  He also thanked the 
Coordinator of the LDCs for his close cooperation w ith the ITTC, in particular in the context of 
discussions on the technical-assistance priorities for developing countries.  Regarding the first point 
made by the LDC Coordinator concerning a dedicated  unit in the ITTC, he pointed out that an LDC 
Unit in the Development Division was acting as the Fo cal Point of LDC issues within the WTO.  He 
clarified that the delivery of technical assistance was not based on a geographical basis.  As regards 
the request for an increased number of interns under various internship programmes, he expressed 
some concern that due to delay in the replenishm ent of the DDA Trust Fund, the Secretariat might not 
be able to reach the level it had reached in 201 0;  29 internships were awarded in 2010.  He 
underlined the importance of internship programme s for small delegations like the LDCs, and said 
that the ITTC would remain in touch with Member s, including the Coordinator of the LDCs, on how 
best to utilize limited resources currently av ailable under the DDA Trust Fund.  He took the 
opportunity to thank donors, including France, Irela nd and the Netherlands, for their support to the 
internship programmes.   
32. He reiterated the need for the LDCs to make more use of national activities where LDCs had 
the opportunity to ask for three per year.  Such activities were key to helping the LDCs fulfil WTO 
obligations as well as benefit from the multilateral tr ading system.  He requested the LDCs to explore 
how to better avail of the opportunities offere d by the WTO, including benefiting from national 
activities.  He drew the attention of the Sub-Comm ittee to the fact that some Members had initiated 
programmes to assist LDCs integrate better into the multilateral trading system.  For instance, India, 
in cooperation with the ITTC, had been implementing technical-assistance activities in favour of LDCs.  Singapore was also in the process of devel oping specific technical assistance for the LDCs.  
He said that the ITTC would extend all possibl e cooperation to help LDCs improve their trade 
capacity, and would be happy to join all endeavours being undertaken by Members, especially at the 
regional level.    WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
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  33. The representative of the Secretariat (Head, LDC Unit, Development Division) said that the 
LDC Unit in the Development Division was the "one-stop shop" for addressing LDC issues and 
interests within the Secretariat.  The LDC Unit wo rked closely with the ITTC on the delivery of 
WTO's technical assistance.  She reiterated that th e ITTC was the responsible Division within the 
Secretariat to manage and oversee the implementation of WTO technical assistance. 
34. The Chairman thanked all for their contributions .  He encouraged the LDCs to make optimal 
use of the technical-assistance activities offered by  the WTO.  He proposed that the Sub-Committee 
take note of the oral statement made by the Director of the ITTC as well as statements made by Members. 
35. It was so agreed. 
36. The Chairman recalled that the WTO Work Prog ramme for the LDCs was adopted in 2002.  
Since then a number of developments had take n place.  At the previous meeting of the 
Sub-Committee, the LDCs had made a proposal to establish a work programme on post-accession for the recently acceded LDCs.  In view of this, it was timely to have a general review of the Work Programme.  He suggested that at the next meeti ng of the Sub-Committee, tentatively scheduled for 
19 October 2011, Members could have a debate on the Work Programme including whether or how 
the Work Programme should be updated to reflect some  developments since 2002.  He reiterated that 
such a discussion would take place without prejudging any form of outcome. 
37. It was so agreed. 
C. FOURTH UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LDC-IV) 
HELD IN ISTANBUL , TURKEY , FROM 9 TO 13 MAY 2011  - REPORT BY THE LDC COORDINATOR  
38. The Chairman invited the Coordinator of the LDCs to make a statement on the LDC-IV 
Conference held in Turkey in May 2011.   
39. The representative of Bangladesh, on behalf of th e LDCs, said that the LDC-IV Conference 
was one of the most important events for the LDCs  in 2011.  The once in a decade Conference charted 
the path for LDCs' accelerated development, in  collaboration with deve lopment partners.  The 
overarching goal set by the LDCs in the LDC-IV Conference was to half the number of LDCs by the 
end of 2020.  The target, although ambitious, coul d be attained given a strong partnership by the 
international community.  He called upon Members to  work towards reaching the desired objectives 
set out at the Istanbul Programme of Action (IP oA) for the LDCs for the decade 2011-2020.   
40. Trade had been identified as one of the major vehicles to reach the overarching objectives of 
poverty alleviation and reducing the number of LDCs in the next decade.  In the area of trade, the 
target of the IPoA was to double the share of LDCs in global trade.  This was very much dependent on 
the outcome of negotiations at the WTO.  The soone r there was an ambitious agreement in favour of 
LDCs, especially in the area of market access, th e better the chances to reach the objectives of the 
IPoA.   
41. He said that the new objectives set out at the IP oA might need to be reflected into the WTO 
Work Programme for the LDCs.  There was a need to  calibrate the Work Programme in view of the 
LDC-IV Conference.  He invited Members to explore how the WTO could contribute towards 
achieving the goals and targets of the IPoA.   
42. The representative of Nepal associated himself with the statement made by Bangladesh on 
behalf of the LDCs.  He said that the IPoA rec ognized trade as an engine of economic growth and 
sustainable development in the LDCs; it calle d upon Members to ensure a successful WTO WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
Page 8  
 
  Ministerial Conference at the end of 2011.  He regr etted the current stalemate in the Doha Round of 
negotiations, and expressed concern that a possible failure of the Round could undermine the faith in 
the WTO as a system along with far-reaching implications for the multilateral trading system.   
43. He recalled that the LDC development partne rs had shown their unflinching commitment in 
the past to the development endeavours of the LD Cs.  In the same spirit, he had urged them to 
concentrate their efforts to help LDCs beneficially  integrate into the multilateral trading system.  He 
urged Members to work towards an LDC pack age at the WTO Ministerial Conference in 
December 2011.  Such a package should include dut y-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access for 
LDC products along with simplified rules of or igin, trade facilitation measures and enhanced 
provision for trade-related technical assistance.  He believed that an LDC package under the Doha 
Round could be harvested independently from the pr inciple of single undertaking, in line with the 
provisions of the Doha Ministerial Declar ation adopted by Members in 2001.   
44. The representative of Turkey said that the LD C-IV Conference was a success both in its 
organization as well as in its outcome.  He expressed thanks to Members, inte rnational organizations, 
non-governmental organizations (NGO s) and others who had taken ac tive part during the Conference 
in May 2011, as well as in its preparatory pro cess.  He informed Members that 26 Heads of 
State/Governments, 96 Prime Ministers, 66 Heads of international organizations  and more than 9,000 
delegates had attended the Conference.   
45. He said that the road to the Istanbul Confer ence had not been smooth.  Often, negotiations 
during the preparatory process had come to a dead lock over entrenched positions.  Despite these 
challenges, the international community had been ab le to adopt an agreed Programme of Action for 
the LDCs for the next decade.  The IPoA repres ented a comprehensive programme of policies and 
measures encompassing key areas for LDCs such as  poverty eradication, employment, investment, 
capacity building, agriculture and food security , science and technology,  gender equality, good 
governance, etc.  The IPoA had been well prepar ed, and was not overloade d with numerous targets 
and commitments; rather, it contained some tangible and realistic targets to eradicate poverty in the 
LDCs.  The IPoA recognized that trade could pl ay a major role in ensuring LDCs' sustainable 
economic development.  Some of the notable targ ets in the IPoA included:  (i) achieving a GDP 
growth rate of 7 per cent;  (ii) doubling the sh are of LDC exports in global exports by 2020;  
(iii) accelerating the accession of more LDCs in the WTO; and (iv) enabling half the members of the 
LDCs to graduate from the LDC category by the end of 2020.   
46. He went on to say that besides the inter-gove rnmental track, the LDC-IV Conference had had 
three parallel tracks of deliberations, namely:  parlia mentary, civil society and private sector tracks.  
All those tracks had significantly contributed to  the achievements of the Conference.  The 
parliamentary track was a novelty.  He believed that it was important to involve policy makers, 
especially legislators so that the implementation of the IPoA could receive a high level of support at the national level.  He stressed that efficient fo llow-up and monitoring mechanisms were critical for 
the successful implementation of the IPoA.  As a result, follow-up mechanisms at the national, 
regional and global level formed an  integral part of the IPoA. 
47. During the LDC-IV Conference, Turkey had indicated that it would provide US$5 million for 
the monitoring of the implementation of the IPoA.  Turkey had also announced to host the mid-term 
review of the IPoA.  One of the tangible outcomes from the Conference was its focus on the 
improvement of science and technology in the LDCs .  The IPoA had contained provisions to work 
towards the establishment of a science, technology a nd innovation centre to help LDCs improve their 
scientific research and innovation base.  He expressed  the willingness of his Government to host such 
a centre to promote research, development and innova tion in the LDCs.  He added that some progress 
had already been registered towards establishing a scientific centre dedicated to LDCs.  He further 
said that his Government had the intention to estab lish agricultural centres in  Turkey, in partnership  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
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  with FAO, UNCTAD and WFP, with a view to e nhancing agricultural production and productivity in 
the LDCs.   
48. The Prime Minister of Turkey had announced an economic and technical cooperation package 
for the LDCs during the LDC-IV Conference.  As the host country of the Conference, Turkey would provide to LDCs US$200 million annually, starting in  2012, for technical cooperation projects and 
programmes as well as scholarships.  Out of this budget, US$5 million would be disbursed for the 
monitoring of the implementation of the IPoA.  In  conclusion, he urged Members to work in a 
concerted manner to achieve the goals and objectives of the IPoA. 
49. The representative of India said that her delega tion had attended the LDC-IV Conference held 
in Istanbul in May 2011.  At that Conference, India had reiterated its commitment to further the 
development of LDCs.  She said that India not only had excellent bilateral re lations with the LDCs, 
but also had long-standing development partnerships  with them.  India's development assistance to 
LDCs was aimed at building productive capacity, stre ngthening institutions, improving infrastructure 
and incubating technical expertise in order to create long-term sustainability in the LDCs.   
50. She went on to say that in recognition of the need to provide support to LDCs to meet their 
development priorities, India had adopted a multi-pronged approach.  Since 2003, India's concessional 
lines of credit to LDCs amounted to US$4.8 billio n.  The Aid-for-Trade programmes had led to 
expansion in India-LDC trade from US$16.7 billion in 2008-2009 to US$20. 5 billion in 2009-2010, 
with the balance of trade being in favour of the LDCs.  Since 2003, India's private sector had invested 
more than US$35 billion in the LDCs.  During th e India-LDC Ministerial Conference held in 
February 2011 in New Delhi, the Government of  India had announced a credit line facility of 
US$500 million over the next five years for projects a nd programmes in favour of LDCs.  This credit 
line facility was enhanced to US$1 billion at the LD C-IV Conference.  She further added that during 
the Conference in February 2011, India had also  offered five additional slots under the ITEC 
programme to each LDC on an annual basis as well as a grant of US$5 million for the follow-up of the IPoA.   
51. In conclusion, she said that in an interconn ected and interdependent world, the global 
community had a common destiny.  It was in the co llective interest of the global community that the 
LDCs needed to be put in the forefront of the global development agenda.   
52. The representative of the European Union sai d that her delegation had also actively 
participated in the LDC-IV Conference.  Ap art from the governments, the participation of 
parliamentarians, civil society and private sector had added a positive dimension to the Conference.  
She agreed with the observation made by the represe ntative of Turkey that the outcome document of 
the Conference had gone through long and difficult ne gotiations.  She noted that the Conference had 
been able to adopt a strong political declaration and a comprehensive Programme of Action.  Her 
delegation would have preferred an  outcome which was more focused, concise and balanced across all 
topics.   
53. Her delegation was of the view that one of the major achievements of the Conference was the 
fact that the partnership for development was strengt hened and widened with the inclusion of 
organizations of the United Nations system and other international orga nizations to support the 
implementation of the IPoA.  The novelty of joint actions alongside individual actions by LDCs and 
by development partners was welcome.  She also  welcomed the fact that an explicit link was 
established between the IPoA and South-South co operation, although her delegation would have 
preferred a stronger level of commitments from the emerging economies.  She added that the 
provisions for support to LDCs' own priorities in areas such as productive capacity, agriculture and 
Aid for Trade could have been made much stronge r in the outcome document.  Her delegation would 
also have welcomed more ambitious language in the area of trade.  In conclusion, she reiterated the WT/COMTD/LDC/M/60 
Page 10  
 
  commitment of the EU to translate the IPoA in to concrete measures, which the EU would pursue 
including through bilateral dialogue at the country level.   
54.  The Chairman thanked Members for their contri butions.  He noted that the Work Programme 
for the LDCs would need to take in to account the trade-related elements  of the IPoA in so far as they 
related to the competence of the WTO.  In line w ith his suggestion made under the previous agenda 
item, he would welcome a discussion on the Work  Programme at the next meeting of the 
Sub-Committee which could deliberate on how the Work  Programme could incorporate the IPoA into 
WTO's work.   
55. The representative of Nigeria sought some clarifications in light of suggested discussion of 
the Work Programme for the LDCs at the next meeting of the Sub-Committee.  He asked the 
Chairman whether the discussion on the various elem ents of the Work Programme would also entail 
the possibility of revisiting the LDC accession guidelines that were adopted in 2002.  An indication on 
the scope of the discussion could prepare his delegation well for the forthcoming meeting in October 2011.   
56. The Chairman reiterated that he could not pr ejudge the way in which the discussion on the 
Work Programme would proceed at the next meeting of the Sub-Committee.  Neither could he predict 
as to what conclusions Members would be able to  draw from that discussion.  His suggestion was 
simply to have a broad discussion on the Work Programme, including any element that Members 
would like to take up.  Any up date or change to the Work Pr ogramme would very much depend on 
the deliberations at the October 2011 meeting of the Sub-Committee.  The Chairman proposed that 
the Sub-Committee take note of the statements made.  
57. It was so agreed. 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
58. The Chairman said that the next meeting of the Sub-Committee was tentatively scheduled for 
19 October 2011.   
59. In the absence of any other business, the meeting was adjourned. 
 
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