RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
3 August 2010 
 (10-4119) 
Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries 
Fifty-Sixth Session  
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 30 JUNE 2010 
 
Chairperson:  Ambassador Jean Feyder (Luxembourg) 
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA .........................................................................................................1  
B. WTO WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
(WT/COMTD /LDC/11) ...................................................................................................................1  
(I) Accession of Least-developed Countries to the WTO .................................................................1  
- Report (oral) by the Chairman on the informal Dialogue with acceding 
Least-developed Countries and Members held on 5 May 2010..................................................1  
(II) Trade-related technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives for Least-developed Countries...................................................................................................... ....8
 
- Implementation of the Enhanced Integrat ed Framework:  Report by the Executive 
Director of the EIF Executive Secretariat (JOB/DEV/1)............................................................8  
C. FOURTH UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
(LDC-IV) TO BE HELD IN 2011:   STATEMENT BY TURKEY ..........................................................11  
D. OTHER BUSINESS .......................................................................................................................16  
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Sub-Committee  adopted the draft agenda contained in WTO/AIR/3571. 
B. WTO WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (WT/COMTD /LDC/11) 
2. The Chairman  said that he would take up two elements of the WTO Work Programme for the 
LDCs, namely:  (i) accession of LDCs to the WTO;  and (ii) trade–related technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives for LDCs.  He would then take up an item concerning the Fourth UN 
Conference on LDCs (LDC-IV) to be held in 2011. 
(I) Accession of Least-developed Countries to the WTO 
- Report (oral) by the Chairman on the info rmal Dialogue with acceding Least-developed 
Countries and Members held on 5 May 2010 
3. The Chairman
 gave a detailed account of the informal  Dialogue (hereinafter "the Dialogue") 
with acceding LDCs and Members held on 5 May 2010.  He made the following statement: WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
Page 2  
 
  "The Dialogue with acceding LDCs and Memb ers was held on 5 May 2010 under the 
aegis of the WTO Sub-Committee on LDCs.  The meeting was chaired by myself.  The Dialogue was attended by 11 acceding LDCs and 30 Members. 
The Dialogue was structured into four parts: 
(a) Introductory remarks by myself as Chair of the Sub-Committee on 
LDCs and the Coordinator of the LDCs' Consultative Group.  The 
Director, Accessions Division, reported on the state of play of LDC accessions; 
(b) Interventions on LDCs' accessions by acceding LDCs and WTO 
Members; 
(c) Presentations on technical assistance to acceding LDCs by the 
Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Secretariat and EIF Core Agencies;  and 
(d) Concluding remarks by myself. 
Introductory Remarks
 
The meeting was opened by myself as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on LDCs.  In 
my opening remarks, I recalled that LDCs had requested continuing the Dialogue to 
deepen the engagement between Member s and acceding LDCs.  This Dialogue, 
within the framework of the Sub-Committee,  had been scheduled during the 'Geneva 
Week' to benefit from the participation of the non-resident acceding LDCs. 
Ambassador Darlington Mwape (Zambia), Coordinator of the LDCs' Consultative 
Group, welcomed the Dialogue, which toge ther with the Annual Report on WTO 
Accessions by the Director-General (WT/ACC/ 13) had increased transparency in the 
accession process.  He underlined the importanc e attached by the LDCs to the full 
and faithful implementation of the 2002 Guidelines on LDCs' Accessions (WT/L/508).  In particular, he noted the priority attached by the Group to the 2010 
accessions of Samoa, Vanuatu and Yemen.  He said that conclusion of these 
advanced LDC accessions would reflect the commitment of Members to address LDCs' concerns and would be  a positive contribution from the WTO to the Fourth 
UN Conference on LDCs to be held in 2011. 
Mr Chiedu Osakwe, Director, Accessions Division, presented the state of play of the 
different LDCs' accessions.  He said that the Secretariat was enhancing efforts to 
accelerate the accession of LDCs, including through the personal engagement of the 
WTO Director-General.  Technical assi stance and outreach activities by the WTO 
had increased.  He added that acceding LDCs would continue to be accorded priority in the Biennial WTO Technical Assistance Plan for 2010-2011. 
Interventions on LDCs' accessions by acceding LDCs and WTO Members
 
Acceding LDCs acknowledged the value of  the accession process, including serving 
as an instrument for domestic reform.  Samoa, Vanuatu and Yemen reaffirmed their commitment to conclude their membership ne gotiations in 2010.  In their statements, 
suggestions were made to fully implement the 2002 Guidelines.  They also appreciated the good offices of the Direct or-General in the accession process.  
Members' support and goodwill were sought in  concluding remaining bilateral market  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
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  access negotiations.  They requested flexibilit y with respect to transition periods for 
implementing WTO Agreements.  Ethiopia,  Lao PDR and Sudan in particular 
appealed to Members to facilitate their accession processes.  Afghanistan, Liberia and 
Sao Tomé and Principe acknowledged that th ey were at the initial stages of their 
accession processes.  Their statements i ndicated continued commitment to their 
accession process.  They requested Members and the Secretariat to scale-up 
assistance to their governments.  The impor tance of 'Geneva Week' was appreciated 
by acceding LDCs without a presence in Geneva.  Interventions made by acceding governments underlined the need for rul es–based accession processes, which would 
be based only on economic considerations:  to further simplify and streamline the 
accession process;  to provide technical assistance and capacity building;  and to 
provide for a greater role for Working Party Chairs, including by regularly reporting on progress in acceding LDCs' Working Party processes.  Some acceding LDCs highlighted their governments' political w ill and commitment to sustain the necessary 
domestic reforms for WTO accession and sought Members' support to overcome 
capacity constraints. 
Members exchanged views with acceding LD Cs.  They acknowledged the challenges 
expressed by acceding LDCs and reaffirmed their commitment to facilitate and support LDCs in their accession negotiations.  They noted that achieving universality 
of WTO membership was a shared objective.  LDC Members emphasized the importance of LDCs' accessions to strengthen the trading system.  They drew 
attention to the Phnom Penh Round Table Stat ement, and stressed the need for greater 
transparency and predictability in the pr ocess.  Recently acceded LDC Members also 
shared their perspectives and experi ences.  Some Members proposed greater 
involvement of the Working Party Chairs by inviting them to future dialogues and 
meetings organized by the Sub-Committee on LDCs.  The importance of technical 
assistance at all stages of the accessi on process, including post-accession was 
highlighted. 
Members, active in the accession negotiations , reaffirmed their commitment to the 
2002 Guidelines.  They urged other Members to also participate actively in the Working Party deliberations.  While rec ognizing the length and complexity of the 
accession negotiations, they stated that the process prepared the applicant for 
membership and to implement the balance of rights and obligations.  These Members 
stressed that each acceding country w as unique, that each accession process was 
judged by its own merits and that there was no one-size-fits-all approach across all 
accession negotiations.  Members agreed that such dialogues and mutual exchange of 
views should be continued. 
Presentations on technical assistance to a cceding LDCs by the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework (EIF) Secretariat and EIF Core Agencies  
The EIF Secretariat introduced the representa tives from the EIF Core Agencies.  The 
ITC made a presentation of the programme that had been launched by the WTO Director-General on 1 December 2009, with the EIF Secretariat, for the private sector in acceding LDCs.  The ITC informed Me mbers that the first phase of this 
programme would cover Ethiopia, La o PDR, Samoa and Yemen.  UNCTAD 
provided an overview of its assistance and support to acceding LDCs.  UNDP 
highlighted the support available to accedi ng LDCs (Afghanistan, Bhutan, Comoros, 
Ethiopia, Samoa, Vanuatu) based on the priorities identified in the respective 
Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS)  Action Matrices.  Information on World 
Bank activities was also circulated at the meeting. WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
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  Concluding Remarks
 
In my concluding remarks, I said that the Dialogue had been useful in building 
mutual understanding on LDCs' accession.  I thanked Members, the acceding LDCs 
and the WTO Secretariat for their contributi ons and noted that the active participation 
of acceding LDCs at the Dialogue was proof of their commitment to the accession 
process and to the WTO.  I stressed the shared objective of making the WTO truly 
universal.  I noted that three acceding LD Cs had made steady progress and had the 
perspective to join the organization in the near future.  I expressed the hope that with 
the collective endeavour of all Members, the remaining LDC accessions would be concluded in an expeditious manner.  I added that the Sub-Committee had a mandate 
to review LDCs' accessions and encouraged  the LDC Working Part y Chairs to keep 
the Sub-Committee informed of progress on a regular basis.  I also offered my services, as the Chair of the Sub-Committee, to contribute to the accession of LDCs.  
I concluded by saying that the Dialogue had been useful in strengthening work in this area and that it had underscored the significance of continuing such dialogues under 
the aegis of the Sub-Committee." 
4. The representative of Zambia
, on behalf of the LDCs, thanke d the Chairman for his detailed 
oral report on the Dialogue that had been held on 5 May 2010.  The event had been useful as it had provided an opportunity for the acceding LDCs to highlight some of the difficulties experienced in their accession processes.  It had also provided a platfo rm for the partner institutions to highlight their 
support to the acceding LDCs. 
5. He recalled that the acceding LDCs had been facing a number of challenges in their accession 
process.  There had been differences in interpreta tions of the LDC accession guidelines, in particular 
on the scope of market access commitments.  He noted that the acceding LDCs were being asked to take on commitments beyond their capacity.  Their accession continued to be a lengthy and complex 
process, exacerbated by their weak institutional cap acity.  The non-resident acceding LDCs had been 
facing challenges to keep pace with the negotiations. 
6. He went on to say that the acceding LDCs ha d made a number of suggestions during the 
Dialogue to facilitate their accession to the WTO, whic h included:  (i) the selection of Chairpersons of 
Working Parties by the acceding countries;  (ii) keeping the focus of the accession process on the 
substance of negotiations instead of procedural issues;  (iii) further strengthening of technical 
assistance to acceding LDCs;  (iv) regular briefings  by the Chairpersons of LDC Accession Working 
Parties at the meetings of the Sub-Committee in acc ordance with paragraph 18(ii) of the WTO Work 
Programme for the LDCs;  (v) participation of th e Chairs of the LDC Accession Working Parties in 
future dialogues on LDC accessions;  (vi) gr eater flexibility by Members in the accession 
negotiations;  and (vii) the early resumption of Wo rking Parties for the accessions of Ethiopia and 
Sudan. 
7. He reiterated the need for the full and faithfu l implementation of the letter and spirit of the 
LDC accession guidelines adopted in 2002.  He al so underscored the importance of the good offices 
of the WTO Director-General and Chairpersons of the Working Parties in implementing those guidelines In this regard, he welcomed their con tinued support for LDC accessions.  He appreciated 
the efforts made by Members in concluding bilaterals  with Samoa, Vanuatu and Yemen;  he appealed 
to other Members to finalize their bilateral consu ltations so that these three advanced LDC accessions 
could be concluded before the end of  2010.  In conclusion, he said that it would be useful to receive a 
written report of the Dialogue and requested that the oral statement by the Chairman be reflected fully 
into the minutes of the meeting. 
8. The representative of Yemen
 thanked the Chairman for his informative presentation on the 
Dialogue.  He associated himself with the statemen t made by the representative of Zambia, on behalf  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
 Page 5 
 
 
  of the LDCs, which had reflected the major concerns  faced by the acceding LDCs at this particular 
point of time.  He hoped that Members would ta ke due note of the issues raised in the LDC 
Coordinator's statement and address them as expeditiously as possible. 
9. He recalled that the Brussels Programme of Action (BPOA) adopted at the Third UN 
Conference on the LDCs in 2001 recognized the challenges of LDC accessions and called upon the 
international community to accelerate the accession process of LDCs.  The accession to the WTO was 
only a tool to assist LDCs to achieve their deve lopment potential and objectives.  During the last 
decade, only three LDCs had been ab le to accede to the WTO.  A tota l of 17 LDCs were yet to join 
the organization.  He wondered if given the time that  it had taken for the three LDCs to accede to the 
WTO, and given the current pace of the negotiati ons, it would take nearly six decades for the 
remaining LDCs to complete their respective accessi ons.  That, he believed, would not be desired by 
Members.  He hoped that Members would find so lutions to address the LDC accessions in an 
expeditious manner.  He emphasized the importanc e of finalizing the three advanced LDC accessions 
by the end of 2010.  In this regard, he sought fu ll understanding and flexibility from Members, in 
particular from the members of the Working Parti es as well as from the bilateral negotiating partners.  
The conclusion of the three advanced LDC accessions  could serve as an important deliverable prior 
to, or at the LDC-IV Conference to be held in 2 011.  He reiterated his Government's commitment to 
meeting WTO requirements so as to accede to the WTO, along with the other two advanced LDC 
accessions, before the LDC-IV Conference. 
10. The representative of Lesotho  associated himself with the statement made by Zambia, on 
behalf of the LDCs.  He expressed appreciation to the Chair for his comprehensive report on the 
Dialogue.  Echoing the request made by the LDC Coordi nator, he said that the Chair's report be fully 
included in the minutes of the meeting.  He welc omed the fact that LDC accessions were being 
reviewed on a regular basis and said that he was e qually encouraged to see the active engagement of 
Members to facilitate the accession of LDCs to the WTO.   In particular, he thanked the Director of the 
Accessions Division for his dedication in moving the LDC accessions forward.  He urged Members to 
keep the accession process short and simple as well as to  focus on results.  Lastly, he requested that 
the work in the existing bodies deali ng with LDC accessions be intensified. 
11. The representative of the European Union  reiterated the importance attached to LDC 
accessions to the WTO.  Her delegation would con tinue to support LDC accessions, including through 
technical assistance.  She welcom ed the initiative to have regular dialogues on LDC accessions.  In 
this regard, she stressed that regular discussions  on LDC accessions and information sharing should 
continue to take place in the Sub-Committee, acco rding to the WTO Work Programme for the LDCs 
and its mandate.  She also appreciated the idea of holding the Dialogue during the "Geneva Week", as 
it had facilitated the participation of  non-resident acceding governments. 
12. She said that WTO Members should apply a flexible and streamlined approach to LDC 
accessions and speed up the process without any discr imination.  At the same time, she reminded 
Members that the possibility of concluding any acces sion negotiation depended mainly on the efforts 
of applicant countries.  She invited Members to respond to the efforts made by the acceding 
governments, by intensifying nego tiations and by showing some degree of flexibility.  However, 
flexibility could only be provided within the rules, and accessions should not be at the expense of the 
distortions of the WTO system.  The importance of providing adequate technical assistance to the acceding LDCs to help them prepare for the WT O accession, as well as to implement their accession 
commitments was also highlighted.  Her delegation ha d taken due note of all the issues raised by the 
LDCs and other Members during the Dialogue.  She welcomed the suggestion to include the 
Chairman's oral report in the minutes of the meeting. 
13. The representative of the United States
 appreciated the Chair's statement on the Dialogue.  
She also appreciated the opportunity to review th e issue of LDC accessions at the Sub-Committee, in 
accordance with its mandate.  Her delegation was en thusiastic about LDC accessions because the US WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
Page 6  
 
  wished to see LDCs successfully integrated into the multilateral trading system.  Accessions could 
also build the LDCs' capacity to use their WTO Membership to further their economic and 
development benefit. 
14. She said that the focus of LDC accessions shoul d remain on the substance of the accession 
negotiation in itself and on the implementation of  WTO provisions, as well as on the establishment of 
stable market access commitments.  The timing or form of the accession process should not take 
precedence.  In this context, she emphasized th e need for undertaking the necessary reforms in the 
accession candidate countries during their accessi on process, which could build strong economic 
institutions with a long-term positive impact on trad e, economic growth and domestic development.  
She stressed that only the pace and success of en acting WTO-compliant legislation and regulations, as 
well as implementation of bilateral market access obligations, could drive the pace of an acceding 
country's accession timeline.  False deadlines and a focus on process over substance would not 
advance accession candidate countries' ultimate Membership in the WTO. 
15. She recognized the challenges faced by th e LDCs in their accession negotiations, and 
reiterated that the LDC accession guidelines would con tinue to facilitate the accession of LDCs to the 
WTO.  Those guidelines had been enabling the LDCs  to undertake the necessary reforms to enhance 
economic growth and development, and to successfu lly and meaningfully integrate them into the 
multilateral trading system.  This approach would conti nue to be the basis of engagement by the US to 
the accession process as well as for offering assist ance to the acceding LDCs to become fully 
functioning WTO Members if they choose to join.  She hoped that members of the Working Parties 
would offer their assistance to the remaining LD C accession candidates and would remain engaged in 
the accession process to help the acceding LDCs use the WTO to further their development.  
Recalling the point made by her delegation at the Dialogue, she encouraged all Members to actively participate in Working Party meetings.  Informati on sharing at the Working Party meetings was also 
considered by her delegation as one of the important  forms of technical assistance.  She believed that 
all Members, irrespective of their level of devel opment, had an expertise to provide to the acceding 
LDCs.  She also encouraged Members to particip ate in Sub-Committee meetings, which addressed the 
issue of LDC accessions. 
16. She suggested that in order to facilitate review  in future Sub-Committee meetings, it would be 
helpful if the Accession Division could resume th e issuance of its informal documents entitled 
"Accession of Least-developed Countries, State-of-Pla y", which had been produ ced in the past.  The 
last version of this document had been issued  in October 2007, as document JOB(07)/147.  Her 
delegation had found those short informal notes, containing an overview of the status of each LDC 
accession, useful for Members' discussions.  She requested that the Accession Division resume 
preparing this short informal update prior to fu ture Sub-Committee meetings where LDC accessions 
would be part of the agenda.  She looked forward to  seeing the Chairman's oral report included in the 
minutes of the meeting, as well as to the Sub-Committ ee's continued work on this important issue. 
17. The representative of Turkey
 thanked the Chairman for his detailed report on the Dialogue.  
He associated himself with the statement made by  the representative of Zambia.  He underlined the 
importance of achieving universality of WTO Membership.  He understood that it was the 
responsibility of an acceding government, to comply with WTO's rules and disciplines.  At the same 
time, he noted that acceding LDCs were asked to  take on commitments beyond their capacity.  He 
underscored the importance of enhanced technical assistance to the acceding LDCs to address the 
difficulties faced in their accession processes.  He st ressed that the accession of LDCs needed special 
attention.  He urged Members to support LDC accessions, including through ensuring transparency 
and greater awareness. 
18. The representative of Bangladesh  expressed appreciation for the efforts made by the 
Chairman in facilitating the accession of LDCs to the WTO.  He associated hims elf with the statement 
made by Zambia, on behalf of the LDCs.  He also  expressed satisfaction with the active engagement  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
 Page 7 
 
 
  of the WTO Director-General and the Secretariat to advance LDC accessions and said that early 
accession of LDCs to the WTO was one of the prime objectives of the LDC Group.  He recalled that Members at the Doha Ministerial Conference in  2001 had agreed to f acilitate and accelerate 
negotiations with acceding LDCs.  Speedy accession to the WTO would help the acceding countries 
to better integrate into global trade.  He underlin ed the need for adequate technical assistance to the 
acceding LDCs.  He urged Members to intensify thei r efforts to conclude the LDC accessions as soon 
as possible, as it would further strengthen the multilateral trading system. 
19. The representative of China
 thanked the Chairman for his comprehensive report on the 
Dialogue.  The Dialogue had been a success, like the one in 2009, reflecting the importance attached 
by Members to the accession of LDCs to the WTO.  It had provided a fruitful discussion on the way 
forward to assist the acceding LDCs.  He underlined  the need for the continuation of such dialogues 
as well as other forms of discussions, to provide oppor tunities to the acceding developing countries, in 
particular the LDCs, to make their views known to Members. 
20. He reiterated the commitment of his delegati on to the faithful implementation of the LDC 
accession guidelines adopted in 2002.  China had fulfilled its commitment by abstaining from undue 
requirements in bilateral negotiations as well as by  providing assistance to, and sharing experiences 
with, the acceding LDCs.  He underlined the importa nce of further simplifying the negotiation process 
with a view to accelerating and facilitating LD C accessions.  Moreover, he believed that the 
implementation of the LDC accession guidelines, which was an important foundation for considering LDC accessions to the WTO, needed further im provement including making the provisions more 
clear and workable.  At the same time, he undersco red the need for a systematic improvement of the 
accession process in the WTO to effectively address th e concerns raised by the acceding LDCs at the 
Dialogue held on 5 May 2010. 
21. The representative of Rwanda
 thanked the Chair for his commitment to advance the LDC 
accessions.  He also thanked the WTO Secretariat, in particular the Director of the Accessions 
Division for his assistance and cooperation in facilitating the accession of LDCs.  He associated 
himself with the statement made by Zambia, on behalf of the LDCs.  He said that the LDC accession 
process should proceed in line with the accession guidelines adopted by Members in 2002.  He 
expressed concern over the demands that were being made to the acceding LDCs in their accession negotiations, which in many cases were more oner ous than the commitments undertaken by the 
developing countries or emerging economies.  Refe rring to a recent meeting in UNCTAD concerning 
flexibilities in WTO Agreements, he had found out that in its accession package Cambodia had 
accepted to bind its agricultural export subsidies at zero rates while developed countries continued to 
provide huge subsidies.  Similarly,  Nepal had agreed not to introdu ce export subsidies in agriculture.  
The bound tariffs by these two acceded LDCs were far beyond the commitments undertaken by the 
developing countries.  He regretted the fact that th e trade instruments used by the developed countries 
in the past during their development process were now  being denied to the LDCs.  He appealed to 
developed country Members to refrain from ma king excessive demands from the acceding LDCs.  He 
stressed that accession of LDCs should be consiste nt with their level of development and that it 
should serve the objective of promoting development in the LDCs. 
22. The Chairman
 noted that there had been a request to ha ve his oral report reflected fully in the 
minutes of the meeting.  A request had also been made by the representative of the US to resume 
issuance of the informal state of play notes on LDC accessions that used to be prepared in the past.  
He requested the Secretariat to  accommodate both these requests. 
23. The Secretariat  (Director, Development Division) said that the Secretariat would continue to 
facilitate discussion on LDC accessions at the Sub- Committee.  He noted the request made by the 
LDC Coordinator for a full reflection of the Chairman 's oral report on the informal Dialogue in the 
minutes of the meeting, which had also received support from other Members.  The Secretariat would 
make a detailed record of the Chairman's oral report in the minutes of the meeting and would also WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
Page 8  
 
  make an effort to issue the minutes as soon as po ssible.  As regards the request made by the 
representative of the US concerning the resumption of the circulation of brief informal notes on the state of play of LDC accessions, he said that he would consult the Accessions Division with a view to 
ensuring that such notes were prepared as and when  the issue of LDC accessions was included on the 
agenda of future meetings of the Sub-Committee. 
24. The Chairman
 said that the value of the Dialogue was recognized by all Members.  Moreover, 
the timing of the event was opportune, as it had allowed the participation of non-resident acceding LDCs.  It had been the first time that the S ub-Committee had devoted its meeting to one specific 
topic, which was a reflection of intensification of  work relating to LDC ac cessions under the aegis of 
the Sub-Committee.  He looked forward to building on the Dialogue in the future. 
25. He expressed appreciation to the Secretariat, for its efforts to move forward the LDC 
accessions.  He would continue to maintain close c ontact with the Secretariat so as to keep a tab on 
the progress made in LDC accessions.  He thanked Members and acceding LDCs for their active participation in the Dialogue, as it had deepen ed the engagement between WTO Members and 
acceding LDCs.  He urged Members to provide a ll possible support and cooperation to conclude 
on-going LDC accessions as soon as possible.  In c onclusion, he said that the Sub-Committee would 
continue to attach special attention to the issue of accession under the Work Programme for the LDCs.  
He would remain in touch with delegations w ith a view to taking forward the work on LDC 
accessions.  He proposed that the Sub-Committee take note of his oral report on the Dialogue held on 
5 May 2010 as well as of the statements made. 
26. It was so agreed
. 
(II) Trade-related technical assistance and capac ity-building initiatives for Least-developed 
Countries 
- Implementation of the Enhanced Integrated Fr amework:  Report by the Executive Director of 
the EIF Executive Secretariat (JOB/DEV/1) 
 
27. The Chairman  said that the EIF had been fully oper ational since July 2009.  A strong 
momentum of partnership in trade capacity buildin g had been forged with the LDCs.  Almost all 
LDCs were at various stages of the EIF process.  He said that in order to fac ilitate discussions on this 
item, the EIF Executive Secretariat had prepared a brief note, which had been circulated as 
JOB/DEV/1.  He invited the Executive Director of the EIF Executive Secretariat, Ms Dorothy Tembo, 
to provide the Sub-Committee with an update on the implementation of the EIF. 
28. The representative of the Executive Secretariat of the EIF  said that progress had been made 
since she had last briefed the Sub-Committee in  2009.  Administrative arrangements had been 
consolidated.  Guidelines had b een finalized, facilitating full accessibility to the resources provided 
through the two windows of the EIF Trust Fund making it fully operational. 
29. She said that the EIF was at an important juncture where there was renewed momentum in 
support of a wider group of beneficiar y LDCs and a clear drive to show  results on the ground.  To this 
end, the EIF was rolling out a Monitoring and Ev aluation Framework alongside a package of support 
to the EIF beneficiaries, to better account for results and to capture progress being made both at national and at the global level.  In this regard, sh e reiterated the readiness of  the Executive Secretariat 
as well as of the Trust Fund Manage r to support the LDCs as needed.  She informed Members that the 
first Tier 2 project submissions were expected in July 2010, and that LDCs were being requested to 
provide indications of future proposals.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
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  30. She went on to say that with the completion of all the vital foundation work, a new chapter 
had begun for the EIF.  More focus was be ing given to project delivery to address, inter alia , 
supply-side constraints, building on capacity deve lopment projects already undertaken in a number of 
EIF countries and providing necessary support and tools to those lagging behind in accessing benefits under the EIF.  She hoped that this approach wo uld work towards fulfillin g the EIF's mandate of 
being a vehicle to make the LDCs more active players in the global trading system as well as 
promoting economic growth and sustainable development. 
31. As regards the EIF global structure, she said that the EIF Steering Committee was in place, 
the first meeting of which had taken place on 30 Ap ril 2010 at which the Terms of Reference (TORs) 
of the body had been adopted.  The Committee had elected Ambassador Hannu Himanen (Finland) as 
its Chair.  The full EIF Board (replacing the interim Board) had come into being on 30 April 2010 and 
included capital-based representatives from both LD C and donor constituencies.  Ambassador Mothae 
A. Maruping (Lesotho) continued to chair the EIF Board meetings.  Concerning the staffing in the 
Executive Secretariat, she said that  the Executive Secretariat was in the process of hiring an additional 
coordinator and a monitoring and evaluation expert.  The Secretariat team had also been reinforced 
with short–term consultancy s upport as well as through secondments. 
32. With regard to the funding stat us, she said that contribution ag reements had been signed with 
22 donors, including the EU, bringing the number of donors supporting the Multi-Donor Trust Fund 
up to 23.  Saudi Arabia had been the most recent addition to the donors signing a contribution agreement in February 2010.  The total amount re ceived in the Trust Fund stood at US$103 million.  
She underlined the importance of continued support to the Trust Fund, to meet the growing demand 
for support of projects arising from a growing number of beneficiary countries (47 LDCs).  She also 
underlined the need for a timely release of existi ng commitments, and efforts to provide additional 
contributions, both to the EIF Multi-Donor Trust Fund as well as through bilateral channels.  She 
further informed Members that the EIF Trust F und Manager – UNOPS – had concluded partnership 
agreements with ITC, UNCTAD and UNIDO and wa s finalizing an agreement with UNDP.  The 
World Bank was working through its EIF Subsidia ry Trust Fund.  Memoranda of Understanding 
(MoUs) had been signed with the Trust Fund Manage r to facilitate the implementation of pre-DTIS 
and Tier 1 projects. 
33. She noted that, since July 2009, the EIF Board had approved 14 Tier 1 projects for Burundi, 
Cambodia, the Central African Republic, the Gambia , Lao PDR, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, 
Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.  A proposal from Mali was under consideration 
by the Board.  An additional 17 projects were at  various stages of development.  Pre-DTIS projects 
had been approved for Bangladesh, Bhutan, the De mocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Togo, 
with consultations ongoing for Afghanistan.  The DTISs of DRC and Togo were awaiting validation 
by their respective governments while the DTIS of Afghanistan was due to be completed in 2010.  A 
DTIS template as well as guidelines for Tier 1 and Ti er 2 projects had been designed to help countries 
benefit from the EIF process. 
34. She said that a range of activities to support th e EIF were currently under development.  A 
five-year strategic plan for the EIF, including a resource mobilization plan and a communications strategy, were underway.  The compendium of guide lines as well as the user-manual of the EIF would 
be finalized soon.  Inputs for the EIF policy on graduation were being finalized by the LDC Group and this item would be placed on the next EIF Boar d meeting for its approval.  As regards the EIF 
capacity building programme, two regional workshops ha d been held in the first half of 2010 – for the 
Pacific (Vanuatu, in March) and for Asia (Nepal, in  June).  Two additional workshops would be held 
in West Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa, respectively, before the end of 2010.  Additional 
country-specific modules (starting with project cy cle development and main streaming) were being 
developed to build on these regional exchanges.  Sh e further stated that an interim communications 
work plan was under development to suppor t EIF partners in outreach, advocacy and 
awareness-raising, as well as raising the profile and visibility of the EIF through press and publicity WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
Page 10  
 
  and use of updated web material.  She pointed out that the EIF was actively involved in the WTO's 
Trade Policy Review process, providing a vital link to the wider Aid-for-Trade agenda and capturing 
the support provided under the EIF.  Lastly she said that she looked forward to presenting more 
concrete achievements under the EIF in the run up to the LDC-IV Conference in 2011. 
35. The representative of Zambia
, on behalf of the LDCs, thanked the Executive Director of the 
EIF Executive Secretariat for her comprehensive report on the implementation of the EIF.  He was 
pleased to note that the EIF was operational, with a fully functional administrative structure, including 
the EIF Board and the Steering Committee.  The finalization of these administrative arrangements represented a big milestone in the effective implementation and management of the EIF.  He expressed appreciation to the Secretariat and the In terim Board members for the work undertaken to 
fully operationalize the EIF.  He expressed satisf action over the progress made towards finalization of 
the EIF Compendium.  He looked forward to the completion of the remaining work relating to monitoring and evaluation as well as of the strategic plan, which in particular could facilitate the 
implementation of Tier 2 projects. 
36. He pointed out that the increased number of submissions of Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects as well 
as their speedy approvals was a clear manifestation of the commitment on the part of the EIF 
stakeholders.  He reiterated that the EIF would continue to remain a valuable programme which 
assisted LDCs to integrate trade into their nati onal planning processes and development plans and to 
address, in a coherent manner, LDCs' capacity constrai nts for their effective participation in the global 
trading system.  He noted the steady increase in th e resources under the EIF Trust Fund over the past 
one year and thanked the EIF donors for their contri butions.  He was encouraged to see that both 
developed and developing countries had come forward to support the EIF.  He called upon other 
Members for their support.  In conclusion, he reite rated the commitment of the LDCs to ensure that 
the objectives of the EIF were fully met. 
37. The representative of Lesotho
 thanked Ms Tembo for her comp rehensive update on the EIF.  
He associated himself with the statement made by Zambia, on behalf of the LDCs.  He expressed 
satisfaction with the fact that the EIF had become fully operational.  Within a short space of time, 
20 Tier 1 project proposals had been approved, refl ecting the dynamism of the EIF and dispelling any 
scepticism.  He noted that the EIF Steering Committ ee had been activated under the Chairmanship of 
the Ambassador of Finland and that the EIF Board ha d met as a full Board, transiting from its interim 
status.  Mechanisms were being put in place on th e ground to allow LDCs to  fully benefit from the 
EIF process.  He expressed appreciation for the work undertaken by the Executive Director as well as 
other members of the Executive Secretariat, the Trust Fund Manager and other key players to make 
the EIF fully functional.  He underlined the need fo r broadening the donor base of the EIF Trust Fund.  
He called upon both develope d and developing country Members to contribute to the EIF Trust Fund.  
Citing the example of Saudi Arabia which made a re cent contribution, he encouraged the developing 
countries to contribute towards strengthening the EIF Trust Fund.  He argued that with the increasing 
number of LDCs coming under the umbrella of th e EIF, the current level of funding needed 
replenishment so as to allow the EIF to make meanin gful interventions in the LDCs.  In conclusion, 
he stressed that the EIF should be mainstreamed in to the deliberations of the LDC-IV Conference to 
be held in 2011. 
38. The representative of the European Union  welcomed the opportunity hearing regularly from 
the Executive Director of the EIF Executive Secretariat at the Sub-Committee.  She congratulated the 
Executive Secretariat as well as the EIF Board for thei r efforts in fully operationalizing the EIF, for 
the recent transition to a full Board, and the holding of the first meeting of the Steering Committee, as 
well as the finalization of key administrative instru ments.  She expressed her delegation's appreciation 
for the progress made in operati onalizing the Monitoring and Eval uation framework, as well as the 
work undertaken on the Compendium.  She looked fo rward to continuing to contribute to all aspects 
of the EIF process, including through contributions  to the EIF Trust Fund and through substantial 
bilateral assistance.  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
 Page 11 
 
 
  39. The representative of Canada  congratulated the Executive Director of the EIF Executive 
Secretariat as well as her team, the Chair and other members of the EIF interim Board for their hard work in bringing the EIF to fruition.  He inform ed Members that since December 2009, Canada had 
disbursed two tranches of its pledge to the EIF Trust Fund representing Canadian$7.68 million.  That 
was in line with Canada's original commitment of 19.2 million made in 2007.  He encouraged the EIF 
Executive Secretariat to work to wards ensuring that results were  achieved from its interventions, 
including with respect to establishing an appropriate Results-Based Management Monitoring framework together with baseline indicators.  He welcomed the re cent work undertaken towards this 
end and looked forward to participating in the ensu ing discussions.  He appreciated the recruitment of 
a monitoring and evaluation coordinator in the Secretariat team. 
40. The Chairman
 thanked Members for their contributions.  He said that the EIF would continue 
to remain an important instrument to help LDCs  address their trade capacity needs.  The LDCs had 
started to benefit from the resources available under it .  He thanked all donors for their contributions 
and urged them and other Members to scale up their contributions to further strengthen the EIF Trust 
Fund.  He underlined the importance of maintaini ng the funding momentum.  He also encouraged the 
LDCs to make use of the EIF process to access br oader financing for trade -related projects.  He 
proposed that the Sub-Committee take note of th e report made by the Executive Director, the 
background document contained in JOB/DEV/1 as well as of the statements made. 
41. It was so agreed.  
C. FOURTH UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LDC-IV) TO 
BE HELD IN 2011:   STATEMENT BY TURKEY  
42. The Chairman  recalled that at the meeting of the Sub-Committee held in November 2009, he 
had indicated that the preparations for the LDC-IV Conference had begun.  The UN General 
Assembly, through a Resolution, had invited all organi zations to contribute to this Conference.  Three 
Inter-agency Consultative meetings  had been held.  Regional reviews had taken place in the Asia 
Pacific and the African regions, to provide input s into the intergovernmental negotiating process, 
expected to be convened in January 2011 in New Yo rk.  He invited the Ambassador of Turkey – the 
host country for the LDC-IV Conference – to make a statement on this item. 
43. The representative of Turkey  (Ambassador Bozkurt Aran) noted that this was the first time 
that the LDC-IV Conference was being discussed under an agenda item in a WTO Committee.  He 
said that the current list of LDCs included 49 count ries, of which 33 were from Africa, 15 from Asia 
and the Pacific and one from the Americas.  These LD Cs represented the most vulnerable segment of 
the international community, characterized by their acute susceptibility to extern al shocks, natural and 
man-made disasters and communicable diseases.  The LDC-IV – a once in a decade UN Conference on LDCs - would thus be a major event before th e international community to address the challenges 
faced by the LDCs. 
44. He said that LDC-IV Conference would be conve ned in the first half of 2011 in Turkey as 
decided by the General Assembly in its resolutions 63/227 and 64/213.  Both resolutions gave a 
mandate to the Office of the High Representativ e for the Least-Developed Countries, Landlocked 
Developing Countries and Small Isla nd Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) to act as the focal point of 
the preparations for the Conference and requested the organizations of the United Nations system 
including UNDP, UNCTAD, the regional commissions, the specialized agencies, and funds and programmes, Bretton Woods institutions, WTO a nd other relevant inte rnational and regional 
organizations within their respective mandates to provide necessary support and actively contribute to 
the preparatory process and to the Conference itself. 
45. He said that Turkey had been attaching the ut most importance to the preparatory process to 
ensure a successful event along with a meaningf ul outcome.  He underlined the importance of WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
Page 12  
 
  achieving specific deliverables that would strengt hen LDCs' capacities in finding their way to 
sustainable development paths.  He reiterated th e commitment of his Government to make all the 
necessary arrangements in Turkey with a view to  achieving a successful Conference which would 
better benefit LDCs in their struggle to overc ome their long-lasting a nd emerging development 
challenges. 
46. He recalled that national reports by LDCs had been presented to the UN-OHRLLS.  Two 
regional reviews had been held:  one for Asia and the Pacific LDCs in Bangladesh (Dhaka);  and the 
other for African LDCs in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa).  These two events, organized in the first quarter of 
2010, had been attended by representatives from LDCs, development part ners and relevant 
international organizations.  The outcomes of the regional reviews and nati onal reports had provided 
some assessment of the BPOA for the LDCs for the Decade 2001-2010 and the emerging new 
priorities for the LDCs. 
47. He informed Members that a number of pre-Conf erence events had already been held and that 
some other such events were also being planne d.  The UN-OHRLLS would organize a brainstorming 
meeting of experts from 14 to 16 July 2010 in Ne w York at which the BPOA would be reviewed and 
a framework for a renewed partnership between LD Cs and their developmen t partners would be 
discussed.  That meeting would also review the m onitoring mechanisms and implementation of the 
commitments of LDCs and their development part ners and explore ways to strengthen mutual 
accountability. 
48. He underscored the need for the contributions of  the Geneva-based international organizations 
within their respective mandates to the preparatory pro cess as well as to the Conference itself.  In this 
regard, he drew Members' attention to two pre-C onference events to be held in Geneva under the 
theme of "Enhancing the Role of Trade in LDCs ' Development".  The first one, with the theme 
entitled " Enhancing Market Access" would be or ganized by UNCTAD from 27 to 29 October, while 
the second one entitled "Building Capacity to Trad e" would be organized by the World Bank in 
December 2010.  He encouraged the Geneva–based organizations to  contribute to these events. 
49. He went on to acknowledge the pioneer role be ing played by UNCTAD with regard to the 
issues related to LDCs.  The UNCTAD Task Force ha d prepared an analytical report on the economic 
performance of the LDCs between 2001-2010.   UNCTAD's governing body – the Trade and 
Development Board (TDB) – had held an Executive Session on 8 June 2010 to discuss that report.  He 
had participated in that session as one of the speak ers, which had contributed to keeping the LDC 
issues pertinent and high on the international agenda. 
50. He said that the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee would start negotiating the Draft 
Outcome document of the LDC-IV Conference in Janua ry 2011, giving all stakeholders merely six 
months to conclude their contributions.  He emphasi zed the need to work e xpeditiously and to focus 
on possible deliverables for the Conference, incl uding by creating consensus on new and innovative 
international support mechanisms in addition to enhanc ing existing measures.  In this regard, the role 
of Geneva-based organizations including the WTO w ould be critical.  He said that on the trade front, 
there were opportunities for expanding the coverage  and the number of countries providing duty-free 
and quota-free market access (DFQF) and for the simplif ication of the rules of origin associated with 
preference schemes. 
51. He continued by saying that there were roughly 20 main issues that had been affecting the 
LDCs.  The task before the international community  was not to describe them in the most elaborate 
manner, but to define those deliverables which c ould respond to the needs of the LDCs and identify 
the relevant UN organizations responsible for the im plementation of the different deliverables.  He 
emphasized the importance of the capacity-building in itiatives such as Aid for Trade and in particular 
the EIF.  He hoped that with the operationalizati on of the EIF – an integrated and multi–partner 
initiative – effective results would accrue to the LDCs.  He encouraged all the EIF partners to  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
 Page 13 
 
 
  continue with their proactive involvement in deliv ering the much needed tr ade-related assistance to 
the LDCs. 
52. With respect to the themes to be addressed at  the LDC-IV Conference, he said that the 
following issues had received due emphasis during th e deliberations over the last six months in 
Geneva:  (i) development of productive capacities;   (ii) scaling up and en hancing the quality of 
development aid;  (iii) diversification of LDCs' export base and market opportunities;  (iv) enhancing 
the capacity of LDCs in services trade, particularly tourism;  (v) South-South cooperation and regional integration;  and (vi) FDI and transfer of  technology.  He underlined the importance of the 
role of democratic institutions and the concep t of good development gove rnance.  He hoped that 
efforts on these issues would lead to new developmen t paths with eventual structural transformation 
in the LDCs. 
53. He said that the primary responsibility for desi gn and implementation of  development policies 
lay with the LDCs, themselves, as they were s overeign entities.  Ownershi p should be the driving 
force for the LDCs.  At the same time, he stressed  that national efforts needed to be complemented 
with well-targeted development aid.   He invited the international community to continue to provide 
development assistance to the LDCs, in particular  to enhancing the quality of aid to the LDCs. 
54. He pointed out that the scope for South–Sout h cooperation had significantly increased since 
the last UN Conference on LDCs (LDC-III) held in 2001.  Several emerging countries, including 
Turkey, had expanded their interac tion and cooperation with the LDCs .  He believed that countries 
which had much more recent and pertinent expe riences with the development process compared to 
advanced industrialized countries had an important ro le to play in bringing a much needed dynamism 
to the cause of the LDCs. 
55. His country felt privileged to host the LDC-IV Conference.  Turkey attached the highest 
importance to the Conference.  In this regard, Dr  Mehmet Arda had been assigned as the Coordinator 
for the preparations of the Conference.  A number of brainstorming meetings had been held under the 
Chair of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.   The High Representative for the LDCs, Mr Diarra, 
had paid a visit to his country and had exchange d views with his authorities on all aspects of the 
LDC-IV Conference.  The Permanent mission of Tu rkey in New York had also organized a panel 
discussion in collaboration with the UN-OHRLLS, at th e Columbia University on 19 May 2010.  The 
panel had been one of the pre-C onference events and was entitled:  "Resource Mobilization for LDCs' 
Sustainable Growth and Development".  He also  underscored the importance of civil society 
contributions to the Conference. 
56. In conclusion, he said that Turkey was committed to raising the awareness of, and interest in, 
issues related to LDCs among the international co mmunity and to creating a political momentum for 
the LDC-IV Conference.  The Prime Minister of Tu rkey had sent a letter to the G-20 leaders on the 
occasion of the G-20 Summit held in June 2010 in Toront o (Canada);  in this regard, he was happy to 
see that the G-20 Summit Declaration had included a reference to the LDC-IV Conference and had 
emphasized the importance of working with LDCs to enable them to participate in, and benefit from, 
the multilateral trading system.  He urged all st akeholders to work in close cooperation and 
coordination to further protect and promote the interests of LDCs. 
57. The representative of Zambia
, on behalf of LDCs , thanked the Chairman for including the 
item on LDC-IV Conference on the agenda of the meeting.  He expressed appreciation to the 
Government of Turkey for hosting the LDC-IV Conf erence, and thanked the Ambassador of Turkey 
for his personal commitment to advance the cause of the LDCs. 
58. He said that the LDC-IV Conference would not only be seen as an opportunity to review 
developments since the adoption of the BPOA in 2001, but would also be an occasion to reflect on the 
most appropriate and effective means of achieving the desired development objectives of the LDCs in WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
Page 14  
 
  future.  He noted that while some progress had been  achieved in last ten years, it was not enough to 
make a substantial transformation in the LDC econom ies, leaving most of the LDCs in the same 
category as before.  The majority of the populatio n in the 49 LDCs lived below the poverty line.  
Export baskets were narrow and were dominated by commodities with low-value addition.  The 
LDCs' economies had largely remained undiversified. 
59. He underlined the importance of investment in productive capacities in the LDCs as it could 
make a significant contribution to alleviating pover ty in an effective and decisive manner.  He 
informed Members that, as part of LDCs' input  into the Outcome Document of the LDC-IV 
Conference, the LDC Group in Geneva was planning  to hold a meeting to draw up possible areas of 
deliverables on the trade front.  In conclusion, he sought support from all Members towards a 
successful LDC-IV Conference. 
60. The representative of Lesotho
 thanked the Ambassador of Turkey for his comprehensive 
statement, which contained elements that could form  part of the outcome of the LDC-IV Conference.  
He associated himself with the statement made by Zambia, on behalf of the LDCs.  He underlined the importance of ownership in the preparatory process leading up to the Conference, as well as the need 
for adequate consultations with a ll stakeholders to shape the Outcome Document of the Conference. 
61. He went on to say that a sound analysis of the performance of the LDCs in the last decade 
should be made, before a new set of recommendations were put forwar d.  In this regard, he drew 
attention to the paucity of data on LDCs.  Special attention was needed in the collection and analysis 
of data as well as in the interpretation of trends be ing observed in the LDCs.  He cautioned that in the 
absence of sound data, policy prescriptions could be mi sleading for the LDCs.  He further said that 
aggregate statistics could hide substantial varia tion of capacities and performance across the LDCs.  
That was why a review of the existing criteria for the classification of LDCs was needed, which he believed should be based on special features. 
62. He said that the LDC-IV Conference would be an opportunity to review the efficacy of the 
policy prescriptions given to the LDCs over the last  decade.  The recent economic and financial crisis 
had put back the role of the state at the centre stage of development.  Most of the LDCs had 
abandoned the planning process with the launch of th e structural adjustment programmes.  While 
recognizing the importance of policy framework papers or Poverty Re duction Strategy Papers 
(PRSPs), he emphasized the need for the LDCs to  formulate comprehensive national policies with a 
legitimate role of the state in the development process.  He suggested that the LDC-IV Outcome 
Document should avoid generalities and rather focus on specific targets which could be tracked with a 
credible monitoring and evaluation mechanism. 
63. The representative of the European Union
 said that as a major partner of the LDCs, on both 
the trade and development fronts, the EU was fully  committed to the implementation of the outcomes 
of UN LDC Conferences.  She recalled that the EU had hosted the third UN Conference on LDCs in Brussels in 2001, and therefore her delegation felt par ticularly linked to this LDC-IV process.  The 
EU had also delivered on many of the recommendations  that were agreed at the LDC-III Conference, 
especially in the areas of trade and aid.  She said that the EU was committed to participating actively 
in the preparatory process in the run up to the LDC IV Conference in Istanbul in 2001. 
64. The representative of UNCTAD
 said that the executive session of the TDB that had met on 
8 June 2010 had focussed on substa ntive ideas which could feed into the final outcome of the LDC-IV 
Conference.  He informed Members that UNCTAD would organize a pre-Conference event from 
27 to 29 October 2010 covering all UNCTAD's activities, including a session on trade and productive 
capacity building.  He noted that one of the ke y challenges faced by the LDCs was their weak 
productive capacities.  He said that the session on trade and productive capacity building that would take place on 28 October 2010 would be organized in  collaboration with agency partners, namely  WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
 Page 15 
 
 
  ITC, UNDESA, UNDP and the WTO.  UNCTAD would k eep relevant agencies informed of further 
developments. 
65. The Chairman  said that work was being undertaken by a number of agencies to contribute to 
the discussions in the lead up to the LDC-IV Confer ence in 2011.  In his capaci ty as the President of 
the Trade and Development Board in UNCTAD, he  had convened an executive session of the TDB on 
8 June 2010 to discuss UNCTAD's contribution to the Conference.  The report of that session would 
be issued soon in the form of a "Chairman's Su mmary".  He said that the UN-OHRLLS had been 
designated as the Focal Po int for the Conference. 
66. He continued by saying that the progress in  the implementation of the commitments 
undertaken by the international community throug h the BPOA had not been encouraging.  Unlike 
some LDCs in Asia, most of the LDCs lagged behind the targets set at the BPOA.  While there had 
been some growth in the LDCs, it was not adequate to make a structural change in LDC economies.  The vast majority of LDCs continued to be de pendent on a limited number of export products with 
little value addition.  Diversification of their pr oduction and export base ha d not taken place.  The 
multiple crises of recent years had dragged the gr owth momentum in the LDCs and had increased 
their vulnerability.  It had also become evident th at the circumstances in the LDCs which had not been 
uniform had been responsible for th e heterogeneous growth pattern exhibited by i ndividual LDCs.  He 
emphasized the importance of agriculture in LDC ec onomies.  Despite agriculture being the dominant 
sector in a majority of the LDCs, many LDCs had been  experiencing a deficit in the food trade.  In 
fact, this deficit had widened in the last decade from US$7 billion to US$28 billion.  This fact was deplorable since the LDCs once had had a surplus in  trade in agricultural and food products.  He said 
that the session in UNCTAD had discussed the need fo r the reinforcement of productive capacity in 
the agriculture sector so that it could play its due role in the LDC economies.  At the same time, a 
number of reports had shown that there was an  ongoing deindustrialization in the LDCs, which 
needed to be carefully looked in to by the international community. 
67. The relationship between the state and the market was also discussed at the UNCTAD 
session.  The recent economic crisis had brought up th is issue in the discussion.  There was a growing 
appreciation for an increased role of the state in th e development of LDCs, especially in formulating a 
vision for development, in establishing productive cap acities, in attracting and channelling investment 
to targeted sectors and in creating jobs.  The role of the state in creating the necessary infrastructure to 
facilitate trade had also been recognized. 
68. He went on to say that there had also been  discussions on the Doha Round of negotiations.  
There was a call for the implementation of the Decision on DFQF market access for LDC products, 
simplification of preferential rules of origin, deeper  regional integration, mobilization of financing for 
productive capacity building and implementation of development-assistance commitments.  The 
potentials of the Aid-for-Trade Initiative and that of  the EIF had also been highlighted.  A call was 
also made to address the challenges arising from clim ate change.  He further said that maintaining a 
common external tariff in regional trade arrangement s was another challenge for the LDCs.  He said 
that these were the issues that should feature in the outcome document of the LDC-IV Conference. 
69. He said that the international community s hould assist LDCs to face global competition.  
Productive capacity would need to be built in the LDCs under an appropriate policy framework.  He 
referred to the policies pursued by the East Asian countries during the phase of their rapid development.  He pointed out that trade policies in the LDCs, in particular the trade regulatory 
framework, were not facilitating the development of their productive capacities.  He cited the example 
of Haiti which had lowered its import tariffs whic h consequently had had a severe impact on its 
agricultural production.  In this regard, he drew Me mbers' attention to a recent statement made by the 
former President of the US, Mr Bill Clinton, before  a Senate Committee.  Mr Clinton had stated that 
the opening of markets by Haiti – a policy which the US had subscribed to when Mr Clinton was the 
President – had brought some negative consequences to Haiti's economy, including a drastic fall in the WT/COMTD/LDC/M/56 
Page 16  
 
  production of rice in the country.  The Chairman concluded by saying that a rethinking on policy 
prescriptions was needed to help LDCs integrate into the global economy. 
70. The representative of Haiti
 thanked the Chairman for the information provided on Haiti.  He 
said that the trade liberalization in his country had begun in 1986, prior to Mr Clinton assuming the office of the US Presidency.  The liberalization had been done to ensure availability of certain critical 
products for the population.  However, as a consequence local production of rice virtually 
disappeared.  He pointed out that Haiti had been pursuing a policy of liberalization for more than 
20 years and that it had become one of the poorest countries in the Caribbean region.  The country had also suffered from frequent natural disasters.  He  said that measures were being taken by his 
Government to increase the level of local production. 
71. The Chairman
 said that the LDC-IV Conference would be an important event bringing 
together the UN member states and other LDC devel opment partners to chart out, jointly with the 
LDCs, a new road map for the development of LDCs.  He urged all agencies to make contributions to 
the LDC-IV Conference.  He said that he had in itiated discussions with the WTO Secretariat to see 
how best the Sub-Committee could contribute to this process.  He believed that it would be useful if 
the Secretariat could prepare a paper on issues of WT O's competence.  He requested the Secretariat to 
prepare such a paper for Members' considerati on at the October meeting of the Sub-Committee. 
72. It was so agreed . 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
73. The Chairman  drew Members' attention to the UN Summit on the Millennium Development 
Goals (MDGs) convened from 20 to 22 Septembe r 2010 in New York to assess and accelerate 
progress towards achieving the MDGs by 2015. 
74. The Chairman  said that the next meeting of the Su b-Committee was tentatively scheduled for 
20 October 2010. 
75. In the absence of any other business, the meeting was adjourned.  
 
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