WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
26 July 2006 
 
 (06-3584) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Dedicated Session Original:   English 
 
 
 
SMALL ECONOMIES WORK PROGRAMME:  THE MONITORING ROLE OF 
THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT IN DEDICATED SESSION 
 
Communication from Antigua and Barbuda, Barb ados, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican 
Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenad a, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica,  Mauritius , Mongolia , 
Nicaragua , Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Solom on Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis,  
St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago  
 
Revision  
 
  The following communication, dated 20 July 2006, is being circulated at the request of the above delegations.  
______________ 
 
 
THE MONITORING ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND  
DEVELOPMENT IN DEDICATED SESSION 
  
1. During the Committee on Trade and Development in Dedicated Session (CTD DS) held in 
October 2005, Members agreed to the continuation of  the "two-track" approach in which the progress 
of Agreement-specific proposals tabled in the rele vant negotiating and other bodies be monitored by 
the CTD DS.  This decision was endorsed by the Mi nisterial Conference in Hong Kong, China, as is 
stated in the paragraph 41 of the Ministerial Declaration: 
 Paragraph 41: 
 
 We reaffirm our commitment to the Work Pr ogramme on Small Economies and urge Members 
to adopt specific measures that  would facilitate the fuller inte gration of small, vulnerable 
economies into the multilateral trading system , without creating a sub-category of WTO 
Members.  We take note of the report of the Committee on Trade and Development in 
Dedicated Session on the Work Programme on Small Economies to the General Council and 
agree to the recommendations on future work.  We instruct the Committee on Trade and 
Development, under the overall responsibility of the General Council, to continue the work in 
the Dedicated Session and to monitor progress of the small economies’ proposals in the 
negotiating and other bodies, with the aim of providing responses to the trade-related issues 
of small economies as soon as possible but no later than 31 December 2006.  We instruct the General Council to report on progress and ac tion taken, together with any further 
recommendations as appropriate, to our next Session.  
 WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
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  In addition to paragraph 41, the Declaration of the Sixth Ministerial Conference also states the 
following:  
• NAMA Negotiations - paragraph 21 of the Declaration 
 
 We note the concerns raised by small, vulnerable economies,  and instruct the Negotiating 
Group to establish ways to provide flexibiliti es for these Members without creating a sub-
category of WTO Members. 
 
• Services Negotiations – Annex C, paragraph 8 
 
Due consideration shall be given to proposals  on trade-related concerns of small economies . 
2. The small, vulnerable economies are theref ore presenting this document entitled "The 
Monitoring Role of the Committee on Trade and Deve lopment in Dedicated Session" to facilitate the 
work of the Dedicated Session in fulfilling its monitoring role under the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration.  The monitoring process in the Dedicat ed Session will assist in achieving the aim of the 
Work Programme on Small Economies to " frame(s) responses to the trade-related issues identified 
for the fuller integration of small, vulner able economies into the multilateral trading system …". 
3. The document is a factual compilation of the relevant sections of the proposals made by the 
small, vulnerable economies in the negotiating and other bodies of the WTO and is submitted for the 
acknowledgement, discussion and monitoring of the CTD DS.
1 
PROPOSALS TABLED IN THE RELEVANT NEGOTIATING AND OTHER BODIES  
 
Committee on Agriculture - Special Session  
 
Agriculture - TN/AG/GEN/11 (11 November 2005)  
 
Proponents : Barbados, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Re public, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, 
Honduras, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nicaragua, P apua New Guinea, Par aguay and Trinidad and 
Tobago. 
 
 Small, vulnerable economies, with the excep tion of LDCs, whose average share of world 
merchandise exports over the period 1995-2004 does not exceed  0.10 per cent, will make a 
contribution to the reform process in agricu lture according to the following provisions:  
 
• Small, vulnerable economies will undertake linear cuts not exceeding 15 per cent, with a 
minimum of 10 per cent per tariff line, from the bound rate.  No further commitments will 
be expected from the small, vulnerable ec onomies on the basis of modalities that may be 
agreed with respect to other elem ents under the market access pillar. 
• No tariff capping shall apply to the small, vulnerable economies. 
• Modalities shall provide for substantial impr ovement in market access for products of 
export interest to small, vulnerable economies. 
                                                      
1Other specific proposals have been tabled in the CTDDS as follows: 
 -  Technical Barriers to Trade - WT/COMTD/SE/W/15 (18 October 2005). 
 -  Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - WT/COMTD/SE/W/16 (18 October 2005). 
 -  Intellectual Property Rights - WT/COMTD/SE/W/18 (18 October 2005).  -  Accession to the WTO - WT/COMTD/SE/W/17 (18 October 2005). 
  WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
 Page 3 
 
 
  • Small, vulnerable economies will designate Special Products based on their food security, 
livelihood security and rural development needs. 
• Special Products (SPs) of small, vulnerabl e economies will be exempted from tariff 
reductions and tariff rate quota commitments. 
• All agricultural tariff lines will be eligible for the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM).  
SPs of small, vulnerable economies will have automatic access to the SSM. 
• The small, vulnerable economies insist that the SSM shall contemplate price and 
volume-based triggers.  Remedy measures shoul d be effective and flexible to respond to 
the needs of the small, vulnerable economies.   
 Agriculture - Contribution on the Chairman's Reference Paper on Sma ll Vulnerable Economies
 
(SVES) - JOB(06)/164 (31 May 2006)  
 
Proponents : Barbados, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Repub lic, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, 
Honduras, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Trinidad 
and Tobago . 
 
Criteria for defining SVEs 
 
In paragraph 3 of this referen ce paper, the Chairman notes that the criteria to define SVEs are 
being discussed in other negotiating bodies.  It is  worth noting that the SVEs have recently presented 
a submission in the Negotiating Group on Non-Agricultural Ma rket Access (NAMA)2 proposing that 
countries whose average share for the period 1999-2004 (a) of world merchandise trade does not exceed 0.16 per cent and (b) of world NAMA trade does not exceed 0.10 per cent and (c) of world 
agricultural trade does not exceed 0.40 per cent should be identified as SVEs. 
 
The SVEs would wish to highlight that the vul nerability that characterizes them affects their 
trade performance in the non-agricultural and agricultu ral sectors.  In this sense, the same criteria 
should prevail in both negotiating areas and we fully  endorse the use of the criteria submitted in the 
NAMA Negotiating Group for the agriculture negotiations. 
 
Why should additional provisions for SVEs be considered for the inclusion in the agriculture 
modalities?  
 Additional provisions for SVEs should be considered for the inclusion in the agriculture 
modalities because: 
 
• SVEs face a higher risk of marginalizati on from the global economy than many other 
developing countries in view of the vulnerab ility of the economies and of their exposure 
to several geographical factors, which erode their competitiveness.  The specific 
characteristics and problems faced by SVEs were enumerated in their submission 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/12 (21 February 2005).  These include, among others, the size of 
their economies and their domestic markets,  frequent exposure to natural shocks, 
dependence on a very limited number of  goods and/or markets, geographical 
disadvantages in some cases, such as lack of access to the sea and long distance from 
world markets. 
SVEs have expressed that the trade-related problems they confront in view of their 
vulnerabilities could be addressed through flexibilities.  These would contribute to 
                                                     
 
2 Circulated as a room document on 10 May 2006. WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
Page 4  
 
  enhance their participation in the multilate ral trading system, in accordance with their 
development, economic, financial and trade needs. 
• Because the negotiating mandate instructs to a ddress the trade-related issues identified for 
the fuller integration of SVEs into the multilateral trading system (July Package
3, para. 
"other development issues ") and to provide responses to the trade-related issues of SVEs 
as soon as possible (Hong Kong Ministerial Decision, paragraph 41). 
 
Why should additional provisions for Small Vulnerable Economies be considered for the 
inclusion in the agriculture modalities at this stage?  What specific provisions should be envisaged?  
 The group takes the point raised by the Chairman  in the sense that there is a certain level of 
uncertainty surrounding the distinct elements of the general provisions for market access and related 
special and differential treatment.  However, dur ing the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference a decision 
was made with regards to:  
• The structure of the formula used for tariff reduction  (tiered formula with four bands);  
and 
• The designation of special products by developing country Members (they will have the 
flexibility to self-designate an appropriate number of tariff lines as Special Products 
guided by indicators based on the criteria of food security, livelihood security and rural development). 
 
 The level of ambition, which the SVEs is  seeking is spelt out in paragraph 8 of 
TN/AG/GEN/11.  In this sense, given the current stage of the agriculture negotiations, provisions 
applicable to SVEs should be based on the following principles:  
• SVEs will contribute less than other devel oping countries in terms of tariff reduction. 
• SPs designated by SVEs should be exempted  from tariff reduction, capping, tariff-quota 
commitments.  They will also have the right  to have recourse to a Special Safeguard 
Mechanism based on import quantity and price triggers. 
• Modalities shall provide for substantial impr ovement in market access for products of 
export interest to SVEs. 
 
Negotiating Group on Non-Agricultural Market Access
 
 
NAMA - TN/MA/W/66 (11 November 2005)  
 
Proponents :  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Boliv ia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, 
El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala,  Honduras, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Papua New 
Guinea, Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. 
 
 As their contribution to the NAMA negotiati ng process, small, vulnerable economies propose 
that developing countries, not covered in paragr aph 6 and paragraph 9 of  Annex B, and whose 
average share in total world merchandise exports  does not exceed 0.10 per cent over the period 
1995-2004, will be expected to:  
                                                     
 
3 "Doha Work Programme:  Decision Adopted by the General Council on 1 August 2004 ".  Document 
No. WT/L/579 (2 August 2004).  WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
 Page 5 
 
 
   (a) Make tariff reductions not exceeding 15%, but with minimum cuts of 10% on 
individual lines and with no more than half th e cuts at the lowest level of this range. 
This contribution will ensure a significant  reduction of small, vulnerable economies’ 
tariff averages as well as a reduction in individual tariff lines. 
 
 (b) On the treatment of unbound tariffs, sm all, vulnerable economies whose binding 
coverage is more then 90 per cent commit th emselves to the objective of full tariff 
binding as an outcome of the NAMA negotiations.  However, newly bound tariff lines will not be subject to reductions th rough the formula during these negotiations.  
Small, vulnerable economies are open to discuss a possible target rate at which these 
tariffs should be bound or a maximum rate at which to bind these lines. 
  Small, vulnerable economies firmly believe that  only tariff reductions compatible with their 
capacity to sustain trade reforms, as spelt out in this  paper, are likely to efficiently discharge the Doha 
mandate.  In this context, sma ll, vulnerable economies will conti nue to have access to flexibilities 
such as those outlined in paragraph 8 of Annex B. 
 NAMA Room Document - Criteria and Treatment of Small, Vulnerable Economies in the NAMA 
Negotiations (10 May 2006)  
 
Proponents :  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Boliv ia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, 
El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guy ana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mongolia, Nicaragua, 
Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.  
The proponents believe that the elements of their initial proposal
4 (TN/MA/W66) are those 
that would best translate the interests of the small, vulnerable economies in these negotiations.  
Nevertheless, as a sign of our commitment to the NAMA negotiations as well as to the objective of 
establishing negotiating modalities soonest, we have revi ewed our position in a way that we feel best 
accommodates the interests of all Members. 
 
 The criteria  for the identification of potential developing country beneficiaries of this 
proposal in the NAMA negotiations, excluding LD Cs, countries in transition and paragraph 6 
countries, would apply to the remaining countries:  
• whose share of world merchandise trade does not exceed 0.16 per cent; 
• whose share of world NAMA trade does not exceed 0.10 per cent;  and 
• whose share of world agricultural trade does not exceed 0.40 per cent
5 
  The treatment  proposed for developing countries who meet the above criteria would be that 
these countries would not be subject to formula cuts, but would bind 100 per cent of their non-
agricultural tariff lines at average levels reflected in the following tiers and bands: 
 
                                                     
 
4 This proposal addressed treatment on the basis of:  (1) a linear cut on a line-by-line basis;  (2) binding 
100 per cent, if current binding coverage is over 90 per cent; (3) newly bound lines not subject to tariff reductions. 
5 Data Source:  WTO, 1999-2004. WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
Page 6  
 
  Current Bound 
Average % Average % 
Cut Final Bound 
Average % 
0 – 30 10 0 – 27 
31 – 40 15 26 – 34 
41 – 50 20 33 – 40 
51 – 60 25 38 – 45 
61 - 30 43 - 
  Beneficiaries with less than 50 per cent binding c overage shall be allowed to keep [5 per cent] 
of their lines unbound while binding the remaining [95 per cent] at an average of [  ].   The implementation of the tariff reduction co mmitments should be staged over a longer 
period than other develo ping countries in order to ensure a smooth liberalization process and not 
jeopardize the industrial and social development prospects of the small, vulnerable economies. 
 NAMA  Room Document - Treatment of Small, Vu lnerable Economies in the NAMA Negotiations 
(15 June 2006)  
 
 Small, vulnerable economies (SVEs) believe th at their initial proposal (TN/MA/W/66) best 
translates the interests of SVEs in these negotiations .  Nevertheless, as a sign of commitment to the 
NAMA negotiations as well as to the objective of establishing modalities that address SVEs concerns, proponents have once again  reviewed their position, taking into consideration views and concerns 
expressed by Members .  
 
 SVEs maintain that a solution can be found in a paragraph 6–type solution, and note the 
willingness of most Members to maintain an open position in this regard.  
  SVEs further maintain their commitment to cont ribute to the Round, taking into consideration 
their past contributions, and according to their ab ility to contribute furthe r consistent with the 
expected benefits for them from this Round.   The following principles have guided the revision of the SVEs treatment proposal:  
• SVEs should not be penalized for the progr essive liberalization decisions they made 
during the Uruguay Round, nor should they be asked to accept cuts in  this Round greater 
than Members who achieve greater benefits from the Round. 
• The dispersion in SVEs current bound averages (32.6 to 73.0) demands variable cuts to 
variable final bound averages. 
• The treatment  being sought by the small, vulne rable economies should be compatible 
with the terms and mechanisms established  in the NAMA Framework (Annex B of the 
July 2004 decision by the General Council) a nd further mandated in paragraph 21 of the 
Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration. 
• This proposal builds on the treatment proposed  in the Norwegian submission, which did 
receive some favourable responses. 
• Full binding at any one bound average is not easily compared with less than full binding 
at the same bound average.  WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
 Page 7 
 
 
  • There is no justification for all SVEs bindi ng at a lower average than other members 
whose economies are at similar levels of development. 
  Based on data from the World Trade Report 2005, SVE proponents (e xcluding paragraph 6 
and LDC countries) have average applied rates of 7.6 per cent while paragraph 6 countries have an 
average of 13.8 per cent and LDCs 13.4 per cent.  SV Es' effort to welcome imports is therefore clear. 
 Proposal
 
  The treatment  proposed for small, vulnerable economies would be that these countries would 
not be subject to formula cuts, but would bind 100  per cent of their non-agricultural tariff lines at 
average levels reflected in the following bands: 
 
Current Bound 
Average % Average % 
Cut Expected 
Final Bound 
Average % 
≤  37 [….] [….] 
38 – 47 [….] [….] 
48 – 57 [….] [….] 
≥  58  [….] [….] 
 
 Tariff reduction for SVEs shall be on the basis of lower ta riff cuts for those in the lower bands 
and higher cuts for those in the higher bands. 
  In meeting this requirement, beneficiaries w ould make minimum reductions of [  ] per cent on 
a maximum of [  ] per cent of individual tariff lines.  
 In the specific case of Fiji with less than 50 pe r cent binding coverage, Fiji shall be allowed to 
keep [5 per cent] of their lines unbound while binding the remaining [95 per cent] at an average of [  ]. 
  The implementation of the tariff reduction co mmitments should be staged over a longer 
period than other develo ping countries in order to ensure a smooth liberalization process and not 
jeopardize the industrial and social development prospects of the small, vulnerable economies. 
 
Negotiating Group on Rules
 
 
Fisheries Subsidies Disciplines - TN/RL/GEN/57/Rev.2 (13 September 2005)  
 
Proponents :  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Domini can Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, 
Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis,  St. Lucia, Solomon Islands, and Trinidad 
and Tobago. 
 
 Small, vulnerable coastal states seek appropria te special and differential treatment in any 
disciplines on fisheries subsidies.  In this regard  the following should not be subject to subsidies 
disciplines:  
(i) Any development assistance to developing coastal states; WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
Page 8  
 
  (ii) Assistance to artisanal or small-scale fisheries .  This requires a consensus on the 
definition of artisanal or small-scale.  Some existing definitions of artisanal are based on vessel size in metres, capacity in gross registered tonnage (GRT), or area of 
operation in terms of proximity to the shore line.  We invite discussions on prevailing 
definitions used by Member States and possible approaches for arriving at a 
definition for use in the WTO; to facilitate the discussions, the sponsors of this paper 
will share information with Members on defi nitions currently being used in their 
respective jurisdictions; 
(iii) Access fees in fisheries access agreements;  
(iv) Fiscal Incentives - to facilitate the development of capabilities of small vulnerable 
coastal states. 
 It is proposed that the special and differe ntial treatment provisions of the ASCM for 
Least-Developed Countries be maintained in future disciplines.  
 
Council for Trade in Services Special Session 
 
 Services – Information Note (November 2005)
 
 
Proponents :  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, 
El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mauritius, Mongolia, 
Nicaragua, Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadi nes and Trinidad and 
Tobago. 
 
 The two-track process involvin g the CTD and negotiating groups has therefore emerged as 
the process whereby the objective of framing responses to the trade related issues identified for the 
fuller integration of small, vulnerable economies into  the multilateral trading system is being pursued. 
 
 Small Economies have already and will continue  to demonstrate their engagement to the 
services negotiations including through the tabling of initial and revised offers. 
  Taking the above into consideration, issues of  concern to small, vulnerable economies should 
be addressed satisfactorily in the services negotiations in order for these economies to participate 
meaningfully in the multilateral trading system in accordance with their level of development, market 
share, vulnerabilities and economic size and struct ure, without creating a subcategory of WTO 
Members.  
Working Party on Domestic Regulation
 
 
Services - Trade-Related Concerns of Small, Vulnerable Economies in the Working Party on 
Domestic Regulation - JOB(06)/66 Rev.1 (2 May 2006)  
 
Proponents :  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, 
El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mauritius, Mongolia, 
Nicaragua, Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadi nes and Trinidad and 
Tobago.  
Recommendations to Address the Concern s of Small, Vulnerable Economies
 
  This section lists the specific recommendati ons small, vulnerable economies propose in the 
Article VI:4 negotiations for consideration in the disciplines to be developed for measures relating to  WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
 Page 9 
 
 
  qualification requirements and procedures, licen sing requirements and procedures and technical 
standards.  The list of recommendations provided in this section is not exhaustive and does not aim to 
prejudice the negotiating positions of the submitti ng Members through the course of negotiations.  
 
Small, vulnerable economies recommend that: 
A. GENERAL PRINCIPLES  
(i) Disciplines under Article VI: 4 shall preserve the right to regulate and shall 
not prevent or prescribe the development and adoption of future legislation to 
meet Members’ national policy objectives. 
(ii) The implementation of disciplines that require adjustment of existing 
domestic regulation and/or the adopti on of new implementation mechanisms 
shall be consistent with their fina ncial, administrative and institutional 
capabilities.  
(iii) Multilateral disciplines shall only a pply to measures affecting services sectors 
when they are related to a Member’s schedule of commitments. 
(iv) The application of WTO disciplines in domestic regulation shall not prevent 
any of its Members from establishing m easures or mechanisms to support the 
development of regional economic integration. 
B. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS  
(i) Measures related to qualification requirements shall not be limited to 
qualification recognition and verification based on diplomas, test scores, and 
the like and shall include, but not be li mited to, experience and other methods 
of verification, particularly those that ensure increased participation of small, 
vulnerable economies in services trade. 
C. QUALIFICATION PROCEDURES  
(i) Fees charged by the competent authorities should not be an impediment in 
themselves to practising the relevant activity.  Developing country Members 
shall not be precluded from recovering f ees where fees are utilized to meet 
national policy objectives. 
(ii) Measures related to qualification verification shall onl y be applied to 
establish the minimum qualifications su fficient for supplying the service. 
(iii) Measures related to qualification pr ocedures shall establish clear mechanisms 
to demonstrate that education and experience obtained or licenses and 
certifications granted in the territory of a Member are comparable to those obtained or granted in the territory of another Member. 
D. 
LICENSING REQUIREMENTS  
(i) Fees charged by the competent authorities should not be an impediment in 
themselves to practising the relevant activity.  Developing country Members 
shall not be precluded from recovering f ees where fees are utilized to meet 
national policy objectives. WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
Page 10  
 
  E. 
LICENSING PROCEDURES  
(i) Measures related to licensing pro cedures shall aim to ensure minimal 
complexity and costs of requirements and procedures for entry into export markets, including lower licensing a nd other related fees, as well as 
streamlined border measures, that promote trade by small, vulnerable 
economies. 
F. 
TECHNICAL STANDARDS  
(i) Members shall notify in reasonable time to other Members, the establishment 
and application of measures relating to  national or international technical 
standards. 
(ii) Members shall, where requested, grant other Members, especially developing 
country Members, technical assistance on mutually agreed terms and conditions regarding the establishm ent of technical standards and 
participation in the internat ional standardizing bodies. 
(iii) As a matter of good practice, Me mbers involved in the development and 
application of measures relating to pl urilateral standards, and standards 
developed and applied by  non-governmental standardization bodies should 
ensure maximum transparency of relevant processes for the benefit of other Members.  
G. 
TRANSPARENCY  
(i) Members shall ensure access to information on legislation and regulation of 
export markets, information on qualification requirements and procedures, 
licensing requirements and procedures, and technical standards.  
(ii) Members shall ensure the establishment of appropriate, transparent and 
accessible administrative and judicial channels for reviewing decisions. 
H. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES  
(i) Small, vulnerable economies shall ha ve adequate time to upgrade their 
institutional capacity to comply with Article VI:4 disciplines. 
(ii) Technical assistance and capacity building assistance and various types of 
flexibility including adequate time frames shall be provided in order to help 
developing countries to develop their capacity to implement new disciplines. 
(iii) To guarantee that qualification and licensing requirements and procedures 
and technical standards do not in themselves constitute barriers to trade, 
technical assistance and capacity building assistance shall be provided in order to help small, vulnerable ec onomies meet such requirements and 
procedures. 
(iv) To ensure full and equal participa tion in the development of international 
technical standards, measures shall be adopted and implemented in order to 
ensure the full representation and effect ive participation of small, vulnerable 
economies in international standard se tting bodies and in complying with the  WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
 Page 11 
 
 
  standards.  Such measures shall incl ude, but not be limited to, enhanced 
technical and capacity building assistance provided by trading partners to service suppliers of small, vulnerable economies for meeting such requirements.  
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures 
 
 Procedures for Extensions Under Article 27.4 of  the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing 
Measures - G/SCM/W/535 (12 April 2006)  
 
 Proponents :  Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, 
El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Jamaica, Mauritius,  Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. 
Lucia, St, Vincent and the Grenadines. 
 
 The sponsors of this proposal believe that th e objective of "fuller integration of small, 
vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system"6 could be achieved in part by reaffirming 
the Article 27.4 procedures and extensions w ithin the context of the provisions of the 
14 November 2001, Doha Ministerial Decision on pr ocedures for Extension under Article 27.4 of the 
ASCM by granting further extensions until the year 2018 . 
 
 The sponsors of this proposal submit the following  modification to the procedures set forth in 
document G/SCM/39 and call for the preparatio n of an addendum detailing "Procedures for 
Extensions Under Article 27.4 for Certain De veloping Country Members" which would amend 
paragraph 1(e) of G/SCM/39 to state as follows:  
 
A. "Through the calendar year  2018 , subject to annual reviews during that period to verify 
that the transparency and standstill requirements set  forth in (3) and (4) are being fulfilled, 
Members of the Committee shall agree to contin ue the extensions granted pursuant to 1(c) ".  
 
 The extension procedures under Article 27.4 would hence be applicable to all of the members 
and the existing programmes referred to in Annex A in line with paragraph 2 of G/SCM/39.  This 
extension process would be applicable from the end of 2007 through to the end of 2018  with identical 
procedures as indicated in G/SCM/39 paragraph 1(f) and 1(g). 
 
Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation  
 
Regional Approaches to Trade Facilitation: Enquiry Points - TN/TF/W/129  (6 July 2006)  
  Proponents
:  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Domini ca, Fiji, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, 
The Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St . Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 
 
 As small, vulnerable economies (SVEs), it should be recognized that the co-sponsors of this 
proposal suffer from a lack of adequate financial, technical and administrative capacities to implement 
all proposed trade facilitation measures at the national le vel.  It should be noted that for SVEs the unit 
costs of adopting some measures are higher and ther efore may limit the ability of SVEs to reap the 
full benefits of implementation.  This notwithstanding, many of th e co-sponsors have adopted, or are 
in the process of adopting trade facilitation measu res autonomously in order to, lower transaction 
costs, improve the efficiency of port and transit procedures and improve transparency and predictability.  
 
                                                     
 
6 WT/L/579, 2 August 2004 para 1(d). WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
Page 12  
 
   There is a need in the current negotiations to identify opportunities for regional approaches to 
implementing trade facilitation (TF) requirements an d for the provision of technical assistance and 
capacity building. Issues such as economies of scale, maximization of resources and targeted technical assistance and capacity building have to be im portant considerations in these discussions. 
 
 The co-sponsors of this document have prev iously submitted proposals to the Committee on 
Trade and Development in Dedicated Session a nd to the WTO SPS, TBT and TRIPs Committees 
identifying regional approaches which could be  utilized by Members to fulfill notification 
requirement.  Additionally, regional approaches to technical assistance utilizing regional architecture 
to minimize administrative costs have also been proposed by the co-sponsors. 
 
 This present proposal speaks specifically to a regional approach to enquiry points but does not preclude regional approaches being taken in any ot her relevant areas under discussion within the TF 
Negotiations.  
Proposal
 
  The proposals currently on the table recogni ze the importance and usefulness of enquiry 
points for providing information to traders and/or governments on the trade regulation of a country.  
This submission by the co-sponsors seeks explicit re cognition that a regional enquiry point for a group 
of countries shall also be accepted and recognized  as fulfilling any obligation under these provisions.  
Notwithstanding the proposal, it should be recognized that the responsibility for ensuring that the 
information is available to the regional enquiry point will remain with the individual WTO Members 
concerned.   The following language is proposed for inclusion in  any draft text which could be prepared in 
the future: 
 
"Establish enquiry points at the national level or in the case of SVEs/developing countries 
involved in a Customs Union, FTA/RTA, the op tion of the establishment of enquiry points at 
the regional level, to provide relevant in formation on trade procedures to trade."  
 
"Members and the WTO, within its competence, shall provide technical and financial assistance at mutually agreed terms to  SVEs/developing countries to support the 
establishment, modification and maintenance of these national and/or regional enquiry points."  
 Special and Differential Treatment
 
  SVEs/Developing countries/LDCs should ha ve longer time periods to implement any 
requirement on enquiry points.    It should be understood that individual members of the Customs Union/FTA/RTA may 
maintain a national enquiry point if it is within their ability to do so but existence of a regional 
enquiry point would preclude the obligation to maintain a national enquiry point.  Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Requirements
 
 
 The regional approach lends itself to more eff ective and targeted forms of technical assistance 
and capacity building and much of the assistance would be directed towards a mechanism which 
would be utilized by all members of the Customs Un ion/RTA/FTA.  To fully exploit the benefits of a 
regional approach capacity building and technical as sistance may also be channeled to the individual 
members.   WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 
 Page 13 
 
 
   
 The specific forms of technical assistance and capacity building required at both the national and regional level would include the following:  
• Audit and compilation of regional trade-related legislation in an electronically exploitable 
format (to be carried out at the national level). 
• Creation of a regional database with a view to harmonizing and updating the legislation. 
• Provision of translations in Spanish, French, Dutch and English. 
• Provision of security for data transmitted by the internet from the national governments to 
the regional mechanism. 
• Review and revamping, where necessary, of national and regional trade policy 
communication plans to incorporate all levels of traders (commercial and informal) into the information forwarded to the regional mechanism. 
• Creation of websites and the development of interactive software on trade regulation to 
ensure that the national legislation and tr ade policies can be fed into the regional 
mechanism. 
• Training for customs and trade officials in internet publication [website data entry, 
monitoring and update of information] and dissemination of information. 
• Infrastructure for the establishment/conversion/designation of a regional body or for a 
department within a regional body to carry out the functions of a regional enquiry point. 
This could include physical construction or modification of a facility; the provision of 
computer systems;  the hiring of additional dedicated staff, etc. 
 
 
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