. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/25 
27 September 2011 
 (11-4681) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Dedicated Session  
 
 
 
DRAFT 
 
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT  
IN DEDICATED SESSION TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL 
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. In paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration Members agreed to a work programme 
with the objective of framing responses to the trade- related issues identified for the fuller integration 
of small, vulnerable economies into  the multilateral trading system.  Members were instructed not to 
create a sub-category of WTO Members and to report to the General Council which, in turn, was to 
review the work programme and make recommenda tions for action.  Since then, Members have 
issued three such reports:  WT/COMTD/SE/1, SE/4 and SE/6 in July 2003, November 2005 and October 2009 respectively. 
2. In 2009, the General Council took note of th e most recent report of the Committee on Trade 
and Development (CTD) in Dedicated Session's (WT/COMTD/SE/6) activities since the 
6
th Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong and forwarded it to the 7th Ministerial Conference.  Since 
that report, Dedicated Sessions of the CTD have been held on 8 December 2010 and 
[10 October 2011].  The reports of these meetings  are contained in documents WT/COMTD/SE/M/21 
[and WT/COMTD/SE/M/221.] 
3. In the framework and procedures for the conduct of the Work Programme on Small 
Economies, the General Council had agreed that th e Work Programme would be "a standing item on 
its agenda and that the CTD would report regularly  to the General Council on the progress of work in 
the dedicated sessions".  Since the 7th Ministerial Conference, oral progress reports by the CTD 
Chairmen were made at each of the General C ouncil meetings, specifically on 22 February, 4 May, 
29 July, 21 October and 14 December 2010 and 22 February, 3 May, 27 July and [26 October 2011].2   
II. SUBMISSIONS AND PROCEEDINGS 
4. There have been two meetings of the CTD in Dedicated Sessions since the 7th Ministerial 
Conference.  At the 21st Dedicated Session on 8 December 2010,  Members discussed a revised paper 
(WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.5) which compiles all th e proposals made by the proponents of small 
and vulnerable economies in the negotiating grou ps and other WTO bodies since the launch of the 
Doha Development Agenda (DDA).  They also discussed a submission by Barbados in 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/24 titled "Communication from Barb ados on Behalf of Small and Vulnerable 
Economies (SVEs) on SVE Assessment of the Doha Round".  [At the 22nd Dedicated Session on 
10 October 2011, Members discussed a further revision to the compilation paper in 
                                                      
1 To be issued. 
2 The reports of these meetings are contained in documents WT/GC/M/125, WT/GC/M/126, 
WT/GC/M/127, WT/GC/M/128, WT/GC/M/129, WT/GC/M/130, WT/GC/M/131, WT/GC/M/132 and 
[WT/GC/M/133 (to be issued)]. WT/COMTD/SE/W/25 
Page 2  
 
  WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.6 and a draft report to th e General Council.  Members adopted the draft 
Dedicated Session's report to the General Council in document WT/COMTD/SE/W/25, subsequently 
circulated as WT/COMTD/SE/7]. 
III. FUTURE WORK 
5. Pursuant to the mandate contained in the Doha  Ministerial Declaration, the General Council 
Decision of 1 August 2004, the WTO's 6
th Ministerial Declaration in Hong Kong and the Framework 
and Procedures for the Work Programme on Small Ec onomies, issues relating to the trade of small 
economies have been examined in the Dedicated Sessions of the CTD and proposals for responses 
have been made.  However, there is a need for furt her work in order to fully achieve the mandate of 
the Doha Ministerial Declaration. 
6. The Dedicated Session of the CTD therefore proposes that the General Council recommend to 
the 8th Ministerial Conference that Ministers take note of  all the work conducted to date and instruct 
the CTD to continue its work in Dedicated Sessi ons under the overall responsibility of the General 
Council in accordance with the mandate containe d in the Doha Ministerial Declaration, the 
1 August 2004 General Council Decision, the Hong K ong Ministerial Declaration  and the Framework 
and Procedures of the Work Progr amme on Small Economies.  The CTD in Dedicated Session shall 
consider in further detail the proposals contained in  the various submissions that have been received 
to this date, examine any additional proposals th at Members might wish to submit and, where 
possible, and within its mandate, make recommenda tions to the General Council, on any of these 
proposals.  The General Council may refer any prop osal, as appropriate, to relevant negotiating and 
other WTO bodies to frame responses for urgent action and reporting back through the Dedicated 
Session.  The CTD in Dedicated Session will monitor this work with a view to helping ensure that 
solutions are found to frame responses  to the trade-related issues iden tified for the fuller integration of 
small, vulnerable economies in an appropriate manner in the negotiating and other bodies.   
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