WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/L/856 
WT/COMTD/LDC/20 
WT/ACC/LAO/35 WT/ACC/YEM/36 
6 June 2012 
 
(12-2963) 
General Council Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries 
Working Party on the Accession of the Lao PDR 
Working Party on the Accession of the Yemen Original:   English 
 
 
BEIJING HIGH LEVEL ROUND TABLE ON BE ST PRACTICES IN WTO ACCESSIONS 
FOR LEAST-DEVELOPED CO UNTRIES, BEIJING, CHINA, 29 TO 31 MAY 2012 
 
Beijing Statement 
  
 The communication that follows, dated 4 June  2012 and addressed to H.E. Mrs. Elin Østebø 
Johansen, Chairperson of the General Council and Mr . Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the WTO is 
being circulated at the request of Haiti, LDCs' C oordinator, on behalf of LDCs Participants at the 
Beijing Round Table and the WTO LDCs' Consultative Group.   
_______________ WT/L/856, WT/COMTD/LDC/20,  
WT/ACC/LAO/35, WT/ACC/YEM/36 Page 2 
 
 
  I. Communication from Haiti, Coordinato r for the WTO LDCs' Consultative Group 
addressed to H.E. Mrs. Elin Østebø Johan sen, Chairperson of the General Council and 
Director-General, Mr. Pascal Lamy, on 4 June 2012 
 
 Please find attached to this letter the agreed  "Beijing Statement", adopted by LDCs at the 
conclusion of the "Beijing 2012 High Level Round Ta ble on Best Practices in WTO Accessions for 
Least-developed Countries", on 31 May 2012.  On be half of the LDCs' Participants at the Round 
Table and the WTO LDCs' Consultative Group, I requ est that the attached "Beijing Statement" be 
circulated as a document of the WTO General Co uncil, the Sub-Committee for LDCs, the Working 
Party on the Accession of Yemen, and the Working Party on the Accession of Lao PDR. 
  Least-developed countries would like to convey their appreciation to WTO Members for the strong support and leadership that they have pr ovided to WTO accessions this year, more than ever 
before.  We also appreciate in particular and we lcome the concrete support from the Government of 
the Peoples' Republic of China, for the China's LDCs and Accessions Programme" 
(the China Programme), in the MOUC, concluded with  the WTO Secretariat in July 2011.  The China 
Programme led to the Beijing Best Practices Round,  organized by the WTO Secretariat and hosted by 
China.  The China Programme is an important co ntribution, providing impetus in facilitating LDCs' 
accessions.  
 As Members will note in the attached statemen t, there were concrete results that should 
provide impetus for sustaining positive results on LDCs accessions.  Although the Beijing Round 
Table focused on sharing experiences, impr oving understanding of the accession process, and 
familiarizing LDCs with technical tools developed by the WTO Secretariat to facilitate LDCs' accessions, we also appreciated, profoundly, the opportunity to engage with H.E. Ambassador 
Steffen Smidt, Chairman of the Sub-Committe e for LDCs', on the process under way in the 
Sub-Committee to implement the Decision by WTO Ministers at MC8 (WT/L/846).  We valued the 
exchange of views with the Chairman of the Sub-Co mmittee.  We also made clear that the test of 
systemic commitment on LDCs accessions in 2012 will revolve around "delivering" on the two LDCs' Accessions of Yemen and Lao PDR in 2012.  LDCs will actively e ngage, with all WTO Members, 
when the Report of the Chairman of the SCLDCs  is placed before the July General Council for 
consideration and decision-making. 
  On behalf of LDCs, we also wish to place on r ecord our strong appreciation for the role of the 
Director-General and the Team in the Accessions Division of the WTO Secretariat for their strong 
systemic commitment to facilitating the accession of  LDCs, in accordance with the 2002 Guidelines 
on LDCs Accessions and the Decision by WTO Minist ers at MC8 to improve the said Guidelines. 
 
 
_______________  WT/L/856, WT/COMTD/LDC/20,  
 WT/ACC/LAO/35, WT/ACC/YEM/36  Page 3 
 
 
  II. Beijing Statement 
 
1. The Government of the Peoples' Repub lic of China sponsored and hosted "The Beijing 2012 
High Level Round Table on Best Practices in WTO Accessions for Least-developed Countries 
(LDCs)" , from 29 to 31 May 2012.  The High Level Round Table (hereafter: Round Table) was 
organized by the Secretariat of the World Tr ade Organization (WTO).  It was opened by 
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, with H.E. Mr . Chen Deming, Minister of Commerce of China, 
and the WTO LDC Group Coordinator H.E. Mr. Georges-Henri Barberousse, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the WTO. 
2. The Round Table was attended by WTO Accessi on Chief Negotiators and Representatives 
from six of the ten acceding LDCs
1, three Chief Negotiators from the four accessions concluded in 
20112, six Article XII Members3, the Coordinator of the LDCs' Co nsultative Group, the Chairperson 
for the Sub-Committee on LDCs, and the Chairpers ons for the Working Parties on the Accession of 
Lao PDR, Ethiopia and the former Working Party on the Accession of Samoa.  The Executive 
Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC) also participated.  There were Observers from the 
European Union, the International Centre for Tr ade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), and the 
Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade (WTO Chair).  Th ere were a total of 41 participants.  (As per the 
attached list). 
3. The Round Table took stock of the technical state-of-play in LDCs accessions; improved 
understanding of WTO accessions best practices; re -affirmed the core benefits from the accession 
process and WTO membership; and, exchanged views on how to respond to the challenges.  To these 
ends, there were several specific objectives:   
 First, Chief Negotiators from the three immedi ate past accessions concluded in 2011, shared 
their experiences so as to contribute to the construction of an accession knowledge base and 
negotiating network  to support on-going LDCs' accessions. 
 Second, the Round Table provided impetus to sustain the accession momentum initiated in 
2011; with support for the conclusion of the accessions of Lao PDR and Yemen, designated 
as 2012 accession priorities, and in their end-game stages. 
 Third, it provided a partnership platform for acceding LDCs, participating Member(s), with 
several WTO Working Party Chairpersons, to contribute to the on-going informal 
consultations in the Sub-Committee on LDCs, pursuant to MC8 Decision WT/L/846 to strengthen the 2002 Guidelines on LDCs' Accessions. 
 Fourth, the Round Table created an opportunity for providers of technical assistance and 
capacity building to explain the products and servi ces offered by their institutions and to seek 
to better approximate demand with supply. 
Context of the "Beijing 2012 High Level Roun d Table on Best Practices in WTO Accessions"   
4. The Round Table was a continuation of the "Dialogue process with Acceding LDCs and 
WTO Members", facilitated by the WTO Secretariat on 28 May 2009.  This "D ialogue" had led to the 
Phnom Penh Round Ta ble on LDCs' Accessions4, hosted by the Royal Government of Cambodia, with 
the support of the WTO Secretariat, from 28 to 29 September 2009.   
                                                      
1 Comoros, Ethiopia, Lao PDR, Liberia, Sudan and Yemen. 
2 Montenegro, Samoa and Vanuatu. 
3 Cambodia, China, Montenegro, Nepal, Oman and Ukraine. 
4 WT/MIN(09)/1; WT/L/769; WT/COMTD/LDC/16: Round Table Statement on the Least-developed 
countries' Accessions, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia, 28-29 September 2009.   WT/L/856, WT/COMTD/LDC/20,  
WT/ACC/LAO/35, WT/ACC/YEM/36 Page 4 
 
 
  5. The Beijing Round Table was held in the contex t of the record four Accessions concluded in 
2011 with participants, particularly acceding LDCs, keen to sustain this momentum.  
The Round Table took place in the on-going process of  informal consultations in the Sub-Committee 
on LDCs, pursuant to MC8 Decision (WT/L/ 846) to improve, stre ngthen and enhance 
the 2002 Guidelines on LDCs' Accessions (WT/L/508).  The Round Table marked a period of 
intensive systemic engagement by WTO Members, in close coordination with the WTO Secretariat, to 
accelerate LDCs' accessions.   
6. Round Table participants reca lled paragraph 42 of the Doha Mi nisterial Declaration in which 
Ministers stated that the "Accession of LDCs remain s a priority for the Membership and agreed to 
work to facilitate and accelerate negotiations with acceding LDCs".  They also  recalled paragraph 59 
of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration that stressed the "importa nce of facilitating and 
accelerating the accession negotiations of least-dev eloped countries, taking due account of the 
Guidelines on LDC accession adopted by the Genera l Council in December 2002".  Participants 
welcomed the Decision (WT/L/846) by Ministers at the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference.  
They called for a substantively meaningful outcome with practical, effective and operable content that 
would inject greater impetus to LDCs' accessions.  They considered that WTO accessions continued 
to be a source of strength and renewal in the rules-based Multilateral Trading System.   
7. The focus of the Round Table was operati onal and the connecting theme was accession 
challenges and best practices.  Across several sessi ons, participants engaged with acceding LDCs to:  
 review the actual state-of-play in LDCs' accessions;  
 draw from the perspectives and experiences of fo rmer Chief Negotiators on how to "drive and 
conclude an Accession Process";  
 review challenges and "best practices" in domestic preparation and coordination;  
 review "best practices" in the negotiating process;  
 take stock of technical assistance, partnership, outreach and policy advice;  
 exchange views, following the briefing by the Chairman of the Sub-Committee on LDCs, on 
ongoing informal consultations, pursuant to WT/L/846; and,  
 dialogue on the benefits of WTO accession,  impact, lessons learned and post-accession 
support.   
8. Round Table participants affirmed the position that the WTO accession of LDCs was a 
strategic priority for the Organization.  The mandate-driven WTO accession process was a valuable 
instrument for domestic reforms, necessary, inter alia , for improved competitiveness and for drawing 
on the benefits of the open, rules-based Multilateral Trading System.  It was a process of negotiation, 
adapted to ensure that the results  took account of individual developm ent, financial and trade needs of 
the acceding country, or separate customs territory .  Domestic negotiation for ownership was key to 
generating essential momentum to conclude an y accession.  Although all accession packages had to 
be WTO-compliant; they were not a one size fits all.  Results from concluded accessions, inter alia , 
tightened the rules and clarified the obligations  of acceding members through their acceptance of 
"specific commitments" in the different Accession Protocols. 
9. The Round Table focused on the unique mixt ure of accession rules, "Guidelines" and 
"Best Practices", which had evolved, incrementally, over time and remained work in progress.  It was noted that these largely revolved around the five ar eas of market access; rules; process; and, 
partnerships; the latter facilitated by tec hnical assistance, capacity-building and outreach.  WT/L/856, WT/COMTD/LDC/20,  
 WT/ACC/LAO/35, WT/ACC/YEM/36  Page 5 
 
 
   Market Access:  The purpose of market access negotiations was to improve trade and 
economic opportunities and not to provide c over for protectionism.  On the one hand, 
Members shall exercise restraint in their re quests for concessions and commitments on trade 
in goods and services from acceding LDCs taki ng into account the levels of concessions and 
commitments undertaken by existing WTO LD Cs' commitments.  On the other hand, 
acceding LDCs shall offer reasonable concessi ons and commitments commensurate with 
individual, developmental and financial needs.  Members sh ould neither request tariff 
concessions from LDCs below their applied rates, nor seek market concessions that will not apply on an MFN basis.  In long-lasting accession negotiations, market access requests to 
acceding LDCs should not be delayed to the last moment so as to avoid further delaying an 
accession in an endgame stage.  The results of market access negotiations should provide 
mutual benefit to the parties and offe r improved opportunities on an MFN basis. 
 Rules:  At its core, the WTO was a rules-based institution.  At the same time, special and 
differential treatment was applicable, as a ppropriate, to acceding LDCs.  In concluded 
accession packages for LDCs, transitional arrangements existed to enable acceding LDCs effectively implement specific commitments, ba sed on negotiated action plans, adapted to the 
specific development, financial and trade circumstances of the acceding LDCs.   
 Process:  The good offices of the Director-Gen eral, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee for 
LDCs, and the Chairpersons of LDCs' Accession Working Parties remained available to facilitate LDCs' accessions.  The process qua process for LDCs accessions should not be 
onerous because of their limited resources.  Accession-related meetings for LDCs had, therefore, to be efficient, and designed to achie ve the most results with the least expenditure, 
pursuant to the 2002 Guidelines and any improvements thereof.   
 Technical Assistance, Capacity-Building and Outreach: Technical assistance, 
capacity building and outreach were critical m eans in LDCs accessions for building expertise 
in negotiations, ownership, impl ementation of the results and effective participation from day 
one of membership.   
 Partnerships:  Driving an accession to conclusion  entailed team work.  It involved a carefully 
coordinated partnership within the framework of  the Accession Working Party, driven by the 
acceding LDC, with the Chairperson of the Working Party ( "friends of the Chair" ) and with 
the support of the Secretariat.   
10. Round Table participants noted that, in addition,  to these five areas, it was self-evident that 
the WTO was a forum that provided opportunities to foster broader interna tional cooperation through 
trade negotiations.  The Organization encourag ed good governance and a negotiating framework 
within which countries sought to establish a modus vivendi .   
11. Operationally, the Round Table noted and we lcomed the specific steps and measures taken 
and tools developed and/or elaborated by the WT O Secretariat, since 2009, to improve the accession 
process for all acceding governments, and to provi de specific support for acceding LDCs, notably:  
 The Director-General's Annual Report on Accessions;  
 The Accessions Commitments Database (ACDB)
5;  
 The E-Legislation Link;  
 The Register of Bilateral Ma rket Access Agreements;  
 Model "To-do Lists" for Acceding Governments;  
 Model Accession Roadmap for Acceding Governments;  
 The Newsletter for Acceding Governments;  
 The "Evolving Calendar of Accession Working Party Meetings"; and,  
                                                      
5 The Director-General launched the ACDB at the Beijing Round Table on 29 May 2012.   WT/L/856, WT/COMTD/LDC/20,  
WT/ACC/LAO/35, WT/ACC/YEM/36 Page 6 
 
 
   Targeted Outreach:  
o Director-General's Specialized Country Outreach;  
o Accessions Division "Annual Briefings for WTO Regional Groupings"; and,  
o "Geneva Week" Accessions Platform. 
 Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building:  
o WTO/ITC - "Accessions Private Sector Capacity Building".   
o "China's LDCs and Accessions Programme"
6 / China WTO Accessions Internship 
Programme.   
12. The Round Table considered as its high poi nts the "sharing of experiences" by Accession 
Chief Negotiators of Article XII Members; and, the horizontal discussions on "WTO Accessions Best Practices".  Participants underlined the value of  the consequent exchange of views. Participants 
requested these discussions should be maintained  as they provided guidance to acceding countries 
and/or separate customs territories and inject ed impetus into their accession processes.  
They requested that this be reflected in the Repor t on LDCs Accessions to the July General Council. 
Main Results / Outcomes 
13. Having regard to the negotia ting experiences shared over the l ast three days, as reflected in 
the foregoing statement, in the course of which we, inter alia , identified several steps to further 
facilitate and accelerate our accession negotiati ons in the immediate to the long term. 
14. We, the Participants to the Beijing 2012 High Level Round Table: 
 Take note of the conclusion and initialling of the outstanding bilateral market access 
negotiations on goods between Lao PDR and Ukraine.  
 Express concern at the continuing outstanding b ilateral market access negotiations on goods 
between Ukraine and Yemen and request the facili tators to report to the General Council on 
the status of the negotiations at its July session.  
 Reiterate the necessity of implementing th e conclusion of the 2012 LDCs' Accession 
Priorities of Yemen and Lao PDR, in accordance with the strategic priority accorded by the 
WTO to LDCs' accessions. 
 Acknowledge that concluding any accession is a shared responsibility and partnership 
between Members, the acceding governments and the Secretariat; and, to this end, request the 
Secretariat to intensify its outreach with all parties to improve understanding on accession 
best practices; and, prepare accession Road Ma ps and "To-Do-Lists" for accessions where the 
technical work provides justification.  Own ership by the acceding LDCs, shared negotiating 
experiences with Article XII Members, reflecting "Best Practices", were essential to drive an accession to conclusion. 
 Request the Secretariat to organize annual R ound Tables, of which the purpose would be to 
sustain the "sharing of experiences" on "WTO acc ession best practices", so as to maintain the 
momentum on LDCs accessions. 
 Agree to establish an E-network of Chief Negotia tors of LDCs, acceding to the WTO, so as to 
mutually support each other's WTO accessions.   
 Underline that results  from completed LDCs' accessions, through shared responsibilities, 
provide proof of an effectively functioning accession process. 
                                                      
6 Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the WTO Director-General and the 
Government of the People's Republic of China, on 14 July 2011.    WT/L/856, WT/COMTD/LDC/20,  
 WT/ACC/LAO/35, WT/ACC/YEM/36  Page 7 
 
 
   Reaffirm the MC8 Decision in WT/L/846, we lcome the on-going informal consultations in 
the Sub-Committee on LDCs, and urge the Sub-Co mmittee Chairman to refer and reflect the 
results of this Round Table in his Report to the July General Council for decision-making. 
 Request, in particular, the institutionalizati on of an automatic "Facilitation Mandate" for 
relevant Working Party Chairpersons, the Ch airperson of the Sub-Committee on LDCs, in 
coordination with the WTO Director-Gener al and Chairman of the General Council ex officio , 
if requested by an acceding LDC, to resolve "blo ckages" and/or distortions in bilateral market 
access negotiations, inconsistent with the 2002 Gu idelines or improvements to them thereof. 
 Recognize the importance of operationally-driven technical assistance and capacity building 
based on clear action plans, and underscore the ab solute need for targeted technical assistance 
and capacity-building throughout the accession pr ocess and the vital importance of supporting 
the post accession needs of recently acceded LDCs  to implement their commitments and 
facilitate their integration into the multilateral tr ading system and effective participation in the 
multilateral trading system. 
 Commend the assistance that has been provided by Members, namely Australia, China, 
European Union (EU), New Zealand, India, Oman and the United States (US); also by various organizations, led by the WTO, working with the African Development Bank, Arab Monetary 
Fund, EIF, ITC, UNCTAD and the World Bank. 
 Commend the WTO Director-General and the Secretariat for the measures in place, 
particularly those emplaced since 2009, to facilitate and accelerate the accession of LDCs. 
 Request that this "Beijing Statement" be circul ated as a document of the General Council, the 
Sub-Committee on LDCs and the Accession Working Parties of all LDCs. 
15. Participants at the Round Table expressed a ppreciation to the Government of the People's 
Republic of China for sponsoring and hosting th e "Beijing 2012 High Level Round Table on Best 
Practices in WTO Accessions for LDCs" and for its  excellent arrangements and warm hospitality.   
 
 
Beijing 
People's Republic of China 
31 May 2012 
 
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