WT/GC/W/935  
 
7 May 2024  
(24-3637) Page: 1/3 
General Council  Original: English  
 
REFLECTIONS ON APPROACHES TO DEVELOPMENT  ISSUES  
COMMUNICATION FROM CHINA  
The following communication, dated 7 May 2024, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of China.  
 
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MC13 delivered several concrete outcomes on development issues. After  MC13, to further 
mainstreaming development dimensions  in the WTO , it is necessary to build on the progress made 
and the cooperative spirit kindled during  MC13. In this communication, China presents some 
reflec tions on the approaches  to development issues  and hopes that such reflections could be 
conducive to more concrete deliverables . 
 
I. BACKGROUND  
1.  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes international trade as an engine for 
inclusive economic growt h and poverty reduction, and an important tool to achieve SDGs. The 
preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO provides that international trade is a 
means towards 'raising standards of living and ensuring full employment '. With existing and 
emerging global challenges facing all WTO Member s, both developed and developing, promoting 
balanced, coordinated and inclusive global development is key to address ing such challenges.  
2.  In the past 30 years since the establishment of the WTO, much progress  has been made. G lobal 
trade has increase d fivefold  since 1995 . Tariffs have declined markedly, helping to reduce trade 
costs. This period also witnessed  a significant decrease in poverty worldwide , indicating the impact 
of trade on supporting economic development and improving people 's lives.1 One of the most 
important contributors to successful development stories of developing  Member s is their 
participation in international trade and trade liberalization, supplemented by appropriate and 
effective flexibilities.  
3.  The Abu Dhabi Ministerial Declaration reiterates "the centrality of the development dimension in 
the work of the WTO "2. At MC13 , breakthroughs were made on several long-standing deve lopment 
issues, such as special and differential treatment provisions3, LDC s smooth graduation4 and 
accessions5. From the negotiation perspective, the MC13 outcomes on development are of particular 
significance. The development agenda was one of the few  negotiat ed areas at MC13 where Member s 
demonstrated  a spirit of mutual accommodation, a willingness to take small steps in pursuit of great 
 
1 WTO Blog: Thirty years of trade growth and poverty reduction , 
https://www.wto.org/english/blogs_e/data_blog_e/blog_dta_24apr24_e.htm . 
2 WT/MIN(24)/DEC , para. 7.  
3 WT/MIN(24)/36 , Declaration on the Precise, Effective and Operational Implementation of Special and 
Differential Treatment Provisions of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.  
4 WT/MIN(24)/34 , WTO Smooth Transition Support Measures in Favour of Countries Graduated from the 
LDC Category.  
5 WT/MIN(24)/31 , Accession of the Union of the Comoros ; WT/MIN(24)/32 , Accession of the Democratic 
Republic of Timor -Leste.  WT/GC/W/935  
 
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  expectations, and the adoption of  a win -win strategy. Such approaches enabled, for the first time, 
that part of the  G90 proposals on SDT to come to fruition.  
4.  After MC13, more work needs to be done. Deficits in current rules have not been addressed yet. 
Other long -standing development agenda remains unfinished. On top of that, contemporary 
challenges, such as climate c hange, food insecurity and digital divide, are calling for urgent and 
effective trade policy responses.  
5.  A journey of a thousand miles begins with small steps. Given the breadth and depth of the 
development agenda, a  first step could be to revisit the appr oaches to WTO development issues. For 
example, p osition -based debates sometimes precluded meaningful  discussions  on the real interests 
and concerns.  The ends of development were sometimes mixed up with the means such that 
divergence over the means soured t he pursuit of the common ends.  Last but not least, the lose -lose 
approach and the all -or-nothing strateg y also hindered much -needed progress in key areas.  
II. REFLECTIONS ON APPROACHES TO DEVELOPMENT ISSUES  
6.  New Perspectives.  Discussions on long-standing issue s could be informed and rekindled by 
current challenges, so as to keep abreast with the time. To revitalize certain discussions, it is worth 
exploring long-standing  issues from new angles.  
7.  Not Only Positions.  To get past  position -based strate gies and the all -or-nothing approaches,  
all forms of discussions could be held to facilitate  exchanges  on the real problems faced by 
developing and least -developed Member s, on the merits of solutions, as well as on how to address 
the core concerns reflecte d in the principled positions.  
8.  Incremental Steps.  As complex or systemic issues may take longer time for discussions, it 
could be advisable  to simultaneously  identify and focus on specific issues affecting trade of 
developing Member s including  the LDCs, w here policy solutions could be more targeted, appropriate 
and practical.  
9.  Stronger Capacity Building. To increase the capacity of developing Member s in negotiations  
and implementations , the WTO 's multilateral platform and convening power could be further 
mobilized to pool the available  expertise  and resources from within the Organization and from other 
relevant international organizations (IOs) and development partners.  
10.  Special and Different ial Treatment.  In upholding the principles of special and different ial 
treatment for developing Member s including LDCs, flexible and pragmatic approaches could also be 
explored, including choosing not to avail oneself of such treatment  in specific negotiations  on a 
voluntary basis in a practical manner.  
III. WAY FORWARD  
11.  The reform of approach es could start with revitalizing  the deliberative functions of the CTD . For 
example, thematic discussions  on current development challenges  could be held, including joint 
sessions with other relevant  WTO committees,  to share perspectives on issues of common interest 
and identify potential areas of further work. Topics may include, for example, policy space for 
industrialization, climate change mitigation and adaptation, food security, digital trade, and supply 
chain for inclusive trade. Wi th respect to long -standing agenda items, a hybrid approach could be 
taken, combining both formal and informal discussions, to allow more space for meaningful  
engagement.  
12.   On negotiation issues such as Agreement -specific proposals (ASPs) on SDT, LDC s graduation, 
some new approaches, including the ones illustrated in section II , could be applied, with a view to 
breathing fresh air to the negotiation s. For example, h olding of capacity building sessions on ASPs 
as part of CTD  SS discussions  could be encourage d. In addition, it is also worth identifying new 
topics  for negotiations where development could feature prominently.  
13.  To further the coherence mandate of the WTO  and make the best of the WTO 's institutional  
comparative  advantages , the WTO could join hands with other relevant IOs and development 
partners in tackling urgent challenges of a cross -cutting nature, where trade could become part of WT/GC/W/935  
 
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  the solutions. Bearing in mind Ministers underscore d the importance of global supply chains6, a 
starting point could  be a supply -chain based mapping exercise by the Secretariat , in consultation 
with the Member s, to identify certain sectors of trade interest to developing Member s including the 
LDCs and map the trade barriers along the different stages of supply chain in such sectors. Outcomes 
of the mapping exercises could be shared with  the Member s and other relevant IOs, t o bridge the 
information gap , identify appropriate policy tools, pool availa ble resources and improve  synerg y in 
delivering solutions . 
14.   The General Council, in carrying out its oversight functions in the intervals of Ministerial 
Conference, could play a more active role in supervising the reform of the approaches to 
development is sues. This would contribute to mainstreaming the development dimensions in the 
work of the WTO. To complement such efforts, upon request, the Secretariat could prepare reports 
to facilitate Member s' discussions on these matters as appropriate, based on the  bottom -up progress 
made in different aspects of this reform  work,  which could also be taken up at the General Council . 
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6 WT/MIN(24)/DEC , para. 6 .