WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/GC/121/Add.1 
18 February 2010 
 (10-0910) 
  
  
GENERAL COUNCIL 
 
Annual Report (2009)
 
 
Addendum  
 
 
 The present Addendum to the Annual Report of 2009 sets out the actions taken by the 
General Council at its meeting in December 2009.  The minutes of this meeting, which remain the 
record of the General Council's work, are contained in document WT/GC/M/124.1 
 
 The following subjects are included in the report: 
 
1. Work under the Doha Work Programme...............................................................................2  
(a) Trade Negotiations Committee – Report ....................................................................................2  
(b) Work Programme on Small Economies – Report.......................................................................2  
(c) Work Programme on Special and Differentia l Treatment – Reports by the Chairman 
of the Special Session of the CTD and by Chairpersons of the WTO bodies to which 
special and differential treatment proposals have been referred.................................................3  
(d) Initial review of the Transparency Mech anism for Regional Trade Agreements .......................3  
2. China – Transitional review under Section 18.2 of the Protocol of Accession to 
the WTO Ag reement.............................................................................................................. ...4 
3. Non-recognition of rights under Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of GATT 
1994 – Communications from Honduras and Guatemala.....................................................4  
4. Information on Geneva Agreement on Trad e in Bananas – Communication from 
Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, European Union, Guatemala, Mexico, 
Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.................................5  
5. Review of the Exemption Provided under Paragraph 3 of GATT 1994 ..............................5  
6. Transparency for Preferent ial Trade Arrangements ............................................................5  
7. Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration – Report and 
recommendations ................................................................................................................ ......6  
8. TRIPS Council matters .......................................................................................................... ..6 
(a) Review under Paragraph 8 of the Decision on  the Implementation of Paragraph 6 of 
the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreem ent and Public Health – Report of the 
Council on TRIPS............................................................................................................... ........6  
(b) Proposal for a decision on an extension of  the period for the acceptance by Members 
of the Protocol amending the TRIPS Agreement........................................................................6  
                                                      
1 To be issued. WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  9.
 Waivers ........................................................................................................................ ..............7  
(a) Introduction of Harmonized System 2002 Changes into WTO Schedules of Tariff 
Concessions – Draft decision................................................................................................... ...7 
(b) Introduction of Harmonized System 2007 Changes into WTO Schedules of Tariff 
Concessions – Draft decision................................................................................................... ...7 
(c) Review of waivers pursuant to Article IX:4 of the WTO Agreement ........................................7  
10. The financial and economic crisis  and the role of the WTO.................................................8  
11. Accession of developing countries – Stat ement by Gabon for the Informal Group 
of Developing Countries ....................................................................................................... ...8 
12. Administrative Measures fo r Members in Arrears ...............................................................8  
13. WTO Pension Plan – Election of an alternate to the Management Board ..........................9  
14. Review of WT O activities....................................................................................................... ..9 
15. Appointment of offi cers to WTO bodies.................................................................................9  
(a) Announcement by the Chairman concerning the start of the selection process..........................9  
(b) Chairmanship of the TRIPS Special Session ............................................................................10  
 
 
1. Work under the Doha Work Programme 
(a) Trade Negotiations Committee – Report (WT/GC/M/124) 
1. Ministers at Doha established a Trade Negotiations Committee under the authority of the 
General Council to supervise th e overall conduct of the negotiati ons (WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1).  In 
accordance with the Principles and Practices endor sed by the Trade Negotiations Committee at its 
first meeting on 28 January and 1 February 20 02 (TN/C/M/1), the TNC reports to each regular 
meeting of the General Council. 
2. At the General Council m eeting on 17 December 2009 , the Director-General, as Chairman of 
the Trade Negotiations Committee, reported on the TNC' s activities since his last report to the General 
Council.2 
3. The representatives of Tanzania (on behalf of  the LDCs); Bangladesh; Zambia; European 
Union; Egypt (on behalf of the African Group) ; Angola; Israel; Switzerland and India spoke. 
4. The General Council took note of the Director  General's report and of the statements.  
(b) Work Programme on Small Economies – Report (WT/GC/M/124) 
5. Ministers at Doha agreed to a work programme, under the auspices of the General Council, to 
examine issues relating to the trade of small econom ies, with a mandate to frame responses to the 
trade-related issues identified for the fuller inte gration of small, vulnerable economies into the 
multilateral trading system and not to create a sub-category of WTO Members (WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1, 
paragraph 35).  At its meeting in February and March 2002, the General Council took note of a 
framework and procedures for the conduct of th e Work Programme on Small Economies, under which 
this Work Programme would be a standing item on the General Council's agenda.  The framework 
and procedures also provided that the Committee on  Trade and Development would report regularly 
                                                      
2 The Director-General's statement was su bsequently circulated as Job(09)/186.  WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  to the General Council on the progress of work in its Dedicated Sessions on this subject.  Ministers at 
Hong Kong instructed the CTD, under the overall res ponsibility of the General Council, to continue 
the work in the Dedicated Session and to monito r progress of the small economies' proposals in the 
negotiating and other bodies, with the aim of providi ng responses to the trade-related issues of small 
economies as soon as possible but no later than 31 D ecember 2006.  In December 2006, on the basis 
of a report by the Chair of the CTD in Dedicat ed Session, the General Council took note that 
Members would be pursuing the substantive work under this work programme. 
6. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009 , the Chair of the Dedicated Session of 
the CTD, reporting on developments in this area sinc e the November Council, said that at the Seventh 
Session of the Ministerial Conference Ministers and Heads of Delegation from SVEs had stressed the 
importance of the Work Programme and their desire for the Dedicated Session to continue its work in 
this regard. 
7. The representative of Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs) spoke. 
8. The General Council took note of the report by the Chairman of the Dedicated Session of the 
Committee on Trade and Development and of the statement. 
(c) Work Programme on Special and Differential Tr eatment – Reports by the Chairman of the 
Special Session of the CTD and by Chairpers ons of the WTO bodies to which special and 
differential treatment proposals ha ve been referred (WT/CG/M/124) 
9. Ministers at Hong Kong instructed the Comm ittee on Trade and Development in Special 
Session to expeditiously complete the review of all the outstanding Agreement-specific proposals and 
report to the General Council, with clear recomm endations for a decision, by December 2006.  
Regarding the Category II proposals that had b een referred to other WTO bodies and negotiating 
groups, Ministers instructed these bodies to exped itiously complete the consideration of these 
proposals and report periodically to the General Counc il, with the objective of ensuring that clear 
recommendations for a decision were made not later than December 2006.  They also instructed the 
Special Session to continue to coordinate its effo rts with these bodies to ensure that this work was 
completed on time.  Ministers further instructed th e Special Session, within the parameters of the 
Doha mandate, to resume work on all other outstanding issues – including cross-cutting issues, the monitoring mechanism, and the incorporation of S& D treatment into the architecture of WTO rules – 
and to report on a regular basis to the General C ouncil.  In December 2006, the General Council took 
note that Members would be pursuing their consid eration of the outstanding Agreement-specific 
proposals both in the Special Session and in the ot her WTO bodies to which such proposals had been 
referred. 
10. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009
, the Chairman of the Special Session 
of the CTD and Chairpersons of the WTO bodies to which special and differential treatment proposals 
had been referred reported on the status of work  in their respective bodies since December 2008. 
11. The General Council took note of the reports by th e Chairpersons of the Special Sessions of 
the CTD, the Committee on Agriculture, the Counc il for Trade in Services and the DSB, of the 
Negotiating Group on Rules, and of the Committees on Agriculture, TRIMs, SPS Measures, and Safeguards. 
(d) Initial review of the Transparency M echanism for Regional Trade Agreements 
(WT/GC/M/124) 
12. In December 2006, the General Council adopted  a Decision establishing a Transparency 
Mechanism for RTAs to be implemented on a prov isional basis in accordance with paragraph 47 of WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  the Doha Ministerial Declaration.  The Decision wa s adopted on the basis of certain observations and 
understandings, including that notwithstanding the current stage of the DDA negotiations and the 
timing of their conclusion, Members intended to c onduct an initial review of the Mechanism pursuant 
to paragraph 23 of the Decision within one year. 
13. At the General Council m eeting on 17 December 2009
, the Chairman of the Negotiating 
Group on Rules reported that there was still no consensu s on the best time to undertake the review of 
the Mechanism that w as a necessary condition to making it permanent. 
14. The representative of India spoke. 
15. The General Council took note of the report by  the Chairman of the Negotiating Group on 
Rules and of the statement. 
2. China – Transitional review under Section 18.2 of the Protocol of Accession to the WTO 
Agreement (WT/GC/M/124) 
16. At its meeting on 17 December 2009 , the General Council conduc ted its eighth review of 
China's implementation of the WTO Agreement and th e provisions of the Protocol of Accession.  In 
so doing, the General Council considered a comm unication from China (WT/GC/123) which provided 
information required under Sections I and III of Annex 1A of the Prot ocol of Accession, as well as 
reports from subsidiary bodies on their respective reviews (G/L/910, S/C/33, IP/C/55, WT/BOP/R/95, G/TBT/27 and G/SPS/52). 
17. The representatives of China; United States; Cuba ; European Union; Japan and the Bolivarian 
Republic of Venezuela spoke. 
18. The General Council took note of the statem ents and of the reports submitted by the 
subsidiary bodies on the conduct of their respective re views, and agreed that the eighth review by the 
General Council of China's implemen tation of the WTO Agreement and the provisions of its Protocol 
of Accession had been concluded. 
3. Non-recognition of rights under Article XXIV:6 and Article XXVIII of GATT 1994 – 
Communications from Honduras and Guatemala (WT/GC/M/124) 
19. In December 2004, at the request of H onduras and Guatemala, the General Council 
considered the question of non-recognition of rights for the processes under Articles XXIV:6 and 
XXVIII of GATT 1994 in connection with the enla rgement of the European Union from 15 to 
25 members and its move to a tariff-only regime on bananas from 1 January 2006.  This matter was 
subsequently considered by the General Council at each regular meeting since then without 
resolution. 
20. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009
, the representatives of Honduras and 
Guatemala requested that this item be temporar ily suspended from the General Council's agenda. 
21. The representatives of Honduras and Guatemala spoke.  
22. The General Council took note of the statements.  WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  4. Information on Geneva Agreement on Trade in Bananas – Communication from Brazil, 
Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, European Union, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (WT/GC/M/124) 
23. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009
, the European Union introduced the 
Geneva Agreement on Trade in Bananas (WT/L/784). 
24. The representatives of the European Union; Co sta Rica; Honduras; Guatemala; Peru; Panama; 
Ecuador; Mexico; Colombia; Mauritius (on behalf of the ACP Group); Dominica (also on behalf of 
St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines); Côte  d'Ivoire; Cameroon; United States; China; India 
and Pakistan; and the Director-General spoke. 
25. The General Council took note of the Geneva Ag reement on Trade in Bananas circulated by 
the delegation of the European Union and others in document WT/L/784, and of the statements. 
5. Review of the Exemption Provided und er Paragraph 3 of GATT 1994 (WT/GC/M/124) 
26. Paragraph 3(a) of the GATT 1994 provides an exemption from Part II of the GATT 1994 for 
measures under specific mandatory legislation – enacte d by a Member before it became a contracting 
party to the GATT 1947 – which prohibits the use,  sale or lease of foreign-built or foreign-
reconstructed vessels in commercial applications betw een points in national waters or waters of an 
exclusive economic zone.  On 20 December 1994, the United States invoked the provisions of paragraph 3(a) with respect to specific legislati on that met the requirements of that paragraph.  
Paragraph 3(b) of the GATT 1994 calls for a review of  this exemption five years after the date of 
entry into force of the WTO Agreement, and thereaf ter every two years for as long as the exemption is 
in force, in order to examine whether the conditio ns which created the need for the exemption still 
prevail.  In February 2009, the General Council ag reed that for the purposes of the conduct of the 
review in 2009, Members would proceed in a manner similar to that in 2007, when the last review 
under the two-yearly cycle had been taken up.  It w as further agreed that this matter would be on the 
agenda of subsequent General Council meetings in the course of 2009 as the Chairman deemed 
appropriate or at the request of any Member, and th at it would consider this matter again at its last 
meeting of the year.  
27. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009
, the Chairman invited all interested 
delegations to speak for the record with re gard to the review under the current cycle. 
28. The representatives of the United States; Jap an; Norway; Hong Kong, China; European 
Union; Korea and China spoke. 
29. The General Council took note of the statements  made in the course of the review in 2009, 
and that the subsequent review under the two-yearly  cycle provided in paragraph 3(b) of GATT 1994 
would normally be held in 2011. 
6. Transparency for Preferential Tr ade Arrangements (WT/GC/M/124) 
30. In December 2006, the General Council adopted a Decision on Transparency for Preferential 
Trade Arrangements (WT/L/672) inviting the Co mmittee on Trade and Development to consider 
transparency for preferential trade arrangements under paragraph 2 of the Enabling Clause – other 
than RTAs – and to report back within six months  for appropriate action by the General Council.  
Subsequently, in July and December 2007, and agai n in July 2008, on the basis of reports from the 
Chairman of the CTD, the General Council agreed to  extend the deadline for the CTD to consider this 
matter and to report back for appropriate action by successive six-month periods, i.e. until July 2009.  WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  In July 2009, the General Council agreed that the de adline for the CTD to consider this matter and to 
report back for appropriate acti on be extended to December 2009. 
31. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009
, the Chairman of the CTD reported on 
the Committee's consideration of this matte r since his last report in July 2009. 
32. The General Council took note of the report by the Chairman of the CTD and agreed that the 
deadline for the CTD to consider this matter and report back for appropriate action be extended to 
July 2010. 
7. Committee on Budget, Finance and Admini stration – Report and recommendations 
(WT/GC/M/124) 
33. At its meeting on 17 December 2009 , the General Council considered a report by the Budget 
Committee on its meetings of November and D ecember 2009 (WT/BFA/114 and Add.1), which was 
introduced by the Chairp erson of the Committee. 
34. The representatives of China; Ecuador; Pakistan ; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Cuba; 
Thailand; Nepal and the United States; and the Director-General spoke. 
35. The General Council took note of the statem ents, approved the Budget Committee's specific 
recommendations in paragraphs 14, 15, 28, 30, 34 a nd 35 of its report, including the draft Resolutions 
referred to in paragraphs 14 and 15, adopted the draft Resolutions on the Expenditure of the WTO in 
2010 and 2011 and the Ways and Means to Meet Such  Expenditure in paragraphs 14 and 15 of the 
report, and adopted the report in document WT/BFA/114 and Add.1 as a whole. 
8. TRIPS Council matters (GC/M/124) 
(a) Review under Paragraph 8 of the Decision on the Implementation of Para graph 6 of the Doha 
Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public  Health – Report of the Council on TRIPS 
and 
(b) Proposal for a decision on an extension of the period for the acceptance by Members of the 
Protocol amending the TRIPS Agreement 
36. In August 2003, the General Council adopt ed a Decision on the Implementation of 
Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Ag reement and Public Health.  Paragraph 8 of that 
Decision provides that the TRIPS Council shall revi ew annually the functioning of the system set out 
in the Decision with a view to ensuring its e ffective operation, and shall annually report on its 
operation to the General Council.  In addition, in keeping with the August 2003 Decision, the General 
Council adopted, in December 2005, a Protocol  Amending the TRIPS Agreement, which was 
submitted to Members for acceptance and which, in accordance with Article X:3 of the WTO 
Agreement, would enter into force upon acceptance by two thirds of the Members.  The TRIPS 
Council at its meeting in October 2009 agreed to  submit to the General Council a proposal for a 
decision on a second extension of the period for the acceptance by Members of this Protocol. 
37. At the General Council m eeting on 17 December 2009 , the Chairperson of the TRIPS Council 
introduced the report of the TRIPS Council (IP/C/53)  on its sixth annual review of the functioning of 
the system set out in the Decision on the Implementa tion of Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on 
the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, as well as a proposal for a decision on a second extension of 
the period for the acceptance by Members of the Protocol amending the TRIPS Agreement.  WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  38. The representatives of Ecuador; India; Br azil; China and the Bolivarian Republic of 
Venezuela spoke. 
39. The General Council took note of the report of  the TRIPS Council (IP/C/53), adopted the 
draft decision extending the time period for accep tance by Members of the Protocol amending the 
TRIPS Agreement to 31 December 2011 (WT/L/785), and took note of the statements. 
9. Waivers 
(a) Introduction of Harmonized System 2002 Changes into WTO Schedules of Tariff 
Concessions – Draft decision (WT/GC/M/124) 
40. At its meeting on 17 December 2009 , the General Council considered a draft decision 
(G/C/W/624) providing for a waiver to suspend the application of the provisions of Article II of 
GATT 1994 to enable Members to implement domest ically the recommended amendments to the 
Harmonized System nomenclature pending incorpora tion of such changes into their Schedules of 
Concessions.  The Chairperson of the Council for Trad e in Goods reported on the consideration of the 
draft decision by that Council. 
41. The General Council took note of the report a nd, in accordance with the Decision-Making 
Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WT O Agreement agreed in November 1995 (WT/L/93), 
adopted the draft decision (WT/L/786). 
(b) Introduction of Harmonized System 2007 Changes into WTO Schedules of Tariff 
Concessions – Draft decision (WT/GC/M/124)  
42. At its meeting on 17 December 2009 , the General Council considered a draft decision 
(G/C/W/625/Rev.1) providing for a waiver to suspend the application of the provisions of Article II of 
GATT 1994 to enable Members to implement dome stically the recommended amendments to the 
Harmonized System nomenclature pending incorpora tion of such changes into their Schedules of 
Concessions.  The Chairperson of the Council for Trad e in Goods reported on the consideration of the 
draft decision by that Council. 
43. The General Council took note of the report a nd, in accordance with the Decision-Making 
Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed in November 1995 (WT/L/93), 
adopted the draft decision (WT/L/7873). 
(c) Review of waivers pursuant to Article IX :4 of the WTO Agreement (WT/GC/M/124) 
44. Under Article IX:4 of the WTO Agreement "[a]ny  waiver granted for a period of more than 
one year shall be reviewed by the Ministerial Conf erence not later than one year after it is granted, 
and thereafter annually until the waiver terminates." 
45. At its meeting on 17 December 2009 , the General Council considered the following waivers 
for review under Article IX:4: 
(i) Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for rough diamonds, granted on 
15 December 2006 until 31 December 2012 
(ii) Canada – CARIBCAN, granted on 15 D ecember 2006, from 1 January 2007 until 
31 December 2011 
                                                      
3 On 20 January 2010, Israel was included in the Annex to this waiver Decision (WT/L/787/Add.1). WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  (iii) Cuba – Article XV:6 of GATT 1994,  granted on 15 December 2006 until 
31 December 2011 
In so doing, the General Council considered reports on implementation of the respective 
waivers submitted by the Canada (WT/L/780) and Cuba (WT/L/781). 
46. The General Council took note of the reports in WT/L/780 and 781. 
10. The financial and economic crisis and the role of the WTO
4 (WT/GC/M/124) 
47. At the General Council m eeting on 17 December 2009 , the representatives of Argentina, 
Ecuador and India introduced their communication on  the financial and economic crisis and the role 
of the WTO (WT/GC/W/617 and Add.1). 
48. The representatives of Argentina; Ecuador; India;  Turkey; China; United States; El Salvador; 
Bolivia; European Union; Japan ; Brazil; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Cuba; Switzerland; 
Korea; Paraguay and Mexico spoke. 
49. The General Council took note of the statements. 
11. Accession of developing countries – Statem ent by Gabon for the Informal Group of 
Developing Countries (WT/GC/M/124) 
50. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009 , the representative of Gabon, on behalf 
of the Informal Group of Developing Countries, drew  attention to the Group's proposal on this issue 
(WT/GC/W/611) which was aimed at improving th e existing institutional mechanisms so that 
acceding developing countries could make thei r views on the accession process known, and at 
enhancing transparency in the process through the submission of periodic reports to the General 
Council. 
51. The representatives of Gabon (on behalf of th e Informal Group of Developing Countries); 
Turkey; Tanzania (on behalf of the LDCs); Arge ntina; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; China; 
Japan; European Union; Egypt; United States; Saudi Arabia; Switzerland; Cuba; Korea; Brazil; India; 
Nepal; Mexico and Pakistan; and the Director-General spoke. 
52. The General Council took note of the statements. 
12. Administrative Measures for Members in Arrears (WT/GC/M/124) 
53. At its meeting in May 2006, the Genera l Council approved a recommendation from the 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration w ith regard to revised Administrative Measures 
for Members in Arrears (WT/BFA/86) under which, inter alia , at each meeting of the General Council 
the Chairman of the Budget Committee would provide information with regard to which Members were under Administrative Measures in Categories II through IV, and the General Council Chairman 
would request Members in Categories III and IV to inform him before the next Council meeting as to 
when the payment of arrears might be expected a nd report on Members' replies at each subsequent 
meeting. 
54. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009
, in pursuance of the revised 
Administrative Measures, the Chairperson of th e Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration 
                                                      
4 This matter was considered at previous General Council meetings in 2009 under the title "The 
economic and financial crisis and its repercussions on trade".  WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  provided information with rega rd to which Members were under Administrative Measures in 
Categories II through IV.  Also in pursuance of  the revised Administrative Measures, the Council 
Chairman requested Members in Categories III and IV  to inform him before the next meeting of the 
Council as to when their payment of arrears might be  expected.  He informed the Council that since 
the November General Council mee ting he had not received any replies from the Members concerned. 
55. The General Council took note of the statements. 
13. WTO Pension Plan – Election of an alternate to the Management Board 
(WT/GC/M/124) 
56. Article 4 of the Regulations of the WTO Pension Plan (WT/L/282) provides inter alia  for the 
election by the General Council of a Chairman, f our members and four alternates to serve on the 
Management Board, each for a three-year term. 
57. At the General Council m eeting on 17 December 2009 , the Chairman drew attention to a 
proposal circulated by him in document WT/GC/W/618 on the basis of which he proposed that the General Council agree to elect Mr NG (Hong Kong, China) to serve as an alternate on the Management Board of the WTO Pension Plan for the remainder of the Board's term, i.e. until 
May 2011. 
58. The General Council took note of the statement and so agreed (WT/L/788). 
14. Review of WTO activities (WT/GC/M/124) 
59. At its meeting on 17 December 2009
, the Chairman said that  following the Council's 
consideration of the Annual Reports at its mee ting in November 2009, a number of Committees had 
prepared addenda to cover work undertaken since their initial reports.  These reports had been drawn 
up in pursuance of the Decision concerning procedur es for an annual overview of WTO activities and 
for reporting under the WTO (WT/L/105). 
60. The representatives of Ecuador; Dominica (on behalf of the SVEs) and Brazil; and the 
Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Deve lopment and the Director-General spoke. 
61. The General Council took note of the statements , adopted the addendum to the report of the 
Committee on Trade and Development (WT/COMTD/70/ Add.1), and took note of the Aid for Trade 
Work Programme (WT/COMTD/AFT/W/16), the report of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration (WT/BFA/113/Add.1) and the report of the Committee on Government Procurement (GPA/103/Add.1). 
15. Appointment of officers to WTO bodies  
(a) Announcement by the Chairman concerning the start of the selection process 
(WT/GC/M/124) 
62. At the General Council m eeting on 17 December 2009
, the Chairman said that in accordance 
with the Guidelines for Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies (WT/L/510), he would be starting the selection process for the appointment of chairper sons to the WTO bodies listed in Groups 1, 2, 4 
and 5 in the Annex to the Guidelines.  In accordan ce with paragraph 7.1(b) he  would be assisted in 
this process by the serving Chair of the Dispute Settlement Body, Mr. Gero (Canada). 
63. The General Council took note of the statement. WT/GC/121/Add.1 
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  (b) Chairmanship of the TRIPS Special Session (WT/GC/M/124) 
64. At the General Council meeting on 17 December 2009
, the Chairman informed the Council 
that, following consultations on the matter, there wa s a consensus to appoint Mrs Tan (Singapore) as 
Chairperson of the Special Session of the Council for TRIPS on a pro tempore basis until the General 
Council took up the slate of names for Officers to WTO bodies at its meeting in February 2010. 
65. The General Council took note of the statement. 
 
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