WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/58 
1 December 2006 
 (06-5777) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2006) OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT,  
COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT IN DEDICATED SESSION 
AND THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
1 
 
 I. INTRODUCTION 
1. This report covers the activities of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) in 
Regular Session and in Dedicated Session and the activities of the Sub-Committee on 
Least-Developed Countries since its last report issued in 2005.
2  
II. WORK OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT IN REGULAR 
SESSION 
2. The CTD in Regular Session held six formal sessions on 3 March, 11 May, 6 July, 4 October, 
3 November and 28 November 2006.  The minutes of these meetings are contained in documents 
WT/COMTD/M/56 through WT/COMTD/M/61 respectively.  At the 56th Session held on 
3 March 2006, the Chairmanship was handed over from Ambassador Gomi Tharaka Senadhira 
(Sri Lanka) to Mr. Faizel Ismail (South Africa). 
3. The CTD continues to have outstanding requests for observer status from the League of Arab 
States, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), the Organisation in ternationale de la francophonie, the Common Fund 
for Commodities (CFC), the Organization of Arab  Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) and the 
Groupe de la Banque Africa ine de Développement.   
4. Members agreed to continue to invite a num ber of intergovernmental organizations on an 
ad hoc meeting-by-meeting basis.  These include  the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), the Common 
Fund for Commodities (CFC)
3, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the 
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Inte r-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation, the 
Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the African Union (AU), the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the South Centre, the Pacific Islands Forum, the United Nations Environment 
Programme (UNEP), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), and the World 
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  A full  list of intergovernmental organizations with 
observer status in the Committee is cont ained in document WT/COMTD/W/22/Rev.6. 
                                                     
 
1 The Special Session of the Committee on Trade and De velopment, dealing with  the issue of special 
and differential treatment, has its own reporting requirements. 
2 The 2005 annual report of the Committee is contained in document WT/COMTD/55 of 
30 November 2005. 
3 At the 49th Session, the CFC was granted ad hoc observer status to follow, on a meeting-by-meeting 
basis, the item relating to the declining terms of trade for primary commodities, and its implication to trade and 
development of primary commodity exporting countries. WT/COMTD/58 
Page 2  
 
  5. At the 59
th Session, Members agreed to consid er inviting the International Coffee 
Organization (ICO) on a meeting-by-meeting basi s to attend the CTD's future discussions on 
commodity issues. 
6. The principal themes addressed by the CTD in  Regular Session during the period covered in 
this report included the following:4   
A. Technical cooperation and training; 
B. Notifications regarding market access for developing and least-developed countries; 
C. Report of the Joint Advisory Group on the International Trade Centre 
UNCTAD/WTO; 
D. Declining terms of trade for primary comm odities, and its implication to trade and 
development of primary commodity exporting countries; 
E. Paragraph 51 of the Doha Declaration on identifying and debati ng developmental and 
environmental aspects of the negotiations, in  order to help achieve the objective of 
having sustainable development appropriately reflected; 
F. Hong Kong Decision on duty-free and quota-fr ee market access for least-developed 
countries; 
G. Development dimension of electronic commerce. 
 7. The Committee also heard a presentation at its 58
th Session on the European Communities' 
Export Helpdesk for Developing Countries. 
A. T ECHNICAL COOPERATION AND TRAINING  
8. The Committee took note of the Annual Report on Technical Assistance and Training, 
1 January to 31 December 2005 (WT/COMTD/W/146) at its 56th Session, and of the Technical 
Cooperation Audit Report for 2005 (WT/COMTD/W/148) at its 57th Session. 
9. The 60th Session of the CTD focused on technical cooperation and training issues.  At that 
meeting, the Committee considered the Final Re port of the Strategic Review of WTO-Provided 
Trade-Related Technical Assistance Activities (W T/COMTD/W/152) along with the Management 
Response to the Strategic Review (WT/COMTD/W/153) .  It was generally agreed that there was a 
need for further opportunities to discuss the recommendations and conclusions of the Final Report.  Also at the 60
th Session, the Committee took note of the Semi-Annual Review of the Implementation 
of Activities – 1 January to 30 June 2006 (WT/ COMTD/W/154).  The Technical Assistance and 
Training Plan 2007 (WT/COMTD/W/151 and WT/COMTD/W/151/Corr.15) was adopted on a 
provisional basis at the 60th Session, since some Members were still awaiting feed-back from capitals, 
and was formally adopted at the 61st Session. 
B. NOTIFICATIONS REGARDING MARKET ACCESS FOR DEVELOPING AND LEAST -DEVELOPED 
COUNTRIES  
10. The CTD continued its consideration of the no tifications made in 2005 under the Enabling 
Clause concerning the Framework Agreement on Co mprehensive Economic Cooperation Between the 
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the People's Republic of China 
(WT/COMTD/N/20 and WT/COMTD/51) and the Agre ement on Trade in Goods of the Framework 
Agreement on Comprehensive Econom ic Cooperation between ASEAN and the People's Republic of 
China (WT/COMTD/N/20/Add.1 and WT/COMTD/51/A dd.1), in particular on the basis of written 
questions submitted by the European Commun ities (EC), the United States (US) and Japan 
                                                      
4 The Committee's Work Programme for 2006 (WT/COMTD/56) was adopted at the 56th Session. 
5 In English only.  WT/COMTD/58 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (WT/COMTD/51/Add.2 to Add.4 respectively).  At the 57th Session, the EC notified its revised 
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme (WT/COMTD/N/4/Add.3 and WT/COMTD/57) which the CTD considered over the course of the year , in particular on the basis of written questions 
submitted by Brazil, China, India and Pakistan (WT/COMTD/57/Add.1 to Add.4 respectively) and 
the responses provided by the EC (WT/COMTD/57/Add. 5).  The Committee also considered at its 
61
st Session a notification concerning the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Customs 
Union (WT/COMTD/N/14/Add.1 and WT/COMTD/25/Add.1). 
C. REPORT OF THE JOINT ADVISORY GROUP ON THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE 
UNCTAD/WTO 
11. The Joint Advisory Group on the Internationa l Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO (JAG) held its 
39th Session from 24 to 28 April 2006.  The report on that meeting is c ontained in document 
ITC/AG/(XXXIX)/208 of 28 April 2006.  The Chairperson of the JAG, Ambassador Mary Whelan of Ireland, presented the report at the 57
th Session of the Committee.  She said that countries had requested 
more ITC programmes focusing on such areas as South-South trade, service exporting, export-led 
poverty reduction and initiatives to mainstream women in  trade development.  She reported that many 
representatives had emphasized the important role that  the ITC should play within the framework of 
the Aid for Trade initiative.  She informed the Committee that the J AG had invited the ITC to report 
back regularly on progress made in implementing the recommendations found in the final report of 
the external evaluation of the organization.  She said that the Group also congratulated the outgoing ITC Executive Director for his exce llent leadership and expressed full confidence in the ability of the 
new senior management to take the organization fo rward.  The Committee took note of the report and 
forwarded it to the General Council for adoption. 
D. D
ECLINING TERMS OF TRADE FOR PRIMARY COMMODITIES , AND ITS IMPLICATION TO TRADE 
AND DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY COMMODITY EXPORTING COUNTRIES  
12. At the 56th Session, the Chairman proposed that th e Committee continue under this agenda 
item along the lines of what had been agreed at the 53rd Session on 11 May 2005, namely to continue 
to listen to presentations from Members and relevant  institutions.  An invitation was subsequently  
extended to the International Coffee Organiza tion (ICO) to make a presentation at the 57th Session.  
The ICO's presentation was followed by presentati ons by the Food and Agriculture Organization 
(FAO) and the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) at the 58th and 59th Sessions respectively.  
Also at the 59th Session, the Committee agreed that a pane l discussion bringing together a number of 
organizations working on commodity issues would be a useful way to move forward under this 
agenda item.  The Chairman's proposal at the 61st Session to hold the panel discussion during the early 
part of 2007 was agreed to.  The Chairman invite d Members to contribute their ideas after the meeting 
on the format of the panel discussion.  
E. PARAGRAPH 51 OF THE DOHA DECLARATION ON IDENTIFYING AND DEBATING 
DEVELOPMENTAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS , IN ORDER TO 
HELP ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE OF HAVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATELY 
REFLECTED  
13. Under the item relating to paragraph 51 of th e Doha Ministerial Declaration, the Committee 
has since its 54th Session on 5 October 2005 been undertaki ng a review of the developmental aspects 
of the negotiations based on a periodically updated b ackground paper prepared by the Secretariat.  
In 2006, the Committee continued its review at the 58th Session on the basis of a second revision of 
the Secretariat paper (WT/COMTD/W/143/Rev.2).  In view of the suspension of the Doha 
negotiations, Members agreed at the 59th Session to temporarily suspend their discussion under this 
agenda item.  Members reviewed the situation at the 61st Session and agreed to revert to this issue at 
the next meeting of the Committee. WT/COMTD/58 
Page 4  
 
  F. H
ONG KONG DECISION ON DUTY-FREE AND QUOTA -FREE MARKET ACCESS FOR 
LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  
14. The Committee agreed at its 56th Session to include, for all remaining meetings of the year, an 
agenda item relating to the Decision taken at the Sixth Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China 
on duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access for least-developed countries (LDCs).  Under this 
agenda item, a number of Members provided inform ation on the steps they were taking, or had 
already taken, to provide DFQF market access to  LDCs.  Written submissions were provided by 
the US (WT/COMTD/W/149) and Japan (WT/COMTD/W/150).  The LDC Group made interventions outlining the LDCs' view that the appropriate forum for discussion of the Hong Kong Decision was 
the CTD in Special Session, as well as other re levant negotiating groups and WTO bodies.  Other 
delegations considered that the CTD was the appropria te forum for consideration of the Decision.  At 
its 61
st Session, the CTD conducted its first annual revi ew of the implementation of the Hong Kong 
Decision, as mandated in Annex F of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration.  The LDC Group 
expressed the view that the requirements of the Decision had not been met.  A number of delegations confirmed their commitment to the Decision.  
G. D
EVELOPMENT DIMENSION OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE  
15. At the 58th Session, the Chairman drew the attention of the Committee to paragraph 46 of the 
Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, in which it was agreed to re-invigorate the WTO's work 
programme on electronic commerce, including th e development-related issues.  He reminded 
Members that the CTD had agreed at its 53rd Session on 11 May 2005 to revert to the agenda item on 
electronic commerce only if requested to do so by Members.  In light of paragraph 46 of the 
Hong Kong Declaration, he inquired whether the Co mmittee wished to once ag ain treat the issue of 
electronic commerce.  Members considered the matter again at the 61st Session, and agreed to revert 
to it at the next meeting of the Committee. 
III. WORK OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT IN DEDICATED 
SESSION ON SMALL ECONOMIES 
16. Pursuant to paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration6, the General Council, at its 
meeting on 1 March 2002, took note of the framework  and procedures for the conduct of the Work 
Programme on Small Economies.7  Paragraph 2(d) of that documen t states that "The General Council 
shall instruct the CTD to have a programme of work on small economies which will be conducted in 
dedicated sessions of the CTD".  At the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the Work Programme on Sm all Economies and urged the adoption of specific 
measures that would facilitate the fuller integr ation of small, vulnerable economies into the 
multilateral trading system, without creating a sub- category of WTO Members.  Paragraph 41 of the 
Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration instructs the CTD to continue the work in the Dedicated Session 
and to monitor progress of the small economies' proposals in the negotiating and other bodies.
8 
17. In 2006, the Dedicated Session held three form al meetings on the Work Programme on Small 
Economies.  Meetings were held  on 26 April, 20 July and 29 September 2006 under the Chairmanship 
of Mr. Faizel Ismail (South Africa).  These meetings were scheduled, to the extent possible, to coincide with the holding of "Geneva Weeks" for WTO non-resident Members and Observers to ensure the participation of Members without missi ons in Geneva.  The minutes of these meetings are 
contained in documents WT/COMTD/SE/M/14 to 16. 
                                                     
 
6 WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1. 
7 WT/L/447. 
8 WT/MIN(05)/DEC.  WT/COMTD/58 
 Page 5 
 
 
  18. Two new submissions on issues relating to the trade of small economies and the monitoring 
of proposals in the negotiating and other bodies were received for the Fourteenth Dedicated Session held on 26
 April 2006.  One new submission, "Work Programme on Small Economies:  An 
Assessment of the Progress to Date," was introdu ced in document WT/COMTD/SE/W/20.  This paper 
was presented by the delegations of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, 
Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenad a, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mauritius, 
Mongolia, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, So lomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and To bago.  Also at that meeting, the same group of 
small economies submitted a new paper titled "Sma ll Economies Work Programme:  The Monitoring 
Role of the Committee on Trade and Development in Dedicated Session" circulated as document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/21.  Also discussed were revised ve rsions of past proposals on the use of regional 
bodies to assist small economies with the implementa tion of their obligations under the SPS, TBT and 
TRIPS Agreements.  These revised proposals can be found in documents WT/COMTD/SE/W/15/Rev.1, WT/COMTD/SE/W/16/Rev.1 and WT/COMTD/SE/W/18/Rev.1. 
19. For the 15
th Dedicated Session, the proponents made further revisions to their proposals on 
the use of regional bodies to assist small economies with the implementation of their obligations 
under the SPS, TBT and TRIPS Ag reements.  These revisions incorporated the concerns and 
comments expressed in the consultations held on these proposals in the Committees on SPS and TBT, 
as well as the TRIPS Council, and were circul ated as documents WT/COMTD/SE/W/15/Rev.2, 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/16/Rev.2 and WT/COMTD/SE/W/18/Rev.2.  Members also discussed a revision of the paper "Small Economies Work Programme:  The Monitoring Role of the Committee on Trade 
and Development in Dedicated Session" and requested that it be circulated as document 
WT/COMTD/SE/W/21/Rev.1 so as to reflect the additional proposals which the proponents of small economies had introduced in three negotiating bodies. 
20. For the 16
th Dedicated Session held on 29 September, Members adopted a report to the 
General Council on Measures to Assist Small Econ omies in Meeting their Obligations under the 
Agreements on SPS Measures, TBT and TRIPS.  This report was circulated as document 
WT/COMTD/SE/5.  At its 10 October 2006 meeting, the General C ouncil took note of the report and 
agreed to the recommendations made therein.9 
IV. WORK OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
21. During the period under review, the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries (hereafter 
the Sub-Committee) held three fo rmal meetings on 16 March (43rd Session), 12 July (44th Session) 
and 15 November 2006 (45th Session).  The meetings of 16 March and 12 July were chaired by 
Ambassador Ian de Jong (Net herlands).  The meeting of 15 November was chaired by 
Ambassador Jean Feyder (Luxembourg).  The minutes of these meetings are contained in documents 
WT/COMTD/LDC/M/43 through WT/COMTD/LDC/M/4510, respectively.   
22. The work of the Sub-Committee has mainly focused on the impl ementation of the WTO Work 
Programme for the LDCs adopted by Members on 12 February 2002.11  The subjects considered 
during the reporting period were:  (i) market access for LDCs;  (ii) trade-related technical assistance 
and capacity-building initia tives for LDCs;  (iii) trade-related el ements of the Brussels Programme of 
Action for the LDCs for the decade 2001-2010;  and (iv) accession of LDCs. 
                                                      
9 See WT/GC/M/104 (to be issued). 
10 To be issued. 
11 WT/COMTD/LDC/11. WT/COMTD/58 
Page 6  
 
  (i) Market Access for LDCs 
23. The item on market access for LDCs was c onsidered at all the meetings of the 
Sub-Committee.  At the 43
rd Session of the Sub-Committee, the Secretariat introduced its note entitled 
"Market access issues related to products of expor t interest originating from LDCs", contained in 
document WT/COMTD/LDC/W/38.  The note contains  an overview of market access conditions 
facing LDCs, and includes information on LDCs' e xport profiles, major products, major markets, 
tariff measures facing LDC products in developed a nd developing country markets and developments 
in the improvement of market access for LDCs .  In view of comments received at the 43rd and 
44th Sessions of the Sub-Committee, the Secretaria t issued corrigenda to the note which were 
considered at the 45th Session of the Sub-Committee. 
24. At its 43rd Session, the Sub-Committee resumed its consideration of the Secretariat note 
entitled "Options for LDCs to improve their comp etitiveness in the textiles and clothing business", 
contained in document WT/COMTD/LDC/W/37.  Upda ted statistics on textiles and clothing imports 
of selected economies from the LDCs were provided in document JOB(06)/55.   
25. At its 44th and 45th Sessions, the Sub-Committee consid ered the Secretariat note entitled 
"Non-tariff measures (NTMs) on products of export  interest to the LDCs" contained in document 
WT/COMTD/LDC/W/39 and Add.1/Rev.1.  The note, which was prepared pursuant to a request by the Sub-Committee at its 43
rd Session, contains an overview of the literature on NTMs, identifies the 
types of NTMs faced by LDC merchandise exports and discusses possible avenues by which some of 
the NTMs could be addressed.  The addendum to the note compiles notifications by LDCs' major 
trading partners on principal exports of LDCs.  In view of comments received at the 45th Session of 
the Sub-Committee, the Secretariat will update some data contained in the note.  
26. At its 45th Session, the Sub-Committee requested the S ecretariat to look into the possibilities 
of undertaking a study on the market access situa tion of LDCs in the area of trade in services. 
(ii) Trade-related Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building Initiatives for LDCs 
27. The item on trade-related technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives for LDCs was 
considered at the 45th Session.  The delegation of Canada, as one of the co-chairs of the Transition 
Team on an enhanced Integrated Framework (IF), gave a progress report on the implementation of the 
recommendations for an enhanced IF.  The Sub-Co mmittee expressed support for the ongoing work to 
enhance the IF.   
28. The Integrated Framework Steering Committee (IFSC) held its 16th Session on 12 May 2006. 
The recommendations for an enhanced IF, contai ned in document WT/IFSC/W/15 and Corr.1, were 
adopted at the 17th Session of the IFSC on 5 July 2006.  The 18th Session of the IFSC is scheduled for 
13 December 2006.  Minutes of the meetings are contained in documents WT/IFSC/M/15 through WT/IFSC/M/17.
12   
(iii) Trade-related Elements of the Brussels Pr ogramme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 
2001-2010 
29. At the 44th Session of the Sub-Committee, the dele gation of Benin introduced the Cotonou 
Ministerial Declaration as well as the Cotonou Stra tegy (WT/L/649 and its revision), which resulted 
from the Ministerial Meeting of the LDCs held in Cotonou from 5 to 8 June 2006.  The Cotonou meeting was organized to prepare for the mi d-term comprehensive global review of the 
implementation of the Programme of Action for th e LDCs for the decade 2001-2010, which later took 
                                                     
 
12 To be issued.  WT/COMTD/58 
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  place in New York in September 2006.  As an input into the New York meeting, the Director-General 
of the WTO, under his own responsibility, submitted a report which reviews the state of implementation by the WTO of the commitments made in the Programme of Action by the international community, in so far as they fall w ithin the competence of the WTO.  At the 45
th Session 
of the Sub-Committee, Members agreed that this  report be circulated as a Sub-Committee document 
for information.13 
(iv) Accession of LDCs 
30. The Sub-Committee considered the ite m on Accession of LDCs at its 45th Session.  The 
Secretariat introduced a note contained in documen t JOB(06)/242, which provides the current state of 
play in the accession working parties of the LDCs.  Ten LDCs are at various stages of their accession 
process, which represents more than one- third of ongoing accession negotiations.   
 
__________ 
 
 
 
                                                      
13 WT/COMTD/LDC/13.