REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT

IN DEDICATED SESSION TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL

1  introduction

1.1.  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 (SVEs) 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 recommendations for action. Since then, Members have issued five such reports: WT/COMTD/SE/1, WT/COMTD/SE/4, WT/COMTD/SE/6, WT/COMTD/SE/7 and WT/COMTD/SE/8 in July 2003, November 2005, October 2009, October 2011 and November 2013, respectively.

1.2.  In the framework and procedures for the conduct of the Work Programme on Small Economies, the General Council agreed that the Work Programme would be a standing item on its agenda and that the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) would report regularly to the General Council on the progress of work in the Dedicated Sessions. Since the Ninth Ministerial Conference (MC9), progress reports have been made by the CTD Chairpersons at each General Council meeting.

2  submissions and proceedings

2.1.  There have been four formal meetings of the CTD in Dedicated Sessions since MC9. At the 27^th Dedicated Session on 10 October 2014, Members discussed follow-up activities and work related to the December 2013 Ministerial Decision on the Small Economies Work Programme (WT/MIN(13)/33 – WT/L/908).^[1] With regard to work on global value chains, Members agreed with the Chair's suggestion to circulate an outline for an upcoming Secretariat report on the challenges and opportunities facing small economies when linking into global value chains in trade in goods and services. The outline was circulated in WT/COMTD/SE/W/30 and described various areas of research which the SVE group had identified as priority areas for the Secretariat report.

2.2.  At the 28^th Dedicated Session on 27 November 2014, Members agreed to a revised outline of proposed research in WT/COMTD/SE/W/30/Rev.1.^[2]

2.3.  At its 29^th Session on 5 June 2015, the Secretariat presented its research paper "Challenges and Opportunities experienced by Small Economies when linking into Global Value Chains in Trade in Goods and Services" (WT/COMTD/SE/W/31). Members exchanged initial views on the paper and its findings.^[3]

2.4.  At the 30^th Session of the CTD in Dedicated Session on 29 October, Members addressed the research paper prepared by the Secretariat in greater detail and focused on challenges small economies encounter when linking into global value chains in the agri-food and seafood sectors. Presentations were made by representatives from the International Trade Centre, and the Standards and Trade Development Facility. They also took note of a revised compilation paper in WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 which monitors progress of the proposals submitted by the SVEs to the Doha Development Agenda negotiating groups and other WTO bodies. Also at the 30^th Session, Members adopted the Dedicated Session's report to the General Council and agreed to subsequently forward it as document (WT/COMTD/SE/9) to the General Council for proposed action by Ministers at the Tenth Ministerial Conference.^[4]

3  future work

3.1.  Pursuant to the mandate contained in the Doha Ministerial Declaration, the Framework and Procedures for the Work Programme on Small Economies and the General Council Decision of 1 August 2004, the WTO's Sixth Ministerial Declaration in Hong Kong, the Seventh and Eighth Ministerial Conferences in Geneva and the Ninth in Bali, Indonesia, 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 further work in order to fully achieve the mandate of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.

3.2.  The Dedicated Session of the CTD therefore proposes that the General Council recommend to the Tenth Ministerial Conference that Ministers reaffirm their commitment to the Work Programme on Small Economies and take note of all the work conducted to date. In particular, it is noted that document WT/COMTD/SE/W/22/Rev.7 and its previous revisions reflect the work of the Dedicated Session up to the Tenth Ministerial Conference. The Dedicated Session also proposes that Ministers take note of the work carried out since 2013, including that on the challenges and opportunities faced by small economies when linking into global value chains in trade in goods and services, and instruct the CTD to continue its work in Dedicated Session under the overall responsibility of the General Council. Furthermore, it is proposed that the Dedicated Session consider in further detail the various submissions that have been received to date, examine any additional proposals that Members might wish to submit and, where possible, and within its mandate, make recommendations to the General Council on any of these proposals. Also, the CTD in Dedicated Session proposes that the General Council direct relevant subsidiary bodies to frame responses to the trade-related issues identified by the CTD with a view to making recommendations for action. It also proposes to instruct the WTO Secretariat to provide relevant information and factual analysis for discussion among Members in the CTD's Dedicated Session, inter alia, in the areas identified in item k of paragraph 2 of the Work Programme on Small Economies and, in particular, to continue its work on the challenges and opportunities experienced by small economies when linking into global value chains in trade in goods and services. It is also proposes that the General Council request the Secretariat to conduct work on the challenges small economies experience in their efforts to reduce trade costs, particularly in the area of trade facilitation.

3.3.  The CTD in Dedicated Session will continue monitoring the progress of the small economy proposals in WTO bodies and in negotiating groups with the aim of providing responses, as soon as possible, to the trade-related issues identified for the fuller integration of SVEs in the multilateral trading system.

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