WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
Report by the Chairperson of the Council for Trade in
Goods
to the General Council
As
agreed by the Council for Trade in Goods, at its meeting of 17 November 2016,
I hereby make, under my own responsibility as Chairperson, the following factual
report to the General Council:
Pursuant
to the 2015 Ministerial Decision[1]
instructing the General Council, inter alia, to hold
periodic reviews on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce in its sessions
of December 2016 and July 2017, based on the reports submitted by the
WTO bodies entrusted with the implementation of the Work Programme, the
Council for Trade in Goods placed the
issue of the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce on the agenda of its
meetings held on 15 April, 14 July and 17 November 2016. At these meetings, the Chair invited
delegations to express
their opinions and to make suggestions as to how to work on the preparation of
the periodic reviews to be held in the General Council at its sessions of December 2016
and July 2017.
The Goods Council addressed the
issue of the Work Programme on
Electronic Commerce at its meetings of 15 April, 14 July, and
17 November 2016. The factual report to the General Council
concerning the discussions on e-commerce that took place at the 15 April and 14
July 2016 meeting is contained in document G/C/57.
At the Goods Council meeting of
17 November 2016, China and Pakistan introduced a
communication circulated to the General Council, the Goods and Services
Councils, and the Committee on Trade and Development[2],
pertaining to the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce. China
noted the complexity of the e‑commerce debate, including in particular the wide
digital gap among Members, and expressed the desire to proceed progressively in
an inclusive manner on e‑commerce, with a focus on realizing pragmatic progress
at MC11.
The
Council took note of the statements made by 22 delegations (Argentina;
Australia; Brazil; Canada; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; the EU; Hong Kong,
China; India; Japan; Korea; Mexico; Paraguay; Peru; Russian Federation; Singapore;
South Africa; Switzerland; Chinese Taipei; the United States; and the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) which referred to various aspects of the communication from China and Pakistan.
The issue of the Work Programme
on Electronic Commerce will remain on the agenda of the meetings of the Goods Council
to take place in April 2017 and in the second quarter of 2017, with a view
to fulfilling the mandate given to it and report to the General Council,
in July 2017, on discussions held in the Goods Council on e-commerce.
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[2] JOB/GC/110/Rev.1, JOB/CTG/2/Rev.1, JOB/SERV/243/Rev.1, and
JOB/DEV/39/Rev.1