Committee on Trade and Development - Dedicated session - Work Programme on Small Economies - Compilation paper prepared by the Secretariat - Revision

WORK PROGRAMME ON SMALL ECONOMIES

COMPILATION PAPER PREPARED BY THE SECRETARIAT

Revision

I.       INTRODUCTION.. 4

II.     MANDATE AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK. 4

A.      Paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration – WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1 (20 November 2001). 4

B.      Paragraph 2 of the Work Programme on Small Economies Framework and Procedures – WT/L/447 (1 March 2002). 4

C.      Paragraph 1.D of the 1 August 2004 General Council Decision - WT/L/579. 5

D.      Paragraph 41 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration - WT/MIN(05)/DEC (18 December 2005). 5

D.1    References to Small Economies in Paragraph 21 of the Section on Nama in
the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration. 6

D.2    References to Small Economies in the Services – Annex c of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration. 6

III.    MINISTERIAL DECISIONS. 6

A.      Work Programme on Small Economies, WT/L/844 (17 December 2011). 6

B.      Work Programme on Small Economies, WT/L/908 (7 December 2013). 6

C.      Work Programme on Small Economies, WT/L/975 (19 December 2015). 7

D.      Work Programme on Small Economies, WT/L/1030 (13 December 2017). 7

E.      Work Programme on Small Economies, WT/L/1136 (17 June 2022). 8

F.      Work Programme on Small Economies, WT/L/1188 (2 March 2024). 8

IV.     COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT DEDICATED SESSION ON
SMALL ECONOMIES. 9

A.      Report to the General Council on Measures to Assist Small Economies in Meeting their Obligations under the Agreements on SPS Measures, TBT and TRIPS -
WT/COMTD/SE/5 (3 October 2006). 9

B.      SVE Group Proposal to Advance Work on "Challenges Small Economies Experience in their Efforts to Reduce Trade Costs, Particularly in the Area of Trade Facilitation" - WT/COMTD/SE/W/33/Rev.1 (7 November 2016). 10

C.      Outcomes from Discussions on the "Challenges and Opportunities Experienced by Small Economies when Linking into Global Value Chains in Trade in Goods and Services" - WT/COMTD/SE/W/35 (2 May 2017). 11

D.      Outcome of the work on "Challenges Small Economies Experience in their
efforts to reduce trade costs, particularly in the area of trade facilitation" -
WT/COMTD/SE/W/38 (15 April 2019). 15

E.      INVESTMENT ATTRACTION: SMALL ECONOMIES' OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHALLENGES – proposal by the group of small, vulnerable economies –
WT/COMTD/SE/W/40 (10 FEBRUARY 2020). 18

f.      Economic and Trade Impact of Natural Disasters on Small Economies – proposal by the group of small, vulnerable economies –
WT/COMTD/SE/W/41 (5 may 2021)
. 19

g.      Work Programme on Small Economies: Proposal for outline of
the background document by the Secretariat – communication from guatemala on behalf of the group of small, vulnerable economies – wt/COMTD/SE/W/44 (22 april 2022)
. 20

h.      Implementation of the MC13 Decision on the Work Programme on
Small Economies – communication from guatemala on behalf of the group of small, vulnerable economies – WT/COMTD/SE/W/48 (2 july 2024)
  21

I.       SUMMARY OF THE INFORMAL THEMATIC SESSION ON GREEN SUPPLY CHAINS
FOR DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF SMALL ECONOMIES – communication from guatemala, on behalf of the group of small, vulnerable economies – WT/COMTD/SE/W/49 (24 October 2024)
. 23

J.       SUMMARY OF THE AID FOR TRADE SESSION: DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY FOR DEVELOPMENT - EXPERIENCES ON DIGITAL TRADE OF SVES – communication from guatemala on behalf of the group of small, vulnerable economies – WT/COMTD/SE/W/50 (24 October 2024). 29

V.      COMMITTEE ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES. 32

A.      Report (2010) of the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - G/L/937 (29 October 2010). 32

B.      Decision of the General Council of 27 July 2007 - WT/L/691 (31 July 2007)
Based on the Draft Decision of the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing
Measures of 13 July 2007 (G/SCM/120). 33

VI.     TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE. 38

A.      Small, Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) contribution for the Post Bali Work Programme – JOB/TNC/49 (17 June 2015). 38

VII.   COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE - SPECIAL SESSION.. 40

A.      Revised Draft Modalities for Agriculture - TN/AG/W/4/REV.4
(6 December 2008). 40

B.      Latest SVE submissions. 42

1.      Flexibilities in the Agricultural Modalities on the Pillars of Domestic Support
and Export Competition, Communication by the Group of Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) - JOB/AG/16 (24 March 2011). 42

2.      The Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) Modalities to Apply to Small
Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), Communication by the Group of Small Vulnerable Economies (SVEs), the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group, and the
African Group - JOB/AG/17 (24 March 2011). 43

VIII. NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS FOR NON‑AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTS. 49

A.      Fourth Revision of Draft Modalities for Non-agricultural Market Access – TN/MA/W/103/REV.3 (6 December 2008). 49

B.      Latest Sve submissions. 50

1.      Contribution to the Special and Differential Treatment and Technical Assistance Provisions on the "Horizontal Mechanism", Communication from El Salvador on
behalf of Small Vulnerable, Economies - JOB/MA/89 (19 April 2011). 50

2.      Questions to the co-sponsors of the proposal of "Ministerial Decision on procedures for the facilitation of solutions to Non-Tariff Barriers", Communication from
the group of small vulnerable economies – JOB/MA/55 (3 November 2010). 50

3.      Questions to the co-sponsors of the proposal of "Negotiating Text on Liberalizing Trade in Remanufactured Goods", Communication from the group of small
vulnerable economies – JOB/MA/56 (3 November 2010). 51

IX.     COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES SPECIAL SESSION.. 52

A.      Elements required for the completion of the Services Negotiations,
Report by the Chairman - TN/S/34 (28 July 2008). 52

X.      WORKING PARTY ON DOMESTIC REGULATION.. 53

A.      Services - Trade-related concerns of Small, Vulnerable Economies in the
Working Party on Domestic Regulation – JOB (06)/66/REV.2 (10 July 2006). 53

XI.     NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES. 55

A.      Textual Proposal for additional flexibilities for Small and Vulnerable Economies under Article III of the proposed Draft Chair's text on Fisheries Subsidies – TN/RL/GEN/162/REV.1 (20 April 2011). 55

B.      Textual Proposal for additional flexibilities for Small and Vulnerable Economies under Article III of the proposed Draft Chair's text on Fisheries Subsidies – TN/RL/GEN/162 (8 January 2010). 58

C.      Drafting Proposal on issues relating to Article III.4 ("Special and Differential Treatment of Developing Country Members") of the Fisheries Subsidies Annex
to the SCM agreement as proposed by the chair in TN/RL/W/213 - TN/RL/GEN/158 (22 MAY 2008). 58

XII.   COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT. 59

A.      Views of the Small Vulnerable Economies on the Negotiations of Paragraph 31(III) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, communication from the Small, Vulnerable Economies - JOB/TE/18 (1 April 2011). 59

XIII. NEGOTIATING GROUP ON TRADE FACILITATION.. 60

A.      Draft Consolidated Negotiating Text - TN/TF/W/165/REV.5
(5 November 2010). 60

XIV.  AID FOR TRADE TASK FORCE. 60

A.      Aid for Trade - WT/AFT/W/18 (15 June 2006). 60