Trade Policy Review Body - Amendment of the trade policy review mechanism - Minutes of the meeting - 27 January 2017

AMENDMENT OF THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM

MINUTES OF THE MEETING

27 January 2017

Chairperson: Ms. Irene Young (Hong Kong, China)

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON

1.       A very good morning to you all. We are coming to the end of the week but we are getting near to the lunar New Year, so ahead of tomorrow I wish you all a very happy lunar New Year of the rooster. And now we are starting our formal meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body.

2.       As the convening Airgram WTO/AIR/TPR/47 says, the objective of this meeting is to consider and approve the submission of a proposal to the General Council, for a decision to be made by the General Council in due course, to amend the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) contained in Annex 3 to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO. This process is necessary to implement a change in the trade policy review cycles as agreed by the TPRB in December 2016.

3.       At our informal meeting on the 16th of January, I explained in detail the proper legal procedures for amending Annex 3. In case some of you were not at that meeting, let me briefly recapitulate.