In 2025, the Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products (ITA Committee, or the Committee) agreed to hold a series of thematic sessions on ITA‑related topics.

At the request of the Chairperson, the Secretariat has prepared these draft guidelines for organizing thematic sessions under the ITA Committee to facilitate the organization and preparation of such sessions in the future.

1  TOPICS FOR THEMATIC SESSIONS

1.1.  Topics for thematic sessions can be proposed by ITA Participants, who are invited to submit their proposed topics for the thematic sessions to the Secretariat in writing (ita@wto.org). The Secretariat will circulate the proposed topic to all ITA Participants in a _JOB/IT document. The proposals for thematic sessions, and their possible scheduling, are discussed by the Committee in informal settings and agreed to in formal meetings.

1.2.  In their proposal for thematic sessions, an ITA participant may also develop a list of pertinent questions to guide the discussions and the choice of speakers. Proposed topics should be relevant to the Committee's work and aligned to its terms of reference.

1.3.  Proponents are also encouraged to identify a co‑proponent from among interested ITA Participants.

1.4.  Depending on the topic chosen, the Committee may consider encouraging the participation of delegates from other WTO committees or organizing joint sessions with such bodies.

1.5.  Any WTO Member that is not an ITA Participant may attend a thematic session as an observer if they consider their participation to be relevant or beneficial to the topic under discussion.

2  DURATION AND FREQUENCY OF THE SESSIONS

2.1.  The Committee may consider a maximum of [two] topics per year. The number of thematic sessions on a given topic may vary, depending on the topic chosen.

2.2.  In scheduling thematic sessions, the calendar of regular ITA meetings, as well as the meeting schedules of other WTO bodies, will be taken into account. In this regard, sessions may be scheduled in conjunction with formal or informal meetings of the ITA Committee, where feasible and appropriate, to avoid increasing the overall number of meetings.

3  MODERATOR

3.1.  In line with the general practice among WTO committees, thematic sessions may be moderated by a delegate of an ITA participant, an external expert, a representative of the Secretariat, or by a suitable combination of such persons.

3.2.  The moderator (or group of moderators) drafts the programme, reaches out to speakers before the sessions to discuss and answer specific questions, sets the flow/order of speakers, and prepares concluding remarks at the end of the session.

4  PROCESS OF NOMINATING SPEAKERS

4.1.  A call for speakers is issued once the Committee has agreed upon the topic for the thematic session. The call for speakers includes a preliminary programme, a list of guiding questions, as appropriate, and a deadline for proposing speakers. The session is confirmed subject to the acceptance and availability of a sufficient number of speakers.

4.2.  Participants may propose speakers from relevant stakeholder groups, including private or public sector representatives, academia, international organizations, and civil society organizations, particularly when their input would enhance the technical relevance or implementation focus of the thematic session. The names of the proposed speakers will be incorporated into the final draft programme of the sessions circulated under the document series _JOB/IT.

5  STRUCTURE OF THE SESSION

5.1.  Thematic sessions take place in informal mode. They are hybrid, if possible, to facilitate and encourage the participation of capital‑based officials and external speakers. The ITA Committee's Chairperson will provide opening remarks. The moderator will facilitate those parts of the session's programme that are dedicated to speakers' presentations and questions from participants.

5.2.  After the session, the Secretariat will endeavour to circulate, under its own responsibility, a factual summary report of the session. These reports will be circulated under the document series _JOB/IT. In addition, the Secretariat will endeavour to circulate, under the same document series, the presentations delivered in the context of the session.

5.3.  The Secretariat will post the factual summary report, speaker presentations, and other relevant documentation on the webpage of the ITA Committee. This will enhance transparency, facilitate follow-up by capital-based officials, and promote broader knowledge-sharing.

6  REPORT TO THE ITA COMMITTEE

6.1.  The Chairperson will inform the Committee about the thematic sessions at its next formal meeting, under a dedicated agenda item.

7  REVIEW

7.1.  This document may be reviewed and periodically revised, as necessary, to reflect any changes and evolution in the actual practice of the ITA Committee's thematic sessions.

7.2.  Where thematic sessions reveal implementation challenges or capacity needs, the Secretariat may explore opportunities to link the findings to existing WTO technical assistance or capacity‑building initiatives, upon request of interested ITA Participants.

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