PRACTICAL STEPS TO ENHANCE THE PROCESS FOR THE
APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS TO CERTAIN WTO BODIES

communication from canada, chile, Jamaica, NEW ZEALAND, NIGERIA, norway,
SINGAPORE and switzerland

Revision

The following communication, dated 17 February 2025, is being circulated at the request of the delegations of Canada, Chile, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Singapore, and Switzerland.

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In the context of "WTO reform by doing", the co-sponsoring Members would like to put forward some practical steps to enhance the appointment process, for decision at this General Council meeting. The proposed elements are not an attempt to change existing procedures but are meant to be complementary by improving efficiency and removing possible roadblocks in the appointment process.

The elements for decision are as follows:

ELEMENTS FOR decision

The General Council,

Noting that, to date, the process of consultations on the appointment of officers to the WTO bodies has been conducted based on the 2003 "Guidelines for the Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies" (_WT/L/510, "the Guidelines"), which are complemented by the statement delivered by the Chairperson of the General Council at the General Council's meeting of 25-26 July 2012 (_JOB/GC/22, "the Practical Steps"), and which reference the agreement reached by the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) at its first meeting on 28 January and 1 February 2002 regarding the appointment of chairpersons of the TNC and of the bodies established by it (_TN/C/M/1),

Acknowledging that the appointment of chairpersons is crucial to our work at the WTO, and should be done without delay between successive chairpersons so as not to cause disruption,

Agrees to the following elements to enhance the implementation of the Guidelines for negotiating bodies established by the TNC and subsidiary bodies of the Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) and Council for Trade in Services (CTS), based on practical experiences to improve the efficiency of the appointment process, while respecting the over-arching goal of an appointment process that preserves the overall balance of representation and is member-driven, transparent, and inclusive:

1.     For the negotiating bodies established by the TNC:

1.1._     To ensure that our work at the WTO is not disrupted, the Chair of the General Council is encouraged to proceed expeditiously with the appointment of replacement chairs for these processes as required. Once the approximate departure date for a chair of a special session is known, the Chair of the General Council should begin consultations to nominate a successor without delay.

1.2._     Where an active special session is without a chair for more than 60 days, the Chair of the General Council may appoint an interim chair from amongst the Membership taking into account the views of Members. The interim chair's role would be to ensure meetings can continue to be held and the work of the special session is not adversely affected. The Chair of the General Council should continue to consult with Members to find a chair as soon as possible. The interim chair would be appointed for a period of three months, renewable absent objections from Members.

2._        For the subsidiary bodies to the CTG and CTS:

Nomination Process

2.1._     At the General Council meeting held in October, the Chair will inform the Membership of the process for the appointment of chairs for WTO bodies, and request that Regional Group Coordinators initiate the internal nominating process for their respective regional groups for chairs of the subsidiary bodies to the CTG and CTS. Members which wish to nominate candidates should inform their Regional Coordinator as soon as possible thereafter. Current Chairpersons of the subsidiary bodies may be nominated for a second term, where appropriate such as with the support of the relevant committee or the agreement of the Regional Group Coordinators. Nominations should be submitted by Regional Group Coordinators to the Chairs of the CTG and CTS as soon as feasible in January, and no later than upon agreement on the chairs of Tier 1 (Groups 1, 2, 4 and 5 per the Annex of the Guidelines).

2.2._     Members which do not belong to Regional Groups should engage directly with the Chairs of the CTG and CTS, including on any nominations they wish to make, and these chairs should keep these Members updated during the nomination process.

2.3._     Members should endeavour to only propose nominees whose term in Geneva enables them to fulfil the complete term of an appointment, i.e., for at least one year.

Consultation Process

2.4._     Members of Regional Groups[1] should ensure that their Regional Group Coordinators are entrusted to engage with other coordinators on their behalf. Regional Group Coordinators should ensure that their members are aware of the nominations being made, have the opportunity to convey priorities regarding candidates for subsidiary bodies, and are apprised of ongoing consultations.

2.5._     Members which do not belong to Regional Groups should engage directly with the Chairs of the CTG and CTS, who should keep these Members updated during the consultation process.

2.6._     The selection process should focus on the qualifications of the candidates as contained in the Guidelines, while also taking into account overall balance, and confirm the technical nature of the appointments. Members should continue to exercise the utmost restraint in raising objections to candidates based on reasons that fall outside the Guidelines and Practical Steps.

2.7._     Recalling Article 1.1 of the Guidelines, Members should bear in mind that the appointments exercise is meant to be a relatively routine function and that Members should continue to remain flexible.

2.8._     If there is no consensus achieved on a full slate of candidates by the closing of the agenda for the first General Council meeting of the year, the Chairs of the CTG and CTS will report to the membership on the specifics of the state of consultations and will work with the GC Chair, who will engage in consultations and endeavour to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

2.9._     The Chairs of the CTG and CTS should ensure that the appointment of chairs of subsidiary bodies proceeds expeditiously to ensure there are no unnecessary delays to the usual work of the WTO. In exceptional circumstances where such delays appear likely, the Chair of the CTG or CTS, as relevant, will appoint a qualified interim chair from amongst the Membership taking into account the views of Members. The Chairs of the CTG and CTS should continue to consult with Members to find a chair as soon as possible. The interim chair would be appointed for a period of three months, renewable absent objections from Members.

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