WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/COMTD/LDC/11
13 February 2002
(02-0722)
Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries
WTO WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LDCS)
ADOPTED BY THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
12 February 2002
1. Paragraph 42 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration1 instructs the Sub-Committee for
Least-Developed Countries (hereafter the Sub-Committee) to report on an agreed work programme to
the General Council at its first meeting in 2002.
2. The Doha Ministerial Declaration reaffirmed the commitments undertaken at the Third United
Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC-III) and agreed that the WTO should takeaccount, in designing this Work Programme, the trade-related elements of the Brussels Declaration
and Programme of Action, consistent with the WTO’s mandate. Accordingly, the Work Programme
below was agreed to by the Sub-Committee on 12 February 2002.
3. It is most important that the results of the Sub-Committee’s work reflect the interests of the
LDCs. Their broad and effective participation in the Sub-Committee’s deliberations is particularlynecessary in the design and accomplishment of the Work Programme. To allow for the maximum
possible participation of Non-Resident LDC Memb ers and Observers, particularly when items of
direct concern to them – such as accession – are on the agenda, meetings of the Sub-Committee will,
where possible, be scheduled to coincide with Geneva Week (this year planned for April and
October).  In view of the limited capacity of LDC delegations, the work programme will focus on
areas where it can add value, and shall avoid dupl ication with the work programmes of other WTO
Bodies.
4. The Doha Ministerial Declaration explicitly recognized the particular needs, interests and
concerns of LDCs in 21 different paragraphs.
2  These references fall into two broad categories.  They
touch on broad, systemic issues and they form part of the negotiating mandate of particular WTO
Bodies.
5. Taking into account the above commitments, the WTO work programme for LDCs shall
focus on the following systemic issues:
(a) Market Access for LDCs;
(b) Trade-Related Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Initiatives for LDCs;
(c) Providing, as appropriate, support to agencies assisting with the diversification of
LDCs’ production and export base;
                                                     
1 WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1, 20 November 2001.  (The Ministerial Declaration was adopted on
14 November 2001).
2 These are paragraphs 2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 21-22, 24-25, 26, 27, 28, 32-33, 36, 38-39, 42-43, 44 and 50.WT/COMTD/LDC/11
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(d) Mainstreaming, as appropriate, into the WTO’s work the trade related elements of the
LDC-III Programme of Action, as relevant to the WTO’s mandate ;
(e) Participation of LDCs in the Multilateral Trading System;
(f) Accession of LDCs to the WTO; and,
(g) Follow-up to WTO Ministerial Decisions/Declarations.
(a) Market Access for LDCs
6. In paragraph 42 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, WTO Members committed themselves
"to the objective of duty-free, quota-free market access for products originating from LDCs" and "to
consider additional measures for progressive improvements in market access for LDCs."
7. The Work Programme shall therefore include:
(i) identification and examination of market access barriers, including tariff and
non-tariff barriers for the entry of LDCs' products into markets of interest to them;
(ii) annual reviews in the Sub-Committee,3 of market access improvements, of any
market access measures undertaken by Members, and including the identification of
reported market access barriers to LDCs’ products in markets of interest to them.
These reports will be on the basis of factual annual studies by the WTO Secretariat;and,
(iii) examination of possible additional measures for progressive and predictable
improvements in market access, in particular the elimination of tariff and non tariff
barriers to export products from LDCs and further improvement of preferential
access schemes such as the GSP schemes.
8. Reports on this work will be submitted annually to the Committee on Trade and
Development. These reports will be designed to highlight LDC concerns in the context of negotiations
taking place in other bodies of the WTO, but in full recognition of the integrity of the mandates of
those bodies.  The first report will be submitted after the Sub-Committee’s last meeting of 2002 to
allow for concrete follow-up action in 2003.
(b) Trade-Related Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building Initiatives for LDCs
9. WTO Members established a firm understanding on the important role of technical
cooperation and capacity building in paragraph 2 of the Declaration.  They undertook specific
commitments on technical cooperation and capacity-building in 11 operative paragraphs of the
Declaration.
4  In the 11 different operative paragraphs as well as in the New Strategy for WTO
Technical Cooperation: Technical Cooperation for Capacity Building, Growth and Integration ,5 it is
agreed that priority shall be accorded, in par ticular, to the LDCs.   Paragraph 43 of the Doha
Ministerial Declaration endorsed the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance as
a viable model for LDCs' trade development and urged development partners to significantly increase
                                                     
3 See paragraph 34 of WT/COMTD/LDC/M/25 for the reporting procedures of notifications of market
access measures specifically in favour of LDCs.
4 Paragraphs 16, 21, 24, 26, 27, 33, 38-40, 42 and 43.
5 Endorsed by Ministers in paragraph 38 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.WT/COMTD/LDC/11
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their contributions to the IF Trust Fund.  Ministers also urged core IF agencies, in coordination with
development partners, to explore IF enhancement, with the objective of addressing LDCs' supply-side
constraints, and extending the IF to all LDCs.
10. In accordance with this mandate, the Sub-Committee, shall monitor and make
recommendations, as appropriate, on:6
(i) the implementation of the Integrated Framework Pilot Scheme and follow-up action
in pilot countries;
(ii) the review of the Integrated Framework (IF) and the appraisal of the ongoing Pilot
Scheme in selected LDCs;
(iii) the extension of the IF Pilot Scheme to other LDCs;
(iv) trade-related technical assistance and capacity-building for LDCs undertaken by
Geneva-based organisations, other organisations and bilateral donors, to promoteinformation flow and coordination, consistency of approach, and
prioritising/sequencing in support of LDCs' development strategies.  This will include
support provided for the diversification of LDCs' production and export base; and,
(v) technical assistance support to LDCs, in areas of agreed negotiations at Doha.
11. The results of the monitoring and review process by the Sub-Committee shall be reported
each year, to the Committee on Trade and Development, and shall constitute an integral part of this
work programme.
(c) Providing, as appropriate, support to agencies assisting with the diversification of LDCs'
production and export base
12. In paragraph 42 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Ministers recognise that the integration
of the LDCs into the multilateral trading system requires support for the diversification of their
production and export base.  Accordingly, the Sub-Committee shall consider proposals within the
mandate of WTO for technical assistance and capacity building programmes relevant to the
diversification of their production and export base, and shall support the work of other Agencies inthis regard.
(d) Mainstreaming, as appropriate, trade-related aspects of the LDC-III Programme of
Action, as relevant to the WTO's mandate
13. Paragraph 42 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration calls upon the WTO, in designing its work
programme for LDCs, to take into account the trade-related elements of the Brussels Declaration and
Programme of Action, consistent with the WTO’s mandate. The Sub-Committee shall accordinglyconsider possible means of implementing these elements and monitor, review and report annually to
the Committee on Trade and Development.
                                                     
6 The monitoring function of the first three tirets of this paragraph relate to the mandate of the
Integrated Framework Steering Committee (IFSC).WT/COMTD/LDC/11
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(e) Participation of LDCs in the Multilateral Trading System
14. In paragraph 3 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, WTO Ministers recognised the particular
vulnerability and structural difficulties of LDCs in the global economy. They committed themselves
to address “the marginalization of least-developed  countries in international trade and to improve their
effective participation in the multilateral trading system." In paragraph 42, Ministers acknowledgedthe seriousness of the concerns expressed by the LDCs in the Zanzibar Declaration adopted by their
Ministers in July 2001.  Ministers also agreed at D oha that “the meaningful integration of LDCs into
the trading system and the global economy will involve efforts by all WTO Members."
15. In accordance with this mandate to enhance the participation of the LDCs in the multilateral
trading system and the global economy, the Sub-Committee shall:
annually review and consider recommendations , as appropriate, on the item entitled:
Enhancing the Participation of LDCs in the Multilateral Trading System and theGlobal Economy . The basis for this review shall include:
(i) the negotiating agenda of the LDCs in the context of the Doha Ministerial
Declarations and Decisions;
(ii) Initiatives in favour of Non-Residents;
(iii) Information Technology support;(iv) the diagnostic trade integration studies, currently underway in the Integrated
Framework Pilot Scheme, for LDCs' integrat ion into the multilateral trading system
and the global economy;
(v) participation of developing countries, especially LDCs, in international standard
setting bodies; and,
(vi) LDCs' Trade Policy Reviews.
16. The results of the review process by the Sub-Committee shall be reported each year to the
Committee on Trade and Development to ensure that the Committee can take full account of the
conclusions reached in the Sub-Committee.
(f) Accession of LDCs to the WTO
17. In paragraph 9 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Ministers stated the importance they
attached to concluding accession proceedings, particularly those of LDCs, "as quickly as possible." In
paragraph 42, Ministers agreed to work to facilitate and accelerate accession negotiations with
acceding LDCs and instructed the WTO Secretariat to reflect the priority attached by Members to
LDCs' accessions in the WTO Secretariat-Wide Annual Plans for technical assistance. The importance
of LDCs' accessions was also recognised in the LDC-III Programme of Action. Progress before theFifth Ministerial on the issue of the accession of LDCs is important for the preservation of confidence
in the WTO and in the multilateral trading system.
18. In the implementation of these Ministerial mandates:WT/COMTD/LDC/11
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(i) accession shall be an item on the agenda of the Sub-Committee twice in 2002,
ideally to coincide with Geneva Week so as to benefit from the contributions of
acceding LDCs who are not resident in Geneva;
(ii) the Chairpersons of LDCs' Accession Working Parties and the acceding LDCs shall
be invited to brief the Sub-Committee on progress made by the Working Parties infulfilment of the Ministerial mandate;
(iii) the Chairman of the Sub-Committee shall report to the General Council at its first
meeting in 2003 with concrete recommendations, as appropriate, agreed in the
Sub-Committee, on the implementation of the commitment by Ministers to
"facilitate and accelerate negotiations with acceding LDCs";
(iv) the WTO Secretariat shall prepare a report on the outcome of technical assistance
activities in support of LDCs accession which are to be accorded priority in theAnnual WTO Secretariat-wide Plan for Technical Assistance. The Report shall be
examined by the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries ; and,
(v) a status report shall be submitted by the Director General to the Fifth Ministerial
Conference under the heading: “Implementation of the Commitment by Ministers to
Facilitate and Accelerate the Accession of the LDCs.”
(g) Follow-up to WTO Ministerial Decisions/Declarations
19. In paragraph 3 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, WTO Ministers recalled the commitments
made to help LDCs secure beneficial and meaningf ul integration into the multilateral trading system
at the Ministerial meetings in Marrakesh, Singapore and Geneva, and by the international communityat the Third UN Conference on Least-Developed Countries (LDC-III) in Brussels. Ministers
expressed their determination that the WTO will play its part in building effectively on these
commitments under the Work Programme being established.
20. In October 1997, the WTO organized the High-Level Meeting on Integrated Initiatives for
LDCs.
21. The Sub-Committee  shall:
(i) establish an item on its agenda entitled: "Follow-up to Ministerial
Decisions/Declarations" where Members will be invited to report on measures taken
in fulfilment of these Decisions and Declarations (High Level Meeting; Brussels
Conference; WTO Ministerial Declarations and Decisions);
(ii) put all due emphasis on the priority areas for LDCs in WTO negotiations throughout
its work; and,
(iii) report on technical assistance in support of LDCs as outlined in paragraph 9 above.
22. As part of this Work Programme, we recall  that the Director-General was requested by
Ministers in the Doha Ministerial Declaration, following coordination with Heads of the other
agencies, to provide an interim report to the General Council in December 2002 and a full report to
the 5
th Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference on all issues affecting LDCs, as set forth in the
Doha Ministerial Declaration.WT/COMTD/LDC/11
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23. All the above items shall be standing items on the agenda of the Sub-Committee on
Least-Developed Countries.
24. As mandated by Ministers, the Sub-Committee agrees to report this Work Programme to the
General Council at its first formal meeting on 13 February 2002.
CALENDAR OF MEETINGS OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE FOR 20027
Proposed Date Meeting
January/February 27th Session of the Sub-Committee on LDCs
March/April 28th Session of the Sub-Committee on LDCs
October 29th Session of the Sub-Committee on LDCs
December 30th Session of the Sub-Committee on LDCs
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7 The comprehensive list of technical assistance activities for LDCs in 2002 is contained in document
WT/COMTD/W/95/Rev.1.  These activities include in ter-alia Trade Policy Courses, national technical
assistance programmes, seminars and activities under the Integrated Framework.