 RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/M/112  
 
4 November 2020  
(20-7845) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Trade and Development  
112th Session    
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 29 SEPTEMBER  2020 
Chairman: H.E. Mr. Mohammad Qurban Haqjo (Afghanistan)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND TRAINING  ................................ .............................  2 
(I) Current situation with respect to technical assistance - Briefing by the  
Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC)  ................................ ...........................  2 
(II) Technical Assistance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (WT/COMTD/W/255)  .........................  2 
(III)  Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training 2019  
(WT/COMTD/W/256)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  2 
(IV) New e -national activity request workflow - Briefing by the ITTC  ................................ ....... 2 
C. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 7 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Chairman  welcomed delegations to the 112th Session of the Committee on Trade and 
Development (CTD), which allowed  for both in-person and virtual participation . As he  was 
connecting remotely, he informed the Committee that he had requested the Secretariat to give the 
floor to delegations on his behalf, and to stand in as required if any difficulties with the connection 
were encountered. He went on to say that, as a res ult of the COVID -19 outbreak and the 
suspension of all meetings at the WTO earlier in the  year, the normal schedule of CTD meetings 
had been  disrupted. Although a special virtual session of the CTD – the 111th Session – was held 
on 26 May, it had not been possible in the first half of 2020 to hold a meeting to discuss the 
regular items on the CTD 's agenda. He recalled that, i n a communication to Members dated 
24 July, he had outlined a suggested schedule of CTD meetings to follow after the summer break, 
in order to allow Members to begin catching up on the work of the Committee. In this context, he 
had indicated his intention to convene a CTD meeting in September, focusing only on tech nical 
assistance  (TA) issues. This was  therefore the purpose of the present meeting. Members would  
return to the other regular i tems on the CTD 's agenda at the next meeting, which would  be held in 
November.  
2. Turning to the draft agenda for the present meeting, which was contained in document  
WTO/AIR/COM TD/20 circulated on  1 September 2020, he indicated that he wished to make 
two brief interventions under "Other Busine ss", to keep Members informed of  certain aspects of 
the CTD 's work.  The first intervention concerned a discussion that had  been t aking place between 
some delegations on the question of the appropriate placement of notifications of regional trade 
agreements ( RTAs) and preferential trade arrangements ( PTAs) on CTD agendas. The 
second  intervention concerned  the timing of the preparatio n of the next update of the Secretariat 's 
compilation paper on the implementation of special and differential treatment (S&D) provisions in 
the WTO Agreements and Decisions.  
3. The agenda was adopted  as amended . WT/COMTD/M/112  
 
- 2 - 
 
  B. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND TRAINING  
(I) Current situation with respect to technical assistance - Briefing by the Institute for Training 
and Technical Cooperation (ITTC)  
(II) Technical Assistance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (WT/COMTD/W/255)  
(III) Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistan ce and Training 2019 (WT/COMTD/W/256)  
(IV) New e-national activity request workflow - Briefing by the ITTC  
4. The Chairman  said that t here were four sub -items reflected under the present agenda item. 
These concerned  the current situation with respect to TA; the Technical Assistance Monitoring and 
Evaluation Plan  (M&E Plan) , contained in document WT/COMTD/W/255; the Annual Performance 
Report on Technical Assistance and Training for 2019, contained in document WT/COMTD /W/256; 
and information regarding a new e -national activity request workflow. He invited the Institute for 
Training and Technical Cooperation  (ITTC)  to make a brief presentation on the four issues.  
5. The Director of the ITTC indicated that she would provide  information on the first sub -item, 
which concerned the current situation with respect to TA. Her colleague would then address the 
other sub -items. She recalled that, at the 111th Session, she had informed the Committee that the 
Secretariat had started implementing the TA activities planned for 2020, in accordance with the 
Biennial Technical Assistance a nd Training Plan (TA Plan) for 2020-2021.  By mid -March, 
20 face-to-face activities had been implemented. However, the delivery of face -to-face activities 
was subsequently disrupted by the COVID -19 outbreak. Accordingly, b etween April and May  2020, 
the ITTC had reviewed the situation in light of the challenge s being faced by  COVID -19 – which 
included  travel restrictions, as well as quarantine and social distancing requirements . Given these 
challenges, the ITTC had explored  what new methods could  be used  to deliver TA, and had decided 
to focus on the E -Campus, which hosted the WTO 's online training courses. She noted  that the 
ITTC had also looked at  the TA needs  of beneficiaries as reflected in the TA Plan, and had found 
that these were still relevant. Therefore, no proposals were made to amend the TA Plan. It had 
additionally been found that most of the remaining planned activities for 2020  could be  delivered  
virtually, as long as requests were received from Members, and that the Secretariat had the basic 
tools and skills for the virtual deliver y of TA. The ITTC had learned that some beneficiaries were 
ready and equipped to try out new ways of learni ng, while challenge s remained  for others in 
accessing online courses.  
6. She observed that it was relatively more challenging to organize the deliver y of global 
activities virtually,  since participants in global activities were located in different time zones. That 
being said, a solution had been found for global activities, whereby two  presentations on a given 
topic were made on the same day, so as to allow participants in different time z ones to attend. In 
addition, some of the presentations were recorded and played back to participants.  The Secretariat 
was currently looking into ways to enhance existing e -Learning tools , as well as  to enhance the  
capacity of Secretariat staff to deliver o nline training,  so that more virtual training could be 
offered. She invited Members to consult the WTO website to see what TA activities were in the 
pipeline. While noting that the number of requests for activities had been increasing, she said that 
severa l African countries and least developed countries (LDCs) were still struggling to take 
advantage of virtual delivery, and relatively few requests for TA were being received from these 
countries. She encouraged  African countries and LDCs to make TA requests , so that the ITTC could  
use the  opportunity  to better understand what the challenges were . In terms of financial 
resources, Members were informed that there were sufficient resources to implement activities in 
2020. However, more resources would be needed for 2021. In this regard, she said that 
discussions regarding the budget for 2021 were taking place  in the Committee on Budget, Finance 
and Administration (CBFA). Going forward, the Secretariat felt comfortable with the continuation of 
virtual delivery. It was expected that there would eventual ly be a  mix of face-to-face activities  and 
virtual activities . Although the present circumstances made it difficult to plan too far into the 
future, the ITTC would continue to monitor the situation, and to consult with Members on the way 
forward. She invited her colleague from  the ITTC to provide informati on on the other sub -items 
listed under the present agenda item . WT/COMTD/M/112  
 
- 3 - 
 
  7. The representative of the ITTC started his presentation by demonstrating the new e -national 
activity request workflow. He explained that the form to request activities could be found by 
logging in to the Technical Assistance Management System (TAMS), which was accessible from the 
TA section of the WTO website. An online guide was available to assist delegations through the 
process. He next turned to the Annual Performance Report on Technical A ssistance and Training 
for 2019  (WT/COMTD/W/256) . He said that the report had three principal sections. The first 
section pr esented the main developments in TA in 2019  compared to the previous year. Another 
section addressed the implementation of the TA Plan and the main featu res of the TA provided in 
2019, while a third section  related to the e valuation of performance in 2019 . He informed the 
Committee that, for the fifth year, the overall TA resources available remained lower than actual 
expenses, obliging the Secretariat to tap once more into its financial reserves.  He also noted that, 
in the course of the year, the Secretari at had completed the implementation of the 
28 recommendations formulated in the 2016 external evaluation  of the WTO 's TA. As part of his 
summary of the information contained in the annual report, he said that the TAMS co ntinued to be 
developed in 2019. Ten  evaluations of TA activities were undertaken, as well as an independent 
external evaluation of the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP).  The new e -Learning cloud -based 
platform was open for  registration as of mid -January, while the e -Learning course offer was 
enriched during the year with new courses, new and updated training material, and upgraded and 
revised courses. A training module on trade and gender was launched.  Seven regional workshops 
on the fisheries subsidies negotiations were held.  
8. He went on to say tha t the Secretariat had undertaken  278 TA  activities  in 2019, and had 
participated in 33 other TA -related activities . National demand  for TA from individual beneficiaries 
was 22% lower than in 2018 , while participation in online courses halved after the introduction of 
the new cloud -based platform.  Overall, 14,500  participants were trained during the year, which 
was a 37% drop compared to 2018 . The participation of LDCs continued to decline, as the 
introduction of the new e -Learning platform had a greater  impact on them. The proportion of 
women among TA participants continued its growth to reach 48%. T otal TA expenses were 
10% higher than in 2018, due to the resumption of one internship programme that had been  
suspended in 2018 , as well as  higher travel co sts. With regard to the evaluation of performance, 
the WTO's TA produced contrasting results in 2019. The overall proporti on of targets met reached 
58%, as compared to 65% on average over the 2016 -2018 period. On the other hand, t he 
proportion of targets n ot met was below the 2016 -2018 average. Key Result 1 registered the 
highest level of performance, with targets met in 66% of cases. Performance under the other 
three  Key Results was less positive. Key Result 2 met 25% and partially met 75% of its targets, 
while Key Result 3 met 38% of its targets , and Key Result 4 met 20% of its targets.  Finally, he 
provided a brief overview of the M&E Plan (WT/COMTD/W/255). It was explained that the purpose 
of the M&E Plan was to  help TA funders, beneficiaries and trainers to develop a joint understanding 
of the monitoring and evaluation framework  for Secretariat TA operations. The M&E Plan was 
structured a round the six Development Assistance Committee (DAC) evaluation criteria,  which 
were relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability.  
9. The Chairman  said that, before opening the floor for comments or questions from 
delegations, h e wished to provide some information to the Commi ttee regarding the WCP. He 
recalled that  delegations had been  informed in a communication from Director -General Azevêdo , 
dated 26 June 2020, that the responsibility for the WCP was being transferred from the  ITTC to the 
Knowledge Management Division  (KMD) , which was newly created on 1 July 2020.  For over 
ten years, the WCP had  provided support and promoted capacity  building  in trade -related 
academic research; teaching programmes and outreach activities; and p olicy advice to 
governmental stakeholders by universities and research institutions in developing countries and 
LDCs. One of the recommendations of an independent external evaluation of the WCP finalized in 
2019 was to considerably expand the programme. Di rector -General Azevêdo had accordingly 
tasked the KMD with the continuation and expansion of the programme, taking into account the 
recommendations and potential improvements identified in the external evaluation, as well as 
recommendations made by the WCP 's Advisory Board. Along these lines, the WCP would  
henceforth be aligned more closely with other modes of delivery of the WTO's TA, as well as with 
the WTO's economic research activities. In ad dition, the programme was  being modif ied to include 
more unive rsity C hairs from LDCs, as well as to intensify networking with academia and policy 
makers, and mentoring opportunities for all WCP participants. He said , in closing , that t hese were 
the few brief words he  wanted to share with the Committee, on the basis o f information provided 
by the K MD. He also noted  that it would be useful if the KMD could itself make a more detailed 
presentation at a future meeting of the CTD.  WT/COMTD/M/112  
 
- 4 - 
 
  10. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group , said that he would first make some 
remarks on the current situation with respect to the TA. In this regard, he stressed the importance 
of TA for LDCs, and noted that the health crisis had seriously disrupted the implementation of TA 
activities. The LDC Group wished  to ensure that the resource s set aside to finance activities in 
2020 would be maintained and made available for 2021. It was hoped that the  situation would 
improve in 2021 , and that face -to-face activities  could resume. He explained that the 
telecommunications infrastructure in LDCs was not adequate to allow virtual training to be the only 
solution . Physical interactions remained important, and the best way forward would be to have a 
mix of physical and virtual training. He also took note of the call for LDCs to submit TA requests, 
and indicated that the LDCs would convey their needs to the ITTC as soon as possible. Turning to 
the M&E Plan, he said that an effective evaluation of TA was important, and that the LDC  Group 
would work with the ITTC with the aim of improving the quality of TA. Training for officials on the 
WTO Agreements, and on Members ' rights and obligations, remained  a priority. Support to 
acceding LDCs, as well as awareness -raising  on trade policy issues  among civil society, the private 
sector and academia were also  important objectives. At the Geneva level, he reiterate d the value 
to the LDCs of the internship programmes . He encouraged  the ITTC, development partners , and 
other organizations d elivering TA in partnership with the WTO , to continue to provide the broadest 
and most effective TA possible, with a view to strengthening the integration of developing 
countries, and LDCs in particular, into the multilateral trading system  (MTS) .  
11. With regard to the Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training, he 
noted that participation in TA activities was lower in 2019 than in  2018, and that not all the 
objectives had been fully achieved. With respect to  LDCs in particular, he observed that there  had 
been a fall in their participation in online courses in 2019 compared t o 2018, which the report 
attributed to the introduction of the e -Learning cloud -based platform. He wondered what could be 
done to help LDCs overcome the challenges they faced, so a s to allow them to make the best use 
of the new platform.  He also noted  an increase in the number of regional seminars, and expressed 
satisfaction that several workshops had  been held on  the fisheries subsidies  negotiations . 
Satisfaction was additionally expressed with the increased participation of women in TA activities. 
In closing, he indicated his hope that there would continue to be positive developments with 
regard to  the quantity and the quality of TA activities, along with the strengthening of the 
telecommunications infrastructure  in LDCs . He expressed the appreciation of the LDC Group to the 
donors and to the ITTC for the constant support.  While the needs of the LDCs were significant, 
there was also a  willingness to make pr ogress. The LDCs sought  constructive  and fruitful 
collaboration for  a more effective , relevant  and robust MTS, and TA  was a vehicle to achieve this.  
12. The representative of the United States  indicated that she would begin her intervention by 
making some rem arks on the M&E Plan. She noted that a total of 10 evaluations of TA activities 
were carried out in 2019. These evaluations had identified a few r ecommendations for 
improvement – including  a suggestion for prior consultation with national stakeholders on 
TA needs , so as to impl ement reforms arising from the T rade Policy Review (TPR) exercise. Her 
delegation considered this a good recommendation, and wished to know how the Secretariat was 
planning to follow -up on the recommendation. Turning to the A nnual Performance Report on 
Technical Assistance and Training , she noted with satisfaction that the Secretariat  had undertaken  
278 TA activities in 2019, in spite of the 22% drop in national demand for T A activities from 
individual beneficiaries  compared to the previous year. Her delegation particularly value d those 
activities  with a focus on market access for goods, agriculture, standards relating to sanitary and 
phytosanitary (SPS)  measures and technica l barriers to trade (TBT), trade -related aspects of 
intellectual property rights (TRIPS) ; as well  as training on the use of the transparency and 
notification  provisions in WTO Agreements. Note was also taken of seven new regional workshops 
on the fisheries  subsidies negotiations. She went on to say that her delegation wished to make  
some suggestions  to make the annual report a more ef fective tool  to understand  exactly how the 
WTO was utilizing  Members' resources for TA. In this regard, she said that, f or effective 
presentation al purposes, the report could  benefit from showcasing on the ITTC website the 
impacts of TA, as a way to highlight how beneficiary countries were using  WTO resources. She 
explained that  this information was currently  hard to find, if at all available in the report.  
13. Her delegation also believe d that the report would benefit from the inclusion of specific costs 
and expenditure information , in order to  allow an appreciation  of proportionality , and of how 
resources were distributed across the variety of TA activities. An annex that listed the 
expenditures associated with specific trade policy courses, workshops  and intern ship positions  
would be useful , so that Members could get a sense of how resources were distributed across WT/COMTD/M/112  
 
- 5 - 
 
  these different activities. Currently, only contributors to spe cific extra-budgetary  funds had  access 
to this detailed information, and only with respect to the funds they contribute d to. Having a sense 
of the actual costs associated wi th each activity , together with the perceived or realized outcomes, 
would  help Members in evaluating the true value of each activity, and of the work programme.  
Noting that her delegation had long support ed the ITTC's work, she welcome d the opportunity to 
hear directly from those Members benefiting from TA activities, on how the ITTC's work was 
concretely affecting them. She explained that it would be useful to know some details, including 
what differences the activities had made, whether there was room for  improvement, or whether 
the TA was exactly  what was needed by the beneficiaries. If delegations  shared their TA 
experiences in  the CTD, it could also help other  Members address ing similar issues. In closing, she 
noted that the COVID -19 pandemic had taken its toll on all economies, and that Members were 
operating in unchartered waters. Before considering bring ing new funding to the ITTC, it was  
important to first look at how the current budget of almost USD 21 million was being spent. She 
pointed to  the need to understand whether the current TA programmes were genuinely support ing 
the effort s of LDCs, whether some TA programmes were no longer a priority for  governments, and 
how TA programmes could  be improved. In 2021, Members would consider  the TA Plan for the 
2022-2023 period , and it was important that this process be taken seriously.  
14. The representative of the European Union  stressed the importance of periodic updates by 
the ITTC on the evolving situation with respect to TA. She noted the 
European  Union 's longstanding support for the WTO 's TA activities, and commended the 
Secretariat for having completed the implementation of the 28 recommendations  from the 
2016 external evaluation . While welcoming the continued focus on support to LDCs and Africa n 
countries , she expressed  concern that the participation of LDCs declined in 2019 compared to 
2018, and encourage d clarification on what was the share of LDCs' representation in the total 
number of participants trained in 2019 . The Secretariat was also encouraged to look into the 
consequences of the drop in participation in e -Learning courses in 2019. Her delegation welcomed 
the effort s by the Secretariat , as well as the beneficiaries , to enhance the efficiency and impact of 
TA activities. It was important to ensure that activities in the future continue d to target the main 
goals , and that they were kept within the planned  budget. She w as pleased to hear from the LDC 
Group on the value of the internship programmes, and generally encourage d the LDCs and other 
beneficiaries to provide feedback on their needs and priorities in terms of TA. In closing, she 
reaffirmed the support of the European -Union  and its member States for the WTO 's TA activities , 
and looked forward to continuing to engage on mutual priorities for TA. 
15. The representative of Botswana , on behalf of the African Group,  expresse d appreciation for 
the TA provided to African countries by the WTO , and for the efforts of the ITTC  to find innovative 
ways to ensure continued delivery , despite the difficulties  posed by COVID -19. He took note of the 
call for African countries and LDCs to submit TA requests , so that the ITTC could  better  understand 
the challenges being faced, and indicated that requests would be submitted . He explained that  TA 
was even more of a crucial contributor to the development  of African countries , in light  the impact 
of the  COVID -19 outbreak . Trade was a key enabler for  recovery , and for building resili ence to 
respond to the crisis.  
16.  The representative of India said that her intervention related  to the Annual  Performance 
Report on Technical Assistance and Training. Her delegation  noted with satisfaction that all  28 of 
the recommendations formulated in  the 2016 external evaluation of  the WTO's TA had  now been 
fully implemented. Her delegation also note d that national demand for TA from individual 
beneficiaries was 22% lower in 2019, as co mpared to 2018. This illustrated that the TA Plan was  
progressing well towards achieving its objectives. However, she additionally  noted  with concern 
that there had been  a 37% drop in the total number of participants trained in 2019 , as compared 
to 2018. This was mainly due to the 50% reduction in participation in online courses, after the 
introduction of the new cloud -based platform. Since a substantial part of TA activit ies would now  
potentially be shifted to online platforms due to the  COVID -19 pandemic, the Secretariat was 
requested to urgently look into the problems encountered in participating in the new cloud -based  
e-Learning  platform, and to resolve  them as soon as possible . Her delegation stood  ready to 
engage with Members, and  to help implement the TA Pla n in a meaningful way.  
17. The representative of Norway  said that TA and capacity  building were important com ponents 
of an enabling approach, and were necessary to allow developing countries to reap the benefits of 
trade. Important objectives include d the  implementation of WTO Agreements by developing 
Members, and  the active participation of developing Members in negotiating processes . Given  that WT/COMTD/M/112  
 
- 6 - 
 
  the majority of Members were devel oping countries, Norway believed  that TA and capacity  building 
should be among the core tasks of the WTO. It was particularly important to provide TA to the 
LDCs, which were a priority gr oup. Referring to the information contained in the A nnual 
Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training , she expressed satisfaction that the 
overall positive trend in  women 's particip ation in TA activities continued , although there were 
considera ble regional differences. However, her delegation was concerned with the significant drop 
in the total number of participants in the different TA a ctivities compared to 2018, and was also 
particularly concerned that the participation of LDCs in TA activities was reduced even more than 
for other Members. While noting that 2020 wa s a special year in many respects due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic, she said that her delegation was interested  in hearing more fro m the 
Secretariat regarding the reduced participation in 2019 , and what could be done about it.  
18. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group , thanked delegations for their 
interventions, which he believed demonstrated the importance of TA, partic ularly for LDCs. He 
noted that , while  the budget for the WTO 's TA was relatively significant , the view of the LDCs was 
that it was still insufficient compar ed to the beneficiaries' needs, and should be increased. With 
regard to the suggestion that benefici aries could share their experiences with regard to TA, he 
indicated that the LDCs had several examples of the benefits of TA, which they could share with 
the Committee.  He believed that all information that could contribute to the improvement of the 
efficiency of TA should be welcomed. In closing,  he reaffirmed the importance of TA for LDCs, and 
expressed appreciation to Members for their continued support . 
19. The Director of the ITTC thanked Members and donors for their continue d support for the 
WTO's work on TA. She said that she would respond to some of the points raised, and her 
colleagues from the ITTC would then provide additional information. With regard to  e-Learning, 
she confirmed that some problems had been encountered when moving to the new pl atform . It 
had now been established where the challenges lay, and these  were being  addressed. She went on 
to say that she was fully in agreement with the United States ' indication of the need to showcase 
the positive results arising from TA. One example of  efforts in this direction concerned  the 
modifications being made to the format for the A nnual Performance Report on Technical Assistance 
and Training . With respect to the question from the United States as to what was being done to 
follow  up on the recommendations arising from a TPR, she said that a Member was reminded of  
the outcomes of the TPR exercise  when it submitted  a TA request . There was therefore a follow -up 
process in place. While the re commendations from a TPR exercise  were usually built into national 
activities, she observed that TA was demand -driven, and the Secretariat had to ultimately be 
guided by each Member 's priorities. She invited her colleagues to provide further information on 
the points raised.  
20. In their interventions,  the representatives of the ITTC explained that the drop in 
participation in e -Learning activities during the first half of the 2019 had been addressed through 
tutorials and support to Members  regarding  the new platform . This support had allowed 
participat ion in e -Learning activities to pick up in the second half of the year. It was also noted 
that, while the A nnual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training  already provided 
breakdowns of TA by various criteria – including by region and by subj ect – it would be possible to 
provide more detailed information of expenditures  going forward . In addition, the WTO webpage 
on TA  contained information on  the activities implemented during a given year, which could be  
filtered according to the criteria of interest . At the present time, this information was available  for 
2016, 2017 and 2018. Finally, it was indicated  that the modifications that were being made to the 
format for the A nnual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training would allow a 
better showcasing of the positive results arising from TA . 
21. The Committee took note  of the Technical Assistance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan , the 
Annual Performance Report on Technical Assistance and Training for 2019, and of all interventions . 
C. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING  
22. The Chairman  said that the next meeting of the CTD Regular Session was tentatively 
scheduled to be held on Friday, 20 November 2020 . An initial agenda would be circulated 
four weeks before the meeting, on 23 October 2020 , as per the CTD's rules of procedure. After the 
circulation of this initial meeting notice, Members would still have the opportunity to request items 
on the agenda for the meeting. The agenda would close on 9 November 2020 , and would be 
circulated on 10 November 2020.  WT/COMTD/M/112  
 
- 7 - 
 
  D. OTHER BUSINESS  
23. The Chairman  recalled that he had indicated at the beginning of the meeting  that he wished 
to make two brief interventions under "Other Business ". His first intervention related  to th e 
question of the appropriate placement of notifications of RTAs and PTAs on CTD agendas. He 
recalled that a discussion had  been taking place between the delegations of India and the 
United  States as to whether notification of RTAs and PTAs would be more a ppropriately reflected 
on the agenda of the Regular Session of the CTD, or on the agendas of the CTD 's Dedicated 
Sessions on RTAs and PTAs . The previous CTD Chairman  had met on a number of occasions with 
these two delegations in order to facil itate discuss ions on the matter, and the Committee had been  
kept informed in this regard. He indicated that he wished to inform the Committee that he would  
be following up with India and the United States, and would  also be reaching out to the broader 
Membership, so as to see how the Committee could move forward on this matter.  He inquired 
whether any Member wished to take the floor.  
24. No Member took the floor . 
25. The Chairman  said that he would move on to his second inte rvention, which concerned  the 
timing of the next update of the Secretariat compilation paper on the implementation of 
S&D provisions in the WTO Agreements and Decisions. He recalled that the last update of this 
paper was circulated in October 2018 in docum ent WT/COMTD/W/239. According to what the 
Committee had agreed to at the 109th Session he ld on 28 June 2019, the paper was  to be updated 
at least once every two years. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the latest update would 
have been circulated in t he coming weeks, in preparation for the next CTD meeting in November. 
He pointed out, h owever, that this had  not been a normal  year. The COVID -19 outbreak had  
severely disrupted the normal calendar of WTO meetings, and the work of the Secreta riat as well. 
While the  normal work schedule  was gradually being resumed , it would  not be possible for the 
updated Secretariat paper to be ready in time for the November CTD meeting. His feeling wa s that 
the updated compilation paper would have more value if it were prepared after the 
Twelfth  WTO Ministerial Conference  (MC12) , so as to include any outcomes and updates on S&D 
emanating from the Ministerial Conference. Any Member that felt differently , or wished  to discuss 
this issue further, was invited to contact him. He inquired whether any Member wished to take the 
floor. 
26. No Member took the floor.  
27. The meeting was adjourned . 
_________  