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WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
30 May 2022 
(22-4069) Page: 1/26 
Committee on Trade and Development  
117th Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 25 MARCH  2022 
Chairperson : H.E. Dr. Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha (Pakistan ) up to item I, and  
H.E. M s. Usha Chandnee Dwarka -Canabady  (Mauritius ) for items J and K 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ....................  2 
B. OBSERVERS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  2 
(I) Request for attendance of ad hoc  observers  ................................ ................................ .. 2 
(II) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the League of Arab States, 
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Gulf Organization for Industrial 
Consulting, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, the Common Fund for Commodities, 
the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) and the Groupe de la Banque 
Africaine de Développement  ................................ ................................ ................................  2 
C. REPORT OF THE 55TH SESSION OF THE JOINT ADVISORY GROUP ON THE 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO (ITC/AG(LV)/284)  ................................  3 
D. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND  TRAINING  ................................ ............................  9 
(I) Technical Assistance in 2022 – Briefing by the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation 
(ITTC)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  9 
E. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – WORK IN THE COMMITTEE ON THE BASIS OF THE 
CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDING STATEMENT FROM THE EIGHTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENC E 
(WT/MIN(11)/11)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  14 
(I) Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration and 
Coordination of Work on De velopment in the WTO – Proposal from Barbados, Belize, China, Cuba, 
Ecuador, India, and the African Group (WT/COMTD/W/208)  ................................ ...................  14 
(II) Operationalization of the CTD's Mandate: A Proposal to Deliver Outcomes based on the 
MC8 Mandate - Proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  14 
F. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  ................................ ..................  15 
(I)  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union – Communication from China, 
Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  ................................ ................................ .................  15 
G. REVIEW OF STEPS TAKEN TO PROVIDE DUTY -FREE AND QUOTA -FREE MARKET 
ACCESS TO LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  ................................ ................................ ... 16 
H. WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE  ................................ .................  16 
(I)  Global Electronic Commerce for Inclusive Development – Communication from India and 
South Africa (WT/COMTD/W/264)  ................................ ................................ ......................  16 
I. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 23 
J. ELECTIO N OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  25 
K. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING  ................................ ................................ ................  26 
 
 WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Chairman  said that he wished to note for the record that the 1 17th Regular Session of the 
Committee on Trade and Development ( CTD) had originally been scheduled to be held on 
30 March  2022. This was the date he had announced at the last meeting. However, for various 
reasons, it was not possible to hold the meeting on 30 March. In a communication dated 
20 January  2022, he had informed  Members of the change in the date of the 1 17th Regular Session 
to 25 March  2022. He had also informed Members in the same communication that the two 
CTD meetings that ha d just been completed – the 16th Dedicated Session on Regional Trade 
Agreements (RTAs) and the 8th Dedicated Sessions on P referential Trade Arrangements  (PTAs)  – 
would also be held on 25 March.   
2. He went on to say that the draft agenda for the 1 17th Regular Session was contained in 
document WTO/AIR/COMTD/ 25, circulated on 25 February 2022 . He indicated that he wished to 
make an intervention under "Other Business" concerning the informal consultations that he had held 
with Members during his term as CTD Chair man, and to share some thoughts and observations in 
this regard. As he wanted to make his intervention before the new Chair person  of the Committee 
was formally elected at the end the meeting, he proposed  that the agenda item relating to "Other 
Business" be considered before  the agenda item relating to the election  of the Chairperson of the 
CTD. He noted that the Committee had proceeded in this manner in the past as well. After the 
election of the new Chair person  of the CTD, the Committee would turn to the last item on the agenda, 
which concern ed the date of the next meeting. This date would  be announced by the newly elected 
Chairperson  of the CTD.  
3. The agenda was adopted  as amended . 
B. OBSERVERS   
(I) Request  for attendance of ad hoc  observers  
4. The Chairman  recalled that, at previous sessions of the CTD, Members had agreed to invite a 
number of intergovernmental organizations on an ad hoc  meeting -by-meeting basis. These were the  
Arab Maghreb Union, the E conomic Community of Central African States, the  Economic  Community 
of West African States, the Economic Cooperation Organization , the  Inter-Arab Investment 
Guarantee Corporation, the Islamic Development Bank, the  African  Union, the Organization  of the 
Islamic Conference, the South Centre, the  Pacific  Islands  Forum, the United Nations Environment 
Programme, the  West African  Economic and Monetary Union, and the World Intellectual Property 
Organization.  These organizations had been invited to the present meet ing. He proposed that the 
same organizations be invited to the next formal meeting of the CTD.  
5. It was so agreed . 
(II) Further consideration of requests for observer status by the Le ague of Arab States, 
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countrie s (OPEC) , the Gulf Organization for 
Industrial Consulting, the Organi sation Internationale de la Francophonie , the Common 
Fund for Commodities, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) 
and the Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Développement  
6. The Chairman  said that the positions of delegations had been previously expressed. 
He inquired whether there were any changes in Members ' positions on these requests for observer 
status.  
7. No Member took the floor.  
8. The Chairman  noted that there were no changes in Members' positions , and that there was 
therefore  no consensus at the present  time to approve these requests for observer status . He 
suggested that the Committee take note and  revert to these requests at the next meeting.  
9. It was so  agreed . WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  C. REPORT  OF THE 55TH SESSION OF THE JOINT ADVISORY GROUP ON THE 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO (ITC/AG(LV)/284)  
10. The Chairman  said that the 55th Session of the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) on the International 
Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO (ITC) was held on 2 November 202 1. The report of the meeting was 
contained in ITC document ITC/AG(LV)/284 . He invited  H.E. Mr. Paul Bekkers of the Netherlands , 
the Chai rman of the JAG, to introduce the report.  
11. The Chairman of the JAG  provided an overview of the discussions that had taken place at the 
JAG meeting. In the context of the JAG's review of the ITC's annual report for 2 020, he observed 
that the ITC had surpassed its targets on almost every indicator. Among the ITC's key resu lts, he 
said that the organization had  reached nearly 400,000 active users of trade intelligence tools ; it had 
helped over 18,000 micro, small and medium -sized enterprises ( MSMEs ) transact international 
business ; and it had reached its goal of connecting 3  million women to international markets by the 
end of 2021.  Furthermore, t he value of trade and investment deals generated through the ITC's 
South -South projects in sub-Saharan Africa alone reached USD 30 million . The JAG had heard from 
Mr. Pedro Moreno, Director of the Office of the Secretary -General of the United Nations Conference 
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) , on the close cooperation with UNCTAD in several areas. 
WTO Deputy Director -General , Mr. Xiangchen Zhang , had underlined the ITC's close collaboration 
with the WTO.  It was noted that t he three agencies jointly provide d access to critical intelligence for 
MSMEs through the Global Trade Helpdesk, the World Tariff Profiles, the e -Ping alert system and 
others, while providing importan t services including in trade facilitation. The ITC was particularly 
commended for its ability to translate UNCTAD and WTO research findings into practical tools and 
benefits for MSMEs on the ground.   
12. At the JAG meeting, t he Executive Director of the ITC, Ms. Pamela Coke -Hamilton,  had 
underlined the strong cooperation between the three agencies of the Geneva Trade Hub and had 
stressed the ITC's commitment to continuing to work closely with the WTO and UNCTAD. She had 
also pointed to the dire global situation caused by the COVID -19 pandemic. The recent recovery was 
not benefiting everyone equally , with the most vulnerable falling further behind.  Several sectors, 
especially services and tourism, continue d to suffer severely from the prolonged crisis. The pandemic  
had revealed and magnified the challenges that developing countries face d, such as undiversified 
exports and skills gaps.  The ITC's annual report for 2020 underlined that 2020 was a year where 
the ITC had "pivoted for purpose ", towards more sustainability, connectivity and inclusivity. In terms 
of its geographic delivery, the ITC had delivered more than 80% of its country -specific interven tions 
in its priority geographies, including least d eveloped countries  (LDCs) , sub -Saharan Africa, 
landlocked developing countries  (LLDCs) , small island developing states  (SIDS)  and conflict affected 
states . Nearly half of these interventions were in LDCs. Multiple examples of the ITC's impactful 
body of work were cited. These include d the Small and Medium -Sized Enterprise ( SME) 
Competitiveness Outlook ; the SheTrades Outlook; youth empowerment work in  The Gambia; and 
Alliances for Action , which help ed farmers diversify incomes . Ms. Coke -Hamilton had reiterated that 
the ITC would continue to take into consideration the needs of its stakeholders, and would remain 
responsive and engaged on the ground. With respect to the ITC's Strategic Plan for 2022-2025, 
Ms. Coke-Hamilton had thanked all stakeholders for their valuable contributions to the consultation 
process. The ITC's vision was to contribute to building inclusive, sustainable and prosperous 
economies for delivering systemic change and bu ilding more resilien ce. The Strategic Plan was based 
on an understanding of the drivers that shape d the trade and development landscape and focuse d 
on five impact areas where the ITC c ould fully exploit its technical expertise. These include d 
sustainable a nd inclusive value chains ; inclusive trade ; green trade ; e-commerce ; and regional 
integration and South-South trade. Through its new strategy, the ITC would  retain its geographic 
emphasis on the most vulnerable economies and continue to prioritize at least 80% of its 
country -level assistance in LDCs, LLDCs , SIDS, small vulnerable economies  (SVEs) , sub-Saharan 
Africa, and conflict affected countries.  
13. The Chair man of the JAG went on to say that several delegates had applauded the ITC for the 
results achieved in 2020 , and had appreciated the ITC's agility in responding to the challenges 
brought by COVID -19. Delegates found the rapid pivoting a clear indication of  the ITC's commitment 
to MSMEs in developing countries and appreciated the focus on sustainability, digitization , and 
integrating women and young people into global value chains  (GVCs) . Delegations also  emphasized 
several areas of the ITC's work , including  its efforts to help developing countries make their value 
chains more sustainable via the GreenToCompete and Trade for Sustainable Development work. 
They praised the ITC's achievements in women 's economic empowerment and appreciated  its efforts WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  to create synergies with other organizations, including multinational organizations. The ITC was 
commended for its close collaboration with the WTO and UNCTAD , and was encouraged to report 
more on this close collaboration.  With re gard to the annual report for 2020 , delegat ions indicated  
that it clearly illustrated many successful projects and their contribution to the Sustainable 
Development Goals (S DGs), as well as the ITC's timely responses to the pandemic. Delegations also  
stressed the vital importance o f unearmarked funding and called for more funders to contribute to 
the ITC's Window 1 funds.  The draft Strategic Plan was commended for its targeted approach 
towards LDCs and vulnerable groups. Support was expressed for the Strategic Plan 's focus on 
gender , green, digital and the pandemic , and the ITC was thanked for the consultations throughout 
the processes.  In addition, the 2021 Annual Evaluation Synthesis Report , which reviewed the 
ITC's Strategic Plan 2018 -2021, was presented to the JAG.  It was noted that the Strategic Plan 
provided a strong tool for  the ITC's role in enhancing trade and sustainable development within the 
2030 Agenda. It also indicated that all recommendations of the synthesis review were accepted by 
senior management and  were taken into account while preparing the draft Strategic Plan 2022 -2025. 
In conclu sion, he said that he was pleased to see the relationship between the  ITC and the WTO 
becoming even stronger through the ITC's contributions to Joint Statement Initiative  (JSI) 
discussions on Investment Facilitation for Development, the Informal Working Group on Trade and 
Gender, and the Informal Working Group on MSMEs. In parallel , the ITC continue d to support 
candidate countries for accession to WTO. As for upcoming even ts, he invited delegation s to stay 
tuned for the 13th World  Trade Promotion Organizations Conference and Awards that w ould take 
place on 17 -18 May 2022 in Accra, Ghana  – and would be hosted by the Ghana Export Promotion 
Authority in partnership with the ITC. 
14. The representative of the European Union  expressed appreciation for the JAG report, and said 
that a lot had happened since the JAG meeting on 2 November 2021.  He said that he wished to 
reiterate that the European Union condemn ed in the strongest possible terms the invasion of Ukraine 
by armed forces of the Russian Federation. His delegation had called on Russia  repeatedly  to 
immediately end its acts of aggression. The European Union stood firmly by Ukraine and its people. 
Support  include d the adoption of economic and trade sanctions against Russia, and 
the European  Union remain ed ready to move quickly with further measures. He went on to say that 
several countries were negatively affected by this war – none more so than Ukraine , but others  as 
well. It was clear that the war  would  negatively influence  the context in which the ITC was trying to 
achieve its results.  
15. The representative of the Russian Federation  raised a point of order.  He said that the  issues 
mentioned  by the European Union , including the adoption of sanctions,  went beyond the mandate 
of the WTO and were also not  part of the  mandate or the  agenda for the present meeting. He urged 
delegations to keep to the agenda of the meeting . He said that t he WTO was an organization that 
was guided by economic considerations and solid legal standards. He r egrett ed that an 
ever-increasing pressure for its politi cization ha d already brought numerous inefficiencies which  
threatened the effectiveness of the organization and the multilateral trading system  (MTS) . He once 
again urged delegations to keep to the mandate.  
16. The representative of Ukraine  said that , at the JAG meeting, her delegation had acknowledged 
the efforts undertaken by the ITC in promoting econo mic development, sustainable trade and 
women 's economic empowerment, a nd had also thanked the donors for their continued support.  She 
noted  that, with the help of donors, Ukraine ha d been benefiting from a longstanding and successful 
cooperation with the ITC. As of 2021, three projects were being implemented by the ITC in Ukraine , 
with funding provided by the E uropean Union and Sweden.  One of th ese, which was in place since 
2016, was titled "Linking Ukrainian SMEs in the Fruits and Vegetables Sector to Glob al and Domestic 
Markets and Value Chains ". The pr oject was implemented in the south of Ukraine, mainly in the 
Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odessa regions. She observed that Members would know these cities very 
well by now, as Kherson and Mykolaiv were being heavily bombarded and were under threat of 
occupation by the Russian Federation, while Odessa was preparing for the worst.  The s outh of 
Ukraine was known for its tomatoes, cucumbers, ap ricots, cherries, watermelons, wine, as well as 
grains and cereals production,  and so much more. Due to the Russian Federation 's unjustified 
invasion of Ukraine, the agriculture sector ha d been heavily damaged. Over 82 ,000 square 
kilometres of Ukraine had been mined, including agricultural fields. This was approximately the size 
of Austria.  Given the purpose and context of th e CTD  and the work of the ITC, Ukraine wished to  
use this opportunity to draw Members ' attention to the repercussions of Russia's mili tary aggression 
for Ukraine as a developing country.  According to the latest report by the International Monetary 
Fund ( IMF), production volumes in Ukraine could  decrease by between 25% and 35% due to th e WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  war. The IMF expect ed that Ukraine 's gross domestic  product ( GDP) would decline by 10% in 2022, 
if the hostilities d id not last long.   
17. The Ukrainian Government estimate d that the overall direct economic losses in Ukraine due 
to full -scale Russian military aggression were currently USD 565 billion.  Russia 's blockade of 
Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov seriously disrupt ed Ukraine 's export s, making 
it virtually impossible  to export . Russia was intentionally target ing critical infrastructure in Ukraine, 
such as airports, railways and roads.  About 10 million Ukrainian s had been  forced to leave their 
homes. Many of them were both producers and consumers. The repercussions of Russia 's illegal 
actions were resulting in the disruption of global supply chains.  Ukraine's current place in world trade 
was under threat. She noted that, according to the preamble of the Marrakesh Agreement, one of 
the objectives of the WTO was to ensure that developing countries ha d a share in the growth of 
international trade commensurate with the needs of their economic development.  By its horrific 
actions in breach of the core principles of international law, the United Nations ( UN) Charter and the 
basis of modern society, Russia was also undermining the very foundations of the WTO.  In addition, 
as the UN Secretary -General had rightly pointed out during his informal comments to the media on 
22 March 2022 : "the Ukrainian people are enduring a living hell – and the reverberations are being 
felt worldwide with skyrocketing food, energy and fertilizer prices threatening to spiral into a global 
hunger crisis".  The actions of the Russian Federation w ould not only slow down the growth of m any 
developing countries , it would also cause serious long -term damage to their economies and 
populations.  According to UNCTAD 's Trade and Development Report 2021 Update  which was issued  
on 24 March 2022, it was  foresee n that global growth in 2022 would , as a result, be slower, more 
uneven and more fragile than expected in September 2021. The report further note d that hardly 
any country w ould be immune from the deterioration of global growth prospects.  Her delegation 
called on Members to take the current th reat seriously. Russia's unjustified and brutal aggression 
against Ukraine needed to be addressed, and did not allow the conduct of business as usual.  It was 
the strong position of Ukraine that Russia could  no longer participate in the MTS on an equal basi s 
with countries that respect ed the objectives and principles of the WTO.  
18. The representative of Norway  said that, i n December 2020 , Norway had signed a new 
multi-year grant agreement with the ITC. The new agreement allow ed the ITC and Norway to 
continue their longstanding collaboration across inclusive and sustainable trade, women 's economic 
empowerment and poverty reduction. Norway 's contributions were not earmarked.  He went on to 
say that t he COVID -19 pandemic continue d to thr eaten to reverse years of development progress . 
It was impacting SME s and their value chains and trade, which was disproportionately harming the 
service s sector, women, and young entrepreneurs . This was also shown in the data produced by the 
ITC. Norway ve ry much acknowledge d and appreciate d how the ITC ha d been able to respond and  
had delivered adapted solutions in these times of crisis. As the Executive Director had written  in the 
2020 annual report, ITC ha d "pivoted with purpose ", and continue d to do so.  Norway's international 
development policy was focused on the poorest and most vulnerable groups , which mean t a strong 
commitment to LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa. The share of LDCs in the ITC's region -specific 
interventions were therefore an important consideration for Norway.  As Members were starting to 
stake out a route to recovery from the pandemic , the unprecedented military aggression of the 
Russian Federation against Ukraine ha d created a severe humanitarian crisis in Ukraine . It was als o 
leading to a much wider global cris is with skyrocketing prices for food, energy and fertilizer . This 
threaten ed food security on all continents, especially in the developing world. Many countries, 
including several that f ell into the LDC and Low -Income F ood-Deficit Country groups, rel ied on 
Ukrainian and Russian food supplies to meet their consumption needs. A sudden and long -term drop 
in food exports from Ukraine and Russia could increase the number of undernourished people by up 
to 13 million in 2022 -2023, according to an analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 
UN. Efforts to support the resilience of value  chains and food security  were more important than 
ever. For a month , Russia ha d continued its reprehensible invasion of Ukraine. He wished to once 
again express Norway 's concern for the severe destruction and human suffering this illegal act of 
aggression was causing. By its unprovoked, unjustified and premeditated military actions, the 
Russian Federation was grossly violating internat ional law, the core principles on which the 
international rule -based order was built , and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter that ha d 
prevailed since the Second World War . He concluded by expressing Norway 's full solidarity with 
Ukraine and the Ukrainian  people.  
19. The representative of the United Kingdom  said that the JAG report set out the vital work that 
the ITC was undertaking with partners in the difficult context of the COVID -19 pandemic, which ha d 
brought deep macroeconomic challenges for  developing countries. Analysis in 2021 suggested a WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  seven -year reversal in progress to reduce extreme poverty as a result of the measures adopted to 
combat COVID -19. He recalled that delegations had heard from the ITC Executive Director about 
the importanc e of continuing to support developing countries to meet the challenges of a world 
"transformed by COVID -19, by climate change, by technology and social progress ". What the 
Executive Director could not possibly have known then was that the invasion of one W TO Member 
by another  would be added to that list . Russia 's invasion of Ukraine was sending shockwaves through 
the global economy – particularly by increasing the prices of commodities such as oil and gas, grains, 
and metals, raising further risks to vulner able economies.  It would impact Members'  work in the 
CTD, and across the WTO more broadly, as the D irector -General had  said in her interview with the 
Guardian newspaper on 24 March 2022 . According to UNCTAD 's early assessment , Ukraine and 
Russia collectively export ed as a share of global trade 53% of sunflower oil and seeds ; 25% of wheat 
and barley ; and 14% of global corn. The poorest countries would  be hit hardes t, as several of these  
countries were highly reliant on Russia and Ukraine for wheat imports . As many as 
26 African  countries, including some LDCs, import ed more than one-third of their wheat from Russia 
and Ukraine.  The invasion of Ukraine violate d international law and the UN Charter. As the 
UN Secretary -General ha d said, such unilateral  measures conflict ed directly with the U N Charter , as 
the use of force by one country against another was a repudiation of the principles that every country 
had committed to uphold.  
20. He went on to say that, a s a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, Russia ha d a 
particular responsibility to uphold international peace and security. Instead, it was violating the 
borders of another country and its actions were causing widespread suffering.  The U nited Kingdom  
stood united with partners in condemning Russia 's outrageous attack on Ukraine as a clear breach 
of international law and the UN Charter.  While Russia continue d to violate international law, human 
rights and multiple commitments to peace and security,  the Unite d Kingdom would  work with its 
allies and partners across the multilateral system to condemn Russia 's appalling actions and to 
isolate it on the international stage.  His delegation also remain ed steadfast in its commitment to 
developing countries and suppor ting them to tackle the impacts of the war on their economies. 
The United Kingdom was proud to be one of the largest international donors  and was also proud to 
have provided over GBP 5 million to the ITC in the 2021-2022 period , which was enabling the 
implementation of more than 200 trade -related technical assistance (TA) projects.  The ITC was a 
crucial partner for the U nited Kingdom . Women 's economic empowerment, supporting MSMEs, 
improving business competitiveness, and building climate resilience and sust ainability in developing 
countries remain ed important priorities and values for the U nited Kingdom . As his delegation had 
said at the JAG  meeting,  the United Kingdom congratulate d the ITC for the results that were achieved 
in 2020, and commend ed the strong leadership shown by the Executive Director and 
Deputy  Executive Director.  
21. The representative of Mauritius  said that  the JAG report  showed that the ITC was an 
organization that met the targets that it set. The outreach to 3 million women was one  such example. 
She hoped that the ITC would soon be setting new targets  in this regard . She noted that the ITC 
collaborated well with UNCTAD and the WTO, and encouraged more such collaborati on. She also 
noted that  there were a lot of important takeaways from the  Global Supply Chains Forum organized 
by the WTO , which was held  on 21  March  2022. The ITC Executive Director and the 
WTO Director -General , as well as the Chief  Executive Officers that participat ed in the forum, had 
pointed to a number of important issues that were directly affecting trade, including high freight 
costs. The representative of Mauritius  went on to thank the ITC for the support it was offering to her 
country a nd other African countries, including in the context of the SheTrades initiative. She 
additionally thanked the donors , and in this regard expressed appreciation to the United Kingdom 
for its donation of GBP 5 million. In closing, she encouraged the impleme ntation of projects which 
had a direct impact on people on the ground.  
22. The representative of Australia  said that the report presented by the JAG Chairman was useful 
and informative. His delegation welcome d the ambition in the ITC's draft Strategic Plan for 
2022-2025, and in particula r its focus on inclusion, e -commerce and regional trade. Strengthening 
the competitiveness of MSMEs and enhancing opportunities for disadvantaged groups would help 
promote economic growth in developing  countries and LDCs  that continue d to grapple with the 
contemporaneous challenges, including the ramifications of the COVID -19 pandemic.  He also 
thank ed the delegation of Ukraine for its intervention, and  for drawing Members'  attention to the 
significant impacts and costs of Russia's illegal invasion on Ukraine 's economic development. On this 
basis, Australia condemn ed in the strongest possible terms Russia 's unprovoked, unjust and illegal 
invasion of Ukraine. The invasion was a gross violation of international law including the UN Charter. WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  Australia strongly su pport ed Ukraine 's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and call ed on Russia to 
immediately withdraw its forces.  
23. The representative of the Republic of Korea  noted that  the ITC ha d successfully pivoted since 
the pandemic to provide effective Aid for Trade towards sustainability, connectivity and inclusivity.  
However, having successfully navigated through the COVID -19 crisis, the ITC – much like the rest 
of the world – had to unfortunately contemplate how to navigate through the crisis caused by 
Russia 's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Russia 's invasion directly affect ed the work of the ITC, which 
had been helping to connect agricultural SMEs in Ukraine to GVCs . Furthermore, the humanitarian 
crisis and the potential food crisis triggered by the invasion brought huge uncertainties to the 
prospects for fulfilling the Strategic Plan 2022 -2025. Her delegation vigorously condemn ed 
Russia 's egregious violation of Ukraine 's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the fundamental 
principles of the UN Charter. Korea,  as an important donor of the ITC, value d its growing partnership 
with the agency. Despite the turbulent times, her delegation looked forward to sustaining and 
growing this collaboration in supporting women entrepreneurs, promoting youth employment, and 
strengthening disaster resilience in Africa.  
24. The representative of the United States  said that h er delegation support ed the ITC's trade and 
development agenda, and the ITC Executive Director's interest in bringing greater diversity of 
perspectives to the discussion on trade, particularly by including more developing countr y private 
sector voices in the WTO. She noted that the United States Trade Representative , Ms. Katherine Tai , 
would soon be meeting with the Executive Director of the ITC to discuss how to deepen this joint 
effort. She went on to say that she wished to join the sentiment s of the Members that spoke before 
her – the European Union, Ukraine, Norway, the United Kingdom, Mauritius, Australia and the 
Republic of Korea – in condemning Russia's premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine. The 
delegation of the United States wished  to express its heartfelt support to Ukraine  and stood in 
solidarity with the  Ukrainian people in these unprecedented times. She also express ed appre ciation 
to the many Members around the globe that were taking action in cooperation and coordination with 
the United States. This important work together w ould, and sh ould, continue.  
25. The representative of Colombia  said that  her country had benefited significantly  from the 
ITC's initiatives . Colombia attached great importance to the strengthening of the ITC's work in 
middle -income countries that face d significant challenges in participating fully in global trade. The 
COVID -19 pandemic ha d shown how fragile and vulnerable these  economies were and ha d revealed 
many structural weaknesses. Several developing countries  now face d deep economic cris es, reduced 
exports, volatile markets and major disruptions in value chains , which ha d led to rising 
unemployment and poverty rates. She agreed with the representative of Mauritius on the need to 
pay attention to the changes taking place in value chains and  the impact this had on increase s in 
food and fertili zer prices for Colombia and the economies of Lati n America. In this context , her 
delegation believed that it was important for the ITC to continue and increase its work in 
Latin America through the regional integration mechanisms that exist ed in the region. She also call ed 
for the strengthening of the ITC's Window 1 projects, which would help address the cross -cutting 
challenges facing developing countries and provide ITC with the tools to address the needs of MSMEs 
around the world. She noted that the ITC ha d a wealth of e xperience and knowledge in different 
regions, markets and sectors, and that it needed  to have the flexibility to continue  to build on that 
experience in order  to keep deliver ing results.  
26. The representative of Chinese Taipei  thank ed the ITC and UNCTAD for t heir efforts in providing 
TA to developing Members. However, as the representative of Ukrain e had mentioned, there was a 
brutal war undermining the ITC's efforts and the development of Ukraine. His delegation strongly 
condemn ed the Russian Federation 's military aggression in Ukraine, which was anti -peace and 
anti-development. Chinese Taipei  called on Russia to end its aggression immediately and st ood firmly 
with Ukraine and its people.  
27. The representative of Japan  said that, like  other Members  – including  the E uropean Union, 
Ukraine, Norway, the U nited Kingdom , Australia, the Republic of  Korea, the U nited States and 
Chinese Taipei  – his country wa s deeply concerned with the Russia n Federation 's brutal assaults on 
Ukraine. The Russian Federation's actions were unprovoked, premeditated attacks against a 
sovereign democratic state. They were an egregious  violation of international law, the UN Charter 
and the fundamental principles of international peace and security. These actions cal led into serious  
question the respect of the Russian Federation for all international institutions, disciplines  and norms. 
Japan condemn ed these actions in the strongest terms , and stood  in solidarity with Ukraine and its WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  people , together with the international community. Turning to the JAG report, he  said that Japan 
had been collaborating with  the ITC in many assistance projects, especially in the areas of 
e-commerce, gender and health. His delegation value d the increas ed coordination between the ITC, 
WTO and other relevant agencies , and looked forward to further cooperati on with the ITC and its 
partners.  
28. The representative of Mauritius  said that  she wished to clarify that the earlier intervention by 
her delegation relate d strictly to the report presented by the JAG Chairman and to no other matters.  
29. The representative of Tajikistan  expressed appreciation to UNCTAD, the WTO and the  ITC for 
their work. He also thanked Switzerland, the E uropean Union, the U nited States and other 
development partners for the mutually beneficial cooperation. The Government of Tajikistan in its 
strategic documents  had identified trade enhancement,  export promotion and diversification , and 
trade simplification as priority areas of development.  The ITC ha d implemented a number of 
trade-related assistance projects in Tajikistan , with the support of Switzerland and other 
development partners . He encourage d development partners to continue to extend their support to 
developing countries including Tajikistan. His delegation also commend ed the ITC 's engagement and 
looked forward to continuing the constructive cooperation to improve trade competitiveness, export 
promotion and trade simplification.  
30. The representative of the Russian Federation  urged delegations to keep to the mandate of the 
WTO and deal with legal trade issues, even th ough discussion s on these issues were now 
deteriorating as well . He indicated  that he needed to make some comments , since Mother Russia 
had been mentioned in several  unprovoked statements. He went on to say that the f ood supply cris is 
and high energy costs had emerged du e to illegal sanctions  which were in place before 2022, and 
had now become more severe. These barriers, which were a violation of law, were the cause of the 
food and energy cris es. It was not Russia that had blocked  trade. Certain other Members had done 
so, thereby ignoring the rules -based MTS . The Russian economy was deprived of imports, technology 
and foreign curre ncy. Western countries had defaulted on Russia's external currency reserves. He 
asked how Russia could feed its population when illegal barriers on its trade and economy had been 
put in place.  Furthermore, a ccusations that Russia was target ing Ukraine's vital economic 
infrastructure were wrong . Russia attack ed only military infrastructure and did not target civilians. 
Those delegation s which assessed the current situation only from 2022 had forgotten what had been 
happening since 2014. The people of the Donbas and Luhansk regions in Ukraine, who wanted to 
preserve their Russian culture and speak Russian, had seen their rights violated . They had been 
suppressed , imprisoned, tortured and killed. These regions had been bombarded by Ukrainian 
artillery almost every day for eight years.  According to the UN, 3 ,344 civilians had been killed in the 
Donbas region  alone, although the  real figures were higher. Furthermore, 1.3 million  people had 
become refugees during the eight -year period. Ukraine had made two  attempts to solve the problem 
of the Donbas region by military force  – in 2014 and 2015 – and had been preparing for a third 
assault in 2022. He asked w hy Members ignore d this, and had also ignore d events in Syria, Libya, 
Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan  and other countries . This was a biased approach . In closing, he 
requested  delegations to keep discussions in the WTO within  the legal  and mutually agreed system  
of rules .  
31. The Chairman of the JAG  thanked  the European Union, Ukraine, Norway, the United Kingdom , 
Mauritius, Aus tralia, the Republic of Korea, the U nited States, Colombia, Chinese Taipei, Japan and 
Tajikistan  for their  interventions and for their  appreciation of the ITC's work. He indicated  that he 
would convey the ir remarks to the ITC Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director. He also  
indicated that he  deeply regretted the heavy damage done to the ITC's projects in Ukraine , and that 
he had careful ly listen ed to delegat ions' observations on the effects of the invasion of Ukraine , 
especially on vulnerable economies. Finally, he said that he disagree d with the representative of the 
Russian Federation regarding the causes of the food crisis . The crisis was not caused by  the 
sanctions, but by the unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.  
32. The representative of the ITC expressed appreciation to delegations for their encouraging 
remarks regarding the ITC's work, and indicated that she had taken note of the requests for further 
support.  
33. The Committee took note  of the report o f the 5 5th Session of the JAG and forwarded it to the 
General Council for adoption.  WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  D. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND TRAINING  
(I) Technical Assistance  in 2022  – Briefing by the Institute for Training and Technical 
Cooperation  (ITTC)  
34. The Chairman  invite d the ITTC to provide a briefing on TA in 2022.  
35. The representative of  the ITTC said that  the Secretariat's capacity -building initiatives 
comprise d several areas and topics which were funded and implemented through various sources of 
funds, projects and programmes. These include d, among others, the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
Facility (TFAF) ; the Standard s and  Trade Development Facility (STDF) ; the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework (EIF) ; Aid for Trade ; and WTO TA and training activities carried out and coordinated by 
the ITTC with funding from the Global Trust Fund (GTF), the regular budget and various trust funds. 
The briefing at the present meeting  would focus only on the latter.  The Biennial Technical Assistance 
and Training Plan (TA Plan)  for 2022 -2023, which define d the strategy and priorities that w ould be 
followed by the Secretariat in this domain over the biennium, was completed and adopted by th e 
CTD in November 2021. This policy framework took into account relevant provisions of the 
Doha Ministerial Declaration and other relevant decisions adopted by Members. In previous 
presentations to the CTD, the ITTC had provided information, on behalf of the Secretariat, on the 
impact of  the COVID -19 pandemic  – in particular on the suspension of all face -to-face activities since 
March 2020. These face -to-face activities constitute d the bulk of the Secretariat's TA act ivities. 
Initially, only the e-Learning programmes and the longstanding internship programmes remained 
largely unaffected. COVID -19 had also affected demand for TA activities. Adjusting WTO training 
activities to this reality ha d been a steep learning curv e, and i t had allowed the Secretariat  to better 
understand both the advantages and the limitations of remote TA delivery when compared to 
face-to-face training. While strong advantages of virtual training  were observed , the Secretariat 
nevertheless remain ed mindful of the challenges this type of training pose d for many beneficiaries, 
in particular LDCs. These challenges include d, among others, the lack of a strong and reliable internet 
connection and the lack of ability of participants to dedicate themselve s to the activity free from 
other constraints . In addition , virtual training did  not allow the important networking element of 
face-to-face events. The Secretariat would  take these lessons forward as it consider ed how best to 
integrate all modes of training  in the TA activities,  in light of results -based management  (RBM)  and 
the Progressive Learning Strategy. In the interest of time,  he indicated  that he would only give a 
general overview of the strategy and approa ch that the Secretariat was planning for TA and training 
in 2022.  
36. He went on to say that a significant decline in requests for national activities  had been 
observed  in 2020 and 2021. One possible explanation was that , although virtual delivery ha d proved 
to be valuable and useful, many Members and Observers preferred to postpone their national 
requests for TA until face -to-face activities could  resume. Against this background, the list of global 
and regional activities planned for 2022 fores aw a significant  number of courses and workshops at 
the national, regional and global levels. Some had already been delivered in the first three months 
of 2022, or were being prepared to be delivered virtually, and the extensive catalogue of e -Learning 
courses remain ed fully available throughout the year. Other activities were awaiting clarity on 
whether they could be delivered in -person or in hybrid form. In a letter that the Director of the ITTC 
had sent to beneficiaries on 2 March 2022, it was indicated that the Secretariat intend ed to 
progressively resume face -to-face activities as soon as conditions were in place, starting with 
national activities and , where feasible , other events such as global and regional training courses and 
TA workshops.  Considerations for national requests would  be made  on a case -by-case basis and 
would  take into account , among other factors, the overall health situation prevailing at the time.  He 
noted that TA was demand driven , and  that requests  for national activities  had to be made using 
the TA  online request form. In order to access this form, it was necessary to log in with delegation  
credentials  to the Technical Assistance Management System  (TAMS) 
(https://tamis.wto.org/user/login ). A guide was available in the system in case any assistance was 
needed to fill in the form , and would also be shared with  delegations after the present meeting. 
Delegations could additionally contact regional desks for ass istance.  He encourage d beneficiaries to 
be forthcoming with their TA needs and priorities . He also emphasize d the importance of centralizing 
TA requests in the ITTC, so as to  ensure that the activities were organized in a timely and coordinated 
manner, tak ing into account available human resources in the Secretariat. Similar to previous years, 
TA requests from LDCs would  continue to be given priority at both regional and national levels.   WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  37. He added that p artnerships with regional organizations were important , and in some cases 
fundamental , for the delivery of virtual as well as face -to-face TA. The Secretariat w ould continue to 
focus on the four areas in which partners could add value to the TA provided by the WTO . The four 
areas were: substance; cost sharing; field support and logistics;  and outreach.  He also noted that,  
in the past two years, long -term internships and the Young Professionals Programme (YPP) had 
hardly  been affected by the COVID -19 pandemic. It had been decided to maintain the internsh ip and 
traineeship  programmes,  as well as the YPP , in spite of the difficulties arising from the pandemic. In 
this regard, 13 trainees  under the Netherlands Trainee Programme  (NTP) , 19 interns under the 
French  and Irish Mi ssion Internship Programme  (FIMIP) , two interns under the Regional Coordinator 
Interns hip (RCI) Programme , and 12 Young Professionals were currently participating.  He invited 
Members that were coordinating groups eligible to host a n intern under the RCI Programme to 
contact the Secretariat if they w ished to make a recruit ment under the programme  for the duration 
of time that they were serving as Coordinators. He indicated  that he also wished to take th e 
opportunity to express appreciation to all the donors , whose support  made it possible for the 
Secretariat to deliver TA activities. He informed the Committee that c alls for candidates for the YPP 
and internship programmes would  be issued in the course of 2022 , for intake in 2023.  The Secretariat 
was currently finalizing the 2021 TA  report , which it hoped to present  at the next meeting. The TA 
monitoring and evaluation team would  continue to comprehensively monitor and report on activities 
in 2022.  
38. The representative of Tajikistan  expressed gratitude to the Secretariat and to all donor 
countries for their continued support.  He said that Tajikistan value d and attache d great importance 
to the WTO's TA program mes, and fully support ed the intention of resuming face -to-face regional 
and Geneva -based trainin g courses in 2022.  As was the case w ith other developing countries , 
Tajikistan need ed highly qualified experts in the field of WTO Agreements , with a comprehensive 
knowledge of relevant trade policies and the MTS. He said that WTO Membership was vital, and it 
was therefore important to further improve knowledge on WTO and trade -related matters through 
the WTO's TA  program mes – including the interactive online e-Learning courses, as well as 
face-to-face regional and Geneva -based training courses. In order to further improve, deepen and 
strengthen knowledge o f the WTO Agreements and current  issues in the MTS, he stressed the 
importan ce of continu ing the WTO internship program mes for  developing countries and countries in 
transition.  In particular, the program me for the benefit of Geneva -based missions provide d interns  
the opportunity to work in the missions and to represent their countries in the various WTO bodies. 
Interns contribute d to the daily work of the missions, including in the context of multilateral and 
bilateral negotiations and post -WTO accession activities , and to the elaboration of activities deemed 
necessary to improve the foreign trade regime in conformity with international rules. In 2022, 
Tajikistan was benefiting from an intern under the FIMIP . The inter n was participating in various 
meetings and had the opportunity to build capacity in different aspects of the MTS, including the 
WTO Agreements, and to gain a strong background in economics, internationa l trade and trade 
policy.  His delegation was confident that the acquired knowledge, trade diplomacy and negotiation 
skills gained through participation in high-level meetings and training courses would contribute to 
the efficient participation of developin g countries in WTO activities and would assist in fulfilling their 
WTO commitments. Tajikistan would continue to cooperate with the Secretariat and development 
partners in order to maximize its benefit s from the MTS . 
39. The representative of Qatar  said that, l ike other Member s, his country  had been  affected over 
the past two year s by the global health crisis resulting from the COVID -19 pandemic , which had 
impacted on  the organiz ation of  capacity -building activities. Altho ugh the re had been many 
achievements in relation to the organiz ation of activities in virtual format, he observed that 
face-to-face activities were valuable and useful. These  activities provide d the opportunity for 
participants to address  problem -solving issues and network  with their peers from different countries, 
particularly  in the context of  the activities organized at the regional level. His delegation therefore 
believe d that face -to-face activities should resume , as the majority of participan ts would feel more 
comfortable and would learn more easily. He encourage d the Secretariat to progressively resume 
face-to-face activities as envisaged in the TA Plan for 2022-2023, and as restrictive measures were 
eased or lifted in many countries around t he world. Qatar was ready to resume its cooperation with 
the ITTC in 2022 in the field of TA and capacity building.  
40. The representative of  the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  expressed appreciation to  the ITTC for its 
efforts , and noted that the various  types of T A provided over the years  constitute d a crucial pillar in 
efforts to enhanc e the capacit y of Members on all WTO issues.  As the Arab Group Coordinator, his 
delegation saw  the TA Plan for 2022-2023 as a key document allowing the implementation of TA WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  activities in a transparent and predic table manner. He was confident that the Secretariat would  
continue its efforts to improve the efficiency of the TA programme based on the lessons learn ed 
during previous  years, as well as on the priorities identifie d by the beneficiaries for the next 
biennium.  
41. The representative of  the Kingdom of B ahrain  expressed appreciation to the ITTC for its 
support in the field of TA . Her country had greatly benefited from the TA provided by the Secretariat, 
and saw a need to continu e with these  activities for the benefit  of both developing and LDC Members.  
42. The representative of Jordan  said that , as the Coordinator  of the Asian Group of Developing 
Countries, he wished to thank the ITTC for the TA provided. He also expressed appreciation to the 
donors and encouraged them to continue making  contributions to ensure the sustained delivery of 
TA. He went on to say that t he ITTC continue d to play an impor tant role in better integrating 
devel oping countries and LDCs in to the world economy and realizing sustainable development. He 
observed that TA remain ed one of the main tools to help build trade capacity and human resources 
across the world. Jordan commend ed the improvement in the TA offer, especially the online training 
courses which ha d helped during the difficult times of the C OVID -19 pandemic. New assistance 
program mes were needed to help economies overcome this and other  crises. F ace-to-face training 
program mes remain ed important.  
43. The representative of Oman  thanked the ITTC for its efforts and for the cooperat ion in the 
provision of TA to his country . The COVID -19 pandemic had had a detrimental impact on TA activities  
and had result ed in the d isruption of the organization of face -to-face activities. Online learning ha d 
been shown to be a successful tool to curb the impact of the pandemic, provided that the re was a  
systematic  increase in the  number of participating  officials. However , face -to-face TA activities were 
generally more effective and beneficia l, especially some activities such as  those relating to 
negotiation skills. As for national TA activities , he said that Oman ha d already requested its priority 
national activities  for 2022 a nd hope d that they would be conducted in -person. In addition,  he noted 
that Oman ha d undergone its Trade Policy Review  (TPR)  in November 2021. Although th e exercise 
was successful, some areas need ed to be improved . In this regard , Oman was willing to  benefit from  
a TPR follow -up programme in the near future . His delegation also highly appreciate d the 
introduction of the TAMS. While the system was user-friendly , he believed that some functionalities 
needed to be improved, such as the possibility of requesting multiple activities in one form instead 
of multiple forms , which would reduce time and effort. Another important matter for his delegation 
concerned eligibility for the internship program mes. He explai ned that Oman's eligibility was 
current ly limited to the YPP, and it was hoped that this could be expanded . 
44. The representative of the Kyrgyz Republic  said that his country had a relatively small economy 
and a landlocked geographical location , but also had enormous transit potential. This led 
the Kyrgyz  Republic to prioritiz e the full use of its Membership rights in the international trading 
system. In this regard, developing the trade capacity of government officials was a crucial factor. 
The need for profe ssionals with substantial expertise of WTO activities would  always be relevant. 
This include d the knowledge and analytical skills of complex WTO rules and disciplines in all the 
trade-related areas, and the ability to effectively formulate international trade policy and conduct 
negotiations with other Members. There ha d been substantial progress i n the WTO's TA and capacity 
building, with a focus on the needs and priorities of beneficiary Members. The WTO was providing 
valuable support for government officials.  For example, in the last five years , over 
100 Kyrgyz  government officials from various g overnment bodies had participated virtually and 
in-person in almost 70 trainings , workshops , courses and seminars. Moreover, the WTO annually 
sent its professional trainers to the Kyrgyz Republic to organize national and regional seminars.  
Three government  officials from the Kyrgyz Republic had already successfully completed the FIMIP 
and NTP, and one intern was currently in the  Kyrgyz representative office under  the FIMIP. These 
individuals were  all valuable professionals with an ability to implement WTO Agreements and make 
full use of the Kyrgyz Republic's  Membership rights. They were currently working at the Ministry of 
Economy or other government bodies. His delegation  believe d that the ITTC 's activities allow ed as 
many people as possible to play a part in shaping the MTS and to ultimately reap its benefits. He 
conclude d by thank ing the  ITTC for assisting and serving developing countries and LDCs to gain the 
necessary knowledge and expertise of WTO issues.  
45. The re presentative of China  thanked the Secretariat for its efforts to design and implement 
the 2022 TA activities with a consistent demand -driven approach , following a results -based strategy. 
She noted the decline  in requests for  national activities over the pa st two years. She also welcome d WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  the early resumption of face-to-face activities , with priorit y at the national level , as long as the 
health conditions  permitted  it. Her delegation believe d that  this was the format that brought  
maximum returns to the beneficiaries. She went on to say that, a lthough most places in the world 
had witnessed robust economic recovery, LDCs were still struggling with the COVID -19 crisis. China 
strongly support ed the TA Plan's prioritiz ation of resource s to LDCs in activities for resilience capacity 
building. Furthermore, a s part of the WT O's TA , the China -funded South -South Dialogue was 
scheduled to take pla ce on 16 May 2022 in Geneva. She expressed appreciation to the Secretariat 
for organizing  the eve nt and look ed forward to the full participation of LDCs.  
46. The representative of Egypt  commended the ITTC and the Secretariat for the achievements 
in 2021 despite the challenges that were fac ed. He noted that discussions under the present agenda 
item were concerned with the TA Plan , which was to be coordinated by the ITTC with funding from 
the GTF, the regular budget , and various trust funds over 2022.  He went on to say that face-to-face 
programmes  had been suspended since March 2020  due to the pandemi c. COVID -19 had also 
affected demand for TA activities fr om developing Members, which  preferred the face -to-face format 
over the virtual format. This could be underst ood, given the difficulties faced by some countries , 
including with regard to internet con nectivity.  Like other Members, Egypt had received the letter 
dated 2 March 2022, indicating the intention of the Secretariat to resume face -to-face activities, 
starting with national activities and where feasible global and regional training courses and 
TA workshops. His delegation welcome d and support ed this intention , as well as the intention to 
integrate all modes of training as needed , and was enthusiastic about the resumption of TA activities. 
Officials in capital were putting together Egypt's  needs , which would be presented to the ITTC and 
the Secretariat in due course, using the TA online request form. He indicated that he wished to take 
the opportunity to thank the donors, as well as  the relevant international and regional organizations , 
for their support and contributions.  Finally , he said that Egypt was interest ed in the various 
internship programmes and the YPP, and would  contact the Secretariat to see how to contribute and 
partici pate. 
47. The representative of Mauritius  expressed appreciation to the ITTC  for its work, which  she 
said contributed to the empowerment of delegations to understand and participate in negotiations.  
She noted that the ITTC had always responded positively to he r delegation's requests , and that the 
lack of face -to-face activities in the past two years  had been difficult for all benefic iaries.  
48. The representative of the United States  indicated  that she wished to echo what the 
represe ntative of Mauritius  had said . She expressed appreciat ion to the ITTC, including for the efforts  
put into adjusting in a creative and effective way to a more hybrid approach to training and teaching.  
She also said that her delegation welcome d wholeheartedly hearing directly f rom several 
beneficiaries of ITTC training .  
49. The representative of Bangladesh  said that  the TA and training program mes provided by the 
Secretariat for LDCs were immensely helpful. The internship program mes were contributing towards 
creating a pool of trade experts in the LDCs. He thanked the Secretariat and the ITTC for organizing 
the training program mes virtually during t he times of the pandemic.  He noted that  it was not easy 
to organize activities  when trave l restrictions and other sanitary measures were in place. At the 
same time, the  internet connection in all LDCs was not stable and many participants  faced significant 
challenges in accessing virtual training program mes. Nevertheless, d espite the limitation s, the ITTC 
had at least continued a number of training program mes and workshops. His delegation was pleased 
to note that some interns and young professionals from LDCs had already started their in-person 
program mes in Geneva. He hoped that  more in -person training program mes for beneficiaries from 
LDCs would  resume soon. Finally, he thank ed the don or countries and other development partners 
who were contributing to help integrate the LDCs into the MTS, and expressed hope that they would  
continue their suppo rt.1 
50. The representative of Colombia  thanked the ITTC for its efforts and highlight ed the importance 
of TA and capacity -building activities for her country . She said that she wished to p articularly  
congratulate the Secretariat for quickly adapt ing to the circum stances and develop ing activities in 
virtual format. Colombia  found these virtual activities useful and  had benefited from them in 2020 
 
1 The delegation of Bangladesh delivered a shortened version of this statement at the meeting, and 
indicated that a more detailed statement , as reflected in this paragraph , would be sent to the Secretariat for 
inclusion in the minutes of the meeting.  WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  and 2021.  She stressed the need to  have all the virtual courses available in Spanish, since many 
officials in Colombia were not able to follow courses in other languages.  
51. The representative of Norway  said that his delegation was encouraged to note how well the 
ITTC had adapted to the difficult circumstances . Norway would follow the upcoming developments , 
in particular  with the resumption of more in-person activities.  
52. The representative of Uzbekistan  said that  TA programmes  were important for accedin g 
governments, as th ese programmes were beneficial to  the experts working on the accession process. 
The programmes were also important for countries like Uzbekistan after their accession to the WTO. 
He commend ed the ITTC for the implementation of the TA activities , and noted that almost 
50 experts from Uzbekistan had participated in these activities over the past two year s. He also 
commend ed the ITTC for the resumption of face -to-face activities , and looked forwa rd to future 
cooperation , and to the participation of experts from his country in the  ITTC's  program mes and 
workshops.  
53. The representative of Vanuatu  said that , on behalf of the Pacific  Group , she wished  to 
commend the good work of the ITTC in the implementation of a number of TA and capacity -building 
activities in the Pacific region . The most recent activity, held in October 2021 , was a  regional 
preparatory workshop for the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference ( MC12 ), organized jointly by the 
Commonwealth, the Pacific Islands Forum and the WTO. Pacific countries also continue d to benefit 
from the internship program mes. Currently, there were two individuals from the Pacific who were 
serving as interns. She stressed the importance of the internsh ip programmes as important 
capacity -building program mes for senior officials  from the Pacific . Over the years, the beneficiaries 
of the internship programmes had returned to work in Ministries of Trade and related Ministries such 
as Customs and A griculture . In closing, she once again expressed appreciation for the ITTC 's 
assistance to small Members, including for the regional activities, which were important to 
Pacific  countries.  
54. The representative of Angola  said that  his delegation recognize d the good work that the ITTC 
has been undertaking in LDCs. He hoped that the ITTC w ould strengthen its TA activities  in 2022 . 
55. The representative of the ITTC thanked delegations for the ir appreciation of the ITTC's work  
and also thanked the donors for their  contributions.  He noted that, in spite of the difficulties over 
the past two years, the ITTC had managed to adapt. In light of the progressive resumption of 
face-to-face activities , he encourage d beneficiaries to come forward with their specific TA needs and 
priorities as soon as possible. With regard to the suggestion that the same  online  form be used for 
applications to several activities at once, he explained that this would be difficult, since the 
implementation of RBM required a certain level of detail for each activity . He indicated that he would 
be happy to elaborate on the matter in bilateral discussions.  Finally, with regard to e-Learning, he  
said that this remained an important area of work . The ITTC was constantly updating  and improving 
existing courses, while also working to introduc e new courses.  
56. The Chairman  said that the material referred to by the ITTC in its presentation would  be made 
available to delegations on the website for the present  meeting.  
57. The Committee took note of all interventions .  WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  E. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – WORK IN THE COMMITTEE ON THE BASIS OF THE 
CHAIRMAN'S CONCLUDING STATEMENT FROM THE EIGHTH MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE (WT/MIN(11)/11)  
(I) Committee on Trade and Development Mandate: Focal Point for Consideration and 
Coordination of Work on Development in the WTO – Proposal from Barbados, Belize, 
China, Cuba, Ecuador, India, and the African Group (WT/COMTD/W/208 )  
(II) Operationalization of the CTD's Mandate: A Proposal to Deliver Outcomes based on the 
MC8 Mandate - Proposal from China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group 
(WT/COMTD/W/192 )2 
58. The Chairman  said that, at the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC8),  Ministers had 
reaffirmed the positive link between trade and development and called for focused work in the CTD. 
Ministers had called on Members to fully operationalize the mandate of the CTD as a  focal point for 
development work. Two submissions containing proposals for work under the MC8 mandate were 
included on the agenda of the present meeting. The first submission – by Barbados, Belize, China, 
Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group  (WT/COM TD/W/208 ) – contained a proposal for the CTD 
to report on the development -related work taking place in other WTO bodies. The second  submission 
– by China, Cuba, Ecuador, India and the African Group  (WT/COMTD/W/192 ) – contained 
three  proposals. In the order  they were presented in the document, the first proposal was for the 
Secretariat  to continue to update its report on the implementation of the special and differential 
treatment ( S&D) provisions in the WTO  Agreements and Decisions. The second proposal was for the 
CTD to report on the development -related work taking place in other WTO bodies , while the 
third proposal was for the CTD to make a recommendation for parties to RTAs to submit their 
notification and information requirements jointly. He noted that t he two  submissions had remained 
on the CTD's agenda for several years. At the last meeting , a number of the proponents had 
requested that the submissions be maintained on the agenda.  He indicated that he would first invite 
the proponents of the two  submissions to brief the Committee on the status of the propos als, after 
which the floor would be opened for intervention s by other delegations . 
59. The representative of China  indicated that her intervention related to both agenda item E and 
agenda item F. Sh e expressed regret that there was no consensus on the submissions reflected 
under these two agenda items . The CTD was the platform for developing Members to be better heard 
and understood. The question of h ow to bring the role of the CTD into full pla y as a focal point for 
development issues in the WTO deserve d persistent attention from Members. On the submissions 
reflected under the present agenda item, she said that China remain ed open, as always,  to further 
discussions with Members to make the remaining two proposals feasible and workable. With regard 
to the issue of  dual notification s of RTAs  and the submission reflected under agenda item F , her 
delegation also saw the need for further discussion s in order to address the syst emic concern s.  
60. The representative of India said that her delegation wished to recall all  of its previous 
interventions under thi s agenda item. She indicated that her intervention at the present meeting 
covered all three proposals contained in documents WT /COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192. 
India welcome d the agreement reached by Members in previous sessions of the Committee on the 
first proposal , which called for continued update s of the Secretariat 's report on the implementation 
of S&D provisions in the WTO Agreements and Decisions. With a view to resolv ing the outstanding 
issues relating to  the other  proposal s, the proponents were open to engage in further consultations 
with interested Members. She request ed that the items concerning the two submissions be 
maintained on the CTD's agenda.  
61. The representative of the United States  said that, as stated in p ast meetings, her delegation 
believed that it was time for the proponents to address the concerns raised previously by Members 
– either through revising the ir proposals, or dropping the proposals altogether. Either way, the items 
needed to be removed from the CTD agenda until the proponents had something new to say.  
62. The representative of the European Union  indicated that he wished to echo what had been 
said b y the United States. The understanding of his delegation from the MC8 mandate was that the 
CTD should further explore the positive link between trade and development on the basis of 
 
2 The d iscussion concerning documents WT/COMTD/W/208 and WT/COMTD/W/192 is presented together 
in this Note, as the Chairman invited the Committee to take the two sub -items together .  WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
- 15 - 
 
  constructive exchanges. His delegation was of the view that the remaining proposals did  not respond 
to these requirements.  
63. The Chairman  encouraged continued engagement among Members  in order to make progress 
on the proposals.  
64. The Committee took note of all interventions.  
F. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE ENABLING CLAUSE  
(I)  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Notification of Customs Union – Communication from 
China, Egypt and India (WT/COMTD/W/175)  
65. The Chairman  said that the sub -item listed under the present agenda item made reference to 
the GCC Customs Union notification. The sub -item also referred to the communication from China, 
Egypt and India which was circulated in document WT/COMTD/W/175. The sub -item was requested 
by some of  the co -sponsors of the document at the last meeting.  
66. The representative of India said that document WT/COMTD/W/175 raised systemic concerns 
relating to the legal and procedural implications of the dual notification of the GCC  Customs Union 
under both the Enabling Clause and GATT Article XXIV. These concerns, which remained 
unaddresse d, also applied to the Free Trade Agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian 
Nations and the Republic of Korea, as well as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement  
(CEPA)  between India and the Republic of Korea – even though these agreeme nts had already been 
considered by Members. In this regard, some Members had expressed the view that the systemic 
concerns raised in document WT/COMTD/W/175 were outside the scope of the CTD and needed to 
be discussed in the Negotiating Group on Rules. In India's view, the CTD was the appropriate forum 
to consider issues arising from RTAs with a dual notification. In doing so, the CTD could consult with 
other WTO bodies, as per paragraph 3 of its terms of reference ( TORs). The non -resolution of the 
matters raised in document WT/COMTD/W/175 was the main reason why the consideration of the 
GCC Customs Union was pending for such a long time. H er delegation requested that the present 
sub-item be maintained on the CTD's  agenda.3 
67. She added that India's position on the issue remain ed unchanged . While her delegation  
continue d to work towards reaching a solution on this issue with interested and like -minded 
Members, she request ed that the item be maintained on the CTD's agenda.4 
68. The representative of the Republic of Korea  said that she wished to recall that the 
Korea -India CEPA was also subject to dual notification to the CTD under the Enabling Clause and to 
the CRTA under GATT Article XXIV. The Korea -India CEPA was listed  under the present agenda item 
for several years and as recently as the 11 0th Session of the CTD. However, Members ha d succeeded 
in addressing th e issue and removing it from its perennial place on the agenda. In the latter part of 
2020, factual reviews of the Korea -India CEPA were conducted back -to-back at the CRTA and the 
CTD. The work was done, and the Committee had managed to move on. She wonder ed why such 
back-to-back factual reviews in both the CRTA and the CTD could  not serve as a formula for 
addressing the present  sub-item. Her delegation would  reach out to the relevant delegations with a 
view to finding a constructive path forward on this longstanding issue.  
69.  The representative of the United States  said that she wished to reiterate the position that her 
delegation had been holding for several years. The United States believe d that this sub -item had 
long ago fulfilled its purpose of informing Members of the notification made by the GCC and needed 
to be removed from the agenda. She added that her delegation welcome d the pro -active approach 
taken by the Republic of Korea in trying to address the issue.  
 
3 This intervention by India, which was made at the 11 5th Session, is reflected in the minutes of this 
meeting at the request of the delegation of India. 
4 Connection problems were experienced during the remote delivery of this intervention by India , and the 
Chairman therefore invited India to submit its statement to the Secretariat f or inclusion in the minutes of the 
meeting. The intervention reflected in this paragraph  is based on the statement submitted by the delegation of 
India.  WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  70. The Committee took note of all interventions . 
G. REVIEW OF STEPS TAKEN TO PROVIDE DUTY -FREE AND QUOTA -FREE MARKET ACCESS 
TO LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES  
71. The Chairman  said that an item concerning duty -free and quota -free (DFQF) market access 
for LDCs had been on the CTD's agenda since early 2006. Under this item, delegations had provided 
information on the ste ps they were taking, or had already taken, to provide DFQF market access to 
LDCs. Written communications by some Members had also been considered.  
72. The representative of China  said that her country had launched its DFQF program me for LDCs 
in as early as 2010. The implementation of zero -tariff treatment ha d greatly enhanced the export s 
of LDCs to China. Over the past decade, China had remain ed the LDCs' largest export market, 
absorbing one-fourth of their export s. The COVID -19 pandemic had contributed to  rising poverty 
and widening inequality in the LDCs. It was of great significance to the  LDCs to be better integrated 
into the MTS in times of the health crisis, using trade to fight against poverty and buil d economic 
resilience. In this regard, in December  2021, China had issued a notice which further improve d the 
duty-free market access for LDCs having diplomatic relations with China  – from the previous 97% , 
to 98% of tariff lines . China ha d notified this pr eferential policy to the concerned LDCs, including 
graduated LDCs within a three -year grace period. To date, three LDCs ha d exchanged diplomatic 
notes with China, which mean t that they were now covered by the new preferential treatment.  
73. The Committee took note of the interventions.   
H. WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE  
(I)  Global Electronic Commerce for Inclusive Development – Communication from India 
and South Africa (WT/COMTD/W/ 264) 
74. The Chairman  said that, as  in previous meetings, he wished  to once again draw 
Members'  attention to the Decision taken at the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference  (MC11) 
concerning  the WTO's Work Programme on E -Commerce  (WPEC ). In this Decision, which was 
contained in documents WT/MIN(17)/65 and WT/L/1032, it was agreed to continue the work under 
the Work  Programme, and to endeavour to reinvigorate it. He noted that t he CTD was one of the 
subsidiary bodies of the General Council mandated to undertake work under the W PEC. On the 
agenda for the present meeting  was a communication from India and South Africa  
(WT/COMTD/W/264 ), titled "Global Electronic Commerce for Inclusive Development". He recalled 
that the co -sponsors had already introduced the document at the last meeting. However , since this 
was the first time that the document was formally appearing on the agenda, he asked whether the 
co-sponsors wished to add anything by way of introduction . 
75. The representative of India said that , under the WPEC, Members had decided to examine all 
trade-related issues relating to global e -commerce, considering the economic, financial, and 
development needs of developing countries. The CTD was specifically tasked to report on the 
development implicat ions of e -commerce. With a view to reinvigorating the work under the WPEC 
based on the mandate set out in document WT/L/274, India and South  Africa had jointly circulated 
a communication in document WT/COMTD/W/264. The proponents had circulated the paper w ith a 
view to rejuvenate, reinvigorate and take forward the discussions in the CTD under the present 
agenda item. She went on to say that e -commerce had witnessed high growth owing to the pandemic 
in both developed and developing countries. This made it ev en more imperative to examine the 
developmental impact of global e -commerce, particularly on developing countries'  exports, and the 
associated impact on growth and development. This spurt in digital economic activity  had, on the 
one hand,  opened up new  opportunities for the growth of global trade and  development. On the 
other hand,  it had also  brought to the fore an ever -widening digital divide within and across 
Members.  Moreover, the pace of digital development had been markedly different for 
developing  countries and  LDCs.  In view of this, it was important for Members to ensure that global 
e-commerce delivered inclusive development. To gain from global e -commerce, developing countries 
needed to advance their digital industrialization by building their digit al infrastructure s and 
developing their digital skills and capacities. Digital technology transfers would be pivotal in bridging 
the digital divide and building the export competitiveness of developing countries. The active role of 
developed countries to r ealize such technology transfers would also be crucial. While arguments WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
- 17 - 
 
  were often made that e -commerce was especially beneficial to MSMEs, a mere linking into digital 
platforms was not sufficient. Products sold on these platforms also needed to be competi tive in the 
digital world. MSMEs faced considerable challenges in selling their products through online retail 
platforms, where the platform owner could also function as a vendor. While digital technologies could 
theoretically benefit MSMEs in developing c ountries through easier market access in the digital world, 
in practice digital technologies , and the growth of super platforms , had led to extreme concentration 
of export markets. This had affected distributional outcomes and had added to existing global 
inequalities. There were also severe constraints regarding  access to digital technologies, digital skills , 
and infrastructure that affected the competitiveness of MSMEs.  
76. The submission by India and South Africa highlighted the negative impact on developing  
countries of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions. The percentage of 
government revenue lost for developing countries was 4.35%, while that for the developed countries 
was a mere 0.24%. The cost of the moratorium was therefore almo st completely borne by the 
developing countries for extending DFQF market access, largely for the developed countries. 
Furthermore, the gains from growing global e -commerce would not be automatic for developing 
countries. There was a need for strategic int erventions at all levels, including at the national and 
international levels. Policy and fiscal space would be required by developing countries to rebuild their 
economies and revive their declining trade competitiveness and falling exports. Developing coun tries 
and LDCs were reeling under the devastating impact of the pandemic. These countries would need 
to rebuild digital infrastructure and design digital industrial policies to rebuild their trade and 
economy and recover from the pandemic.  India suggest ed holding a discussion on the role of 
e-commerce during the time of the pandemic. She noted that Members were often hear d speak ing 
about how e-commerce had helped their economies during pandemic -led lockdowns . While there 
may have been positive examples within the boundaries of every country, she believed that a 
question to be asked was whether international e-commerce had played a big role . It would  be useful 
to hear Member s' experiences specifically with reg ard to cross -border trade.  She went on to say that 
the submission by India and South Africa posed guiding questions, such as  the steps that could be 
taken to improve digital infrastructure in developing countries including LDCs; the facilitation of 
digital  technology transfers to developing countries and LDCs; experience sharing of MSMEs using 
online platforms ; and policies and measures taken by Members to support sustainable participation 
of their MSMEs in digital trade. India wished to urge Members to dis cuss the issues and  delve into  
the questions in the document and looked forward to constructive engagement. This would enable 
a comprehensive discussion and an assessment of the developmental impacts of global e -commerce 
with a special focus  on the exports and export -oriented development of developing countries  and 
LDCs. She said that it was of paramount importance that mandated  issues like the WPEC be 
reinvigorated  and taken  forward towards  a mutually beneficial multilateral outcome , rather than 
prematurely jumping into binding rulemaking on these issues  of critical significance to developing 
countries and LDCs . While e-commerce had  revolutionized  the global trading landscape , the 
dividends could not be harnessed automatically. Equally crucia l was the preparedness for the 
disruptions inherent with technological revolutions. This would need development -oriented policies, 
regulations and  measures in place both at domestic and international levels , and the creation of a  
development -friendly e -commerce  architecture . Her delegation  remain ed committed to tak ing this 
conversation forward and would  remain engaged with Members to seek their support  in order  to 
take the discussions towards a mutually beneficial outcome.5 
77. The representative of South Africa  thanked India for having presented the communication in  
document WT/COMTD/W/264 and associated his delegation with the statement by India. As had 
been indicated at the last CTD meeting, it remained South Africa's view tha t the focus of the 
structured discussions under  the WPEC  needed to primarily be on a number of key aspects . These 
included  the developmental aspects of e -commerce; the scope, definition and impact of the 
moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmiss ions, particularly on developing countries ; the 
examination of the challenges experienced by developing countries and LDCs in relation to 
e-commerce ; and an exploration of ways to enhance the participation of developing countries and 
LDCs in e -commerce. He  referred to the 1998 mandate, which called for sustained discussions on 
all trade -related aspects of e -commerce in the four relevant bodies  including the CTD . He also noted 
that there was unanimity amongst Members  that the structured discussions envisaged under the  
WPEC, and the Decision taken at MC11 , remained as relevant  today , if not more so , and that work 
 
5 Connection problems were experienced during the remote delivery of this intervention by India, and th e 
Chairman therefore invited India to submit its statement to the Secretariat  for inclusion in the minutes of the 
meeting.  The intervention  reflected here is based on the statement submitted by the delegation of India . WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
- 18 - 
 
  in this important area needed to be reinvigorated and accelerated . Technolog ical advances  since the 
adoptio n of the WPEC had been wide -ranging and far -reaching, with the pace of innovations and 
disruptions to trade and industry surpassing what would have been envisaged or imagined when the 
WPEC was conceived . However, while these rapid advances and developments  in technology of the 
digital economy had generated benefits for the few dominant players in this space, most developing 
countries and LDCs  remained in the periphery with little or no gains from such advances . At best , 
developing country economies remained  mere consumers and not producers of innovations and the 
benefits that flowed from technological advances such as e -commerce trade. The COVID -19 
pandemic had highlighted the enormous gap in access to digital technologies. It had laid bare the 
problems of t he digital divide, both between and within countries. Technology was critical for 
achieving all the S DGs. However, to fully harness its potential, rapid action was needed to close the 
digital divide and promote inclusion. He noted the growth of e -commerce  – especially during the 
COVID -19 pandemic  – but said it was indisputable that the benefits were highly uneven , with high 
levels of concentration that also affected the benefits SMEs could derive from e -commerce.  
78. The reinvigoration of the Work Programme wa s therefore critical, given the 
co-sponsors'  interest in the development dimension of this longstanding area of work in the 
multilateral track of the WTO. This included a dedicated focus on digital industrialization and the 
need to address the digital divide. He added that data processing skills and digital technologies, with 
the capacity to store and process data, were critical aspects of a data -driven economy. Yet, as 
highlighted in documen t WT/COMTD/W/264, the digital divide was quite pronounced in this regard. 
UNCTAD's  Digital Economy Report indicated that 80% of colocation data centres resided in 
developed countries. On the other hand, Africa and Latin America accounted together for less than 
5% of these data centres. Available data also showed that SMEs in developing countries had an 
insignificant share in the profits and sales emerging from the exponential growth of global 
e-commerce . Most of the gains  were shared amongst big technology firms and digital platforms, the 
majority of them in developed economies.  The lack of digital infrastructure and digital skills together 
posed grave threats to the existing export competitiveness of SMEs in developing countries and 
LDCs, with the real like lihood that many of them would be outcompeted by those in the developed 
countries with access to digital technologies. Digital technology transfers would be pivotal in bridging 
the digital divide and building the export competitiveness of developing countr ies. The active role of 
developed countries to realize such technology transfers would also be crucial. The paper was 
submitted by the co -sponsors in the spirit of reinvig oration of the WPEC  as jointly called for by 
Members . It aimed to facilitate a focuse d discussion in the Committee on what measures would be 
necessary , from a WTO point of view , to ensure that developing countries and LDCs gained an 
equitable share in global e -commerce , including the need to  advanc e their digital industrialization 
through building their digital infrastructures and developing their digital skills and capacities. In the 
context of the WPEC, South Africa stood ready to contribute to these discussions and engage 
constructively on the issues raised and the questions posed in doc ument WT/COMTD/W/264. His 
delegation  looked forward , and remain ed open, to Members ' inputs and their consideration of the 
submission. He trusted that the  submission would  spur the CTD to play its expected role in response 
to the responsibility thrust upon it by the WPEC and MC11 .  
79. The representative of  the European Union  recalled that he could not speak at the last meeting 
on the substance of the communication by India and  South Africa, as the document  had only been 
circulated the day before that meeting. He indicated his intention to speak on the substance at the 
present meeting . He also noted that, in spite of the connection problems experienced in the remote 
delivery of the statement by  the representative of Ind ia, he had been able to capture the main 
elements of  the presentations by the co -sponsors . These points  had also been well reflected in the 
minutes of the last meeting.  He went on to say that the commun ication note d that the C OVID -19 
crisis had accelerated digital transformation , and underscored its importance for mitigating the 
economic slowdown and speeding up recovery. On the other hand, the crisis emphasi zed the need 
to address existing digital divid es in order  to allow more people and more businesses, including 
MSMEs, to take advantage of digitali zation. This was especially important in enabling an inclusive 
recovery. The E uropean Union agree d with many priorities listed in the communication, includi ng 
the need to advance developing countries ' digital industriali zation by building their digital 
infrastructures and developing their digital skills and capacities. These were crucial to enable 
digitali zation and improve competitiveness. However,  in addition to capacity building and the 
moderni zation of infrastructure, the E uropean  Union believe d that international trade, and in 
particular digital trade and related policies, could  play an active and important role in bridging the 
digital divide. This was because trade could  help reduce the cost of access to digital netwo rks. By 
agreeing to common regulatory standards and principles affecting trade in telecommunications WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
- 19 - 
 
  services that were clear and transparent, it was possible to  help keep access costs down by 
encouraging competition. Lower tariffs on network equipment could also reduce the expansion costs 
of digital networks. In view of this, global digital trade rules and commitments were more important 
than ever . This was not just to ensure that countries could  respond to the immediate issues raised 
by the COVID -19 crisi s, but also to enable an inclusive recovery as soon as possible. With that in 
mind, he wished  to raise two important concerns regarding the communication. First, with regard to 
the multilateral moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, his delegation  reiterate d 
that it would be a mistake to single out potential government revenue loss from non -collected 
customs duties as the main impact of the moratorium. Instead, it was important to take into account  
the positive effects that the moratorium , and the digitali zation that went with it in general, could  
bring to the economy.  The economic benefits of the e -commerce moratorium remain ed clear, in 
particular for developing countries and LDCs, and for both large enterprises and SMEs alike.  
80. In view of the rapid global digital transition, accelerated by the C OVID -19 pandemic, his 
delegation  believe d that the e -commerce moratorium ha d played a key role in providing legal 
certainty and predictabi lity for both domestic digital economic activity and global production 
networks and supply chains. It ha d guaranteed that electronic transmissions remain ed duty-free. 
For these reasons, renewing the moratorium at the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference was of 
paramount importance for businesses and consumers, both in developing and developed countries. 
The second concern that his delegation wished to raise relate d to what the communication ha d to 
say about the risks stemming from the development of 3D techn ologies. The European Union 
believe d that the potential of 3D technology was undeniable , and strongly disagree d with claims that 
3D printing technologies would overtake nearly all production and have catastrophic effect s on the 
ability of developing countr ies to protect their nascent domestic industries.  Such claims appear ed to 
be significantly overstated and, at a minimum, would not seem to provide any compelling rationale 
for abandoning the moratorium.  A number of studies, including a 2019 study  by the Or ganisation 
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) , had concluded that 3D printing was unlikely to 
lead to significant changes in physical trade for the foreseeable future. The McKinsey Global Institute 
recently forecast that 3D printing was likely  to replace only between 1% and 2% of physical trade 
by 2030.  It was also important to consider the positive economic impacts of 3D printing technology, 
for example through increased investments and increased government income coming from the new 
industry, particularly in developing countries. He added that 3D printing was a way to reduce reliance 
on imported products. In closing, he said that he wished to make t wo final points. First, w ith regard 
to arguments in the communication rela ting to competition issues linked with digital platforms , he 
indicated that the European Union was in the process of introducing legislation to ensure fair and 
contestable digital markets and a safe online environment for citizens. The purpose of these 
legislative proposals was to create a level playing field for businesses by regulating big tech, 
targeting primarily large online platforms.  The second point was that the E uropean Union and its 
member States ha d a high number of cooperation and capacity -building projects to support services 
trade and the development of regulatory frameworks in developing countries and LDCs . 
81. The representative of Indonesia  indicated that the communication from India and South Africa 
contained some  important points for the consi deration of the Committee . Despite the fact that the 
digital sector ha d experienced growth in a rapid manner, it was unfortunate that there remained a 
wide gap in the level of benefits that could be reaped from the utilization of this sector, particularly 
between developed and developing countries. Digitalization ha d also affected trade , but 
development, distribution, and access to technology remain ed uneven between Members. His 
delegation therefore believed that proper attention needed to be paid to the surrounding elements 
arising from the development of digital trade, such as the digital divide.  Bearing in mind that 
Members ha d agreed to establish a comprehensive work programme in 1998 to examine all 
trade-related issues arising  from global e -commerce, his delegation remain ed convinced that the 
reinvigoration of the work under this mandate should continue to  be carried out, including in the 
CTD. While reiterating his delegation's  well-known and longstanding position on the issue of the 
moratorium o n customs duties, he also wished to reiterate that discussion s to reach clarity and 
consensus on the scope, definition, and impact of the customs duties would be imperative prior to 
agreeing on any course of action towards the moratorium . Based on those considerations, Indonesia  
had decided to join India and South Africa in co–sponsor ing document WT/GC/W/838 as the 
proposed Ministerial Decision on the W PEC. 
82. The representative of Japan  said that his delegation  underst ood the importance of the WPEC, 
and was  open to revitalizing work under the Work Program me. However, th e proposal by India and 
South Africa took a negative view of the moratorium on custom duties on electronic transmissions , WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
- 20 - 
 
  and his delegation could not  agree  with this. The e -commerce moratorium ha d provided businesses  
– including MSMEs  – and consumers with the stability and predictability of digital trade and better 
access to digital products. During the pandemic, it was all the more important to support safe  
economic activities through digital trade. His delegation  strongly believe d that the moratorium 
should be extended at MC12 and eventually made  permanent. With regard to the  proposal, he said 
that Japan recognize d the importance of addressing the digital d ivide and had actively provided 
development assistance in the area of digitalization through bilateral schemes . This had been done 
through the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA), as well as through international 
organizations, including the ITC. His delegation was open to considering deepening the discussion 
in this area through experience -sharing regarding challenges faced by developing countries or 
MSMEs, and regarding development assistance provided by Members or international organizations. 
While the Aid -for-Trade Initiative and the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology were 
forums where these issues  could be discussed , Members  also need ed to carefully consider what work 
would be effective under the WPEC  in the CTD. Japan would  continue to constructively engage in 
discussion s on the WPEC . 
83. The representative of Canada  said that her delegation had a strong appreciation for the 
challenges of the digital divide and the pressures to move online resulting from the COVID -19 
pandemic.  Canad a continue d to grapple with these issues, particularly in rural and remote 
communities that lack ed infrastructure and connectivity to the rest of Canada and the world, as well 
as broader digital literacy and business e -readiness. However, c ontrary to the t one of the paper  by 
India and South Africa , her delegation  viewed e-commerce and digital connectivity as an opportunity 
for these communities and for SMEs.  The WTO could  support SMEs engaging in e -commerce through  
the provision of  a stable and predictable trading environment , by establishing and maintaining a 
global framework of rules. For this reason, her delegation was a strong proponent of renewing the 
moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions. Canada  disagree d with the assertion of 
the paper , that fail ed to take into account the benefits of the moratorium. Her delegation also  did 
not share the view that data localization or other policies would support the integration of SMEs into 
the global economy. Through th e General Agreement on Trade in Services ( GATS ) and 
Members ' commitments, the WTO support ed the free flow of data across borders, while ensuring 
that legitimate privacy and security rights were protected in order to help support and foster 
international tr ade. The co-sponsor s were encouraged to take note of an OECD/G20  paper 
concerning a two-pillar solution to address the tax challenges arising from the digit alization of the 
economy.  She additionally  observed  that issues raised in th e communication were being discussed 
elsewhere  – including in the  Trade -Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights ( TRIPS ) Council 
and the  dedicated session s convened by the Chair of the G eneral Council  – and encourage d these 
discussions among experts to continue.  She went on to indicate that her delegation wished  to raise 
the issue around ensuring a stable and predictable trading environment when it came to 
President  Putin's unjustifiable and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine , which Canada strongly 
condemn ed. The invasion was causing widespread humanitarian consequences and resulting in the 
senseless deaths of innocent people. This was not just an attack on Ukraine. This was an attack on 
international law  – including the UN Charter – as well as democracy, freedom, and human rights. 
The international community had to  be seized of this issue and condemn with one voice 
President  Putin's aggressive actions. What Russia ha d done could not  be normalized.  
84. The representative of Australia  said that his delegation recognize d that the digital economy 
present ed huge opportunities for all Members  – including  through  reducing trade costs, improving 
productivity and increasing ability to participate in export markets. Australia  also recogni zed that 
there were barriers that prevent ed developing countries and LDCs from participating fully in 
e-commerce, which was why his delegation was  supportive of TA and capacity -building efforts in the 
WTO and more broadly. His delegation was currently working with other Members to develop a 
capacity -building framework for the JSI on E-Commerce to address some of these concerns. On the 
benefits to be gained from digital trade, he referred to the WTO Chairs Programme publication  titled 
"Adapting to the Digital Trade Era: Challenges and Opportunities ", and in particular the first chapter, 
which was titled " The Impact of Digital Technologi es on Developing Countries ' Trade". Using a 
recursive, dynamic computable general equilibrium model, this paper estimate d that, on average, 
global trade growth for developing countries would  be 2.5 percentage  points higher per annum 
leading to 2030 , because of digital technologies . He also note d the views of  India and South Africa 
on the e -commerce moratorium on customs duties, and the estimated impact drawing from UNCTAD 
research paper number  47, titled "Morat orium on Electronic Transmissions: Fiscal Implications and 
Way Forward". His delegation question ed the methodology used in this paper, and point ed to other 
studies which had shown  that the revenue implications of lifting the moratorium were likely to be WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
- 21 - 
 
  small, and would come at the expense of more significant losses in consumer welfare and export 
competitiveness.  Australia welcome d continued discussion s under the auspices of the WPEC . On 
almost every issue , there were studies from diverse points of view and  different domestic 
experiences on which exchange s could take place . His delegation  welcom ed discussion s on the Work 
Programme , either in the CTD or in other WTO Committees , that would  promote cooperation and 
would  identify tangible ways that the WTO could  help contribute to these important policy goals. 
85. The representative of the United States  said that  her country  recognize d that digital divides 
did indeed exist in the world today . Like many others, her country provided  assistance to help bridge 
those divides . This was done  through development agencies, through contributions to multilateral 
development institutions and through TA, among other mechanisms. Those efforts were important, 
and they w ould continue. Her delegation disagree d with many of the assertions made in the 
communication  by India and South Africa , including the claim that the moratorium may have 
negative implications on revenue for governments, especially in developing countries. More  
specifically, governments concerned about the marginal revenue loss of the e -commerce moratorium 
needed to  also consider the disruptive effects and likely economic costs of actually imposing customs 
duties on electronic transmissions. For example, a 2019 report published by the European Centre 
for International Political Economy clearly demonstrate d that any direct tariff revenue that 
governments might be able to raise from imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions would 
be far outweighed by the broader economic costs of such duties. Imposing tariffs on electronic 
transmissions would ultimately decrease total government revenue, by shrinking the overall tax 
base. In her delegation 's view , the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmission s had 
supported the rapid growth of the digital economy over the past 20 years . The United States 
continue d to believe that Members should be ready to agree to a permanent moratorium.  To 
conclude, she took note of the guiding questions posed in the communi cation , and the interest from 
some Members in using the CTD to share experiences in improving connectivity and developing 
polices to support economic growth and innovation . However, her delegation was concerned that 
the guiding questions rel ied on assumpti ons that the United States did not support.  
86. The representative of the United Kingdom  said that his delegation was a strong supporter of  
the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, and of making it permanent. The 
view of his delegation was  that imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions would harm 
digital trade , economic recovery from COVID -19, and business and consumer welfare.  
87. The representative of Switzerland  said that she concur red with previous speakers that 
e-commerce and digital trade ha d become even more prominent with the onset of the COVID -19 
pandemic, which had acted as a catalyst for the digital economy. Switzerland was of the view that 
the gains all Members , and especially developing Members , could  reap from new tech nologies were 
significant. However, in order to do so, an adequate policy framework needed to  be in place. In the 
view of her delegation, barriers to trade on information and communications technology ( ICT) goods 
and digital services  were not helpful for t he inclusion of developing countries into the increasingly 
digitalized GVCs . Switzerland ha d recently joined UNCTAD  in co-financing the E-Commerce and 
Digital Economy (ECDE) Programme. This programme help ed policymakers in developing countries, 
and particular ly in LDCs, by providing a valuable toolbox that could  be leveraged to shape favourable 
framework conditions for e -commerce. At the core of the ECDE Program me were e-trade readiness 
assessments. These assessments help ed governments in identifying and removing obstacles to the 
creation of an environment conducive to reaping more benefits from the digital economy. She also 
acknowledged the important work of the ITC and the World Bank in this regard.  She added  that her 
deleg ation was  conscious of the digital divide , and strongly believe d that bridging the gap and 
bringing more people online was a primary policy imperative. As shown by numerous studies, the 
successful deployment of infrastructure supporting the digital economy  relied on continued open and 
competitive markets for trade and investment in ICT goods and services. One key rule guaranteeing 
open digital market s was the non -imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions. The 
corresponding WTO moratorium needed to therefore be made permanent , or at least extended , at 
MC12. Switzerland, Canada and 63 other Members ha d submitted a draft Ministerial Decision to the 
General Council in this regard.  
88. She went on to say that a  recent study by the consult ing company I nternational Trade 
Intelligence looked at the potentially foregone customs revenue due to the digitalization of certain 
goods in Egypt and Viet  Nam. Based on the study, her delegation  questioned the conclusion drawn 
in document WT/COMTD/W/ 264 regarding customs revenue and the e-commerce moratorium. The 
potential customs revenue from imports of digitizable goods for these two countries ha d been stable , WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  or ha d decreased insignificantly. This  was due to the liberalization of trade in digitizab le goods, 
notably through RTAs. In addition, the paper highlight ed that there were non -discriminatory tax 
instruments such as the value added tax (VAT) at the disposal of Members that wished  to raise 
revenue from the dynamic trade in digital services witho ut incurring distorti ve effects on digital 
markets. She recall ed that Members had had a substantial discussion on this matter during horizontal 
WPEC  meetings , and added that she also wished to point to the recently concluded deal on taxation 
of the digital  economy under the auspices of the OECD. She indicated that she wished to add a few 
more specific points regarding the communication by India and South Africa . First, her delegation  
consider ed that issues relat ing to the transfer of technology should be discussed in the appropriate 
forum. Second, regard ing 3D printing, she said that  a recent study by the OECD shed more light on 
the rather measured importance of this technology for global trade. Third, regarding guiding 
question  3, she recall ed the level of openness for developing countries and LDC exporters in 
Switzerland's  GATT and GATS schedules , as well as the instruments that went beyond that . These 
included the G eneralized System of Preferences  (GSP) , the DFQF arrangements and the LDC waiver. 
Furthermore, Switzerland had recently decided to unilaterally abolish tariffs on all industrial products 
as of 2024 and was also working on the full digitization of customs processes as well as processes 
related to VAT coll ection. The conviction was that this would  further contribute to facilitate market 
access for developing countries and LDCs. Switzerland was of the view that the WTO body of rules 
could  be completed when it came  to issues relat ing to the digital economy. Elaborating common 
rules and standards was the right way to go to ensure a successful digital transformation. Her 
delegation believe d that the JSI on E-Commerce was the fulcrum for developing such new rules and 
hoped that more coun tries w ould join this process.  
89. The representative of the Russian Federation  indicated that he wished to reply to the 
statement by Canad a. He could  not understand how some of the issues raised  by Canada were 
related  to the agenda item on the WPEC , and more general ly could  be linked to the mandate of the 
WTO. Among Canada 's population of 38 million , there was a large Ukrainian diaspora of 1.4 million. 
Their voices were important in all elections , and this was why Canad a's approach would  always be 
biased. However, his delegation nevertheless requested that Members keep to the agenda. He went 
on to say that , given the increasing voices being heard against Russia,  it was important to see the 
consequence of events . In this regard, he said th at his country had allowed German reunification  to 
take place 30 years a go, and had received the promise that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
(NATO ) would  not expand to the borders of the Soviet Union. However, his country had been  
cynically deceive d. Five rounds of NATO expansion  took place, and deployments of  Western  soldiers 
came closer and closer to the Russian borders. He asked  whether Russia was indeed an aggressor , 
as it had actually been deceived . His country had peacefully agreed to s tep back in 1989 , but its 
security ha d been deteriorating since then. As for Ukraine, the West ha d been cons istently 
developing  it as anti -Russia n. However, Russia n people had never hate d Ukrain ian people . The 
people of the two countries shared the same hi story. In 2021, it was decided that Ukraine would 
join NATO. Russia had said that this was a red line , and had asked the Western States to sign a 
security agreement to guarantee Russia's security. The talks were held in Geneva in December 2021, 
but Russia  received a refusal to all of its proposals. He went on to say that he wished to reference a 
quote  from Otto von Bismarck, which indicated  that the power of Russia could  be undermined only 
by separating Ukraine from Russia , and setting it against Russia. According to th e quote, f or this  to 
happen , traitors among the national elite needed to be found an d cultivated , so as to change the 
mentality of one part of a great nation  to such an extent that  they would hate everything connec ted 
with Russia . They would hate their origin not even realizing this. All the rest was about timing . In 
conclusion, he said that this biased approach  was being witnessed today , and the consequence of 
events was clear. His delegation continue d to urge Memb ers to keep discussion s in the WTO within 
the mandate of th e organization, and according to the agenda s of meeting s. This was the only way 
that Members could maintain  the WTO's negotiating function and achieve the aims of the 
organization . 
90. The representative of South Africa  thanked Members for their engagement and  for their  
responses to the communication contained in document WT/COMTD/W/264.  He said that it  was 
encouraging to note from the interventions that Members agreed on  the need to add ress the 
challenges that developing countries face d in the area of digital trade and e -commerce , and the 
need to work towards their integration in that regard. He said that he wished to make some 
preliminary high-level observations in response to the statements made . As was indicated in the 
presentation of the communication , the intention was to provoke the sort of engagement that was 
witnessed during the present meeting . Discussions o n such important and relevant matters as 
economic development and equitable distribution of benefits from e -commerce was precisely what WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  this Committee was enjoined to consider by the WPEC . He said that m ost of the responses in 
opposition to the paper seem ed to revolve around the extension of the moratorium on e -commerce 
with an eye towards MC12 . He would  not repeat his delegation's  well-known position in that regard , 
as this matter wa s being addressed elsewhere. However, his delegation was  certainly not of t he view 
that the solution to the challenges simply lay in trade, and more trade , in a manner that simply 
entrenche d existing inequalities and the concentration of rents from e -commerce amongst a few 
first movers. Whilst the role of TA and capacity building  in technology and skills transfer was 
acknowledged, including in the communication under consideration , this would  not address the 
fundamental challenges that le ft developing countries perpetually lagging behind. Rather, what was 
required was a deliberate  crafting of trade rules that respond ed to the industrialization aspirations 
and potential within developing economies. He welcome d the acknowledgement that there were 
indeed different views pertaining to the impact, benefits, and costs of e -commerce, incl uding its 
impact on economic development and the distribution of its benefits among Members. This was 
precisely why the co -sponsors were calling for the continued exchange of actual experiences of 
Members beyond just the assumptions found in competing scho ols of thought. The co -sponsors 
would be assessing the inputs received at the present meeting , and would address  in detail some of 
the issues raised at the next meeting . The co -sponsors also intend ed to reach out to Members to 
further appreciate their views and contributions to th e discussion.  
91. The representative of Cameroon  said that he wished to recall the statement made by the 
African Group at the last meeting of the General Council, in which it was  indicated  that the 
African  Group was sympathetic to initiatives to revive the WPEC . He said that this continue d to be 
an important matter in global trade. The MTS and the Agreements reached among Members  needed  
to be used to establish a consensual working  framework for examining th e matter. It was important  
for his country and the African region that Member s worked together , without prejudice to one 
another's positions, and in the spirit of reaching a consensus and reviving the W ork Programme.  
92. The representative of Singapore  said that  her country's  position on this issue was well -known 
and that her delegation wished to echo the statements made by Australia, Japan, 
the European  Union and others . She went on to say that she wished to make three points. First, 
removing the moratorium would send the wrong signal to both the international and business 
communities, especially in the midst of the COVID -19 pandemic, when e-commerce ha d played an 
indispensable role in sustaining MSMEs. She urged Members to work together in the spirit of 
pragmatism to maintain the only WTO multilateral agreement in the domain of the digital economy.  
Second, the argument that the moratorium would  deprive developing Members of much needed 
revenue was misleading. According to a recent study by the Saint Gallen Endowment titled "Is the 
WTO Moratorium on Customs Duties on E-Commerce Depriving Developing Countries of Much 
Needed Revenue? ", such revenue  loss was insignificant and c ould be easily offset by domestic tax 
regimes. Third, allowing the customs duties moratorium to lapse c ould undo Members ' efforts to 
embrace digital transformation. Removing the moratorium might  impact the unreali zed potential 
that many developing Members ha d in leveraging e-commerce to grow the economy.  
93. The Committee took note of all interventions . 
I. OTHER BUSINESS  
94. The Chairman  recalled that it had been agreed at the beginning of the meeting that the agenda 
item concerning "Other Business" would be taken up before the item concerning the election of the 
Chairperson of the CTD and the item concerning the date of the next meeting. He said that he wished  
to make an intervention  concerning the informal consultations that he had  held with Members during 
his term as CTD Chair man, and share  his few thoughts and observations in this regard. He would  
also be sending his statement to Member s after the present  meeting.  He recalled that he had 
undert aken informal consultations in small groups shortly after taking over as CTD Chair man in 
March 2021. His purpose was firstly to explore with Members how the CTD could move forward on 
its existing w ork. He also wanted to explore with Members what new areas of work could potentially 
be addressed by the Committee.  He had briefed the Committee in June 2021 in some detail on what 
was discussed in these small group consultations. He also subsequently cont inued his informal 
outreach with delegations, although given that preparations for  MC12 ha d kept Members busy, he 
could not interact with delegations as intensely as he would  have otherwise liked. He thank ed 
Members for their readiness to participate in informal discussions with him on CTD issues.  WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  95. With regard to the existing areas of the CTD's work, he recalled that he had  outlined at the 
CTD meeting of June 2021 a number of ideas that were shared in the inf ormal consultations on how 
to build or elaborate on the work. On the subject of existing work, he also note d that there were a 
number of issues that ha d appeared on the CTD's agenda for several years and on which Members 
had divergent views. It would be im portant to find solutions to these issues, some of which were 
raised during his informal consultations. He therefore encourage d delegations to continue to engage 
in order to find ways forward on these difficult areas, which include d the proposals relating to the 
mandate from MC8 ; the issues relating to the notification of the GCC Customs Union ; and the 
Secretariat report on Members' DFQF market access schemes for LDCs, which ha d not been prepared 
for a number of years. He additionally recalled  that several ideas were shared during his informal 
consultations on potential new areas of work for the CTD. At the CTD meeting  of June 2021, he had  
provided a summary of the main suggestions that were made in this regard. He encourage d Members 
to continue to consider what new areas of work could be useful for the CTD to undertake, and to 
come forward with concrete proposals for the Committee to consider.  
96. He went on to say that t he subsidiary bodies of the CTD were also discussed in his informal 
interactions with deleg ations . In this regard , he noted that there was interest expressed in having 
the work of the Sub -Committee on LDCs reported or presented to the CTD. As he had  previously 
observed, the work of the Sub -Committee was already reflected in the CTD's annual repo rt to the 
General Council, and the CTD ha d also benefited in recent times from briefings by the Chair person  
of the Sub -Committee. Nevertheless, he noted that the delegations interested in having a more 
regular reporting in the CTD on the work of the Sub -Committee m ight wish to look into the matter 
more deeply with other Members.  With regard to  the CTD's Dedicated Session on Small Economies, 
he recalled that he had suggested in his report to the General Council on 23 February 2022 that it 
would be useful to hold a meeting of the Dedicated Session soon, in order to have a preliminary 
discussion on the topic of integrating small economies into the post COVID -19 economy. This topic 
was agreed in the Dedicated Session in October  2021 as part of the draft MC12 Ministerial Decision 
on the Work Programme on Small Economies. Although the draft text ha d as yet not been formally 
adopted by  Ministers, a meeting of the Dedicated Session would allow the proponents to spell out in 
some detail how they s aw the work on this topic going forward and what they were expecting from 
it – including any specific issues they would wish the Secretariat to address in the information and 
factual analysis that it would  provide in due course.  He had  also reported to the General Council that 
he had held an informal meeting at Ambassadorial level with a number of members of the SVE Group  
in order to discuss issue s relating to the Work Programme on Small Economies. This meeting had 
allowed for a very rich and comprehensive discussion on the needs of Small Economies and the 
extent to which they were being addressed in the WTO. The discussion had provided much food f or 
thought, and he was hopeful that it would  form a useful basis for further interactions on the way 
forward in the Work Programme on Small Economies.  
97. Turning to the CTD's Dedicated Sessions on RTAs and PTAs,  he said that  the work of these 
bodies was impor tant in terms of the implementation of the Transparency Mechanisms for RTAs and 
PTAs. However, he noted that , for a number of RTAs and PTAs notified to the CTD, the Members in 
question ha d not provided all the required information and data that would allow  the Secretariat to 
prepare the factual presentations. He therefore urge d these Members to provide all that was 
necessary for the preparation of the factual presentations, so that the work of these Dedicated 
Sessions could  proceed. Furthermore, the Transpa rency Mechanism for PTAs, the functions of which 
were performed by the CTD's Dedicated Session on PTAs, require d the annual submission of data by 
all Members implementing PTAs. Here again, it was his understand ing that not all the required data 
had been su bmitted to the Secretariat. He therefore  urged all Members implementing PTAs to submit 
the required annual data, and also suggest ed that the Secretariat maintain contact with these 
Members on this matter.   
98. With regard to the  CTD's Dedicated Session on the Monitoring Mechanism on S&D, he said 
that he was  aware that several delegations remain ed concerned that the Monitoring Mechanism ha d 
yet to be operationalized, since no written submissions ha d been made. He once again urge d 
Members to come to a common understanding on how to move forward with the Monitoring 
Mechanism.  Finally, with regard to the CTD's work on Aid for Trade,  he said that 2022 was an 
important year, as the Global Review of Aid for Trade was to be held with the  theme of "Empowering 
Connected, Sustainable Trade". He was pleased to announce that the dates of the Global Review 
had now been set. The event would  be held from 27  to 29 July 2022. A communication in this regard 
would  be sent to delegations shortly , along with accompanying information. He encourage d all 
Members to participate actively in the Global Review, so as to make the event as effective and WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  meaningful as possible.  He concluded by saying that these were the few thoughts and observations 
that he wante d to share with the Committee as his term as CTD Chair man came to an end. He said 
that he had  greatly benefited from his interactions with delegations on the work of the CTD, and 
thank ed Members once again for their engagement.  He also thank ed the Secretar iat, and in 
particular  the teams in the Development Division and the Knowledge Management Division.  
99. The representative of the European Union  said that the Chairman's report was extremely 
interesting  and comprehensive . He expressed appreciation to the Chairman for his work.  
100.  The Committee took note  of the interventions . 
J. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT  
101.  The Committee was informed  that, at the General Council meeting of 24 February 20 22, the 
names of the WTO Chairpersons for 2022 were announced, including that of H.E. Ms . Usha Chandnee 
Dwarka -Canabady of Mauritius as the Chairperson of the CTD for 2022.  Ambassador Canabady ha d 
been serving since July 2020 as  the Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the United Nations 
Office and other International Organizations in Geneva. Prior to this appointment, Ambassador 
Canabady was  serving as  Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Mauritiu s, after having been Acting 
Secretary for Foreign Affairs between 2013 and 2015. Among her other positions, she was Head of 
the Multilateral Economic Directorate from 2007 to 2013 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head 
of the Multilateral Political De partment between 2006 and 2007. She also served as the High 
Commissioner of Mauritius in India from 2004 to 2006. The Committee  was invited  to formally elect  
Ambassador Canabady as the Chairperson of the CTD for 2022.   
102.  The Committee elected  Ambassador Canabady as the Chairperson of the CTD. 
103.  The representative of Cameroon  said that , on behalf of his delegation and the African Group, 
he wished to express appreciation to Ambass ador Piracha for the dedication in carrying out the work 
of the CTD.  Development was at the heart of the issues faced by Cameroon  and the African Group 
in participating in the work of the WTO. Trade was a vehicle for development . It was a mean s and 
not an end . In this regard , several  key concerns and expectations of Cameroon  and the Af rican Group 
were discussed  in the CTD . He thanked Ambassador Piracha for placing development at the heart of 
discussions in the CTD. He also assured the new Chairperson of the support of his delegation and 
the African Group  in building on Ambassador Pirach a's work . 
104.  The representative of Bangladesh  said that the CTD was an important Committee for 
development issues, and was a forum for all Members  irrespective of their development status.  He 
welcome d the new Chairperson  and assured her of the fullest cooperation of his delegation . He also 
thanked Ambassador Piracha for  the dedication, leadership and guidance in a particularly  difficult 
time.  
105.  The representative of the Russian Federation  expressed appreciation to Ambassad or Piracha 
for the work undertaken as Chairman. He stressed the importance of the CTD and its various 
subsidiary bodies . He also expressed his good wishes to the new Chairperson  and indicated that she 
could count on Members to work with her . 
106.  The representa tive of Mauritius  said that  his delegation wished to add its voice in 
congratulat ing Ambassador Piracha for the dedicated way in which he had led Members in the CTD 
over the past year .  
107.  The representative of the European Union  said that he wished to  complement his words of 
appreciation to Ambassador Piracha with words of welcome to  the new Chairperson . 
108.  The Chairperson  thank ed Members for the confidence they ha d placed in her by electing her 
Chairperson  of the CTD. She also thank ed Ambassador Piracha,  on behalf of Members and the 
Secretariat, for his work in steering the Committee over the past year. She took note in particular 
of Ambassador Piracha's efforts, through the informal consultations that he held, to find ways to 
move the discussions forward  in the various areas of the CTD's work. She said that she would explore 
how to pick up on Ambassador Piracha's efforts so as to see how the Committee could  advance in 
its discussions. She went on to stress the importance of the development dimension of the WT/COMTD/M/117  
 
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  WTO's  work. She believed that it was essential for Members to continue to monitor how developing 
countries were faring in global trade, and what challenges they were facing in this regard. The 
COVID -19 pandemic ha d had a huge negative impact on the trade of developing countries . 
Furthermore, she noted that the Global Supply Chains Forum, organized by the WTO on 
21 March  2022, was very useful in highlighting some of the difficulties faced by developin g countries 
in the current economic climate and the importance of making supply chains more resilient. She 
believe d that more discussions among Members, including in the CTD, on how to help developing 
countries continue to benefit from international trade in the face of uncertainties would  be useful.  
As the focal point for the consideration and coordination of work on development in the WTO, the 
CTD play ed a key role in the MTS. She indicated her intention to work closely with Members on the 
various areas o f the CTD's work, which include d the work of the Regular CTD , the work on Aid for 
Trade, and the work of the CTD's Dedicated Sessions on the Monitoring Mechanism on S&D, on Small 
Economies, on RTAs and on PTAs.  
K. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING  
109.  The Chairperson  said that the next meeting of the CTD's Regular Session was tentatively 
scheduled to be held on Monday , 20 June 2022. An initial agenda would be circulated four  weeks 
before the meeting, on 23 May 2022, 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 June 2022 and would be circulated on 10 June 2022. 
110.  The meeting was adjourned . 
 
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