This was the first meeting of the Committee’s negotiating session since the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13), at which ministers adopted a Declaration on Special and Differential Treatment that seeks to ensure that developing economies — including LDCs — receive timely training and technical assistance to help them implement standards or technical regulations. The Declaration also provides guidance for members to continue working towards enhancing the implementation of special and differential treatments in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, and instructs them to report on any progress by December 2024. The Declaration also instructs WTO members to continue to work on improving the application of special and differential treatment provisions, and to report on progress to the General Council before the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14).
There are currently three facilitators working with members on the Agreement-specific proposals on special and differential treatment tabled by the G90 group, covering sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade, technology transfer for LDCs and trade-related investment measures, respectively.
On sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT), the facilitator from Singapore updated the Committee on recent informal discussions. Members explored synergies between the work in the Special Session and in the two Committees respectively overseeing these issues. The chairpersons of the SPS and TBT Committees — Cecilia Risolo from Argentina and Daniela García from Ecuador, respectively — provided updates on their work to fulfil the MC13 mandate for a precise, effective and operational implementation of special and differential treatment provisions of the SPS and TBT Agreements.
The facilitators for technology transfer to LDCs (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) and for trade-related investment measures (Brazil) also provided updates on their consultations to advance the work in their respective areas.
The three facilitators suggested holding thematic sessions with a view to achieving a shared understanding of the challenges faced by developing economies, including LDCs, and the solutions suggested by the G90. Members are considering these suggestions.
Ambassador Kadra Ahmed Hassan of Djibouti, Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development in Special Session, encouraged the facilitators to continue engaging with members. “If we are to deliver on development at MC14, we need to keep moving forward,” she said.
Developing economies and LDCsreceive special and differential treatment provisions according to over 150 provisions of the WTO agreements. These include access to technical assistance activities and longer transition periods to implement agreements and decisions. The negotiations taking place in the Special Session of the Committee on Trade and Development are mandated by Paragraph 44 of the 2001 Doha Ministerial Declaration.
More information on special and differential treatment is available here.
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