The outgoing Council Chairperson, Ambassador Adamu Mohammed Abdulhamid of Nigeria, highlighted the value of the informal sessions on digital tools, emphasizing their role in providing members with a better understanding of how these tools can assist delegations. He noted that these sessions help prepare members for committee meetings and follow up on them.
At the formal meeting, the Secretariat presented a report summarizing various actions taken to improve the Council's functioning, including adjustments to the eAgenda, the launch of the Trade Concerns Database, and enhancements to the CTG information hub. The Secretariat also introduced the eDelegates Platform to manage user options for digital tools, with more functions to be progressively added.
Delegates praised the collaborative effort between members and the Secretariat in implementing these changes. The Chairperson commended the CTG for its remarkable achievements, stating that the reform process serves as an example of successful collaboration among members. He highlighted the Council's ability to deliver significant results, despite initial skepticism about the possibility of reform.
Regarding trade concerns, the Council reviewed 37 specific trade concerns covering a wide range of measures and sectors. The Chairperson reminded delegations that links to the trade concerns database were provided in the meeting's Annotated Agenda for reference.
The Group of least-developed countries (LDC Group) reiterated its request for graduated LDCs to benefit from flexibilities in the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM). Discussions on this topic highlighted the need for a pragmatic approach to address uncertainties around extending flexibilities to graduating LDCs.
In terms of the election of chairpersons for the CTG's subsidiary bodies, the outgoing Chair reported on the process and ongoing consultations to reach a consensus. Once a consensus is reached, the new Chair will reconvene the meeting to address this agenda item.
The next CTG meeting is scheduled for 2-3 July 2024 and will be chaired by newly appointed Chairperson, Ambassador Clare Kelly of New Zealand.