The first meeting of the Committee's negotiating session since the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) focused on enhancing the integration of developing economies into global trade. At MC13, ministers adopted a Declaration on Special and Differential Treatment to ensure that developing economies, including least developed countries (LDCs), receive timely training and technical assistance for implementing standards or technical regulations.
The Declaration provides guidance for members to enhance special and differential treatments in agreements related to sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade. Members are instructed to report progress by December 2024 and continue working towards improving these provisions before the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14).
Three facilitators are collaborating with members on Agreement-specific proposals from the G90 group. These proposals cover sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, technology transfer for LDCs, and trade-related investment measures.
During recent informal discussions, the facilitator from Singapore updated the Committee on synergies between work in the Special Session and in Committees overseeing sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT). Cecilia Risolo from Argentina and Daniela García from Ecuador provided updates on their respective Committees' efforts to implement special treatment provisions effectively.
Facilitators from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for technology transfer to LDCs, and Brazil for trade-related investment measures, also shared updates on their consultations. They suggested thematic sessions to achieve a shared understanding of challenges faced by developing economies.
Ambassador Kadra Ahmed Hassan of Djibouti, Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development in Special Session, urged facilitators to keep engaging with members: “If we are to deliver on development at MC14, we need to keep moving forward,” she stated.
Developing economies benefit from over 150 special treatment provisions within WTO agreements. These include access to technical assistance activities and extended transition periods for implementing agreements. The ongoing negotiations are mandated by Paragraph 44 of the 2001 Doha Ministerial Declaration.