Wt min-13-10

WT/MIN(13)/10
2 December 2013
(00-0000) Page: 1/4
Ministerial Conference
Ninth Session
Bali, 3-6 December 2013
Original: English/French
LDC TRADE MINISTERS' MEETING
BALI, INDONESIA, 2 DECEMBER 2013
MINISTERIAL DECLARATION
The following communication, dated 2 December 2013, is being circulated at the request of the
Delegation of Nepal on behalf of the LDCs.
_______________
We, the Ministers of the Least Developed Countries,
Meeting in Bali on December 2, 2013 on the eve of the Ninth session of the WTO Ministerial
Conference (MC9, December 3-6, 2013);
Underlining the importance of the multilateral trading system embodied in the WTO and the need
for meaningful and effective integration of Least Developed Countries in the multilateral trading
system;
Expressing concern that the prolonged lack of progress on most of the issues of the Doha
Development Agenda undermines the aspiration of LDCs to gain the development benefits of fair
and equitable trading system;
Emphasizing that development is central to the success of MC9, and crucial for the credibility and
efficiency of the multilateral trading system;
Urging Members to consider all possible means to help LDCs improve their participation in world
trade;
Underlining WTO’s important role in the effective implementation of the trade related priorities in
the Istanbul Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2011-2020;
Recalling the Declaration adopted by LDC Trade Ministers' during the Eighth WTO Ministerial
Conference in 2011;
Duty-free-quote-free (DFQF) market access and Rules of origin
Urge for the adoption of the proposed Decision on Duty-free and Quota-free market access for
LDCs (JOB/TNC/33). Reaffirm the need for full and early implementation of Decision 36 of Annex F
of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration on measures in favour of LDCs. In this regard, urge
developed countries, and developing countries declaring themselves in a position to do so, to
further improve duty-free and quota-free market access for products originating from all LDCs;
Request Members to adopt the decision on preferential rules of origin (JOB/TNC/24/Rev.1) and
adapt and develop their rules of origin frameworks in line with the decision, with a view to further
enable LDCs to make meaningful use of preferences afforded to them. Also, invite Members to
consider a more comprehensive and binding outcome on preferential Rules of origin for LDCs in
line with LDCs’ detailed submission (TN/C/W/63);

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Cotton
Reaffirm the importance of cotton in the economy of many LDCs and our concern with regard to
the inability of Members to implement the Hong Kong mandate which requires an ambitious,
expeditious and specific treatment of the cotton issue.
Therefore urge Members to resolve this issue as soon as possible in the spirit of the mandate on
this issue as contained in the Decision adopted by the General Council on 1 August 2004, the
Hong Kong Declaration and the basic mandate to be given in Bali building on the progress made in
the draft modalities on agriculture of December 2008;
Express our appreciation to bilateral and multilateral donors for their assistance to the cotton
sector in LDCs and stress the importance of effective and better aid targeted to LDC producers and
exporters of cotton, taking into consideration and establishing a useful link with existing
mechanisms such as the Aid-for-Trade (AfT) initiative.
Services
Call upon Members to adopt the proposed decision on the operationalization of the LDC Services
Waiver (JOB/TNC/25/Rev.1). Also urge Members to (i) assist LDCs expand their export base in
services by granting commercially meaningful preferences to LDC services and service suppliers;
(ii) provide information on steps taken to offer commercially-meaningful preferences to LDC
services and service suppliers, on an annual basis, to the Council for Trade in Services;
(iii) remove any market access barrier, including domestic regulatory and administrative barriers
and other relevant measures that may impede current or potential LDC services exports; and
(iv) make the proposed high level meeting successful with concrete offers to the LDCs on the basis
of LDCs’ collective request;
Trade Facilitation
Reaffirm our readiness to engage constructively to resolve the remaining issues in Trade
Facilitation and hope that a Trade Facilitation Agreement will adequately take into account the
interests and concerns of LDCs. Underline that LDCs should only be required to undertake
commitments consistent with their individual development, financial and trade needs or their
administrative and institutional capabilities and that LDCs would in no ways be obliged to
undertake investments in infrastructure projects. Also stress that, with a view to ensuring that
LDCs acquire sustainable implementation capacity, the implementation of the measures notified
under Category C by the LDCs should be conditional on the provision of sustained, adequate and
effective technical and financial assistance;
Emphasize the importance of effective and operational provisions on Special and Differential
Treatment that ensure delivery of targeted technical and financial assistance and capacity building
on a sustainable basis necessary to acquire full implementation capacity;
Agriculture and Development issues
Recognize the importance of agriculture to the economies of least developed countries and
emphasize on the need of greater market access for LDCs as well as elimination of trade distorting
support measures by developed countries. Support the works done in the areas of food security,
TRQ administration and export competition, including provision to exercise utmost restraint with
regard to any recourse to all forms of export subsidies and all export measures;
Call upon Members to adopt the proposed Decision on Monitoring Mechanism on Special and
Differential Treatment (JOB/TNC/34). Stress on the need to make the Mechanism effective so as to
strengthen the effectiveness and implementation of S&D provisions of multilateral WTO
Agreements, Ministerial and General Council Decisions;
Request MC9 to provide guidance to work on all S&D provisions including the 28 Agreement
specific proposals (Cancun 28) in accordance with the mandate of paragraph 44 of the Doha
Ministerial Declaration;

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TRIPS
Welcome the Decision by the Council for TRIPS to extend the transition period under TRIPS
Article 66.1 until 1 July 2021, and reiterate the need for full and unconditional flexibilities to
pursue development objectives in the LDCs, including with a view to creating a viable technological
base;
Invite Members to agree on the parameters including the definition of technology transfer as well
as improved format for reporting under Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement, which inter alia, can
contribute towards effective monitoring of the implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS
Agreement;
Accession
Reiterate that accession of LDCs remain a priority for the membership, and reaffirm commitment
to facilitate and accelerate negotiations with acceding LDCs. Welcome the General Council's
decision of 25 July 2012 (WT/L/508/Add.1) which further strengthens, streamlines and
operationalizes the 2002 LDC accession guidelines. Urge the full implementation of all aspects of
the Decisions by all WTO Members with due consideration to the specific circumstances and
development objectives of acceding LDCs. Emphasize the need to monitor the faithful
implementation of these decisions (WT/L/508 and WT/L/508/Add.1), and to that end urge the
General Council and the Sub-Committee on LDCs to regularly review accession of LDCs. Urge
Members to continue giving priority attention to concluding the ongoing accession proceedings as
rapidly as possible;
Welcome the conclusion of Yemen accession negotiations to WTO, and the Working Party Decision
of 26 September 2013 and look forward to its formal adoption at MC9. Hope to seeing Yemen
taking its seat as a full-fledged LDC WTO Member as soon as possible;
LDC Work Programme
Welcome the revised Work Programme adopted by Members in July 2013
(WT/COMTD/LDC/11/Rev.1), and call upon them to implement the Work Programme so as to
advance all issues of systemic concern to LDCs in the multilateral trading system;
Trade related technical assistance
Underline the need for strengthened human and institutional capacity in LDCs to deal with issues
relating to the multilateral trading system. In this regard, request Members to consider earmarked
resources for LDCs to make full use of the products such as national activities. Also request
Members to further strengthen the internship programmes including the provision for allowing one
intern per LDC each year to assist the resource-constrained Geneva Missions;
Aid for Trade
Welcome the deliberations held during the Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade, and underline
the importance of continued Aid-for-Trade work under the auspices of WTO, especially to help
integrate LDCs in the context of international trade increasingly shaped by Global Value Chains.
Emphasize the need of development partners’ compliance with their commitments to mobilize
additional resources to allow for the predictable, effective and sustainable implementation of the
AfT, with particular focus on the LDCs. Urge donors to provide support necessary for the
implementation of national and regional aid for trade strategies;
Reemphasize that Aid for Trade should make qualitative change in the trade capacity of LDCs, in
particular addressing supply-side and trade-related infrastructure constraints and economic
diversification;
Enhanced Integrated Framework
Express appreciation for the support and assistance provided by the EIF Secretariat, development
partners and partner agencies to the LDCs and emphasize the continued relevance of the EIF as
highlighted by the Medium Term Review conducted in 2012;

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Call upon development partners to extend the EIF beyond 2015 and scale up their support to the
programme in a substantial and meaningful manner, so that all LDCs in various stages of EIF
process can continue to make use of the facilities under it. Also, urge development partners to
honour their commitments to deliver resources;
Underline the need for speedy implementation of EIF, including time bound completion of
DTIS/DTIS updates and simplification of the procedure for project approval;
Post Bali WTO works
Reiterate the importance of early conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) for an
ambitious and development-friendly outcome giving priority to the issues of interest to LDCs and
call upon all the WTO members to fully commit themselves to the successful conclusion of the DDA
building on the progress already made;
Request Members to resolve longstanding LDC issues without linking those to the full conclusion of
the single undertaking of Doha Round;
Urge members to refrain from introducing ‘new issues’ before the DDA is concluded as any attempt
to introduce new issues would divert the required attention of the membership away from
addressing issues of the development round;
Express concern over the proliferation of plurilateral approaches, which are against the spirit of
multilateralism and stress that creating agreements outside the multilateral framework of WTO will
have serious systemic implications and will not take on board the interests of LDCs;
WTO Director-General
Pay tribute to the outgoing Director General of the WTO, Mr. Pascal Lamy, for his great efforts to
advance DDA negotiations. Congratulate the new Director-General, Mr Roberto Carvalho de
Azevêdo, for his appointment and commend his dedication and tireless efforts to advance the
negotiations in the WTO and his appreciation for LDC issues in the multilateral trading system.
__________

Wt min-13-10

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