Ordre du jour proposé

The Proposed Agenda can be found in document WT/GC/W/666 and contains the following items:

1. Report by the Chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committee

This is a standing item on the Agenda. The Director-General will report, in his capacity as Chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committee, on activities in this area since his last report in December 2012.

2. Work Programme on Small Economies — Report by the Chairman of the Dedicated Session of the Committee on Trade and Development

Under this standing item, the Council will receive a report on the progress in the Work Programme on Small Economies on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Development.

3. Review of the exemption provided under Paragraph 3 of the GATT 1994

The Council will conduct the two yearly-cycle review of the United States' exemption under Paragraph 3(a) of GATT 1994. This paragraph provides an exemption from Part II of GATT 1994 for measures under specific mandatory legislation — enacted by a member before it became a contracting party to GATT 1947 — which prohibits the use, sale or lease of foreign-built or foreign-reconstructed vessels in commercial applications between points in national waters or waters of an exclusive economic zone. The relevant submission by the US can be found in document WT/L/880.

4. Ukraine's Article XXVIII notification — Statements by ASEAN, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, European Union, Guatemala, Hong Kong China, Iceland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Paraguay, Turkey and the United States

The European Union, on behalf of the members above, requested that this item be placed on the agenda (WT/GC/152 and Add.1 and Add.2)

5. Improving the Guidelines for granting Intergovernmental Organizations Permanent Observer Status in the WTO — Statement by the Chair

The General Council Chair will provide an update on her consultations on this matter.

6. Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies

The Council is expected take note of the consensus on the slate of names for chairpersons of WTO bodies in Groups 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Annex to the Guidelines for the Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies (WT/L/510).

7. Election of Chairperson

The Council will elect its Chairperson for 2013.