Thanking WTO members for placing their confidence on him, Ambassador Conejos said he will make sure to “live up to expectations to this new assignment in line with the mandate agreed on at the Bali Ministerial Conference.” “There is no time to waste,” he added, calling on WTO members to work collectively.

Ambassador Conejos said the approach to the work of the new committee will be “member-driven, bottom-up, inclusive and transparent”. He said he will be consulting with WTO members as of next week to hear their views on how to achieve goals that would benefit the whole membership.

The role of the committee will be to ensure the entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, prepare for its efficient operation, conduct its legal review, and receive notifications of members’ commitments. It will also officially amend the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO by inserting the new Trade Facilitation Agreement in Annex 1A.

After more than nine years of negotiations, WTO members finally reached consensus on a Trade Facilitation Agreement at the Bali Ministerial Conference in December 2013, as part of a wider “Bali Package”. The final agreement contains provisions for faster and more efficient customs procedures through effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It also contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area.

More background information on Trade Facilitation can be found here.

Information on the Ninth Ministerial Conference can be found here.