Summary of General Council meeting of 26 October 2017

• Report by the Chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committee and Report by the Director-General
  The Chairman referred to the Director-General's report at the 24 October Informal TNC and Informal HODs meetings.  At that meeting, the Chairs of negotiating bodies provided reports on work in their respective areas as well, (the reports can be found in JOB/GC/145) and 44 delegations intervened. Under this item, Dominica (OECS) and Cameroon spoke.
• Implementation of the Bali and Nairobi Outcomes – Statement by the Chairman
  The Chairman reported on the work taking place in WTO regular bodies to fulfil the Bali and Nairobi Ministerial mandates. His full statement can be found in JOB/GC/146. The Philippines and Cambodia (LDCs) spoke.
• Work Programme on Small Economies – Report by the Chairman of the Dedicated Session of the Committee on Trade and Development
  The CTD Chair reported that Members agreed to continue discussions on the Challenges and Opportunities experienced by small economies to reduce trade costs, particularly in trade facilitation – to identify challenges and to provide possible solutions. The SVEs were also working on a draft Ministerial Decision on the Work Program on Small Economies to be discussed in the next meeting of the Dedicated Session. Guatemala (SVEs) and Fiji spoke.
• Eleventh Session of the Ministerial Conference
  The Chairman reported on his consultations on the Attendance of observers from IGOs at MC11 and on E-Commerce. He also announced that he would soon begin consultations on the organization of the Ministerial Conference and a possible outcome document, and that due to the change of government in New Zealand, Honourable David Parker would be willing to fulfil the role of MC11 Vice-Chair that had been allocated to New Zealand. New Zealand spoke.
• Committee on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions – Consultations with Ecuador – Report
  Following the report by the Chairman of the BOP Committee on its Consultations with Ecuador, the General Council adopted the report in WT/BOP/R/114. Ecuador spoke.
• Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration – Report on meeting of July 2017
  The General Council adopted the Report of the Budget Committee in WT/BFA/165.

Under Other Business, Chile invited Members to a MSMEs workshop organized by the Friends of MSMEs on 31 October to 1 November; the Director-General made a statement on the WTO Young Professionals Program; and the Chairman made statements on the 2018 Exercise for the Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies, Chairmanships of Accession Working Parties and Members and Observers in Arrears.