Members intensify discussions on WTO reform based on substantive proposals

At the transparency session, the General Council Chair Ambassador Clare Kelly sought members' views on how to achieve further progress in WTO reform and move the process into the next phase of interactive and substantive discussions. 

Several members expressed support for moving from broad tracks for discussion toward more thematic or issue-based discussions. Several argued that discussions would benefit from a more granular examination of specific topics, while ensuring that the selection of themes remains member-driven, transparent and balanced.  Several delegations suggested undertaking mapping or stocktaking exercises to clarify areas of agreement and facilitate work across the four tracks. 

Members generally welcomed efforts to streamline meetings and improve efficiency in response to constraints faced by smaller delegations. Members also reiterated the importance of timely circulation of facilitator reports, guiding questions and meeting documents to enable adequate preparation and consultations with capitals.

There was support for complementing plenary meetings with small group consultations to facilitate more candid and solution-oriented exchanges, provided these formats remain transparent and representative. 

Looking ahead, members expressed interest in a clearer roadmap towards the 15th Ministerial Conference (MC15), with a prevailing sentiment that substance should drive both the pace of work and the eventual form of any outcomes. 

Facilitators' reports 

Ahead of the transparency session, facilitators shared their reports on the latest round of discussions on WTO reform addressing each of the four tracks, which focussed on proposals submitted by members. 

Under the decision-making track, members discussed proposals from China, India and the United Kingdom, which focussed on the flexibilities for members with differing capacities and the role of plurilateral initiatives. 

Under the foundational issues track, members discussed proposals from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group, the African Group, China, Japan, the Least Developed Country Group, the United Kingdom and the United States on the challenges WTO reform should address. Views differed on whether existing rules should be revisited, how the WTO should respond to changes in the global economy, and the role of development in the reform process. Some members also highlighted non-market policies and practices, and excess capacity, as contributing to current challenges. 

The facilitator for the development track held small group consultations to identify recurring themes for future discussions. 

The session on level playing field issues considered submissions by Australia and Paraguay. It also reviewed a presentation by the WTO Secretariat on members' notifications in the Council for Trade in Goods and its subsidiary bodies. Participants also continued discussions on transparency, notifications and compliance with WTO agreements. It was noted that Ambassador Schialer Salcedo of Peru, the facilitator for this track, is due to leave Geneva for a new posting and he will be replaced by Ambassador Kairat Torebayev of Kazakhstan.  

More on members' proposals can be found here.

Upcoming meetings on WTO reform will take place in the week of 9 November and on 16 November, with a transparency session envisaged for 9 December.