MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE: NINTH SESSION, BALI, 3-6 DECEMBER 2013
WT/MIN(13)/37, WT/L/912
11 December 2013


General Services

 

Ministerial Decision of 7 December 2013

The Ministerial Conference,

Having regard to paragraph 1 of Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization;

Decides as follows:

Members recognize the contribution that General Services programmes can make to rural development, food security and poverty alleviation, particularly in developing countries. This includes a range of General Services programmes relating to land reform and rural livelihood security that a number of developing countries have highlighted as particularly important in advancing these objectives. Accordingly, Members note that, subject to Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture, the types of programmes listed below could be considered as falling within the scope of the non-exhaustive list of general services programmes in Annex 2, paragraph 2 of the AoA.

General Services programmes related to land reform and rural livelihood security, such as:

    i. land rehabilitation;

    ii. soil conservation and resource management;

    iii. drought management and flood control;

    iv. rural employment programmes;

    v. issuance of property titles; and

    vi. farmer settlement programmes

in order to promote rural development and poverty alleviation.