Geneva, Switzerland (BBN)– The World Trade Organization (WTO) has presented a draft decision on post-Bali work, which, in addition to draft decisions regarding public stockholding for food security purposes and the Trade Facilitation Agreement, would be put to members for agreement at the General Council meeting on 27 November.
WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo presented the draft decision while briefed its members on Wednesday on developments in efforts to break the impasse on implementing the Bali Package.
Under the decision, members would decide that work shall resume immediately and all Members shall engage constructively on the implementation of all the Bali Ministerial Decisions, including the work programme.
They also decide that “as per paragraph 1.11 of the Bali Declaration, Members agree that the issues of the Bali package where legally binding outcomes could not be achieved, including the LDC issues, shall be pursued on priority”.
The members agree that the deadline for agreeing on the work program will be July 2015.
“We are very, very close to a successful conclusion of our efforts to overcome the impasse. Everything presented to members today in this Decision is either a simple statement of fact, or a reiteration of text from the documents circulated on Monday. Significantly the Decisions on Public Stockholding and Trade Facilitation have not changed at all. They remain exactly as they were presented on Monday,” the WTO DG said.
BBN/SSR/AD-27Nov14-10:20 am (BST)
