Dialogue On The Outcomes of The 9 WTO Ministerial Conference

Dialogue on the outcomes of the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference
The 9th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization was held in Bali, Indonesia from 3 rd -6th December
2013 and had three major issues atop its agenda i.e. LDC package (which includes Agriculture, cotton issues, export
subsidies, preferential rules of Origin to LDCs products, Special and Differential Treatment to LDCs), G33 proposal
on food security (which implied public stockpiling of food for food security) and Trade facilitation. These issues
were a selection from the broader Doha Round negotiations and the following declaration was made on each.
On the Agreement on the agriculture, much of the focus was on shielding public stockholding program for food
security in developing countries, so that they would not be challenged legally even if a country’s agreed limits for
trade-distorting domestic support were breached. Members consented to put in place a work program set up aiming
to produce a permanent solution in four years. They also agreed to continue negotiating on an agreement for a
permanent solution, for the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes for adoption by the 11 th
Ministerial Conference.
On Development issues four documents i.e. Duty-free, quota-free access for least developed countries to export to
richer countries’; simplified preferential rules of origin for least developed countries which will make it easier for
these countries to identify products as their own goods, and qualify for preferential treatment in importing countries
markets; a “services waiver”, allowing least developed countries preferential access to richer countries’ services
markets; and a “monitoring mechanism” consisting of meetings and other methods for monitoring special treatment
given to developing countries remained unchanged from their Geneva versions
The adopted agreement on Trade Facilitation text provides for publication and availability of information in a non-
discriminatory and easily accessible manner in order to enable governments, traders and other interested parties to
become acquainted with them; institution of test procedures; and risk management where each member shall, to the
extent possible, adopt or maintain a risk management system for customs control. Also, members are encouraged to
use relevant international standards or parts thereof as a basis for their importation, exportation or transit formalities
and procedures; and Donor Members agree to facilitate the provision of assistance and support for capacity building
to developing country and least developed country Members, on mutually agreed terms and either bilaterally or
through the appropriate international organizations. The text also affirms that all provisions of the Trade Facilitation
Agreement are binding to all members.
In the post Bali WTO members reaffirm their commitment to the WTO as the pre-eminent global forum for trade,
including negotiating and implementing trade rules, settling disputes and supporting development through the
integration of developing countries into the global trading system. In this regard, they reaffirm their commitment to
the Doha Development Agenda, as well as to the regular work of the WTO. To further demonstrate this
commitment, members instructed the Trade Negotiations Committee to prepare within the next 12 months a clearly
defined work program on the remaining Doha Development Agenda issues. This will build on the decisions taken at
this Ministerial Conference, particularly on agriculture, development and LDC issues, as well as all other issues
under the Doha mandate that are central to concluding the Round. It acknowledges the fact that issues in the Bali
Package where legally binding outcomes could not be achieved will be prioritized; and that Work on issues in the
package that have not been fully addressed at this Conference will resume in the relevant Committees or Negotiating
Groups of the WTO.
In conclusion, given the decisions taken at Bali and the elaborate post Bali Agenda, it is important to analyze their
impacts in the context of the Doha Development Round and the Mulitlateral Trading System. It is also important
that we discuss a way forward on what needs to be done at the National Agenda. It is against this background that
SEATINI-Uganda is holding this meeting.
Objectives
 To get a report back from the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference.
 To assess Bali outcomes and their implications.
 To chart a way forward.

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