Committee on Agriculture
(Special Session)

24–28 February

Agenda not yet available, but should include consideration of the first draft of modalities for further commitments.

See TN/AG/W1.

Committee on Trade and Development
(Special Session)

3 February

Agenda not yet available. The Committee is continuing its work on special and differential treatment, on the basis of the Chair’s texts, as contained in documents dated 17 and 18 January 2003. Consultations are being held, with a view to having a decision by the General Council on 10-11 February 2003.

See paragraph 44 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration and paragraph 12 of the Implementation Decision.

Committee on Trade and Environment
(Special Session)

12–13 February

Continuation of work under paragraph 31 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, namely:

● The relationship between WTO rules and specific trade obligations (STOs) in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Work is to focus on STOs in relevant MEAs, while not precluding definitional or other issues.

● Information exchange between the WTO and MEA secretariats.

● The reduction or elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in environmental goods and services.

See WTO/AIR/2016.

Council for Trade in Services
(Special Session)

3, 6 March

Agenda not yet available, but should include:

● Assessment of trade in services: individual country members are invited to present their experience in services sectors liberalisation;

● Modalities for treatment of autonomous liberalisation: the remaining issues pertain to the scope of the liberalisation, the binding of measures and the implications for newly acceding countries;

● Modalities for special treatment of LDCs: a first draft should be circulated for adoption by this March session, as already agreed by members;

● Negotiating proposals from members;

● Review of progress in bilateral negotiations.

See TN/S/5.

Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(Special Session)

21 February

Agenda not yet available.

The Council has a standing mandate to conduct negotiations on the establishment of a multilateral system of notification and registration of geographical indications for wines and spirits.

See paragraph 18 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.

Dispute Settlement Body
(Special Session)

28–30 January

Discussion of draft legal texts submitted by participants.

See WTO/AIR/2011.

19–21 February

Agenda not yet available, but should include a continuation of discussions on modalities.

3 February

Regional trade agreements.

See WTO/AIR/2015.

4–5 February

● Reports from subsidiary negotiating bodies.

● Report by the Chairman on outstanding implementation issues under paragraph 12(b) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration (see JOB(01)152/Rev.1 for a list).

See WTO/AIR/2014

Committee on Customs Valuation

27 February

Agenda not yet available.

Outstanding implementation issues to be addressed by the Committee are found in paragraph 8 of the Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns and tirets 57-61 of JOB(01)/152/Rev.1.

Committee on Market Access

26 March

Agenda not yet available.

Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade

Agenda not yet available, but the Committee has a standing mandate to address outstanding implementation issues in tirets 33-34 of JOB(01)/152.Rev.1:

● Article 11 shall be made obligatory so that technical assistance and cooperation is provided to all developing countries.

● Amendment of Article 12 so that developed country importers accept self-declarations from developing country exporters.

Committee on Trade and Development

7 March

Agenda not yet available.

Committee on Trade and Environment

Agenda not yet available.

Council for Trade in Goods

12–13 March

Trade facilitation.

Council for Trade in Services

28 February

Agenda not yet available.

Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

18–20 February

Agenda not yet available, but continuing issues to be addressed include:

● TRIPS and public health (see paragraphs 6 and 17 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, as well as the Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health).

● The relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (paragraph 19 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration).

● Protection of traditional knowledge and folklore (paragraph 19 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration).

● Implementation issues in paragraph 11 of the Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns.

● Implementation issues in section 10 of JOB(01)/152/Rev.1.

10–11 February

Agenda not yet available, but will include a report on negotiations relating to special and differential treatment in the Special Sessions of the Committee on Trade and Development and on paragraph 6 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health (both delayed from December 2002).

14 March

Agenda not yet available.

Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries

24 January

● Accession of LDCs (see the recent Decision of the General Council in WT/L/508).

● Integrated Framework status report.

● Mainstreaming into the WTO’s work programme of the trade-related elements of LDC III.

See WTO/AIR/2006

Working Group on the Interaction Between Trade and Competition Policy

20–21 February

Agenda not yet available. The Working Group has a standing mandate to focus on the clarification of:

● Core principles (transparency, non-discrimination, procedural fairness and hardcore cartels);

● Modalities for voluntary cooperation;

● Capacity building.

See paragraph 25 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.

Working Group on the Relationship Between Trade and Investment

31 March – 1 April

Agenda not yet available, but the Working Group’s mandate requires it to clarify:

● Scope and definition;

● Transparency and non-discrimination;

● Modalities for pre-establishment commitments;

● Development provisions;

● Exceptions and balance of payments safeguards;

● Consultation and dispute settlement.

See paragraph 22 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.

Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology

3 March

Agenda not yet available.

28 March

Agenda not yet available. The draft work programme covers:

● Trade and the financial architecture;

● Trade policy and financial stability;

● External debt and trade;

● Market access for highly indebted low-income countries;

● Coherence: a General Council meeting on coherence is scheduled on 13 May 2003; and

● WTO rules.

See WT/WGTDF/1

25 February

Agenda not yet available.

Subjects in the work programme include:

● Emergency safeguard measures;

● Subsidies; and

● Government procurement.

Symposium on Trade and Competition

22 February

Agenda not yet available.

Workshop on Information Technology Products

4–5 March

Agenda not yet available.

Workshop on Technical Barriers to Trade

18 March

Agenda not yet available.