Canada’s interventions – WTO General Council

November 22 and 23, 2021

4. REVIEW OF THE OPERATION OF THE BALI DECISION ON TRQ ADMINISTRATION – REPORT TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL (G/AG/32)

• Thank you Chair.
• Canada welcomes the introduction of the report on the review and operation of the Bali TRQ underfill mechanism.
• Chair, the General Council is tasked with agreeing to recommendations on how to improve the operation of the Bali TRQ underfill mechanism in regards to paragraph 4 on special and differential treatment.
• In our view, the proposed changes to paragraph 4 strikes the appropriate balance that would provide effective Special and Differential Treatment for developing country Members and at the same time ensuring that all Members would be subject to the underfill mechanism.
• The proposed changes in the report also would mean that Annex B could be removed from the decision as its original intention was to ensure that paragraph 4 would allow for effective special and differential treatment.
• To conclude, Canada fully supports the adoption of this report, and the recommended changes to paragraph 4 of Annex A of the Bali Decision.
• We call on all Members to join consensus and adopt the report and changes to paragraph 4 of the Bali TRQ underfill mechanism.
• Thank you Chair.

7. PREPARATIONS FOR THE TWELFTH SESSION OF THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE

B. WTO RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC – REPORT BY THE FACILITATOR

• Thank you, Chair.
• As this is my first intervention today, at 17h30, please let me warmly welcome the Minister co-chair of Kazakhstan and that Canada is committed to reaching with him a meaningful outcome at MC12. Let me also thank David. I wish you the very best in your future endeavour.
• Let me also invite us to replace analogies to cricket with the now more meaningful analogy that is hockey.
• Canada wishes to express a deep appreciation to Ambassador Walker for his perseverance and his patience with Members to get us to this point.
• An MC12 outcome with a clear and unambiguous indication of Members’ resolve to do no harm in the current situation, and that sets in motion work to learn how to react better in a future pandemic, with a specific timeline for a result, is a sine qua non for Canada.
• Your October 25 text was a baseline for Canada, but we have heard different voices in this organization and have worked to recognize the issues raised, always mindful of parallel conversations on these same topics in other WTO bodies.
• We trust in your judgement and expect that the modified text you will circulate shortly will be a fair and balanced reflection of all the different trade and health related discussions across this organization, and that it can signal a credible and meaningful WTO response to the pandemic.
• We also expect it will put us on a defined path to learn from our recent experiences and create a framework to prevent us from repeating any mistakes made.
• Canada looks forward to an agreement amongst Members on a package of trade and health measures at MC12, and commits to actively contributing to the work ahead.
• Thank you Chair.

8. WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

B. COMMUNICATION FROM AUSTRALIA; CANADA; CHILE; COLOMBIA; COSTA RICA; ECUADOR; EL SALVADOR; GEORGIA; GUATEMALA; HONG KONG, CHINA; ICELAND; KOREA, REPUBLIC OF; MEXICO; NEW ZEALAND; NORWAY; PERU; SINGAPORE; SWITZERLAND; SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU; THAILAND; UKRAINE; UNITED KINGDOM AND URUGUAY (WT/GC/W/831/REV.2) 

• Canada, as one of the co-sponsors of the document WT/GC/W/831.Rev4, associates itself with the statement delivered by Switzerland on behalf of the co-sponsors.
• We welcome the new co-sponsors and the overall increased openness to support that the extension of the work program and the moratorium that we have heard in past GC consultation meetings. We also wish to thank you Chair for your efforts.
• While we are a strong supporter for a permanent moratorium, we believe the most viable, inclusive and realistic option for MC12 is to maintain the longstanding practice of extending the moratorium and the work program until MC13.
• We trust our proposal can represent a compromised, balanced way forward, taking into account past Ministerial Conference practices, and allowing us to continue discussion on a vast range of topics, in appropriate configurations.
• Moreover, Canada continues to see the value of continuing discussion under the Work Program on issues of Members’ interests related to digital trade and the digital divide, in the context that the e-commerce moratorium is also extended.
• Canada remains open to engage with Members on specific text-based proposals towards a consensus-based outcome.
• Thank you Chair.

12. PROPOSED GENERAL COUNCIL DECISION ON PROCEDURES TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY AND IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS UNDER WTO AGREEMENTS – ARGENTINA; AUSTRALIA; CANADA; CHILE; COSTA RICA; THE EUROPEAN UNION; ICELAND; ISRAEL; JAPAN; REPUBLIC OF KOREA; MEXICO; NEW ZEALAND; NORWAY; PARAGUAY; THE PHILIPPINES; SINGAPORE; SWITZERLAND; THE SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU; UNITED KINGDOM; AND THE UNITED STATES (JOB/GC/204/REV.8 - JOB/CTG/14/REV.8) 

• Thank you Chair.
• Canada remains convinced of the long-term benefits approval of this proposal would bring to our organization.
• Much of our discussion over the past year-and-a-half has been about the importance of improved transparency and how it can help us all respond to crisis situations.
• This proposal offers us an opportunity to examine how to support those improvements, to find new tools to support each Member’s effort to comply with the notification obligations, and to encourage the provision of the assistance we all know produces positive results.
• Canada supports its adoption.
• Thank you Chair.

13. PROPOSED MINISTERIAL DECISION ON STRENGTHENING RESILIENCY AND PREPAREDNESS THROUGH TRADE FACILITATION – COSTA RICA; JAPAN; MEXICO; NORWAY; PANAMA; URUGUAY; AND THE UNITED STATES (WT/GC/W/836)

• Thank you Chair.
• Canada thanks the United States and the co-sponsors for this proposed ministerial decision on strengthening resiliency and preparedness through trade facilitation. 
• Canada shares the co-sponsors’ beliefs that focused discussions among members on trade facilitative measures that contribute to building resiliency and ensure preparedness for future crises is important. 
• As such, Canada is pleased to join as a co-sponsor of this proposed ministerial decision and we look forward to working with members in this area.
• Thank you Chair.

14. PROPOSED SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY DECLARATION FOR THE TWELFTH WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE: RESPONDING TO MODERN SPS CHALLENGES - ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, BELIZE, BRAZIL, BURKINA FASO, CABO VERDE, CANADA, CHILE, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, CÔTE D'IVOIRE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, THE GAMBIA, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, JAPAN, MEXICO, NEW ZEALAND, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, PERU, SENEGAL, SINGAPORE, TAJIKISTAN, TOGO, THE UNITED STATES, UKRAINE, URUGUAY AND VIET NAM (WT/GC/W/835 – G/SPS/GEN/1758/REV.9)

• Thank you Chair.
• Canada is pleased to introduce the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Declaration for the Twelfth Ministerial Conference: Responding to Modern SPS Challenges.
• A revision of the declaration, now including the African Group and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) Group as cosponsors, was issued last night. And when I say last night I am not sure whether it was last night or the night before. I now hear someone letting me know that it was two nights ago.
• We warmly welcome the new co-sponsors and are encouraged by this positive development.
• With now 89 co-sponsors, the Declaration underlines the benefits of the SPS Agreement to all WTO Members and reaffirms the continuing importance of adhering to its obligations.
• Chair, the global agricultural landscape has evolved since the adoption of the SPS Agreement in 1995. There are new opportunities and emerging pressures relating to international trade in food, animals and plants, such as climate change, population growth, the pace of innovation, shifting pest and disease pressures, and environmental sustainability.
• If Members are to address these demands, the proponents of the SPS Declaration believe that transparent, science and risk-based approaches will be the essential means to do so.
• The SPS Declaration expresses a fundamental point: enhanced implementation of the SPS Agreement is essential to address the challenges and opportunities of the global agricultural landscape.
• Importantly, through the SPS Declaration, the Ministerial Conference will instruct the SPS Committee to examine SPS issues arising from emerging pressures that impact trade and to report findings and any consensus recommendations to the 13th Ministerial Conference.
• Over the past 20 months, co-sponsors have engaged with Members, leading to a SPS Declaration that it is representative of the views of diverse WTO Members.
• I would also like to be clear that the Declaration does not in any way indicate that there is a need to launch the negotiation of SPS obligations or reopen the SPS Agreement. Rather, it recognizes the value of the Agreement in guiding our collective response to global challenges.
• In conclusion, and in light of the growing momentum for adopting this Declaration at MC12, the co-sponsors are requesting that this item be submitted to the Ministerial Conference for consideration by Ministers.
• Thank you Chair.