News
10th WTO Ministerial Conference – Nairobi: Resource box
WTO members concluded their Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi on 19 December by securing an historic agreement on a series of trade initiatives. The “Nairobi Package” pays fitting tribute to the Conference host, Kenya, by delivering commitments that will benefit in particular the organization’s poorest members.
The WTO’s Tenth Ministerial Conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 15 to 19 December 2015, the first such meeting hosted by an African nation. The Conference was chaired by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Amina Mohamed.
The Conference was opened on 15 December by Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta. During the opening session, the Conference was also addressed by Ms Mohamed, DG Azevêdo and the Chair of the WTO’s General Council, Fernando de Mateo. They were joined at the Opening Ceremony by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, whose country concluded its WTO membership negotiations on 16 December.
The closing session was held on 19 December.
“This marks the first time our Ministerial Conference is being held in Africa and it is clear to me that all WTO members want to ensure that trade plays its full role as a force for growth and development in Africa and beyond. Africa has 43 WTO members – more than any other continent. So what is good for Africa is good for the WTO.”
Roberto Azevêdo, WTO Director-General
Nairobi Package
The Nairobi Package contains a series of six Ministerial Decisions on agriculture, cotton and issues related to least-developed countries. These include a commitment to abolish export subsidies for farm exports, which Director-General Roberto Azevêdo hailed as the “most significant outcome on agriculture” in the organization’s 20-year history.
The other agricultural decisions cover public stockholding for food security purposes, a special safeguard mechanism for developing countries, and measures related to cotton. Decisions were also made regarding preferential treatment for least developed countries (LDCs) in the area of services and the criteria for determining whether exports from LDCs may benefit from trade preferences.
-
Ministerial Decision on Special Safeguard Mechanism for Developing Country Members
-
Ministerial Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes
-
Ministerial Decision on Preferential Rules of Origin for Least-Developed Countries
Ministers also welcomed the adoption of three Decisions concerning the Regular work under the General Council:
Download the complete Nairobi Package as a single document:
“Two years ago in Bali we did something that the WTO had never done before – we delivered major, multilaterally-negotiated outcomes. This week, here in Nairobi, we saw those same qualities at work. And today, once again, we delivered.”
DG Azevêdo
Background papers
Perspectives on African Trade Performance and Policy and the Role of the Multilateral Trading System - Policy Brief (Patrick Low, Chiedu Osakwe and Maika Oshikawa)
The Agriculture Negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) - tralac Trade Brief (Miriam W. O. Omolo)
News
WTO Members clinch agriculture export competition deal, weigh next steps for negotiating future - ICTSD Bridges Daily Update #5
WTO members secure “historic” Nairobi Package for Africa and the world - 19 December 2015
WTO delivers ground-breaking deal for development - 19 December 2015
As clock runs down, WTO Nairobi talks kick into gear - ICTSD Bridges Daily Update #4
Azevêdo welcomes efforts to help implement Trade Facilitation Agreement - 17 December 2015
Technology trade deal reached at Nairobi WTO Ministerial - ICTSD Bridges Daily Update #3
WTO members conclude landmark $1.3 trillion IT trade deal - 16 December 2015
President Kenyatta hails approval by ministers of Liberia’s WTO membership - 16 December 2015
WTO members urged to crown successful year of multilateral diplomacy with Nairobi deal - 15 December 2015
WTO negotiating function under scrutiny as Ministerial begins - ICTSD Bridges Daily Update #2
Divides run deep as Ministers arrive at Nairobi WTO meet - ICTSD Bridges Daily Update #1
Ministerial statements
Fisheries Subsidies: Ministerial Statement, Revision | 19 December 2015
ACP Ministerial Communiqué on the Tenth Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference | 18 December 2015
G90 Ministerial Communiqué on the Tenth Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference | 18 December 2015
Arab Ministerial Meeting: Communiqué | 15 December 2015
Statement of the 39th Cairns Group Ministerial Meeting | 14 December 2015
LDC Trade Ministers’ Meeting: Ministerial Declaration | 14 December 2015
G-33 Ministerial Communiqué | 14 December 2015
Ministerial Conference documents and submissions
Draft Decision on Regional Trade Agreements: Communication from Brazil | 18 December 2015
Services transparency in domestic regulation: Submission by Australia and Canada | 11 December 2015
Statement on Export Competition: Submission by the Philippines | 9 December 2015
Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, letter to WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo | 9 December 2015
Joint Communication from 29 developing and developed Members | 7 December 2015
The three facilitators appointed by Director-General Roberto Azevêdo to support members to develop a Ministerial Declaration for the WTO’s 10th Ministerial Conference presented their draft Declaration text at a meeting of all members on Friday, 27 November.
The facilitators (Ambassador Gabriel Duque of Colombia, Ambassador Harald Neple of Norway and Ambassador Stephen Karau of Kenya) prepared this text at the request of members, after an intensive period of consultations on the shape, structure and content of a potential Ministerial Declaration. The facilitators used textual proposals made by members to develop their draft. At the request of members, they also excluded the most contentious issues from their draft, leaving them to be addressed via a separate process.
-
African Group Proposed Language on NFIDCs: Part III of the Facilitators’ Text | 3 December 2015
-
African Group Additions to the Facilitators’ Room W Document | 2 December 2015
Submission by Egypt on Part III of the Nairobi Declaration | 12 November 2015
Draft Inputs into MC10 Declaration from the ACP Group | 10 November 2015
ACP Group Declaration on the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC10) | 21 October 2015
