Phl chairs WTO body on trade facilitation

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has been named chair of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation during the Committee’s first meeting last Jan. 31, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. 

Ambassador Esteban Conejos Jr. was selected chairman after consultations conducted by Ambassador Sahid Bashir, General Council chairman, with the assistance of Ambassador Jonathan Fried (Canada), chairman of the Dispute Settlement Body, and Ambassador Mario Matus (Chile), former chairman of the General Council. 

In his acceptance statement, Conejos thanked the delegations for their confidence and vowed to continue the long-standing tradition of the Trade Facilitation work taking place in a member-driven, bottom-up, inclusive and transparent way.  

Conejos plans to hold consultations next week to get the delegations’ views on how to best achieve the collective goals of the Committee. 

At the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali held from Dec. 3 to 7, 2013, WTO members concluded the negotiation of the landmark Agreement on Trade Facilitation, the first multilateral trade pact since the establishment of the WTO in 1995. 

In the agreement, members established a Preparatory Committee on Trade Facilitation under the General Council, open to all members, to perform such functions as may be necessary to ensure the expeditious entry into force of the agreement and to prepare for the efficient operation of the agreement upon its entry into force.  Conejos could lead efforts towards these objectives. 

Ambassador Conejos is the chairman of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment.  He is also a member of the management board of the advisory on WTO Law.