At meetings of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Trade and Development on 26 to 27 October 2026, members continued discussions on proposals covering trade as an engine for economic growth and the integration of trade and investment for industrialisation. A group of members introduced a new proposal on capacity building for mutual recognition of professional qualifications. Members exchanged views and shared experiences on the three proposals.
The proposal on trade as an engine for economic growth, submitted by Japan and Switzerland, calls for exchanges of experiences and best practices on trade policies that support economic growth and integration into global value chains. The communication on the integration of trade and investment for industrialisation, submitted by Benin, the People’s Republic of China (China), Comoros, Gambia, Mali and Togo, seeks to deepen discussions on how trade and investment can jointly support industrialisation and development. The new proposal on capacity building for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, submitted by Bangladesh, India, the Kyrgyz Republic, Nepal and Pakistan, calls for targeted technical assistance to help developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) participate more effectively in international services trade.
The Report of the 60th Session of the Joint Advisory Group of the International Trade Centre (ITC), providing an overview of the International Trade Centre (ITC) work, was presented by the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the WTO and chair of the session. The committee also discussed information and tools available to members relating to special and differential treatment (S&DT) provisions in WTO agreements and decisions, with a view to making further progress in these discussions. The committee also welcomed updates on WTO technical assistance activities from the WTO’s Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC).
At a dedicated session on small economies, members continued work towards implementing the Work Programme on Small Economies, focusing on the theme of digital inclusion of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The session included presentations by the ITC and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on tools, insights and outreach on digital trade and inclusion. Belize and Sri Lanka also shared their experiences with digital inclusion initiatives. Members also reviewed progress under the work programme and discussed next steps.
The committee took note of new notifications from the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) concerning their preferential trade schemes for developing economies and LDCs at a dedicated session on preferential trade arrangements. The committee also reviewed developments relating to regional trade agreements and the monitoring mechanism on special and differential treatment at dedicated sessions on these matters.
Next meeting
The Committee’s next meeting, including dedicated sessions, is expected to take place on 15-16 March 2027.