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3 APRIL 2019, GENEVA – Ambassador Manuel A. J. Teehankee, Philippine Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, chaired his first meeting as the new chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) during the Trade Policy Review of Bangladesh, succeeding Ambassador Eloi Laourou of Benin.
The Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) is the WTO body that oversees the implementation of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism, which was created under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1989 to ensure transparency of Members’ trade policies and the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system.
In his election statement, Ambassador Teehankee thanked the Members for entrusting him with the responsibility of chairing the TPRB, the third highest body in the WTO hierarchy.
Ambassador Teehankee chairs the TPRB during a milestone year in the history of the multilateral trading system, as the Members commemorate the 30th anniversary of Trade Policy Review Mechanism.
The new TPRB Chairperson committed to celebrate this milestone in November, when Members can look back on the contribution of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism to the multilateral trading system and exchange views and insights on enhancing and improving the system of review.
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Officers and staff of the Philippine Missions to the WTO and UN in Geneva sing the National Anthem in commemoration of the 120th Philippine Independence Day
H.E. Ambassador Manuel A.J. Teehankee, Philippine Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, delivering the Independence Day message of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs
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GENEVA – Following its first meeting on 17 February 2015, as well as three succeeding technical-level meetings to draft the statement supporting the multilateral trading system for the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting in Boracay in May 2015, Philippine Permanent Representative to the WTO, Ambassador Esteban B. Conejos, Jr., convened the second Heads of Delegation (HoD) meeting of the APEC Geneva Caucus (AGC) on 11 May 2015 at the Centre William Rappard.
Read more: PHILIPPINES CONVENES SECOND HEADS OF DELEGATION MEETING OF THE APEC GENEVA CAUCUS (AGC)
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GENEVA – Following the AGC’s successful delivery of the final Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) statement and the significant results of the APEC meetings held in Boracay last May 2015, Philippine Permanent Representative to the WTO, Ambassador Esteban B. Conejos, Jr., convened the third Heads of Delegation (HoD) meeting of the APEC Geneva Caucus (AGC) on 23 September 2015 at the Centre William Rappard.
With Permanent Representatives and Geneva-based officers of the 21 APEC Economies present at the meeting, Ambassador Conejos reiterated the AGC’s main objective of drafting and endorsing the statements on supporting the multilateral trading system (MTS) for the APEC 2015 Ministerial Meeting and the APEC 2015 Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November.
Ambassador Conejos also recapitulated that despite some outstanding issues, which were eventually resolved in Boracay, Ministers adopted the Caucus’ 11 May draft text of the MRT statement which mentioned the 20th anniversary of the WTO; centrality and primacy of the multilateral trading system; anti-protectionism; full implementation of the Bali package, including the post-Bali work program, TFA, and public stockholding; meaningful MC10 outcomes; the 5th Global Review of Aid for Trade, and the importance of SMEs; and the complementary role of FTAs. He added that at the 3rd Senior Officials Meeting (SOM3) recently held in Cebu, the MRT Statement was likewise discussed, and members were encouraged to ratify the TFA, and for the involved parties to conclude the ITA-II negotiations.
Given that APEC has persistently provided the political push needed to help the WTO overcome its difficulties, and has consistently and strongly supported the work of the WTO through high-level statements and a complementary agenda, Ambassador Conejos proposed that ‘To reinforce its central role in international trade and global economic cooperation, the WTO needs to urgently deliver meaningful outcomes at MC10. As in previous occasions, APEC will provide the necessary political impetus to achieve these outcomes.’ be the theme for the AELM and AMM statements. This theme was warmly welcomed by the Permanent Representatives who subsequently took the floor.
The Philippines will host several HOD and technical-level meetings in October to discuss the draft statement. The Geneva-based Permanent Representatives agreed that the statement must reflect the reality in WTO negotiations, as well as depend on crucial developments that will unfold in the next few weeks. END.
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GENEVA – As the Philippines takes over the chairmanship of the APEC Geneva Caucus (AGC) in 2015, following China’s successful chairmanship, Philippine Permanent Representative to the WTO, Ambassador Esteban B. Conejos, Jr., convened its first meeting on 17 February 2015 at the Centre William Rappard.
In attendance were Permanent Representatives and other Geneva-based officers of the 21 APEC member economies, who lauded the presentations of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for International Economic Relations and APEC 2015 SOM Chair, Laura Q. Del Rosario, and Ambassador Conejos, Jr. as chairman of the AGC, respectively. They also expressed their praises for the APEC Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting (ISOM), which was held in Manila on 08-09 December 2014 and the APEC First Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM 1) in Clark on 26 January to 7 February 2015 – echoing their APEC Senior Officials who attended these meetings.
Undersecretary Del Rosario presented an overview of APEC 2015, themed “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World,” and made significant linkages between APEC and the work of the WTO, saying that “the multilateral trading system is the heart of APEC.”
AGC Members acknowledged the importance of inclusive growth, and the work being done by APEC in this respect. They also noted the crucial role of APEC in a host of issues, including food security, SME development, and counter-terrorism.
Ambassador Conejos, in his presentation, reiterated the main objectives of the AGC, which are to: draft and endorse the statement on supporting the multilateral trading system for the Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting in Boracay on 23-24 May 2015; as well as draft and endorse the statement on supporting the multilateral trading system for the APEC 2015 Ministerial Meeting and the APEC 2015 Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November 2015.
He noted that the statements will highlight that the WTO is 'back on track', and that the WTO needs to deliver concrete outcomes this year. Particular attention will be placed on the ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, the formulation of a post-Bali work program, and a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes.
Ambassador Conejos’ proposals were well received by the Caucus, and Permanent Representatives who took the floor stressed the significance of this year to the WTO, as 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the WTO and the tenth (10th) Ministerial Conference (MC10) will take place on 15-18 December 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya. END.
