At a meeting on the Work Programme on E-Commerce on 28 January, WTO members shared perspectives on achieving an e-commerce outcome at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), which will take place on 26 to 29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Members continued discussions on the moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions and on the Work Programme.

"You will recall that since November, we have started consideration of two text-based submissions, one by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group and one by the United States and other co-sponsors. In my report to the General Council in December, I asked you to reflect on these submissions and on what you have heard so far," the facilitator of the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, Ambassador Richard Brown of Jamaica said.

"With MC14 now only two months away, it is important to focus our efforts here in Geneva to try and find convergence on the elements that members wish to see in a ministerial decision and that reflects members' collective aspiration on how e-commerce should be addressed at the WTO," Ambassador Brown said. 

Discussions focused on the extension of the moratorium, as well as the reinvigoration of the Work Programme, including with a view to making it more effective and development-focused. Members shared their views on each of the proposals, offered suggestions and expressed readiness to engage to achieve a meaningful outcome for MC14. 

In closing, Ambassador Brown suggested that proponents and interested delegations get together to try to converge on common elements for a draft decision.

The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for 2 March.