TESSD participants converge around priorities, discuss workplan towards MC15

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Ronald Saborío of Costa Rica, a Co-Convenor of the TESSD discussions, reflected on the initiative's evolution. He noted that TESSD has developed into an important platform for sustained and inclusive dialogue on trade and environmental sustainability. He emphasized that the compilation of the TESSD outcomes from the 14^th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) - the MC14 Package - demonstrates how focused technical cooperation can deliver tangible outcomes and concrete value for members, and can foster trust and confidence within the WTO.

Ambassador Nadia Theodore of Canada, also a Co-Convenor of TESSD, presented the Co-Convenors' efforts to promote awareness and understanding of the wealth of technical information contained in the TESSD MC14 Package among policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders. She introduced two booklets currently being developed by the Co-Convenors to support these efforts. The first booklet is intended to provide a high-level overview of the TESSD MC14 Package, including key elements of its five technical outcomes. The second booklet aims to distil ten insights from the Co-Convenors' Report, which provides an overarching account of TESSD's work since 2020.

Ambassador Saborío presented the results of a survey conducted by the Co-Convenors among TESSD co-sponsors and stakeholders to gather views on priorities, working methods and potential deliverables in the lead-up to MC15. He noted that the survey results demonstrate convergence around three priority areas: environmental goods and services, trade-related climate measures, and the circular economy and circularity. The area of trade-related environmental provisions in international instruments also garnered broad support from co-sponsors as a new topic for exploratory technical discussions. The survey findings also indicated a preference for retaining the co-facilitation model, in which two co-sponsors help to lead each workstream, and for keeping the meeting format more flexible by moving away from working groups and allowing work to advance based on specific issues and members' interests.

Building on the survey results, Ambassador Theodore outlined the emerging priorities and work modalities in the lead-up to MC15, emphasizing a shift toward a more focused, practical and flexible approach. The Co-Convenors envisage three workstreams, as well as a new exploratory workstream, and they proposed moving toward more flexible and topic-specific meetings.

She noted that facilitators of the four workstreams will be working closely with the TESSD co-sponsors to identify specific topics and appropriate work modalities. Ambassador Theodore indicated that eight co-sponsors have already expressed interest in serving as co-facilitators, and encouraged more members to support the facilitation of TESSD technical discussions.

Members broadly supported the Co-Convenors' efforts to disseminate the technical information contained in the TESSD MC14 Package and to develop concise and visually accessible materials for wider range of stakeholders. In their initial reactions, members and stakeholders offered feedback, including suggestions regarding the use of the booklets, and requested an opportunity to provide more detailed inputs before the final versions are circulated.

They also thanked the Co-Convenors for compiling and analysing the survey submissions. Some noted that the survey exercise had usefully "checked the pulse" of co-sponsors and provided a signal about members' views regarding the TESSD post-MC14 direction. Some participants raised questions about some of the results and the direction and nature of TESSD work and sought further clarification regarding the proposed workplan.

In closing the meeting, the Co-Convenors said they will consult with facilitators over the coming weeks and circulate a workplan for further discussion.