BALI SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON THE WTO Bali (Indonesia), 2 and 5 December 2013
	Organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the European Parliament with the support of the Indonesian House of Representatives

	The Parliamentary Conference on the WTO is a joint undertaking of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the European Parliament. Its principal objective is to enhance the external transparency of the WTO and make this intergovernmental organization accountable to legislators as elected representatives of the people. Sessions of the Parliamentary Conference are held annually and in connection with WTO Ministerial Conferences. The smooth running of this process is ensured by the Conference Steering Committee. The Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC9) will take place in Bali, Indonesia, from 3 to 6 December 2013, at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre (BNDCC). As on past occasions, the IPU and the European Parliament will organize, with the support of the Indonesian House of Representatives, a parallel parliamentary session in Bali. The Bali session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO will take place on 2 and 5 December 2013 at Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas, one of the official recommended hotels of MC9. Situated close to Bali International Airport in the Patra Jasa Kuta area, some 20 minutes' drive from the venue of the Ministerial Conference, this hotel has appropriate meeting facilities and will be easily accessible for MC9 delegates by courtesy shuttle service (see map). The session will include two sittings, the first of which will take place on 2 December, when most delegates will already be in Bali but not yet too busy at the Ministerial Conference. The second sitting will take place towards the end of MC9, in the afternoon of 5 December, when the outlines of the eventual agreement at the Ministerial Conference will already be known. In between these two dates, parliamentarians will be expected to work with their respective national delegations to MC9 and will also have the possibility of attending various parallel events and activities taking place on the premises of the Ministerial Conference. The parliamentary session is intended for legislators who are involved in parliamentary activities dealing with international trade, finance and development. The session will provide them with an opportunity to obtain first-hand information on progress made at MC9, interact with government negotiators and WTO officials, exchange views and experiences with colleagues in other parliaments and engage in a dialogue with civil society representatives. At the end of its work, the session is expected to adopt an outcome document. Participation in the session is guided by the general principles set out in Article 2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO. The session is intended primarily for legislators who are directly involved in parliamentary activities dealing with international trade and development. Parliaments are strongly urged to ensure that their members are included in their country's official national delegation to MC9. This is by far the easiest way to ensure that their transportation, visa, and accommodation needs are taken care of in a centralized way. More importantly, they will then be automatically accredited to the Ministerial Conference and receive ID badges offering them unrestricted access both to BNDCC, where MC9 will be taking place, and to Patra Jasa Resort, the venue of the parliamentary session. If for some reason a parliamentary delegate will not have an MC9 badge, a special "Parliamentary Session" badge will be issued by the IPU registration desk at Patra Jasa Resort. Parliamentary delegates are required to return their registration forms to the IPU Secretariat by 1 November 2013. Important notice posted on 11 November 2013: According to the information provided by the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, persons wearing "Parliamentary Session" badges will be allowed to enter the BNDCC, the premises of the Ministerial Conference, and will have access to all public venues, except for working sessions and plenary meetings. They will also be able to use shuttle buses connecting the BNDCC with the 63 official MC9 hotels, including Patra Jasa Resort & Villas. Members of parliament and accompanying staff travelling to Bali outside the framework of their countries' official national delegations to MC9 are responsible for making their own travel and accommodation arrangements and obtaining entry visas for Indonesia, if necessary. Information about accommodation. A certain number of rooms have been made available for parliamentary delegates at the Patra Jasa Resort & Villas, the venue of the parliamentary session. For reservation purposes, delegates are invited to contact Mr. Lanang Astina, Hotel Reservation Manager, by e-mail (lanank@thepatrabali.com and reservation@thepatrabali.com), with a copy to nita@deobali.com. In order to get special rates, delegates must indicate the reference "IPU Geneva (Bali Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO)" in their accommodation requests.

Updated on 3 December 2013

SESSION DOCUMENTS

	Outcome document	[English] [French] [English] [French]
	List of participants	[Bilingual]
	Opening speech of Mr. Phairoj Tanbanjong (Thailand), member of the IPU Executive Committee	[English] [French]
	Opening speech of Mr. Marzuki Alie, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia	[English only]
	Important notice concerning access to the premises of the Ministerial Conference	[Bilingual]
	Additional information on the organization of work	[English] [French]
	Discussion paper on the substantive theme "Reflections on the post-Bali agenda of multilateral trade negotiations" prepared by Mr. P. Rübig (European Parliament) PC-WTO/2013/3(a)-R.1 (14 October 2013)	[English] [French]
	Discussion paper on the substantive theme "Reflections on the post-Bali agenda of multilateral trade negotiations" prepared by Mr. P.C. Chako (India) PC-WTO/2013/3(a)-R.2 (14 October 2013)	[English] [French]
	Discussion paper on the substantive theme "Can bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements bring faster results than the multilateral process?" prepared by Mr. H. Scholz (European Parliament) PC-WTO/2013/3(b)-R.1 (14 October 2013)	[English] [French]
	Discussion paper on the substantive theme "Can bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements bring faster results than the multilateral process?" prepared by Senator L.A. Heber (Uruguay) and presented in Bali by Mr. H. Napoleão (Brazil) PC-WTO/2013/3(b)-R.2 (14 October 2013)	[English] [French]
	Annotated provisional agenda	[English] [French] [English] [French]
	Invitation	[English] [French]
	Practical information note	[English] [French]
	Provisional programme (version 29/11/13)	[English] [French] [English] [French]
	Additional information concerning accommodation arrangements	[English] [French]
	Registration form	[Bilingual] [Bilingual]
	Advance information letter	[English] [French]
	Booking of hotel rooms in Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas (e-mail service)	lanank@thepatrabali.com and reservation@thepatrabali.com
	Rules of Procedure of the Conference	[English] [French] [English] [French]
	Steering Committee of the Conference	[English] [French]
	List of international organisations invited to follow the work of the Conference as observers	[English] [French]
RELATED SITES AND DOCUMENTS
	Committee on International Trade, European Parliament	[English] [French]
	Indonesian House of Representatives	[In Indonesian only]
	World Trade Organization	[English] [French]
	9th WTO Ministerial Conference (official website)	[English] [French]
	Logistics information about the Ministerial Conference	[In English only]
	Patra Jasa Bali Resort and Villas (venue of the parliamentary session)	[In English only]
	Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre (venue of the Ministerial Conference)	[In English only]
	Booking of hotel rooms in Bali through PT. Royalindo Expoduta (e-mail service)	nelse@royalindo.com
	Information concerning visas for Indonesia	[English] [French]
	The Parliamentary Conference on the WTO: A decade-long success story. Report to the 191st session of the Governing Council of the IPU (Quebec City, October 2012)	[English] [French]
PREVIOUS SESSIONS OF THE CONFERENCE
	Annual 2012 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (Geneva, 15-16 November 2012)	[English] [French]
	Annual 2011 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (Geneva, 21-22 March 2011)	[English] [French]
	Annual 2008 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (Geneva, 11-12 September 2008)	[English] [French]
	Annual 2006 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (Geneva, 1-2 December 2006)	[English] [French]
	Hong Kong session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (Hong Kong, 12 and 15 December 2005)	[English] [French]
	Brussels session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (Brussels, 24-26 November 2004)	[English] [French]
	Cancún session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (Cancún, 9 and 12 September 2003)	[English] [French]
	Annual 2003 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (Geneva, 17 and 18 February 2003)	[English] [French]
DECLARATIONS AND MEETINGS OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE
	Declaration adopted by the 28th session of the Steering Committee (Brussels, 28 and 29 May 2013)	[English] [French]
	Declaration adopted by the 25th session of the Steering Committee (Brussels, 7 and 8 May 2012)	[English] [French]
	Statement adopted by the 21st session of the Steering Committee (Geneva, 24 and 25 June 2010)	[English] [French]
	Enlarged session of the Steering Committee held on the occasion of the 7th WTO Ministerial Conference (Geneva, 1 December 2009)	[English] [French]
RELATED EVENTS
	Parliamentary Panel within the framework of the WTO Public Forum 2011 (Geneva, 20 September 2011)	[English] [French]
	Parliamentary Panel within the framework of the WTO Public Forum 2010 (Geneva, 16 September 2010)	[English] [French]
	Parliamentary Panel within the framework of the WTO Public Forum 2009 (Geneva, 30 September 2009)	[English] [French]
	Parliamentary Panel within the framework of the WTO Public Symposium 2007 (Geneva, 4 October 2007)	[English] [French]
	Parliamentary Panel within the framework of the WTO Public Symposium 2005 (Geneva, 22 April 2005)	[English] [French]
	Parliamentary Panel within the framework of the WTO Public Symposium 2003 (Geneva, 17 June 2003)	[English] [French]
Note: Documents in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader

ANNOTATED PROVISIONAL AGENDA
1.	Adoption of the agenda
2.	Policy dialogue with Ministers and senior WTO officials
		During the sitting on 2 December, parliamentary delegates will be briefed on the status of pre-Ministerial Conference consultations between WTO Members. The dialogue will continue at the sitting on 5 December, when the outlines of the eventual MC9 decisions will already be more or less known. On both occasions, parliamentarians will interact directly with some of the Ministers and senior WTO officials who collectively share the responsibility for advancing the Doha Development Agenda.
3.	Debate on substantive themes
	(a)	Reflections on the post-Bali agenda of multilateral trade negotiations
		Given the accumulated burden of a multiyear stalemate in Doha Round negotiations, it would be unrealistic to expect that the Ministerial Conference in Bali could resolve outstanding problems across the board. The Conference may, however, give much-needed impetus to the reflection on how to pursue fresh and credible approaches to advancing trade negotiations, including through the use of alternative negotiating paths. Delegates will be invited to exchange views on a possible parliamentary contribution to the advancement of a longer-term multilateral trade policy agenda better adapted to 21st century realities.
	(b)	Can bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements bring faster results than the multilateral process?
		It is sometimes argued that plurilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements enable parties to reach levels of trade liberalization that go beyond multilateral consensus and address specific issues that do not figure on the multilateral agenda. Can such agreements complement the WTO system and serve as building blocks for future multilateral trade liberalization? Or is regulatory fragmentation detrimental to the multilateral regime?
4.	Panel discussions
	(a)	Streamlining administrative and other trade-related official procedures. What role for parliaments?
		Trade facilitation is meant to reduce red tape and simplify customs and other procedures for handling goods at borders. What are the priority tasks for legislators in creating a more transparent, predictable and efficient environment for cross-border trade? What would the resulting trade gains be for developed and developing countries?
	(b)	Making the benefits of trade work for sustainable development, job creation and poverty alleviation
		As recognized by the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO on previous occasions, the benefits of trade are not automatic and trade itself is a necessary but insufficient condition for triggering and sustaining growth and development. What further measures can be initiated by parliaments to address the trade-employment nexus, stimulate domestic demand and make the trading system work for the poor?
5.	Adoption of the outcome document
		At the end of the session, the participants will be invited to adopt an outcome document, a draft of which will be prepared by the Conference Steering Committee.

Updated on 3 December 2013
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
Monday, 2 DECEMBER
08:30 - 18:00	Registration of participants
09:30 - 10:00	Inaugural session
	Mr. Phairoj Tanbanjong, Member of the IPU Executive Committee Mr. Vital Moreira, President of the Committee on International Trade, European Parliament Mr. Karl Brauner, WTO Deputy Director-General Mr. Marzuki Alie, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia
10:00 - 12:00	Presentation of reports and debate on substantive theme (a):
	Reflections on the post-Bali agenda of multilateral trade negotiations
	Rapporteurs Mr. Paul Rübig, Member of the European Parliament Mr. Panacheril C. Chacko, MP (India)
12:00 - 13:00	Policy dialogue with Ministers and senior WTO officials
	Guest speakers Mr. Gita Irawan Wirjawan, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, Chairperson of the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference Ambassador Shahid Bashir, Chairman of the WTO General Council, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the WTO Ambassador Angelos Pangratis, Permanent Representative of the European Union to the WTO in Geneva
13:00 - 14:30	Lunch break
14:30 - 16:00	Interactive panel discussion
	Streamlining administrative and other trade-related official procedures. What role for parliaments?
	Moderator Ms. Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director, Directorate for WTO, Legal Affairs and Trade in Goods, Directorate-General for Trade, European Commission
	Panelists Senator Jean Bizet, (France) Mr. Niccolò Rinaldi, Member of the European Parliament Mr. James Bacchus, former Chairman of the WTO Appellate Body, former Congressman (USA)
16:00 - 18:00	Presentation of reports and debate on substantive theme (b):
	Can bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements bring faster results than the multilateral process?
	Rapporteurs Mr. Helmut Scholz, Member of the European Parliament Mr. Hugo Napoleão, MP (Brazil)
19:00	Dinner reception courtesy of the host parliament (Hotel Westin)
Thursday, 5 DECEMBER
08:30 - 18:00	Registration of participants
09:30 - 13:00	Meeting of the Steering Committee (in camera)
14:30 - 15:00	Briefing session
	Progress report on MC9 negotiations
	Guest speaker Mr. Karl Brauner, WTO Deputy Director-General
15:00 - 17:00	Interactive panel discussion
	Making the benefits of trade work for sustainable development, job creation and poverty alleviation
	Special guest Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
	Panelists Mr. Piet van der Walt, MP (Namibia) Mr. Jörg Leichtfried, Member of the European Parliament Mr. Kazutoshi Chatani, Economist, ILO
17:00 - 17:30	Continuation and end of debate on substantive themes
17:30 - 18:00	Closing session: adoption of the outcome document
	Rapporteur Mr. Vital Moreira, President of the Committee on International Trade, European Parliament

Updated on 2 October 2013

STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON THE WTO

The Steering Committee of the Conference is currently composed of representatives of the following parliaments and international organizations: Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, Jordan, Namibia, Panama, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Uganda, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, European Parliament, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and World Trade Organization.

DIRECTIONS TO PATRA JASA BALI RESORT & VILLAS

The venue of the parliamentary session, Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas, is situated close to Bali International Airport in the Patra Jasa Kuta area, some 20 minutes' drive from the venue of the WTO Ministerial Conference, Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre (BNDCC), and the MC9 Accreditation Centre (Melia Bali Hotel). Patra Jasa Resort can be reached from all official MC9 hotels in Bali using a free-of-charge shuttle bus service provided by the organizers of the Ministerial Conference.

Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas
Address: Jl. Ir. H Juanda, South Kuta Beach, Kuta 80361, Bali, Indonesia
Phone: +62 361 9351 161
Fax: +62 361 9352 030
E-mail: reservation@thepatrabali.com