PHL envoy appointed chair of WTO environment body

A Philippine envoy now chairs the World Trade Organization's Committee on Trade and Environment, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

 The DFA said Philippine permanent representative to the WTO Esteban Conejos Jr.'s appointment came during the WTO General Council meeting in Geneva, Switzerland last Feb. 25.

 "Ambassador Conejos, who presented his credentials as Philippine Permanent Representative to the WTO on July 27, 2012, succeeds Ambassador Krisda Piampongsant, former Permanent Representative of Thailand to the WTO," the DFA said.

 Conejos will have a one-year term, with the possibility of reappointment.

 His appointment had the endorsement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Committee in Geneva and the Asian Group of Developing Countries.

 Conejos vowed to continue the tradition of being impartial and objective, and to ensure transparency and inclusiveness in decision-making and consultative processes, the DFA said.

 "He also pledged to facilitate consensus, and to help the member-driven organization achieve progress for the benefit of all," it added.

 The DFA said the Committee on Trade and Environment, one of the subsidiary bodies of the WTO General Council, is the forum "dedicated to dialogue between governments on the impact of trade policies on the environment, and of environment policies on trade."

 It was created through the 1994 Ministerial Decision on Trade and Environment, and has followed a comprehensive work program.

 The CTE covers trade and the environment in general, liberalization and trade barriers, and taxes, to individual sectors such as services and intellectual property, and relations with environmental organizations. With its broad-based mandate.

 Also, it has contributed to bringing environmental and sustainable development issues into the mainstream of WTO’s work, the DFA said.

 Under the 2001 Doha Declaration, it focuses on:

 - effects of environmental measures on market access
- relevant provisions of the intellectual property agreement
- labeling requirements for environmental purposes
- technical assistance
- sharing expertise for national environmental reviews
- environmental aspects of the Doha negotiations.

 Conejos' selection was made through consensus by the membership, the DFA said.

 "According to WTO guidelines, the choice of a chairperson should primarily reflect the capacity and the availability of that person to undertake the special responsibilities required of such posts in the WTO system," it said. — LBG, GMA News - See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/297016/pinoyabroad/news/phl-envoy-appointed-chair-of-wto-environment-body#sthash.7O3xvhhi.dpuf

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