UK Statement on Responses to Questions regarding the Agreement on E-Commerce Interim Arrangements
Statement by Kumar Iyer, UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO. Delivered at the General Council of 5-6 October 2026, Geneva, under Agenda Items 7 and 8.
Thank you, Chair.
The UK would like to take this opportunity to respond to both Items 7 and 8 together.
The UK is a strong supporter of the ECA, and we took note of the questions raised by Members at the July General Council. We welcome the Co-Conveners’ written response to those questions in document WT/GC/W/1006.
I would add that this sort of questioning, and the responses that have been given, are very much what this chamber is for. The UK will continue to engage in that process. If we do not respond to all questions that have been raised so far, we will do so going forward, and we should continue that discussion.
This communication, together with the comprehensive statements provided by the Director-General at the July General Council and the Director-General’s communication JOB/GC/522 provides, we believe, a clear and factual response to the questions Members have raised in relation to the ECA and its implementation at the WTO.
We would note that Members have always been able to conduct plurilateral activities at the WTO. These include areas such as the Working Group on MSMEs, Trade and Gender, Investment Facilitation for Development, and Plastics Pollution. Doing so does not require consensus under the Marrakesh Agreement.
We also believe that there is a strong institutional basis for the ECA and its implementation at the WTO. Irrespective of where the ECA was launched and negotiated, the intention always was, and remains to be incorporated into Annex 4, and it is very much rooted in the WTO and its institutions.
Some have noted that the WTO Agreement is silent on whether the Director-General can play the role of depositary. I would also note that the WTO Agreement is silent on whether the Director-General can form a FTA dispute panel, a function the Director-General plays in over 50 agreements involving more than 40 Members, none of which are WTO agreements.
Thirdly, we would note that Secretariat servicing of ECA-related activities represents a continuation, not a change. In response to Members’ requests, the Secretariat provides logistical support for meetings, and facilitates technical assistance and capacity building. This is reflective of the sort of support the Secretariat provides to other groupings at the WTO. Again, I would note the MSME Working Group as an example.
At the Public Forum, we heard consistent expressions of support for the ECA from global representatives across all levels of development. The ECA is a prime example of the WTO delivering - or at least trying to do so - delivering for the real world and delivering for people around the world.
It is an attempt to make progress on an important topic in a transparent and open fashion. Some Members have implied that we should simply pursue an agreement outside the WTO. I would note that all alternatives outside the WTO are less transparent, less open and less inclusive. This is the situation the UK is trying to avoid.
Thank you.