Report of the Preparatory Committee to the fifteenth session of the Conference

At its 1215th (closing) plenary meeting, on 2 July 2021, the Trade and Development Board agreed on a method of work for the negotiations of the Preparatory Committee for the period from 2 July 2021 to the opening of the fifteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. First, the aim of the meeting of the Preparatory Committee scheduled for 19 July 2021 would be to gavel ad referendum all paragraphs that could be resolved primarily through adjustments in the language used in drafting. Between 2 and 19 July 2021, informal-informal negotiations should continue. Second, the aim would be to have a clean draft negotiating text for endorsement at the end of the thirty-second special session of the Board, to be held from 6 to 8 September 2021. To that end, on 25 and 26 August 2021, the Chair of the Preparatory Committee would have a series of “confessionals” at which the Friends of the Chair would work with delegates to identify areas of convergence and divergence in relation to outstanding issues. Delegates could begin to share their views on outstanding issues prior to those dates. Based on the feedback from the confessionals, the Chair and the Friends of the Chair would engage in facilitation to attain the aim of a clean draft negotiating text by the close of the special session on 8 September 2021. As the introduction, chapter I and chapter II had been largely resolved, the allocation of specific remaining paragraphs to each Friend of the Chair would be determined after 19 July 2019. The Chair and two Friends of the Chair (Argentina, Ireland) would facilitate the remainder of chapter III. The two other Friends of the Chair (Lebanon, Panama) would facilitate the remainder of chapter IV.