WORLD TRADE WT/L/221
2July1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2746)
Original: English
HOLY SEE-REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS INTHE
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE AND THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Thefollowing communication, dated 19June1997, received fromtheHolySeeandcontaining
itsrequest forobserver status intheMinisterial Conference andtheGeneral Council iscirculated to
Members.
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A. TheHoly SeeandtheVatican CityState
1. TheHoly See,according tothetheory andpractice ofinternational law,isanindependent
andsovereign subject, thathasalways beenrecognized assuch, enjoying anunderived legalpersonality
andinternational capacity.
2. TheHolySeehassovereign jurisdiction overtheVatican CityState. Constituted bytheLateran
Treaty (1929), theVatican CityState hasasitsmain purpose toguarantee andmanifest theinherent
independence andsovereignty oftheHoly Seeandtofacilitate theaccomplishment ofitsworldwide
mission.
B. TheHoly SeeandtheInternational Community
3. TheHolySeehasestablished diplomatic relations with165states, including almost allthe131
fullMembers oftheWTO andits29observer Members. Itenjoys thestatus ofapermanent observer
indifferent agencies andbodies oftheUnited Nations system andincertain regional organizations,
while itisafullmember ofIAEA, WIPO, UNCTAD andOSCE. Inorder topromote cooperation
andensure close relationships withtheabove institutions, theHoly Seemaintains permanent missions
inNewYork, Geneva, Vienna, Rome, Paris, Washington andStrasburg, andanApostolic Nunciature
(Embassy) totheEuropean Communities inBrussels.
4. TheHolySeefirmly believes thatinternational lifecannot function without common objective
andmoral values expressed inacomprehensive international legalsystem. Thus, theHolySeeconsiders
theaction ofinternational organizations, anditsownpresence within them, asappropriate instruments
forthefurtherance ofpeace, justice, economic andsocial progress, andsolidarity among nations.
5. TheHolySeehasactively shared intheprocess ofcodification ofinternational law,participating
inspecific conferences andmany meetings forthedevelopment ofinternational, private andcommercial
law. Itcontributes tothedevelopment ofinternational legal instruments (multilateral treaties and
conventions, resolutions, recommendations, declarations) onsubjects related topeace, human rights,
international cooperation, humanitarian international law,development, environment, etc.
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C. TheHoly SeeandtheWTO
6. Following theinformal suggestions ofmany countries andacknowledging theprima facie
consensus oftheCouncil meeting ofApril 1997, theHoly Seewishes toexpress itswillingness to
establish official andpermanent relations withtheWTO, asanobserver totheMinisterial Conference
andtotheGeneral Council. Aware oftheinternational importance ofthisnewInternational
Governmental Organization, theHoly Seewishes tofollow itsfuture development, anddesires to
cooperate initsactivities, taking intoaccount theHoly See'snature, characteristics andmeans.
7. Inparticular, theHoly Seeunderstands thatanequitable international trade system isoneof
thekeyfactors indevelopment, andthatthegeneral commitments assumed bycountries intheMarrakesh
Final Actcould promote abetter international understanding, suitable fortheeconomic progress of
allcountries, including theleastdeveloped ones.
8. From aninternational lawstandpoint, theHoly Seeconsiders thatthecreation oftheWTO
constitutes amajor innovation intended toimplement anequitable anduniversal system, based onthe
ruleoflaw,andtoexclude unfair unilateral commercial actions. TheWTO 'sactivity seems destined
topromote alegalframework ofinternational trade lawwithdecisive influence onthewhole spanof
relations between countries, including thestrengthening ofpeace.
D. Trade LawintheVatican CityState (VCS)
9. Since theHoly Seeisnotapplying forWTO membership, anymention ofthetrade status of
theVCS would seem irrelevant toitspresence asanobserver totheWTO. Allthelegal, trade and
technical relations oftheVCSwithanyother international subject aredetermined byitsspecific nature
asguarantor andsignoftheinherent independence andsovereignty oftheHoly See. TheVCSisa
fullyindependent custom territory, distinct anddifferent fromItaly, andanon-member oftheEuropean
Communities. Asarule,thesmall flowofgoods entering intoorleaving theVCSareexports ofthe
country aquoandimports oftheVCS, ortheexports fromtheVCSandimports ofthecountry adquem.
These aresubject togenerally accepted customs procedures. However, duetotheinsignificant size
ofitsinternational trade, suchcommerce doesnotwarrant anyspecial economic ortrade policy.
10. Inorder todevelop itspurpose ofbeing aninstrument fortheaccomplishment oftheworldwide
mission oftheHoly See,theVCSisafullmember ofvarious intergovernmental organizations, such
astheUniversal Postal Union (UPU), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), theInternational
Grains Council (IGC), theInternational Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), the
European Conference ofPostal andTelecommunications Administrations (CEPT) andtheEuropean
Telecommunications Satellite Organization (EUTELSAT).