RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/GC/M/73
11 March 2002
(02-1232)
General Council
13 and 15 February and 1 March 2002
MINUTES OF MEETING
Held in the Centre William Rappard
on 13 and 15 February and 1 March 2002
Chairman:   Mr. Stuart Harbinson (Hong Kong, China) for the meeting on 13 and 15 February
Mr. Sergio Marchi (Canada) for the meeting on 1 March
Subjects discussed: Page
1. Iran – Request for accession ................................................................................................ ...1
2. Appointment of the next Director-General – Follow up to the Decision of
22 July 1999 – Statement by the Chairman............................................................................2
3. Review of procedures for the circulation and derestriction of WTO documents –
Report on consultations........................................................................................................ ....2
4. Reports of the Special Sessions of the Committee on Agriculture and the Council
for Trade in Services ......................................................................................................... .......3
5. Work Programme on Small Economies – Discussion on modalities and
institutional arrangements ..................................................................................................... ..3
6. WTO Work Programme for Least-Developed Countries – Report by the
Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries ........................................9
7. Appointment of office rs to WTO bodies...............................................................................11
8. Report by the Director-General on th e first meeting of the Trade Negotiations
Commit tee...................................................................................................................... ..........15
9. Follow-up to the Fourth Session of the Ministerial Conference – Statement by
the Director-General on his recent activiti es relating to the Doha Development
Agenda ......................................................................................................................... ............16
10. Scheduling of WTO meetings ................................................................................................19
11. Working Party on the Accession of Saudi Arabia ...............................................................20
12. Internal transparency and effectiv e participation of  all Members ....................................21
13. Election of Chairperson..................................................................................................... .....21
1. Iran – Request for accession (WT/ACC/IRN/1)
1. The Chairman drew attention to the communi cation from Iran in WT/ACC/IRN/1 requesting
accession to the WTO Agreement. He recalled that this matter had first been considered by theWT/GC/M/73
Page 2
General Council at its meeting in May 2001 at the request of Egypt on behalf of the Informal Group
of Developing Countries.  Since then, the General Council had considered this matter at its meetings
in July, October and December 2001 and, in December, had agreed to revert to it at the present
meeting.
2. The representative of the United States expressed her Government's appreciation to Members
for their patience as it continued its comprehensive policy review regarding Iran.  While her
delegation was not in a position to discuss Iran's request at the present meeting, it expected to be able
to make a determination on the merits of the issue in the near future.
3. The representative of Malaysia, speaking on behalf of the Informal Group of Developing
Countries, said that he had taken note of the statement by the United States.  Iran's request for
accession had been on the General Council's agenda for some time, and it was important for the
membership to come to a decision on it.  He hoped that the United States would complete its reviewsoon and be able to reach consensus on the establishment of a working party on the accession of Iran.
He again urged the United States to provide a positive response on this issue at the next meeting of the
General Council.
4. The General Council took note of the statements and agreed 
to revert to this item at its next
meeting.
2. Appointment of the next Director-General – Follow up to the Decision of 22 July 1999
(WT/L/308, WT/L/438) – Statement by the Chairman
5. The Chairman recalled that in its Decision of July 1999 on the Appointment of the Next
Director-General, the General Council had agreed that it would reconfirm, in March 2002, the
availability for office of the next Director-General-designate of the WTO, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdiof Thailand.  The General Council had also agreed that if Dr. Supachai were not available, the process
for the appointment of a new Director-General would commence immediately.  He drew attention to
the communication from Dr. Supachai circulated by the delegation of Thailand in document
WT/L/438, in which Dr. Supachai formally informed the General Council of his availability for office
for the period 1 September 2002 to 31 August 2005 agreed by the General Council.  For the purposesof the reconfirmation, he proposed that the General Council take note of the communication from
Dr. Supachai in WT/L/438.
6. The General Council so agreed.
7. The Chairman then recalled that in its Decision of July 1999 the General Council had also
resolved to elaborate and adopt, by the end of September 2000, a comprehensive set of rules and
procedures for future appointments of Directors-General.  Regrettably, it had not been possible to
pursue this matter further over the past year, due to the heavy workload in preparation for the Doha
Ministerial Conference.  He was hopeful that with the Ministerial Conference behind them, and with
preparations for the next Ministerial Conference st ill some months away, Members would be able to
address this, and indeed other pending items, substantively in the coming months.
8. The General Council took note of the statement.
3. Review of procedures for the circulation and derestriction of WTO documents – Report
on consultations
9. The Chairman recalled that following the discussion on this matter at the General Council
meeting in December 2001, he had noted that progress had clearly been made and that agreement on
this issue was close.  There appeared to be a general sense that if a further effort were made, MembersWT/GC/M/73
Page 3
would be able to reach agreement on a revised set of procedures for the circulation and derestriction
of documents.  Accordingly, the General Council had agreed to revert to this matter at the present
meeting and that, in the meantime, further informal consultations would be held in order to bring this
matter to a conclusion.  Since the December meeting, both the Director-General and Deputy Director-
General Mr. Rodriguez Mendoza had met with some of the parties concerned.  He was pleased toreport that further progress appeared to have been made, and the assessment seemed to be that an
agreement was not out of reach.  However, it appeared that a little more time was needed to
reconsider positions, and that it would be appropriate for the General Council to revert to this item at
its next meeting, following further consultations.  Accordingly, he proposed that the General Council
revert to this item at its next meeting, and that in the meantime Deputy Director-General
Mr. Rodriguez Mendoza be requested to pursue his consultations in order to bring this matter to a
conclusion.
10. The General Council took note of the statement and so agreed
.
4. Reports of the Special Sessions of the Committee on Agriculture and the Council for
Trade in Services (G/AG/NG/10)
11. The Chairman recalled that at its meeting on 3 and 8 May 2000 the General Council had
agreed that reports of the Special Sessions of the Committee on Agriculture and the Council for Trade
in Services would be a standing item on its agenda for the duration of the mandated negotiations on
agriculture and services.  Accordingly, the report from the Special Session of the Committee on
Agriculture held the previous week was before the General Council in document G/AG/NG/10.  The
Services Council had not held any meetings in special session since December 2001.  He added that,
in the light of the Doha Ministerial Declaration and the establishment of a Trade NegotiationsCommittee under the authority of the General Council to supervise the overall conduct of the
negotiations in all areas specified in the Declaration, and following the agreement reached on the
structure for the negotiations at the TNC's first meeting on 28 January and 1 February, it seemed that
reports from these bodies operating in special session for the purposes of the agreed negotiations
should from this point forward be submitted to the TNC.  In saying this, of course, it was clear that theGeneral Council was in charge of the WTO's work programme as a whole, including that set out in
the Doha Declaration, and that the TNC would, in turn, report to each regular meeting of the General
Council.
12. The General Council took note of the stat ement and of the report in G/AG/NG/10.
5. Work Programme on Small Economies – Discussion on modalities and institutional
arrangements
13. The Chairman recalled that Ministers at Doha had agreed to a Work Programme, under the
auspices of the General Council, to examine issues  relating to the trade of small economies, with a
mandate to frame responses to the trade-related issu es identified for the fuller integration of small,
vulnerable economies into the multilateral trading system, and not to create a sub-category of WTO
Members.  At the General Council meeting in December 2001, he had suggested that this was a matter
that would benefit from a discussion in the General Council, and that it should therefore be placed onthe Agenda of the present meeting and that any necessary institutional arrangements in this regard
should be made in the light of that discussion.  Since then, he had had two meetings, at their
invitation, with delegations representing the small-economy Members, on 25 January and 5 February,
at which he had requested the Secretariat Divisions responsible for the General Council and for
developing-country issues to also be present.  At these meetings, the delegations representing thesmall-economy Members had shared their initial thoughts on a possible framework for the conduct of
this Work Programme, and had sought advice and guidance on how to take the process further.WT/GC/M/73
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14. Following a request from these delegations, he had subsequently asked Deputy Director-
General Mr. Ouedraogo to convene an initial informal consultation on his behalf with a small group of
Members in order to allow the small-economy delegations an opportunity to exchange views with
others on their proposals for the Work Programme.  These consultations had been held on
11 February.  In the light of that informal discussion, the small-economy delegations had furtherrefined their views, and the previous day had circulated their proposals to all Members in document
WT/GC/W/468.  He understood that the initial discussion had been quite positive.  Delegations
appeared to share the view that this mandated Work Programme should be initiated as soon as
possible, and that it should not become stalled on procedure.  At the same time, it seemed to be clear
that more time would be needed for delegations to consider the proposals which had only just been
circulated, and for the initial consultations to be widened.
15. In the light of this, and keeping in mind also the need for early agreement on the framework
for the conduct of this Work Programme, he proposed the following course of action:  first, that the
General Council suspend its discussion on this item following his statement;  second, that Deputy
Director-General Mr. Ouedraogo pursue consultations on this matter in order to reach agreement on
the framework for the conduct of this Work Programme;  and third, that Mr. Ouedraogo report at the
end of the following week to the incoming Chai r of the General Council, who would set a time to
resume the General Council's discussion on this item.  He invited any delegation wishing to
participate in the consultations, or to offer co mments on the proposals in WT/GC/W/468, to contact
the office of Deputy Director-General Mr. Ouedraogo, who would take their comments into account
and would include them in the consultations.  He th en proposed that the General Council suspend its
discussion on this item and revert to it at the earliest opportunity, in the light of the consultations to beheld.
16. The General Council took note of the statement and agreed
 to the Chairman's proposed course
of action.
17. At a resumed meeting of the General Council on 1 March, the Chairman said that Deputy
Director-General Mr. Ouedraogo had reported to him on the two rounds of consultations he had held
with interested delegations on this matter on the basis of the initial proposals submitted by the small-
economy delegations on 12 February.  There had been no major substantive differences of position.
The consultations had been characterized by a high degree of flexibility and goodwill on all sides, and
all delegations had been constructive, cooperative and positive in their approach, with the aim of
getting the mandated Work Programme under way as soon as possible.  This willingness on all sides
to move forward with the work in this area had contributed to an early agreement among delegations
on a proposed framework and procedures for the conduct of this Work Programme.  The textsubmitted to him by Mr. Ouedraogo, reflecting the comments and suggestions made in the
consultations, had been circulated on 25 February
  in document WT/GC/W/469.
18. Over the past four months, Members had been extremely active in following up on the
various elements of the Work Programme resulting from the Doha Ministerial Declarations and
Decisions, and in ensuring that institutional mechanis ms were in place for moving into the substantive
phase of their work.  They had taken action on funding for technical assistance and capacity building,
on organizing further work on electronic commerce, and on an agreed Work Programme for the
LDCs.  They had also recently decided on a structure for the conduct of work under the Trade
Negotiations Committee and had selected chairpersons for WTO bodies, including the two new
working groups established at Doha.  Reaching an agreed understanding on where and how to conductthe Work Programme on Small Economies had been one of their last remaining tasks in the
immediate post-Doha follow-up, and one that he hoped could soon be concluded.  He thanked
Mr. Ouedraogo for having undertaken to facilitate an early agreement by Members on this framework,
and for having worked assiduously with delegations to achieve this within the time-frame suggested
by the General Council before adjourning on this item on 13 February.WT/GC/M/73
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19. He drew attention to the communication in WT/GC/W/469 and proposed that the General
Council take note of the framework and procedures for the conduct of the Work Programme on Small
Economies contained in that document.  Followin g this action, the substantive work on the Work
Programme on Small Economies would, accordingly, begin in dedicated sessions of the Committee on
Trade and Development as soon as possible.  It had been brought to his attention that certaincorrections needed to be made to the texts of WT/GC/W/469 in French and Spanish, and he assured
delegations that the necessary corrigenda would be circulated as soon as possible.
1
20. The General Council so agreed.
21. All delegations who spoke expressed apprecia tion to Deputy Director-General Mr. Oudraogo
and the Secretariat, and to all delegations who had participated in bringing this matter to a quick
resolution.
22. The representative of Mauritius, speaking on behalf of the co-sponsors of the proposal,
expressed their appreciation for the rapid reconvening of the General Council, which they termed a
positive signal, and to all of the delegations who had participated in the consultations, in particular the
United States, the European Communities, Canada, Japan, Chile, India, Malaysia and others.  These
consultations had indeed been held in a friendly and positive atmosphere and the various suggestions
made had been very positive, constructive and useful.  The co-sponsors of the proposal had beenimpressed by delegations' positive attitude and comments, and had done their best to agree to these
suggestions.  In light of the competence and impartiality of the Chairman of the CTD, Amb. Ali of
Bangladesh, who would also chair the dedicated sessions of that body, there was no doubt that
Members would be able to present something constructive to Ministers in Mexico, in line with the
important mandate in paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.  The co-sponsors of theproposed framework were Barbados, Belize, Bolivi a, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji,
Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,  St. Lucia,
Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti, and other countries were consulting with
their capitals to support the proposed framework.
23. The representative of Barbados said that his delegation looked forward to the speedy and
satisfactory resolution of the issues facing small economies.
24. The representative of the United States said th at while Members were at this point outlining
the framework and procedures for the Work Programme rather than concluding it, it was an
auspicious beginning that Members had moved from a framework proposed on 12 February to a
document presented for final approval on 25 February.  She expressed her delegation's appreciation to
Mauritius for its leadership, and to all delegations for their willingness to work constructively.  This
was a good beginning and a good signal for Members.
25. The representative of Malaysia said that the problems faced by small economies were many-
fold.  While there was no clear definition of what constituted a small economy, one typical
characteristic would seem to be the over-reliance on a single commodity in export earnings and/or on
a single export market, and exposure to the vagaries of international markets.  The many constraints
faced by such economies had to be identified and addressed in the Work Programme, and meaningfuland creative solutions found, if the WTO was to be truly representative of all its Members, large and
small, including the poorest among them.  Therefore, Malaysia welcomed the Work Programme to be
undertaken by the CTD and subsequently by the subsidiary bodies of the WTO under the auspices of
the General Council.  It hoped that the Work Prog ramme would be translated into a conceptual and
practical cooperation framework that would help fost er growth and sustainable development.  In this
                                                     
1 WT/GC/W/469/Corr.1, in both French and Spanish.  The framework and procedures as taken note of
by the General Council were circulated as WT/L/447.WT/GC/M/73
Page 6
context, the outcome of the deliberations should enable the formulation of programmes that would
create wealth and extended opportunities, and provide a nurturing environment for entrepreneurship.
It was Malaysia's understanding that this Work Programme was limited to developing countries,
including the LDCs.
26. The representative of Guatemala said that her delegation had devoted considerable efforts to,
and had considerable hope in, this Work Programme, on which Members seemed to be moving
forward.  She noted that Members were not startin g with a precise definition, and looked forward to
participating in the search for what constituted a small economy, which was included in the scope of
the Work Programme.  Guatemala hoped that it would very soon start to see results from the Work
Programme.
27. The representative of El Salvador said that the integration of small economies into the
multilateral trading system, as expressed in paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, was not
only an imperative need for these countries, but had to become an inalienable right, in order for them
to be able to share in the benefits of globalization.  The challenges faced by all countries in adopting
commitments in the multilateral trading system we re proportionately greater for small economies due
to their particular limitations and constraints.  Thus, the proposed framework for the Work
Programme on Small Economies was an instrument that held out great hope for these countries, inthat it would result in proposals submitted to the Fifth Ministerial Conference that could develop into
concrete action.  Approval of the framework for the Work Programme was recognition of the small
economies' specific limitations and also of their efforts.  It was a sign of confidence in a multilateral
trading system based on fair and transparent rules, as  well as a response to their hope of being able to
benefit from globalization in order to fully develop.
28. The representative of Egypt sought clarification as to the last sentence of paragraph 2(i),
which seemed to create the possibility of the same issues being covered in several WTO bodies.
29.  The Deputy-Director General, Mr. Ouedraogo, said that inclusion of this sentence had been
proposed by Jamaica and agreed during the consultations.  It was aimed at providing the possibility
for any Member to make a contribution at any time in the process.
30.  The delegation of Hungary said that the framework and procedures for the Work Programme
on Small Economies clearly showed that the WTO was and should be sensitive to the specific
problems of its Members.  In the eastern European region there were several small and newly acceded
countries who faced problems similar to those faced by the small economies.  The procedural solution
of having the Work Programme be undertaken in dedicated sessions of the CTD should be an example
for other deliberations under the Doha Development Agenda.
31. The representative of Paraguay said that the text in WT/GC/W/469 contained all of the
elements necessary to help small economies to inte grate into the trading system and to actively and
effectively participate in world trade.  Paraguay was a small economy and a landlocked country, and
thus faced limitations and disadvantages which had to be considered and studied in order to make
possible its integration and more active participation in world trade.  Paraguay was grateful for the
developed countries' contributions to the work on the framework for the conduct of this WorkProgramme, which it hoped would be able to contribute effectively to the Fifth Ministerial
Conference.
32. The representative of Sri Lanka said that his delegation attached significant importance to the
speedy implementation of the mandate in paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.  The
Work Programme on Small Economies would be able to examine issues related to trade of smalleconomies, with the objective of framing responses to the trade-related issues identified and not at the
same time to create a sub-category of WTO Members.  There were specific problems peculiar to smallWT/GC/M/73
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economies.  There were also differences between small economies in different regions, and
differences resulting from their different incomes and stages of development.  However, most small
economies shared a number of characteristics consequent to their economies being small, including
over-dependence on external trade, vulnerability resulting from a high degree of openness to the rest
of the world, limited export and domestic markets, and small-sized firms.  In order to frame responsesto the specific trade-related problems of small economies and to make assistance to small economies
more effective, there had to be a better understanding of their common characteristics and the
developmental problems these posed.  Therefore, the proposal that the Secretariat provide relevant
information and factual analysis on the impact of WTO rules on small economies, on the constraints
faced by them and on the effects of trade liberalisation would be an important exercise as the work of
the CTD evolved, as such analyses would facilitate the identification of specific problems of small
economies.  It would also help Members to develop approaches to identifying small economies so thateventual recommendations could be appropriately targeted.
33. Sri Lanka shared the view that requesting information and analysis from other agencies could
be useful insofar as such information related to the mandate of the Work Programme, keeping
particularly in mind that the Work Programme would not lead to creation of a sub-category of WTO
Members.  The concept of smallness cropped up on some issues in some WTO Agreements, forexample the Agreements on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, on Anti-Dumping and on
Textiles and Clothing.  Members needed to look at alternative approaches to addressing problems of
small economies without attempting to apply a particular definition, which could be conceptually
difficult and perhaps politically sensitive.  Thus, Sri Lanka expected that the factual analysis to be
undertaken by the Secretariat would be independent, so as to facilitate approaches to this issue.  Theanalysis and information to be provided by the Secretariat would also assist small economies to
actively engage in the work of the CTD, as these delegations were resource-constrained.  The work
done by the FTAA Consultative Group on small economies could also be usefully drawn on by the
CTD.  Endorsement of the framework for the conduct of the Work Programme would enable
substantive work to begin as early as possible in the dedicated sessions of the CTD.
34. The representative of Georgia said that because there was no precise definition of small and
vulnerable economies, the small economies in transition such as Georgia, Moldova and the Kyrgyz
Republic, and other similar countries in the process of accession were also seeking to benefit from the
Work Programme.  His delegation asked that such countries be included in the scope of the Work
Programme.
35. The representative of Belize said that his delegation looked forward to the continued
constructive engagement of Members regarding the Work Programme on Small Economies.  As a co-
sponsor of the proposal, Belize welcomed the action on the framework and procedures for the conduct
of the Work Programme, and hoped that Members would be able to agree on recommendations for
action that would enable small economies to engage  more effectively in the multilateral trading
system with a view to realizing their respective development objectives.
36. The representative of Trinidad and Tobago expressed her delegation's appreciation for the
spirit of flexibility and goodwill shown, and for the constructive and interactive interchanges in the
consultations on this matter.  Her delegation looked forward to a vibrant and positive process that
would lead to a positive outcome with positiv e recommendations and decisions for the small
economies to facilitate their integration into the multi lateral trading system, so that they could benefit
in a concrete way in that system.
37. The representative of Jamaica said that his delegation supported the Work Programme and
looked forward to its expeditious pursuit during the course of the year.  Regarding Egypt's query on
paragraph 2(i), he wished to reinforce the elaboration provided by Deputy Director-General
Mr. Ouedraogo.  The last sentence of that paragraph was not intended in any way to duplicate theWT/GC/M/73
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elements of the Work Programme in other WTO bodies.  The Work Programme was a process that,
under its mandate, would hopefully lead to recommendations for action to the Fifth Ministerial
Conference.  The sentence in question was simply intended to safeguard the rights of all Members to
make specific proposals in, for example, negotiating bodies relating to their interests and concerns,
and to have those specific proposals treated in the normal course of business.  Jamaica looked forwardin participating in the work of the Work Programme and, given the receptive spirit shown at the
present meeting, looked forward to a satisfactory outcome of that work.
38. The representative of Lithuania said that his delegation noted that the Work Programme was
devoted to developing countries with small economies, and his delegation fully recognized the latter's
needs and problems.  Some countries in his country's region and also in neighbouring regions had
problems similar to those to be studied in the Work Programme on Small Economies, and the Work
Programme was thus valid for those countries, especially for the recently acceded among them.  Hehoped that the needs of these countries would also be taken into account in the WTO, both in its
regular work and in the ongoing negotiations.
39. The representative of India said that his delegation supported the framework outlined in
WT/GC/W/469 and looked forward to the substantiv e discussions in the dedicated sessions of the
CTD.
40. The representative of the European Commun ities pledged the Community's support for the
proposed framework and procedures for the conduct of the Work Programme on Small Economies.
Paragraph 35 of the Doha Declaration together with the orientations which Members were providing
at the present meeting were the right approach to these issues and had the potential to unite, and not to
divide, the WTO membership.
41. The representative of Macao, China said that as a small-economy Member of the WTO,
Macau, China welcomed the Work Programme and looked forward working constructively in the near
future in the dedicated sessions of CTD.
42. The representative of St. Lucia, speaking also on behalf of Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said that the Work Programme on Small Economies would,
hopefully, provide an avenue for the WTO to address more fully the needs of small, vulnerable
developing countries.  The basic norms and general principles of the rules-based trading system had
been designed by those with the negotiating capital  to shape the rules, and therefore catered to the
world as those countries saw it.  Developing countries had repeatedly highlighted the need to improve
the utility of special and differential treatment provisions – based on clear parameters which
addressed demonstrated needs – through concrete measures that could be implemented and effectively
assessed.  This issue was clearly important to all developing countries.  A country's global tradingstatus and its ability to benefit from progressive liberalization and undertake further commitments was
dependent on certain factors which, traditionally, had not been considered.  These factors included
the particular constraints of smallness.  There was a clear need for more in-depth analysis of criteria
that would more accurately reflect the relative situation of developing countries in world trade.
Developing countries as a whole should press for a more realistic differentiation which providedmeaningful S&D treatment to address their demonstrated development needs.
43. The Work Programme on Small Economies provided an opportunity to focus on the particular
constraints of a subset of developing countries.  Nonetheless, it was important to allay the fears of
those preoccupied about the creation of new categories of WTO Members.  The purpose of the Work
Programme was to provide an opportunity for further analysis in order to enhance the appreciation ofthe circumstances of Members with particular difficulties relating to the small size of their economies.
A rules-based system had to be founded on either formal – equal treatment under the law – or
substantive, i.e. purposive, justice.  It could be  asked, for example, how there could be equal treatmentWT/GC/M/73
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under the law when certain portions of a community suffered from such grave disabilities that they
had no base from which to participate as equals.  In certain instances one might speak of the need for
distributive justice as a necessary prerequisite to formal justice.  The argument could be made – and
indeed had been made – that considerations of formal justice might require the adoption of policies
designed to benefit the most vulnerable portion of the community, not because their welfare was anend in itself – which would suggest purposive/goal-based justice – but because they were in a
condition that barred their participation as formal  equals in the community.  Some seemed to be
suggesting that even the smallest accommodation within  the edifice of the multilateral trading system
could threaten the foundation of the rules-based system.  If this were the case, one might question
whether the foundations of the rules-based system were adequately laid.  Certain small vulnerable
economies in the Caribbean and the Pacific, such as St Kitts and Nevis with a population of a mere
40 thousand, or St. Lucia – the largest in its subregion with a population of 150 thousand – were reallymicro-states with less than 0.00 per cent of world trade.  It was an irrefutable premise that the
rules-based system had not been designed with them in mind, did not accommodate their
circumstances, viewed them as on the periphery a nd, indeed, served to further marginalize them.  It
had been said that as long as S&D treatment was at stake it was likely that most countries would seek
to define themselves so as to qualify for it.  S&D treatment was a fundamental feature of themultilateral trading system which had to address the needs of all developing countries, including
small, vulnerable economies and micro-states.
44. The representative of Bangladesh said that the Work Programme on Small Economies was
very important for WTO Members.  As an LDC, Bangladesh knew only too well the specific
disadvantages of individual countries in the rules-based multilateral trading system.  Members had tofind ways to address the specific problems individual countries faced.  This was in fact the challenge
before them.  Bangladesh fully supported th e text in WT/GC/W/469 and looked forward to
participating in the Work Programme.
45. The representative of Gabon said that her delegation joined others in welcoming the rapid
progress that was being made regarding the Work Programme, and supported the statement by
Mauritius.  The Work Programme on Small Economies was important not only for small countries but
also for the sub-regional groups made up of several small economies.  Gabon hoped to be able to
contribute to the Work Programme under the auspices of the CTD.
46. The representative of Bolivia said that the success of this Work Programme would be to the
benefit of all Members, particularly the small economies and developing countries.
47. The General Council took note of the statements.
6. WTO Work Programme for Least-Developed Countries – Report by the Chairman of
the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries
48. The Chairman recalled that in paragraph 42 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, Ministers
had agreed that the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries would submit an agreed Work
Programme on LDCs to the General Council at its first meeting in 2002.  He was aware that all
Members had been working hard over the past month with the Chairman of the Sub-Committee toseek consensus on the text of an agreed Work Programme, in order to finalize it for timely submission
to the General Council.  He understand that the Sub-Committee had met again the previous day and
had been able to agree on a Work Programme.
49. Mr. Fuller (United Kingdom), Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed
Countries, reported on the results of the Sub-Committee's deliberations on this matter.  At its meeting
on 12 February the Sub-Committee had agreed to a Work Programme for LDCs, thus meeting the
requirement in paragraph 42 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.  The Work Programme had beenWT/GC/M/73
Page 10
circulated as an unrestricted document in WT/COMTD/LDC/11.  He expressed his appreciation to all
Members of the Sub-Committee, particularly the LDCs, and to the Secretariat for their contributions
in designing this Work Programme, which consisted of seven broad elements.  These were:  (i)
Market Access for LDCs – trade could of course be a powerful factor for growth and poverty
reduction in LDCs;  improved market access was most important and depended on all WTO Memberswho could give better market access.  (ii) Trade-Related Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building
Initiatives for LDCs – the Doha Declaration established a firm basis for increased and targeted
assistance to LDCs, including assistance to enable them to participate more fully in the WTO.  (iii)
Providing, as appropriate, support to agencies assi sting with the diversification of LDCs' production
and export base;  the aim was to support efforts to ensure that LDCs could make full use of market-
access opportunities.  (iv) Mainstreaming, as appropriate, trade-related elements of the LDC -III
Programme of Action – the aim was to ensure appropriate follow up to the commitments made in May2001 in Brussels at the Third UN Conference on LDCs.  (v) Participation of LDCs in the multilateral
trading system – LDCs faced constraints in participating in this system;  many LDCs were also
non-resident or have missions with limited capacity;  measures taken to support their participation
were therefore important.  (vi) Accession of LDCs to the WTO – only 30 of the 49 LDCs were
currently WTO Members, and  nine LDCs were at va rious stages of their accession process;  the Doha
Declaration calls for measures to "facilitate and accelerate" LDCs' accession to the WTO, and that
work should focus on that objective.  (vii) Follow up to WTO Ministerial Decisions/Declarations –
action and follow up was required to implement the commitments made in Ministerial Decisions and
Declarations;  regular monitoring and reporting of  these commitments would form part of the Work
Programme.
50. It was hoped that work in the areas outlined would enhance the participation of LDCs in the
rules-based trading system.  The adoption of the Work Programme was important, but more important
was its effective implementation.  This was not simply a work programme for the Sub-Committee, but
rather for the entire WTO.  Some elements, for example on technical assistance and capacity building,
called for work in cooperation with other agencies and organizations, such as that underway in theIntegrated Framework Pilot Scheme.  Coordina ted action would be essential.  Effective
implementation of the WTO Work Programme should serve to further LDCs' integration into the
multilateral trading system and the global economy, and would underscore the WTO's commitment to
supporting LDCs' efforts to accelerate their trade development.  As agreed to in the Work Programme,
the Director-General was due to report to the General Council in December 2002 on the issues he had
just outlined.
51. The Director-General welcomed the adoption of the Work Programme for LDCs by the Sub-
Committee, and congratulated the Chairman of that Sub-Committee on his efforts and deep personal
involvement, as well as the involvement of the Un ited Kingdom, in the consultations that had led to
the adoption of the Work Programme.  In the Doha Development Agenda, it was clear that the
meaningful integration into the multilateral tradin g system and the global economy of the LDCs, the
non-resident Members and other capacity-constrained countries, was the greatest challenge facing theWTO.  He agreed with the Sub-Committee Chairman that the adoption of this Work Programme sent
a powerful and positive message from the WTO memb ership that they intended to implement the
Doha Development Agenda seriously.  On a rela ted matter, he would be reporting under "Other
Business" on his recent visit to Africa.
2  The Work Programme for LDCs would further strengthen the
renewed confidence of Members in the post-Doha WTO.
52. The representative of Uganda, speaking on behalf of the LDCs , expressed appreciation to the
Chairman of the Sub-Committee on LDCs for his efforts and to the other development partners with
whom the LDCs had been able to reach an unde rstanding on the Work Programme for LDCs.  This
Work Programme emphasized market access, the importance of trade-related technical assistance and
                                                     
2 See Item 10.WT/GC/M/73
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capacity building, the need to expand the export base of LDCs by way of diversification, and
mainstreaming the relevant commitments of LDC-III.  Regarding the provision of support for
diversification, the LDCs stressed their hope that the WTO would not be passive but would play a role
as catalyst in initiating and prompting action in this area.  It was in this vein that the LDCs understood
Section (c) of the Work Programme.  The Work Programme took cognizance of the ZanzibarDeclaration which implored the WTO to assist LDCs in their negotiating agenda.
53. The representative of Brazil commended the work done by the Sub-Committee.  The Work
Programme on LDCs reflected the priority given by Members to the problems faced by LDCs and
was focussed on the main systemic areas of interest to them, namely, market access and trade-related
technical assistance and capacity building.  Regarding market access, Members should look for
additional measures for progressive improvements in this area, bearing in mind the concept of
"common but differentiated responsibilities".  The Work Programme also reflected the greaterimportance attached to trade-related technical assistance and capacity building, in line with the Doha
Ministerial Declaration, as well as the new "Strategy for WTO Technical Cooperation:  Technical
Cooperation for Capacity Building, Growth and Integration" endorsed therein.  Brazil was convinced
that the promotion of capacity building would contribute to generating confidence in the multilateral
trading system and was examining ways to further in crease its participation in this collective effort.
Brazil commended the initiative undertaken by the WTO to raise funds through the Doha
Development Agenda Global Trust Fund and appreciated the work already undertaken by the
Director-General in this regard.  It was also pleased to note that UNCTAD would work together with
the WTO in this endeavour.  While limited by in ternal budgetary restraints, Brazil was looking at
ways to obtain resources that would allow it to provide consultancy and training, with an in-builtdeveloping-country perspective.
54. The General Council took note of the statements and of the Work Programme on Least-
Developed Countries agreed by the Sub- Committee on LDCs (WT/COMTD/LDC/11), and
encouraged the Sub-Committee to follow up on the Work Programme, taking into account the
statements by delegations at the present meeting.
7. Appointment of officers to WTO bodies
55. The Chairman said that in accordance with th e guidelines for appointment of officers to WTO
bodies approved by the General Council in January 1995 (WT/L/31), he had conducted consultations
with delegations on this matter.  On the basis of these consultations, he considered that there was a
consensus on the following slate of names:
General Council Amb. Sergio Marchi (Canada)
Dispute Settlement Body Amb. Carlos Pérez del Castillo (Uruguay)Trade Policy Review Body Amb. Amina Chawahir Mohamed (Kenya)
Council for Trade in Goods Amb. M. Supperamaniam (Malaysia)
Council for Trade in Services Amb. Mary Whelan (Ireland)Council for TRIPS Amb. Eduardo Pérez Motta (Mexico)Committee on Trade and Environment Amb. O ğuz Demiralp (Turkey)WT/GC/M/73
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Committee on Trade and Development Amb. Toufiq Ali (Bangladesh)
Committee on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions Amb. Anda Cristina Filip (Romania)Committee on Regional Trade Agreements Am b. Boniface Guwa Chidyausiku (Zimbabwe)
Committee on Budget, Finance and
  AdministrationMr Neil McMillan (United Kingdom)
Working Group on the Relationship between
  Trade and InvestmentAmb. Luiz Felipe de Seixas Corrêa (Brazil)
Working Group on the Interaction between Trade
  and Competition PolicyProf. Frédéric Jenny (France)
Working Group on Transparency in Government
  ProcurementAmb. Ronald Saborío Soto (Costa Rica)
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of
  TechnologyAmb. Stefán Haukur Jóhanesson (Iceland)
Working Group on Trade, Debt and Financ e Amb. Hernando José Gómez (Colombia)
Negotiating Group on Market    Access A mb. Pierre-Louis Girard (Switzerland)
Negotiating Group on Rules Amb. Timothy John Groser (New Zealand)Special Session of the Council for Trade in
  ServicesAmb. Alejandro Jara (Chile)
Special Session of the Council for TRIP S Amb. Eui Yong Chung (Rep. of Korea)
Special Session of the Dispute Settlement Body Amb. Pèter Balás (Hungary)Special Session of the Committee on Agricultur e Mr. Stuart Harbinson (Hong Kong, China)
Special Session of the Committee on Trade and
  EnvironmentAmb. Yolande Biké (Gabon)
Special Session of the Committee on Trade and
  DevelopmentAmb. Ransford Smith (Jamaica)
56. As part of the understandings that had been reached in his consultations on the appointment of
Chairpersons to WTO bodies for 2002, and which had contributed to the consensus on the above slate
of names, he wished to inform delegations that it had been agreed that Dr. Magdi Farahat (Egypt)
would be appointed as Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture.  Appointments for the regular
WTO bodies would be for one year, as usual.  The chairpersons appointed to the other WTO bodiesunder the structure agreed by the Trade Negotiations Committee at its first meeting on 28 January and
1 February would, as had been agreed, serve until the Fifth Session of the Ministerial Conference.  AllWT/GC/M/73
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chairpersons would be formally appointed by the respective councils and committees at their first
meeting following the present meeting.
57. All delegations who spoke expressed gratitude to  the outgoing Chairman for his leadership,
patience and dedication in the course of his st ewardship of the General Council, commended the
Director-General for his leadership, and congratulated the newly-elected chairpersons.  They alsopraised the Chairman's fairness, tact and wisdom in bringing what had been a very difficult process of
appointing officers to WTO bodies to a successful conclusion.
58. The representative of Japan said that the Negotiating Group on Rules was assigned to deal
with several different sets of rules, and that Members were interested in the structure and the
organization under which the Chairman of that b ody would conduct the negotiations on the different
sets of rules.  It was Japan's understanding that the Chairman of that body, when deciding the
negotiating structure and organization, would fully consult with Members with a view to taking intoaccount their sensitivities on these matters.
59. The representative of Korea said that his delegation believed it was important to create an
atmosphere of mutual confidence and understanding in the course of negotiations, and therefore
wished to stress the crucial need for the chairperson of a given negotiating body to maintain
neutrality.  Korea fully shared the concerns and views expressed by Japan regarding the chairmanshipof the Negotiating Group on Rules.  Despite its concerns, Korea had joined the consensus for the
appointment of the Chairs as a whole, because there was no time to waste if Members were to
successfully conclude negotiations by the target date of 1 January 2005 and, more significantly,
because this had been a hard-won success for all.
60. The representative of Kenya, speaking on behalf of the African Group
, expressed satisfaction
with the agreed slate of names.  The African Group would be keenly attentive to the conduct and
performance of all chairpersons.  The process of negotiations had to be transparent, fair, equitable,
inclusive and balanced.  Further, the negotiations that Members were about to embark on had to have
a development focus, consistent with the Doha Development Agenda.  The African Group expected to
be more involved in the future process and stood ready to make its contribution to that end.  In thisregard, the African Group proposed that the WTO consider establishing rules and procedures for the
appointment of future chairpersons of WTO bodies.
61. The representative of Nicaragua, speaking on behalf of GRULAC
, expressed these countries'
satisfaction with the outcome of the consultations on the slate of names, which reflected an equitable
distribution of the chairmanships of WTO bodies.   Members of GRULAC would follow discussions
and negotiations carefully and would do their utmost to ensure that the negotiations were successful
and that this work led to strengthening world trade.
62. The representative of Zimbabwe said that the General Council should establish a formal
mechanism for examining rules and procedures for the appointment of officers to WTO bodies.  The
present informal arrangement, which had made this process very difficult for General Council
Chairmen, could not be continued.
63. The representative of Mexico expressed his delegation's satisfaction with the outcome of the
consultations on the appointment of officers to WTO bodies.  Mexico shared Tunisia's view,
expressed in an informal meeting, and also Zimbabwe's view that there was a need for an agreed
mechanism for such consultations, without which it wo uld be difficult for the consultations not to take
on a personal note.  The Chairman's professional approach to these consultations had played a key
role in their producing a satisfactory outcome.  However, Members should not have to rely on this infuture.  He suggested that within two months a proposal should be made for rules on this exercise, and
Mexico would willingly work to this end.WT/GC/M/73
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64. The representative of the Philippines said that the slate of names was balanced and neutral,
and that Members were on their way to launching a credible Doha Development Agenda.  He recalled
that in his statement at the TNC meeting on 28 January and 1 February, he had outlined three
elements which he hoped to see permeate the rules and structure of the TNC.  For the purposes of the
prospective chairpersons of the negotiating bodies, these were:  (i) all negotiations, formal orinformal, should be conducted and occur only in the negotiating fora, and any bilateral or plurilateral
negotiations, such as in the area of market access, should be reported immediately to the membership
as a whole;  (ii) Chairs should be fully responsible for the substantive part of the negotiating process
in their negotiating body, and should refrain from interfering in any way in the substantive discussion;
there should be no resort to the use of "friends of the Chair" to facilitate or promote consensus, as the
Chairs themselves were the facilitators;  and (iii) at the start of the negotiating process, the negotiating
bodies should draw up what Japan had termed the negotiating structure and the terms of referenceclarifying the scope, objectives and, where possible, the elements covered by the negotiations.  His
delegation hoped that the negotiating body chairpersons could agree to these elements as
characteristic of the negotiating bodies.
65. The representative of Morocco expressed his delegation's satisfaction that agreement had been
reached on the slate of names for officers for WTO bodies.  He noted that several delegations had
referred to the difficulties encountered in the process of appointing officers to WTO bodies, and said
that agreement on certain rules and principles to govern this process would help to avoid the
difficulties encountered and thus the time wasted.  Several ideas had been put forward in this respect,
which Morocco considered to be of interest.  His delegation agreed with Mexico that there be a
deadline for making improvements to the appointment process, in order to avoid lengthy proceduraldebates and lack of transparency.  Morocco was optimistic that this improvement could be effected.
66. The representative of the United States said th at the Chairman had left the handprint of his
exceptional leadership on the work leading up to, at and after the Doha Ministerial Conference in all
areas of his activities as Chairman of the General Council, for which her delegation was extremely
grateful.  Her delegation was also grateful for the sacrifice the various individuals were making whowould serve as chairpersons of WTO bodies and who would provide the objectivity and leadership
necessary to reach a successful conclusion to the negotiations.
67. The representative of Cuba said that her delegation supported the ideas and proposals that had
been made on the need to establish principles and clear guidelines not only for the appointment of
officers to WTO bodies, but also for the preparatory work for Ministerial Conferences, thus ensuring
full transparency and participation of all Members in the work of the WTO.  Cuba also supported
Mexico's proposal that there be a deadline for completing this work, in which Cuba wished toparticipate.
68. The representative of the European Communities expressed satisfaction with the positive
outcome of the process conducted by the Chairman, in which – as in all other areas of the Chairman's
work over the past 12 months – he had shown diplomatic skill, endless patience, and great impartiality
and objectivity.
69. The representative of Uganda, speaking on behalf of the LDCs , expressed satisfaction that,
however difficult the Chairman's consultations on the appointment of officers had been, they had been
inclusive and had involved the LDCs.  As many delegations had said, this process had been difficult
and there was a need for guidelines, so that the problems of the past were not repeated.
70. The representative of the Slovak Republic, speaking also on behalf of Bulgaria, Croatia, the
Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovenia, said that these
countries wished to assure the new chairpersons of their full support in fulfilling their respective
mandates.WT/GC/M/73
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71. The representative of Pakistan said that the WTO was a place where trade-offs were made,
and that some were more competitive than others in doing this.  His delegation shared the view that
there was a need to establish a system by which the annual appointment of officers to WTO bodies
became more systematic, objective and less difficult for the General Council Chairman.
72. The representative of China said that his delegation wished all of the new chairpersons
success in their work.
73. The representative of Norway said that his delegation joined in the accolades to the outgoing
General Council Chairman and looked forward to his chairing the special sessions of the Agriculture
Committee.
74. The representative of Bangladesh said that his delegation looked forward to working
successfully with the new chairpersons.
75. The representative of the Russian Federation, speaking as an observer , said that although
there had been a number of successes during the past year, such as the Doha Conference and the
accession of China and other governments, his delegation was disappointed that it had not been
possible to also conclude the Russian Federation's accession process under the outgoing Chairman's
tenure.  In this matter, his Government was not the only one to blame, since accession was a two-way
street.  His delegation would do its utmost to succeed in this endeavour, and hoped that this could beachieved sooner rather than later.  With the help of the Chairman and the Director-General, his
country and some others had already made significant progress in their accession processes.
76. The Chairman said that a number of interest ing comments had been made, particularly in
relation to the need to improve procedures for the consultations on the appointment of chairpersons to
WTO bodies.3  He would leave his successor to reflect on these comments, many of which he felt
were quite pertinent.  On behalf of the Members, he expressed appreciation to the outgoing
Chairpersons of all WTO bodies for their dedicated work in chairing these bodies during the past year,
which had been a particularly demanding period, given the heavy work load during the preparations
for the Doha Ministerial Conference.  Their wisdom and commitment had contributed to making the
past year, and the Doha Ministerial meeting, a success for the organization.
77. The General Council took note of the statements and of the consensus on the slate of names.
8. Report by the Director-General on the first meeting of the Trade Negotiations
Committee
78. The Director-General, speaking under "Other Business, reported on the first meeting of the
TNC held on 28 January and 1 February.4  At that meeting, the General Council Chairman had
reported on his informal consultations on the tasks facing the TNC, which he had outlined in his
statement at the meeting of the General Council on 19-20 December 2001.  As the Chairman had saidat that time, these tasks included appointment of a Chair for the TNC, decision on the structure for the
negotiations, and election of the chairpersons of the bodies under that structure.  In order to facilitate
the work of the TNC, the statement the General Co uncil Chairman intended to make at the meeting
had been circulated as an informal paper to all delegations in an informal Heads-of-Delegations
meeting on 31 January.  In this statement, the Chairman had set out his understanding of the broadlines of opinion that had come out of his consultations, identifying some practices and principles for
the work of the TNC and the negotiating bodies, and making a number of proposals.  On 1 February,
the TNC had taken note of and endorsed this statement, and had agreed to the proposals set out in it.
                                                     
3 See also the statement by India under Item 12.
4 The statement was circulated in document Job No. 1085.WT/GC/M/73
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79. On this basis, the Director-General had been appointed ex officio to chair the TNC until the
deadline of 1 January 2005 established in the Doha Declaration.  The TNC had also adopted a
structure for the work ahead, and had agreed that the General Council Chairperson would consult on
the chairmanships of the individual negotiating bodies.  The General Council Chairman had already
reported to Members on these consultations.  Following the TNC meeting, the General CouncilChairman's statement had been issued in document TN/C/1, dated 4 February, and it would also be
reflected in the minutes of the TNC meeting.  At the meeting, delegations had had the opportunity to
express their views and understandings of the sense of the points the General Council Chairman had
put forward in summary form in his statement, and their statements would also be recorded in the
minutes.  He said that thanks were due to the General Council Chairman for having paved the way for
the negotiations to get off to a good start.  The Chairman had worked hard and surely appreciated
Members' dedication, patience and, even more, flexibility during his consultations, and he agreed thatthe General Council Chairman would need everyone  to maintain the momentum in the months to
come.  There was a lot at stake for everybody in both the negotiations and the overall work
programme, and he was sure that everyone wanted to make good progress on all fronts.  Many
delegations had expressed, both to him and to the General Council Chairman, the importance of
moving rapidly into the negotiating phase in line with the mandate in the Doha Declaration.  This waswhat Ministers expected, and Members were almost in a position to do this.  Finally, he wished to
note that the TNC would be reporting to the General Council at each of its regular meetings.  He
would advise delegations of the date of the next TNC meeting in the near future.
80. The representative of Cuba thanked the Director-General for his report.  He proposed that
future reports by the TNC to the General Council be included on the Council's agenda and not be
taken up under "Other Business", so as to ensure compliance with Ministers' mandate and with the
principles and practices endorsed by the TNC at its meeting on 28 January and 1 February.
81. The Chairman noted that the reason the present report had not been included as a regular item
on the agenda for the present meeting was because the TNC's first meeting had not been concluded at
the time the airgram containing that agenda had been closed and circulated to delegations.Henceforth, as Cuba had itself noted, reports from the TNC would be on the agenda of each regular
meeting of the General Council in accordance with the principles and practices endorsed by the TNC.
82. The General Council took note of the statements and of the report by the Director-General.
9. Follow-up to the Fourth Session of the Ministerial Conference – Statement by the
Director-General on his recent activities relating to the Doha Development Agenda
83. The Director-General, speaking under "Other Business", said that this was the first time he
had been in a position to brief Members collectively since Doha and to update them on progress on
the roadmap to implement the Doha Development Agenda.5  He had met personally with over 30
Ministers since Doha and had spoken to many more on the telephone, and had reported in writing to
all Ministers at least twice.  Ministers had expressed a desire to be closely involved in this important
work.  At a meeting convened recently by him in New York on the margins of the World Economic
Forum, the 15 Ministers present had been pleased with progress at the WTO.  Many Ministers werelikely to attend the forthcoming Financing for Development Conference in Monterrey, the OECD
Ministerial in Paris and the important Conference on Sustainable Development in South Africa.  All
these meetings were opportunities to report to Ministers on Members' work and seek their input.  The
Chairman of the General Council and he had worked hard and with much success, especially when
one compared the progress made since Doha to the time it had taken after the launch of the UruguayRound to put in place structures, systems and timelines.
                                                     
5 The statement was circulated in document Job No. 1072.WT/GC/M/73
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84. Ministers had also been pleased that an early decision had been taken on the venue for the
next Ministerial Conference.  Minister Derbez of Mexico had already visited Geneva to begin
preparations, and a WTO mission would visit Mexico over the next few weeks to report on facilities.
Ministers wanted Members to turn good words and good news into good deeds.  He thanked Members
for deciding on the TNC structure.  A decision on the various chairs of WTO bodies was needed assoon as possible, and in this he sought Members' advice and cooperation.  No matter how impressive
the TNC structure looked on paper, unless Members move swiftly on capacity building both in
capitals and in Geneva, they would not be able to do what was necessary to enable the more capacity-
constrained Members to participate in the substantive negotiations.  The Doha Development Agenda
had seen some developing countries put conditionality on further progress.  The condition for further
progress on the development dimension of many new issues was capacity building, to ensure that the
next Ministerial Conference made progress and that Members concluded the negotiations on time aspromised.  This was understood by major donors and s upporters.  It was also why many Ministers had
visited Geneva so quickly after Doha and why the WTO's new budget had been approved.  This was
good news.  Further good news was that WTO's Pledging Conference for the Doha Development
Agenda Global Trust Fund would be held on 11 March 2002, for which invitations had been
extended, and the agenda was being given a final polish.
85. The WTO had also moved quickly on coherence issues.  He had met with the heads of other
agencies to ensure that there was maximum cooperation and a minimum of duplication and delay.  He
would be continuing the dialogue in the period ahead.  On 26 February 2002, a meeting of agency
heads would be convened in Washington, hosted by Mr. Wolfensohn of the World Bank, to advance
all the good work done by the Technical Cooperat ion Division on the Integrated Framework.  On
27 February 2002 in Washington, there would be a meeting under the umbrella of the Inter-American
Development Bank of all the Trade and, hopefull y, Finance Ministers of the Americas and the
Caribbean to discuss capacity building and how resources could be most effectively deployed.  In
preparatory meetings with the IDB, the WTO had suggested that representatives of other regional
banks and the secretariat of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) also be invitedas observers, and he had suggested as well that consideration be given to inviting some Ambassadors
from Geneva who coordinated regional groups in the WTO.  This would save time because the model
of cooperation that could come out of the Washington meeting could be an appropriate one to take to
other regions and development banks.  The WTO also hoped to have a meeting in Geneva in April of
all the regional banks and stakeholders.  He had reported to the UN Secretary-General on progress and
had expressed appreciation for his leadership and the cooperation of his Agencies.  He hoped to brief
him personally again very soon.  He had also met in New York with Mr. Malloch Brown of UNDP, aswell as his local representatives on his recent visit to Africa.  UNDP and the Banks had people on the
ground and in capitals, while WTO did not.  Therefore, they could be important partners as the WTO
developed its country file project.
86. Explaining the "country file" concept, he said that it was the WTO's ambition to have a
country file for each of its Members who needed capacity assistance.  He would report directly toMinisters and Ambassadors every three months or so on progress or otherwise in the WTO's efforts to
assist these Members.  This initiative, supporte d by many agencies, would help Members maximize
resources and avoid duplication.  It would also impose transparent disciplines on everyone, i.e
Members, donors, other institutions, and those who needed capacity assistance.  Members needed to
know what other institutions and donors were doing, not to control them, but to put these efforts into atransparent, accountable framework.  This would allow capitals to be informed on how they were
doing and where they were falling behind, the better to measure their results.  Members had to impose
strict time limits and checkpoints on themselves, to audit progress and to ensure delivery as promised.
By early March, after consulting other agencies, the WTO would produce the first draft framework on
the country files.  These would be issue headings only.  In early May the WTO would report directlyto Members and would have filled in, hopefully, most of the subject areas.  This would expose where
Members had to do more work.  Thereafter, Members should report to each capital every threeWT/GC/M/73
Page 18
months on how, with other partners, they were achieving their objectives on capacity building based
on the Doha Development Agenda, as instructed  by Ministers.  The WTO would work as a
clearinghouse, and he had instructed WTO Divisions to seek out strategic partners, e.g. perhaps
UNCTAD on investment or perhaps UNIDO on tr ade facilitation.  Competition, government
procurement and transparency needed new capacity resources, and the WTO needed partners to assistit.  These were also important development issues.
87. This work had implications for observer status of some institutions who so far had been
denied such status.  Members needed to show tolerance and acceptance to unblock these problems,
because they were about their own internal and external coherence.  In New York and Africa he had
repeated Members' core message that trade had to be mainstreamed and that it was vital that capacity
building be put into Poverty Reduction Strategy papers, because this was the basis for World Bank
and IMF funding decisions in the future.  The Tech nical Cooperation Division had already put up staff
proposals to handle this complicated job.  The Development and Economic Research Division had
been strengthened and had recruited three interns, one from Mali, another from China, and the third
from Zimbabwe.  These temporary staff resources would be used to build up an information base on
research and policy analysis to assist delegations.  He further reported that over the past week he had
visited the Ivory Coast, the OAU in Addis Ababa, Ministers and leaders in Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenyaand South Africa.  In meeting African leaders, he had been deeply moved by the public support they
had offered, because they had all said that they saw the WTO positively since Doha.  Since Doha, as
instructed by Ministers, the WTO had strengthened the Accessions Division, and he had personally
visited Viet Nam, Cambodia and Ethiopia to offer encouragement and technical assistance for their
respective accessions.  He had had a meeting a few weeks earlier with all the Ambassadors resident inGeneva who were seeking accession, in order to update them, and he would have such meetings
frequently.  He thanked Members, the Chairman and the Secretariat for their hard work and focus as
they moved ahead with the Doha Development Agenda.  This process had to be Member-driven and
Ministerial-led, so that Members could maintain the momentum to conclude these negotiations on
time, as Ministers had instructed.
88. The representative of Tunisia said that regarding the Director-General's recent visit to the
African countries, Tunisia welcomed the fact th at the Director-General had moved forward in
implementing the decisions taken by Ministers at Doha.  African countries were keenly interested in,
and had repeatedly stressed the need to establish, technical assistance and training of their experts in
order to participate fully in the forthcoming negotiations.  He asked whether the WTO had devised
any strategy to assist the African countries in this regard, because in Tunisia's view, other
international organizations seemed to spend their funds on travel expenses for experts without anypositive outcome.  Tunisia also expected that Memb ers as well would be involved in preparing the
action strategy for technical assistance to these countries.
89. The Director-General, responding to the points made by Tunisia, said that Members would
have to focus on these points in order to provide technical assistance effectively.  This was why the
"country file" project had been introduced so early, according to which a file would be preparedsubject by subject for each developing country that needed capacity assistance, and would include all
the work done in this regard.  The file would be updated regularly and reported directly to Members in
Geneva and to their capitals, in order to ensure transparency and accountability.  However, as he had
described earlier, the first of such files, to be prepared by early March, would include only the
subjects to be covered, followed by files with more detailed information in May.  It was important thatdonors and other agencies show discipline in maki ng their activities known.  For example, some
donor countries were not aware of what the various departments in their administrations were doing,
while some major partner agencies had made available on their web pages full information on their
technical assistance activities.  The WTO was encouraging donor countries to make all the relevant
information available to it, in order to be able to  identify the areas where other partner agencies or
donor countries were working and to enter this information in the country files.  In order to make thisWT/GC/M/73
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process transparent and to get feedback from Members, these files would be made available to them.
The WTO had agreed with its strategic partners to do this, but as yet nothing had happened.  It had
taken three months to organize a meeting on coherence, which was unacceptable.  Members could not
afford to lose time or funds.  However, patience was needed in this exercise, as the first country files
would no doubt have considerable gaps, and the countries seeking assistance would be obliged tofollow up.  This would no doubt be difficult and awkward for the Secretariat, donors and partner
institutions.  However, the only effective follow-up would be to open the file and identify the
shortcomings, and to continue to do this every three months in order to build up the files.
Implementing the results of the Doha Development Agenda would be a long-term activity.  He was
grateful to the many donor countries and development Ministers who were organizing conferences
and pledging funds.  He welcomed any suggestions Members might have regarding the work being
undertaken.
90. The representative of Belize sought clarification regarding how the subject areas for the
country files would be determined.  He asked whether this would be done on a consultative basis with
the respective Members, on assessment from the Secretariat, or on the basis of areas already included
in the WTO Technical Assistance Plan for 2002.
91. The Director-General said that all three elements would be included, i.e. the plan already in
place, the work other agencies were doing and consultation with individual countries, but that the
focus would be all of the elements in the Doha Development Agenda in which Ministers had
instructed Members to work to build capacity.
92. The representative of Burundi suggested that the Director-General work together with the
African Group on the issue of technical assistance to these countries.  His delegation had not received
any feedback on the Director-General's meetings w ith Ministers from African countries after Doha.
93. The Director-General noted that he would be meeting with the African Group soon.  In
addition, on return from his recent tour of African countries, he had briefed the heads of the LDCs
group, the African group and the ACP Ambassadors, who should in turn brief their delegations.  He
had met regularly with those Ambassadors and would continue to do so.  He noted also that the CTDwould meet to discuss the WTO Technical Assistance Plan for 2002 on 14 February, and asked
Members to be patient.
94. The General Council took note of the statements.
10. Scheduling of WTO meetings
95. Mr. Rodriguez Mendoza, Deputy Director-G eneral, speaking under "Other Business",
recalled that he had been asked by the Director-General to examine the issue of the scheduling of
meetings.6  Developing-country Members, in particular, had stressed the need for a rational approach
that avoided too many meetings being held at the same time, in particular given that the Doha
negotiations and work programme were now getting under way.  He had looked into this issue with
the help of the Secretariat and wished to report some findings on the current situation and make some
suggestions on how to address the concerns expressed.  Regarding the current situation, it was quite
apparent that continuing the current practices would lead to trouble.  He illustrated this by givingsome numbers on past experience.  There were at present a total of 67 WTO bodies, of which 34 were
standing bodies open to all Members.  The remainder were comprised of 28 accession working parties
and five plurilateral bodies.  In addition to these 67 standing bodies, one had to add the TNC and the
two new negotiating groups – on market access and on rules – which Members had agreed to establish
at the TNC's first meeting on 28 January and 1 February.  The TNC had further agreed that six already
                                                     
6 The statement was circulated in document Job No. 1089.WT/GC/M/73
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existing standing bodies would meet in special session in order to carry out the work mandated by
Ministers at Doha.
96. According to WTO Conference Office statistics, which calculated meetings on the basis of
half-day units (i.e. a meeting lasting one full day was calculated as two meetings), last year there had
been nearly 400 formal meetings of WTO bodies.  On top of that, there had been more than 500informal meetings, as well as some 90 other meetings such as symposia, workshops and seminars
organized under the auspices of WTO bodies.  All of these competed for delegations' time.  Worse
yet, sometimes as many as four to five formal meetings had had to be convened at the same time.  In
sum, the guidelines for the scheduling of meetings adopted in 1995 had not been observed very
closely in this respect.  Clearly, there was need for improvement if effective participation of the full
WTO membership was to be made possible in the upcoming negotiations and work programme.
97. Having considered this matter carefully, he did not feel that the existing guidelines on the
scheduling of meetings needed any major revision at the present stage.  However, in order to address
the concerns which had been raised, he proposed the following:  First, the 1995 guidelines for the
scheduling of meetings needed to be adhered to more strictly.  This would necessitate the close
involvement and cooperation of chairpersons of WTO bodies, together with the WTO Secretariat.
These guidelines were very simple and implied th e following:  No more than two formal meetings
should be held simultaneously.  Also, in line with the Principles and Practices agreed by the TNC on
28 January and 1 February, as an overall guideline, as far as possible only one negotiating body
should meet at the same time.  Meetings should be spread out as evenly as possible, both throughout
the calendar year and throughout the week, includin g on hitherto under-utilized Fridays.  Meeting
dates should not be altered, except for overriding political or technical reasons.  Second, negotiatingsessions should be held back-to-back with regular meetings of the relevant WTO bodies in order to
facilitate participation.  Also, meetings on similar subject areas could be grouped together.  Third, an
annual calendar of meetings should be fixed at the beginning of each year.  To this end, he suggested
that the Secretariat, in close cooperation with the chairpersons of WTO bodies, draw up and circulate
a schedule of meetings as soon as possible, preferab ly within the next two weeks.  And fourth, the
Chairman of the General Council and the Chairman of the TNC could consider reporting regularly,
preferably at every regular meeting of these bodies, on the implementation of the above guidelines.
The Secretariat, for its part, would continue to monitor the situation regularly.
98. The Chairman said that this was a matter the General Council would no doubt come back to.
99. The General Council took note of the statements.
11. Working Party on the Accession of Saudi Arabia
100. The Chairman, speaking under "Other Business", recalled that in February 1996, the then-
Chairman of the General Council – on the basis of his consultations and under the authority delegated
to him by the General Council upon the establishment of the Working Party on the Accession of Saudi
Arabia to consult and designate a Chair for that body – had informed the General Council that
Mr. Weekes (Canada) had agreed to serve as Chairman of that Working Party.  In a recent
communication Mr. Weekes had indicated that he was unable to continue to serve in this post.  He hadused the opportunity of his recent consultations on the appointment of officers to WTO bodies to also
raise with delegations the question of appointment of a Chair for this Working Party.  As a result of
these consultations, he believed that consensus could be reached shortly on the appointment of
Mr. Akram (Pakistan), who had offered to make himself available to chair this Working Party.  He
recalled that the normal procedure was for the Ge neral Council to authorize its Chairman to appoint
the Chair for such working parties in consultation with Members and with the acceding country in
question.  Accordingly, he or the new General Co uncil Chairman would complete these consultations
and if there were no objections, would designate the Chairman of the Working Party and so informWT/GC/M/73
Page 21
the General Council in writing.  On behalf of all Members, he expressed appreciation for the work
carried out to date by Mr. Weekes as Chairman of this Working Party.
101. The General Council took note of the statement.
12. Internal transparency and effect ive participation of all Members
102. The representative of India, speaking under "Other Business", recalled that in July and
November 2000 the then-Chairman of the General Council had held extensive consultations on the
issue of internal transparency and effective participation of Members.  One of the issues focused on in
those consultations was transparency relating to the preparation and organization of Ministerial
Conferences.  Many delegations, including India, had put forward suggestions on this subject at the
December 2000 General Council meeting.  Experience since then had led India and others to the view
that transparency could be improved and effective participation of Members facilitated.  It would thus
be useful to agree on parameters on this subject.  India would circulate a paper shortly outlining itssuggestions, and asked that this item be placed on the agenda of the General Council's next meeting.
India was also of the view that the process of ap pointment of officers to WTO bodies also needed to
be made more systematic and orderly, and would circulate a paper shortly on this subject as well.
This item should also be placed on the agenda of the General Council's next meeting.  India supported
the Chairman's suggestion, made in an informal meeting on the appointment of officers to WTObodies, to form a group of former General Council Chairpersons to reflect on this and to make
proposals.
103. The General Council took note of the statement.
13. Election of Chairperson
104. The Chairman said that he wished to thank in  particular the Director-General for the total
support he had given him during his chairmanship, and to pay tribute to the other members of the
Secretariat, in particular the four Deputy Directors-General and the Director and staff of the
Ministerial Sessions and Council Divisions for their total support during the course of the year.  He
also, of course, wished to thank the Members.  The past year had been a frustrating and, at times,
difficult and trying period for many, and he had always been impressed with the kindness,consideration and tolerance Members had shown towards him.  He also wished to apologize for
mistakes he had made during the year – both those he was aware of and those he was not aware of –
none of which had been intentional.  It had been a great privilege for him and for Hong Kong, China
to have been able to lead the General Council during this very interesting year.
105. The General Council then unanimously elected Mr. Sergio Marchi (Canada) to the Chair.
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