RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/GC/W/87/Rev.1
16May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1975)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Geneva, 18and20May1998
DRAFT MINISTERIAL TEXT SUBMITTED BYTHE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
Revision
1. ThisSecond Session oftheMinisterial Conference oftheWTO istaking place ataparticularly
significant timeforthemultilateral trading system, when thefiftieth anniversary ofitsestablishment
isbeing commemorated. Onthisoccasion wepaytribute tothesystem 'simportant contribution over
thepasthalf-century togrowth, employment andstability bypromoting theliberalization andexpansion
oftradeandproviding aframework fortheconduct ofinternational traderelations, inaccordance with
theobjectives embodied inthePreambles totheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade andtheWorld
Trade Organization Agreement. Weagree, however, thatmore remains tobedonetoenable allthe
world 'speoples toshare fullyandequitably inthese achievements.
2. Weunderline thecrucial importance ofthemultilateral rules-based trading system. Wereaffirm
thecommitments andassessments wemade atSingapore, andwenotethatthework under existing
agreements anddecisions hasresulted insignificant newstepsforward sincewelastmet.Inparticular,
wewelcome thesuccessful conclusion ofthenegotiations onbasic telecommunications andfinancial
services andwetakenoteoftheimplementation oftheInformation Technology Agreement. Werenew
ourcommitment toachieve progressive liberalization oftrade ingoods andservices.
3. Thefiftieth anniversary comes atatimewhen theeconomies ofanumber ofWTO Members
areexperiencing difficulties asaresult ofdisturbances infinancial markets. Wetakethisopportunity
tounderline thatkeeping allmarkets open must beakeyelement inadurable solution tothese
difficulties. Withthisinmind, wereject theuseofanyprotectionist measures andagree toworktogether
intheWTO asintheIMFandtheWorld Bank toimprove thecoherence ofinternational economic
policy-making withaviewtomaximizing thecontribution thatanopen, rule-based trading system can
make tofostering stable growth foreconomies atalllevels ofdevelopment.
4. Werecognizetheimportanceofenhancingpublicunderstandingofthebenefitsofthemultilateral
trading system inorder tobuild support foritandagree towork towards thisend. Inthiscontext
wewillconsiderhowtoimprovethetransparencyofWTOoperations.Weshallalsocontinuetoimprove
ourefforts towards theobjective ofsustainable development.
5. Werenew ourcommitment toensuring thatthebenefits ofthemultilateral trading system are
extended aswidely aspossible. Werecognize theneedforthesystem tomake itsowncontribution
inresponse totheparticular trade interests anddevelopment needs ofdeveloping-country Members.
Wewelcome thework already underway intheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment forreviewing
theapplication ofspecial provisions intheMultilateral Trade Agreements andrelated Ministerial
Decisions infavour ofdeveloping country Members, andinparticular theleast-developed among them.
6. Weremain deeply concerned overthemarginalization ofleast-developed countries andcertain
small economies, which hasbeencompounded bythechronic foreign debtproblem facing many of
them, andrecognize theurgent needtoaddress thisissue. Inthiscontext wewelcome theinitiativesWT/GC/W/87/Rev.1
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taken bytheWTO incooperation withother agencies toimplement inanintegrated manner thePlan
ofAction fortheleast-developed countries which weagreed atSingapore, especially through theHigh-
Level Meeting onLeast-Developed Countries heldinGeneva inOctober 1997. Wealsowelcome the
report oftheDirector-General onthefollow-up ofthisinitiative, towhich weattach greatimportance.
Wecommit ourselves tocontinue toimprove market access conditions forproducts exported bythe
least-developed countries onasbroad andliberal abasisaspossible. WeurgeMembers toimplement
themarket-access commitments thattheyhaveundertaken attheHigh-Level Meeting.
7. Wewelcome theWTO Members whohave joined since wemetinSingapore: Congo,
Democratic Republic ofCongo, Mongolia, Niger andPanama. Werecall thataccession totheWTO
requires fullrespect ofWTO rules aswellasmeaningful andcommercially viable market access on
thepartofacceding candidates. Wewelcome theprogress made with31applicants currently negotiating
theiraccession andrenew ourresolution toensure thattheaccession processes proceed asrapidly as
possible.
8. Fullandfaithful implementation oftheWTO Agreement andMinisterial Decisions isimperative
forthecredibility ofthemultilateral trading system andindispensable formaintaining themomentum
forexpanding global trade, fostering jobcreation andraising standards ofliving inallparts ofthe
world. When wemeetattheThird Session weshallfurther pursue ourevaluation oftheimplementation
ofindividual agreements andtherealization oftheirobjectives. Such evaluation would cover, inter
alia,theproblems encountered inimplementation andtheconsequent impact onthetrade and
development prospects ofMembers. Weemphasize theimportance ofrespecting theexisting schedules
forreviews, negotiations andother work towhich wehavealready agreed.
9. Werecall thattheMarrakesh Agreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization states
thattheWTO shallprovide theforum fornegotiations among itsMembers concerning theirmultilateral
trade relations inmatters dealtwithunder theagreements intheAnnexes totheAgreement, andthat
itmayalsoprovide aforum forfurther negotiations among itsMembers concerning theirmultilateral
trade relations, andaframework fortheimplementation oftheresults ofsuchnegotiations, asmay
bedecided bytheMinisterial Conference. Inthelightofparagraphs 1-8above, wedecide thataprocess
willbeestablished under thedirection oftheGeneral Council toensure fullandfaithful implementation
ofexisting agreements, andtoprepare forthethirdsession oftheMinisterial Conference. Thisprocess
shallenable theGeneral Council tosubmit recommendations regarding theWTO 'swork programme,
including further liberalization sufficiently broad-based toappeal totherange ofinterests andconcerns
ofallMembers, within theWTO framework, thatwillenable Ministers totakedecisions atthethird
session oftheMinisterial Conference. Inthisregard, theGeneral Council willmeetinspecial session
inSeptember 1998 andperiodically thereafter toensure fullandtimely completion ofitswork, fully
respecting theprinciple ofdecision-making byconsensus. TheGeneral Council 'swork programme
shallencompass thefollowing:
(a) recommendations concerning:
(i) theissues relating toimplementation brought forward byMembers;
(ii) thenegotiationsalreadymandatedtoensuresuchnegotiationsbeginonschedule;
(iii) future workalready provided forunder otherexisting agreements anddecisions
taken atMarrakesh;
(b) recommendations concerning other possible future work onthebasis ofthework
programme initiated atSingapore;WT/GC/W/87/Rev.1
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(c) recommendations onthefollow-up totheHigh-Level Meeting onLeast-Developed
Countries;
(d) recommendations arising fromconsideration ofother matters proposed andagreed to
byMembers concerning theirmultilateral trade relations.
10. TheGeneral Council willalsosubmit tothethirdsession oftheMinisterial Conference, on
thebasisofconsensus,recommendationsfordecisionconcerningthefurtherorganizationandmanagement
ofthework programme arising from theabove, including thescope, structure andtime-frames, that
willensure thatthework programme isbegun andconcluded expeditiously.
11. Theabove work programme shallbeaimed atachieving overall balance ofinterests ofall
Members.
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