WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/45
6April 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1362)
Trade Policy Review Body Original: English
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
SOUTH AFRICA, BOTSWANA, LESOTHO, NAMIBIA AND SWAZILAND
Arrangements forReview Meeting
Communication from theChairman oftheTrade Policy Review Body
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, ameeting of
theTrade Policy Review Body isscheduled for21-23 April 1998toconduct thesecond review ofthe
trade policies andpractices ofSouth Africa andthefirstreview ofthetrade policies andpractices of
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia andSwaziland (jointly referred tohereafter as"theSACU Member States).
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meeting. Inthisconnection,
attention isalsodrawn totheprocedures fortheconduct ofreviews contained intherulesofprocedure
oftheTrade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6).
(i) Questions inwriting inadvance ofthemeeting
3. Where possible, Members shallsubmit written questions totheMembers under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting toallow timetoprepare replies. Fortheforthcoming review,
suchquestions should therefore bewiththeTrade Policies Review Division oftheSecretariat by
Tuesday, 14April 1998. Allquestions submitted willbemade available toMembers atthebeginning
ofthemeeting.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMembers under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthe
Body. Ambassador R.M.J. Lyne (United Kingdom), Mr.Wilhelm Meier (Switzerland) and
Mr.Tadeous Chifamba (Zimbabwe) willactasdiscussants forthereview oftheSACU Member States.
Adocument summarizing themain points toberaised bythediscussants willbecirculated oneweek
inadvance ofthemeeting.
(iii) Structure ofthemeeting
5. Trade policy reviews cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMember 'strade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
(c) impactoftheMembers'tradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
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6. Toallow adequate time, itisproposed thatthemeeting takeplace on21April, theafternoon
of22April andthemorning of23April. Onthemorning of21April thedelegations ofSouth Africa,
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia andSwaziland would make introductory statements. These would be
followed byinterventions fromthediscussants appointed forthemeeting, andbyquestions fromthe
floortothefivedelegations. Thissession would continue foraslongasnecessary through themorning
andtheafternoonof21April,dependingonthelengthofintroductorystatements(normallyrecommended
tobe15minutes) andthenumber ofstatements made andquestions posed byother WTO Members.
7. Attheendofthefirstsession, theChairperson andtheSecretariat would, ascustomary, meet
withthedelegations oftheSACU member States todiscuss themainthemes raised inthemeeting and
theoutline forthesecond session.
8. Thesecond session, beginning intheafternoon of22April, would bedevoted tothereplies
bythefiveSACU member States andanysupplementary discussion thatmaytakeplace. Thereplies
should bestructured according totheprincipal themes identified inthefirstsession. Itisenvisaged
thatthissession maycontinue intothemorning of23April. Attheendofthemeeting, theChairperson
would deliver hisclosing remarks, made onhisownresponsibility.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
9. Reports bytheMembers under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/34 Report bytheGovernment ofSouth Africa
WT/TPR/S/34 South Africa: Report bytheSecretariat
WT/TPR/G/35 Report bytheGovernment ofBotswana
WT/TPR/S/35 Botswana: Report bytheSecretariat
WT/TPR/G/36 Report bytheGovernment ofLesotho
WT/TPR/S/36 Lesotho: Report bytheSecretariat
WT/TPR/G/37 Report bytheGovernment ofNamibia
WT/TPR/S/37 Namibia: Report bytheSecretariat
WT/TPR/G/38 Report bytheGovernment ofSwaziland
WT/TPR/S/38 Swaziland: Report bytheSecretariat
10. Thepress embargo forthereview oftheSACU Member States willendat14.00 Geneva time
on23April 1998.
(v) Minutes
11. Minutes ofthemeeting willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports bySouth Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia andSwaziland andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting parties under review
12. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meeting, theMembers under review mayindicate
thattheyintend toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon
receipt, theSecretariat willcirculate adocument containing thisinformation toallMembers. Such
information willnotbereflected intheMinutes ofthemeeting.
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