RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(99)/SR/1
14 January 2000
(00-0149)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Third Session
Seattle, 30 November - 3 December 1999
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FIRST MEETING
Held at the Convention Center, Seattle, United States
on Tuesday, 30 November 1999, at 3.30 p.m.
Chairperson:  Ms. Charlene Barshefsky (United States)
Subjects: 1. Opening address by the Chairperson
2. Adoption of the agenda
3. Order of business
4. Introduction of the report of the General Council by its Chairman
5. General Statements (Agenda item 1)
1. Opening address by the Chairperson1
The DIRECTOR-GENERAL, on behalf of the C HAIRPERSON, called the meeting to order
and declared the Third Session of the Ministerial Conference open.
2. Adoption of the agenda
The Ministerial Conference then adopted the agenda proposed in WT/MIN(99)/W/1:
"1. Overview of Activities of the WTO;
 2. Action by Ministers; 3. Date and venue of the Fourth Session;
 4. Election of Officers."
3. Order of business
The DIRECTOR-GENERAL, on behalf of the CHAIRPERSON, drew attention to the
Proposed Order of Business in WT/MIN(99)/4/Rev.2, and proposed that the Ministerial Conference
agree to the organization of work for the Session as set out therein.
                                                     
1As the inaugural ceremony for the Conference was not held, the addresses that were to have been
given at that ceremony by Mr. Kofi Annan, Mrs. Made leine Albright, the Chairper son and the Director-General
were circulated as documents in WT/MIN(99)/13, WT/MIN(99)/11, WT/MIN(99)/10 and WT/MIN(99)/12respectively.WT/MIN(99)/SR/1
Page 2
The Ministerial Conference so agreed.
4. Introduction of the report of the General Council by its Chairman
Mr. Ali Mchumo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the WTO at
Geneva and Chairman of the General Council, made a statement (WT/MIN(99)/16) introducing the
report of the General Council to the Third Session of the Ministerial Conference (WT/MIN(99)/5).
5. General Statements (Agenda Item 1)
The DIRECTOR-GENERAL, on behalf of the C HAIRPERSON, invited Ministers and other
speakers wishing to make statements under this Agenda item to do so in a single presentation whichaddressed both the overview of the activities of the WTO, and the evaluation of implementation of
individual WTO agreements and the realization of their objectives, as provided for in Paragraph 8 of
the Ministerial Declaration adopted by Ministers in Geneva on 20 May 1998.
He recalled that Rule 22 of the Rules of Procedure for sessions of the Ministerial Conference
(WT/L/161) provided the possibility for the Chai rperson to limit the time allowed to each speaker
with the consent of the meeting.  The Chairman of the General Council had already announced to the
General Council on 4 November that statements shou ld be limited to a maximum of five minutes.  In
order to provide equitable opportunity to all speaker s to express their views in the Plenary meetings,
he proposed that the Ministerial Conference agree to limit all statements to a maximum of fiveminutes.  Delegations that so wished could circulate longer presentations as formal documents of the
Ministerial Conference.
The Ministerial Conference so agreed.
The following statements were made:2
Singapore H.E. Mr. BG (N S) George Young-Boon Yeo,
Minister for Trade and IndustryWT/MIN(99)/ST/1
Switzerland H.E. Mr. Pascal Couchepin,
Federal Minister of the EconomyWT/MIN(99)/ST/2
Commission of the
European CommunityMr. Pascal Lamy,
Commissioner for TradeWT/MIN(99)/ST/3
Council of the
European UnionH.E. Mr. Kimmo Sasi,
Minister for Foreign Trade of Finland on behalf
  of the Presidency of the Council of the
  European UnionWT/MIN(99)/ST/4
Brazil H.E. Mr. Luiz Felipe Lampreia,
Minister of Foreign RelationsWT/MIN(99)/ST/5
                                                     
2 Ms. Charlene Barshesfsky took the Chair after the statement by the Minister from the Commission of
the European Community.  Mr. Abdoul Razak Dawood, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Production ofPakistan, Vice-Chairperson of the Ministerial Conference, took the Chair after the statement by the Ministerfrom India.WT/MIN(99)/SR/1
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Philippines The Honourable Jose T. Pardo,
Secretary of Trade and IndustryWT/MIN(99)/ST/6
Australia The Honourable Mark Vaile, MP,
Minister for TradeWT/MIN(99)/ST/7
United Kingdom The Right Honourable Stephen Byers, MP,
Secretary of State for Trade and IndustryWT/MIN(99)/ST/8
Pakistan H.E. Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood,
Minister of Commerce, Industry and
  ProductionWT/MIN(99)/ST/9
France H.E. Mr. Christian Sautter,
Minister for the Economy, Finance and
  IndustryWT/MIN(99)/ST/10
Hong Kong, China Mr. Chau Tak Hay,
Secretary for Trade and IndustryWT/MIN(99)/ST/11
United States The Honourable Daniel Glickman,
Secretary of AgricultureWT/MIN(99)/ST/12
Canada The Honourable Pierre S. Pettigrew,
Minister for International TradeWT/MIN(99)/ST/13
New Zealand The Honourable Lockwood Smith,
Minister for International TradeWT/MIN(99)/ST/14
Norway H.E. Mr. Knut Vollebaek,
Minister for Foreign AffairsWT/MIN(99)/ST/15
Argentina H.E. Mr. Guido Di Tella,
Minister for Foreign Affairs, International
  Trade and WorshipWT/MIN(99)/ST/153
India H.E. Mr. Murasoli Maran,
Minister of Commerce and IndustryWT/MIN(99)/ST/16
Bangladesh H.E. Mr. Tofail Ahmed, MP,
Minister for Commerce and Industry
  (Speaking on behalf of the LDC Group)WT/MIN(99)/ST/17
International
Monetary Fund
(Observer)Mr. Michel Camdessus,
Managing-DirectorWT/MIN(99)/ST/18
World Bank
(Observer)Mr. James D. Wolfensohn,
PresidentWT/MIN(99)/ST/19WT/MIN(99)/SR/1
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United Nations
Conference on Trade
and Development
(Observer)Mr. Rubens Ricupero,
Secretary-GeneralWT/MIN(99)/ST/136
Organization for
Economic
Cooperation and
Development
(Observer)Mr. Donald J. Johnston,
Secretary-GeneralWT/MIN(99)/ST/21
The meeting adjourned at 6.45 p.m.
__________