WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/40
5November 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4826)
Trade Policy Review Body
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
MALAYSIA
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 for4-5December 1997 toconduct thefourth review of
thetrade policies andpractices ofMalaysia (WTO/AIR/723).
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 totheMember under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting toallow timetoprepare replies. Fortheforthcoming review,
suchquestions should therefore bewiththeTrade Policies Review Division oftheSecretariat by
26November 1997. Allquestions submitted willbemade available toMembers atthebeginning of
themeeting.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMembers under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthe
Body. Mr.KnutBrünjes (Federal Republic ofGermany) andDr.Chiedu Osakwe (Federal Republic
ofNigeria) willactasdiscussants forthereview ofMalaysia. Documents summarizing themainpoints
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;
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Page2
(c) impactoftheMember'stradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
Meetings takeplace intwosessions. Thefirstsession isdevoted totheopening statements bythe
Member under review andthediscussants, andremarks andquestions fromthefloor. Thediscussion
inthesecond session, when theMember under review willreply toquestions, isbased onmainthemes
identified aftertheopening meeting bytheChairman, discussants andSecretariat inconsultation with
theMember.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Reports bytheMembers under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/31 Report bytheGovernment ofMalaysia
WT/TPR/S/31 Malaysia: Report bytheSecretariat
7. Thepress embargo forthereview ofMalaysia willlendat13.00 GMT (14.00 localtime) on
5December 1997.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeeting willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports byMalaysia andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting parties under review
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meeting, theMember under review mayindicate
thatitintends toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon receipt,
theSecretariat willcirculate adocument containing thisinformation toallMembers. Suchinformation
willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeeting.