WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/L/404
9 July 2001
(01-3411)
Original:  English
ELEVENTH SUMMIT OF THE HEADS OF STATE AND
GOVERNMENT OF THE GROUP OF FIFTEEN
Jakarta, Indonesia
30-31 May 2001
Communication from Venezuela
The following communication, dated 28 June 2001, received by the Director-General from
the Permanent Representative of Venezuela is circulated to Members.
_______________
1. I am writing to you in my capacity as the current Chairman of the Personal Representatives of
the Group of Fifteen.  It is with great pleasure that I attach herewith a copy of the Joint Communiqué
of the XI Summit of the Group of Fifteen held on 30-31 May 2001 in Jakarta, Indonesia, as well as
copy of the Jakarta Declaration on Information and Communication Technology for Development.
2. The participation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), represented by Mr. Miguel
Rodriguez Mendoza, Deputy Director-General of the WTO, contributed to the success of the Sixth
Meeting of the Trade Ministers of the Group of Fifteen.  The Ministers were able to share reflections
on the current trends and major areas of interest and concern to developing countries on the globaltrade and development agenda, taking into consideration the Third WTO Ministerial Conference held
in Seattle and of the preparations for the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar in
November 2001.
3. The XI Summit of the G-15 stresses the importan ce it attaches to the need of integrating
developing countries into the world economy, and the belief that gains arising from the ongoingliberalization process will benefit both developi ng and developed countries.  It highlights the
importance that the multilateral trading system should operate in an open, equitable, rule-based and
non-discriminatory manner, and the need to strengthen instruments such as Special and Differential
Treatment provisions.  However, the Group noted with concern that while negotiations in the WTO
have significantly led to the liberalization of trade in many sectors, equal attention has not been givento those sectors of particular importance to developing countries, such as textiles and agriculture, and
therefore, the G-15 urge the developed countries to demonstrate their true commitment to free trade
by promoting substantial liberalization in agriculture and textiles and in other sectors of export
interest to developing countries.
4. The G-15 Ministers of Trade/Economy stresse d the importance that developing countries
should actively be involved in setting and influenc ing the agenda for the Doha Ministerial Conference
of the WTO in order to ensure a balanced outcome for future trade negotiations.  They also reiterated
their rejection to introduce non-trade issues such as labor and environmental standards into the WTO
agenda.  Following the presentation by Mr. Rodriguez Mendoza, the Ministers noted withWT/L/404
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appreciation the developments at the WTO since Seattle including the launching of the mandated
negotiations in agriculture and services, the continued work to address the implementation concerns
of developing countries as well as the progress in the functioning of the WTO through conducting
consultations in a more transparent and inclusive manner.
5. I will highly appreciate if you may instruct so that both the Joint Communiqué of the XI
Summit and the Jakarta Declaration on Information and Communication Technology are distributed
to the WTO member countries.
6. While I thank you on behalf of the Personal Representatives for the participation of Mr.
Rodriguez Mendoza at the Sixth Meeting of the Ministers of Trade/Economy, I wish to reaffirm the
commitment of the Group of Fifteen to cooperate with the WTO for achieving a fair and just
multilateral trading system for the benefit of our people in developing countries.WT/L/404
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ANNEX I
XI SUMMIT OF THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT
OF THE GROUP OF FIFTEEN
Joint Communiqué
1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the Group of Fifteen, meeting in Jakarta,
Indonesia, on 30-31 May 2001 for our Eleventh Summit, underscore our commitment to explore
measures for harnessing the potentials of information and communications technology (ICT) for
development in our countries and other developing countries.  We resolve also to rededicate ourselves
to deepening cooperation and collaboration among our countries and with the wider community of
developing countries.  We reaffirm our desire to engage our developed partners through effective
dialogue and partnership towards creating an international economic environment conducive todevelopment.  We reiterate the need to maintain peace, security and stability, which are indispensable
conditions for social and economic development and reaffirm our commitment to these objectives.  In
this context, we are fully committed to the advan cement of the objectives of the Millennium Summit
Declaration and the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations.
2. We note that despite the rapid recovery of the global economy in 1999 and early 2000, the
looming slowdown reduces prospects for sustaining this momentum.  This influences negatively, the
projections for sustained economic growth and sustainable development in developing countries.
These developments highlight the need for a new global approach, to bolster cooperation and
partnership to promote a more equitable sharing of the benefits of globalization.  This is vital for the
realization of the enormous potentials of new technologies to reduce the widening gap betweendeveloped and developing countries.
3. We have sustained the momentum of the desired macroeconomic and structural reforms
aimed at sustaining economic growth and deepening our integration into the global economy.  While
such progress has undoubtedly improved the prospects for growth in our countries, we continue to
face challenges and uncertainties, including the risk of further volatility in the financial markets, aslowdown in the growth of the world economy, incr easing protectionism in developed countries, high
levels of structural unemployment, poverty, and widening income gaps between countries.  We
therefore recognize the need 'to have a higher degree of macroeconomic co-ordination among
developed countries to promote a conducive environment for growth and development and to
minimize the adverse social and economic consequences of globalization.
4. We recognize that information and communications technologies (ICT) are central to the
emergence of the knowledge-based economy.  We are however deeply concerned that the huge
potential of ICT for advancing development is largely eluding most developing countries resulting in
a growing digital divide.  We hold that there is an urgent need to develop a common vision and
adequate as well as prompt international cooperation to bridge this divide, to allow the information
and knowledge revolution to reduce economic inequalities among peoples, countries and regions of
the world.  With a view to contributing to, and benefiting from on going international initiatives aswell as evolving a framework of cooperation among our countries, we have adopted the Jakarta
Declaration on ICT.
5. We note with concern that 1.2 billion of the world's population still live in conditions of
abject poverty and deprivation, and the international community must therefore demonstrate greater
commitment to making the right to development a reality.  We reaffirm our commitment to national,
regional and international endeavors to fight poverty.  To this end, our countries must be at the
forefront of efforts to galvanize concrete international actions to attain the goals of the Copenhagen
Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development as well as theWT/L/404
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results of other UN global conferences of the 1990s that addressed poverty eradication in developing
countries.  In this context, we welcome the UN Millennium Declaration's reaffirmation of the resolve
of the international community to halve, by the year 2015, the proportion of the world's population
living in conditions of extreme poverty.  We similarly consider the forthcoming World Food Summit:
Five Years - Later, to be held on 5-9 November 2001 in Rome, as timely and deserving, and urge the
full support and effective participation of the in ternational community and relevant international
institutions to ensure the attainment of food security for all.
6. We stress the urgent need for international measures to address pandemic and endemic
diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that seriously accentuate poverty, as well as
the need for financial resources and appropriate international rules to help developing countries to
ensure the implementation of the necessary immunization programme against communicable diseases:
We welcome the adoption of the Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2001/33 on "Access tomedication in the Context of Pandemics such as HIV/AIDS" as well as the World Health Assembly
resolutions on "Scaling up the Response to HIV/AIDS" and "WHO Medicines Strategy".  The
implementation of the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)  Agreement should in no
way prevent developing countries from taking measures, such as compulsory licensing and parallel
imports to ensure access 
to life-saving and essential drugs at affordable prices to overcome the
hazards to public health and nutrition caused by HIV/AIDS and other diseases.  We consider the
forthcoming Special Discussion in the Council for TRIPS of the WTO as an opportunity for
promoting a convergence of views in this regard.
7. We welcome the adoption of a Plan of Action at the Third United Nations Conference on
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) held in Brussels in May 2001, and call on the internationalcommunity, particularly the developed countries and relevant international institutions, to fulfil their
commitments in the implementation of the Plan of Action.
8. In light of the significance of employment generation in alleviating poverty, we welcome the
decision of the 
Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on World Summit for Social
Development and Beyond held from 26-30 June 2000 in Geneva, to convene a World Employment
Forum, under the auspices of the International Labour Organization (ILO), in November 2001.  We
consider the Forum an opportunity for the formulatio n of a global framework for the realization of a
Comprehensive Employment Strategy.  In the preparations for the Forum, we urge the International
Labour Office to take into consideration the G-15 initiative on a Comprehensive Employment
Strategy and to ensure that actual implementation programmes figure prominently in the ILO's
programme and budget for the years 2002 - 2003.
9. Recent trend towards greater reliance on private capital flows in financing development and
in the diminishing role of official development assi stance accentuates the inequality in the distribution
of resources among countries, while at the same time inducing more volatility in financial flows.
Capital flows to many developing countries continue to be insufficient in spite of the bold steps taken
to restructure and reform their economies with a view  to attracting higher levels of foreign investment
flows.  We therefore call for a pro-active approach to effective public and private partnerships in
order to facilitate increased levels of resource flows to developing countries and, most particularly to
the poor countries.  We also call upon foreign investors to ensure that their activities take into account
the development objectives of their host countries.
10. External capital flows, including Foreign Direct Investment  (FDI) and Official Development
Assistance (ODA), for development remain 'a critical means for most of the developing countries togenerate sustained economic growth and sustainable development.  We therefore express our deep
concern on the dramatic decline, in real and nominal terms, in ODA flows to developing countries.
We reiterate our call on the industrialized countries to strengthen their efforts to meet the United
Nations agreed target of 0.7 per cent of their GDP for overall ODA, and the target of 0.15 per cent forWT/L/404
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flows to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and th at debt relief or emergency aid should not be
provided at the expense of ODA.  In this context, it is important to ensure an equitable distribution of
resource flows among all developing countries.
11.  The international community should address and urgently rectify all existing imbalances in
the world economy to enable developing countries finance their development strategies.  We
emphasize that the reform of the international financial architecture (IFA) is long overdue and top
priority should be given to measures by both the public and private sectors to prevent future crises.
More meaningful and equitable participation, coop eration and consultation between developing and
developed countries are required in the reform of the international financial system to ensure that the
interests of all developing countries are safeguarded.  While we welcome the advances made bynational authorities in implementing reforms to strengthen their economic and financial systems as the
best defence against future crises, we are concerned by the lack of progress in reforms in the
international financial system to address the risks and challenges of highly volatile capital flows.  In
this regard, the G-15 has an important role in energizing the momentum for international financial
reforms.  The G-15 is ready to contribute to the inte rnational dialogue on this issue to ensure that the
concerns and interests of the developing countries in general, and the G-15 in particular, are
adequately protected.  We welcome Malaysia's offer to convene a meeting of G-15 experts to examine
the current work on the IFA issues in order to better articulate positions in various international fora
on IFA reforms, including the International Conference on Financing for Development.  We call uponour developed partners in the spirit of shared responsibility 'to ensure international financial stability
by pursuing macroeconomic policies that do not have an adverse impact on international financial
markets and by contributing positively and actively to the reform of the international financial system.
12. In this context, highly leveraged institutions should be monitored and regulated to safeguard
countries from the destabilizing effects of their activ ities.  While calling on the International Financial
Institutions (IFIs) to provide realistic and flexible policy alternatives for all forms of emergency
financing, they should acknowledge the rights of all countries to implement prudential measures
aimed at ensuring financial stability.  The reform should therefore include a review and complete
overhaul of the rules of the IFIs and regulatory agencies to ensure that their policies respond
effectively and timely to the needs and specific circumstances of affected countries.  Their provisionof financial support should not result in shifting the burden from one group of developing countries to
another.  In the context of the continuing coordination and consultation between the G-15 and the
G-24, we support the call of the latter at its Sixty Fourth Meeting in Prague, September 2000, for the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) to focus, in collaboration with the World Bank, on systemic
issues relating to the functioning of financial markets.  We therefore welcome the recent progress by
the IMF to develop an early warning system to help countries better assess the risks they face in
international financial markets.
13. We remain concerned that the debt problem of developing countries continues to be a major
obstacle to development.  We note with interest the recent G7 Finance Ministers' Statement on the
implementation of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries' (HIPCs) initiative.  However, we reiterate
our call for expeditious and additional actions by developed countries to enable all HIPC countries to
qualify for debt and debt-service reduction as well as the write-off of unpayable debts of suchcountries, as appropriate.  We urge the industrialized nations; as a demonstration of their commitment
to poverty alleviation, to provide sufficient additional resources not linked to ODA and to accelerate
their disbursements to ensure that all eligible c ountries benefit from debt relief.  We also note with
concern that the creditor countries and international financial institutions have so far failed to
introduce arrangements for orderly and equitable workouts for commercial debt and the provision ofadequate international liquidity, under appropriate terms and conditions, to countries facing serious
debt-servicing difficulties.  We therefore encourage all actors in the development process to find a
durable solution to the debt overhang that continues to seriously constrain the ability of many low and
middle-income developing countries to combat poverty, provide basic services in health andWT/L/404
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education, and to upgrade their social and physical infrastructures.  We strongly believe debt relief
measures should be developed and extended, to include these countries.
14. In recognition of the vital role of development finance to our development process and the
growth of the world economy, our countries will deepen their cooperation and sustain their active
participation in the preparatory process leading up to the International Conference on Financing for
Development to be held in 2002 in Mexico.  We urge all Heads of State and Government to
participate in this Conference.  It should address in  a holistic manner the interrelated issues of trade,
development and finance, including the urgent need to rectify asymmetries, biases, structural
imbalances and systemic problems in the world economic and financial system through, inter alia ,
fair market access opportunities to products and serv ices of interest to developing countries, enhanced
debt relief measures, improved access to international financial flows and strengthening financial
stability to enable developing countries generate resources for their development strategies.  To thisend, the Conference should aim at making globalization work for all peoples and achieving the
internationally agreed development targets and the Millennium Summit goals through concrete
measures and actions.
15. Taking into account the worrisome trends towards corruption and illegal transfer of funds, we
note with concern that, in a number of developing countries, such transfers constitute a majorhindrance to development.  We, therefore, reiterate our support for the resolution on the Prevention of
Corrupt Practices and Illegal Transfer of Funds adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at
its 54th Session, and call for redoubled efforts to address, in all its ramifications, the illegal transfer of
funds to ensure their repatriation to the countries of origin.
16. We reaffirm that a rule-based, open, just, equitable and non-discriminatory multilateral
trading system is a prerequisite for a sound and balanced international economy and the credibility of
the multilateral trading system.  In this context, greater inclusiveness, internal transparency and
effective participation of all Members in the decision making process in the World Trade
Organization (WTO) should be enhanced in order to accommodate the legitimate requirements and
priorities of developing countries.  We stress that the development dimension should constitute anoverarching theme in the WTO agenda.  We have sustained our efforts to open our markets,
strengthen our institutions and orient our economies to the challenges of the new global economy.
We note, however, that tariff peaks; tariff escalations and non-tariff barriers, including new
restrictions under the pretext of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, persisting in industrial countries,
on products of export interest to developing countries, have adversely impacted on the export
performance of these products and growth in developing countries.
17. We are against the use of subsidies, anti-dumping and safeguards provisions as protectionist
and trade distorting measures by developed countries.  It is also regrettable to observe that while
negotiations in the WTO have significantly led to the liberalization of trade in many sectors, equal
attention has not been given to those sectors of particular importance to developing countries, such as
textiles and agriculture.  We urge the developed countries to demonstrate their true commitment to
free trade by promoting substantial liberalization in agriculture and textiles and in other sectors andmodes of supply of services of export interest to developing countries, in particular the movement of
natural persons, as envisaged in the General Agreement on Trade in Services.  Real progress in
mandated negotiations and review are essential to the future of a fair and free trading system.  We also
stress the importance of commodities exports for the development of developing countries.  In this
regard, we call upon UNCTAD and other relevant organizations, as well as the Common Fund for
Commodities, to identify measures aimed at prom oting stability in prices of commodities and the
transformation, value addition and diversification of such products in the countries in which they are
produced.  We also strongly reiterate that non-trade issues such as labour standards and environmental
conditionalities should not be included in the WTO agenda.WT/L/404
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18. We strongly stress the need for a meaningful solution to the Implementation Issues pertaining
to the Uruguay Round Agreements and Decisions by the IV Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in
accordance with the decision of the General Council of the WTO, and for the operationalization of the
special and differential provisions in favour of developing countries as a binding commitment.
19. We urge developed countries to address development concerns of developing countries in
international fora, and in particular, in the forthcoming Ministerial Conference of WTO.  We
emphasize the need to preserve a flexible policy space in which developing countries could pursue
policies oriented to promote and sustain competitiveness and dynamism within their goods and
services sectors.
20. In light of our commitment to the early accession of developing countries to the WTO, we
reiterate the need for a transparent, non-discriminatory, streamlined and accelerated accession process
that is in keeping with WTO rules and disciplines.  They should be offered terms that do neitherexceed nor are unrelated to the commitments of developing country and LDC Members of WTO.
21. We further express our concern on the deterioration of preferential schemes, especially the
imposition of additional conditionalities on developing countries under the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP).  Accordingly, we call for the exclusion of conditionalities, particularly labour,
health, safety and environmental standards in the implementation of GSP schemes.  We also call uponthe developed countries to provide necessary assistan ce to developing countries in dealing with their
special difficulties in combating narcotic drug production and trafficking.
22. A dynamic multilateral trading system should be responsive to the needs of developing
countries, including, small and vulnerable economies as well as LDCs.  We call for the creation of a
favourable international environment to facilitate th eir beneficial integration into the global trading
system.  In this regard, we take note of the recent initiative to grant improved market access to
products originating from LDCs.  We note further that measures should be taken to avoid possible
negative impact from these initiatives on other developing countries.
23. We emphasize the important role of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) in assisting developing countries in capacity building and in preparingthem for future trade negotiations as well as ensuring that the development dimension is fully taken
into account.
24. We agree to strengthen the cooperation among our countries in matters concerning
multilateral trade negotiations, including timely consultations at the appropriate levels, in order to
contribute meaningfully to the safeguarding of the interests of developing countries in these
negotiations.
25. In welcoming the forthcoming Rio + 10, we underline that its priority should be the
identification of concrete measures to ensure that the developed countries in particular, fulfill their
commitments under Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration principles.  We recognize the need to strike a
balance between the sustainable use of natural resources and environmental protection, in the
understanding that such a balance constitutes the very basis of sustained economic growth and
development.  To this end, we reaffirm our commitment, according to our capacities and resources, tothe goals and principles enunciated in Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration.  We note that the
environmental consciousness and momentum generated by the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro have not been matched with
adequate action by most industrialized countries, which bear responsibility for the greater share of
environmental degradation, in failing to take any meaningful measures to reverse their unsustainable
patterns of economic activity and consumption.  Industrialized countries have not fulfilled their
commitments to provide the necessary assistance, including new and additional financial resources,WT/L/404
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technical expertise and the transfer of environmentally friendly technology on favourable terms to
developing countries.  These factors are crucial to the implementation of national policies and
multilateral environmental agreements as well as the improvement of the competitiveness of
environmentally friendly goods and services of developing countries.
26. We reiterate therefore that global environmental problems should be addressed within the
framework of the UNCED outcomes, including in particular, the recognition of the principle of
common but differentiated responsibilities.  To this end, we agree that Rio+10 should exclude any
attempt to renegotiate the commitments undertaken at UNCED 1992 and the introduction of new
issues, including environmental standards as conditionality for trade.  We also acknowledge the need
to ensure the active participation of our countries in the Rio + 10 preparatory process and consider it
an opportune occasion to promote G-15 cooperation on environmental issues with a view to
protecting our bio-diversity.  It should also serve to enhance cooperation in the area of training forlocal and indigenous communities to improve their use of natural resources and explore ways for the
protection of traditional knowledge, so as to upgra de their capacity to fully benefit there from.  In
light of the urgency for an effective internationa l legal regime to control the impacts of climate
change and to strengthen financial and technical cooperation between developed and developing
countries in this field, we call for an early action by all Annex I Parties to operationalize the KyotoProtocol.  We reiterate the need to address institutional weaknesses and to develop options for
strengthened international environmental governan ce in the broader context of sustained economic
growth and development.
27. We note with apprehension the danger posed to public health and the environment arising
from the use of Depleted Uranium (DU) ammunition in conflict situations.  We therefore call on allparties in conflict situations to refrain from using these weapons.
28. We reaffirm our commitment to deepen and broaden South-South cooperation as a strategy
for collective action among developing countries, including enhanced intra-G-15 cooperation and
consultations to facilitate a higher level of trade and investment flows between our countries, and with
other developing countries.  We remain convinced that South-South cooperation will enable ourcountries to take advantage of existing and potential complementarities in our economies and act as an
anchor for our efforts towards restructuring intern ational economic relations and the strengthening of
the world economy.  We stress the importance of sub-regional and regional economic arrangements
among developing countries in order to achieve higher levels of development and to enhance
South-South cooperation.  In this respect, we reaffirm our support for the Global System of Trade
Preferences (GSTP) process and call for early implementation of the results of the Second Round of
the negotiations.
29. We underscore that G-15 projects and other cooperative endeavours need to be further
promoted to strengthen cooperation among developing countries.  We therefore acknowledge the
importance of strengthening our national programmes and policies as well as recent efforts undertaken
to enhance the implementation of G-15 projects, in cluding the recognition of the need for forward
looking and results-oriented approach, and the elevation of cooperation and networking among theprivate sector of G-15 member countries.  In this  context, we welcome the outcomes of the recent
meetings of the G-15 Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Services (FCCIS), in New
Delhi, India and Jakarta, Indonesia, in the year 2001; the 4t' Meeting of National Focal Points on G-15
Project on Solar Energy Applications, in New Delh i, India; and the G-15 Expert Meeting on SMEs
and the G-15 Expert Meeting on G-15 Capital Markets in Cairo, Egypt in the year 2001.
30. New proposals for cooperation among G-15 countries have been submitted during the XI
Summit meetings.  These relate to cooperation in different areas of common concern.  We emphasize
the need for detailed project formulation in thes e areas so that these proposals can be thoroughly
examined by G-15 members and taken up for possible implementation.WT/L/404
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31. We acknowledge the vital role of public sector manpower in the delivery of public services to
our populations and the provision of a conducive macroeconomic policy environment for enhancing
economic activities.  To this end, we undertake to work towards strengthening cooperation in human
resource development among G-15 member countries, through a holistic and practical approach to
sharing of resources, expertise and experiences in the area of public sector management.
32. We undertook an appraisal of the objectives, orientations and functioning of our Group and
agreed on additional steps to fine-tune and revitalize the procedures and mechanisms for consultations
and cooperation among our countries.  We are therefore committed to improve the efficiency of themechanisms of the Group, to further enhance its dynamism and effectiveness in attaining the full
accomplishment of its goals and objectives.
33. We stress the necessity to give more impetus to South-South Cooperation in light of the
increasing tendency of the prevailing global economic arrangements to serve the interest of the
developed countries.  We also recognize the need to identify practical measures to facilitate a higherlevel of trade; investment and technology flows among member countries of our Group, and we
acknowledge the imperative for a somber reflection and the revitalization of the G-15 to better attain
its founding objective of serving as a catalyst of developing countries.  To this end, and aiming to
increase the efficiency of the G-15 in the implementation of its decisions, we agree to establish a
Commission and invite the incoming Chairman of the G-15, the President of the Bolivarian Republicof Venezuela, to expeditiously elaborate on the matter and to carry out consultations and make
recommendations to the other Heads of State and Go vernment.  The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of
the G-15 will act on the implementation of the agreed recommendations.
34. We recognize that increasing interdependence among countries and the emergent challenges
of globalization require effective North-South dialogue on international development cooperation
towards alleviating the systemic problems conf ronting developing countries.  The spirit of
partnership and common but differentiated respons ibilities should underpin international efforts
to address the difficulties encountered by developing countries in the areas of international trade
and finance, the transfer of technology as well as bridging the digital gap.
35. In light of these compelling realities, we reaffirm our commitment to promote a more
meaningful North-South dialogue on international cooperation for development, including to upgrade
the level of such dialogue.  To this end, we note with keen interest, the pledge by the G-8 countries in
the course of their Okinawa Summit in 2000, to engage in a new partnership with non-G-8 countries,
particularly developing countries, in bringing the opportunities of the new century within reach of all.
In this spirit, we continue to value the necessity for constructive dialogue with the G-8 in order tostrengthen international cooperation for development.
36. We continue to recognize the threat posed by terrorism to the territorial integrity of countries,
democratic institutions, economic growth and development as well as international peace and
stability.  Of particular concern is the growing linkage of terrorism to drug and arms trafficking and
extremism.  We condemn terrorism, irrespective of political, philosophical, ideological, religious,ethnic, racial or any other consideration that may be invoked to justify terrorist acts.  We also
condemn states that aid, abet and directly support cross border and international terrorism including
fund raising for terrorist activities.  We call upon th e international community to intensify its efforts to
combat international terrorism.  We also reiterate our resolve to strengthen the international consensus
and legal instruments against terrorism, including the urgent conclusion and effective implementationof a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.  We welcome the United Nations'
decision to convene, in July 2001, a Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light
Weapons in all its Aspects.  This illicit trade is linked to greater casualties in conflict situations,WT/L/404
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organized crime, terrorism and narco-trafficking.  We, urge all States to participate in this important
Conference to seek collectively to devise effective measures to address this grave problem.
37. In welcoming Colombia and the Islamic Republic of Iran as new members of the Group of
Fifteen, we express the conviction that both countries will make significant contributions towards
furthering the attainment of the objectives of the Group.
38. We express our deepest appreciation to Indonesia for its able and effective leadership of our
Group during its Chairmanship.  We thank the people and the Government of the Republic of
Indonesia for their warm hospitality and the excellent arrangements provided for the successful
holding of the Eleventh Summit of the Group of Fifteen.
39. We welcome with appreciation the generous offers by the governments of Venezuela to host
the Twelfth Summit of the G-15 in the year 2002 and of Algeria to host the Thirteenth Summit in the
year 2003.  We look forward to our next meeting in Caracas and subsequently in Algiers.WT/L/404
Page 11
ANNEX II
Jakarta Declaration on Information and Communication
Technology for Development
1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the Group of Fifteen, meeting in Jakarta on 30-31
May 2001, recognize that information and communications technologies (ICT) are central to the
emergence of a knowledge-based economy and information society.  In conjunction with the basic
elements for development, ICT has the potential  to accelerate sustained economic growth and
promote sustainable development in developing countries.  In order to achieve the objectives of
development, ICT-driven economic transformation should be geared toward empowering, local
communities, and individuals to enable them realize their potentials and aspirations.  We are howeverdeeply concerned that, at present, the huge potential of ICT for 
advancing development is largely
eluding most developing countries resulting in a growing digital divides.
2. We affirm that for ICT to serve the cause of development, there is an urgent need to address
the major impediments to the participation of the majority of the peoples in developing countries in
the ICT revolution.  To this end, we consider it a priority to evolve concerted actions at the national,regional and international levels to remove impediments related to lack of infrastructure, local
content, training, capacity-building; investment, connectivity, modern technology and appropriate
policy framework.
3. We consider it important that national programmes should aim at mainstreaming ICT into a
national development strategy and be defined and implemented on the basis of national priority.  Thisshould be undertaken to promote infrastructure development, investment, enhance national
institutions and capacities, generate local content, as well as facilitate widespread access to ICT for
development.  To complement these efforts, there is a need for regional action to pool resources and
exchange experiences to facilitate the integration of developing countries into the new global
economy and information society.  We therefore urge the international community, particularlydeveloped countries, to demonstrate their commitment to promote digital opportunities for all through
innovative approaches and partnerships between government, private sector, civil society and NGOs.
This effort should be geared towards facilitating affordable access to new technologies on favourable
terms, improved market access for exports from the South and enhanced capital and investment flows
to developing countries, on a sustainable and stable basis.  To this end, multilateral development
institutions and developed countries should encourage and strengthen ICT-related applications and
local industry in developing countries through investment, transfer of technology, education andtraining, development of institutional and appropriate policy framework, as well as support for
national programmes at harnessing the potential of the ICT for development.
4. We are convinced that unless there is a common vision and adequate as well as timely
international cooperation to bridge the digital divide, the information and knowledge revolution could
increase economic inequalities among and between peoples, countries and regions of the world.  Wetherefore welcome the various international initiatives to enhance the capacity of developing countries
to take advantage of the development opportunities presented by ICT.  In this regard, we acknowledge
the efforts of ECOSOC 2000 in bringing the issue of  ICT for development to the forefront of the UN
agenda and in raising the awareness of its potential for development.  We also appreciate the adoption
of the Council's Ministerial Declaration on harnessi ng ICT in the service of development and ongoing
initiative of establishing a UN ICT Task Force for carrying this critical process forward.  We express
our support for ITU's initiative to convene a World Summit on the Information Society to be held in
2003.  We hope that the activities of the G-8 Digital Opportunities Task Force (DOT Force) will
benefit all developing countries, including G-15 countries.  We acknowledge the importance of
E-Commerce and its implications for the developing countries, and within the WTO, we recognize theWT/L/404
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need for the continuation of the study process on the trade-related aspects of global E-Commerce
without prejudice to the outcome of this process or any deliberations in this regard.
5. As the Group of Fifteen addresses issues related to the ICT, including the question' of access
to worldwide information networks such as Internet , due attention should be given to the preservation
of cultural diversity, privacy and other aspects of "Info-ethics".  We call upon the internationalcommunity to bear these aspects in mind in dealing with ICT issues.
6. In light of the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital era, we agree on the
establishment of a G-15 Task Force on ICT to elaborate the modalities for the implementation of a
framework of cooperation and collaboration on ICT, including the proposal to establish a G-15 Online
Resource Center, and to provide coordinated actions and responses to enable our countries and other
developing countries to participate in the various international ICT initiatives in a way that is
beneficial to developing countries.  Accordingly, we mandate our Personal Representatives tofollow-up this decision, taking into account the outcome of the Expert Group Meeting on ICT, held on
18-19 April 2001 in Jakarta, and to report to our Twelfth Summit in Caracas in 2002.
7. We call the international community to join us in evolving a common vision and realistic
approaches to promoting partnerships among all stakeholders to make digital opportunities a reality
for all.
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