WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/GC/W/513
23 August 2003
(03-4416)
Original:  English
PROPOSALS ON SINGAPORE ISSUES FOR INCLUSION
 IN THE  DRAFT TEXT FOR CANCÚN
Communication from Botswana on behalf of ACP Group of States1, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Philippines
The following communication, dated 23 August 2003, has been received from the Permanent
Mission of Botswana on behalf of the ACP Group of  States, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Sri Lanka and Philippines.
_______________
We had earlier submitted a proposal on the Singapore Issues dated 14 August 2003
(WT/GC/W/510).  Further to this, we would like to submit the following.
We are requesting you to circulate the submission as an official WTO document and also
provide to us an opportunity to introduce the paper during the next relevant meeting.
_______________
Proposals for Decision on the Singapore Issues in general and on each of the Singapore Issues
At the Fifth Ministerial Conference, Ministers will have to make a decision, based on explicit
consensus, on the Singapore issues.
We propose that the following texts be placed in the Draft Ministerial Text in the section on
the Singapore Issues.  Firstly, we propose a text for the Singapore Issues in general.  We then proposetexts for each of the Singapore Issues.  The separate texts have been drafted so that they can placed in
the appropriate places in the draft Ministerial Text.
The proposed texts below are in line with the decisions taken on these issues in the ACP
Declaration on the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the WTO, adopted at the Sixth Meeting of ACPTrade Ministers (Brussels 31 July-1 August 2003);  in the Mauritius Ministerial Declaration on the
Fifth Ministerial Conference of the WTO, adopted at the African Union meeting of Minister of Trade
(Grand Baie, Mauritius, 19-20 June 2003), and in the Dhaka Declaration, adopted at the Second LDC
Trade Ministers’ Meeting (Dhaka, Bangladesh, 31 May-2 June 2003).
                                                     
1 Benin, Botswana, Cuba, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.WT/GC/W/513
Page 2
Proposal for Decision on Singapore Issues in general
Ministers take note of the discussions conducted in the respective Working Groups since the
Fourth Ministerial Conference on the issues of th e relationship between trade and investment, the
interaction between trade and competition policy, transparency in government procurement, and tradefacilitation.
We further note that each of the issues has its own peculiar aspects and complexities and that
WTO members have not reached a common understanding on how each of these issues should be
dealt with procedurally or substantively in a multila teral context.  We recognize the concerns of many
developing country members about the potential serious implications of these issues on their
economies and that the benefits of negotiating a mult ilateral framework for each of these issues is not
evident to them.
Moreover, many developing countries have scarce resources and limited capacity to
meaningfully negotiate these issues, especially as they grapple with implementation of existing WTO
rules and the expanded work programme after the Doha Ministerial Conference.
This situation does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in these areas.
We decide that further clarification of the issues be continued in the respective Working Groups (on
the relationship between trade and investment, inte raction between trade and competition policy, and
transparency in government procurement) and in  the Council for Goods (for trade facilitation).
Proposal for Decision on the Relationship between Trade and Investment
Ministers take note of the discussions that have taken place in the Working Group in Trade
and Investment since the Fourth Ministerial Conference on the issues of the relationship betweentrade and investment.
We further note that this issue has its own peculiar aspects and complexities and that WTO
members have not reached a common understanding on how this issue should be dealt with
procedurally or substantively in a multilateral context consensus. We recognize the concerns of many
developing country members about the potential serious implications of this issue on their economies
and that the benefits of negotiating a multilateral framework for investment is not evident to them.
Moreover, many developing countries have scarce resources and limited capacity to
meaningfully negotiate this issue, especially as they grapple with implementation of existing WTO
rules and the expanded work programme after the Doha Ministerial Conference.
This situation does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area.
We decide that further clarification of the issues be continued in the Working Group on the
relationship between trade and investment.
Proposal for Decision on the Interaction between Trade and Competition Policy
Ministers take note of the discussions that have taken place in the Working Group on the
Interaction Between Trade and Competition Policy conducted since the Fourth Ministerial Conference
on the interaction between trade and investment.
We further note that this issue has its own peculiar aspects and complexities and that WTO
Members have not reached a common understanding on how this issue should be dealt with
procedurally or substantively in a multilateral context.  We recognize the concerns of many
developing country members about the potential serious implications of this issue on their economiesWT/GC/W/513
Page 3
and that the benefits of negotiating a multilateral framework on trade and competition policy is not
evident to them.
Moreover, many developing countries have scarce resources and limited capacity to
meaningfully negotiate this issue, especially as they grapple with implementation of existing WTO
rules and the expanded work programme after the Doha Ministerial Conference.
This situation does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area. We
decide that further clarification of the issues be continued in the Working Group on the interaction
between trade and competition policy.
Proposal for Decision on Transparency in Government Procurement
Ministers take note of the discussions that have taken place in the Working Group on
Government Procurement since the Fourth Ministerial Conference on transparency in government
procurement.
We further note that this issue has its own peculiar aspects and complexities and that WTO
members have not reached a common understanding on how this issue should be dealt with
procedurally or substantively in a multilateral context.  We recognize the concerns of many
developing country members about the potential serious implications of this issue on their economies
and that the benefits of negotiating a multilateral framework on trade and competition policy is notevident to them.
Moreover, many developing countries have scarce resources and limited capacity to
meaningfully negotiate this issue, especially as they grapple with implementation of existing WTO
rules and the expanded work programme after the Doha Ministerial Conference.
This situation does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area.
We decide that further clarification of the issues be continued in the Working Group on transparency
in government procurement.
Proposal for Decision on Trade Facilitation
Ministers take note of the discussions that have taken place in the Council for Trade in Goods
since the Fourth Ministerial Conference on trade facilitation.
We further note that this issue has its own peculiar aspects and complexities and that WTO
members have not reached a common understanding on how this issue should be dealt withprocedurally or substantively in a multilateral context.  We recognize the concerns of many
developing country members about the potential serious implications of this issue on their economies
and that the benefits of negotiating a multilateral framework on trade facilitation is not evident to
them.
Moreover, many developing countries have scarce resources and limited capacity to
meaningfully negotiate this issue, especially as they grapple with implementation of existing WTO
rules and the expanded work programme after the Doha Ministerial Conference.
This situation does not provide a basis for the commencement of negotiations in this area.
We decide that further clarification of the issue be continued in the Council for Trade in Goods.
__________