RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/GC/W/97
3 August 1998
(98-3049)
Original:  English
DRAFT ANNOTATED AGENDA FOR FOLLOW-UP
TO THE 1998 MINISTERIAL DECLARATION
Communication from Jamaica
The following communication received from the delegation of Jamaica is circulated for
information of Members.
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Agenda Items
I. Evaluation of the implementation of the multilat eral Agreements, Decisions, Declarations and
Understandings including their impact on trade,  development and financial needs of developing
countries and in achieving the objectives in the WTO Agreement.
In carrying out such evaluation attention will be paid not only to the issues relating to the
implementation of the Agreements but also to the actions taken at national and multilateral levels in
the implementation of the Decisions, Declarations and Understandings adopted at the Marrakesh,
Singapore and Geneva Ministerial Conferences.
(a) Review of the multilateral Agreements with a view to identifying provisions in which further
improvements, clarifications or modifications may be necessary.
(b) Review of the status of consultations and negotiations in subject areas covered by the "built-in
agenda" and the Decisions taken at Marrakesh, Singapore and Geneva Ministerial Conferences.1
Such a review should cover the following areas:
(a) Subject areas in which comprehensive and "single undertaking" negotiations are to be
launched in accordance with the built-in agenda include:
(i) launching by 1 January 2000 negotiations covering all services sectors;
(ii) beginning by the end of 1999 negotiations for liberalization of trade in agriculture.
                                                     
1 The WTO Secretariat is to update Note listing thes e with a Remarks column, indicating status of any
action taken.WT/GC/W/97
Page 2
(b) Subject areas in which the work is at present being undertaken in accordance with the
Ministerial Decisions.
These include:
(i) Transparency in government procurement
(ii) Trade facilitation
(iii) Trade and environment
(iv) Trade and investment
(v) Trade and competition policy
(vi) Electronic commerce
The decision to commence negotiations on framing additional rules and disciplines and/or
commitments will be taken by the General Council.
(c) Subject areas of special interest (and concern) to developing countries and transition
economies.  These include:
(i) strengthening and operationalization of the provisions for differential and more favourable
treatment included in the multilateral agreements;
(ii) assessment by WTO and UNCTAD, at the request of individual countries of both quantitative
and qualitative benefits to their trade and economies of:
- the liberalization measures taken in the multilateral trade negotiations, taking
into account the adverse effect on preference receiving countries of the
erosion of preferential margins, and
- the membership of the multilateral agreements taking into account the
administrative and other costs of implementing the agreements at national
level.
(iii) Implementation of the integrated programme for providing technical assistance to least-
developed countries, and steps to prevent their marginalization in world trade.
(iv) Challenges and opportunities faced by small ec onomies as a result of their macro-economic
vulnerability given their openness and reliance on international trade.
(v) Dangers posed:
- to the world trading system as a result of the failure by panels and Appellate
Body to give due weight to "equity" in their findings and recommendations,
and
- to the inter-relationship between panels, Appellate Body and the policy organs
of the WTO vis-à-vis  the Dispute Settlement Body and the General Council –
as a result of the tendency on the part of panels and Appellate Body to create
inadvertently, new "law" through interpretation of rules.WT/GC/W/97
Page 3
(vi) Programme of work and time table for the meetings of the General Council.
In order to ensure effective participation in consultations and discussions by all member
countries it will be necessary to ensure that:
- the calendar for the informal and formal meetings of the General Council is
established at the September meeting;
- the informal consultations arranged by the Chairman are open to all member
countries and sufficient advance notice is given of the date and timing and
subject-matter of meetings;
- the background documentation2 prepared by the Secretariat is made available
to delegations at least one week before the meeting and executive summaries
are prepared of documents over ten (10) pages.
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2 Background documentation, i.e. factual information of quantitative commitments made by Members,
inter alia , (schedules for goods and services);  summaries of relevant measures implemented;  notifications, etc.
(The WTO Secretariat is requested to provide Members at their request with such information.)