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TN/MA/M/25  
 
8 June 2018  
(18-3555) Page: 1/2 
Nego tiating Group on Market Access   
 
 MINUTES OF THE MEETI NG 
HELD IN THE CENTRE W ILLIAM RAPPARD ON 20  OCTOBER 2016  
Chairman: Ambassador D. Chambovey (Switzerland)  
 
The Negotiating Group adopted  the agenda circulated in document  WTO/AIR/TN/MA/1.  
 
 
1  ELECTION OF THE CHAI RMAN  
1.1 On the basis of the understanding reached by the General Council at its meeting  
of 3 October  2016, the Negotiating Group elected Ambassador Didier Chambovey (Switzerland) as 
Chairman  by acclamation .  
 
1.2 The Chairman  thanked Members for the trust and responsibility they were placing in  him.  He 
noted that some delegations present in the room had already worked with  him and knew him.  He 
had been around for a long time now , and in fact, the first time he had attended a meeting in this 
room (Room W) was in 1987.  He had been  involved in the Uruguay Round negotiations and in the 
Doha Round .  He had also been posted at the Swiss mission between 1998 and 2006 .  Then for a 
period of ten years , he had not been directly in volved in talks that had taken place in Geneva on 
WTO issues  but now he had returned to Geneva as Permanent Representative of Switzerland to 
WTO. He was very pleased to carry out the functions of NAMA Chairman and intended to work 
closely with delegations.  
 
1.3 In terms of next steps, he  was conducting consultatio ns and in the context of these 
consultations he was asking delegations and group coordinator s about their assessment o f possible 
outcomes on NAMA at the upcoming Ministerial meeting in 2017.  He had just started the 
consultations  and on ce he had completed the process he would be in a position to take stock of 
where Members stood and how they wish to take the work forward.   
 
1.4. Before closing the meeting, he wished to inform Members of the passing away of 
Ambas sador  Luzius Wasescha , a former NAMA Chairman .  Ambassador Wasescha  had chaired the 
Negotiating Group between 2008 and 2012.   He had been a very good colleague and  friend, an 
outstanding trade diplomat  who had been very much involved in the negotiations at the WTO in 
the context of the Uruguay Round and the Doha  Round .  Ambassador Wasescha  would be sorely 
missed.   
 
1.5 The Negotiating Group  observed  a minute's silence in memory of 
Ambassador  Luzius   Wasecha.  
 
1.6 The representative of the Philippines  congratulate d the Chairman on his appointment and 
welcome d the forthcoming consultations . The Philippines was a strong supporter of concrete 
outcome s based on what was doable and practical .  He also wished to acknowledge his friendship 
and the Philippines' gratitude to  Ambassador Luzius Wasescha.  Indeed , Ambass ador Wasecha  was 
a very able and professional Chairman .  He had worked with Ambassador Wasescha and 
remember ed very well how Ambassador  Wasescha had dealt with the NAMA negotiations  - with 
great professionalism, competence, knowledge and skill .   TN/MA/M/25  
 
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  Above all he remember ed Ambassador Wasescha for his quintessential diplomatic skill and for his 
one-liners which lightened up the negotiations at very difficult moment s, for example, h e recalled 
Ambassasdor Wasescha  referring to the NAMA negotiations as "NA MAsutra" .  He express ed his 
deepest sympathy to Ambassador Wasescha's  family and to the Swiss Government.  
 
1.7 The Negotiating Group took note  of the statements.  
 
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