WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/GC/M/139 
20 November 2012 
 (12-6376) 
General Council 
26 October 2012  
 
 
 
MINUTES OF MEETING 
 
Held in the Centre William Rappard 
on 26 October 2012 
 
Chairperson:  Mrs Elin Johansen (Norway) 
 
  
Subjects discussed:
1 Page 
 
1.  Accession of Lao PDR – Report of the Working Party ......................................................... 1  
2.  Appointment of the next Director-General – Statement by India ...................................... 13  
3.  Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies – Statement by the Chairperson on the 
chairmanships of the Negotiating Group on Market Access and the Committee 
on Trade and Environment in Special Session ..................................................................... 14  
 
 
1. Accession of Lao PDR – Report of the Working Party (WT/ACC/LAO/45 and Add.1 
and 2) 
1. The Chairperson said it was a great pleasure a nd honour for her to welcom e, on behalf of all 
Members and observer delegations, H.E. Dr. Th ongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and 
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR, who w ould address the Council during the consideration of 
this item.  It was also an honour for her to welc ome to the present meeting H.E. Dr Nam Viyaketh, 
Minister of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR, H.E. Prof. Boviengkham Vongdara, Minister of 
Sciences and Technology, and Vice-Minister Mrs Khemmani Pholsena, chief negotiator for the 
accession process, as well as the other members of the delegation of Lao PDR present at the meeting.  
She recalled that in February 1998, the General Council had established a Working Party to examine 
the request by Lao PDR for accession.  The Report of the Working Party was now before the General Council for consideration and adoption in documen ts WT/ACC/LAO/45 and Addenda 1 and 2.  She 
invited the Chairman of the Working Party, Mr Yi Xiaozhun (China), to introduce the report. 
2. The Chairman of the Working Party, Mr Yi Xiaozhun (China), recalled that Lao PDR had 
requested accession to the WTO in July 1997, the Working Party had been established in 
February 1998 and its first meeti ng had been held in October 2004.  Thereafter, the Working Party 
had met nine times, and there had been many informal consultations.  The Working Party had 
concluded its mandate with th e adoption of the accession package at its final meeting on 
28 September 2012.  At the beginning of 2012 he  had visited Vientiane and had met with Prime 
Minister Thongsing Thammavong, other Ministers a nd the Lao PDR negotiating team.  He had been 
encouraged by the determination of the Government in its priority commitment to accede to the WTO.  
                                                      
1 The Proposed Agenda was circulated in document WT/GC/W/661. WT/GC/M/139 
Page 2  
 
  It had been obvious that WTO membership for Lao PDR was not only a label of "Good Trader", but 
also integral to the national strategy for sustaina ble development and prosper ity.  On behalf of the 
membership, he was pleased that the WTO, in part nership with Lao PDR, ha d accomplished this 2012 
accession priority, and he congratulated Lao PDR on its success in crossing th e finishing line.  He 
wished to pay particular tribute to Minist er Nam for his leadership, and Vice-Minister 
Madame Khemmani and the members of the negotia ting team for their commitment and dedication.  
These were world-class negotiators who understood the necessity for compromise and flexibility to 
conclude an agreement.  He also wished to pay tribute to the WTO membership for its hard work, 
flexibility and goodwill to conclude this accession.  He thanked the bilateral donors, multilateral 
organizations and agencies, and individual Members fo r providing technical assistance to Lao PDR 
which had been critically important.  He also wi shed to thank his predecessors as Chairs of this 
Working Party – Mr Raby (Australia), Mr Gros er (New Zealand), Mr Gosper (Australia) and 
Mr Zhang Xiangchen (China) – for their past leader ship, and the Director-General and the Accessions 
Division for their contribution. 
3. Over the past 15-year period, Lao PDR ha d undertaken profound domestic reforms and 
adjustments for its WTO accession.  The negotiating te am had done an admirable job in this complex 
and challenging process.  As a former WTO accessi on negotiator for China, he understood the unique 
challenges of the WTO accession process not only fo r the acceding government, but also for WTO 
Members and the Secretariat.  The accession of Lao PDR was the sixth LDC accession, pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establis hing the WTO, and therefore had a particular 
systemic importance.  It had drawn on the goodwill following the Decision at the July 2012 General 
Council to further strengthen, streamline and operationalize the 2002 LDC Accession Guidelines.  
The accession of Lao PDR was another success for the WTO in assisting LDCs in their effort to join 
the organization.  The accession package before Member s was the result of 15 years of hard work and 
disciplined commitment to domestic refo rms.  The package had been adopted ad referendum  by the 
Working Party at its meeting on 28 September 2 012.  By this action, the Working Party had 
completed its mandate and had forwarded the package to the General Council.  The accession 
package, constituting the terms of entry of Lao PD R into the WTO, was contained in the following 
documents:  the Report of the Working Party (W T/ACC/LAO/45), the Schedule of Concessions and 
Commitments in Goods (WT/ACC/LAO/45/Add.1) a nd the Schedule of Specific Commitments in 
Services (WT/ACC/LAO/45/Add.2).  The Appendix to  the Report contained the draft decision for 
action by the General Council and the draft Protoc ol on the Accession of Lao PDR.  He recommended 
the report of the Working Party, as well as the draft decision and the draft Protocol of Accession, for 
approval by the General Council. 
4. He said that together with the Chair of th e Sub-Committee on LDCs and the Chair of the 
Working Party on the Accession of Yemen, he wa s participating in co-facilitating the accession of 
Yemen.  It was hoped that with the continuing support and understanding of Members, Yemen would 
successfully conclude its accession process in 2012.  He  expressed his sincere congratulations to Lao 
PDR as a traditional friend, a great neighbour an d a close development partner of China on the 
successful conclusion of its WTO accession.  It had b een a great privilege for him to have served as 
the Working Party Chair, and he thanked Members for their trust and confidence. 
5. The Chairperson thanked Mr Yi, on behalf of a ll Members, for having served as Chairman of 
this Working Party, for his stewardship of this pro cess and for all his efforts in working together with 
Members and the delegation of Lao PDR to steer the Working Party towards a successful conclusion 
of its mandate.  In keeping with usual practice, sh e would begin with the draft Protocol of Accession 
of Lao PDR contained in the Report of the Work ing Party.  She invited the General Council to 
approve the draft Protocol of Accession of Lao PD R as contained in this Report and, in accordance 
with the Decision-Making Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed in 
November 1995 (WT/L/93), to adopt the draft Decision on the Accession of Lao PDR as contained in  WT/GC/M/139 
 Page 3 
 
 
  the Report2, and the Report of the Working Party as a whole in documents WT/ACC/LAO/45 and 
Add.1 and 2. 
6. The General Council so agreed. 
7. She said it gave her great pleasure to welcome the Decision just taken on the accession of Lao 
PDR to the WTO.  She also wished to congratulat e the Deputy Prime Minister and his delegation, and 
the people and Government of Lao PDR, on the su ccessful completion of the WTO process.  The year 
2012 had been particularly important for the WT O community in the area of accessions.  It had 
welcomed four new Members – Montenegro, Samoa,  the Russian Federation and Vanuatu.  In July, 
Members had also taken a very important decision concerning the accession of LDCs, in line with the mandate by Ministers at MC8.  The forthcoming entry of Lao PDR, an LDC, into the WTO 
represented a fundamental step towards that country 's integration into world trade and the world 
economy.  From a systemic point of view, Lao PDR's entry would also take the WTO a further step towards greater universality in its membership, and was yet another sign of the WTO's ability to deliver important results when Members worked t ogether constructively towards a common objective.  
In terms of the next steps, a ceremony for the si gnature of the Protocol of Accession would be held 
following the present meeting.  The Government of  Lao PDR would then submit the Protocol for 
ratification by its legislative assembly.  In k eeping with WTO provisions, Lao PDR would become a 
Member of the WTO 30 days following the date of its ratification of the Protocol.  She then invited 
Mr Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR, to address the Council. 
8. The representative of Lao PDR, Mr Thongloun Sisolith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister 
of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR, expressed the appr eciation of the Government and people of Lao PDR 
to the members of the Working Party for having br ought its work to a successful conclusion, under 
the effective leadership of its Chairs.  The presen t day was a historical moment for the Government 
and people of Lao PDR.  This accomplishment wa s the result of a long period of intensive and 
comprehensive work which had been under preparati on for 15 years.  It had been 15 years of learning 
and understanding the functioning of the global trad ing system and how Lao PDR could integrate into 
it through experiencing and practicing mutual re spect.  He expressed his Government's sincere 
appreciation to all Members for the General Counc il's Decision on Lao PDR's accession.  His country 
would be proud to share this historic news with its  counterparts at the ninth Asia-Europe Summit to be 
held on 5-6 November 2012 in Vientiane.  The pr inciples this organization was based on – namely, 
non-discrimination, transparency and predictability – were cherished principles of Lao PDR.  Hence, 
the multilateral trading system which ensured that economic relations between nations were based on 
fair and predictable rules was of paramount impor tance to a small, landlocked and least-developed 
country like Lao PDR.  As a new member of this organization, his country would do its utmost to contribute to the evolution and functioning of the WTO, first by fully abiding by its rules and obligations and by constructively participa ting in its deliberati ons and negotiations. 
9. His country's request for WTO accession in July  1997 had been a bold and logical step of 
moving towards a market-oriented economy, fo llowing the introduction of the "New Economic 
Mechanism" policy in 1986.  Lao PDR remained relatively young in terms of both its legislative framework and its governance.  Nevertheless, the co untry had strived to impr ove its legal framework 
and institutions to ensure that its population ha d all the necessary conditions to reach its economic 
potential and to reap full benefits from the country's  development.  Throughout the past 15 years, over 
90 laws and regulations had been enacted coveri ng various areas such as trading rights, import 
licensing, customs valuation, investment, sanitary an d phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to 
trade, and intellectual property rights.  This ha d never been an easy path.  It had required the 
mobilization and concerted efforts of  all forces available in the country, and the country had benefited 
                                                      
2 Subsequently circulated in WT/L/865. WT/GC/M/139 
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  from this process of collaboration.  Moreover, th e comments and suggestions received from partners 
in the WTO had been useful as they had helped ensure that the new la ws and regulations were fully in 
conformity with WTO rules.  Similar to most recently-acceded LDC Members, Lao PDR had experienced many constraints and difficulties in th e process of accession.  In a country like his, the 
accession process had not been limited to changing so me laws and regulations – it had had to change 
its way of doing business.  Such a change in mind set was a difficult and time-consuming exercise.  
Given the progress – institutionally, legally and in its mind set – 15 years seemed a very short time.  
Countries like his desperatel y needed a functioning multilateral trad ing system to protect themselves 
from the exercise by other countries of discretionary power.  These countries therefore had a special responsibility to ensure that the system continued to  work.  For this, they had to be full and active 
members of the WTO.  Lao PDR had learned important lessons during these years, which it was more 
than willing to share with currently-acceding LDCs. 
10. The most crucial element in Lao PDR's acces sion process had been political determination 
and internal coordination and cooperation.  WT O guidelines and benchmarks for LDC accession had 
been essential to assist this difficu lt exercise.  However, the catalyst was always the political will to 
undertake the required reforms and to create the ne cessary internal capacity across Ministries.  The 
negotiations at home – which had had to lead to a "buy-in" into the process – had been much more 
important and difficult than those in Geneva.  La o PDR could not have succ eeded without the support 
it had received in the form of financial and techni cal assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors.  
Thanks to the generous assistance provided, it had been able to re-define and implement the reform 
programmes that were needed.  His country appreciat ed the effective and demand-driven use of donor 
support for it to comply with WTO obligations .  The accession process had been a guide and a 
pushing force towards reforms in its trade and ec onomic framework, taking into account international 
best practices.  Working Party members had been  constantly supportive with their comments, 
suggestions, cooperation a nd understanding, allowing Lao PDR to gradually introduce the necessary 
economic restructuring.  The accession process had help ed pave the way to attaining the Millennium 
Development Goals by 2015 and to graduating from LDC status by 2020.  His country was privileged 
to be able to see the benefits of its reforms already during the accession process.  Lao PDR had experienced a protracted period of sustained growth rates of its economy, over seven per cent on average during the past ten-year period.  Forei gn direct investment had increased from US$25 million 
in 2002 to almost 3 billion in 2011. 
11. In the immediate future, Lao PDR was fully committed to ensuring that the ratification 
procedure would be completed within the set time frame.  Its National Assembly had supported the 
accession process, enacting WTO-compliant legislati on throughout this period.  Members of the 
National Assembly had been part of the Nationa l Steering Committee and had closely followed the 
accession process.  His country was fully aware that  implementation of its commitments required the 
involvement not only of the central Government, but al so of all administrative levels.  It had already 
begun the institutional set-up and planning and would c ontinue its efforts in disseminating the results 
of its negotiations with the private sector and the general public.  It foresaw a post-accession 
campaign not only in Vientiane, but also in the provi nces, both to advise them of the package agreed 
and to mobilize their support in taking full advantag e of the new opportunities these reforms offered.  
This process required training government officials in the new legislative and policy framework.  To 
this end, he appealed to Lao PDR's development partners to continue their assistance and support in 
this implementation phase. 
12. Lao PDR reiterated its firm commitment and determination to become a full and active 
member of the WTO by strictly adhering to the la tter's principles as well as by participating actively 
and constructively in its negotiations.  He reite rated his country's deep appreciation for the 
cooperation it had received throughout this accessi on process and beyond.  He expressed Lao PDR's 
sincere thanks to the Secretariat, particularly the Accessions Division, and the ITTC for their valuable 
assistance and support.  Special thanks went to China, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the  WT/GC/M/139 
 Page 5 
 
 
  European Union, Switzerland (IDEAS Centre), Un ited States (USAID), Viet Nam, ACWL, ITC, 
UNCTAD and the World Bank, together with othe r development partners for their assistance.  
Moreover, he wished to thank ASEAN member countries, LDC friends and all WTO Members for 
their continued support.  He also wished to comme nd Lao PDR's negotiation team, led by the Ministry 
of Industry and Commerce, for their dedication, perseverance and excellent work. 
13. The Director-General quoted a traditional Laotian proverb:  "If you like things easy, you will 
have difficulties; if you like problems, you will succe ed."  The present day ma rked a historic success 
for the people of Lao PDR and the WTO.  It concluded a 15-year long process, characterized by vision, domestic reforms, determination and di sciplined professional dedication.  The WTO was 
welcoming the sixth LDC to the family.  He cong ratulated Lao PDR and paid tribute to the WTO 
membership.  On behalf of the WTO, he extended a warm welcome to Deputy Prime Minister 
Thongloun Sisolith and his team from Lao PDR.  In doing so, he acknowledged the leadership of 
Minister Nam and his technical negotiating team, le d by Vice-Minister Madame Khemmani, for their 
dedication and commitment to conclude Lao PDR's accession to the WTO.  Over the past decade, Lao 
PDR had experienced strong economic growth and had made great strides towards improving its 
people's quality of life and reducing poverty.  These impressive economic accomplishments provided 
a model of how a small, landloc ked economy could ensure devel opment through sustained domestic 
reforms.  He was glad to note that the WTO accession process had served as a compass for Lao PDR's 
economic reform process.  The introduction of a tran sparent and predictable rules-based system and 
the successful integration of Lao PDR into the multilateral trading system had transformed this 
country into one of the most dynamic and fast-growing economies in the region. 
14. Following its neighbours, Cambodia, China and Viet Nam, Lao PDR's accession was yet 
another success story of how a country had utilized the WTO accession process as an effective tool to implement its domestic objectives.  On this regional score, he wished to put on record his appreciation 
to the ASEAN Members for their strong and sustai ned technical support to Lao PDR in the end-game 
stage of its accession.  The conclusion of Lao PDR's accession process was another milestone of that 
country's economic transformation process.  WTO membership would provide a global platform for 
further domestic reforms, a known "brand name" for foreign investors and a framework for deepening 
global and regional integration.  For the organization, the accession of Lao PDR was of particular 
significance, showing that the WTO could deliver and had to continue to deliver.  The accession of 
Lao PDR was the most recent example of the abilit y of the multilateral trading system to deliver 
concrete results for LDCs, and also served to re inforce the rules-based system.  He thanked the 
Working Party Chair – both as Chair of the Working Pa rty and as one of the facilitators for bilateral 
negotiations – for his invaluable leadership in co mpleting the accession of Lao PDR.  He also thanked 
WTO Members for their technical support for Lao PDR.   
15. All representatives who spoke welcomed the dele gation of Lao PDR, congratulated Lao PDR 
for completing the final step of what had been a challenging 15-year accession process, and 
commended the Government of Lao PDR for its e nduring commitment to the rules-based multilateral 
trading system and to implementing the reforms necessary to enable its WTO accession.  They 
thanked the current and all previous Chairs of th e Working Party and the Director-General for their 
tireless efforts, the Secr etariat for its commitment and hard  work, and donors and international 
agencies for their technical and financial assist ance to Lao PDR during the accession period, and 
looked forward to welcoming and wo rking with Lao PDR as a Member.  
16. The representative of Cambodia, on behalf of ASEAN, said this was a momentous occasion, 
as the formal entry of Laos into the WTO would complete the ASEAN family within the WTO and 
enhance ASEAN's efforts at regional integration.   Lao PDR's journey towards WTO accession had 
been long, stretching over 15 years.  The comprehens ive and diligent efforts it had made to bring its 
trade regime and legislative framework into conformity with WTO requirements were highly 
commendable.  This had been done in parallel with  the domestic reforms it was undertaking to meet WT/GC/M/139 
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  its commitments to ASEAN's robust economic ag enda.  Although Lao PDR was an LDC, the 
accession package was nevertheless a significant cont ribution to the multilateral trading system and 
would be beneficial to Members.  It reflected th e extensive work and serious commitments undertaken 
by Lao PDR.  These included binding tariffs at an average of 18.8 per cent for all products, and 
market access commitments in ten services sectors, covering 79 sub-sectors.  Lao PDR's WTO 
membership would send an important signal to fore ign investors that it was a potential investment 
destination in ASEAN.  Lao PDR's accession packag e would provide foreign investors with enormous 
market opening on goods and services and would give them confidence that they could operate their 
businesses based on predictable and transparent rules and regulations. 
17. The experience of recently-acced ed ASEAN Members, namely Cambodia and Viet Nam, had 
shown that WTO membership was usually considered by  foreign investors to be an important factor in 
their decision-making.  In this regard, Lao PDR's WTO membership would play a significant role in 
its overall policy to attract FDI for economic development, employment creation and poverty 
alleviation in the long run.  The accession of Lao PDR also underscored Members' commitment to 
integrate the poorest and least-developed countries into the multilateral trading system.  All knew the 
significant challenges faced by LDCs in acceding to  the WTO, and hence Members had agreed in 
July 2012 to further strengthen, streamline a nd operationalize the 2002 LDC Accession Guidelines.  
Lao PDR, a landlocked country of 6.5 million peop le, had faced those challenges and successfully 
tackled them with determination.  Aside from Lao PD R's efforts, the other crucial ingredient had been 
cooperation on the part of Members to negotiate in  good faith and with due consideration for the 
developmental needs of LDCs.  ASEAN called on a ll Members to continue demonstrating good faith 
in negotiating with the other LDCs in the process of  accession to the WTO, in particular Yemen, so 
that they too could soon join the WTO as full me mbers.  It wished to underscore that the 
implementation of the accession commitments would pose great challenges for Lao PDR as an LDC, 
and therefore stressed the need to continue supporti ng it, in order to successfully implement its reform 
programme and WTO commitments on a sustained basis.  ASEAN stood ready to assist Lao PDR in 
that respect. 
18. The representative of Haiti, on behalf of the LDCs, said that while appreciating the adoption 
of Lao PDR's accession package, the LDCs also wi shed to express their frustration at the many 
obstacles laid on the path to their accession, and hoped that for another priority accession for 2012, 
Yemen, good faith and good will woul d prevail and Yemen would be allowed to join the WTO in 
2012.  The LDC Group wished Lao PDR the best of luck in its endeavours to continue to better the 
conditions of life of its people on the road to sustainable development.   
19. The representative of Lesotho, on behalf of the African Group, said the long, 15-year journey 
of Lao PDR to WTO accession showed this country's commitment and dedication to being part of the 
multilateral trading system.  This included efforts to bring into WTO-conformity its legislative 
framework, including commitments in both goods and services.  During the accession process, Lao 
PDR had amended and enacted more  laws and regulations, all WTO- compliant, covering various 
areas, in particular on trading rights, import licen sing procedures, customs valuation, investment 
regime, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and othe rs.  Lao PDR had also made tremendous efforts 
in improving its investment climate and opening its ma rket for goods and services.  As an LDC, it had 
faced many challenges, including the creation of  the capacity necessary to implement new laws, 
regulations and reforms.  In this regard, th e African Group called on Members to acknowledge the 
difficulties faced by LDCs in their accession process es, and hoped the process to further strengthen, 
streamline and operationalize the 2002 guidelines would open doors for other acceding LDCs and 
further lighten the burden of the accession process.  The African Group called on Members to adopt measures and decisions aimed at simplifying accession procedures for acceding developing countries, taking into account their levels of development and protecting the total transparency of those 
procedures.  It also called on Members to fully su pport Lao PDR in its process to further implement  WT/GC/M/139 
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  its programmes.  The Group looked forward to inputs and fresh ideas from Lao PDR that would 
contribute to the DDA negotiations and delibera tions on resolving the current stalemate. 
20. The representative of Panama, on behalf of GR ULAC, said that Lao PDR's accession was of 
great systemic importance in the context of LDC accession and of the organization in general.  
21. The representative of Mauritius, on behalf of th e ACP, said that with the conclusion of Lao 
PDR's accession process, the ACP hoped that the accessi on process of LDCs in the future would be 
fast-tracked and concluded over shorter time-frames. 
22. The representative of Viet Nam associated his de legation with the statement by Cambodia for 
ASEAN.  As a close neighbour and time-tested friend of Lao PDR, Viet Nam took great pleasure and 
honour to be side-by-side with Lao PDR on this historic occasion.  The current meeting marked the 
happy end of a long road started over 15 years earlie r that had had many twists and turns.  Lao PDR 
had made tremendous efforts in im proving its judicial and institutiona l framework and liberalizing its 
domestic economy.  For an LDC like Lao PDR, th e level of tariff binding for goods and market 
opening for services were impressive, especially in th e wake of the current global economic crisis and 
rising protectionist pressure in many countries.  This reflected a very high level of commitment to the 
multilateral trading system.  Lao PDR's accession would bring new opportunities for the country's 
entrepreneurs and for its economy.  It ushered in a new era for Lao PDR to embark on a path of 
prosperous development.  Opportunities were many, as were challenges.   As a newly-acceded 
Member, Viet Nam understood better than most how difficult it was for domestic industries to cope with competition when opening up the economy.  Thus, it called on Members and the Secretariat to 
continue technical assistance for Lao PDR and othe r new Members so they could fully capitalize on 
the potential benefits the multilateral trading system could bring.  Viet Nam had been and would be 
more than willing to share its experience and to offer its assistance to Lao PDR.  His delegation 
wished other countries in the process of accession a successful completion of negotiations in the near 
future. 
23. The representative of Nepal endor sed the statement by Haiti for th e LDCs.  This was a special 
day for Lao PDR, all LDCs and the entire WTO me mbership, as the accession package of Lao PDR 
was formally endorsed, after a journey of 15 years wh ich that country had undertaken with sustained 
commitment and engagement.  This underscored the strong and unflinching commitment of Lao PDR 
to the rules-based multilateral trading system.  This country had undertaken s ubstantial reforms in the 
accession process, and it was now up to the internationa l community to fully reciprocate by extending 
continued support to Lao PDR's development proc ess.  Accession to the WTO had always been a 
complex and challenging process for LDCs, given the overall backwardness that had resulted in their 
extremely limited capacity.  However, they rema ined firmly committed to the multilateral trading 
system, with the legitimate expectation that WTO me mbership would help them arrest their further 
marginalization in the global economy.  It was a matt er of serious concern that the share of nearly 900 
million people in total global trade was roughly on e per cent.  The July 2012 Decision to further 
strengthen, streamline and operationalize the 2002 LDC Accession Guidelines should help expedite 
the process, which, of course, was a systemic issu e.  Nepal wished to stress that accession terms 
should be commensurate with LDCs' level of devel opment, and should take account of their special 
needs and constraints.  The LDCs confronted deep-rooted structural constraints and multiple 
vulnerabilities.  Accession negotiations should duly re flect these realities.  Accession would have to 
be accomplished by concrete efforts to integrate th em into the world economy in a meaningful way.  
Early implementation of all LDC-related Deci sions and provisions under the DDA would be an 
essential step towards this end. 
24. The representative of New Zealand said his delega tion had been privileged to participate in 
Lao PDR's accession process, including by providing one of the Chairs of the Working Party.  
Completion of Lao PDR's accession process followed on from completion earlier in the year of WT/GC/M/139 
Page 8  
 
  another LDC accession, Vanuatu.  This had made Memb ers acutely aware of the particular challenges 
the WTO accession process presented for LDCs, where small and hard-pressed bureaucracies had to manage negotiations with a range of Members ac ross diverse fronts.  This demanded appropriate 
flexibilities for LDCs, which were justifiably an impor tant aspect of the July 2012 Decision to further 
strengthen, streamline and operationalize the 2002 LD C Accession Guidelines.  It was clear from Lao 
PDR's statement at the present meeting that this had required a huge commitment from its 
Government, and also confirmed the value Lao PDR placed in participation in the multilateral trading 
system. 
25. The representative of Pakistan expressed the hope  that the accession process of Yemen would 
also be completed soon. 
26. The representative of Australia said his delegation had been pleased to play its own small part 
in Lao PDR's accession process, which it had done willingly, given the close and warm bilateral 
relations between the two countries.  All understood  and recognized the time and energy Lao PDR 
had dedicated to this accession, incl uding the intensive work of the past 12 months that had resulted in 
adoption of its accession package.  While Lao PDR rightfully deserved most of the credit, completion 
of this accession reflected well on the WTO's efforts to prioritize and facilitate LDCs' accession.  
WTO membership would be beneficial for Lao PDR,  and would help it further integrate into the 
global economy through increased competitiveness a nd consequent participation in regional and 
global trade.  Australia stood ready to continue to  assist Lao PDR in this process.  It had always 
supported the membership aspirations of acceding coun tries, particularly LDCs and particularly those 
in its region. 
27. The representative of Mexico said there had been a lot of challenges in the 15 years of this 
accession process, not just in the negotiations, bu t also in reforming the economy, and Mexico 
commended Lao PDR for this.  At the present meeting Members were complying with the recommendation of the G20 on the accession of LDCs and with the Decision taken by the General Council in July 2012.  Being a member of the WTO and participating in its work was fundamental for 
LDCs, in particular when, as in the case of Lao PDR, this was accompanied by reforms to the 
domestic economy. 
28. The representative of the European Union said his delegation had had the chance to work 
closely with the authorities of Lao PDR throughout this accession process, had witnessed their strong 
commitment and active participation, and thanked them for their exemplary co-operation.  Members 
were now seeing the rewarding outcome of a long ne gotiating process in which a lot of work had been 
done by all sides.  The accession pack age was a very balanced result.  It gave a fair account of the 
reforms carried out by Lao PDR.  That country should be particularly applauded for its clear 
determination to modernize its legi slative framework and administrative structures, and for its resolute 
engagement to adjust its domestic system to th e WTO framework.  The specific challenges faced by 
Lao PDR as an LDC had also been duly taken into  account.  The flexibilities granted to Lao PDR in 
terms of transition periods in a number of fields, as well as Members' restraint in market access 
negotiations, were evidence thereof, and Lao PDR coul d be proud of this achievement.  The President 
of the European Commission and the President of  the European Council would have the opportunity 
to welcome this major step in Vientiane on the occasion of the ninth Asia-Europe Summit in a few 
days.  The EU had been supporting Lao PDR throughout this process and had also been active on the ground.  The EU and some of its member States were major contributors to the trade-development 
facility programme going on since 2008 and wo uld remain a committed partner under the second 
trade development facility programme, to accompany Lao PDR in the post-accession phase. 
29. Overall, Lao PDR was now in a position to reap the full benefits from WTO accession, and 
the conditions were set for the expansion of fore ign direct investment, trade and growth.  The 
country's assets would be all the stronger as th e country consolidated a favourable business  WT/GC/M/139 
 Page 9 
 
 
  environment which entailed protection of investme nt and proper consultatio n with stakeholders, 
including the private sector.  Today marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one.  As a recently-acceded Member, Lao PDR would be  able to build on the rich and convincing 
experience of its accession process and would certain ly have particular knowledge to share with 
acceding countries.  Including Lao PDR, three of th e five countries that had joined the organization 
over the past two years were LDCs.  Earlier in the year, Members had delivered on the revision of the 
LDC Accession Guidelines, responding in due time to th e call of Ministers at MC8.  The EU was very 
pleased with that overall record, which was a tangibl e sign of inclusiveness in the WTO, and it looked 
forward to Yemen's accession in 2012. 
30. The representative of Japan said that Lao PDR's accession was great news not only for the 
WTO, but also for the ninth Asia-Europe Summit to be held in Vientiane in early November.  The 
road to accession might have been tough for bot h Lao PDR and the Members concerned, but Lao 
PDR had developed its laws and re gulations in accordance with WTO rules.  This would certainly 
promote economic growth and expand trade.  Japan  and Lao PDR had been continuously building and 
deepening their long-term friendship for 57 years through a comprehensive partnership, realizing 
economic development that benef itted both countries as well as the wider Asian region, including 
other Mekong countries.  Japan had been pleased to host the Fourth Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo 
in April 2012 to seek strong, sustainable, and balanced regional growth  through Mekong-Japanese 
cooperation.  Since 2008 Japan had been actively prov iding technical assistan ce on customs valuation 
through such programmes as the Asia Cargo Highw ay Initiative for ASEAN members.  Japan, as the 
world’s top provider of Official Development Assistance for Lao PDR, continued to support 
economic growth, human security and environmental sustainability in Lao PDR.  His country was 
determined to further contribute to maintaining and strengthening the multilateral trading system, 
together with Lao PDR as a new WTO partner. 
31. The representative of Indonesia associated his de legation with the statement by Cambodia for 
ASEAN.  Lao PDR's accession was a commendable step  for it in pursuing its development interest 
through trade.  Amidst scepticism about the multilate ral trading system, as reflected in the stalemate 
of the DDA negotiations, this accession and the fact that  there were still so many countries eager to go 
through the accession process indicated that faith in the multilateral trading system under the WTO 
still prevailed.  Members had to capitalize on this to re-engage themselves in the unfinished business 
of the DDA negotiations.  Lao PDR's accession w as a great achievement for its people and 
Government.  The extensive domestic policy re forms conducted by the Government and its 
willingness to open markets through average tariff bindi ngs of 18.8 per cent for all products as well as 
opening in services sectors, showed the strong co mmitment and readiness of Lao PDR to integrate 
into the rules-based multilateral trading system. 
32. The representative of India said this was a historic occasion as the WTO welcomed another 
new member and took a further step towards being a more inclusive and universal organization.  India 
commended Lao PDR's strong commitment to the multila teral trading system and the sincerity with 
which it had engaged in the process to bring it to a successful conclusion.  As an acceding LDC, the 
journey had been neither easy nor short.  India fu lly understood the tremendous challenges with which 
Lao PDR had been confronted.  However, it was cr editable that despite these challenges, Lao PDR 
had been able to implement wide-ranging reforms to br ing its legislation and foreign trade regime into 
compliance with WTO requirements.  India had enjoyed longstanding friendly ties with Lao PDR, 
cemented through a regular exchange of visits at the highest level and extens ive bilateral cooperation. 
33. The representative of Switzerland said the accessi on package before Members at the present 
meeting reflected the intensive reform process that  Lao PDR had shouldered over the past years and 
would continue to pursue.   Lao PDR had demonstrated its willingness to participate in global trade 
and its commitment to market economy, transparency and the rule of law.  Switzerland was confident 
that these efforts would generate a positive return and would benefit the further development of Lao WT/GC/M/139 
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  PDR.  It had always encouraged the accession of LD Cs and supported their participation in the work 
of the WTO.  In the case of Lao PDR, Switzerla nd had supported the country's accession process with 
targeted trade-related technical assistance.  It wa s particularly happy to see that this cooperation had 
borne fruit.  Working with a committed partner such  as the Ministry of Industry and Commerce had 
been particularly efficient.  Looking forward, fu rther joint efforts would be necessary to strengthen 
the country's productive capacity in trade in order to enable it to fully take advantage of integration 
into the multilateral trading system.  Switzerland remained committed to working with Lao PDR to 
this end.  The close ties and friendship that had been developed over the past years of intensive 
cooperation would serve as a strong basis, ensuri ng that this continued cooperation would bring 
success.  The conclusion of this accession process was also of systemic importance.  For Switzerland, 
the success and efficiency of the multilateral trading system depended on a membership as universal 
as possible.  The accession of Lao PDR was ther efore important for the good functioning of the 
multilateral trading system.  With this accession, th e WTO was a further step closer to universality.  
In this regard, Switzerland was particularly pleased  with the July 2012 Decision to further strengthen, 
streamline and operationalize the 2002 LDC Accession Guidelines, which Switzerland was confident 
would facilitate acceding LDCs in completing th eir accession process, as had been the case for Lao 
PDR. 
34. The representative of Korea said his delegati on had no doubt that the accession of Lao PDR 
to the WTO would be beneficial not only for Lao PD R, but also for the multilateral trading system as 
a whole.  Lao PDR was the first LDC to finali ze its accession since the July 2012 Decision on LDC 
accession guidelines.  It was a significant economic partner for Korea, and since June 2007 the two 
countries had had reciprocal preferential treatment  under the Korea-ASEAN FTA.  The volume of 
bilateral trade between Korea and Lao PDR had expanded more than 30 times during the past 10 
years, and Korea was the fourth-largest source of foreign investment in Lao PDR.  Cognizant of the 
importance of the faithful implementation of accession commitments, Korea would continue to provide technical and capacity-building assistance to  Lao PDR.  It would work closely with other 
Members to ensure that the negotiations rega rding other accession priorities for 2012 would be 
successfully completed. 
35. The representative of Argentina said his delega tion hoped that Lao PDR's entry into the WTO 
would enable it to become a greater participant in the world trading system, and that it would 
contribute to the consolidation of economic growth and improvement of the standard of living of Lao 
PDR's people. 
36. The representative of Turkey said his count y was dedicated to accelerating the accession 
process of all countries and to contributing to the efforts of LDCs to integrate into the world economy.  
WTO membership would not only serve to improve Lao PDR's capacity to move towards sustainable development, but would also contribute to the uni versality of the WTO.  As Indonesia had said, 
continued accessions were a clear sign of the attractiv eness of the organization to countries that were 
ready to pay a stiff price to reach that objective.  Turkey also looked forward to the accession of 
Yemen before the end of the year. 
37. The representative of China said the successfu l conclusion of Lao PDR's accession was a 
significant achievement not only for that country, but also for the organization.  This accession, 
together with that of other new members, was a great confidence-builder, which clearly demonstrated 
that with joint efforts the organization could ach ieve concrete and significant results.  China hoped 
that other accession priorities for 2012 would also be concluded very soon, and that the 
representativeness of the multilateral trading system w ould be further strengthe ned.  China was happy 
to have been able to contribute to th is important process for its good neighbour. 
38. The representative of Barbados, on behalf of  the SVEs, said these countries recognized that 
during Lao PDR's 15-year accession process, that country had worked very hard to implement  WT/GC/M/139 
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  economic policies and to restructure its economy in order to ready itself for WTO membership.  At 
the current time of stalemate in the WTO, Lao PDR's unwavering desire to join the WTO was 
recognition of the continuing importance of the orga nization and the role it continued to play in 
bringing stability to the multilateral trading syst em, despite the challenges.  The SVEs also 
acknowledged the efforts of all those at the dom estic and government leve l who had wrestled with 
accepting the demands of WTO membership – which still existed despite the changes made recently 
to mitigate the burdens of  accession to the WTO for LDCs.  Their acceptance of and willingness to 
implement legislative and institutional changes and other wide reforms was evidence of their 
commitment.  The SVEs were fully cognizant of the difficulties LDCs faced, as many SVEs had been 
LDCs at some stage, and even now still faced simila r challenges.  The integration of LDCs into the 
multilateral trading system did not end with accession to the WTO, but membership did offer 
possibilities to benefit from flexibilities that could be  very meaningful for LDCs.  However, the post-
accession period could also bring its own strains.  The SVEs recognized that major commitments would have been required of Lao PDR.   
39. The representative of Hong Kong, China said the accession of Lao PDR gave a strong signal 
that with considerable effort, the WTO could contin ue to deliver concrete outcomes, especially those 
benefitting LDCs.  Southeast Asia was one of the most important regions in terms of Hong Kong, 
China's external trade, and his delegation was very  encouraged to see that all ASEAN members were 
now part of the WTO family.  It commended the e ffort of Lao PDR in recent years in turning its 
trading regime into a rules-based one, opening up its markets and introducin g competition in various 
sectors.  The multilateral framework of the WT O would further strengt hen Lao PDR's economic 
infrastructure and enhance its sustainable growth and development.  Lao PDR's accession had also 
illustrated its strong commitment to engaging in the framework of the rules-based multilateral trading 
system.   
40. The representative of Paraguay said his delega tion supported the General Council's Decision 
on Lao PDR’s accession package, which was now a rea lity thanks to that Government's undeniable 
commitment to making all necessary efforts to help the Working Party complete its task.  Paraguay 
had always supported the intention and process of accession of Lao PDR and other landlocked 
countries, and the documents that were part of La o PDR's package of final commitments to the WTO 
showed that where there was a w ill, there was no setback that coul d prevent the desired objectives 
from being achieved.  Members would soon be able  to welcome Lao PDR as a full member of the 
large and growing family that constituted the WTO.   As coordinator of the landlocked developing 
countries, Paraguay welcomed with particular interest the conclusi on of another landlocked country's 
process of accession to the organization, which had b een a priority for 2012 and which, after 15 years, 
was now coming to fruition.  A long time had passed since the last accession of a landlocked country, as Nepal had acceded in 2004.  Moreover, it was importa nt to note that there was still much work to 
be done in order that the landlocked countries' particular situation was reflected in fair and appropriate 
policies that were suited to their economic and comme rcial reality.  From now on, transit and trade 
constraints and their impact on the development of  countries such as Paraguay would be heard even 
more clearly at the WTO.  The accession of Lao PDR would make the rules-based multilateral trading 
system slightly stronger, more balanced and more  equitable.  The accession of Lao PDR and other 
landlocked countries and LDCs was one of the WTO's priorities for 2012.   
41. The representative of the United States said his delegation was pleased to join others in 
adopting Lao PDR's accession package and the draft decision on its accession.  During its accession 
process, Lao PDR had demonstrated its dedication to economic and trade reform as well as to WTO 
provisions.  The trade regime that had been establis hed, based on rules and principles that encouraged 
trade and investment, would benefit Lao PDR and it s people.  In Lao PDR's accession, as with all 
LDC applicants, the United States ha d taken care to ensure an appro ach consistent with the 2002 LDC 
Accession Guidelines.  In line with this, it had established the "Luna Project", a US technical 
assistance programme that included a resident advi sor in Vientiane.  The United States was deeply WT/GC/M/139 
Page 12  
 
  committed to the notion that adoption of WTO provisions could and did build strong economic 
institutions that had a long-term positive im pact on trade, economic growth and domestic 
development for LDCs.  The accessions process was an important tool through which LDCs like Lao 
PDR could carefully consider the way in which trad e could advance the prosperity of their people. 
42. The representative of Cuba said this had b een a lengthy accession process, and the efforts 
made and the results achieved had to be acknowledged, as well as the flexibility and pragmatism 
shown throughout by the authorities of Lao PDR.  Cuba hoped that Lao PDR, to which Cuba was 
linked through a sense of solidarity and brother hood, would soon join in the defence of the 
development-related issues that were still awaiting a solution in the WTO.  It also hoped that the 
accession process of Yemen, another LDC, would be concluded swiftly. 
43. The representative of Chinese Taipei, on behalf of the RAMs, said that accession not only 
contributed to the universality of the organizatio n, but also helped the economies in question to 
integrate into the multilateral trading system.  The RAMs had always been supportive of new 
accessions to the WTO, especially those of LDCs.  They were heartened by this good news and 
recognized that the successful accession of Lao PD R would bring about positive momentum and 
encouragement to other accession processes in 2012.   
44. The representative of Canada said that adoptio n of Lao PDR’s accession package, the third 
accession package of an LDC considered in two years, was an important endorsement of the 
multilateral trading system as a tool for development. 
45. The representative of the Russian Federation said this accession was highly important for 
Russia, given its traditional friendly ties and longs tanding economic relations  with Lao PDR and its 
people.  The Lao PDR negotiating team had negotiate d the conditions of its country's membership in 
the WTO in a way that was commensurate with the country’s level of economic  development and that 
contributed to sustainable growth of the nationa l economy.  The decision on Lao PDR's accession was 
a sign of success of the joint efforts of the WTO me mbership to facilitate the accession of LDCs so 
that they could benefit from participation in the multilateral trading system.  The Russian Federation 
hoped that the accession of Lao PDR would pave th e way for other accessions, not only of LDCs, but 
also other countries which needed the help and support of Members to finalize their negotiating 
processes while obtaining fair conditions of participation in the WTO. 
46. The representative of Brazil said this was good news, not only for Lao PDR, an LDC, but also 
for the organization, to the extent that this accessi on took it one step closer to universal coverage.  
Brazil would engage fully with Lao PDR in the various bodies of the WTO. 
47. The representative of Ukraine associated his de legation with the statement by Chinese Taipei 
for the RAMs.  Ukraine and Lao PDR had decades of  traditionally good ties, and Ukraine hoped to 
further develop these trade and economic relations on the basis of predictability, transparency and 
stability following Lao PDR’s accession.  His delegation thanked the Lao PDR team for a 
constructive dialogue during bilateral negotiati ons.  This accession was a good example for the 
accession of other LDCs.  
48. The representative of Iran, speaking as an observer, expressed his country's hope that it, too, 
could look forward to completing its accessi on negotiations in the near future.  
49. The General Council took note of the statemen ts and of the expressions of welcome and 
support.  WT/GC/M/139 
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  2. Appointment of the next Director-General – Statement by India 
50. The representative of India, speaking under "Oth er Business", said that since the WTO would 
shortly invite applications for the appointment of the next Director-General, and that by the time of 
the next General Council meeting in mid-December it might be a bit late, his delegation wished to 
share some thoughts on the issue of developing an understanding among Members on a policy of 
rotation for the post of Director-General.  The pre sent guidelines for the appointment of the Director-
General were comprehensive and stressed merit as well as accepta bility among Members.  The WTO 
would no doubt receive applicati ons from exceptionally qualified pe rsons from all over the globe in 
the current exercise, as had been th e case in the past.  However, hi s delegation wished especially to 
draw attention to the second sentence of paragra ph 13 of the Procedures for the Appointment of 
Directors-General, as follows:  "Where Members are faced in the final selection with equally 
meritorious candidates, they shall take into cons ideration as one of the factors the desirability of 
reflecting the diversity of the WTO’s membership in successive appointments to the post of Director-General."  In this context, although there were  no written agreements or guidelines in some areas 
relating to appointments to im portant positions in the WTO, there were a few unwritten 
understandings among Members, which had been wo rking exceedingly well up to the present.  For 
example, the chairpersons of the General Council,  DSB and Trade Policy Review Body were rotated 
annually between developed and de veloping-country Members.  Of course, merit and acceptability 
among all regions and a consensus-based decision fo rmed the bedrock of the appointment process.  
On a similar footing and in keeping with the prac tice followed in many UN agencies, India wished to 
suggest that Members work towards developing an understanding among themselves that a policy of 
rotation should be followed for appointment to the post of Director-General, who was also the Chair 
of the TNC of the Doha Round.  Since the present Director-General was from a developed country and his predecessor was from a developing country in  Asia, the membership should consider rotating 
the post of Director-General in favour of a candida te from either Africa or the GRULAC region in 
2013, of course without compromising in any way on me rit.  This was just a suggestion on which his 
delegation would welcome an exch ange of views with others. 
51. The representative of South Africa thanked Indi a for raising this important issue.  South 
Africa was a founding Member of the WTO and had always supported the principle of rotation of 
leadership in the organization.  As India had sai d, this was the case for the General Council and its 
subsidiary bodies, and South Africa saw no compel ling reason why the post of Director-General 
should be exempt from this principle.  It was ti me for the baton to be passed on to a developing 
country, in line with the values of representativen ess and inclusiveness in the WTO, particularly 
regarding the post of Director-General. 
52. The representative of Argentina thanked India for its statement.  His delegation's feeling was 
similar to India's.  In conformity with the Pr ocedures for the Appointment of Directors-General, 
which Members had approved, there seemed to be an understanding among Members that for the post 
of Director-General, the rotation principle woul d reflect the diversity of WTO Members.  In 
accordance with this principle, preference would be given to a developi ng country.  Thus, the 
proposal to reach an understanding on this issue for th e future of the WTO would take account of the 
need for rotation and diversity. 
53. The representative of El Salvador thanked Indi a for raising this issue, which was of the 
utmost importance.  His delegation was struck by the tendency in the process of appointing the 
Director-General to downplay the importance of re gional or group balance on the grounds that the 
overriding criteria should be the ability and suitabilit y of the candidate.  While it agreed that the 
ability and skills of any candidate for the post of WT O Director-General were key factors to consider 
in the appointment process, by giving the regional issue less priority, Members were ignoring the fact 
that every group and region represented at the WTO had able and suitable candidates who could fill 
this position.  Moreover, his delega tion understood that the regional ba lance criterion had been used in WT/GC/M/139 
Page 14  
 
  the past in every appointment process in the organi zation, including for Directors-General and Chairs 
of WTO bodies.  El Salvador did not have a particul ar interest in the selection process of the next 
Director-General at the present time, especially as it still did not know who the formal candidates 
were.  However, both ability and regional balance were equally important criteria, and it was not 
appropriate, at the present stage in the appointment process, to establish a hierarchy of criteria that 
should prevail.  Bearing in mind the critical and delicate task ahead, which was to appoint a Director-
General capable of successfully leading the orga nization in the current difficult circumstances, 
Members should continue to strengthe n trust within the membership in order to ensure a transparent 
appointment process in which each Member had a st ake and which fostered the positive atmosphere 
that currently prevailed in the organization. 
54. The representative of China supported the statement by India.  In the current appointment 
process it was very important to choose an e xperienced and qualified Director-General from 
developing-country Members, who could guide Me mbers to conclude the Doha Round and to 
revitalize the multilateral trading system.  China looked forward to activel y participating in the 
selection process in the coming months. 
55. The representative of Jamaica said all Members would be paying close attention to the 
upcoming selection process for the next Director-Gen eral.  Jamaica looked forward to the process the 
General Council Chair had outlined.  It sh ared the view that with merit as a sine qua non , due weight 
had to be given over time to the value of rota tion and representativeness in the appointment of the 
Director-General.  In this regard, Jamaica expect ed that due consideration would be given to the 
appointment of the next Director-General from among  developing countries, and in particular a region 
that had not so far shouldered th is important systemic responsibility .  His delegation looked forward 
to the consultative process and hoped that these considerations would be taken into account. 
56. The representative of Brazil said th at as the start of the proces s for the appointment of a new 
Director-General came nearer, it was time for Memb ers to voice their views on the principles that 
should guide this process, and hopefully reach an unde rstanding on those principles.  Thus, Brazil not 
only welcomed the timely statement by India at th e present meeting, but also endorsed it fully. 
57. The representative of Cuba thanked India for ra ising this important issue, which should be 
addressed as soon as possible.  Cuba shared the view of previous delegations regarding the need for 
regional balance or the rotation principle in the Director-General appointment process, while being 
aware of how important it was to take into account the abilities and merits of future candidates.  As 
for the appointment of chairpersons of other WT O bodies, the Director-General appointment process 
should be fully transparent. 
58. The General Council took note of the statements. 
3. Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies – Statement by the Chairperson on the 
chairmanships of the Negotiating Group on Market Access and the Committee on Trade and Environment in Special Session 
59. The Chairperson, speaking under "O ther Business", recalled that, as she had announced at the 
General Council meeting on 3 Oct ober and in a fax of 16 October, she had been carrying out 
consultations on the appointment of successors to Mr Luzius Wasecha (Switzerland), Chair of the 
Negotiating Group on Market Access, and Mr Hisw ani Harun (Malaysia), Chair of the Committee on 
Trade and Environment in Special Session, who ha d both informed her that they were relinquishing 
their posts.  In line with the Guidelines for the Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies (WT/L/510), 
she had conducted these consultations with the assist ance of the Chairman of the Dispute Settlement 
Body, Mr Bashir (Pakistan), and two former Chai rmen of the General Council, Messrs Matus (Chile) 
and Agah (Nigeria).  These consultations had s hown a consensus among Members on the appointment  WT/GC/M/139 
 Page 15 
 
 
  of Mr Remigi Winzap (Switzerland) as Chair of the Negotiating Group on Market Access, and on 
Mr Selim Kuneralp (Turkey) as Chair of the Committee on Trade and Environment in Special Session.  These individuals would be elected as Chairs  at the next formal meetings of the respective 
bodies. 
60. The General Council took note of the statement. 
__________