WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/599 
15 December 2004 
 (04-5540) 
 Original:   English 
 
  
SIXTEENTH APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING 
AND 
TWELFTH APEC ECONOMIC LEADERS' MEETING 
 
Santiago, Chile, 17-18 and 
20-21 November 2004 
 
Communication from Chile
 
 
  The following communication, dated 2 December 2004, has been received from the delegation of Chile. 
 
 
_______________ 
 
  The Sixteenth APEC Ministerial Meeting was held in Santiago, Chile, on 17-18 November 
2004, at which they approved a Joint Statement.
1 
 
 The Twelfth APEC Economic Leaders' meeting was held in Santiago, Chile, on 20-21 
November 2004 and approved the Santiago Declaration "One Community, Our Future".2 
 
 The trade and WTO relation portions of both documents are attached for the information of 
WTO Members.  The complete documen ts can be found in www.apec2004.cl. 
 
 Both documents underline the top priority APE economies attach to the WTO, and the need to work with a renewed sense of urgency in the DDA negotiations following the positive momentum 
achieved with the July package. 
 
 
_______________ 
 
 
                                                     
 
1 Reproduced in Annex I. 
2 Reproduced in Annex II. WT/L/599 
Page 2  
 
 ANNEX I 
 
SIXTEENTH APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING 
 
Santiago, Chile, 17-18 November 2004 
 
JOINT STATEMENT 
 
 1. Ministers from Australia;  Brunei Darussalam;  Canada;  Chile;  the People's Republic of 
China;  Hong Kong, China;  Indonesia;  Japan;  the Republic of Korea;  Malaysia;  Mexico;  New 
Zealand;  Papua New Guinea;  Peru;  the Republic  of the Philippines;  the Russian Federation;  
Singapore;  Chinese Taipei;  Thailand;  the United States of America and Viet Nam, representing 
economies which collectively account for 47 pe rcent of world trade and over 60 per cent of global 
GDP, gathered in Santiago, Chile, on 17-18 November 2004, in order to participate in the Sixteenth 
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Minister ial Meeting.  The APEC Secretariat was also 
present.  The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat, the Pacific Economic 
Cooperation Council (PECC) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) attended as observers. 
2. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Ignacio Walker, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of 
the Republic of Chile. 
3. Ministers met and discussed issues under Chile's main theme, "One Community, Our Future".  
They agreed that collective responses are essential to meet common challenges facing the APEC 
Region in fundamental areas like trade, security, transparency, anticorruption, human resource 
development, health, the knowledge-based economy, and sustainable development.  They pledged 
their efforts towards achieving an open trading system aimed at creating new opportunities in a 
dynamic and inter-dependent Asia Pacific Region.  They reaffirmed their commitment to achieve the 
Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment by 20 October 2020.  APEC Foreign and Trade Ministers appreciated the opportunity to meet in APEC sessions and in meetings on the margins of 
APEC. 
4. Ministers reviewed the key achievements of the APEC 2004 Year hosted by the Republic of 
Chile and agreed upon initiatives to be undertaken  during the APEC 2005 Year, to be hosted by the 
Republic of Korea. 
5. The key outcomes of the Sixteenth APEC Mini sterial Meeting are organized in accordance 
with the theme "One Community, Our Future" and seven sub-themes of the APEC 2004 Year. 
6. Ministers agreed to the following dur ing their deliberations in Santiago: 
A COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TRADE AND INVESTMENT 
 World Trade Organization (WTO)  7. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the improvement of and liberalization within the 
multilateral trading system.  They fully endorsed the July Package adopted by the WTO General 
Council, recognizing it as a breakthrough for the D oha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations.  In 
this regard, Ministers highlighted APEC member  economies' contribution to reaching the July 
Package and their commitment to moving forward the DDA negotiations. 
8. Ministers stressed that development is at the core of the DDA negotiations and, underlining 
the importance of achieving a balanced overall outc ome, agreed to work together for a successful  WT/L/599 
 Page 3 
 
 
 conclusion to these negotiations.  They concu rred that such an outcome will strengthen the 
multilateral trading system and promote economic grow th and poverty reduction, particularly amongst 
developing economies. 
9. Ministers reiterated that high levels of ambition and respect for flexibility must be maintained 
in all areas of the DDA negotiations, in acco rdance with the mandates approved in Doha.  
Consequently, Ministers: 
 - Stressed the importance of agricultural reform, including the abolition of all forms of 
agricultural export subsidies and unjustifia ble export prohibitions and restrictions at 
an early date, substantial reduction of tr ade-distorting domestic support, as well as 
substantial improvements in market access; 
 
- Confirmed the need for substantially impr oved market access for non-agricultural 
goods, through the reduction or, as appropriate, elimination of tariff and non-tariff 
barriers; 
 - Highlighted the growing importance of services trade and called on all members to 
submit improved revised offers by May 2005.  Members, which have not done so, 
should table initial offers expeditiously; 
 
- Reaffirmed the importance of the clarif ication, strengthening and improvement of 
WTO rules. 
 
10. Ministers welcomed the launching of negotiations on trade facilitation and agreed to work 
together to advance these negotiations in the WTO.  They agreed that these negotiations should take 
into account the principle of special and differ ential treatment for developing and least-developed 
economies.  They recognized that trade facilitation pl ays a critical role in ensuring that the benefits 
from greater market liberalization are fully reap ed.  Therefore, the introduction of clearer and 
transparent multilateral rules on trade facilitation will bring gr eater certainty, reduce costs and delays, 
and provide more competitive import and export conditions for industry and business.  Ministers 
agreed that APEC's practical and vast experience in this area could be shared with other WTO 
Members, so as to contribute towards the achievem ent of positive results.  They endorsed the APEC 
Business Advisory Council's statement that transparency, efficiency, simplification, non-discrimination, procedural fairness, cooperation an d capacity building should be core elements of 
this negotiation. 
11. Ministers reaffirmed the importance of effec tive demand-driven WTO capacity building, and 
the effective implementation of special and differ ential treatment in promoting progress in WTO 
DDA negotiations.  This would allow developing Memb ers to fully participate in DDA negotiations.  
Ministers called on APEC economies to maintain an d increase capacity building efforts, particularly 
in areas where APEC can best add value.  Ministers noted with satisfaction plans to evaluate APEC's 
past capacity building activities using existing eval uation work by APEC economies and sub-fora, and 
to improve thereby the effectivene ss of future activities.  Ministers commended the APEC Seminar on 
WTO Trade Facilitation held in Bangkok in Nove mber and looked forward to the APEC/WTO 
Roundtable on Trade Facilitation to be held in Ge neva in early 2005 and the trade facilitation capacity 
building in Kuala Lumpur in February 2005.  They also welcomed the WTO Capacity Building Group's intention to devote more attention to policy-oriented discussions related to WTO capacity 
building. 
12. Ministers reaffirmed that support for and co nsultation among APEC economies regarding the 
DDA negotiations must be maintained and reinforced .  In this context, they welcomed the work 
undertaken by the APEC Geneva Caucus this year, and instructed it to continue its consultations, as WT/L/599 
Page 4  
 
 well as to improve communication between APEC and Geneva Officials in order to share their 
experience and contribute to the WTO work pr ogramme.  Ministers committed to convening the 
APEC Geneva Caucus regularly between now and the WTO's Sixth Ministerial Conference, to be 
held in Hong Kong, China in December 2005. 
13. Ministers welcomed the progress that has been  made in the WTO accession negotiations of 
Viet Nam and the Russian Federation and called for a prompt conclusion of the accession 
negotiations, including through the provision of capacity building assistance. 
14. Ministers noted that the particular concerns of  recently acceded Members to the WTO should 
be given due consideration in the DDA negotiations. 
15. Ministers reaffirmed the need to facilitate access by developing countries to medicines 
required to address public health problems such as  HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and other epidemics.  In 
this context, they underlined the need for ap propriate action, including those pursuant to the 
consensus reached by the WTO General Council on 30 August 2003 on TRIPS and Public Health. 
16. Ministers agreed that at their next meeting, to  be held in Korea in mid 2005, they should 
review progress in the DDA negotia tions and provide clear guidance  to negotiators regarding the 
preparations and objectives for th e Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference. 
17. Ministers stressed the importance of maintain ing momentum in the DDA negotiations.  APEC 
should continue to provide leadership in this regard.  Ministers acknowledged that substantial 
technical work remains to be done in all areas of  the negotiations.  They instructed officials to 
intensify their efforts in this respect so that the an ticipated WTO stock-taking in the first part of the 
year is positive, thus setting the scene for a productive 2005. 
  WT/L/599 
 Page 5 
 
 
 ANNEX II 
 
TWELFTH APEC ECONOMIC LEADERS' MEETING 
SANTIAGO DECLARATION "ONE COMMUNITY, OUR FUTURE" 
 
Santiago, Chile, 20-21 November 2004 
  
1. We gathered in Santiago for the 12th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, under APEC's 2004: 
theme, "One Community, Our Future".  We reaffi rmed our commitment to achieve sustainable and 
equitable growth and reduce econom ic disparities for the well-being of our people by meeting the 
Bogor Goals of trade and investment liberalizati on and facilitation, enhancing human security, and 
promoting good governance and a knowledge-based society. 
Advancing Development through Trade and Investment Liberalization 
2. We reaffirmed the primacy of the rules-based mu ltilateral trading system, which allows us to 
pursue trade liberalization on a global scale.  We welcomed the new momentum acquired by the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations resulting from the July Package adopted by the General 
Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO).  We pledged to provide leadership to continue this 
momentum.  With a view toward fulfilling the de velopment objectives of the DDA, we agreed: 
 - To work with a renewed sense of urgency to achieve a balanced overall outcome that 
will meet the high levels of ambition se t for these negotiation s, while respecting 
flexibility and taking into account the principl e. of special and differential treatment.  
Particularly in the core areas of agriculture, non-agricultural goods, services, and 
rules, the outcome should be substantially greater market access and fewer 
distortions; 
  - To seek substantial results at the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference and instruct our 
Ministers and officials to work in earnest toward this goal.  Our Ministers will review 
progress of the DDA negotiations at their next meetings; 
 
 - To contribute to negotiations on trad e facilitation by sharing our considerable 
experience within APEC with the rest of the WTO and strengthening our work in this 
area; 
 - To redouble our efforts to provide technical assistance and capacity building – in a 
more strategic manner – thus underpinning progress in the WTO through full and effective participation of all Members; and 
  - To support efforts to conclude promptly the accessions of the Russian Federation and 
Viet Nam to the WTO. 
 
3. We call on all WTO Members to join us in this endeavor. 
4. With regard to Regional Trading Arrangements and Free Trade Agreements (RTAs/FTAs), 
we agreed that they play a constructive role in accelerating liberalization in the region, thus contributing to the achievement of the Bogor Goal s and advancing the WTO process.  To strengthen 
this contribution and ensure high-standard agreements, we welcomed the APEC Best Practices for 
RTAs/FTAs which are a meaningful reference fo r APEC members when undertaking RTAs/FTAs 
negotiations.  We also committed to greater tr ansparency in RTAs/FTAs to facilitate public 
understanding of the scope and effect of these agrreements. WT/L/599 
Page 6  
 
 5. We recognized that improved protection and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights 
contribute to the promotion of investment, innovati on and economic growth.  We welcomed APEC's 
work on the APEC Comprehensive Strategy on Intellectual Property Rights and encouraged further 
progress in 2005. 
 
__________