WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/GC/W/562 
5 May 2006 
 (06-2125) 
General Council 
15 May 2006  
 
 
 
DERESTRICTION OF OFFICI AL GATT 1947 DOCUMENTS 
 
Communication from the Chairman of the General Council 
 
 
1. Members will recall that at the October 2005 m eeting of the General Council, the Chairman 
had read out a statement on behalf of the Director-G eneral on the question of the digital archiving and 
derestriction of official GATT documents.1  In that statement, the Director-General had indicated that 
consultations on these issues were being conducted  by Mr. Harbinson, and that, as regards 
derestriction, the Members that had participated in the consultations were  broadly in favour of 
derestricting all the 50,000 or so official GATT documents that still remained restricted.  The 
Director-General had indicated that on both of these matters the views of all Members would have to be taken into account before we could proceed furt her, and that Members would revert to these two 
issues early in 2006.   
2. Following open-ended consultations held by Mr . Harbinson early this year – at which 
participants were of the view that the derestri ction of the official GATT documents would be a 
positive step towards greater openness and transparency in our work – and with a view to facilitating 
an early decision by Members in regard to the de restriction of the GATT documents that are still 
restricted, my predecessor as Chairman proposed at the 8 February meeting of the General Council 
that we proceed as follows: 
(i) First
, that all Members who wished to do so be allowed until 31 March this year to 
examine the restricted GATT documents and to notify the Secretariat of any documents which they consider should conti nue to remain restricted for a further 
period of time. 
(ii) Second
, that open-ended informal consultations be held in April to consider a draft 
decision that would propose the general der estriction in the near future of all GATT 
restricted documents, as well as the automatic derestriction at a later date of those 
documents – hopefully very few – notifie d by delegations as warranting further 
restriction.  The latter documents woul d be compiled as an Annex to the draft 
decision. 
(iii) Third , that, on the basis of these consultations , Members take up the draft decision for 
consideration and action at the General Council meeting scheduled for 15 May 2006.2     
3. I would like to inform Members that, in pursuance of paragraph (i) of the above procedure 
that was agreed at the 8 February Council meeting,  no Member notified the Secretariat by the deadline 
of 31 March of any documents which they consider ed should continue to remain restricted for a 
further period of time.   
                                                      
1 WT/GC/M/98, item 9. 
2 WT/GC/M/101, item 5. WT/GC/W/562 
Page 2  
 
  4. Subsequently, and in keeping with paragra ph (ii) of the above procedure, open-ended 
informal consultations were convened by the Secret ariat on 19 April to consider a draft derestriction 
decision – which was circulated to all delegati ons together with the convening notice for the 
consultations – in order that all views could be  taken into account before any such decision was 
submitted for consideration and action to the 15 May General Council meeting. 
5. At these consultations, no reservations were e xpressed on the draft decision, and the proposed 
date of 1 June 2006 for the dere striction of all GATT 1947 documents
3 was agreeable to all 
delegations that participated.  
6. On this basis, and in pursuance of paragraph (iii)  of the above procedure, I am circulating for 
the information of all Members the draft decision for the derestriction of official GATT documents 
which will be taken up for consid eration and action at the Genera l Council meeting scheduled for 
15 May.4   
                                                      
3 A list of GATT 1947 document series in which there are restricted documents is attached as Annex A. 
4 The draft decision is attached as Annex B.  WT/GC/W/562 
 Page 3 
 
 
  ANNEX A 
 
LIST OF GATT 1947 DOCUMENT SERIES IN WHICH 
THERE ARE RESTRICTED DOCUMENTS 
 
 
 
2SS/ 
3SS/ 
3SS/SR/ 
4SS/SR/ 
5SS/SR/ 
6SS/SR/ 
7SS/SR/ 
AC/W/ 
Administrative 
   Memorandum No. 
ADP/ 
ADP/INF/ 
ADP/M/ 
ADP/Spec/ 
AG/ 
AG/DOC/ 
AG/FOR/ 
AG/FOR/REV/ 
AG/FOR/W/ 
AG/FOR/W/ 
AG/INF/ 
AG/M/ 
AG/W/ 
AIR/ 
AIR/INF/ 
AIR/M/ 
AIR/RN/ 
AIR/Spec/ 
AIR/TSC/ 
AIR/TSC/INF/ 
AIR/TSC/W/ 
AIR/W/ 
C/ 
C/INF/ C/M/ 
C/M/Index 
C/RM/M/ 
C/W/ 
CG.18/ 
CG.18/INF/ 
CG.18/W/ 
CG/ 
COM.AD/W/ 
COM.AG/W/ 
COM.I/INF/ 
COM.I/W. 
COM.II/ 
COM.II/INF/ 
COM.II/W. 
COM.III/W. 
COM.IND/ 
COM.IND/W/ 
COM.TD/LLDC/INF/ 
COM.TD/SCPM/INF/ 
COM.TEX/ 
COM.TEX/SB/ COM.TEX/W/ 
COT/ 
COT/INF/ 
COT/M/ 
COT/STAT/ 
COT/W/ 
CP.5/K/SECRET/ 
CP.6/W/ 
CP/INF/ 
CP/IW.1/ 
CPC(SECRET) 
CPC/ 
CPC/S/ 
CPC/W/ 
CRP 
CRT/SR. 
CWP/ 
DPC/ 
DPC/C/ 
DPC/C/STAT/ 
DPC/C/STAT/Spec/ 
DPC/C/W/ 
DPC/F/ 
DPC/F/STAT/ 
DPC/F/STAT/Spec/ 
DPC/F/W/ 
DPC/INF/ 
DPC/INV/ 
DPC/P/ 
DPC/P/STAT/ 
DPC/P/STAT/Spec/ 
DPC/P/W/ 
DPC/PTL/ 
DPC/PTL/W/ DPC/STAT/ 
DPC/STAT/Spec/ 
DPC/W/ 
DPG/Notif.89. 
DPG/Notif.90. 
DPG/W/ 
DS23/-DS31/ 
DS32/-DS53/ 
ELEVEN/ 
FIFTEEN/ 
G/ 
GATT Office Circular 
 No. 
GATT/AIR/ GATT/CEA.2/W. 
GATT/CEA/ 
GATT/CEA/N. 
GATT/CEA/W. 
GATT/CP.2/W. 
GATT/CP.2/WP.1/ 
GATT/CP.2/WP.2/ 
GATT/CP.2/WP.3/ GATT/CP.2/WP.4/ 
GATT/CP.2/WP.5/ 
GATT/CP.2/WP.6/ 
GATT/CP.2/WP.7/ 
GATT/CP.3/W. 
GATT/CP.3/WP.1/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.2/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.3/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.4/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.5/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.6/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.7/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.8/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.9/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.10/ 
GATT/CP.3/WP.10/2/ 
GATT/CP.4/A/ 
GATT/CP.4/B/ 
GATT/CP.4/C/ 
GATT/CP.4/D/ 
GATT/CP.4/E/ 
GATT/CP.4/F/ 
GATT/CP.4/G/ 
GATT/CP.4/H/ 
GATT/CP.5/ 
GATT/CP.5/A/ 
GATT/CP.5/B/ 
GATT/CP.5/C/ 
GATT/CP.5/D/ 
GATT/CP.5/E/ 
GATT/CP.5/F/ 
GATT/CP.5/G/ 
GATT/CP.5/H/ 
GATT/CP.5/J/ GATT/CP.5/K/ 
GATT/CP.5/L/ 
GATT/CP.5/M/ 
GATT/CP/INF/ 
GATT/CP/IW.1/ 
GATT/CPS/ 
GATT/IW.2/ 
GATT/TN.1/ 
GATT/TN.1/A/ 
GATT/TN.1/B/ 
GATT/TN.1/C/ 
GATT/TN.1/H.Del/ 
GATT/TN.1/SR. 
GATT/TN.2/ 
GATT/TN.2/A/ 
GATT/TN.2/B/ 
GATT/TN.2/SECRET/ 
GATT/TN.2/SR. 
GPA/IC/SPEC/ 
GPA/IC/W/ 
GPR/ 
GPR/INF/ GPR/M/ 
GPR/M/Spec/ 
GPR/Spec/ 
GPR/Spec/M/ 
GPR/W/ 
IC/SECRET/ 
IC/SR. 
IC/W/ 
IC/WP1/ 
IC/WP1/INF/ 
ICITO Office Circular 
 No. 
IDB/ 
IDB/INF/ 
IDB/Q/ 
IDB/URM/ 
IDB/W/ 
IMC/ 
IMC/INF/ 
IMC/INV/ 
IMC/STAT/ 
IMC/W/ 
IMCG/ 
IMCG/INF/ 
IMCG/STAT/ 
IMCG/W/ 
INT(59) 
INT(60) 
INT(61) 
INT(62) 
INT(63) 
INT(64) 
INT(65) 
INT(66) INT(67) 
INT(68) 
INT(69) 
INT(70) 
INT(71) 
INT(72) INT(73) 
INT(74) 
INT(75) 
INT(76) 
INT(77) 
INT(78) 
INT(79) 
INT(80) 
INT(81) 
INT(82) 
INT(83) 
INT(84) 
INT(85) 
INT(86) 
INT(87) 
INT(88) WT/GC/W/562 
Page 4  
 
  INT(89) 
INT(90) 
INT(91) 
INT(92) 
INT(93) 
INT(94) 
INT(95) 
IW.2/ 
L/ 
LDC/ 
LDC/M/ 
LDC/TS/ 
LEGAL/ 
LEGAL/INF/ 
LEGAL/W/ 
Let/ 
LIC/ 
LIC/INF/ 
LIC/M/ LIC/Spec/ 
LIC/W/ 
MCDP/ 
MCDP/STAT/ 
MCDP/W/ 
MCMF/ 
MCMF/STAT/ 
MCMF/W/ 
MDF/ 
MDF/INF/ 
MDF/W/ 
MGT(59) 
MGT(60) 
MGT(61) 
MGT(62) 
MGT/ 
MGT/[number]/51 
MGT/[number]/52 
MGT/[number]/53 
MGT/[number]/54 
MGT/[number]/55 
MGT/[number]/56 
MGT/[number]/57 
MGT/[number]/58 
MIN(63) 
MIN(63)/INF/ 
MIN(63)OD/ 
MIN(63)W/ 
MIN(73)INF/ 
MIN(73)W/ 
MIN(86)/SR/ 
MIN(86)/W/ 
MIN/ 
MIN/OD/ 
MTN.GNG/AG/W/ MTN.GNG/MA/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG1/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG2/OL/ 
MTN.GNG/NG2/RS/ 
MTN.GNG/NG2/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG3/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG4/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG5/TG/P
SE/ MTN.GNG/NG5/TG/
W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG5/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG5/WGS
P/ 
MTN.GNG/NG5/WGS
P/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG6/LT/ 
MTN.GNG/NG6/TI/ 
MTN.GNG/NG6/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG7/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG8/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG9/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG10/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG11/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG12/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG13/W/ 
MTN.GNG/NG14/W/ 
MTN.GNG/RM/W/ MTN.GNG/TRIPS/W/ 
MTN.GNG/W/ 
MTN.GNS/AUD/W/ 
MTN.GNS/CON/W/ 
MTN.GNS/FIN/W/ 
MTN.GNS/LAB/W/ 
MTN.GNS/PROF/W/ 
MTN.GNS/TEL/W/ 
MTN.GNS/TOUR/W/ 
MTN.GNS/TRANS/W/ 
MTN.GNS/W/ 
MTN.INF/unnumbered 
MTN.SB/W/ 
MTN.TNC/ 
MTN.TNC/W/ 
MTN/ 
MTN/3A/ 
MTN/3A/INF/ 
MTN/3A/W/ 
MTN/3B/ 
MTN/3B/INF/ 
MTN/3B/W/ 
MTN/3C/ MTN/3C/INF/ 
MTN/3C/W/ 
MTN/3D/ 
MTN/3D/INF/ 
MTN/3D/W/ 
MTN/3E/ 
MTN/3E/DOC/ 
MTN/3E/INF/ 
MTN/3E/W/ 
MTN/3F/ 
MTN/3F/INF/ 
MTN/3F/W/ MTN/AG/ 
MTN/AG/IL/ 
MTN/AG/INF/ 
MTN/AG/R/ 
MTN/AG/W/ 
MTN/DP/ 
MTN/DP/INF/ 
MTN/DP/W/ 
MTN/FA MTN/FR/ 
MTN/FR/INF/ 
MTN/FR/W/ 
MTN/GR/ 
MTN/GR/INF/ 
MTN/GR/W/ 
MTN/INF/ 
MTN/ME/ 
MTN/ME/INF/ 
MTN/ME/W/ 
MTN/NTM/ 
MTN/NTM/IL/ 
MTN/NTM/INF/ 
MTN/NTM/R/ 
MTN/NTM/W/ 
MTN/P/ 
MTN/P9/ 
MTN/P9/INF/ 
MTN/P9/W/ MTN/SEC/ 
MTN/SEC/INF/ 
MTN/SEC/W/ 
MTN/SG/ 
MTN/SG/INF/ 
MTN/SG/W/ 
MTN/TAR/ 
MTN/TAR/INF/ 
MTN/TAR/W/ 
MTN/TP(SECRET) 
MTN/TP/ 
MTN/TP/INF/ 
MTN/TP/R/ 
MTN/TP/W/ 
MTN/W/ 
NTM(TG)/W/ 
NTM/ 
NTM/INF/ 
NTM/INV/ 
NTM/W/ 
OD[2SS]/ 
OD[ELEVEN]/ 
OD[EIGHTEEN]/ 
OD[NINETEEN]/ 
OD[TWENTY]/ 
OD[TWENTY-ONE]/ 
PC/M/ 
PC/W/ 
PREP.COM/INF/ 
PREP.COM/R/ 
Prep.Com[1973]/W/ 
PREP.COM[1982]/W/ 
QRC 
RBC/ 
SCM/ SCM/INF/ 
SCM/M/ 
SCM/M/Spec/ 
SCM/Spec/ 
Sec/[number]/53 
Sec/[number]/54 
SECRET/ 
SECRET/C/HS/ 
SECRET/CP/ SECRET/HS/ 
SIXTEEN/ 
Spec[number]54 
Spec/[number]/55 
Spec/[number]/56 
Spec/[number]/57 
Spec/[number]/58 
Spec(59) 
Spec(60) 
Spec(61) 
Spec(62) 
Spec(63) 
Spec(64) 
Spec(65) 
Spec(66) 
Spec(67) 
Spec(68) 
Spec(69) 
Spec(70) Spec(71) 
Spec(72) 
Spec(73) Spec(74) 
Spec(75) 
Spec(76) 
Spec(77) 
Spec(78) 
Spec(79) 
Spec(80) 
Spec(81) 
Spec(82) 
Spec(83) 
Spec(84) 
Spec(85) 
Spec(86) 
Spec(87) 
Spec(88) 
Spec(89) 
Spec(90) 
Spec(91) 
Spec(92) 
Spec(93) 
Spec(94) 
Spec(95) 
SR.7/ 
SR.13/ 
SR.14/ 
SR.15/ 
SR.16/Index 
SR.17/ 
SR.17/Index 
SR.18/Index 
SR.19/ 
SR.19/Index SR.20/ 
SR.20/Index 
SR.21/ 
SR.21/Index 
SR.22/ 
SR.22/Index 
SR.23/Index 
SR.24/Index 
SR.25/Index  WT/GC/W/562 
 Page 5 
 
 
  SR.26/Index 
SR.27/Index 
SR.28/Index 
SR.29/Index 
SR.30/Index 
SR.31/Index 
SR.32/Index 
SR.33/Index 
SR.34/Index 
SR.35/Index 
SR.36/Index 
SR.37/Index 
SR.38/Index 
SR.39/Index 
SR.40/Index 
SR.50/ 
SR.50/Index 
SR.51/ 
SR.SOG/ TA/INF/ 
TA/W/ 
TAR/Spec/ 
TBT/ 
TBT/INF/ 
TBT/M/ 
TBT/M/Spec/ 
TBT/Notif.80. 
TBT/Notif.81. 
TBT/Notif.82. 
TBT/Notif.83. 
TBT/Notif.84. 
TBT/Notif.85. 
TBT/Notif.86. 
TBT/Notif.87. 
TBT/Notif.88. 
TBT/Notif.89. 
TBT/Notif.90. 
TBT/Notif.91. 
TBT/Notif.92. 
TBT/Notif.93. 
TBT/Notif.94. TBT/Notif.95. 
TBT/Spec/ 
TBT/W/ 
TBT/W/Spec/ 
TBT/WPB/ 
TEN/ 
TEX.NG/W/ 
TEX.SB/ 
TEX.SB/W/ 
TEX/W/ 
THIRTEEN/ 
THIRTY-TWO/ 
TN(LDC). 
TN(LDC)N/ 
TN.2/SECRET/ 
TN.56/ 
TN.56/C/ 
TN.56/INF/ 
TN.56/W/ TN.60/ 
TN.60/INF/ 
TN.60/OD/ 
TN.60/SR. 
TN.60/W. 
TN.64(SECRET)/ 
TN.64(SECRET)/W/ 
TN.64/ 
TN.64/AGR/ 
TN.64/AGR/INF/ 
TN.64/AGR/W/ 
TN.64/Ce/ 
TN.64/Ce/INF/ 
TN.64/Ce/W/ 
TN.64/DP/ 
TN.64/DP/W/ 
TN.64/INF/ 
TN.64/LDC/ 
TN.64/Me/ 
TN.64/Me/INF/ 
TN.64/Me/W/ 
TN.64/NP/ TN.64/NP/INF/ 
TN.64/NTB/ 
TN.64/NTB/INF/ 
TN.64/NTB/W/ 
TN.64/SR. 
TN.64/TP/ 
TN.64/TP/W/ 
TN.64/W/ 
TNB/ 
TNB/INF/ 
TNC/ 
TNJ/ 
TNJ/W. 
TNS/ 
TNS/INF/ 
TRE/ 
TRE/INF/ 
TRE/W/ 
TWENTY/ TWENTY-ONE 
UNCTAD/GATT/AIR 
VAL/ 
VAL/INF/ VAL/M/ 
VAL/Spec/ 
VAL/W/ 
W(62) 
W(63) 
W(64) 
W(65) 
W(66) 
W(67) 
W(68) 
W(69) 
W(70) 
W(71) 
W(72) 
W.7/ 
W.8/ 
W.9/ 
W.10/ W.11/ 
W.12/ 
W.13/ 
W.14/ 
W.15/ 
W.16/ 
W.17/ 
W.18/ 
W.19/ 
W.20/ 
W.21/ 
W.22/ 
W.23/ 
W.24/ 
W.25/ 
W.26/ 
W.27/ 
W.28/ 
W.29/ W.30/ 
W.31/ 
W.32/ 
W.33/ 
W.34/ 
W.35/ 
W.36/ 
W.37/ 
W.38/ 
W.39/ 
W.40/ 
W.41/ 
W.42/ 
W.43/ 
W.44/ 
W.45/ 
W.46/ 
W.47/ 
W.48/ 
W.49/ 
W.50/ 
W.51/ 
WP.2/W.
 
 
 
  WT/GC/W/562 
Page 6  
 
  ANNEX B 
 
DERESTRICTION OF OFFICI AL GATT 1947 DOCUMENTS 
 
Draft Decision
 
 
 The General Council,   Having regard  to the agreement of 8 December 1994 between the GATT CONTRACTING 
PARTIES, the Preparatory Committee for the WTO a nd the Interim Commission for the International 
Trade Organization (ICITO), approved by the WT O General Council on 31 January 1995 (WT/L/36), 
providing inter alia  for the transfer of assets and records of the GATT to the WTO; 
  Considering  that, in the interest of a better access of the general public to the work of the 
GATT 1947, a general derestriction of offi cial GATT 1947 documents is in order; 
 
 Decides as follows: 
 
All official restricted GATT 1947 documents shall be derestricted as of 1 June 2006. 
  
__________