. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/GC/W/599 
30 April 2009 
 
 (09-2107) 
 Original:   Spanish 
  
 
SEVENTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
 
Communication from Uruguay
 
  
 The following communication, dated 28 April 2009 and addressed to the Chairman of the 
General Council, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of Uruguay. 
 
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 In accordance with the instructions given to  the General Council by the Sixth Ministerial 
Conference of the WTO (WT/MIN(05)/SR/12) I would be grateful if the following items could be included in the agenda of the next meeting of  the General Council, scheduled for 27 May 2009: 
 
1. Date and venue of the Seventh Session of the Ministerial Conference 
 
 Article IV:1 of the Agreement Establishing th e World Trade Organization states that "[t]here 
shall be a Ministerial Conference composed of representatives of all the Members, which shall meet at least once every two years."  
 According to the Rules of Procedure for S essions of the Ministerial Conference (document 
WT/L/161), the date of each regular session shall be fixed by the Ministerial Conference at a previous session.  However, since it was not possible to ca rry out the necessary consultations at the Sixth 
Ministerial Conference, it was agreed (see point 2 of summary record WT/MIN(05)/SR/12) that the 
General Council would be instructed to hold consulta tions with a view to determining the date and 
venue of the Seventh Session. 
 
 At the General Council meeti ng of 9 October 2007 (WT/GC/M/110), the Chairman stated that 
the consultations he had had with a wide range of the Membership revealed that there continued to be 
a number of factors which prevented Members fro m taking a decision on the timing and location of 
the next Ministerial Conference. 
 
 As more than three years have now gone by  since the last session of the Ministerial 
Conference, and bearing in mind Article IV of th e Agreement Establishing the WTO and Rule 1 of 
the Rules of Procedure for Sessions of the Minist erial Conference, the Permanent Representative of 
Uruguay, determined to defend all of the agre ements on which this rules-based multilateral 
Organization rests – agreements which should in no circumstances be weakened or undermined – 
requests the inclusion of this item in the agenda  of the next meeting of the General Council. 
  Informal consultations over the past few m onths revealed that certain delegations are 
concerned that the convening of the Seventh Sessi on of the Ministerial Conference could interfere 
with the Doha Round negotiating process.  The Pe rmanent Representation of Uruguay does not share 
this concern, and would like to recall that according to paragraph 45 of the Doha Declaration, "[w]hen 
the results of the negotiations in all areas have b een established, a Special Session of the Ministerial WT/GC/W/599 
Page 2  
 
  Conference will be held to take d ecisions regarding the adoption and im plementation of those results."  
At the same time, nothing prevents the Chairm an of the Trade Negotiations Committee, in 
consultation with Members, from convening such in formal meetings as may be necessary to advance 
the negotiating process if circumstances so require.  
 In short, we should not confuse the conveni ng of the Seventh Session of the Ministerial 
Conference with the special sessions provided for under paragraph 45 of the Doha Declaration or 
those implicit in the negotiating process itself.  There would be no justification for continuing to postpone the regular convocation of the topmost body of the WTO, particularly in the current world 
economic and trade environment, which requir es international cooperation, direct political 
involvement at the multilateral level, and strong and credible institutions. 
 
2. Election of officers for the Seventh WTO Ministerial Conference 
 
 The Rules of Procedure for Sessions of th e Ministerial Conference (document WT/L/161) 
also provide for the election of a Chairperson of the Ministerial Conference and 
three Vice-Chairpersons, who shall hold office from the end of that session until the end of the next 
regular session.  However, since here again it was not possible to carry out the necessary consultations at the Sixth Ministerial Conference, it was agreed  that the General Council would be asked to hold 
consultations with a view to reaching a decisi on on the election of the officers for the Seventh 
Ministerial Conference.  The permanent representation of Uruguay therefore requests that this item be 
included in the agenda of the next meeting of the General Council so that its consideration can begin 
immediately. 
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