International Trade

General Council – Preparations for the 1999 Ministerial Conference – Elements of the Ministerial Declaration – Communication from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan

RESTRICTED
WT/GC/W/326 22 September 1999

(99-3896)
Original:English
The following communication, dated 20 September 1999, has been received from the Permanent Mission of Pakistan.

A. Preamble/opening general paragraphs
  • Importance of multilateral trading system.
  • Brief collective assessment of the global economy (mixed picture – growth, disparities).
  • Recall paragraphs 8, 9 and 10 of the Geneva Ministerial Declaration.
  • B. Implementation
    • Assessment of implementation in accordance with paragraph 8.
    • Decisions relating to implementation issues to be taken at Seattle, inter alia on:
    • TRIPS;
    • TRIMs;
    • Agriculture including NFIDCs;
    • Accelerated integration of textiles;
    • Clarification/strengthening of disciplines on anti-dumping, subsidies, rules of origin, SPS, TBT;
    • Customs valuation;
    • Implementation of recommendations of completed reviews.
    • Further work on implementation:
    • Issues to be covered (any which remain from the above, and others such as strengthening of, and operationalization of best endeavour S&D provisions);
    • To address implementation issues which may remain outstanding, a special mechanism should be established with a mandate to complete its work within one year.
    • C. Mandated negotiations and reviews
    • Agriculture: objective and mandate of the negotiations including scope and time-frame.
    • Services: mandate of the negotiations including scope, objectives, and time-frame; due account of the assessment of the commitments in trade in services as stipulated for in Article XIX of GATS.
    • Reviews: TRIMs, TRIPS, SPS, TBT, SCM, etc.
    D. Follow up to High-Level Meeting on LDCs
    E. Continuation of the study process on issues initiated at Singapore
    • Trade and investment;
    • Trade and competition;
    • Trade facilitation;
    • Transparency in government procurement.
    • F. New initiatives aimed at liberalizing world trade and adapting the multilateral trading system so as to enhance its support of the development process
      • Access to technology;
      • Trade and finance;
      • Relationship of trade with debt, commodity price (terms of trade).
      G. Accession, participation of acceding countries
      H. Organization of work
      • Scope;
      • Structure;
      • Time-frame.