World Trade
Organization WT/GC/127
22 April 2010 (10-2100) General Council
4-5 May 2010 Original: English


request by the Syrian arab republic to accede to the wto

Communication from Egypt on behalf of the Arab Group


The following communication, dated 21 April 2010, addressed to the Chairman of the General Council, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Egypt.

_______________


I am writing in my capacity as coordinator of the Arab Group in the WTO to request that the following item be included in the agenda of the next session of the General Council scheduled to be held on 4 and 5 May 2010: "Request by the Syrian Arab Republic to Accede to the WTO".

__________
WT/GC/127Page 1



WT/GC/127 Page 1

World Trade
Organization RESTRICTED WT/ACC/SYR/1
30 October 2001 (01-5332) Original: English


accession of the syrian arab republic

Request for Accession Pursuant to Article XII


The Director-General has received the following communication dated 10 October 2001 from the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic.

_______________


The Syrian Arab Republic was a founding member of GATT, but for many years it has not attended GATT meetings. Now, however, my Government is interested in joining the World Trade Organization under Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO and I hereby submit an official request for Syria to be considered for full membership.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would kindly inform me of the necessary documentation, which our request entails to be considered for membership.

The Decision of the Syrian Government to join the WTO expresses its belief in the

World Trade
Organization G/TBT/10.7/N/82
29 September 2008 (08-4592) Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original: English


agreement reached by a member with another country or countries
on issues related to technical regulations, standards
or conformity assessment procedures

Notification


Under Article 10.7 of the Agreement "Whenever a Member has reached an agreement with any other country or countries on issues related to technical regulations, standards or conformity assessment procedures which may have a significant effect on trade, at least one Member party to the agreement shall notify other Members through the Secretariat of the products to be covered by the agreement and include a brief description of the agreement." The following notification under Article  10.7 has been received.

1. Member notifying: UKRAINE 2. Title of the bilateral or plurilateral Agreement:
Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Standardization, Metrology, Co

World Trade
Organization WT/MIN(09)/8
27 November 2009 (09-6013) MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Seventh Session
Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original: English



COMMUNICATION FROM THE ARAB GROUP REGARDING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ARABIC LANGUAGE TO THE WTO


The following communication, dated 26 November 2009, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the State of Qatar on behalf of the Arab Group.

_______________


The Arab Group would like to formally request the introduction of Arabic as an official language at the WTO.

The Arab states believe that the adoption of Arabic as an official language would be beneficial to both Arab countries and to their trade partners in the Organization.

It is clear that the presence of the Arabic language in the WTO would remove serious obstacles imposed on trade by the lack of translated documents and absence of interpretation during meetings and conferences.

Thus, it is becoming crucial

World Trade
Organization WT/WGTDF/W/3
21 June 2002 (02-3444) Working Group on Trade, Debt
and Finance


wto provisions relevant to the relationship
between trade and finance and trade and debt

Note by the Secretariat









INTRODUCTION
This Note has been prepared by the Secretariat in response to a request from the Working Group at its first meeting for a factual paper on WTO provisions that might be relevant to the Group's work, taking into account any provisions identified by Members in this regard.
The importance of a well-functioning international financial system has always been a matter of priority for international trade and the multilateral trading system. It figured in the drafting of the GATT, where attention was paid to ensuring complementarity between the multilateral trade rules and the financial policy disciplines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It received attention in various GATT bodies, particularly in the late-1970s

World Trade
Organization WT/MIN(11)/23
17 December 2011 (11-6615) MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Eighth Session
Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original: English



the ARAB Ministers/Heads of Delegations Meeting


Geneva, 15 December 2011


The following communication, dated 16 December 2011, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Arab Group.

_______________



Communiqué



The Arab Group would like to reiterate its formal request to introduce Arabic as an official language at the WTO.

The Arab states believe that the adoption of Arabic as an official language would be beneficial to both Arab countries and to their trade partners in the Organization.

It is clear that the presence of the Arabic language in the WTO would remove serious obstacles imposed on trade by the lack of translated documents and absence of interpretation during meetings and conferences.

Thus, it is becoming cruc

World Trade
Organization WT/TF/COH/S/8
12 February 2004
(04-0554)

COHERENCE IN GLOBAL ECONOMIC POLICY-MAKING:
WTO Cooperation with the IMF and the World Bank

Report (2003) by the Director-General

This report has been prepared pursuant to paragraph 2 of the General Council Decision on "Agreements Between the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank", to inform Members about the activities carried out by the WTO under its cooperation agreements with the IMF and the World Bank.
The main theme of the meeting was establishing long-term coherence between governments' trade, finance and development policies, at the domestic level and at the multilateral level, with support from the three organizations in providing high quality policy analysis,
Among the issues that Members felt warranted attention in this context, in developing and least-developed countries, were the erosion of preference margins as a result of multilateral liberalization, the fiscal effects of tariff liberalization, the timing and sequencing of reforms to trade and other economic policies, and improving the availability and affordability of trade financing, particularly in periods of financial instability and crisis.
Attention in these consultations focused on actions that could be taken to help advance the Doha trade negotiations and work programme, including mobilizing the active support of Finance and Development Ministers given the acknowledged benefits that a successful conclusion to the Doha Development Agenda can bring in their areas of responsibility.

WTO Observership in IMF and World Bank Meetings
Under the cooperation agreements, the WTO Secretariat is invited to observe meetings of the Executive Boards of the IMF and the World Bank on general and regional trade policy issues, including the formulation of Fund or Bank policies on trade matters.
the CWTO addressed three topics, based on the April IMFC Communiqué: renewed efforts to address obstacles to progress under the Doha Round, how to react to the Director-General's call for technical and financial support for ambitious trade policy reforms under the Doha Round, and the implications of increasing convergence of the IMF and WTO agenda in areas such as financial services and investment.

Under the WTO/IMF cooperation agreement, the IMF makes available to the WTO, for the confidential use of the WTO Secretariat, copies of IMF staff reports and related background staff papers on Article IV consultations and on the use of Fund resources for common members and on Fund members seeking accession to the WTO, subject to the consent of the member concerned.
The Integrated Framework for Least-Developed Countries (LDCs)
The IMF and the World Bank are two of the six core agencies involved in the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries (IF).
In May, the STDF Working Group met and approved the development of a database that will contain information on past and planned SPS technical assistance and related capacity-building which like the WTO/OECD database is designed to avoid duplication and identify gaps.
The WTO has decided to join the other sponsors in providing future support for the JVI; the formal change in the status took place in November 2003.
Least Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries
In the context of the implementation of the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries (Marrakesh NFIDC Decision),
The Committee convened an inter-agency roundtable in May 2003 to explore, inter alia, the need for a safety net to be established to assist the LDCs and NFIDCs during the reform process leading to greater liberalization of trade in agriculture.
As part of the recommendations contained in the report, Members, in their capacity as Members of the IMF, were urged to take into account the concerns of LDCs and NFIDCs when reviewing the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and the Compensatory Financing Facility of the IMF in 2003.

World Trade
Organization WT/TF/COH/S/10
16 February 2005 (05-0644)


COHERENCE IN GLOBAL ECONOMIC POLICY-MAKING:
WTO Cooperation with the IMF and the World Bank


Report (2004) by the Director-General


This report has been prepared pursuant to paragraph 2 of the General Council Decision on "Agreements Between the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank", to inform Members about the activities carried out by the WTO under its cooperation agreements with the IMF and the World Bank.
This year – 2004 – again demonstrated the high degree of cooperation that already exists among the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank, as well as the broad support among Members for expanding this cooperation, especially in the context of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). The Doha negotiations – given new impetus as a result of the Decision taken at the July General Council meeting – has further increased the relevance of the multilateral trading system to global economic growth, developme

1, the Secretariat was requested to prepare a background Note on the factors and elements taken into account by the IMF in its determination of what constitutes a serious decline in a country's monetary reserves, a very low level of its monetary reserves or a reasonable rate of increase in its monetary reserves, and as to the financial aspects of other matters covered in consultations with the country by the IMF in such cases.
investment, aggregate demand, output, growth and inflation);

how developments in the real sector relate to the financial sector and to the macroeconomic situation, in particular the IMF's assessment of the internal macroeconomic imbalance that is causing the balanceofpayments problem focusing on fiscal, monetary, and exchange rate policies;

the current and prospective balanceofpayments position, focusing on the trade and current accounts, and since the early-1980s on capital account developments too;

a description of the trade and exchange restrictions in place, and of any steps being taken to intensify or liberalize them;

information on the consulting country's relations with the IMF, in particular whether an IMF programme is in place or under negotiation.
It has typically reviewed these factors in the context of their effect in weakening the consulting country's balanceofpayments situation, in creating more uncertain balanceofpayments prospects, and in some cases in justifying more time to phase-out trade restrictions for balanceofpayments purposes.
The IMF statement has regularly provided statistics and other information on the consulting country's level of monetary reserves, usually expressed in value terms, often also in terms of equivalent months of import cover, and sometimes in relation to the total size of external transactions.
Some consulting countries have held much lower levels of monetary reserves at the time of their consultation in the BOPs Committee, in certain cases equivalent to less than 1 month's import cover, while others have held much higher levels of monetary reserves; reserve holdings of 67 months of import cover have not been unusual, and in some cases monetary reserves stood at 1112 months of import cover at the time of the BOPs consultation.
In most cases, a low level of monetary reserves corresponded to the IMF's assessment of a weak balanceofpayments situation in the consulting country and led it to conclude that "trade restrictions in effect do not go beyond those necessary to prevent a decline in monetary reserves" or "trade measures are not unwarranted".
" (Gross reserves stood at 6 week's import cover)

"At present, the overall balanceofpayments position continues to be strong and international reserves are high, and there appears to be scope for continuation of the recent trend towards liberalization.
The IMF statement began regularly to draw attention to the fact that these measures alone could not be expected to restore balanceofpayments equilibrium, and pointed to their cumulative adverse effects on resource allocation.
In this regard, for example, in cases where a buildup of foreign debt to unsustainable levels has been a feature of the IMF's analysis of a consulting country's balanceofpayments situation, it has focused on the importance of alternative adjustment measures to restore balanceof-payments equilibrium and has not viewed debt servicing difficulties as a reason for prolonging the maintenance of trade restrictions.
"

"[the] comprehensive adjustment programme provides the basis for a major liberalization of the restrictive trade and payments system; the Fund has emphasized the need to implement the planned measures on schedule, and has stressed the importance of taking further measures to liberalize the trade and payments system.
the IMF noted that the fiscal and external current account deficits had declined sharply, structural reform had gained momentum, and stronger external performance had facilitated a sizeable decline in net external debt.
It noted that in May 1997, the Slovak Crown had faced a speculative attack, precipitated in part by the contagion effects from the turmoil in the Czech exchange market, but also against the background of the large current account deficit.
the Fund has urged the authorities not to impose trade restrictions and to rely instead on an appropriate mix of macroeconomic policies to deal with the large external imbalance.
The IMF concluded:
"In its consultations with Slovakia, the Fund has indicated its regret over the imposition of the import surcharge – preferring additional fiscal expenditure cuts instead – and continues to urge the authorities to phase out the import surcharge quickly.
Thus, if the authorities insisted on introducing a surcharge, staff urged them, consistent with Fund advice to other member countries, to keep the surcharge low (24 per cent) and to eliminate it quickly (within 69 months of its introduction) according to a predetermined phase-out schedule, with the time being used to strengthen expenditure consolidation.
On the basis of current policies, the overall balance-of-payments was expected to register a surplus in 1995 on account of renewed inflows of capital, but, the IMF noted, the implied build-up in international reserves was dependent on the behaviour of portfolio flows, which had shown sizeable swings during 1995.
  Rather than resort to such restrictions, a substantial strengthening of the public finances is fundamental if inflation is to be lowered further and a worsening of the trade deficit is to be reversed in an efficient and sustainable way.

At the 1995 consultation, the IMF pointed to India's fiscal situation and its need for structural reform as two major areas of concern relating to its balanceofpayments situation, and to India meeting its full growth potential.
In view of heavy investment needs, the current account deficit was expected to widen further, but this should be sustainable in view of the improved prospects for private capital inflows, including direct investment.
Indeed, a gradual rise in the current account deficit up to 34 per cent of GDP would still be compatible with bringing the debt service ratio to well under 20 per cent over the next few years.
The Fund's view, therefore, is that QRs should be removed over a relatively short period; the tariff levels applied to previously restricted consumer goods imports could initially be kept close to the top end of the existing tariff structure, but tariffs should be scaled back gradually over a pre-set timetable.
It remains the Fund’s view that the external situation can be well managed using macroeconomic policy instruments alone; QRs are not needed for balance of payments adjustment and should be removed over a relatively short time period.
It noted also that substantial external payments arrears had accumulated already and were continuing to do so, that Nigeria's external debt service burden was heavy, and that these together had created an external sector imbalance of major proportions.
On the basis of projections that oil prices would remain relatively high, the current account was projected to remain in surplus over the medium-term, but the capital account was projected to remain in deficit.
The Fund welcomes the authorities’ intention to direct the mediumterm strategy underlying the IXth Economic Development Plan toward fostering a marketbased, open, and private sector driven economy, while consolidating macroeconomic stability.
If implemented on a timely basis, the policy package was projected to contribute to contain the external current account deficit at about the same level as in 1995/96, and gross official reserves would recover to about 5 weeks of import cover, notwithstanding scheduled debt service payments.
The IMF noted that recent economic developments have been characterized by growing macroeconomic imbalances, which eventually culminated in disorderly conditions in the foreign exchange market in late May 1997, including massive speculative pressures on the exchange rate and capital outflows.
The IMF concluded:
"In April 1997, the Czech authorities introduced an import deposit scheme, which is administered through the import system, applies to consumer goods and foodstuffs (about 30 per cent of total imports), and requires a sixmonth non interestbearing deposit equal to 20 per cent of import value.
Bulgaria had sustained the liberalization of its trade and exchange rate regime that took place in the early 1990s, and made progress towards eliminating remaining restrictions.
The IMF concluded:
"In sum, while Bulgaria's prospects have improved significantly over the past few months, large external debt service and uncertainties about the timing and impact of the restructuring of the enterprise and banking sectors on the external accounts require vigilant implementation of the adjustment program and prudent management of official foreign exchange reserves.
The questions, and the answers from the IMF, were as follows:
1(a)(i) As of 18 November 1997, the date of establishment of the Panel, was India experiencing a serious decline in its monetary reserves, or facing a threat thereof?
)
1(b) In connection with responding to these questions, could the IMF indicate what would have constituted a serious decline in India’s monetary reserves, what would have constituted an inadequate, or a very low, level of monetary reserves for India, and what would have constituted a reasonable rate of increase in India’s monetary reserves?
2(a) Could the IMF provide the Panel with any statistical and other factual information relating to India’s balance of payments and monetary reserves which might be relevant in order to enable the Panel to determine whether, as of 18 November 1997, the quantitative restrictions notified by India as being maintained for balanceofpayments reasons did, or did not, exceed those necessary to forestall the threat of, or to stop, a serious decline in its monetary reserves, or, in case its monetary reserves were inadequate, to achieve a reasonable rate of increase in its reserves?
Although the performance of exports is partly explained by weaker demand in world markets and sector-specific factors that are expected to be temporary, it has also reflected structural problems such as infrastructure constraints and the lack of reforms in the small-scale sector.
Noting that these restrictions relate mainly to consumption goods, would relaxation or removal of the restrictions, as of 18 November 1997, have been likely to produce thereupon "conditions justifying the intensification or institution, respectively, of restrictions under paragraph 9 of Article XVIII" (Ad Note to Article XVIII:11)?
The removal of import restrictions, however, would also provide fresh impetus for reforms in other areas as the existence of certain controls on the domestic economy (such as for small-scale units) would become less meaningful.

The Note went on to say that "rules of thumb" that had been used in the past to measure the adequacy of a Member’s level of monetary reserves, such as a certain number of months of import cover, were designed primarily with current account considerations in mind, often in the context of a Member maintaining a fixed exchange rate peg.

Since that Note was distributed, the IMF has developed "Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Reserve Management" as part of a broader work programme to help strengthen the international financial architecture, to promote policies and practices that contribute to stability and transparency in the financial sector, and to reduce external vulnerabilities of its member countries.
At the same time, the crises that affected emerging market countries in the 1990s had driven home the point that capital flows were important in financing the balance-of-payments and that access to these private capital flows was often uncertain and subject to rapid reversal.
Several other considerations for assessing reserve adequacy also had been found to be key [inter alia] … general empirical analysis strongly suggested that other fundamentals, notably the current account deficit and real effective exchange rate misalignments, affected the need for reserves.
weak macroeconomic fundamentals (such as large current account deficits that raise financing needs and overvalued exchange rates that can lead to capital outflows), high levels of short-term public domestic debt (especially where there are no effective capital controls or other mechanisms that create captive markets), derivative positions of the public sector, and weak banking systems that can contribute to capital flight – although it will likely be difficult for such countries to build reserves.
Considerations that limit the need for reserves include: the presence of a flexible exchange rate regime to stem capital flight; management of the actual exchange rate policy in a manner that discourages high foreign exchange exposure by the private sector; a public sector that borrows in domestic currency from non-residents, and can do so in case of liquidity need; conditions that ensure private sector access to foreign capital such as sound private sector risk management and banking supervision.

In order to provide for a more focused, and possibly less formal, consultation process so as to better address the substance and to allow the Director-General to take account of Members' interests and concerns in the Secretariat's contacts with the IMF and World Bank, consideration should be given to inviting the Chairman of the General Council to supplement periodic discussions on this topic at regular meetings of the General Council by convening as necessary, at the request of Members or of the Director-General, special meetings dedicated to discussion and follow-up of matters related to the "Coherence" mandate.
Reports on work carried out under the "Coherence" mandate
Issue: Periodic reports should be made to the General Council on work carried out under the "Coherence" mandate, on how the WTO is contributing through this work to achieving greater coherence in global economic policy-making, and on how the work is contributing to the avoidance of duplication among institutions.
The process applies most obviously to binding import tariffs in the area of trade in goods and binding schedules of access commitments in the area of trade in services, but it can apply equally to trade liberalization commitments undertaken in other areas that are covered by WTO rules (e.
Commentary: Consistent with the Uruguay Round Declaration on the Contribution of the World Trade Organization to Achieving Greater Coherence in Global Economic Policy-making, the Secretariat pays particular attention to ensuring that in pursuing and developing cooperation with the IMF and the World Bank, the mandate, the confidentiality requirements and the necessary autonomy in decision-making procedures of each institution are respected, and the imposition on governments of cross-conditionality or additional conditions is avoided.
With regard to information about the trade policy advice and conditionality of the IMF and the World Bank, arrangements are in place pursuant to the Agreement between the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization (W/L/195, paragraph 11) under which the IMF provides the WTO, promptly after circulation to its Executive Board and for the confidential use of the WTO Secretariat, copies of its country documents on common members and on IMF members seeking accession to the WTO, subject to the consent of the member concerned.
The IMF advised the Committee then that 27 least-developed and net food-importing countries, nine more than in 1997, were currently receiving financial support for their adjustment programmes or to deal with emergency situations, and the World Bank provided an overview of the Bank's lending programmes in terms of agricultural development projects, structural adjustment lending and emergency lending (G/AG/GEN/31).
Consideration should be given to compiling a list of specific issues on which Members would wish to request analytical input from the IMF and World Bank, and to how the results of their work can best be disseminated to Members in the WTO.
Proposals for further discussions among Members
Issue: Members should examine in more depth substantive issues pertaining to items listed in WT/GC/13, such as trade liberalization measures adopted in the context of IMF and World Bank programmes, the relationship between investment, capital account transactions and the GATS, technical assistance, and tariff policies and reforms including those of acceding countries.

GROUPE DE TRAVAIL DE L'ACCESSION DE LA CHINE

Communication du Fonds monétaire international

Le Fonds monétaire international a fait parvenir au Secrétariat la communication ci-après1, en demandant qu'elle soit distribuée aux membres du Groupe de travail.
GRUPO DE TRABAJO SOBRE LA ADHESIÓN DE CHINA

Comunicación del Fondo Monetario Internacional

Se ha recibido del Fondo Monetario Internacional la siguiente comunicación1, con el ruego de que se distribuya a los miembros del Grupo de Trabajo.
The assessment of the recent Article IV consultation mission to China, whose report is expected to be discussed by the Fund's Executive Board on 1 April, is that in practice China is already close to achieving current account convertibility.
"
 Statement by the Staff Representative on Fund/WTO Jurisdictional Matters at the Discussion
of the Article IV Consultation with the People's Republic of China
Executive Board Meeting 95/27, 22 March 1995

Traditionally the Fund and the GATT have promoted external liberalization in their respective areas of jurisdiction - exchange measures in the Fund and trade measures in the GATT.
In this respect, it may be noted that, for a non-member of the Fund applying for WTO membership, Article XV, paragraph 7 of the GATT 1994 on special exchange agreements would explicitly prevent the imposition of obligations in exchange matters generally more restrictive than those imposed by the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund on members of the Fund.
An opportunity for a discussion of the substance of these issues relating to the jurisdictions of the Fund and the WTO might be a future meeting of the Committee on Liaison with the CONTRACTING PARTIES (CGATT).

WT/SPEC/23
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WT/SPEC/23
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WT/SPEC/23
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WT/SPEC/23
Page 3

RESTRICTED
World Trade WT/SPEC/29
18 April 1996
Organization
(96-1404)

Original: English

WORKING PARTY ON THE ACCESSION OF CHINA

Communication from China

The following communication, dated 27 March 1996, has been received from the Chinese Delegation with the request that it be circulated to members of the Working Party.
The Chinese Delegation has taken full note of the IMF's concern that the exchange provisions in the draft protocol give rise to inconsistency with regard to the rights and obligations of Fund members and the established practice for dealing with exchange systems of Fund members.
and hopes that the IMF and the WTO enter into consultations with a view to seeking an appropriate solution.
Ä~Äò¤¤)

WT/ACC/CHN/1
Page 1

WT/ACC/CHN/1
Page 1

World Trade
Organization WT/WGTDF/W/17
13 November 2002 (02-6289) Working Group on Trade, Debt
and Finance

"towards greater coherence"

Note by the Secretariat







INTRODUCTION
This Note has been prepared in response to a request from the Working Group for a background paper relating to Item III of the Group's work programme. The Note aims to describe what is being done under the Marrakesh Ministerial Declaration on Coherence and under the cooperation agreements that exist between the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank. It also aims to examine possible orientations for future work on coherence based on Members' comments in the Working Group and a review of other potential inter-linkages that do already, or may in the future, arise out of the evolving architecture of the multilateral economic system.
the marrakesh coherence mandate and regular activities
The Mandate
According to Article III.5 of the WTO Agreement, achieving greater coherence in globa

Jassim Al-Mannai today (3 May 2002) signed a memorandum of understanding to establish cooperation between the two institutions.
The MOU was signed at the headquarters of the WTO in Geneva, on the margin of a meeting of heads of regional development banks to discuss their role in implementation of the Doha Development Agenda.

The importance of capacity-building was highlighted in the recent Doha Ministerial Declaration, in which WTO members sought to place the priorities and interests of developing countries and least developed countries at the heart of the WTO’s work program.
The AMF and WTO agreed to organize joint activities in the following areas:
WTO short trade policy courses;
regional and sub-regional workshops;
capacity building for Arab negotiators;
support of Trade Policy Review; and
support for acceding countries.

World Trade
Organization RESTRICTED WT/BOP/R/63
14 June 2002 (02-3319) Committee on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions

Report of the Meeting of 10 June 2002

The Committee on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions met on 10 June 2002, under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Anda Cristina Filip (Romania), to continue its work on outstanding implementation issues in accordance with paragraph 12(b) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.
Secondly, with respect to the systemic implications arising from India’s proposal and mentioned by certain Members with regard to Tiret 1 and the relevant part of Tiret 3, it was India’s expectation that solutions on which there could be agreement would be within the principles and objectives of WTO rules and in keeping with the multilateral nature of the organization.
He added that the EC might consider making a formal submission on this matter at a later stage
The representative of the IMF felt the Fund would be able to provide background material to the WTO Secretariat and expressed the view that this would be a good time to take a fresh look at this issue.

The Chairperson understood that there was agreement in principle on the production of the two papers as suggested, and that the Secretariat would consult, as necessary, with delegations on the content of the papers.
the representative of the United States mentioned that each Committee had to provide a report on China’s transitional review mechanism and that the Committee should give some thought as to how it would integrate this issue into its meeting schedule with a view to preparing and agreeing on its report to the General Council.

__________

WT/BOP/R/63Page 2

WT/BOP/R/63 Page 3

OFFICE(99)19/Add.
2
1 March 1999

WTO/OMC

LIBRARY

BIBLIOTECA

BIBLIOTHEQUE

MARCH 1999

MARS 1999

MARZO 1999

WTO - OMCError!
new / nouveau / nuevo
03/1999
(Au-Ti)
W=external links to further information
(links ending in .
pdf are full-text documents)

New monographs :

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Globalization and progressive economic policy /
edited by Dean Baker, Gerald Epstein, Robert Pollin.
Secteurs traditionnel et moderne dans un processus
de développement / Theopiste Butare.
Manual de derecho comunitario Europeo :
una lectura desde Colombia / Néstor Raúl Correa Henao.
Santafé de
Bogotá : Fondo Editorial Cancillería de San Carlos, 1997.
Southern bluefin tuna and CITES (Convention on
international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora) :
an economic perspective / Anthony Cox,

International fisheries : instruments with index : agreement for the
implementation of the provisions of the United Nations convention on
the law of the sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the conservation
and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish
stocks : agreement to promote compliance with international
conservation and management measures by fishing vessels on the high
seas : code of conduct for responsible fisheries.
Principios
de la FAO sobre colocación de excedentes y obligaciones de consulta
de los estados miembros.
Diplomacia creativa : análisis y reflexiones sobre
Venezuela, sus relaciones internacionales, el Caribe y el comercio
internacional / Oscar Hernández.
La croissance et la compétitivité dans la
nouvelle économie mondiale / sous la direction de Ulrich Hiemenz.
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Tigers in trouble : financial governance,
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The European Union and the Baltic States :
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Global trade, assistance, and protection : the
GTAP 4 data base / edited by Robert McDougall, Aziz Elbehri, Truong
P.
Towards a fair global labour market : avoiding a new
slave trade / Ozay Mehmet, Errol Mendes, Robert Sinding.
The state after communism : administrative
transitions in Central and Eastern Europe / Barbara Nunberg, with
contributions by Luca Barbone, Hans-Ulrich Derlien.
Combattre
l'exclusion : volume 2 : l'aide sociale en Belgique, en Norvège, aux
Pays-Bas et en République tchèque.
Les
incidences économiques et sociales du commerce électronique :
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Série des examens en matière de coopération
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pour le développement : Luxembourg.
International trade policy and the Pacific Rim :
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by John Piggott and Alan Woodland.
The fifty years of the GATT/WTO : past performance
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L'opinion publique et la coopération au
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WTO antidumping and subsidy agreements : a
practitioner's guide to "Sunset" reviews in Australia, Canada, the
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New approaches to
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Tackling national competitiveness in a
borderless world / Ganeshan Wignaraja.
Indonesia : public expenditure review : the budget,
off-budget items, state-owned enterprises.
Customs valuation : WTO agreement and
texts of the Technical Committee on Customs Valuation.
Evaluation en douane : accord de l'OMC et
textes du Comité technique de l'évaluation en douane.
Measuring the costs of protection in China / Zhang
Shuguang, Zhang Yansheng, Wan Zhongxin.

World Trade
Organization WT/CTE/COM/5
18 September 2000 (00-3650) Committee on Trade and Environment Original: English

request for observer status by the league of arab states


The following communication has been received from the League of Arab States requesting observer status in the Committee on Trade and Environment.

_______________


Recognizing the importance of the WTO and the multilateral trading system and in the light of the increasing role of the League of Arab States in the field of economic and trade relations, the member States have unanimously endorsed a request for the League of Arab States to participate, as an observer, in the Ministerial Conference of the WTO, as well as the following bodies:

- The General Council
- The Council for Trade in Goods
- The Council for Trade in Services
- The Committee on Trade and Development
- The Committee on Regional Trade Agreements
- The Committee on Trade and Environment

As you

World Trade
Organization TN/TF/W/43/Rev.5
3 February 2006 (06-0468) Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation



WTO NEGOTIATIONS ON TRADE FACILITATION
COMPILATION OF MEMBERS' PROPOSALS

Revision







I. INTRODUCTION

1. This fifth revision of the Secretariat's compilation document incorporates new proposals on how to improve the relevant GATT Articles, with additions also being made to the cross-cutting section. Reference is further made to an additional national experience paper.

II. STRUCTURE AND METHODOLOGY

2. The document maintains the factual approach of its predecessors, highlighting the proposals' main elements, built-in flexibilities and envisaged mode of operation. Reference is also made to relevant S&D components and inputs on the technical assistance and capacity building (TA&CB) side. A second section compiles proposals of a cross-cutting nature, with no direct link to a particular measure.

3. As in the case of the compil

World Trade
Organization TN/TF/W/43/Rev.2
15 September 2005 (05-4068) Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation



WTO NEGOTIATIONS ON TRADE FACILITATION
COMPILATION OF MEMBERS' PROPOSALS

Revision







I. INTRODUCTION

1. The following paper updates Secretariat document TN/TF/W/43.Rev.1, incorporating additional suggestions made. New input relates to the latest proposals on how to improve the relevant GATT Articles with the compilation also reflecting the first contribution on Annex D's third negotiating objective (TN/TF/W/57).

II. STRUCTURE AND METHODOLOGY

2. The document maintains the factual approach of its previous versions, highlighting the proposals' main elements, built-in flexibilities and envisaged mode of operation. Reference is also made to relevant S&D components and inputs on the technical assistance and capacity building side. A second section compiles S&D proposals of a cross-cutting nature, with no direct link to a particu

International intergovernmental organizations granted observer status
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

II.
International intergovernmental organizations whose requests for observer status have not yet been considered
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group)(
Arab Maghreb Union
Arab Monetary Fund*
Arab Trade Financing Program
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)*
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)*
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)*
International Textiles and Clothing Bureau (ITCB)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Vine and Wine Office (OIV)
Islamic Development Bank
Organization of American States (OAS)*
Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Organization of the Islamic Conference
Latin American Economic System (SELA)*
League of Arab States
Secretariat of the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration (SIECA)*
South Centre
South Pacific Forum (SPF)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Western African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
World Health Organization (WHO)

__________

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have observer status as provided for in their respective Agreements with the WTO (WT/L/195).
8Page 2

WT/GC/W/51/Rev.
8 Page 1

.

World Trade
Organization TN/TF/W/106/Rev.12
12 August 2008 (08-3823) Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation


List of Documents

Note by the Secretariat

Revision


This document contains all submissions circulated in the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation (NGTF) up until 12 August 2008. They have been classified and divided as follows:
 
SECTION I: Documents submitted by Members
(i) GATT Articles V, VIII and X and Customs Cooperation
- First- and Second-Generation Proposals
- Third-Generation (text) Proposals
(ii) Technical Assistance and Capacity Building, Special and Differential Treatment, and Other Cross-Cutting Issues
- First- and Second-Generation Proposals
- Third-Generation (text) Proposals
(iii) National Experience Papers
(iv) Questions and Replies relating to Members' Submissions
SECTION II: Documents prepared by the Secretariat
SECTION III: Other relevant documentsSECTION I
Documents submitted by Me

They have been classified and divided as follows:
 
SECTION I: Documents submitted by Members
(i) GATT Articles V, VIII and X and Customs Cooperation
- First- and Second-Generation Proposals
- Third-Generation (text) Proposals
(ii) Technical Assistance and Capacity Building, Special and Differential Treatment, and Other Cross-Cutting Issues
- First- and Second-Generation Proposals
- Third-Generation (text) Proposals
(iii) National Experience Papers
(iv) Questions and Replies relating to Members' Submissions
SECTION II: Documents prepared by the Secretariat
SECTION III: Other relevant documentsSECTION I
Documents submitted by Members

Participant(s)
Document Symbol Title Date (i) GATT Articles V, VIII and X and Customs Cooperation First- and Second-Generation Proposals European Communities TN/TF/W/6 and Corr.
1 Trade Facilitation: Proposals to Clarify and Improve GATT Article VIII 11 March 2005 Korea TN/TF/W/18 Clarification and Improvement of Article VIII of the GATT: Reducing Administrative Burdens 16 March 2005 Australia and Canada TN/TF/W/19 Possible Commitments on Enhanced Clearance Procedures – Provision for Collateral or Monetary Security – A Proposal by Australia and Canada 18 March 2005 Canada TN/TF/W/20 Possible Commitments on Border Agency Coordination – A Proposal by Canada 18 March 2005 United States TN/TF/W/21 Release of Goods 21 March 2005 Uganda and the United States TN/TF/W/22 Consularization – Proposal by Uganda and the United States 21 March 2005 European Communities and Australia TN/TF/W/23 Clarification and Improvements to GATT Article VIII: Provisions on Fees and Charges 18 March 2005 New Zealand TN/TF/W/24 Proposals to Clarify and Improve Articles VIII and X 21 March 2005 Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan,
1-2 Trade Facilitation: Improvement of Certain Elements Contained in GATT Article V 22 April 2005 People's Republic of China and Pakistan TN/TF/W/29 A Proposal on Identifying Trade Facilitation Needs and Priorities of Members 28 April 2005 Peru TN/TF/W/30 Proposals relating to Articles V, VIII and X of the GATT 27 April 2005 Hong Kong, China TN/TF/W/31 Proposal for Improving GATT Article VIII 27 April 2005 Hong Kong, China TN/TF/W/32 Proposal for Improving GATT Article X 28 April 2005 Rwanda, on behalf of the African Group TN/TF/W/33 Trade Facilitation 28 April 2005 Korea TN/TF/W/34 Improvement of GATT Article V: Minimization of Burden on Cargo in Transit and Differentiation of Cargo Undergoing Transhipment 28 April 2005 European Communities and Paraguay TN/TF/W/35 and Add.
1 Consularization 4 April 2006 European Communities, the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, and Switzerland TN/TF/W/87 Proposals on Authorized Traders 4 April 2006 European Communities, the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, and Switzerland TN/TF/W/88 Proposals on Customs Brokers 4 April 2006 Chile, Peru, and the United States TN/TF/W/89 Internet Publication 4 April 2006 European Communities, and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu TN/TF/W/90 Proposals on Pre-Shipment Inspections 4 April 2006 United States TN/TF/W/91 Express Shipments 5 April 2006 Hong Kong China, Korea, and Switzerland TN/TF/W/92 Acceptance of Commercially Available Information and of Copies 5 April 2006 European Communities, Hong Kong China, Korea, and Switzerland TN/TF/W/94 Proposals on Fees and Charges Connected with Importation and Exportation 6 April 2006 Costa Rica, the European Communities, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, Peru, the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, Singapore, and Switzerland TN/TF/W/96 and Add.
1 Proposal on a Free and Transparent Transit Regime in Road Transportation 10 March 2008 China TN/TF/W/148 Draft Text on the Introduction of Risk Management 18 July 2007 Angola TN/TF/W/152 Pre-Shipment Inspections 11 December 2007 Australia, Canada, Turkey, and the United States TN/TF/W/153 Draft Text on Advance Rulings 10 March 2008 Canada TN/TF/W/154 Customs Cooperation 10 March 2008 Hong Kong China, Japan, Mongolia, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey TN/TF/W/155 Proposal on Publication and Availability of Information 26 May 2008 (ii) Technical Assistance and Capacity Building,
1-4 Implementation Mechanism of Trade Facilitation Commitments including Key Elements for Technical Assistance 21 July 2006 The Core Group of Developing Countries (Bangladesh, Botswana, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) JOB(06)/230 Proposal on Implementation Mechanism for Special and Differential Treatment ((S&D) and Technical Assistance and Capacity Building (TACB) Support 24 July 2006 Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu TN/TF/W/141 Establishing a Committee on Trade Facilitation 24 July 2006 The Core Group of Developing Countries (Bangladesh, Botswana, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) TN/TF/W/142 Proposal on Implementation Mechanism for Special and Differential Treatment (S&D) and Technical Assistance and Capacity Building (TACB) Support 31 July 2006 The Core Group of Developing Countries, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, the African Group, and the Least-Developed Countries Group TN/TF/W/147 Technical Assistance and Capacity Building 18 July 2007 European Communities TN/TF/W/149 and Corr.
VIII and X 9 February 2005 TN/TF/W/27 Communication from Australia and Malaysia – APEC Workshop on the WTO Trade Facilitation Negotiations – Summary Report 21 March 2005 TN/TF/W/51 World Bank – WTO Trade Facilitation Negotiations Support Guide 6 July 2005 TN/TF/W/72 Draft Hong Kong Report 28 October 2005 TN/TF/W/143 and revisions WTO Negotiations on Trade Facilitation – Self Assessment Guide – Prepared by the World Bank in Cooperation with the WTO Secretariat and other Annex D Organizations 9 June 2008 JOB(05)/110 Statement by Ambassador Love Mtesa (Zambia) on Behalf of the LDC Group – Meeting of the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation – 13-14 June 2005 15 June 2005 JOB(06)/228 Report by the Chairman of the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation to the Trade Negotiations Committee 21 July 2006 JOB(06)/232 Statement by the Delegation of Ecuador – Meeting of the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation – 24-26 July 2006 28 July 2006 JOB(07)/82 Statement by the Representative of the European Communities – Informal Exchange of Views on Special and Differential Treatment: Evian, 29 May 2007 – Meeting of the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation – 7-8 June 2007 11 June 2007 JOB(07)/129 Communication from Egypt – Egypt's Perspective on Advance Rulings 24 July 2007 JOB(07)/213 Glossary of International Customs Terms 7 December 2007 __________

This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and without prejudice to the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO.
Subsequently circulated as TN/TF/W/52.

World Trade
Organization TN/TF/W/106/Rev.13
17 November 2008 (08-5585) Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation


List of Documents

Note by the Secretariat

Revision


This document contains all submissions circulated in the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation (NGTF) up until 17 November 2008. They have been classified and divided as follows:
 
SECTION I: Documents submitted by Members
(i) GATT Articles V, VIII and X and Customs Cooperation
- First- and Second-Generation Proposals
- Third-Generation (text) Proposals
(ii) Technical Assistance and Capacity Building, Special and Differential Treatment, and Other Cross-Cutting Issues
- First- and Second-Generation Proposals
- Third-Generation (text) Proposals
(iii) National Experience Papers
(iv) Questions and Replies relating to Members' Submissions
SECTION II: Documents prepared by the Secretariat
SECTION III: Other relevant documentsSECTION I
Documents submitted b

International intergovernmental organizations granted observer status
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

II.
International intergovernmental organizations whose requests for observer status have not yet been considered
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group)(
Arab Maghreb Union
Arab Monetary Fund*
Arab Trade Financing Program
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)*
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)*
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)*
International Textiles and Clothing Bureau (ITCB)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Vine and Wine Office (OIV)
Organization of American States (OAS)*
Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Organization of the Islamic Conference
Latin American Economic System (SELA)*
Secretariat of the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration (SIECA)*
South Centre
South Pacific Forum (SPF)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Western African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
World Health Organization (WHO)

__________

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have observer status as provided for in their respective Agreements with the WTO (WT/L/195).
6Page 2

WT/GC/W/51/Rev.
5 Page 3

.