. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/L/422
11 October 2001
(01-4964)
Original:  English/
                Spanish
PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT OF THE GROUP OF RIO1
SANTIAGO DECLARATION, 17-18 AUGUST 2001
Communication from Chile
The following communication, dated 24 September 2001, has been received from the
Permanent Mission of Chile.
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The Group of Rio held its 15th Presidential Summit in Santiago, Chile, on 17 and
18 August 2001, at which it adopted a Declaration that is available on the website www.minrel.cl in
Spanish, English and Portuguese.
Paragraphs 19 and 20 of the Declaration set out the Rio Group's vision of trade, the WTO and
the holding of the forthcoming Ministerial Conference in Doha.
In my capacity as Pro-Tempore Chairman of the Group of Rio, I have pleasure in transmitting
these paragraphs for circulation to WTO Members.
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Group of Rio
Santiago Declaration
19. Latin America, having chosen the path of open regionalism, must continue supporting an
international trade system that is non-discriminatory, transparent, free of protectionism, where the
opening of markets and the elimination of trade barriers may permit us all to benefit from the
comparative advantages of our economies and promote our competitive incorporation into the global
economy.
20. We reaffirm the need for a stronger multilateral trade system, especially at a time of world
economy slowdown, where protectionist pressures strike  more heavily.  For this reason, we renew our
commitment to continue working towards reaching the necessary consensus that will ensure the
success of the WTO’s Fourth Ministerial Conference to be held in Doha, Qatar, next November.  In
particular, we, the member countries of the Rio Group, express our support for a new Round with abalanced, well-defined agenda, that takes into account the interests of all participants and whose
                                                     
1 The Group of Rio is composed of:  Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Ni caragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic,
Uruguay and Venezuela.WT/L/422
Page 2
results benefit all members, particularly the developing and less advanced countries.  A new round
agenda will have to tackle properly the developing countries’ concerns regarding the implementation
of the Uruguay Round agreements, and include an ambitious mandate oriented at the agricultural trade
liberalization process that began during the said Round.
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