WORLD TRADE WT/GC/11
20February 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-0584)
General Council
1998 MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE AND COMMEMORATION OFTHE
50TH ANNIVERSARY OFTHE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM
Atitsmeeting on19February 1998 theGeneral Council tooknoteofthestatement bythe
Chairman onorganizational matters asdescribed below.
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Points onwhich consensus appears tobeemerging
1. Inaccordance withthedecision already taken bytheGeneral Council on22October 1997,
theMinisterial Conference willbegin onthemorning of18Mayandwilllastthrough theafternoon
of19May, followed bythecommemoration oftheFiftieth Anniversary on20Maywiththeparticipation
ofHeads ofState orGovernments. Itisunderstood thatthese aretwodistinct events.
2. Thesubstantive agenda fortheMinisterial Conference willconsist oftwobroad areas for
discussion: implementation oftheWTO work programme andfuture activities oftheWTO.
3. There willbeashort formal opening oftheConference onthemorning of18May, followed
bytwosessions fordiscussions among Ministers. Thefirstsession would cover issues relating to
implementation ofthework programme; asecond session would cover future activities oftheWTO.
Discussions would begin onthemorning of18Mayandcontinue through theafternoon ofthatday
andthemorning of19May.
4. Theformal closing session oftheconference would beheldintheafternoon of19Maywhere
therelevant decisions would betaken, including election ofofficers, venue anddateofthenext
Ministerial Conference.
5. Ministers sowishing could provide ageneral statement totheSecretariat fordistribution to
otherdelegations andtothepress. These statements would cover twoitems: implementation andfuture
activities.
6. Thecommemoration oftheFiftieth Anniversary tobeheldon20Maywould beopentothe
participation ofallMembers oftheWTO.
Matters onwhich further discussion isrequired
1. Whether discussions byMinisters onthetwosubstantive items oftheagenda should berecorded
inminutes oftheConference orshould betotally informal, andtheamount oftimeandthepriorities
tobeattributed tothediscussions inthese twoareas.
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2. Thenature ofanyaction byMinisters concerning these discussions, i.e.,thepreparation of
aChairman 'ssumming-up, orofashort declaration, and/or ofadecision onpreparations forthenext
Ministerial Conference.
3. Thescenario forthecommemoration oftheFiftieth Anniversary withtheparticipation ofHeads
ofState orGovernment.
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