98-2844PRESS RELEASE
PRESS/107
16 July 1998
RUGGIERO ANNOUNCES ENHANCED WTO PLAN FOR COOPERATION WITH NGOs
GENEVA -- World Trade Organizati on Director General Renato Ruggi ero announced today a plan for
enhanced cooperation with N onGovernmental Organizations.
"We are making progress toward improving our in formation exchange and consultation with civil
society. These measures are the first step in our enhanced co-operation and represent the start of an on-going collaboration with pa rtner NGOs, which we  fully expect will offer im portant benefits for all
parties concerned," said Mr. Ruggiero.
Since 1996, NGOs with links to trade issues have been invited to both WTO Ministerial Conferences
and have participated in numerous symposia organized by the WTO Secretariat.
As part of the Secretariat efforts to improve cont acts with Civil Society, Mr. Ruggiero announced that
the External Relations Division would begin a programme of regular briefings for NGOs on the work of
WTO committees and working groups.
The Secretariat will also extend each month to the 132 WTO member countries a list of documents,
position papers and newsletters submitted by NGOs. These documents will be made available ondemand to member states.
A special section of the WTO Website will also be devoted to NGOs issues. The list of documents
submitted to the Secretariat by th e NGOs w ill appear on this site, as will all upcoming WTO symposia
or other events organized for the benefit of NGOs.
Mr. Ruggiero explained that WTO member countries had in 1996 established guidelines which direct
the organization in its relations with Civil Society. It is within these guidelines that this enhanced
cooperation process has been formulated. While the Secr etariat has flexibility w ith respect to informing
and consulting with NGOs , for instance, other issues including opening Dispute Settlement hearings and
other WTO meetings to the public can only be appr oved by a consensus of member states. The same
situation pertains to the issue of more rapid dere striction of documents. Members began this week to
review the existing policy on derestriction and reco mmendations for reform may come in the coming
months.
END