RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/COMTD/W/16/Add.2
14October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4232)
Original: English Committee onTrade andDevelopment
IMPLEMENTATION OFURUGUAY ROUND PROVISIONS
INFAVOUR OFDEVELOPING COUNTRY MEMBERS
Addendum
Thefollowing communication hasbeenreceived fromtheChairperson oftheCouncil forTrade
inServices.
____________________
Youwrote tomeinMayconcerning thereview being carried outbytheCommittee onTrade
andDevelopment oftheapplication ofspecial provisions inWTO Agreements andMinisterial Decisions
infavour ofdeveloping andleast-developed country Members.
Iattach ashort notedescribing theaction which hasbeentaken under therelevant provisions
oftheGeneral Agreement onTrade inServices since theentry intoforce oftheAgreement. Insome
cases, asyouwillsee,these obligations areincumbent upon Members andtheaction taken hasbeen
outside thecontext oftheWTO itself.WT/COMTD/W/16/Add.2
Page2
Provision Implementation
Theincreasing participation ofdeveloping
countries Members inworld trade inservices shall
befacilitated through anegotiated specific
commitments bydifferent Members pursuant to
Parts IIIandIVoftheGATS (Article IV:1).Thefirstsetofcommitments wasnegotiated inthe
Uruguay Round. Subsequently further
commitments have been undertaken inthecontext
ofextended negotiations onfinancial services,
movement ofnatural persons andmaritime
transport. TheCouncil forTrade inServices is
required tocarry outanassessment oftrade in
services, withreference totheobjectives setoutin
Article IV:1, inter alia,inthecourse ofits
preparation ofguidelines forthefurther round of
market access commitments scheduled tobegin by
theyear2000.
Developed country Members, andtotheextent
possible, other Members shall establish contact
points within twoyears from thedateofentry into
force under theWTO Agreement tofacilitate the
access ofdeveloping country Members 'service
suppliers toinformation related totheir respective
markets (Article IV:4).Sofar,17Members have notified thattheyhave
established contact points pursuant tothis
provision.
Thenegotiations ondisciplines relating tosubsidies
shall recognize theroleofsubsidies inrelation to
thedevelopment programmes ofdeveloping
countries andtakeintoaccount theneeds of
Members, particularly developing country
Members, forflexibility inthisarea
(Article XV:1).Work hasbegun intheWorking Party onGATS
Rules onthenegotiation ofdisciplines relating to
subsidies. Such negotiations willtakeplace
pursuant tothemandate ofthisprovision.
Prior toeach round ofnegotiations theCouncil for
Trade inServices shall establish negotiating
guidelines which would include modalities forthe
special treatment forleast developed country
Members (Article XIX:3).TheCouncil forTrade inServices iscurrently
discussing proposals relating topreparations forthe
newround ofnegotiations duetostartin2000,
including aproposal forwork onthepreparation of
negotiating guidelines pursuant tothisprovision.
Technical assistance todeveloping countries shall
beprovided atthemultilateral level bythe
Secretariat andshall bedecided upon bythe
Council forTrade inServices (Article XXV:2).TheSecretariat hasbeen providing technical
assistance todeveloping country Members upon
request. Nosuch assistance atthemultilateral level
hasbeen decided upon bytheCouncil.WT/COMTD/W/16/Add.2
Page3
Provision Implementation
Provisions ofGATS Telecoms Annex
Members shall encourage andsupport
telecommunications cooperation among developing
countries attheinternational, regional andsub-
regional levels. (Annex onTelecommunications,
para. 6(b))Since theUruguay Round, several international and
regional organizations have sponsored events which
giveconsideration tothecoordination of
developing country initiatives andstrategies on
telecommunications. Upon request, theSecretariat
hasoften participated insuch activities, providing
information onhowtheGATS relates tothe
sector. Many Members (both developed and
developing) have participated inandsupported
these activities.
Incooperation withrelevant international
organizations, Members shall make available,
where practicable, todeveloping countries
information withrespect totelecommunications
services anddevelopments intelecommunications
andinformation technology toassist in
strengthening their domestic telecommunications
services sector. (Annex onTelecommunications,
para. 6(c))Organizations such astheITU, UNCTAD andthe
WTO (under theauspices oftheNegotiating Group
onBasic Telecommunications) have sponsored
information-sharing exercises aimed atmaking
details more readily available onindustry
developments andnational policy reforms inboth
thetelecommunications andinformation services
sectors. Asmembers oftherespective
organizations, WTO Members have participated in
such exercises.
Members shall givespecial consideration to
opportunities fortheleast-developed countries to
encourage foreign suppliers oftelecommunications
services toassist inthetransfer oftechnology,
training andother activities thatsupport the
development oftheir telecommunications
infrastructure andexpansion oftheir
telecommunications services trade. (Annex on
Telecommunications, para. 6(d))Under theauspices oforganizations such asthe
ITUandtheWorld Bank, Members have
supported policies encouraging private sector
participation intheenhancement ofdeveloping
country telecommunications sectors. Oneresult,
born outofanITUinitiative, hasbeen the
formation ofWorldTel, aprivately funded
investment agency thatwillprovide seedcapital for
telecom ventures indeveloping countries withlow
tele-density levels.