. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(03)/17
13 September 2003
(03-4845)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fifth Session
Cancún, 10 - 14 September 2003Original:  French
DECLARATION OF THE MINISTERS OF TRADE OF THE MEMBER STATES OF
THE UEMOA ON THE SINGAPORE ISSUES AT THE FIFTH MINISTERIAL
CONFERENCE OF THE WTO, CANCUN
Communication from Togo
The Director-General has received the following communication, dated 13 September 2003,
from the Minister of Commerce, Industry, Transport and Free Zone Development of theTogalese Republic.
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I have the honour to submit to you herewith the Declaration adopted by the Ministers of
Trade of the Member States of the UEMOA (Ben in, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau,
Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo) on the Singapore Issues at the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the WTO
at Cancún.
I should be grateful for any arrangements you would be good enough to make to forward it to
the Members of the WTO.
We, the Ministers of Trade of the Member States of the West African Economic and
Monetary Union (UEMOA), meeting at Cancún on 12 September 2003.
NOTING  Directive No. 06/2003/CM/UEMOA of 26 June 2003 concerning the common
negotiating positions of the Member States of the UEMOA for the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference
at Cancún;
NOTING  the Declaration of the Ministers of Trade and Finance of the Member States of the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), adopted at Bamako on 25 July 2003;
NOTING the Declaration of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union on the
Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference, adopted at Maputo on 12 July 2003;
NOTING the ACP Declaration on the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference;
CONSIDERING  the current state of progress of the negotiations at Cancún;
ADOPT THE FOLLOWING DECLARATION :
We are aware of the potential implications of the " Singapore Issues " for our economies;  but
in view of the fact that the perception of these Issues continues to create differences between theMembers of the WTO, we request that the clarification process begun since Doha be pursued.WT/MIN(03)/17
Page 2
In that perspective, we stress the need to set up appropriate technical assistance for
developing countries for the purpose of capacity-building in these areas.
Consequently, we consider that to launch negotiations on the Singapore Issues at Cancún is
premature.
Done at Cancún on 12 September 2003
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