RESTRICTED
GENERAL AGREEMENT S/NGNP/3
22November 1994
ONTRADE INSERVICES
(94-2503)
Negotiating Group onMovement ofNatural Persons
NOTE ONTHE MEETING OF4NOVEMBER 1994
1. Thethird meeting oftheNegotiating Group onMovement ofNatural Persons waschaired
byAmbassador Bautista ofthePhilippines. Thediscussion followed theagenda contained inairgram
PC/AIR/36.
Requests forobserver status
2. TheGroup agreed togrant observer status tothegovernment ofSaudi Arabia. Regarding the
outstanding request forobservership fromtheInternational Organization forMigration (IOM), anumber
ofdelegations saidtheywerenotinaposition totakeadecision because theystillquestioned theextent
towhich theIOM'sactivities weredirectly linked totrade inservices given thatitsprimary concern
wasmigration andnotthetemporary entry andstayofservice suppliers. Other delegations, however,
considered thatitwasverydifficult toturndown theIOM'sapplication partly because theyfeltthere
wasalinkage between thework ofthisGroup andtheconcerns oftheIOMandpartly inviewofthe
factthatother intergovernmental organizations ofalessthanuniversal character hadbeenadmitted
toother negotiating groups intheservices area. Noting thattherewasstillnoagreement ontheissue
oftherelevance oftheIOM'swork totheconcerns oftheNegotiating Group, theChairperson proposed
tofurther clarify thefunctions oftheIOM withrespect tothemandate oftheNegotiating Group.
Progress ofbilateral negotiations
3. TheChairperson recalled thatthemain purpose ofthemeeting wastoprovide transparency
bygiving delegations anopportunity toreport onprogress made inbilateral discussions. Onedelegation
reported thatitsfirstround ofbilateral negotiations withitsmain trading partners hadbeenauseful
stocktaking exercise, throwing lightonwhatmight bepossible inthefuture interms ofachieving a
bigger liberalization package. Specific request listswould becirculated tomain trading partners in
thenearfuture andfurther discussions hadbeententatively scheduled forlateJanuary 1995. Another
delegation reported thatpreliminary bilateral discussions withtwodelegations hadbeenuseful in
clarifying issues leftoutstanding attheconclusion oftheUruguay Round, including issues relating
tothevalue ofcommitments andtheexport opportunities resulting fromthem. Three other delegations
noted thattheyhadhadconsultations withcountries thathadrequested suchbilateral discussions and
found them tobeuseful. Some delegations drew attention totheproblems which might becaused by
linking progress inthisGroup withdevelopments intheother negotiating groups.
4. TheChairperson concluded thatthediscussions sofarhadbeenofanexploratory character
andexpressed thehopethatmore active andsubstantive negotiations would takeplace inthefuture.
Given thatthebilateral element would remain thecrucial partoftheGroup 'swork, itwasagreed that
itwould behelpful todesignate afurther period forbilateral contacts towards theendofJanuary 1995
tobefollowed byafurther meeting oftheGroup inearly February.