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GENERAL COUNCIL
217 November 20067
NOTE FOR CHAIRMAN
General Council Annual Debate on Aid for Trade
I would like to start by welcoming all delegations to this meeting of the gGeneral cCouncil.
As delegations will recall, the Task Force on Aid for Trade established last year pursuant to the instruction of Ministers at Hong Kong recommended, inter alia, that an annual debate on Aid for Trade be convened in the WTO General Council in order to provide political guidance on Aid for Trade. Today's meeting has been convened in keeping with the recommendations of the Task Force, which were endorsed by Members in the General Council in October last year.
This meeting serves as the final segment of the global review of aid for trade that has been taking place today and over the past two days here at the WTO with the aim of taking stock of what is happening on Aid for Trade, identifying what should happen next; and improving WTO monitoring and evaluation.
Over the past two days, and this morning, we have had the benefit of several well-attended panel discussions on monitoring and evaluation, on cross-cutting aid-for-trade issues, on what we have learned from the first year of aid-for-trade monitoring, and the role of aid for trade in the broader development assistance agenda. We have also had the benefit, yesterday and this morning, of three separate panel discussions on the next steps for the regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, and Africa.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude, on behalf of all of us, to all the participants in these discussions, and in particular to the senior officials from capitals and the heads of the multilateral and regional agencies that have travelled to Geneva to contribute to this event. Their presence sends a strong message about the importance that is being attached on all sides to a truly multilateral effort aimed at aiding development through trade.
Today's meeting of the General Council provides Members the opportunity to discuss, for the record, the results of the WTO monitoring process to date, and to provide political guidance on future directions.
As outlined in the Airgram circulated to convene today's meeting –WTO/AIR/3117 – I propose that following my opening remarks, and as an aid to the subsequent discussion, we hear first a report from the Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Development on the periodic reviews of Aid-for-Trade that have been held in the CTD since April, followed by a summary report presented by DDG Mrs.Rugwabiza on behalf of the Director-General.
Thereafter, I propose to invite delegations to make their comments. I hope delegations will be able to provide feedback and input about next steps for the WTO, including how we can improve monitoring and evaluation. I would encourage delegations to keep their statements brief in order to allow us to hear from as many speakers as possible during the course of today. Following the discussion, the Director-General and I will make a few closing remarks.
With these words, I would like to invite Amb. Servansing (Mauritius), Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Development, to take the floor.
[Amb. Servansing will make a statement.]
I would now like to invite DDG Mrs.Rugwabiza to present a summary report on behalf of the Director-General.
[Mrs.Rugwabiza will make a statement.]
I would now like to invite delegations to take the floor. As I mentioned earlier, I would encourage delegations to keep statements brief in order to allow us to hear from as many speakers as possible during the course of today.
[The Chairman would offer floor to delegations wishing to speak.]
[[For Chairman: The EC has signalledrequested that EC Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, – Louis Michel, – be would like to be the first lead speaker.]]
[Following the discussion, the Chairman would make a few closing remarks on the basis of the discussion. He would then invite the Director-General to make a few remarks. The Chair will then close the meeting with the announcement on the next page.]
GENERAL COUNCIL
21 November 2007
NOTE FOR CHAIRMAN
(Announcement by the Chairman just prior to closing)
I would like to inform delegations that the next regular meeting of the General Council is scheduled to be held on 18 and 19 December. The Airgram convening this meeting will be closed on Thursday, 6December and issued to delegations on Friday, 7December.
The meeting is closed.
the first item of business at our meeting today is to adopt the agenda.
Adoption of Agenda
A proposed Agenda has been circulated to delegations in document WT/GC/W/571, which, as you will note, contains a single item regarding the accession of Viet Nam.
Unless delegations wish to suggest any items for consideration under "Other Business" at this meeting, I propose that the Agenda be adopted.
It is so agreed. [GAVEL]
GENERAL COUNCIL
7November 2006
NOTE FOR CHAIRMAN
Item 1 Accession of Viet Nam – Report of the Working Party (WT/ACC/VNM/48 and Add. 1 and 2)
At the outset, allow me to say that it is a great pleasure and honour for me to welcome, on behalf of all WTO Members and observer delegations, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, H.E. Mr. Pham Gia Khiem, who will address the General Council during the consideration of this item.
It is also an honour for me to welcome to this Council meeting:
-the Minister of Trade of Viet Nam, H.E.Mr Truong Dinh Tuyen
-the Vice-Minister of Trade, and Chief Negotiator of Viet Nam's Negotiations Team, H.E. Mr. Luong Van Tu
as well as the other members of the delegation of Viet Nam that are present with us today.
Let me begin by recalling that the Working Party on the Accession of Viet Nam was established by the General Council at its very first meeting, on 31 January 1995. I am extremely pleased that the Report of the Working Party is now before the General Council for consideration and adoption in the documents to which I have referred earlier.
As Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Viet Nam, I would now like to say a few words in presenting this report to the Council.
[Separate statement to be provided.]
With these introductory remarks, I would now like to take up the package of Viet Nam's accession documents one by one, and deal with each. In keeping with usual practice, I will begin with the draft Protocol of Accession of Viet Nam as contained in the report of the Working Party.
In the light of the report that I have just presented, I would like to invite the General Council to approve the draft Protocol of Accession of Viet Nam as contained in the Report of the Working Party (page 196).
[The General Council should so agree.]
[[For Chairman: The US is expected to submit a communication announcing recourse to WTO Art. XIII (regarding non-application). No action is needed at the Council. Under normal practice, the communication will be circulated to Members.]]
Next, I would like to invite the General Council – in accordance with the Decision-Making Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed in November 1995 (WT/L/93) – to adopt the draft Decision on the Accession of Viet Nam as contained in the report of the Working Party (page 195).
[The General Council should so agree.]
Finally, I would like to invite the General Council to adopt the report of the Working Party as a whole, in documents WT/ACC/VNM/48 and Add.1 and 2.
[The General Council should so agree.]
It gives me very great pleasure to welcome the Decision we have just taken on the Accession of Viet Nam to the World Trade Organization. Accession to the WTO is a long and complicated negotiation – which has taken 11 years in Viet Nam's case – but I think all would agree that the final package of terms and conditions of entry reflect the constructive spirit with which both Members and Viet Nam have participated in the process.
I believe that Viet Nam's forthcoming entry into the WTO represents an important further step towards its fuller integration into world trade and into the world economy. Viet Nam's economic performance of recent years, together with the substantial trade and economic reform programme it has been undertaking, will certainly play an important role in smoothing its entry into the WTO. From a systemic point of view, Viet Nam's entry will also take us another step towards greater universality in our membership and will add to the depth and diversity of the WTO.
I would like to take this opportunity to once again extend my congratulations to H.E. Mr. Pham Gia Khiem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, H.E. Mr. Truong Dinh Tuyen, Minister of Trade, his team of negotiators led by H.E. Mr. Luong Van Tu, and the people and to his delegation and Government of Viet Nam, on the successful completion of the WTO process.
With regard to the further steps towards Viet Nam's formal entry as a WTO Member, I would like to inform delegations that a ceremony for the signature of the Protocol of Accession will be held this morning immediately following our Council meeting. The Government of Viet Nam will then submit the Protocol for ratification by its legislative assembly. In keeping with WTO provisions, Viet Nam will become a Member of the WTO thirty days following the date of its ratification of the Protocol of Accession.
With these words, and before I offer the floor to delegations, I would like to invite the Director-General to add his own words of welcome on this occasion.
[The Director-General will make a statement.]
Before I offer the floor to delegations, I would like to confirm that the signing ceremony for the Protocol of Accession of Viet Nam, which I referred to earlier, will take place at 1 p.m. today. cordially
Accordingly, I seek the indulgence of all delegations in proposing that we conclude our meeting by 12.45 p.m. at the latest.
Also, the delegation of Viet Nam has indicated that it wishes to speak at the end of our meeting. Accordingly, I will invite that delegation to take the floor at the latest at 12.30 p.m.
Finally, many more delegations may wish to express their welcome and support to Viet Nam at this morning's than we may be able to accommodate in the time available. For this reason, I would encourage and invite coordinators of regional and other WTO groupings to speak first. I would urge all delegations who are represented in such groupings to show restraint in taking the floor subsequently.
As we have done before, all delegations who are unable to speak today, and who nevertheless wish to be placed formally in the records of today's meeting as having expressed their welcome and support to Viet Nam, may indicate their names to the Secretariat. The Secretariat will ensure that this is reflected in the minutes of today's meeting.
With these words, I would like to invite delegations wishing to speak to take the floor. I will give precedence to coordinators of regional and other WTO groupings, and to those Members who may not be represented in such groupings.
[Delegations will take the floor, with precedence given to coordinators of regional and other WTO groupings, and to those Members who may not be represented in such groupings.]
[[For Chairman: As announced at the beginning of the meeting, at the latest at 12.30 p.m. you would invite Viet Nam to take the floor.
All delegations remaining on the Speakers List – as well as any others who so indicate to the Secretariat – will be placed in the records of today's meeting as having expressed their welcome and support to Viet Nam.]]
I would now like to invite the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, H.E. Mr. Pham Gia Khiem, to speak.
[H.E. Mr. Pham Gia Khiem will make a statement.]
[Following the statement by Minister Pham Gia Khiem, the General Council should take note of all the statements made and of the expressions of welcome and support.]
[[For Chairman: You would then close the meeting with the announcement on the next page.]]
GENERAL COUNCIL
7November 2006
NOTE FOR CHAIRMAN
(Announcement by Chair just prior to closing)
Before closing today's meeting, I would like to inform delegations that the next regular meeting of the General Council is scheduled to be held on 14and 15December. The Airgram convening this meeting will be closed on Friday, 1December and issued to delegations on Monday, 4December.
The meeting is closed. [GAVEL]
[[For Chairman: The signing ceremony of the Protocol of Accession will take place at 1 p.m. in the DG's Conference Room, with the participation of the DG, DDGs, yourself, the Vietnamese delegation, other delegations invited by Viet Nam, and Directors from Accessions, Services, Market Access and Legal Divisions, and some other Secretariat staff. Trade Minister Tuyen will sign the Protocol for Viet Nam.]]